by
Team Africa Geographic
Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Our Photographer of the Year 2023 is open for submissions, with cash prizes of US$10,000 for the winner and two runners-up. Winners and their partners will also join our CEO Simon Espley and his wife Lizz on the ultimate private safari in Botswana.
Photographer of the Year is open for entries from 1 February 2023 to midnight on 30 April 2023. Judging for Photographer of the Year will take place throughout those months and for the month of May 2023, and the winners will be announced in early June 2023.
Photographer of the Year is proudly brought to you by Hemmersbach Rhino Force and Mashatu Botswana .
Here are the best Photographer of the Year submissions for this week
Is it a bird? The lions of the Maasai Mara are largely habituated to the sight of the dawn hot air balloon rush, but we will never know exactly what they think of them! Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Vinod CL
In Ancient Rome, the flamingo was among the most prized gourmet dishes. This epicurean African rock python, with his greater flamingo meal, appears to have been a fan of Apicius . Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © Alison Mees
Stoicism in a sandstorm. A Namaqua chameleon must endure a harsh Namib wind that sent the photographer and crew scurrying for their vehicle. Namib Desert, Namibia. © Dewald Tromp
Lady Liuwa’s legacy – a young lioness photographed in the evening light. Liuwa Plain National Park, Zambia. © Andrew Macdonald
Every equid enjoys a good roll now and again, even endangered Grevy’s zebras. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya. © Yaron Schmid
Baby Mine…” A touching moment of reassurance between a forest elephant mother and her calf.” Dzanga Baï, Central African Republic. © Andy Skillen
A young boy in a cattle camp of the Mundari tribe. South Sudan. © Anne-Françoise Tasnier
Operation Baby Bat-Eared Fox. This pair had to rescue and relocate their litter of young kits after the den was flooded by the first rains of the season. Unusually, male bat-eared foxes bear the brunt of offspring-rearing responsibilities. Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana. © Wade Buchan
The shimmering beauty of a bigfin reef squid. This curious little cephalopod followed the photographer around during her dive. “As you might guess from the fishing net in the background, this species is one of the most commercially important squid species for human consumption.” Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. © Brina Bunt
The lanner falcons of the Kgalagadi often lurk around water points, using their formidable speed to ambush the creatures – in this case, a red-billed quelea – drawn to the water’s edge.13th Borehole, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Christo Giliomee
A rockhopper penguin against the beautiful backdrop of Rockhopper Bay and South Africa’s subantarctic station on remote Marion Island. “Few South Africans know that this incredible place is a part of our heritage.” Marion Island, South Africa. © Danielle Conry
Two disgruntled hippo pods forced to share a small pool, prompting explosive displays of irritation. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Darren Donovan
A herd of oryx climb the dunes in a desert of vast eternity. “It seemed impossible for any life to exist in this harsh landscape, but they were set on their course to a destination known only to them.” Namib Desert, Namibia. © Dewald Tromp
“Golden hour gathering. A clan of elusive brown hyenas basks in the warm glow of the setting sun, savouring the last moments of daylight.” Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, Botswana. © Jack Swynnerton
A dawn patrol of leonine intensity. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Jenny Zhao
Bath time is no laughing matter. Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe. © Liz Lane
The rose among the horns. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Matt Meyer
The gory details of a Rüppell’s vulture tucking into a fresh wildebeest meal. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Michael Stavrakakis
Geronimo! “This amazing moment of nature allows us to feel the energy and instinct for survival that drives the animals during the Great Migration.” Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Nando Morales
When this young wandering albatross fledges and takes flight, its feet may not touch land again for several years as it soars over the Southern Ocean. Marion Island, South Africa. © Danielle Conry
Fubu, the western lowland gorilla. Lésio-Louna Wildlife Reserve, Congo-Brazzaville. © Tomasz Szpila
The first of several impending near misses for a tiny GoPro camera. An elephant’s foot is a remarkable feat of evolutionary engineering, designed to bear its share of substantial weight on five individual toes. Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © Vijayram Harinathan
Curiosity makes the cat – a female cheetah and her three playful cubs treated the photographer to an extended and magical sighting. While the mother rested, her youngsters occupied themselves with their own games. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Pedro Amaral
Beneath towering palm trees, two fishermen seek out fresh prawns from the waters of the Pangani River. Tanzania. © Jack Swynnerton
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