See the Incredible Shot That Won the Exodus Photo Competition 2026
The Exodus Photo Competition is our annual call for travellers to share their best shot from an Exodus adventure, judged by an expert panel for creativity, composition and sense of place.
This year, congratulations go to Exodus traveller Kenneth Gray, whose striking image, captured in Costa Rica, takes first place from hundreds of entries.
Here, we share our 2026 winner and runners-up. From fleeting wildlife encounters to cinematic landscapes, they show just how much can be said in a single frame.
Runner-Up: At the Water’s Edge by Anthony Rutter
At the watering hole, a herd of elephants moves into view, each step echoed in the glassy surface below, creating a near-perfect mirror of the scene above.
Shot from a low vantage point, the composition uses the shoreline to draw you in, while the stillness of the water and the open sky give the image a sense of balance and space. It’s a moment shaped by instinct as much as timing – recognising the symmetry, holding the frame steady, and capturing it just as everything aligns.
Anthony Rutter sums it up simply: “This was incredible and taken with my phone in Botswana on a safari lodge tour in September 2022. It’s now mounted on my wall at home… I love it!”
Taken on:
Botswana & Zimbabwe Lodge Safari
Botswana and Zimbabwe greatest natural wonders and wildlife
Runner-Up: All Eyes on the Prize by Frances Marlene Pride
Perched in a tree, this leopard looks out, framed perfectly through a network of branches that add both depth and intimacy.
The close-up detail is striking: every whisker, every rosette sharply defined, drawing you into a moment that feels both still and charged with tension.
As Frances Marlene Pride recalls, “There were two leopards up in a tree with their kill when a pride of lions came along. One of the lions started climbing the tree towards the leopards and their breakfast.
“As the lion got closer, both leopards jumped out of the tree, landing right in front of our truck and immediately climbed the tree beside. They sadly watched the lion eat their meal!”
Taken on:
Botswana & Zimbabwe Lodge Safari
Botswana and Zimbabwe greatest natural wonders and wildlife
Runner-Up: Mind the Gap by Stephen Smith
There’s a quiet power in this image, an immense white rhino moving through sun-bleached grassland, its presence commanding yet unhurried.
The composition draws you straight to its steady gaze. It’s a photograph that relies on patience and awareness, capturing not just the subject, but the calm, respectful distance that defines a truly great wildlife encounter.
Stephen Smith reflects, “I found it so hard to choose just one photo from our camping trip to Namibia, but I chose this one because of the dangers the rhino population are facing not only in Namibia but across the globe. It really impacted me to witness how the guide interacted with the white rhino and how he stopped him with a feeble hiss and a gentle wag of a spindly stick. It was a moment that will stay with me forever.”
This photo is a powerful reminder that the best encounters come not from getting closer, but from understanding wildlife and engaging with it respectfully.
Taken on:
Discover Namibia – Camping
Vast open spaces, shifting desert scenery and wildlife
Runner-Up: Blink and You’ll Miss It by Tim Nightingale
Captured mid-hover, this hummingbird is frozen in a moment that’s usually too fast to see – its emerald feathers catching the first light of day, wings blurred against a soft wash of pink blooms.
The shallow depth of field draws your eye straight to the bird, while the surrounding flowers frame the shot with a natural softness. It’s a photograph that takes both patience and precision, waiting for that split second when movement, light and focus come together.
As Tim Nightingale recalls, “On a Costa Rica trip in December 2025, we were on a guided walk in the Monteverde Cloud Forest at dawn. We hadn’t seen much until we reached a clearing, and as the sun rose over the trees, a couple of hummingbirds began to appear. It was a magic moment that I was delighted, and proud, to capture.”
Taken on:
Discover Costa Rica
Join eagle-eyed guides for a wildlife-watching trip through the mountains, rainforest and coast
Runner-Up: Framed in Moonlight by Ven Seshadri
Rising cleanly from behind the ridgeline, the moon sits in near-perfect alignment with the peaks, its scale heightened by the compression of a long lens. The composition is precise, balancing the vast, layered landscape with a single, striking focal point.
Ven Seshadri explains, “This picture was taken in the Atacama Desert (Chile) on November 4, 2025, one night before the supermoon. It shows the (almost) supermoon rising from behind the mountains to the east at sunset – a simultaneous moonrise and sunset. The shot was taken from a lookout above the Valley of the Moon.”
Taken on:
Discover Chile
Four distinct regions – deserts, glaciers, volcanoes and lakes
Runner-Up: Sacred, Without Ceremony by Ian Wilson
Framed against the golden towers of the Chamundeshwari Temple, this scene captures a moment of quiet balance.
The composition layers foreground and background beautifully, using the warm tones of the earth to ground the image while the ornate temple rises sharply into a clear blue sky. It’s a photograph that leans into stillness, where careful framing and an eye for detail turn an everyday scene into something quietly striking.
Ian Wilson notes, “It’s special to me because it captures one of the quietest, most peaceful moments from my time in India. It reminded me that respect for all living things is woven into daily life in India – and that beauty is often found in the simplest moments.”
Taken on:
Discover South India – Premium Adventure
Go off the tourist trail to experience authentic culture and majestic landscapes
Runner-Up: The Final Countdown by James Buckley
Bathed in the soft glow of early morning, this tiger rests in dappled forest light.
The use of backlighting lifts the scene, catching the outline of the tiger and warming the tones of the forest floor, while the off-centre composition keeps the image balanced and immersive. It’s a shot that relies on timing and positioning, letting light, setting and subject come together in a single, fleeting frame.
As James Buckley recalls, “This photo was from our final game drive of the India Tiger Safari, taken in the morning in Bandhavgarh National Park. We were lucky to have numerous sightings of tigers during the trip, but this was the best encounter. With the morning sun behind her and very few jeeps near us, we were able to enjoy this final moment.”
Taken on:
India Tiger Safari
A comprehensive wildlife tour of India's best tiger parks
Runner-Up: Chasing Natural Highs by Kerinne Levy
High in the Alps, this mountain lake feels like a reward in itself – its turquoise surface set against a sweeping panorama of jagged peaks and snow-streaked ridgelines. The wide framing captures the full breadth of the landscape, layering foreground, midground and distance to create a real sense of depth, while the colour contrast between rock, snow and water brings the scene to life.
Kerinne Levy puts it simply, “The final lunch stop on our Tour du Mont Blanc week – an incredibly scenic, remote spot and a climb well earned. Our group grew close and supportive over the week, and this felt like a truly special place, one only our Exodus local guide would know to take us. An incredible experience all round.”
Taken on:
Tour du Mont Blanc Week Trek
A fast and light way to complete the Mont Blanc Circuit.
Runner-Up: The Slow Reveal by Debra Rosin
Softened by a veil of early morning haze, the Taj Mahal emerges, its symmetry and detail revealed through shifting light and shadow.
The composition uses the open foreground to create space and scale, with scattered figures adding a sense of quiet movement against the stillness of the scene. The diffused light does the rest, muting tones and lifting the atmosphere, turning an iconic landmark into something more fleeting and intimate.
Captured during a January morning, last year’s Exodus Photo Competition winner, Debra Rosin, reflects, “January 2026 at the Taj Mahal. Morning mist adds to the beauty of sunrise at the Taj Mahal.”
It’s a reminder that even the most photographed places can feel entirely new – when the light, the timing and the moment come together just right.
Taken on:
Colours of Rajasthan
Discover the domain of the maharajas: regal residences, the Taj Mahal and tigers
Winner: Rainforest Moonrise by Kenneth Gray
Kenneth’s image stands out for his creative use of depth of field and precision in focus.
Balanced on the edge of a single leaf, a tiny tree frog is rendered in pin-sharp detail, set against a rich green backdrop, while a softly diffused raindrop glows behind like a rising moon.
The use of shallow depth of field is both deliberate and precise, isolating the subject while transforming the background into something imaginative and atmospheric. It’s a photograph that demonstrates real technical skill, where focus, light and composition align perfectly in a fleeting rainforest moment.
As Kenneth Gray recalls, “We were staying at Esquinas Rainforest Lodge and had been chalet-bound for most of the day due to torrential rain; that evening, when it stopped, we headed out on a night walk. At a nearby pond, I came across this hourglass tree frog watching intently, with a raindrop behind blurred out due to the shallow depth of focus.
“I’ve been on many Exodus trips with thousands of photographs, but if I had to pick one memorable shot, this one keeps coming to mind. I love the simplicity – one frog and one blurred raindrop – and how your imagination turns it into a moon rising over a smiling, purple-eyed frog.”
It’s this blend of technical precision and creative vision that sets the image apart – and secures its place as this year’s winner.
Taken on:
Discover Costa Rica
Join eagle-eyed guides for a wildlife-watching trip through the mountains, rainforest and coast
Think you’ve got what it takes? Keep an eye out for our next Photo Competition – and in the meantime, take a look at some of our favourite entries from years gone by.
