Penda Travel Photography Competition

Out of the three category winners, we’ll pick one main winner. This person will get to join us for an exclusive photography safari in Botswana next year! Based in the Tuli Block region, which was described by the Lonely Planet as ‘Botswana’s best kept secret,’ this safari offers incredible wildlife encounters and photographic opportunities. You can expect to photograph lions, leopards, huge herds of elephants, and a wealth of smaller mammals. We’ll stay in a private safari camp in the middle of the game reserve, and you’ll be guided by Alan Hewitt, who will offer photographic tutoring throughout the trip.

Dates: One of our departures in 2027 or 2028 selected by us.
Value: USD 5,795
Details: You can find more detailed information about Botswana Photo Safari (itinerary, photographic opportunities, transport, accommodation, and what’s included).

The winner of our wildlife category will receive an OM SYSTEM OM-5 Mark II camera kit with a 12-45mm F4.0 PRO lens, alongside a M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4.0 PRO telephoto lens.

Designed for outdoor adventures, the compact and lightweight OM-5 Mark II delivers excellent image quality with a 20.4MP sensor, advanced image stabilisation and fast autofocus to help capture sharp images of wildlife in action. Its rugged, weather-sealed body is built to handle challenging outdoor conditions, while computational photography features such as Live ND and Focus Stacking offer plenty of creative possibilities.

The accompanying 40-150mm F4.0 PRO lens provides an 80-300mm full-frame equivalent focal range, making it ideal for photographing wildlife and birds. Lightweight yet powerful, it offers exceptional image quality, a constant f/4 aperture and weather sealing, with close-focusing capabilities for detailed nature photography.

Together, this versatile camera and lens package gives the winner a fantastic setup for capturing wildlife and exploring their photography.

The winner of our landscape category will receive a Valkyrie Onyx Medium camera backpack and an AXIS 34 camera strap from 3 Legged Thing, designed to make carrying and organising photography equipment more comfortable and practical on location.

The Valkyrie Onyx Medium Camera Backpack is a premium 20-litre camera bag built for photographers who need to carry their equipment comfortably on long days in the field. It features padded storage, clever internal organisation and dividers with built-in pockets for smaller accessories such as filters, cables and lens cloths. Its water-resistant fabrics and dedicated wet/dry pocket help protect valuable equipment from the elements while keeping wet items separate from electronics.

The AXIS 34 Camera Strap is a versatile, 34mm-wide strap designed for comfort and adaptability during all-day shooting. It can be worn around the neck, over the shoulder or across the body, with quick-detach fittings and an innovative four-axis adjustment system that allows photographers to customise how the strap sits and moves with them.

Together, these accessories make a fantastic prize for landscape photographers, helping them carry, organise and access their equipment while exploring and shooting outdoors.

The winner of our People & Cultures category will receive a one-hour online portfolio review and mentoring session with professional NGO photographer Anna Lusty.

Drawing on her experience documenting people, communities and humanitarian stories around the world, Anna will review a portfolio of 10 to 15 of the winner’s images. She’ll give individual feedback on image selection, composition, storytelling and consistency of style, and help the winner identify their strengths and refine their visual storytelling.

Anna will also share guidance on photographing cultural subjects respectfully, including how to approach consent, so the winner can tell meaningful stories with greater confidence and sensitivity. The session ends with clear next steps, such as a project idea or skills to practise.

Whether you’re looking to develop a more cohesive portfolio, strengthen your storytelling or take the next steps in your documentary photography journey, this is a valuable opportunity to learn from a photographer with real-world experience in the field.

The competition is open to both professional and amateur photographers from around the world. Whether you’re just starting or have years of experience, we welcome all levels of talent.

If you’re ready to enter, just fill out the form on this page and we’ll take you through the steps. If you’re not ready to enter just yet, you can also subscribe for reminders so you don’t miss the deadline. Don’t forget to check that your images meet the specifications before submitting.

No, your first entry into the competition is completely free (one image)! However, if you would like to enter more than one image, there is an option to submit 10 extra images for $10 with all profits going to our partner charities.

The competition closes on December 15th. We’ll announce our shortlist on January 15th, and the winners on January 20th. Keep an eye out on our Instagram account for updates!

Images must be in JPEG format, a maximum of 2MB, and in Adobe RGB (1998) color space.

Post-processing is allowed, but you must retain the original RAW files or untouched JPEGs as we may request them if your photograph is shortlisted.

Your images must ethically represent the natural world without manipulation or harm to animals, people or the environment. Any form of baiting or unethical practices will result in disqualification.

Yes, you can!

You can enter as many images as you want. The first image is free, and you pay $10 for any ten images after that. You can also enter images in all three categories.

Our panel of multi-award-winning judges, including photographers with experience at National Geographic and other prestigious publications, will review all entries. They will evaluate based on creativity, technical excellence, and how well the photo tells a story.

No. The overall winner receives the Botswana Photo Safari only. Their category prize goes to the next highest-placed entry in that category.