December 2025 Wildlife Photography Contest Advanced Category Winner

I was high up in the mountains, completely alone, spending the night outside with nothing but my sleeping bag and camera gear, fully immersed in nature. My goal was simple: to search for wild animals and experience the mountains in their purest form. That’s when I suddenly came across a group of female Alpine ibex accompanied by their young, calmly moving across the rugged terrain.

I immediately noticed a ridge in the distance that looked almost like a natural throne, perfectly framed by a dramatic mountain panorama. I positioned myself carefully, keeping a respectful distance, and waited patiently, hoping they would move into that exact spot. When I saw them slowly walking in that direction, my heart started racing. Moments like these are why I love photography so much.

In the end, everything came together. I captured a beautiful silhouette of three ibex standing proudly on the ridge, perfectly outlined against the vast Swiss mountains with fog lingering softly in the valley below. The image was taken in full manual mode, allowing me to maintain complete control: 1/250s, f/14, ISO 100. I used my Sony a7C II paired with the Sony 70–200mm f/4 Macro lens at 104mm, which gave me the precision and flexibility I needed in this environment.

I am a huge fan of the stunning Swiss mountains, and my dream images are always a combination of landscape and wildlife. This moment captured exactly that—and for me, this is Switzerland.