Europe's most prestigious nature photography competition concluded with the winning photo of two birds perched on a power pole by a 58-year-old female photographer.

Birds that don't look at each other win prestigious European nature photo award Picture 1
The German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) has announced the winners of the "GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2023" competition .

Birds that don't look at each other win prestigious European nature photo award Picture 2
This is considered the most prestigious wildlife photography award in Europe and is also one of the most anticipated competitions in the world of photography.

Birds that don't look at each other win prestigious European nature photo award Picture 3
This is an annual GDT contest held exclusively for members of the association. This year, a total of nearly 7,000 images were submitted to the contest by 424 GDT members from 13 countries.

Birds that don't look at each other win prestigious European nature photo award Picture 4
The entries were entered into seven categories: Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Plants and Fungi, Landscapes, Nature and Urban Wildlife. The overall winner of the competition was also the photo that took first place in the Urban Wildlife category .

Birds that don't look at each other win prestigious European nature photo award Picture 5
The winning photo, Scenes of a Marriage , shows a pair of birds perched on a pole looking in opposite directions. The photo earned German photographer Silke Hüttche the title of "GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2023." Silke is a 58-year-old nature and wildlife photographer. She is only the second woman to win the overall prize in the competition's 51-year history.

Birds that don't look at each other win prestigious European nature photo award Picture 6
In the Birds category , Christian Höfs won with this photo of a partridge on a moorland near Marburg, Germany. The photo was taken in early summer.

Birds that don't look at each other win prestigious European nature photo award Picture 7
A photo of a herd of buffalo in Africa won photographer Jens Cullmann top spot in the Mammals category.

Birds that don't look at each other win prestigious European nature photo award Picture 8
Sebastian Vogel took this photo of a snail clinging to a blade of grass. The photo won the Other Animals category .

Birds that don't look at each other win prestigious European nature photo award Picture 9
First place in the Plants and Fungi category went to Antje Kreienbrink with this impressionist photograph of flowers.

Birds that don't look at each other win prestigious European nature photo award Picture 10
First place in the Landscape category went to photographer Britta Strack for this mystical shot of a glacier at the foot of the Großglockner mountain in Austria.

Birds that don't look at each other win prestigious European nature photo award Picture 11
In the Nature category , Florian Smit was chosen as the winner with his photo of a dead caterpillar on the surface of the Rio Tinto river in Spain.