Name: Jens Cullmann
Picture title: Observer
Category: Mammals
Nationality: Germany
Occupation: Wildlife Photographer, Paragliding Pilot, Traveller
Technical information
Camera: Canon EOS 1DX Mark II
Lens: Canon EF200-400mm f/4L IS USM
EXIF: 400mm, 1/3200 sec at f 5.0 (-2/3 e/v), ISO 400
Accessories: fallen tree
HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY MAMMALS
Jens Cullmann | Observer
Name: Jens Cullmann
Picture title: Observer
Category: Mammals
Nationality: Germany
Occupation: Wildlife Photographer, Paragliding Pilot, Traveller
Technical information
Camera: Canon EOS 1DX Mark II
Lens: Canon EF200-400mm f/4L IS USM
EXIF: 400mm, 1/3200 sec at f 5.0 (-2/3 e/v), ISO 400
Accessories: fallen tree
Jens Cullmann says:
A herd of Cape buffalo approach a spring in the Zambezi Valley. Location Chitake Springs, Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. For the past 12 years I have spent a few months a year in northern Zimbabwe, where, in untouched wilderness, one can still watch nature’s dramas unfold. In 2021, at the end of the dry season, I spent a couple of weeks at a spring in the interior of Mana Pools National Park. With dwindling food sources, soaring temperatures, and the daily need to drink, the buffalo were drawn to whatever water remained. The image was taken by me on foot and, given the dynamics and unpredictability of encounters, there was a lot to consider.
About Jens Cullmann:
Germany
Jens Cullmann was born in Nuernberg, Germany, in 1969. His introduction to photography was at age 13 when he got his first camera. As a teenager, he worked with black & white film and image development until he was able to acquire more sophisticated equipment. ´There is a very physical aspect to my work because you need a lot of discipline and endurance to deal with some of the tough environments that come with wildlife photography.’ It was during a trip to Namibia and Botswana in 2003 that Jens’ passion for wildlife photography really ignited and he has grown in stature since then. He has won several prestigious international awards such as the 2017 Botswana Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 2019 Jens was a runner-up in the Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year and in 2020 he won this competition and was a winner in the 2020 GDT Nature Photography of the Year.
„I have come to realize that my images evoke intense discussions about Africa’s wild places and about how nature functions, and so stimulating these important debates has become part of my personal narrative. I hope to use this opportunity to create awareness about conservation issues and the preservation of natural habitats. Every time I am out in nature, I appreciate the rawness of its beauty, the working balance of all its elements, and how urgently we have to preserve it.