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The top image in the Animal Kingdom category of the 2026 International Amateur Photographer of the Year (APOY) is “Tulip Time” by Lourdes Venard, which scored 100 points in Round Three. Amateur Photographer’s Peter Dench published the roundup on 20 August 2026, and it covers ten scored images, a Young APOY winner, and a camera-club selection. Across the set, the judges reward behaviour, timing, light and deliberate composition. They do not present expensive gear or exotic locations as a route to a high score.
The Round Three top ten at a glance
The scores below are the competition points reported by Amateur Photographer for the Round Three Animal Kingdom entries. The gear column lists only what the article states for each photograph. Where it is absent, the article does not name the equipment.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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National Geographic The Photo Ark: One Man's Quest to Document the World's Animals | $13.50 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Animal Kingdom: A Collection of Portraits | $30.57 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Wildlife Photography Workshop, The | $15.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Farm Life: A Collection of Animal Portraits | $23.41 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Wildlife of the World | $28.72 | Buy on Amazon |
| Rank | Image | Photographer | Points | Subject | Gear stated in the article |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Tulip Time” | Lourdes Venard | 100 | Singing savannah sparrow among yellow and red tulips | Canon EOS R10, 150–600mm lens at 500mm |
| 2 | “Malachite” | Paul Fine | 90 | Butterfly on a leaf | Not stated |
| 3 | “Hungry Hoopoe” | Cam Parfitt | 80 | Adult hoopoe feeding its chick | Not stated |
| 4 | “Onaqui Silhouette” | Dave Olsen | 70 | Two rearing horses in dust and backlight | Not stated |
| 5 | “Seagull Landscape” | Hélène Bürge | 60 | Gulls resting on Prague’s Vltava River | Not stated |
| 6 | “Making an Entrance” | Pete Baker | 50 | Frog and its reflection | Not stated |
| 7 | “Asleep” | Graeme Youngson | 45 | Two sleeping grandchildren beside Molly, a border collie | Not stated |
| 8 | “Stag Do” | Wes Chambers | 40 | Stag in rutting season | Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR |
| 9 | “First Light” | Božidar Grgošić | 35 | Solitary heron in a misty dawn landscape | Not stated |
| 10 | “Porcelain Crab in an Anemone” | Wendy Eve | 30 | Underwater close study of a crab | Nikon D800 |
What the judges pointed to, image by image
“Tulip Time” by Lourdes Venard (100 points)
The winning frame places a singing savannah sparrow against a field of yellow and red tulips. The commentary highlights colour contrast, layering and shallow depth of field, which together separate the bird from its surroundings. Guest judge Tesni Ward, commenting on the winner, said: “The contrast against a sea of colour draws you in immediately and keeps you fixated.”
“Malachite” by Paul Fine (90 points)
This butterfly portrait works through restraint. The article points to a curved leading line, sharp detail on the subject and generous negative space, so the eye moves along the leaf to the insect and stays there.
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“Hungry Hoopoe” by Cam Parfitt (80 points)
The picture is about a moment in a sequence. An adult hoopoe arrives with food for its chick, and the commentary credits the repeated visits and the sense of anticipation. The tree trunk serves as a natural frame, placing the hoopoe inside the nest’s setting rather than isolating it.
“Onaqui Silhouette” by Dave Olsen (70 points)
Two rearing horses are rendered in dust and backlight. Fine detail is not the point here. Shape, symmetry and mood carry the image, and the silhouettes read clearly even at a glance.
Rank #2
“Seagull Landscape” by Hélène Bürge (60 points)
Gulls resting along Prague’s Vltava River form a repeating pattern. The article notes that the frame rewards a second look, once the viewer notices how the birds are arranged across the water’s edge.
“Making an Entrance” by Pete Baker (50 points)
A frog and its reflection are shown from a low viewpoint with an uncluttered composition. The commentary singles out the focus on the eyes, which anchors the frame around a small subject.
Rank #3
“Asleep” by Graeme Youngson (45 points)
Two sleeping grandchildren rest beside Molly, a border collie. The picture is a domestic scene rather than wildlife, and the article uses it to show that the category takes in animals at home, not only in the wild.
“Stag Do” by Wes Chambers (40 points)
A stag during the rutting season is shot with patience, a fleeting expression and warm backlight. The commentary treats the timing of the expression as the element that gives the frame its character.
Rank #4
“First Light” by Božidar Grgošić (35 points)
A solitary heron stands in a misty dawn landscape. Distance and restraint make the image feel calm, and the empty space around the bird is part of its effect.
“Porcelain Crab in an Anemone” by Wendy Eve (30 points)
This underwater close study relies on repeating shapes and blue tones to frame the crab. It is the smallest-scoring entry in the top ten, but the article presents it as a clear example of how pattern and colour can organise a frame.
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Young APOY winner and camera-club selections
The Young APOY Animal Kingdom winner is River Keats Kedzier-Hurst’s “You There?”, a portrait of a young common tree snake. The Young APOY selection also includes grebes, a dog’s nose and a sleepy foal. The article then shows camera-club photographs of a bear, a frigatebird, chimpanzees, a feeding bird and a burrowing owl. The point totals above apply only to the top ten, and the article does not report scores for these other groups.
What gear the top ten used
The article’s sidebar asks, “What gear did our top ten photographers use?” It answers for three images only:
- Canon EOS R10 with a 150–600mm lens at 500mm, for “Tulip Time”.
- Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR, for “Stag Do”, where the long reach suits a distant animal.
- Nikon D800, for “Porcelain Crab in an Anemone”.
These are reported choices for individual photographs. They are not a controlled comparison, and the article does not argue that any of them caused a higher score. The sidebar also gave prices at the time of publication in August 2026. Those figures will have changed, so check current retailer listings before buying.
What the top ten suggests for your own photos
- Wait for behaviour. Several high scorers depend on a visit, an expression or a moment of activity rather than a static pose.
- Use light deliberately. Backlight and dust, mist and dawn conditions shape the mood of multiple entries.
- Get low and keep the background quiet. A low viewpoint and negative space appear in the frog and butterfly images.
- Look for pattern. Repeating shapes, colours and arrangements hold attention, as in the gulls and the crab.
- Include the home setting if you have one. A domestic scene with a dog scored in the top ten, so pet photos are within the category’s range.
Limits of this roundup
- The scores are judges’ competition points for one round of the 2026 APOY Animal Kingdom category, not a survey of photographers or a measure of image quality.
- The article does not publish a formal judging rubric, so the reasons given for each image are the judges’ commentary rather than a scoring system.
- Gear details are reported for only three of the top ten entries and are not tested under controlled conditions.
Amateur Photographer’s roundup by Peter Dench, dated 20 August 2026, is the only source for these scores, descriptions and gear details.
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