by
Team Africa Geographic
Thursday, 9 March 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
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
Baby elephant walk. A young elephant calf is at ease in the presence of its towering protectors. Savuti region, Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Elena Mauro Violent necking or an elegant foxtrot? “With the surrounding forest and delicate morning mist as a backdrop, and the synchronous movements performed by the fighters, the moment gave the impression of a staged dance rather than a fight.” Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Tomasz Szpila Incoming. An immature pale chanting goshawk hones its running skills. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Christo Giliomee Aglow on a red flower. “One can find mantises in many places if you just search a bit.” Centurion, South Africa. © Hendrik Louw A southern ground-hornbill revels in a dust bath. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Ilna Booyens “Meeting Craig was the best moment on my safari to Amboseli.” Craig, famous super tusker, is one of Amboseli’s most photographed residents. Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © Monika Seyffer Spotted by pearl-spotted owlets. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Gerrie Rall The photographer’s first-ever sighting of a lion was one to remember. “We came across two male lions napping in the tall grass – rolling around, yawning, and stretching. Shortly after getting up, they started to roar. It was extraordinary to witness.” Balule Private Nature Reserve, Greater Kruger, South Africa. © Kendra Page Stone A family of rare Zanzibar red colobus monkeys awaken from an afternoon siesta in the dense forest canopy. Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, Zanzibar. © George Dian Balan Leopard-crawling to lunch. On the hunt for impala, this male leopard put on a great display of his stalking abilities. Greater Kruger, South Africa. © Dominic Cruz The Chilojo Cliffs tower over elephants crossing the Runde River. Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe. © Giovanni Frescura Pucker up, sweet cheeks. After a long day of foraging, a meerkat family engages in some canoodling before heading into their den for the night. Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, Botswana. © Daniela Anger “We followed this mother elephant and her calf for a while – they were very relaxed around our car. In the late afternoon, before returning to the escarpment for the night, they grazed on the plains with Mount Kilimanjaro forming the perfect backdrop.” Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © Silke Hullmann A portrait of the endemic Kenya montane viper in the high-altitude moorlands of Mount Kenya. Kenya. © Robin James Backhouse Soaked after an afternoon shower. “The rains in Mara opens doors for some very unique and magical frames.” Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Remya Warrier A sizable eland bull, shrouded in oxpeckers, approaches the waterhole with caution, alert and on the lookout for trouble. Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana. © Kevin Dooley In a riot of lustrous green, a spotted bush snake peers out from the undergrowth. Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. © Gerrie Rall Brawl at the buffet. Tensions are high as scraps run low at Piper’s Pan, where a wake of white-backed vultures and lappet-faced vultures had hoped to grab a hearty meal. Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana. © Jannes Drotsky Evening shower. An elephant quenches its thirst and cools down after a day of soaring temperatures. Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. © Byamugisha Hillary A giant kingfisher emerges from the water with a snack. Intaka Island wetlands, Western Cape, South Africa. © Christo Giliomee Spiny flower mantis in garland pose. “I visited the Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve, knowing there are a couple of spots where one can find these little creatures. My luck was in and I photographed a few mantises in a variety of colours.” Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. © Hendrik Louw Capture from a mokoro. An elephant feeds gracefully in the swamps of the Okavango. Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Jack Swynnerton A colourful southern tree agama basks in a sliver of sun, his cobalt-blue scales iridescent in the light. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Joschka Voss “We were birding in the forests of Kibale National Park when we stumbled upon this chimpanzee, an alpha male. He was relaxed and gave us some wonderful poses whilst taking a break from his troop. He then followed this with a threat display.” Kibale Forest, Uganda. © Carrie Van Reenen Mostert A young elephant shows affection to its mother, snuggling up close. Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa. © Kevin Dooley Lone cheetah awaiting the storm. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Luigi Carta A lioness, one half of a mating pair on honeymoon, awakens from her slumber with a big yawn. Shortly after this photograph was taken, she sauntered over the rocks to awaken her partner. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Preeti John Chacko To comment on this story: Login (or sign up) to our app here - it's a troll-free safe place 🙂.
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