/ 2026 / Nature / Wildlife

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Kate Ochsman, United States
• Date of Photograph
  April 2024
• Studio
  Kate Ochsman Photography

A beautiful male, Bengal tiger emerges from the water in Bandhavgarh National Park in India. It was a dream of mine to photograph tigers in the water. I love the clean background and the ethereal nature of it. A mixture of the elements: earth, fire, and water. It was an incredible sighting full of peace, beautiful imagery and rich tiger behavior. More than that, India's Hinduism is a beautifully ritualistic and ancient religion. Many Hindus pray to the River Ganges. To me, this image reminds me of a sense of prayer to the water.