/ 2024 / Nature / Wildlife

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Max Dobens, Spain
• Date of Photograph
  8 May 2024
• Studio
  Max Dobens Photography
• Website
  https://www.maxdobens.com
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/maxdobens/

The Iberian lynx is an endangered species and only about 2000 are left on the entire planet. While on a photo trip in Spain, this one emerged from the bushes licking his chops, presumably he caught and ate a rabbit but I couldn't be sure. He headed straight towards the watering hole - a mere 5 meters in front of me - for an "after dinner drink" of water. Later, when I closely examined my images and noticed blood on his paws, I realized that a rabbit had been caught and eaten for dinner that night. All of this plus it was during the Golden Hour makes this one of my very best images ever.

I create images because it makes me happy.

Photography transports me back to simpler times growing up in the peaceful and happy upstate town of Hamilton, NY. As a young boy, the abundance of wildlife and natural landscapes provided endless fascination.

Reflecting on select memories, I’ve come to see how my deep connection to nature has profoundly shaped my path as a visual artist. Today, I’m driven by a desire to share the breathtaking elegance and understated power of the natural world. For me, photography is more than just capturing images—it’s about honoring the artistry of nature itself.

Awards 2025

International Artistic Photography Awards - Winner - Black and White - "Rest Stop" - Los Angeles, CA, USA

Monochrome Photography Awards - Honorable Mention - Wildlife - "Rest Stop" - London, UK

BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photographers) Print Masters 2025 - Natural World Finalist​ - "Rest Stop" - Preston, UK

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Artist-in-Residence program for April 2026 - Finalist - Hawai'i, USA

10th CAMPINA 2025 International Exhibition of Photography, Monochrome Acceptance - "Depleted" - Bucharest, Romania

10th CAMPINA 2025 International Exhibition of Photography, Nature Acceptance - "Risk v. Reward" - Bucharest, Romania

10th CAMPINA 2025 International Exhibition of Photography, Nature Acceptance - "Rest Stop" - Bucharest, Romania

Budapest Foto Awards, Honorable Mention, Nature - Wildlife - "Hibernation Hustle" - Los Angeles, CA, USA

PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, Honorable Mention / Nature / Wildlife​ - "Hibernation Hustle" - Paris, France

PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, Honorable Mention / Nature / Landscape​ - "Black Sand Beach" - Paris, France

The London International Creative Competition - Official Selection - "Waiting to Drop" - London, UK

The 9th Annual ONYX International Exhibition of Photo - People - "Medina" - Bucharest, Romania

The 9th Annual ONYX International Exhibition of Photo - Travel - "Third Visit to Turnip Rock" - Bucharest, Romania

The 9th Annual ONYX International Exhibition of Photo - Nature - "Iberian Ibex" - Bucharest, Romania