Honorable Mention / 2024 / Nature / Wildlife

• Photographer
  Max Dobens, Spain
• 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 Awards since 2022

MSU Global Focus Contest - First Place Winner - "Expect the Unexpected" - East Lansing, MI - 2022

"Smile World" International Photography Awards Finalist - ¨Reflection on Motherhood¨
"Smile World" International Photography Awards Finalist - ¨Expect the Unexpected¨ - Hong Kong - 2022

14th Annual Taste Photography Awards Winner - "El Galeón Andalucía"

14th Annual Taste Photography Awards Finalist - "Expect the Unexpected" - San Francisco, CA - 2023

Monovisions Black and White Photography Magazine Awards Honorable Mention, Landscape Series - "improvise" - Los Angeles, CA - 2023

Prix de la Photographie, Honorable Mention / Architecture / Cityscape​ - "The Bean" - Paris, France - 2023

APOY 2023 Street Top 10 - "the Golden Lady of Santander" - Kent, UK - 2023

Black and White Photo Awards Winner - "Reflections on the Stairwell" - León, España - 2023

Kaleidoscope Travel Photo Award - "The Chicago Bean"
Kumanovo, North Macedonia - 2023

Budapest International Foto Awards, Honorable Mention - "Sunrise with the Bees" - Budapest, Hungary - 2023

The Nature Photography Contest - Finalist - "Salmon Regret" - León, España - 2023

The Momentum Photo Contest - Salon E-Diploma - "Dama de Oro de Santander" - Skopje, North Macedonia - 2024

Back to Nature Art Competition of the The Blue Koi Gallery - Honorable Mention - "Bear Sushi” - Kansas City, MO - 2024