Amateur photographer Chantal Anders from Ense has reached the final round of the German Post's photography contest with her stunning image of the Bremer Bachauen wetlands. Her sunrise photograph is now among the top ten finalists competing for the honor of becoming an official German postage stamp.
Anders became aware of the competition through social media, but it was also a newspaper announcement that prompted her grandmother to call and encourage her to participate. "My grandmother called me after seeing the contest announcement in the newspaper and told me I should enter," Anders recalled. The challenge was to capture Germany's most beautiful sunrise, and Anders chose to submit a photograph from her local area.
The hobby photographer deliberately selected an image from the Bremer Bachauen because of her deep connection to the region. "For me, it was important that the picture came from Ense. It's simply home to me," Anders explained. Her photograph, taken in 2022, successfully impressed the expert jury in the first round of judging, securing her place among the ten finalists.
Anders was particularly excited about the caliber of judges evaluating the submissions. The jury included meteorologist and television presenter Sven Plöger, along with nature photographer Sandra Bartocha, both of whom she greatly admires. "I was especially pleased that Sven Plöger and Sandra Bartocha were on the jury, as I really respect both of them," she said.
The selection process for her final submission was thorough and collaborative. Anders initially considered six to seven different sunrise motifs, sharing them with friends and conducting informal polls on social media to gauge reactions. Interestingly, a different photograph was initially the favorite for the contest submission. "I realized that I didn't want to give up on the Bremer Bachauen image," she explained about her final decision to submit the wetlands photograph in September.
Anders admitted with a laugh that sunrise photography isn't typically her specialty. "I have more sunsets than sunrises in my repertoire because I'm actually not an early riser," she confessed. Despite this preference for evening photography, her early morning effort in capturing the Bremer Bachauen sunrise has proven to be a remarkable success.
The photographer expressed her gratitude for reaching the finals, viewing it as a significant achievement regardless of the final outcome. "Making it into the top ten is already a huge honor for me. Everything else would just be the cherry on top," Anders said, demonstrating her appreciation for the recognition her work has already received.
The contest has now moved to its final phase, with public voting determining the ultimate winner. Voting is exclusively conducted online through the German Post's official survey platform and will remain open until November 11. The German Post has not yet announced a specific date for revealing the contest winner, according to a company spokesperson.
Anders faces competition from other talented photographers, including Claudia Hartmann from Lippetal, whose nature photograph also made it into the top ten finalists. Like Anders' submission, Hartmann's image has the potential to become an official German postage stamp, making the competition particularly fierce among the regional photographers who have advanced to the finals.
