Our Photographer of the Year 2025 is open for submissions. The overall winners, runners up and their partners will enjoy a teamAG safari to explore the primal forests of Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the remote north of Congo-Brazzaville – in search of lowland gorillas, forest elephants, forest buffaloes, bongos and much more. Read more about the Photographer of the Year 2025 prizes here . In association with Ukuri and African Parks .
Photographer of the Year is open for entries from 1 February 2025 to midnight on 30 April 2025. Judging will take place throughout those months and for the month of May 2025, and the winners of Photographer of the Year will be announced in early June 2025.
Here are the best Photographer of the Year submissions for this week
Chaos at Batlhako Dam, Pilanesberg. “We witnessed a feeding frenzy. Cormorants, kingfishers, herons, fish eagles and spoonbills were catching fish at will. Suddenly, a giant crocodile surfaced in front of the hide with a mouthful of fish.” Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa. © Warren Joffe The quest for a Pel’s fishing owl often ends in frustration. But sometimes, when hope dips below the treeline, a shadow lifts from the canopy – and flies straight through golden hour! “We came close to the nyala berry near the banks of the Limpopo River that the owl often perches on. We were incredibly gutted to see a troop of baboons jumping around the branches instead. But further down the riverbank, we were shocked to spot the Pel’s fishing owl on the top of a different tree. Just as I raised my camera to take a picture, it took flight.” Mapungubwe National Park, South Africa . © Benjamin Loon A solitary Masai giraffe drifts at the fringe of a fever tree forest. Mt Kilimanjaro looms behind in spectral indifference. Amboseli National Park, Kenya . © Vicki Santello Brisk walk. Low-light camera panning captures the leopard known as ‘Koboso’ ghosting across the Mara. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya . © Ajay Kumar Singh “During breeding season, Verreaux’s eagles can be seen performing tandem flights as part of their mating rituals. It was during such a display that I was lucky enough to be positioned slightly higher on the cliff face as this beautiful creature glided past me. Shortly thereafter, I spotted the couple mating.” Langebaan, Western Cape, South Africa . © Geo Cloete Lalibela’s famous rock churches plunge 40 to 50m into the ground. Here, the faithful gather around the chiselled rock in prayer. Lalibela, Amhara Region, Ethiopia . © Huizhen Huang An African wild dog basking in golden light is a satisfying reward for the photographer, who made a long-awaited pilgrimage to Mana Pools. Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. © Torie Hilley A purple heron descends with grace over the floating water lily blooms. Chobe River, Botswana. © Abrie Du Plessis
At first light, greater flamingos sweep across the Mozambique coastline like brushstrokes on canvas. This spectacular flight marks a key moment in their migratory cycle, often triggered by subtle changes in salinity or water level. Mozambique. © Alexandre Bès A honey badger mother hefts her cub over the Kalahari sands. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa . © Ernest Porter At 53, Craig is one of Amboseli’s elder statesmen. “When you have to scratch an itch, it is beneficial to have two tusks to keep your balance.” Amboseli National Park, Kenya . © Dewald Tromp A malachite kingfisher, all attitude and iridescence, clings to a swaying bullrush. Intaka Island Wetlands, Cape Town, South Africa . © Braeme Holland A Clanwilliam redfin races the current, snapping at invisible morsels hurled over a waterfall flowing into a river. A rare glimpse into the frenzy beneath the surface. Cederberg, Western Cape, South Africa . © Geo Cloete A hippo’s carcass tells a layered tale. First, this hippo died quietly in a pool. Later, lions spent hours at its carcass, enjoying an easy meal. Here, a hyena feasts on the leftovers. What will follow? Death may come quietly, but the cleanup crew does not. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya . © Alia Noordin Tucked against its sleeping mother, a young mountain gorilla tests the world with curious fingers clutching at everything within grasp, eyes unblinking. Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda . © Michael Snedic
A black-backed jackal surveys the sandstone folds of Golden Gate – a sliver of predator in a cathedral of rock. Golden Gate Highlands National Park, South Africa . © Björn Donnars A brown-headed parrot grooms itself with the flair of a showman. Kruger National Park, South Africa . © Ilna Booyens Caked in an armour of mud, a buffalo stands like a weathered statue against the open plains. “We found this bull near a waterhole just after a rainstorm.” Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya . © Randall Ball Moments after escaping a wild dog pursuit, a red lechwe finds itself ambushed by two Nile crocodiles in the shrinking waters of the delta. Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Pedro Amaral As clouds encircle Kilimanjaro, the snow-capped summit hovers above. Then, a Masai giraffe enters the frame, its ossicones nudging the cloud line. Kimana Conservancy, Kenya . © Vicki Santello With a bill like a salad tong, confident fishing expertise, and a stride to match, the African spoonbill probes the shallows at sunrise. Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa. © Erhard Kruger “A zebra glances at my camera, surrounded by the remaining dazzle of stripes and tones of black and white.” Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa . © Kevin Dooley A magnificent leopard in a grand and weathered fever tree. “My guide said he hadn’t seen a leopard in a year, so I had low expectations. As we photographed him, it began to rain heavily.” Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya . © Janis Hurley A purple heron takes off after the perfect catch. Chobe River, Botswana . © Nellie Tromp Legend has it that stilt-walking was once used as a survival skill by cattle herders to avoid attack by wild animals. Today, stilt-walking among Ethiopia’s Banna people has evolved into a rite of passage. Here, nine young men stride tall and poised. Omo Valley, Ethiopia . © Abenezer Yonas Buckle up! Oxpeckers may ride for free, but this warthog cornering at speed is no smooth taxi. Shompole Conservation Area, Kenya . © Alex Appleby After hours lying in wait in the marsh, a lion erupts from the mud, claws first, onto the back of a buffalo. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya . © Eric Coiffier A southern ground-hornbill grasps its catch in its sharp bill – one final wriggle from the African bullfrog before being swallowed whole. Kruger National Park, South Africa . © Srikumar Balial To comment on this story: Login (or sign up) to our app here - it's a troll-free safe place 🙂.
