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Giraffe's 'Water Ballet' Wins Gold!
17 Oct
Summary
- A photographer captured a giraffe's drink as 'Water Ballet'.
- The image won gold at the 2026 World Nature Photography Awards.
- The photo was taken in Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.
A photograph titled 'Water Ballet,' capturing a giraffe mid-drink with water droplets suspended in golden sunset light, has earned Vaidehi Chandrasekar a gold award. The distinction was made in the Behaviour - Mammals category at the 2026 World Nature Photography Awards.
The remarkable image was taken in Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Chandrasekar observed the giraffe lower its head to drink, then raise it, expelling water in a near-perfect arc illuminated by the setting sun. The photograph utilizes a fast shutter speed of 1/1000 second to freeze the dynamic movement of the water.
Chandrasekar, a Singapore permanent resident, developed a passion for wildlife photography after retiring in 2019. She and her husband have traveled to various destinations to capture images of animals in their natural habitats. This trip to Botswana, despite its challenging camping conditions, resulted in this award-winning shot.
The World Nature Photography Awards received thousands of entries from 51 countries. Chandrasekar's 'Water Ballet' secured a category win, emphasizing the power of photography in raising awareness for wildlife and conservation efforts. The awards program partners with Ecologi to plant a tree for every submission.
