Travel photography is a diverse genre encompassing everything from portraiture, landscape and wildlife to documentary, architecture and food. Since 2003, the Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) award has provided a platform for imager-makers to share their travel camera captures from every corner of the globe and this year’s winning entries combine beauty, drama and human impact. From stunning aerial shots of a misty wheatfield to a heartwarming image of a pangolin and her carer to poignant shots of elephants navigating through garbage dumps, the winning entries are as diverse as they are distinct.
Amateur and professional photographers from over 150 countries submitted more than 20,000 images – and, for the second consecutive year, a Slovenian photographer claimed the overall honors. AndreJa Ravnak impressed the judges with her images of hop growing in Slovenia and rolling fields in Italy and Czechia. Ravnak's work combines fairytale beauty with architectural landscapes, reflecting her background as an architect.
TPOTY founder Chris Coe commended this year’s winners, noting the "subtle elegance" in Ravnak's portfolios, one showcasing simple landscapes with delicate colors and textural beauty, and the other exploring hop fields out of season. Ravnak expressed gratitude, saying, “Becoming Travel Photographer of the Year is a huge recognition.”
A winner was selected from each of the nine categories including three Young photographers. All hailing from the US, Caden Shepard Choi won the overall Young TPOTY award, Lilly Zhang came first in the 15-18 category, while Zayan Durrani came top in the 14 years and under section. French photographer Armand Sarlangue was crowned the Landscape & Environment winner, Martin Broen took the top spot for Nature, Wildlife & Conservation, while Athanasios Maloukas from Greece prevailed in People and Culture and Alain Schroder (who recently won Photographer of the Year in The Nature Photo Contest) came first in Visual Stories.
AndreJa Ravnak’s prize includes a £1,000 (approximately £1,270 / AU$1,930) cash bursary, a personalized leather portfolio book or iFolio, Radiant Photo editing software, a portfolio review from New York agent Frank Meo, and more. Caden Shepard Choi was awarded a £500 ($635 / AU$960) cash prize from TPOTY, a Plastic Sandwich leather portfolio book or iFolio, Radiant Photo imaging software, a place on a Photo Iconic photography workshop, and Royal Photographic Society (RPS) membership.
The awards also introduced three MPB One Shot categories, with winners receiving £1,000 to spend on photographic equipment. Ignacio Palacios, Josien van Geffen, and Andrea Peruzzi claimed top honors in A Quieter Life, Above, Eye Level, Below, and Leisure & Adventure respectively. MPB supported the HD Video category, World in Motion, won by Matthew Williams-Ellis for his film Karibu Nyumbani, highlighting the beauty and wildlife populations of the Mara North Conservancy, Kenya.
This year's competition was judged by a 16-strong panel of professional photographers and industry experts, including RPS president Simon Hill and National Geographic photographer Jason Edwards.
All the winning and runner-up images will be on display at The Photography and Video Show at the NEC in Birmingham from 16-19 March, as well as Xposure in the UAE and the winner’s gallery on the Travel Photographer of the Year website.
Take a look at the best lenses for travel photography, and if you have a particular passion for nature check out the best lenses for bird photography and wildlife
