Wildlife Photographer of the Year - Animal Portraits
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Animal Portraits – The Story Behind My Winning Photograph
The Kalahari Desert — vast, sun-scorched, and unforgiving — is where survival hangs by a thread. Life here ebbs and flows with the rains, and every creature lives on the edge. In this raw, untamed landscape, I captured the image that earned the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Animal Portraits — a moment born of patience, instinct, and an unrelenting drive to tell nature’s deeper stories.
A Photographer’s Perspective
October marks a pivotal time in the Kalahari. As the last waterholes shrink under the weight of the season, wildlife converges in desperate anticipation. The air is thick with dust, heat, and tension. On one such day, as I crouched downwind of a scattered Eland carcass, I bore witness to a gathering few ever see.
It began with shadows overhead — White-backed Vultures, circling silently before descending like ghosts into the acacia. They were soon joined by rarer visitors: the powerful Lappet-faced Vultures, a regal Bateleur, a Tawny Eagle, and a striking Lanner Falcon. Over sixty raptors in total, each playing a role in this primal ritual.
Wildebeest trek along the dry Nossob River as the first rays of Sunshine rise above the red dunes …
The Vulture Ritual – Nature’s Hierarchy in Motion
What followed was not chaos, but choreography. The dominant birds asserted their place with wings spread wide, beaks snapping in flashes of aggression. Others waited, watching, their chance to feed dictated by status and timing. From behind the lens, I watched this hierarchy play out with intensity and purpose. It wasn’t just about food — it was about order, instinct, and the ancient laws of survival.
White-backed Vultures fight over carcass
Through the Lens – Capturing the Moment
The midday light was harsh, the heat unrelenting. Still, I waited. These were not moments to rush. They demanded stillness, patience, and respect. Every frame I captured told part of a larger narrative — of life from death, of beauty found in brutality. From the skirmishes in the air to the silent watchfulness on the ground, the vultures revealed a side of nature that’s rarely seen and even more rarely understood.
Lappet-faced vulture
A Privileged Perspective
This image, honoured by Wildlife Photographer of the Year, stands as more than just a portrait of a vulture. It is a symbol of the resilience and complexity of life in the Kalahari. It represents the privilege of bearing witness, of waiting long enough to see the unseen, and of sharing that truth through my work.
tawny eagle
Wildlife Photographer of the Year - Animal Portraits
"Capture the Beauty of the Wild: Fine Art Prints for Discerning Collectors."
Own a Moment from the Wild
For collectors and art enthusiasts drawn to raw, authentic wildlife storytelling, this photograph is available as a fine art black-and-white print — part of a limited edition celebrating Africa’s untamed soul.
