Christina Schwenck - Our Photographer of the Year 2025
- Christina Schwenck was named Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year 2025 for a perfectly timed, rain-soaked leopard portrait captured in Kruger National Park.
- Her winning image stood out for its balance of motion and stillness, technical precision, and emotional intimacy.
- Christina’s photography prioritises quiet moments over spectacle, allowing images to emerge naturally through time spent in the field.
- Christina believes photography can act as a gentle bridge between appreciation and conservation awareness.
- The gallery below showcases a selection of Christina’s recent photographs, capturing magical, fleeting moments from across Africa’s wild landscapes.
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Christina Schwenck’s winning image for Photographer of the Year 2025, Casting Off, captures a fleeting moment of wild intimacy: a rain-soaked leopard, spraying water mid-shake as the night’s storm is flung from its fur. Suspended droplets form a halo around the cat, while one eye locks onto the viewer. Taken in Kruger National Park during a downpour, the photograph struck our judges as a convergence of timing, restraint and emotional resonance.
The image was a masterclass in simplicity and timing – a photograph where light, form, motion and mood align. The lines of the tree cradle the leopard’s body, balancing the energy of the water spray. The eye-level perspective draws the viewer into intimate proximity with the leopard. Christina recalls the moment vividly. “We spotted the leopard sleeping in a tree and decided to wait,” she says. “After a long period of suspense, with my finger on the camera’s shutter release, the leopard suddenly lifted its head and shook the water from its wet fur. Within seconds, the still life turned into an explosion of water droplets, in the middle of which the alert eye of the big cat seemed to be looking directly into my camera aperture.” Taken on one of her first safaris, the photograph ignited her passion for wildlife photography. “I only realised later what a rare moment I was able to capture with this photo,” she reflects. “Even today, after numerous wonderful photo trips to various African countries, this moment is still one of my photography highlights.”
A quiet, patient photographic voice
Born in Kassel, Germany, Christina is a clinical psychologist. Outside of her academic career, photography has become a space of mindfulness and curiosity rather than pressure. Her travels across South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda have shaped a photographic approach rooted in patience and observation.
Rather than chasing spectacle, Christina looks for images that reveal behaviour, structure and presence. “My photographic approach is rooted in patience and observation,” she says. “I look for moments that reveal behaviour, structure, or presence without relying on spectacle or forced interaction. Light, form, and timing guide my work, allowing images to emerge naturally rather than being pursued.” Spending time with wildlife without expectation, she believes, often reveals quieter truths.
Winning Photographer of the Year 2025 came as a complete surprise. Entered without expectation, the competition unfolded gradually – from weekly selection to Top 100, shortlist, and finally the overall win. “When I entered the Photographer of the Year, I did so without expectations,” Christina says. “It was the first photography contest I had ever submitted to, and I approached it with curiosity rather than ambition.”
The award affirmed her confidence in her photographic voice and reinforced her belief in photography’s quiet power. “Photography can serve as a bridge – celebrating beauty while drawing attention to conservation,” she says. “If an image encourages even a small shift in how we value and protect the natural world, then it has fulfilled its purpose.”
And to top it off, as the Photographer of the Year winner, Christina travelled to Odzala-Kokoua National Park with Africa Geographic and Ukuri, along with the Photographer of the Year 2025 runners-up. Check out their trip here:
In celebration of Christina’s work
Below, we share a selection of Christina Schwenck’s recent photographs – images that reflect her quiet, observant approach to wildlife and her deep respect for the natural world.
About photographer Christina Schwenck
Born in Kassel, Germany, Christina Schwenck is a clinical psychologist and wildlife photographer based in Germany. In her spare time, she explores wild corners of Africa with a camera in hand. Her travels have taken her to South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda. Wildlife photography is her mindfulness – a meditative exercise in patience, observation, and reverence for the natural world.
Christina believes photography can foster appreciation and responsibility in equal measure. By drawing attention to both the beauty and vulnerability of wildlife, her work aims to encourage respectful engagement with the natural world.
Website: scwwildlifephotography.com
Instagram: @christinaschwenck
Facebook: christina.schwenck
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