Ou r Photographer of the Year 2026 is now closed for entries. The overall winner, runners-up, and their partners will journey to Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda, staying at the newly built Munazi Lodge, the only lodge inside the park. Expect chimpanzee trekking, canopy walks high above the forest floor, waterfall hikes, and encounters with black-and-white colobus monkeys in one of Africa’s most biodiverse montane forests. Read more about the Photographer of the Year 2026 prizes here . In association with Ukuri and African Parks .
Winners will be announced in June.
This is Photographer of the Year 2026 Finalists Gallery 2. To see the other Photographer of the Year Finalists gallery, click here: Gallery 1 .
Framed through the legs of a cow, a father feeds fresh milk to his son straight from the source: a quiet Setswana blessing of prosperity and continuity. “As a Motswana photographer raised within Setswana culture, I know the rhythm of village life begins at dawn when cattle are milked and fields prepared. I was documenting how climate change is reshaping small-scale farming. We spoke about the growing strain of unpredictable seasons on livelihood, and then this quiet, intimate moment unfolded, when this father lifted his young son onto his lap and guided a stream of fresh milk directly from the cow into the child’s mouth.” Gamononyane, Botswana . © Metlha Ngubevana Deep in Marojejy’s rainforest, a helmet vanga tends its nest. “I was following a group of silky sifakas when we were fortunate to see this bird in her nest.” Marojejy National Park, Madagascar . © Heste de Beer For five hours, Maasai guide James Lenjir accompanied the photographer waiting beside a dry ditch where the leopard Shujaa slept hidden in the grass. When wildebeest finally approached the crossing, the sleeping cat exploded into motion: proof that true bush knowledge incites the best sightings. Maasai Mara National Reserve , Kenya. © Ivan Glaser Ecosystem engineer. Endemic to the Bale Mountains, the giant root-rat spends most of its life underground, shaping the afro-alpine ecosystem with its burrows and mounds. Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. © Amit Eshel After catching a young lechwe on the Busanga Plains, this collared lioness fiercely defended her meal from an opportunistic young male. Busanga Plains , Kafue National Park, Zambia. © Lori Dove At a waterhole in the height of the dry season, leopard and hyena share space uneasily, thirst outweighing rivalry. While the hyena seemed more confident, the leopard slinked away after a short drink. Mana Pools National Park , Zimbabwe. © Lucy Gemmill Phantom of the Night. A caracal pauses at a waterhole in the small hours, briefly revealed in dim light, before melting back into the dark bushveld. Shompole Conservancy, Kenya . © Tracy Miller Captured during a translocation operation, this elephant bull represents the complex work of managing genetics, populations and space within South Africa’s fenced reserves. Marataba , South Africa. © Wiktoria West Rare floodwaters transform Ruacana Falls into a roaring spectacle along the border of Namibia and Angola. Ruacana Falls, Namibia © Johan Enslin Survival in the Luangwa Valley is written in scars, tracks and bloodied paws. South Luangwa National Park , Zambia. © Natascha van Mullem Boys on stilts gather beside the roadside near the Banna tribal area, balancing effortlessly above the red earth of the Omo Valley. Omo Valley , Ethiopia. © Art Chen Deep in South Luangwa, wild dogs bring down a bushbuck at dawn before returning to feed their waiting pups. South Luangwa National Park , Zambia. © Sam Hankss “‘Gecko,’ whispered our guide – yet all I saw was a leaf.” Only up close did the remarkable leaf-tailed gecko reveal itself. Moramanga, Madagascar . © Lynn Rosenzweig In a burst of muscle, wild desert horses clash beneath the Namib sun. Aus, Namibia . © Cliff Fawcett A jackal fiercely guards its meal as a vulture lunges in, talons aimed at the jackal’s eye in a brutal contest over scraps. Madikwe Game Reserve , South Africa. © Kevin Dooley In the lingering haze after a chase by a wild dog pack, a lone zebra calls for its herd while a solitary wild dog pauses nearby, both searching for their own. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Botswana © Hannes Lochner Driven by bitter winter cold and the urgent need to feed, this aardvark emerged unusually early, enabling a rare sunset sighting of one of Africa’s most elusive mammals. Makgadikgadi Salt Pans , Botswana. © Laura Dyer A mother lion of the Nsefu Pride watches helplessly from above as a large crocodile targets – and succeeds in taking – her cub below. A tragic chapter in the pride’s ordeal on the Luangwa’s steep banks. South Luangwa National Park , Zambia. © Marc Mol After a slow morning around Northern Farms, the photographer spots a pair of marsh owls hunting low over the grass. “They flew backwards and forwards without fearing us, and successfully made a kill.” Johannesburg, South Africa . © Wayne Parsons “Just after dawn on Mt Ololokwe, my Samburu guide stood watching as vultures circled in the rising morning thermals.” Samburu National Reserve , Kenya. © Titch Tetley A gorilla holds its young baby close in Bwindi’s dense forest – an intimate portrait. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park , Uganda. © William Steel “Only later did I notice the oxpecker parent feeding its chick on the rhino’s head.” Tanzania . © Stephen Long An Ethiopian wolf pup plays with a burrowing tree frog, tossing it into the air – youthful practice for a hunter still learning the skills of survival. Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. © Amit Eshel In the soft light of dawn, a hyena mother and her cubs play beside the remains of a warthog, creating a macabre yet tender composition. Maasai Mara National Reserve , Kenya. © Muhammed Jenos Little beauties and the young beast. African bullfrog in a sea of butterflies in the heart of the Kalahari. Central Kalahari Game Reserve , Botswana. © Jens Cullmann Working together with surprising coordination, two leopard cubs herded an impala directly toward their hidden mother, who launched instantly from cover. South Luangwa National Park , Zambia. © Zenya Lepper To comment on this story: Login (or sign up) to our app here - it's a troll-free safe place 🙂.
