/ 2025 / Nature / Wildlife

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Max Dobens, Spain
• Website
  https://www.maxdobens.com
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/maxdobens/

This early August afternoon at Port Crescent State Park on the shores of Lake Huron in Port Austin, Michigan, I was sitting in my car, beginning to put away my camera, when a flicker of movement caught my eye. To my delight, it turned out to be this small critter busily gathering grass underneath a picnic table, just 20 meters away. Moving slowly and quietly, I lowered the window,positioned my 400mm lens, and began capturing the moment. This is a thirteen-lined ground squirrel, also known as the striped gopher, leopard ground squirrel, or squinny.

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