Our Wildlife Portraits category is only a few days from its end! Our photographers have been sending countless entries and our judges have been reviewing them with a keen eye. Our Africa’s Photographer of the Year competition is far from over, however, with the last category, Africa Off the Beaten Track opening from October. Make sure to send in your snaps to our competition in order to win the grand prize of a luxury nine-night stay in Cape Town and Botswana. Below are some of our top picks of black & white photography from our Wildlife Portraits category.
A Gorilla Lies Sleeping
Photo Credit: Dvir Barkay
Rwanda is an idyllic setting for gorilla trekking which takes place in Volcanoes and Akagera National Parks. These giants of the forest are sensitive to outsiders but expert guides in the region make certain that you embark on a life-changing exploration while participating in conservation.
Pride of a Lion
Photo Credit: Stefano Ravalli
The face of the Big 5, the male lion is the leader of the pride. His mane grows larger as he ages and so he also excels in his position of dominance among the other males.
Twinned Patterns in the Bush
Photo Credit: Marvin Peguese
The striped pattern on zebras (apart from posing the question, “black with white stripes or…?”) are used to confuse predators, especially when they huddle together as pictured. It is more difficult to single one out when their patterns flow into one another.
Freshly Caught
Photo Credit: Lakshitha Karunarathna
The leopard is known for climbing trees and can even drag its prey up into the tree to hide it from other predators. Check out the winning photograph from the last category which shows an example of this.
Prowling by Night
Photo Credit: Fraser Kennedy
The cheetah being somewhat similar to the leopard in appearance can be told apart from it by the tear-like markings around its eyes. The spots are also different in shape while cheetahs are known for their running speeds that go up to 120km/h.
A Mirage of Giraffe
Photo Credit: Ifham Raji
Giraffes are quirky creatures that have necks specifically for reaching the juicier leaves on the tops of trees, not reached by elephants and antelope. Each giraffe also has its own unique pattern, just like human fingerprints.
Are you inspired by these black & white photography shots? Enter your best photographs and take a page from book of these photographers – less is sometimes more! Before our next winner is announced, remember to read our interview with the winner of Roaring Lions & Big Cats, whose work showcasing the magnificent leopard is added to our selection above.