20 Jaw-Dropping Nature Pics That Won The GDT 2026 Showdown

"This was my first time meeting this amazing creature. Up high in the Swiss Alps, me and my buddies Levi and Marc were hiking a snowy slope when we spotted it – an alpine hare, chilling about 30 meters below, tucked into a little rock nook out of the wind and snow. It just sat there, super still, blending perfectly with its fluffy white winter coat, staring out at the mountains. I used a funky photography trick with long exposure and some camera moves to mix the hare with the snowy landscape. Even zoomed in close, this made it look like the hare was part of the snowy scene, with snow streaks flowing around it. Isn’t it wild that such a fragile little animal can hang out in this icy, rocky world for months? I was totally mesmerized, shivering in my layers while I watched. I’m amazed by how perfectly these hares change coats–brown in summer, white in winter–to hide from predators. Sadly, climate change messes with this timing, sometimes leaving them in the wrong color for the snow and making them easier targets for eagles and foxes. It means a lot that so many people notice this humble hare through my photo. They’re incredible animals, and with the challenges they face, shining a light on them is super important."