Here are the Finalists for our 2024 Photographer of the Year! We will announce the overall winner and two runners-up at the beginning of July. Each of the three winners (the overall winner plus two runners-up) will become a personal sponsor of a wild Hwange lion research collar. Winners and their partners will also join our CEO Simon Espley on a conservation safari in Botswana. Read more about the Photographer of the Year 2024 prizes here .
Photographer of the Year 2024 is now closed for entries.
Photographer of the Year is sponsored by Imvelo Safari Lodges . In association with Southern African Conservation Trust (SACT) and WILDCRU .
This is Photographer of the Year 2024 Finalists Gallery 1. To see the other Photographer of the Year Finalists gallery, click here: Gallery 2
The many faces of a future generation. Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana . © Keith Bannerman “We watched this flap-necked chameleon cross the road with boomslang in pursuit, before the snake finally executed the coup de grâce.” Thornybush Game Reserve , South Africa. © Greg du Toit Giraffes can dance. Two young giraffes engage in gentle necking. “It was as if these two giraffes were practising – their slow motions were so elegant.” Maasai Mara National Reserve , Kenya. © Vicki Jauron Spoils of the hunt. After the pack downed a young impala and devoured most of its meat in moments, one wild dog breaks from the pack, carrying off the impala’s head. South Luangwa National Park , Zambia. © Michael Davy “After three days of searching, we finally came across this shoebill with a catch.” Lake Victoria, Uganda . © Prelena Soma Owen Developing eggs can be seen inside the translucent body of a green bright-eyed frog – endemic to Madagascar. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Madagascar. © Hema Palan “A puku escaped death from a pack of wild dogs by jumping into the wetland, only to be met by an ambitious crocodile. The crocodile ‘bit off more than it could chew’, and this lucky young male miraculously escaped!” South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. © Marc Mol “A colossal elephant strolled gracefully into our view of Mount Kilimanjaro’s snow-capped peak.” Amboseli National Park, Kenya . © Karthick Sridharan Two grey-cheeked mangabeys sit for their portrait. Rwanda . © Benine du Toit “While riding horses across the desert, I was lucky enough to sleep outside next to this welwitschia. In the early hours of the morning, once the moon had set, I was drawn to capture the 1000+-year-old plant under the stillness and brightness of the stars.” Damaraland , Namibia. © Wiktoria West Motherhood, with scars. Three Hamar women bear scars from the bull-jumping festival. At the festival, men demonstrate their prowess by running over the backs of bulls. During the festivities, women ask to be whipped by the men, with the ritual demonstrating their loyalty. In return, the men are forever indebted, their scars serving as a reminder that they are obligated to help the women when they are in need. Tumi, Omo Valley , Ethiopia. © Aimin Chen Two black-maned lions of the Maasai Mara, Olobor and Olonyokie, have a tiff over breakfast. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Elizabeth Yicheng Shen In Chitake Springs, the thirst is real. Buffalos head down to drink from the springs in a billow of dust. Mana Pools National Park , Zimbabwe. © Liz Lane A giant roundleaf bat emerges from the day’s rest in the Three Sisters Caves for a nightly feed. Shimoni, Kenya. © Karel De La Cruz A nesting southern ground-hornbill is gifted a meal. The female incubates the egg for 40-45 days, and during this time she is fed by group members. Kruger National Park , South Africa. © John Mullineux Chimpanzees on a walkway through Kibale Forest “They watched me as I watched them, they communicated with each other as I communicated with the guide, and they walked through the forest as I walked through the forest – with slightly more grace than me.” Kibale National Park , Uganda. © Zenya Lepper An incredible sighting of the leopard known as Faulu hunting a warthog piglet. “Faulu ran in and grabbed the piglet by the throat and was making off with it when, suddenly, the mother warthog ran in to save her piglet, attacking Faulu with her tusks. Faulu leapt into the air with the piglet in her mouth but dropped it mid-air. The mother warthog continued her attack and managed to chase Faulu away, saving her piglet from certain death.” Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya . © Aidan Tinney On a rainy morning, a single African penguin on Boulder’s Beach stares into the shallows – a metaphor for the diminishing numbers of this endangered species. Cape Town , South Africa. © Andries Janse van Rensburg “While I was trekking for mountain gorillas, the dominant silverback casually flopped down directly in front of me, observing his reflection in the lens of my camera. Surrounded by thick vegetation, I had nowhere else to go. I kept a submissive posture with my eyes downcast. He stretched out his hand to touch his reflection in the lens and for the briefest moment I imagined him extending his hand to greet me as an old friend. A moment in time that will stay with me for the rest of my life.” Rwanda . © Dewald Tromp A unique angle on a leopard climbing a tree – illustrating the strength and coordination required for such a feat. “After 28 days of trial and error, I was ready to capture that perfect moment. The wind and weather were the challenging parts of this journey, but perseverance paid off. This particular shot was taken by placing the camera under the tree where the leopard had stored its meal, so I was sure he would come back for it.” Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Thomas Vijayan “A lion’s youth becomes a hindrance in stalking an oryx herd. His attempt is thwarted as the oryx detects his scant, fluffy mane above the dune long before his eyes even breach the horizon. His aspirations hinge on the growth of his mane, as it needs to cascade down the sides of his head to remain undetectable in a successful ambush. His mane’s evolution is a crucial step in his journey to becoming a skilled and effective predator.” Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa . © Hannes Lochner Blood river crossing. Two women carrying wood cross the algae-stained waters of Lake Magadi. Great Rift Valley, Kenya. © Nabila Wissanji A perfect sequence of carmine bee-eaters on the banks of the river. Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. © Gail Odendaal “When the sky cleared, several beams of sunlight peeked through the foliage, highlighting this intimate moment between mother vervet monkey and infant. The scene reminded me of my own baby daughter, who had sadly passed eight months prior. As part of our healing journey, my wife and I went back to the beautiful Luangwa River, after which our daughter ‘Luana’ was named.” South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. © Roderick Jongschaap Vapour and dust. A leopard crosses the dry riverbed, its breath and unsettled dust highlighted by the headlights of a nearby game-drive vehicle. Sabi Sands Game Reserve , South Africa. © Greg du Toit To comment on this story: Login (or sign up) to our app here - it's a troll-free safe place 🙂.
