Tickets are now on sale for the GDT International Nature Photography Festival 2026, which will take place in Lünen, Germany from 23 to 25 October. Hosted by the German Society for Nature Photography, the event will bring together leading nature photographers from across Europe to present outstanding imagery, inspiring stories and current topics in nature conservation and biodiversity.
Here are some of the lecture highlights:
Bavaria’s Wild Peatlands
Niklas Banowski and Christopher Meyer (Germany)
A photographic journey into Bavaria’s remarkable peatlands, exploring their biodiversity, their importance for climate protection and the people dedicated to preserving them.
Niklas Banowski and Christopher Meyer recently joined forces with three fellow GDT photographers (Ulrike Eisenmann, Michael Neukum and Konrad Wothe) for a book project, Bayerns wilde Moore. This beautiful photographic volume – which we featured in OP 329 – tells a multifaceted story about the many aspects of Bavaria’s peatlands, from those who work to protect them to the wild inhabitants that depend on them.
Beyond the Image: A journey from photography to conservation
Gerard Carbonell (Spain)
How photography can become a powerful force for conservation, combining compelling imagery with stories of endangered species and successful conservation initiatives.
Conservation photographer and biologist Gerard Carbonell will discuss he quest to document one of the world’s rarest and most endangered primates in the world, and how this led him to join an international scientific expedition that marked a turning point for conservation efforts in the region.
Stories of the Forest Keepers
Michiel van Noppen (Netherlands)
A behind-the-scenes look at long-term conservation projects, revealing how photography, science and environmental protection work hand in hand.
Michiel van Noppen will take the audience behind the scenes of four long-term conservation storytelling projects: Tales of the Forest Keepers, The Emerald Heart of Africa, A Bear in the Backyard and The Escalator to Extinction. As well as delving into the research, fieldwork and photographic approaches he used behind each project, he will reveal how compelling conservation stories evolve from an initial idea to publication.
BALANCE – A life of light, shadow and photography
Ingebjørg Fyrileiv Guldvik (Norway)
A deeply personal photographic journey exploring the emotional power of light, landscape and nature photography.
Known for her poetic expressive style, Norwegian photographer Ingebjørg Fyrileiv Guldvik has a flair for capturing the raw beauty of nature with profound attention to light, shape and atmosphere.
‘Photography helps me find my balance,’ she says. It brings calmness, clarity, and a sense of peace and harmony into my life.’
In her talk she seeks to tell ‘a story of how an inner landscape can take shape in the outer world.’
Five Years with the Bears of Trentino
Horst Eberhöfer (Italy)
An inspiring account of one photographer’s years-long search for the elusive brown bears of the Brenta Mountains.
Over the past five years Horst Eberhöfer has spent around 340 days in the Brenta Mountains with nothing more than a sleeping bag and a camera, and with the goal of photographing the region’s tiny population of brown bears.
Penguin Love II – The return of the emperors
Stefan Christmann (Germany)
Spectacular images from Antarctica tell the remarkable story of emperor penguins surviving in one of the harshest environments on Earth.
In this multimedia talk, Stefan Christmann aims to transport the audience to the surprising world of ice and tells the captivating story of a bird that has adapted to survive in the coldest place on the planet
FJELL – Light on the Nordic mountains
Orsolya Haarberg (Hungary/Norway)
A visual tribute to Norway’s mountains, capturing extraordinary light, weather and atmosphere.
Orsolya Haarberg’s aim is to capture the sublime beauty of mountain ranges across Norway. Her images, accompanied by texts by writer Maria Hasselgård, have been brought together in FJELL – A Faithful Witness, a stunning book that evokes the elements of nature.
The Rhineland – Boundless and full of lifelines
GDT Regional Group Rhineland
Celebrating the remarkable diversity of one of Germany’s most varied landscapes.
Twenty-five photographers from the GDT’s Rhineland Regional Group will transport viewers into the myriad habitats of their local landscape, from the wooded heights of the Eifel, through the romantic Middle Rhine Valley, to bustling towns.
Next Door – Running away, coming home and photographing the landscape on your doorstep
Felix Wesch (Germany)
An inspiring story about discovering extraordinary nature photography close to home.
Felix Wesch reflects on how he learnt that the most meaningful images can be made close to home and how he developed a deep connection with his local surroundings, His tranquil images capture fleeting moments along Danube floodplains near Vienna, the countryside around Marburg and the forests surrounding Bonn.
When Nature Photography Is No Longer Enough
Vegard Aasen (Norway)
How powerful visual storytelling can inspire people to take action for nature conservation.
In this talk, Vegard Aasen shares his journey from nature photographer to conservationist, exploring how art and visual storytelling can foster a deeper connection with the natural world, inspire action, and become powerful catalysts for conservation.
The presentation highlights two of his ongoing projects – Light Lines and the SOS Project – both launched in 2023 with the goal of inspiring meaningful action to protect nature.
Socotra – Island of dragons
Henley Spiers (UK)
A photographic expedition to one of the world’s most extraordinary islands and its unique marine ecosystems.
Award-winning underwater photographer Henley Spiers offers a unique insight into the wildlife and people of the remote Yemeni island of Socotra, often described as the Galápagos of the Indian Ocean. Spiers has captured what is perhaps the first high-quality photographic documentation of the ocean around the island.
Find out more about the International Nature Photography Festival and book tickets here.