The Best of 2024 Challenge

Welcome to the announcement of the Best of 2024 Pangolin Photo Challenge! It’s been a wonderful journey, and we’re excited to showcase the highly commended, runner-up, and winning images from this year’s challenge, along with the camera settings used to capture these stunning shots!

The Best of 2024 Challenge Prize

The winner of the Best of 2024 challenge will win a spot for two on our most popular safari, The Best of Chobe. This photo safari includes three nights aboard the Pangolin Voyager houseboat and three nights at the Pangolin Chobe Hotel.

Here is the video of the finalists from this round:

Highly Commended
High Energy, by Audrey Price

NIKON D4 with an 80-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 lens

f/8 | 1/2000 | 340 mm | ISO 560

Audrey Price’s High Energy captures a dramatic moment at a waterhole in Etosha National Park. Two young lionesses leap through the air, showcasing the raw power and grace of wildlife. Their dramatic leap contrasts with the calm presence of springboks in the background, adding a unique element to the composition.

Highly Commended
Hyena Leaving the Watering Hole, by Zita Quentin

Canon EOS R5 with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens

f/2.8 | 1/640 | 160 mm | ISO 6400

In fourth place, Zita Quentin’s Hyena Leaving the Watering Hole shows a hyena walking away from the water, kicking up dust. The backlighting highlights the dust and creates a beautiful play of light and shadow. The composition leaves space for the hyena to move into, adding a sense of motion to the scene. This image, taken with minimal lighting while sitting in a hide, became one of Zita’s favourites from her trip.

Highly Commended
Elephants in the Morning Mist, by Aris Christopoulos

Canon EOS R5 with a Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens

f/5.6 | 1/1600 | 215 mm | ISO 160

Aris Christopoulos’ Elephants in the Morning Mist shows a herd of elephants moving through the fog at Moremi, Botswana, in the early morning. The soft light of the rising sun and low-lying mist create a mystical atmosphere, giving the scene a quiet, ethereal feel. The Canon EOS R5 and Sigma lens perfectly capture the mood, with the fog adding a ghostly yet emotive quality to the image.

Highly Commended
The Golden Prince, by Patryk Kurc

Canon EOS R5 with an RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM lens

f2.8 | 1/3200 | 100 mm | ISO 100

The Golden Prince by Patryk Kurc shows a gannet silhouetted against the setting sun. Taken with a Canon EOS R5 and a 100mm macro lens, the image highlights the interplay of light and shadow, with the bird standing out against the warm glow of the sunset. The condensation on the grass creates a beautiful gleaming effect, enhanced by reflections from the water-drenched grass in front of the gannet.

Our Challenge Winner Is
Bear Hug, by Michael Stavrakakis

Sony A7 Mk iv with a FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS lens

f8 | 1/1600 | 600 mm | ISO 320

Congratulations to Michael Stavrokakis (a school teacher from Australia) for his image Bear Hug, which shows a mother polar bear and her 6-month-old cub on the pack ice north of Svalbard. The photograph beautifully highlights their strong bond, with the vast, icy landscape adding to the scene’s significance. This intimate moment is a very special moment captured beautifully..