As the days are starting to get longer and the first shoots of spring are appearing, it is time to reveal the winners of the Winter 2026 Instagram competition. Each week, we saw thousands of images from every corner of Europe and beyond. Braving the cold conditions, you went out with your Sony cameras to show us, and the rest of the world, the beauty that the continent has to offer. From extreme snowboarding to the peaceful snow-covered city streets, there was a huge variety of images on show.

The beautifully serene winning image was taken by Marina Novopachina, who first picked up a camera aged 10. “I even developed my own film and photos at home when we would turn our bathroom into a small darkroom. Instead of spending my pocket money on sweets, I would often spend it on darkroom chemicals!” She recalls.

Her winning image was taken in the historic German town of Freudenberg. The town is famous for its timbered houses, and in the winter, they are blanketed in pure white snow. Marina was able to photograph from a hill in the Kurpark, overlooking the town.

But it isn’t a shot that you can take every winter. Marina had been planning for years, waiting patiently for snow, before making the two-hour drive from home. Before leaving, she checked local webcams to confirm the conditions were right. Arriving just before sunset, the combination of snow, warm light and a peaceful winter atmosphere finally came together. “I was able to capture the image I had envisioned,” she says.

Marina took the image with her Sony Alpha 7 IV, which she often pairs with her Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and the FE 12-24mm f/4 G. “I’m thrilled with this camera,” she says, “especially at night, its resolution and autofocus speed are unbeatable.” As the competition winner, Marina will be shooting with a new Sony Alpha 7R V. She plans to focus on landscape and cityscape photography and has a particular ambition to photograph the Milky Way. “Astrophotography has always fascinated me,” she says. “The camera’s 61-megapixel high resolution and excellent low-light performance will allow me to capture fine details both in the stars and in the landscape.”

In second place was Xavier Monsalve Elías’ evocative portrait of a horse, taken deep in the winter landscape of the Spanish Pyrenees. Xavier spends a great deal of time in Bescaran, a small mountain village, and it was there that this year’s winter provided him with the opportunity to take the winning photo. “I love going for walks in the mountains and photographing everything I see that moves me,” he says.

When Xavier came across a horse, he felt an immediate connection. “I thought it must be feeling as cold as I was,” he says.

It was only once he downloaded the images from his Sony Alpha 7 II to his computer that he knew he had captured exactly what he had set out to.

For coming second, Xavier will be the proud owner of a Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II. “With this prize, the first thing I’m going to do is go out again to capture more images of the nature that inspires me,” he says.

Finally, in third place was Michael Pedzich’s stunning landscape image of a lone tree in the snow. After several days of heavy snowfall, Michael had ventured out with his family into what he describes as a true winter wonderland. “My Sony Alpha 7C is always with me on trips like these,” he says, “and on that afternoon it really paid off.”

Suddenly, the weather changed, and dark clouds rolled in.

The image stood out to Michael even straight out of the camera. As his prize, Michael wins a Sony FE 20-70 mm f/4 G lens that he plans to use as his go-to travel companion alongside his Sony Alpha 7C, capturing landscapes, spontaneous city moments and interesting light situations along the way.

Congratulations to all of our winners, and to be in with a chance of winning our next competition, make sure to follow our Instagram account - @sonyalphaeu