Rangers
Category - Documentary
[BPA2021-061]

Taken during a trip to film Mountain Gorillas in DRC's mountainous Virunga National Park. One of the most unexpected and amazing things about my trip was not the wildlife, but meeting the rangers. Women and men alike, often younger than me, they put their names forward for one of the most dangerous jobs imaginable because they believe in their countries ability to better itself and they understand that change starts locally. Technology is playing a huge part in the development of the area, with mobile communications now commonplace and opening parts of the country that used to be isolated and giving people access to banking and the internet. I loved the juxtaposition of this photo - the female rangers in particular were a joy to work with. Feminine and fierce; make up and machine guns; putting their lives on the line to provide for their families and breaking age old colonial stereotypes, it was an honour to work alongside them.

More from British Photography Awards

Above the Clouds , Samsung S23 Ultra
100 x 133 x 5 cm (h x w x d)
Category Zoom-in
British Photography Awards
A Golden View at Golden Hour , Samsung S10
69 x 120 x 5 cm (h x w x d)
Category Zoom-in
British Photography Awards
A big engineering fan , Samsung S10E
100 x 153 x 5 cm (h x w x d)
Category Zoom-in
British Photography Awards
Connections , Samsung Galaxy S22
100 x 133 x 5 cm (h x w x d)
Category Food & Drink
British Photography Awards
Campfire Cook , Samsung Galaxy s20 5g
90 x 120 x 5 cm (h x w x d)
Category Food & Drink
British Photography Awards