11-year-old photographer's incredible moment as a hare stares straight into his lens – his remarkable photo wins a top prize and lands on the front cover of this magazine

Close-up of a brown hare with tall ears standing in a golden wheat field — This close-up of a brown hare with tall ears standing in a golden wheat field scooped the 1st place in a nature treasure hunt and photography competition by *Science+Nature* magazine (Image credit: Joseph)

Joseph, an 11-year-old photographer from Marlborough, UK, has just won the top prize in the Scavenger Hunt photo contest with a beautiful image of a hare in a harvest field looking straight into his camera lens.

Captured with a 20.4MP APS-C camera and a 150-400mm super telephoto lens, Joseph's winning image is now the new cover of the latest edition of The Week Junior Science+Nature magazine.

The theme of the 2026 competition was "Focus on Nature" and Joseph's image left the judges in awe. "Immediately we thought 'here's our winner', the symmetry of this shot is amazing and the direct eye contact and battered ear gives it such character," explained the competition judges.

Winner of The Week Junior Science+Nature Photo Contest

Cover of The Week Junior magazine featuring a close-up of an alert hare with large ears, highlighting a nature photography competition winner — Issue 105 of The Week Junior Science+Nature magazine includes all the winning photos of the competition (on sale 11th Sept – 8th Oct) (Image credit: Future)

Tech information
Camera: OM System OM-1 Mark II
Lens: Olympus M. 150-400mm f/4.5 TC
Exposure: 1/100sec, f/5.6, ISO 320

See the winning images
All photographs by the winners and runners up will be exhibited at the Photography and Videography Show at Excel London from March 13-16, 2027.

The young photographers' work will go on public display alongside prize-winning images from professionals.

The Week Junior Science+Nature Photo Contest

Every year, The Week Junior Science+Nature Scavenger Hunt Photo Contest invites young photographers aged 16 and under to put down their screens, go outside, track down 10 hidden treasures and capture the beauty of nature for a chance to win prizes, Canon camera gear and even a future magazine cover.

For more information, visit The Week Junior Science+Nature's website.

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Kim is a photographer, editor and writer with work published internationally. She holds a Master's degree in Photography and Media and was formerly Technique Editor at Digital Photographer, focusing on the art and science of photography. Kim covers everything from breaking industry news and camera gear to the stories shaping photography today. Blending technical expertise with visual insight, she explores photography's time-honored yet ever-evolving role in culture.