"It's a rare treat to see a puma hunting right in front of you" – third major award for unusual photo of female puma attempting to catch a guanaco... but failing

A puma attacking a guanaco in a mountainous landscape — This split-second image of a female puma hunting in front of the photographer's lens receives its third international award (Image credit: Siena Drone Awards / Kevin Shi)

The image Power Play has won several awards this year. Now, the split-second capture of a female puma caught in a dramatic hunting attempt in Chile has earned its third photography prize, winning the Animals in their Environment category at the prestigious Siena International Photo Awards.

Retired tech executive Kevin Shi, who decided to pick up a camera and become a photographer, captured the scene at 1/2000sec. He described the moment as a "rare treat" and said that, in the end, the guanaco managed to escape.

"For days, Kevin had been following the predator, a mother of two cubs who depended on her for food. At dawn, after observing the guanaco for a long time, the puma cautiously approaches and launches her attack, repeatedly trying to pull it down and bite into its neck to suffocate it," states Siena International Photo Awards.

Animals in their Environment category winner

Canon EOS R5 sensor — To capture the scene, the photographer relied on one of Canon's finest products, the EOS R5. "It’s the perfect amalgamation of the earlier EOS R’s form, the EOS 5D’s function, and the professional-grade autofocus of the EOS-1D X," says DCW's Editor in Chief, James Artaius (Image credit: James Artaius / Digital Camera World)

Image info
Title: Power Play
Location: Torres del Paine National Park, Magallanes, Chile

Tech info
Gear: Canon EOS R5 + 600mm lens
Exposure: 1/2000sec, f/6.3, ISO 1000

The wildlife photo was previously recognized as a winner at the Travel Photographer of the Year competition, the Chromatic Awards, and received a Merit Medal from HIPA.

The Siena International Photography Awards

The Siena International Photo Awards launched in 2015 in Siena, Italy and is part of the broader Siena Awards and Festival. The competition welcomes entries from professionals, amateurs and students across nine categories.

To get more information and to see all winning images, visit the award's website.

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Kim is a photographer, editor and writer with work published internationally. She holds a Master's degree in Photography and Media and was formerly Technique Editor at Digital Photographer, focusing on the art and science of photography. Kim covers everything from breaking industry news and camera gear to the stories shaping photography today. Blending technical expertise with visual insight, she explores photography's time-honored yet ever-evolving role in culture.