Hallelujah by Preeti and Prashant Chacko (Kenya).
Their award-winning photoHallelujahearned them the $10,000 cash prize and a five-night safari for two.
In addition, their guide Jackson was also rewarded for his part in helping them take the winning image.
“Hallelujah” by Preeti and Prashant Chacko (Kenya). Winner, The Greatest Maasai Mara Photographer of the Year.“We had spent a good deal of time with a small journey of giraffe, made notable by the antics of this youngster, who was keenly exploring its surroundings at a reasonable distance from its mother. Our guide Jackson told me to be prepared for when the calf would return to the mother, as that usually results in something memorable to photograph. The calf returned but what transpired was beyond what we expected, with the oxpeckers seeming to us like angels singing Hallelujah!”
For his efforts, he’ll receive a fully inclusive trip to the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
The emotion of a mother-child interaction is something that we love to photograph, admits Preeti.
And so we waited.
“Little Mush” by Vicki Jauron (USA). Finalist.“We had seen this lioness a few days earlier and could tell that she was a new mother, but she was hunting and the cubs were hidden away somewhere. We searched a few times to find her with her cubs and on our last day, we were successful. It was a lovely morning and dad was around soaking up the sun while mom and her sister took the cubs on a walkabout. What made this all the more exciting was that there were very few vehicles nearby and so she had the ability to move without interruption.”
What transpired through exceeded all our expectations.
Their primary judging criteria was to look at how the photographers captured something ordinary in an extraordinary way.
This is a very clean and powerful image, shares professional wildlife photographer and judge Federico Veronesi.
“Stretch” by Kunal D Shah (Kenya). Finalist.“Watching Nalangu kill an impala that afternoon was incredible. However, due to the size of the kill, it was impossible for her to carry it back for the little one. She walked to the usual hideaways and brought him out after about an hour of waiting. As she guided the cub to the kill, I realized we could get an amazing shot of her on her return, from the bottom of a river crossing. We quickly rushed to the bottom of the river bed and waited. She not only walked by it, but she stretched and looked towards us.”
The three birds in flight perfectly connect the mother and her calf.
This year, thanks to over 1,000 entries submitted by 300 photographers, over $15,000 was raised.
Little Mush by Vicki Jauron (USA).
“Droplets” by Andrew Liu (USA). Finalist.“We found Short-Tail lounging just after sunrise. He graced us with a little drink from a nearby puddle, resulting in this beautiful dripping of water from his mane and beard.”
Stretch by Kunal D Shah (Kenya).
Finalist.Watching Nalangu kill an impala that afternoon was incredible.
She walked to the usual hideaways and brought him out after about an hour of waiting.
“Sunrise Crossing” by Charlie Wemyss-Dunn (USA). Finalist.“Our guide encouraged a quick departure from camp early one morning as we’d previously seen a massive herd eager to cross over to the Triangle from Lookout Hill the evening before. Before we reached the river, a call from one of our other vehicles came in that the massive herd had just begun to cross at the Miti Moja crossing point. As we arrived we were greeted with a scene I’ll never forget as a mega herd of wildebeest rushed down the bank as the red glow of a perfect sunrise pierced the sky. We were one of only three vehicles on either side to take in this epic scene while the early morning balloons can be made out in the far background in front of the rising sun. Photography was not surprisingly a challenge given the very low and contrasting light so I had to sacrifice ISO for a sharp image with the whole scene in view. A once-in-a-lifetime scene of nature’s greatest show.”
We quickly rushed to the bottom of the river bed and waited.
She not only walked by it, but she stretched and looked towards us.
Droplets by Andrew Liu (USA).
“Glowing Serval” by Vrinda Bhatnagar (India). Finalist.“We watched this serval cat scan the area, finally pounce and prey upon a mouse, and then stand satisfied for a few minutes as the early morning sun lit up her fur from behind making a glowing halo around her.”
Finalist.We found Short-Tail lounging just after sunrise.
Sunrise Crossing by Charlie Wemyss-Dunn (USA).
A once-in-a-lifetime scene of nature’s greatest show.
“Inseparable” by Andrew Liu (USA). Finalist.“After an hour spent watching the cubs, they finally took notice of our truck and decided to come explore. I captured this image as they made their way toward us along the path.”
All of the entry fees from the contest go to boots-on-the-ground conservation efforts at Maasai Mara.
Glowing Serval by Vrinda Bhatnagar (India).
Inseparable by Andrew Liu (USA).
“Leaning Towers” by Abderazak Tissoukai (UAE). Finalist.“I got to understand with time that powerful wildlife images are the ones that translate an emotion, which is often the result of the interaction between two or more animals. My experienced guide and I discussed this topic on several occasions in order to ensure his vision was aligned with mine. Luck was on our side when we crossed paths with these two young adult giraffes during their necking practice session. We noticed they were doing it in a quite friendly way, to avoid hurting each other as the moment of force generated by the movement of their long necks could indeed be harmful in real fight situations. When they went a bit too hard, a moment of care and affection almost immediately followed, as if it was their own way of saying ‘sorry’. I felt this one was one of them.”
I captured this image as they made their way toward us along the path.
Leaning Towers by Abderazak Tissoukai (UAE).
My experienced guide and I discussed this topic on several occasions for ensure his vision was aligned with mine.
“Danger out of Dawn” by Silka Hullmann (Germany). Finalist.“Almost immediately after leaving camp, we encountered a group of three lionessesstrolling through the still dewy grass in search of prey. Hoping that the cats would still be somewhat active in the early morning hours and that we would get pictures in good light, we followed them along the Mara River. Suddenly, startled by the danger from the now blood-orange-red dawn, a group of wildebeest ran straight at us and disappeared into nothingness. We were rewarded: the morning sun and the dust of the savannah gave this brief moment in a beautiful play of colors and an almost mystical mood.”
I felt this one was one of them.
Danger out of Dawn by Silka Hullmann (Germany).
The Probing Eyes by Ashish Ranjan (UAE).
“The Probing Eyes” by Ashish Ranjan (UAE). Finalists.“It was a beautiful morning safari in the Maasai Mara when our guide decided to take us to the Topi Pride as they had been seen roaming in their territory looking for food. We spotted the cubs near the foot of the hills where they are known to live. We waited for more than 45 minutes before we could see the pack of lionesses coming towards their cubs. In anticipation of good moments of them meeting their waiting cubs, we positioned our vehicle close to an anthill hoping that the lionesses would climb over it and the cubs would follow. We were proven right and when one of the lionesses went up to her cubs, we got our moment where we took some close-up shots in the warm morning sunlight. One such moment was this where I intentionally kept the mother almost out of the frame and only focused on the eye of the cub resulting in this shot.”
We spotted the cubs near the foot of the hills where they are known to live.
We waited for more than 45 minutes before we could see the pack of lionesses coming towards their cubs.
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