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Photographer of the Year

WEEKLY SELECTION 10 - 2026 PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Thursday, 30 April 2026

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Our Photographer of the Year 2026 is open for submissions. 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.

Photographer of the Year is open for entries from 16 February 2026 to midnight on 7 May 2026. Judging will take place from February to June, and the winners will be announced in June.

Here are the best Photographer of the Year submissions for this week

Photographer of the year 2026 — At first light, a lion gets a taste of a kill, his sandpaper-like tongue slowly removing fur from flesh. Okavango Delta, Botswana © Albertus van Jaarsveld

Photographer of the year 2026 — The last pool. These hippos gathered in the last pool available at the end of the dry season. But tight quarters bring tension, grunting and dust-ups. Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe © Alex Brackx

Photographer of the year 2026 — Blue cranes silhouetted against the setting sun during a quiet Durbanville evening. Durbanville, South Africa. © Christo Giliomee

Photographer of the year 2026 — Framed by forest shadows, a drill monkey’s amber gaze cuts through the dense foliage. Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Nigeria. © Cliff Fawcett

African safari — On the kopje. A cheetah takes an elevated advantage on an ancient granite outcrop, scanning the Serengeti from one of many rocky islands dotting the plains. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Dewald Tromp

African safari — Snap, crackle and pop. A chameleon works through a locust with visible satisfaction. Analamazaotra National Park, Madagascar. © Lynn Rosenzweig

African safari — 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

Africa Geographic Travel

African safari — Backlit in borrowed light, a lioness yawns, a fleeting moment where technique and timing align. Sabi Sands Nature Reserve, Greater Kruger, South Africa. © Edwin De A Godinho

African safari — Along Lake Kariba, an African skimmer comes in for an elegant landing on the lake shore. Lake Kariba, Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe. © Giovanni Frescura

Photographer of the year 2026 — “Last of the Giants.” A great tusker moves across Amboseli. Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © Leighton Lum

Photographer of the year 2026 — Holding On. Chased by baboons, a young cheetah seeks refuge above ground: not secure, but safe enough for now. After the baboons moved off, the cheetah was reunited with its family. Amboseli National Park, Kenya. © Mary Schrader

Africa Geographic safari — A tiny Anemonefish slips in and out of the sea anemone’s tentacles, perfectly at home in their shelter. Zanzibar, Tanzania. © Dori Hoffmann

Africa Geographic safari — A lone chimpanzee keeps watch, sentinel of the forest, alert to the movements of troop and jungle alike. Kibale National Park, Uganda. © Patrick Maurer

Africa Geographic safari — Samburu warriors catch long rays of warm sun. Samburu National Reserve, Kenya. © Panos Laskarakis

Africa Geographic Travel

Photographer of the year 2026 — Half-hidden in foliage, a cheetah meets the lens. Selati Game Reserve, South Africa. © Ilse Koks

Photographer of the year 2026 — A leopard carries a dik-dik to seclusion, retreating to dine away from prying eyes and opportunistic thieves. Laikipia, Kenya. © David Jenkins

Photographer of the year 2026 — At a Kalahari waterhole, a jackal launches for doves: a learned technique, passed down through generations, where timing is everything. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Edwin De A Godinho

Photographer of the year 2026 — A crash of rhinos surges forward. Kenya. © Preeti John

Photographer of the year — A rare sighting: a white-tailed mongoose taking an evening drink at the waterhole. Shompole Conservancy, Kenya. © Jeff Grabert

Photographer of the year 2026 — At sunset, a lioness patrols amidst Grant’s gazelles on the horizon, a moment heavy with tense possibility. Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya. © Ilse Koks

Photographer of the year 2026 — A secretarybird on a successful rodent hunt in the long grasses of the Kgalagadi. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Melanie Maske

Photographer of the year 2026 — In a burst of muscle, wild desert horses clash beneath the Namib sun. Aus, Namibia. © Cliff Fawcett

Africa Geographic Travel

Africa Geographic safari — Toothsome. The jaws of a Nile crocodile rest at the water’s edge, mirrored perfectly in the still water. Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Corey Raffel

Africa Geographic safari — After the first rains mark the end of the dry season, wild dogs revel in the water. Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. © Leighton Lum

Africa Geographic safari — Big eyes. A mouse lemur spotted on a night walk before it scurried back into the forest. Mandrare River, Anosy, Madagascar. © Lynn Rosenzweig

Africa Geographic safari — A pangolin moves quietly through a bleached landscape, surrounds blurred by motion. Northern Cape, South Africa. © Helgardt Pretorius

Africa Geographic safari — Pontificating. After a vigorous behind scratch, a young elephant pauses, as if considering the world, or simply enjoying the moment. Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. © Lucy Gemmill

Africa Geographic safari — Two ground squirrels spar in quick bursts, kicking up sprays of Kalahari dust. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Dewald Tromp

Photographer of the year 2026 — In post-storm light, a cheetah walks the ridge, low angle and open sky placing her against the Mara’s fleeting dusk colours. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Ivan Glaser

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