Professional photographers from Carinthia have been recognized for their exceptional work at the 2025 Regional Professional Photography Competition, with winners selected across nine distinct categories. The competition showcased the most spectacular and emotionally compelling images captured by the region's talented photographers, ranging from wildlife and nature shots to wedding photography and sports action.

A bride and groom leaping into a pool while their wedding guests applaud, a motorcycle rider leaning so deep into a turn that his handlebars nearly scrape the ground, and a bird puffing itself up while staring directly into the camera lens – these are just some of the captivating moments that Carinthian professional photographers have captured with their lenses, creating powerful emotional responses in viewers.

According to the Carinthia Chamber of Commerce, the submitted works had to achieve far more than just technically perfect shots. The expert jury evaluated artistic design, originality, creativity, intuition for capturing the right moment, and the ability to convey emotions through photography. The evaluation criteria emphasized that creativity, technical precision, and artistic expression were essential elements that convinced the professional jury.

Peter Rass, a Carinthian nature photographer, exemplifies the dedication required for such outstanding results. He won first place in the Wildlife category for his photograph of a courting Little Ringed Plover. The award-winning image was the result of hours of patient work and countless attempts. "I waited almost an entire day at the reservoir in Brenndorf and took countless photos before I managed to capture this particular shot," Rass explained.

The photograph shows the small bird with distinctively yellow-rimmed eyes and a black mask, puffed up in its courtship dance while looking directly into the camera. "You can see from this that he didn't notice me," explained Rass, who has been photographing birds since he was 13 years old and now shares his experience and knowledge about bird photography through workshops and excursions. Capturing animals in special moments while not disturbing their natural behavior is one of the highest principles of nature photography.

Rass, who worked his entire career at the telecommunications company and saw photography as a creative balance to his technical profession, has been pursuing photography professionally for six years. Last year, he already managed to achieve two second places at the regional competition. The native of Lavanttal, who has lived in Klagenfurt for many years, now also dedicates himself to photographing people, which brings completely different challenges and creative fields of activity.

Looking toward future projects, Rass plans to focus on photographing alpine birds, which he acknowledges presents even greater challenges. "That's even more difficult than photographing waterfowl, because you need even more patience, but also physical fitness and endurance," he noted.

The complete list of winners across all nine categories demonstrates the breadth of photographic talent in the region. In the Commercial category, Ramona Steiner took first place, followed by Gert Perauer in second and Maria Wawrzyniak in third. The Illustration category was won by Kevin Sattler, with Anna Lena Neuwirth and Ramona Steiner following. Daniel Trippolt claimed victory in Nature/Landscape, ahead of Birgit Mörtl and Katrin Hafner.

Other category winners included Anna Gabriele Repernig in Creative Portrait, Birgit Mörtl in Natural Portrait, Roman Huditsch in Wedding photography, Gert Perauer in Sports, and Michael Mischitz in Reportage photography. Each category had second and third place winners as well, showcasing the competitive depth of talent among Carinthian photographers.

Now, participants in the regional photography competition hope to score points nationwide with their spectacular shots. A jury of experienced international photographers will select the top 10 in each category from all submitted images across the country, giving these regional winners a chance to compete at the national level and gain broader recognition for their artistic achievements.