Photo by Frankie Adamson. Overall Winner, 2024 Photographer of the Year.
In 2024, 6,481 photographs were entered into the Monthly Image Competition hosted by The Societies of Photographers. All entries that gained a Gold award moved on to the annual judging to vie for the organization’s prestigious Photographer of the Year. With that many images, spread across 28 categories, the competition was fierce. The selected images demonstrate masterful photographic skill and creativity. And in doing so, they showcase a range of what’s possible in the world of photography.
One stand-out image emerged and won the title of Photographer of the Year 2024. Frankie Adamson earned the top prize for her image titled Kiss of Death. Photographed at the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya, it depicts a pack of hyenas tearing apart a hippo carcass. As Adamson explains, “It’s the culmination of three days’ worth of trips out to a hippo carcass that—I’m deadly serious here—I first spotted while leaving the reserve early one morning to go photograph a World Bee Day event at a local college of wildlife.”
The visceral photo shows both the brutality of the animal kingdom and the inevitable circle of life—attributes that helped it catch the judges’ attention. “Showcasing exceptional skill, storytelling, and execution, this striking and unique image quickly became a standout and sparked lively discussions among the judges.”
Photographers Jane Thomson and Jessica McGovern won second place and third place, respectively. Scroll down to see their winning images and more category winners from the competition. Then, visit The Society of Photographers and learn more about the professional organization.
Check out the incredible winning images from The Society of Photographers’ Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Jane Thomson. Overall Second Place Winner and Winner, Creative Portrait Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Jess McGovern FSWPP. Overall Third Place Winner and Winner, Pet Portrait Photographer.
The collection of images showcases the vast nature of photography.
Photo by Antonio Coelho. Winner, The Natural World – Botanical and Fungi.
Photo by Tony Hewitt. Winner, Natural World – Landscapes.
Photo by Mark Lynham. Winner, Events Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Feargal Quinn. Winner, In-camera Artistry Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Andrea Djivanova. Winner, Family and Group Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Donatella Nicolini. Winner, Maternity Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Yuta Inoue. Winner, Wedding Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Barrie Spence. Winner, Open Avant Garde Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Andre Boto. Winner, Architectural Photographer of the Year.
Photo by David Bostock. Winner, Monochrome Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Mike Kitchen. Winner, Documentary Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Christina Lauder. Winner, Commissioned Portrait Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Terry Donnelly. Winner, Sport Photographer of the Year.
Photo by Kutub Uddin. Winner, Macro and Close-up Photographer of the Year.