Lake Nakuru baboons photo earns Omwaka international recognition
Cheeky baboon photo taken by Ben Omwaka in Lake Nakuru National Park.
An intriguing photo of two baboons shot at lake Nakuru National park has earned Nakuru based photographer Ben Omwaka a position in the coveted 2023 comedy wildlife photography awards.
Setting the scene of the photo, Omwaka says, he took the photos in 2022 while on tour at the park.
“A lot was going on at that moment. There was a group of baboons playing around and I decided to take some pictures. I was fascinated by a mother who was trying to groom her little one yet they were so playful,” he says.
“While doing her motherly duty, the mother was also glancing at the activities of other baboons. Torn between the two activities as she held the little one by its ear, I got my golden shot,” he recalls.
Nakuru-based photographer Ben Omwaka.
Omwaka says he knew about the competitions in 2016 and has been perfecting his trade hoping that one day his submissions will be featured in the competition.
Surprisingly with his first attempt this year, he went all the way to being among the shortlisted finalists, something he feels is a reward for the work he has put in over the years.
Among thousands of submissions made this year, Omwaka is the only African and by extension Kenyan to feature among other great photographers worldwide.
Starting his photography nearly a decade ago, Omwaka, has been big on wildlife photography with an expertise on bird photography.
“I would advise photographers to submit their work when these competitions come up. I had a lot of faith in my work but I did not know it would fare this well. Everyone deserves to give their craft a shot,” he adds as he scrolls through some of the photos he took the same day.
Related: Nakuru, through Ben Omwaka's lens
Currently voting is still underway for the Affinity Photo People’s Choice award. Additionally, the overall winner will get a one-week safari in Kenya for two people.