Protect and Defend

• Photographer
  Yan Li, United States
• Website
  https://www.yliphotos.com/
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/yli.photos/

An armed ranger is on duty in the Mago National Park, Ethiopia. The
Mago National Park in Ethiopia was created to protect the population of
wildlife, like elephants, rhinos and giraffes, which has been sadly almost
destroyed by poaching. Being a park ranger is serious business. The men
and women who take on this work risk their lives to defend the land and
animals from poachers.

Yan Li is a documentary photographer whose work explores the fragility and richness of human experience. With a focus on long-term, narrative-driven projects, he aims to capture fleeting moments, reveal personal stories, and preserve the intangible heritage of cultures facing rapid transformation. His photographs often center on communities at the margins — workers, elders, artisans — whose lives echo broader human truths. Yan's commitment to visual storytelling has earned him international recognition, including awards from the Sony WPA, TPOTY, IPA, and Px3.

Awards - Winner, Travel Category, Sony World Photography Awards (Open Competition), 2024
- 4th Place (Commended), Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY), 2024
- 1st Place, People and Lifestyle Category, International Photography Awards (IPA), 2017
- 1st Place, Editorial, General News Category, International Photography Awards (IPA), 2017
- 2nd Place, Press, People/Personality Category, Prix de la Photographie, Paris (Px3), 2017