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20 Powerful Photos From The 2026 Animal Kingdom Competition By Life Framer

London

Life Framer has been celebrating contemporary photography since 2013, creating a platform where emerging and established photographers can share their work through themed calls for entries, exhibitions, photobooks, portfolio reviews, and public profiles. Founded in London by a team of photography lovers, the platform aims to make photography awards feel accessible while still maintaining artistic integrity.

For its 2026 Animal Kingdom competition, judged by celebrated animal photographer Randal Ford, the contest invited photographers to explore the many ways animals can be captured through the lens, from intimate portraits and fine art compositions to documentary scenes, close-up details, and wider views of life in motion. The theme highlights not only the diversity of the natural world but also the many creative approaches photographers use to tell its stories.

Scroll down to see the winning and selected images from Life Framer’s 2026 Animal Kingdom Photo Competition, and don’t forget to vote for your favorites.

More info: life-framer.com | Instagram

#1

Honorable Mention Photographer: Ory Schneor Description: “I love getting closer to the animals and discover all the fine details they have.”

#2

Honorable Mention Photographer: Sophie Kuller Description: “Ben & Nori.”

#3

Title: “Next Please” Honorable Mention Photographer: Helga Madajova

#4

Title: “Kerkini pelicans” Honorable Mention Photographer: Seppo Tuomaala Description: “Two pelicans flying over Lake Kerkini in the magical light of a Greek winter afternoon.”

#5

1st Place Photographer: Mathieu Vanderstichele Description: “There was an animal, silent and black as the night, who seemed to be everywhere you looked. Sometimes on a branch, sometimes behind a window, sometimes shimmering in the water. People whispered that he always saw you, not to punish you, but to remind you that you are never truly alone.”

#6

Honorable Mention Photographer: Cédric Bervillé Description: “Plumes amoureuses (love birds).”

#7

Honorable Mention Photographer: Sam Blount Description: “Taken while diving in the frigid waters of Antarctica.”

#8

Honorable Mention Photographer: Valerie Franc Description: “Two horses play fighting to assert dominance.”

#9

Title: “Who is the most beautiful bird on the planet?” Honorable Mention Photographer: Andrea Dublaski Location: Southern Zambia

#10

Title: “Black and White” Honorable Mention Photographer: Helga Madajova Description: “Alpine ibex, from the high mountains of the Julian Alps. It's always a great pleasure to observe them in their routine, especially on magical mornings with beautiful light.”

#11

Title: “The rescue lambs” Honorable Mention Photographer: Jennifer Chassagnol Description: “Ewegene is a rescue lamb of gentle charm and quiet grace, his striking black head and soft white body reflecting an innocence filled with cautious curiosity. By his side, Lamington, a white rescue lamb with an adventurous, playful spirit brings balance to their bond, adding a spark of joy to every shared moment.”

#12

Title: “Devil's Eye” Honorable Mention Photographer: Brice Tribollet Description: “Hippos have such prehistoric appearances, they look like they are from another world. The hippos are the deadliest animals in the African bush. Even if they are herbivores, they are extremely territorial and very aggressive with anything that crosses their private space. They have a look in their eyes that I have never seen in any another animal. This image was taken about 15 meters from the shore and when I saw this look in the view finder of my camera, I was literally scared. It was an intense sensation looking at this creature that could easily snap me in half if it wanted to.” Location: Uganda

#13

Title: “Echoes of Appetite” Honorable Mention Photographer: Nicole Land Description: “Mottled Tortoise Beetle peeks through the holes it chewed in the leaf.”

#14

Honorable Mention Photographer: Luca Crudeli Description: “Planktonic tunicates (salps, Thaliacea) forming a living matrix, with a tiny crustacean hitchhiker embedded in the bloom.”

#15

Title: “You can see everywhere you look” Honorable Mention Photographer: Mile Modic

#16

Special Mention Photographer: Jeremy Skirrow Description: “Landfill.” Location: Fez, Morocco

#17

2nd Place Photographer: Adam Coish Description: “A photograph of Tekin, a Blue Crown Conure, taking flight in an oversaturated set. A part of a photo series titled “Hues of a Feather,” a vibrant collection of images that highlights the rich tones and intricate details of our avian companions.”

#18

Honorable Mention Photographer: Sian Elizabeth Description: “At the top of a mountain deep in the Antarctic peninsula was this Chinstrap penguin colony, filled with hundreds of nesting pairs going about their daily lives. The commute up is hard enough for us, let alone for a little penguin, although they proved that they are masters at a difficult climb and actually favour it. The higher up the nest, the more success rates for chicks.” Location: Antarctica

#19

Honorable Mention Photographer: Jim Naughten Description: “Gorilla, from a series called Eremozoic which aims to highlight our disconnection from the natural world, by creating fictional, uncanny images of wildlife that are engaging but ask the viewer to question what they are seeing, in order to create discourse about our fractured relationship with nature. The images are created in natural history museums and altered in post production.”