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Photographer of the Year 2026

WEEKLY SELECTION 9 - GALLERY 2 - Photographer of the Year 2026

Thursday, 23 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 is Gallery 2 of the best Photographer of the Year submissions for this week. To see the other gallery, follow the link: Gallery 1

photographer of the year 2026 — Taking a break. After a burst of energy, a young rhino pauses to nurse, sit and rest – small cycles of effort and recovery shaping its early days. Laikipia, Kenya. © Greg du Toit

photographer of the year 2026 — A young male leopard crouches over a monitor lizard kill, pausing just long enough to meet the lens with an unblinking, measured stare. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. © Harry Martin

photographer of the year 2026 — From directly above, two southern right whales drift through De Hoop’s turquoise waters – immense forms reduced to quiet, moving shapes on a vast canvas. De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa. © Cliff Fawcett

Africa Geographic Travel

photographer of the year 2026 — At Spitzkoppe, Himba tribespeople turn toward Namibia’s vast granite and sky. Spitzkoppe, Namibia. © Panos Laskarakis

Photographer of the year 2026 — In the Richtersveld’s Gannakouriep area, a wasp drags a paralysed grasshopper over a remarkable distance (at least 50 metres as observed by the photographer), pausing occasionally to fly off to navigate.”It eventually disappeared with its prey into a hole in the ground.” ǀAi-ǀAis/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Micho Ferreira

photographer of the year 2026 — A lion pride had brought down this hippo in Botswana’s Kwando Concession, a rare and powerful kill. But even in death, the battle was far from over. The massive carcass lay heavy and inaccessible, its thick hide resisting every attempt to break through. The softer underbelly remained out of reach, turning success into struggle. Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Sameer Kumar

Africa Geographic safari — A lone cheetah sits between sunlight and storm – calm in the grasslands as rain curtains fall in the distance. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Soumen Chanda

Africa Geographic safari — With lions nearby, a leopardess moves along a channel edge before committing to a swift, decisive leap across. Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia. © Lukas Walter

Africa Geographic safari — A lioness runs with her kill, drawing her cubs into pursuit – play becoming practice in the early lessons of hunting. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Philipp Malli

Africa Geographic Travel

African safari — A Verreaux’s eagle carries a leopard tortoise high above a quarry – a precarious meal destined for a fall, cracked open on rock below. Cape Town, South Africa. © Braeme Holland

Africa Geographic safari — From above, Palmarin’s salt pans dissolve into pattern – circles, colour and human effort forming an abstract mosaic. Palmarin, Senegal. © Cliff Fawcett

Africa Geographic safari — An aardvark’s fate. A leopard secures its aardvark kill in a tree, adjusting its grip to keep the prize beyond reach of scavengers below. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. © Hannes Lochner

Africa Geographic Travel

Africa Geographic safari — Curious cubs follow circling vultures – early lessons in reading the surrounds for signs of opportunity. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Jie Fischer

Africa Geographic safari — An Ethiopian wolf mother lies with her pup in the Bale Mountains highlands. Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. © Philipp Malli

Africa Geographic safari — Future king. On a granite kopje, a young lion surveys the Serengeti – these ancient outcrops serving as a playground and a proving ground for the next generation. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Dewald Tromp

photographer of the year 2026 — Lioness stare. A fixed, unflinching gaze, even as a fly lands on her eye – focused, measured, and aware. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Leighton Lum

African safari — Lions and their colossal elephant meal in monochrome. Sabi Sands Nature Reserve, South Africa. © Ranjan Ramchandani

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