Some photographers chase the famous viewpoint. Lukas Furlan spent the last few years doing the opposite, and it just made him Photographer of the Year at the 2026 Natural Landscape Photography Awards. His winning portfolio came from his first solo trip to Spain, plus the countryside around his home in Vienna and, of course, the Dolomites. He says he tried to make his work more personal, steering away from the main viewpoints and looking for smaller details. It’s also a bit of a comeback story, since he finished as runner-up last year and called the win a déjà vu.
Behind Furlan, Dorin Bofan took second place, followed by Koki Dote in third, Ross Davidson in fourth, Martin Rak in fifth, and Iain Macleod in sixth. Each submitted a full portfolio, so the title rewards a photographer who can stay strong across a body of work, not just land one lucky frame. The single-image prize went elsewhere, with Abraham Saikley named Photograph of the Year for a striking shot of a jagged mountain range.
Scroll through all six Photographer of the Year portfolios from the Natural Landscape Photography Awards 2026 below and see what happens when photographers skip the shortcuts and let the landscape do the talking.
#1 The Still Woods
Small white flowers bloomed beneath moss-covered trees in a misty forest. Everything was still, as though time had stopped. Taken in Shizuoka, Japan.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place
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9points
The sixth edition of the awards received 11,929 photographs from 1,086 photographers in 52 countries, and every finalist’s RAW file was checked to make sure the scene was real. The awards were founded in 2021 as a response to heavy editing and AI in nature photography, and their golden rule is that the integrity of the subject must be maintained. Only 170 photographs made it to the live finals, which lasted five hours over Zoom.
#2 Golden Valley
November sunset in the Central Bohemian Uplands, Czech Republic.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place
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6points
#3 Shadow Puppets
The spires of the Chaltén Massif projected onto the Patagonian grasslands. Shot from the rarely seen west side of Fitz Roy in early winter.
Award: Grand Landscape, Photograph of the Year, Winner
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5points
#4
First light hits a spruce tree on the subalpine plateau during winter. Ceahlau Mountains, Romania.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Runner-Up
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5points
#5 The Watcher
On a mist-covered snowfield, a large rime-covered tree in the foreground seems to watch quietly over the others in the distance. Taken on Mt. Zao, Japan.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place
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4points
#6 Keepsakes
Iridescent ice on the surface of a frozen lake held bubbles of all sizes like tiny keepsakes. Taken in Nagano, Japan.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place
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4points
#7 Forever High
Torridon, Scotland
Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place
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4points
#8 Primordial
Assynt, Scotland
Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place
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4points
#9 Rose Tinted
Torridon, Scotland
Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place
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4points
#10 Instinct
As the tide receded, a single twig was left behind on the beach. Amid the contours of the sand, it resembled a lone tree on a hill.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place
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3points
#11 The Highest Place
Lochaber, Scotland
Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place
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3points
#12 Foggy Flames
Radiation fog above the forests on a cold summer morning. Jizera Mountains, Czech Republic.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place
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3points
#13 Marsco
Blà Bheinn, Garbh-bheinn and Belig from Marsco, Isle of Skye.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Sixth Place
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3points
#14
Another colorful, richly textured mud pattern on a riverside in Spain.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Winner
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3points
#15 Left Behind
Branching channels on a tidal flat seemed drawn toward the golden light, like roots searching for nourishment.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place
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2points
#16 Highland Dawn
Lochaber, Scotland
Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place
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2points
#17 The Road Goes Ever On
Lochaber, Scotland
Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place
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2points
#18 Mountain Layers
Low clouds building up around the jagged peaks of Cadini do Misurina shortly after sunset. Dolomites, Italy.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place
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2points
#19 Frosted Forest
Foggy forest covered in thick hoarfrost in the Central Bohemian Uplands, Czech Republic.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place
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2points
#20 Decorated Forest
Frost covered trees nicely contrasting with the autumn foliage on the ground. Central Bohemian Uplands, Czech Republic.
Award: Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place
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2points