Alfred has been named a Hasselblad Master for his winning photographic series that captures a curious underwater world!
South Africa (02 July 2026) – South African photographer Alfred Minnaar has earned one of photography’s highest honours, being named a Hasselblad Master for 2026 in the Wildlife category!
The title is awarded through the Hasselblad Masters competition, one of the world’s most respected professional photography awards.
The Hasselblad Masters competition recognises photographers whose work stands out for technical skill, creativity and storytelling. It sees thousands of entries, from all around the world, in every cycle.
This year’s competition attracted more than 108,000 images from photographers across more than 160 countries and territories. After the initial judging process, just 70 finalists remained, with 10 photographers competing in each of the seven categories.
In the end, only one winner was selected per category, making Alfred one of just seven Hasselblad Masters for 2026!
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Alfred took top honours for his series The Forest I Roam, which shines a spotlight on one of the ocean’s tiniest residents – tiny goby fish living among coral reefs.
He has spent years photographing wildlife and marine environments, focusing on conservation and encouraging people to look more closely at the natural world.
Check out some of his winning shots below:
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“The vibrancy of the palette immediately draws you in, and the way the small fish are framed against their environments creates a sense of scale that almost reads as landscape.There’s a nice balance here between detail and composition, with the micro subjects holding their own within a larger, almost abstracted environment,” says Alex Pollack, Director of Photography at National Geographic and a member of the judging panel.
Alfred says the recognition has been a long-held dream of his.
“I am a Hasselblad Master. A sentence I’ve dreamed of writing for a very long time.” he writes. “I’m deeply grateful that the jury connected with the story I wanted to tell through these tiny gobies and the hidden world they call home. While gobies are among the ocean’s most common inhabitants, they’re often overlooked. Through this series, I wanted to reveal the beauty and complexity of the coral reef from their perspective. My hope is that these images inspire curiosity, wonder and a deeper appreciation for this remarkable underwater world.”
Along with the prestigious title, each Hasselblad Master receives a new Hasselblad medium-format camera and the opportunity to collaborate on a special photographic project that will be featured in the next Hasselblad Masters book!
“Photography competitions are always unpredictable. Over the past years I’ve entered many of them. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a finalist before, but I’d never quite reached the top step. That makes this moment even more meaningful.” writes Alfred. “…Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey. Your encouragement has meant more than you know.”
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