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©Shravan Rao
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The Greatest Maasai Mara Photographer of the Year
Competition closed
It is with mixed emotions that the Angama Foundation shares the disappointing news that The Greatest Maasai Mara Photographer of the Year competition will cease with immediate effect. After six remarkable years, the competition and the community have grown exponentially — so much so, that it is now beyond our small Foundation’s capacity.
In 2018, the Angama Foundation launched this competition with the aim of celebrating the beauty of the Maasai Mara as a year-round destination whilst contributing to the importance of conservation and recognising the Mara’s remarkable guiding community who made capturing these scenes possible. The collective efforts of deeply talented photographers, dedicated guides, and supportive lodges and camps, have raised over $98,000 for the competition’s boots-on-the-ground conservation partners, who work tirelessly to protect and preserve the magnificent greater Maasai Mara.
Of course, this decision has not been taken lightly and the Angama Foundation would like to express its deepest gratitude to everyone who has been a part of this journey, especially the photographers who have shared their extraordinary talent. The moments captured over the years have been nothing short of breathtaking and it is the shared passion for the Maasai Mara that has made this competition a true celebration of art, nature, community and conservation.
For those who may have already entered into the 2024 competition, the Foundation will be in touch with you to refund your money. Please bear with us.
The Journey Forward
The dedicated panel of judges has expressed interest in relaunching the competition in 2025 and we are in discussion with them on how best to move forward. They will have our full support and it is our sincere hope that The Greatest Maasai Mara Photographer of the Year will reach new heights under their guidance.
Sincerely, The Angama Foundation
News & Highlights
Australian photographer, Shravan Rao, has been named The Greatest Maasai Mara Photographer of the Year 2023, with his image “Night Rains” of a lion in the rain. He is the sixth winner of the competition, clinching the prize of US$10,000 in cash and a five-night safari for two at Angama Mara. Describing the image, Shravan said: “The original idea was to get a backlit lion at night. We got lucky with the torrential rains. The spotlight from the other vehicle lit up the lion perfectly, but the real bonus was the heat emanating from the lion's back and the heat from the ground that gave it a surreal, almost vintage look. The camera struggled in the very low light. Rain poured into the vehicle, drenching us completely, making it very hard to see and very hard to keep the camera and lens dry enough."
Wildlife enthusiasts around the world can now order a beautiful print of their favourite image from 2021's Top 50 Finalists with the launch of our shop. All images will be printed A1 on high-quality photographic paper, packaged and shipped to your doorstep. Only a limited number of prints have been made available, with the proceeds split equally between the photographer and the competition's conservation partners.
From thousands of entries, the judges whittled the list down to just five finalists each month from January to October, bringing us to 50 incredible images in total. We are proud to present the best of 2023
From thousands of entries, the judges whittled the list down to just five finalists each month from January to October, bringing us to 50 incredible images in total. We are proud to present the best of 2022
The photographic community in the Mara is one-of-a-kind, which is why we are delighted to bring you some of the best: some from abroad and others that are fortunate enough to call the Maasai Mara home. These are just a few of the photographers that continue to astound us time and time again with their skill and unique perspective
