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Travel Photographer of the Year 2018: the winners

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Photographers from 142 countries submitted more than 20,000 images for this year’s TPOTY . Winning images will be displayed at a free exhibition at London Bridge City in the spring

The Guardian

Thu 13 Dec 2018 16.28 GMT Last modified on Thu 26 Mar 2020 14.30 GMT

Stefano Pensotti, overall winner.

Photograph: Stefano Pensotti/TPOTY

Matjaz Krivic, winner, travel portfolio.

Photograph: Matjaz Krivic/TPOTY

Jose Antonio Rosas, winner, new talent award.

Photograph: Jose Antonio Rosas/TPOTY

Diana Buzoianu, runner-up, new talent award.

Photograph: Diana Buzoianu/TPOTY

He Jian, winner, hot/cold single image category.

Photograph: He Jian/TPOTY

Philip Lee Harvey, winner, best single image in a travel portfolio.

Photograph: Philip Lee Harvey/TPOTY

Marsel Van Oosten, special mention, travel portfolio.

Photograph: Marsel van Oosten/TPOTY

Danny Yen Sin Wong, winner, single image in faces, people, cultures category.

Photograph: Danny Ye Sin Wong/TPOTY

Simon Morris, winner, tranquility, single image category.

Photograph: Simon Morris/TPOTY

Nicola Young, winner, smart shot, single image category.

Photograph: Nicola Young/TPOTY

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Boy in the Tundra - An Interview with Simon Morris

The 2017 Sony World Photography Awards is now open and free to enter for all photographers.  

Simon Morris was  shortlisted in the People category and was a 2nd Place winner in the UK  National Award of the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards. 

Congratulations on your success in this year's Sony World Photography Awards. Tell us more about your winning image. My successful image depicts a small Nenets boy playing out on the Tundra in extremely cold weather: -40 in the Yamal region of Siberia. I stayed with his family of reindeer herders in a wigwam like structure called a 'chum' for around a week on the frozen tundra. Taking pictures in these conditions is both hard and challenging, both for the person taking the pictures and on the camera equipment. I took 3 digital cameras with me on this trip; two malfunctioned because of the extreme cold, and only one camera worked. What is your background? How did you get into photography? I have been taking pictures for around 15 years now and was initially influenced by my father to take up Photography. Also it was around the time I started visiting New York and attempted to capture anything that breathed with my little 'point and shoot' camera. On that trip I made the same basic mistakes and errors that all beginners make in photography. But it certainly wet my creative side. As the years went by I began to take far better travel pictures with atmosphere and punch and began to be published in quite a few photography magazines. Incidentally, I placed runner up last year in the National Sony Awards for the UK with my image 'The Mongol’. Maybe I can win next year! Do you have a photographic philosophy? My Philosophy is that I love to take pictures with atmosphere and to creare small worlds where a story is told. The best pictures always tells a story or has a narrative. I like to create a picture whereby the viewer hasn't got to work too hard to fathom the story. I tend to take pictures in the beginning or end of the day and I stay away from harsh light, but enjoy taking images in subdued or flat light if I can. I tend to steer clear of tourist traps for my photos and find it motivationally sapping to see the same old touristy picture churned out time after time. I strive to be original and fresh in my approach. Music, art, reading and other photographers have a influence on the way I work. What does photography mean to you? It means capturing unique moments in time. That moment or image can never be replicated again. I wish my images to have an impact on the viewer or to motivate them with their own photography. Can you tell us about a current or future photographic project you have planned? I find travelling to far flung locations exhilarating. Countries that are rich in culture. Countries like Russia, China, Burma, Cuba, they all have this rich culture. However at the moment I am drawn to extreme cold regions. I feel there is beauty there. For my current project I just spent 2 weeks in Yakutsk Siberia spending time with the Evenki Reindeer Herders in the Taiga. I found their life harsh and brutal, working in extremely low temperatures like they do, but it was good to document this. I wish to journey to Chukotka in the very far North Siberia in the next year or so. Not many people venture there in the winter, but I will.

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Winners revealed: National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition 2016

Our judging panel whittled down over 2,000 entries across seven categories: action, nature, people, urban, mobile, video and portfolio..

The level and diversity of photography submitted by our readers continues to amaze, and once again the range of themes is impressive, as is each individual’s take on their subject. Images range from puffins in flight on Skomer Island to leg-rowing fisherman on Inle Lake in Myanmar.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER —  Balancing act 

Inle Lake, Myanmar —  Jeremy Flint, Launton

Jeremy Flint:  "A leg-rowing fisherman demonstrates his technique while balancing on one leg. Seen through a cone-shaped fishing net, I wanted to capture a unique view of the fisherman at work. The image shows the incredible paddling skill and amazing sense of balance the fishermen develop at a very young age. The conical nets are submerged in the water and the fish that are caught are speared through a hole at the top."

What the judges said

Jeremy Flint’s image, shot on Inle Lake in Myanmar, features a leg-rowing fisherman — an Intha tradition that dates back to the 12th century. Swhype Media co-founder Andy Greenhouse said of the grand-prize winner’s image, “Jeremy’s picture has symmetry and focus, which resonates with the viewer because the depth of field and sense of peripheral vision is strikingly similar to the human eye. He ‘tells the story’ of a Burmese fisherman in an almost choreographed moment — pairing the beauty of nature with our direct connection to it.”

PORTFOLIO —  By the roadside 

Cuba —  Alan O’Riordan, London

Alan O’Riordan : "I spent 10 days travelling around Cuba in November 2014. For me, the most interesting thing about the country, by a long distance, was its people. I’d wander around places like Havana and Trinidad, approaching people who caught my eye and establishing some sort of connection through my very broken Spanish. Everyone I spoke to was friendly, curious and chatty.

It occurred to me that these interactions were being made possible by the fact that Cubans spend a lot of time outside their houses and places of business, on the street, watching the world go by. This slower pace of life encourages eye contact, a smile and a story exchanged in a remarkably easy manner. 

For me, this is the essence of Cuba and I wanted to capture it through my portraits — before the inevitable change that increased tourism will bring."

“Alan’s outstanding series of portraits are as much about the backdrop as the subject being photographed, but in a good way,” said judge Carol Enquist, the senior photo editor at National Geographic Traveler (US). “As a group, the photographs immediately let us know we’re in Cuba. The striking, colourful settings and revealing details enhance the photographs rather than distracting from the subject. Each image invites you to study the surroundings — a shop with old radios, a market with meagre supplies, and intricate window grates on deteriorating buildings. With a straightforward style, the photographer’s subjects are conscious of the camera but appear natural and relaxed in their environment.”

URBAN —  Bird’s-eye view 

Munich, Germany —  Stanley Dellimore, London

Stanley Dellimore:  "This photo was taken of Olympiapark from the Olympic Tower. I was fascinated by the shapes of Olympia Hall and its scale relative to humans. Luckily, I was there as a concert was finishing, which made the patterns of people leaving quite interesting. A low setting sun exaggerated the movement of shadows along the ground’s surface."

What the judges said 

Alastair Jolly, European manager for SmugMug , explained why this shot is a favourite: “I love how Stanley has composed the image, with the people creating a lovely diagonal through the frame. The monochromatic feel and texture of the shot really attracted me to it. The angle of view also made me feel as though I was looking at some flying insect eating a line of little ants. Great composition.”

PEOPLE —  Ice cold

Yamal, Siberia —  Simon Morris, Bridgend

Simon Morris:  "This image was taken in Yamal, Siberia in winter. The Evenki reindeer herders who live off the reindeer have to work very hard to get by in this harsh landscape. I stayed with this family for two weeks in their small tents and little wooden cabins."

Judge Steve Davey said, “The feeling of cold seeps from this shot, as does the man’s character — even though much of his head is covered. The photographer has placed the point of focus perfectly and brought out the expression of the eyes. With digital, the temptation is to ‘correct’ colour casts on images, but by preserving a blue palette Simon emphasises the harsh conditions. You can almost feel the man shivering.”

NATURE —  Animal kingdom

Skomer Island, Wales —  David Godfrey, Tonbridge

David Godfrey:  "Last July, I took a trip to Skomer Island, off the coast of Pembrokeshire, to see the puffins, with the hope of photographing one in flight. This was taken from a clifftop path. This guy swooped up in front of me for just a moment before parachuting down into his burrow with his sand eel catch to feed the young."

Judge Steve Davey said: “If there was ever a perfect moment to photograph a puffin, it was this one. The photographer has caught the bird perfectly in mid-flight. All the important parts of the image are pin sharp and there’s even eye-contact. Amazing wildlife shot.”

ACTION —  Dust cloud

  Bagan, Myanmar — Rachel A Davis, Tayport

Rachel A Davis: "Waiting for sunset over the temples of Bagan, a farmer drove his cattle across the plain below. The low sunlight caught the dust as they marched, and in a moment they were gone."

Swhype Media co-founder Andy Greenhouse commented on Rachel A Davis's winning Action category image: “Rachel’s shot shows the scale and simplicity of this vast landscape, which rolls on for miles. Almost hidden in its mist are the temples, which pull the viewer further into the context of the moment. You feel like you could walk right into the picture and explore.”

  Lympne, England  —  Megan Lee, Shadoxhurst

Megan Lee: "At Port Lympne in South East England, my fiance and I were on a safari tour truck and encountered these two zebras watching the turbulent horizon together. It’s intriguing because rather than the familiar within an exotic environment, this shot shows the exotic placed in a familiar environment. My favourite thing about this picture, taken on my iPad 2, is the swishing tails — I was so pleased with how that came out." 

Carol Enquist, of National Geographic Traveler (US), said of Megan Lee’s image: “This photograph makes me smile. The dramatic sky, the crisp detail of the zebras’ markings against the soft green grass, the swooshing tails and the sweep of the landscape all work together to make this photograph a winner.”

Iceland —  Martin Kelly, Rochdale

Martin Kelly:  "On a road trip around Iceland, here’s a taste of the country’s dramatic landscapes." Watch Martin's video here

Grand-prize winner: Tanzania

A five-night Serengeti stay for the winner and a guest with luxury travel specialist Carrier and Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti . Includes a wildlife photography lesson from expert Paul Joynson-Hicks.

Photography: Iceland

Tatra Photography will take the winner to its new ‘travelling hotel’ in Iceland for a unique seven-night aurora photography workshop with tutor Mark Bauer.

Portfolio: Vietnam

Experience Travel Group will take the winner and a guest on an eight-day trip to Vietnam. This includes a tour of Hanoi, three nights at Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi , four nights at Mia Resort Nha Trang and flights with Vietnam Airlines .   

Mobile: Abu Dhabi

A four-day luxury holiday on Abu Dhabi’s Sir Bani Yas Island, courtesy of the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority and Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas . Includes flights with Etihad Airways .  

Video: Italy

Inghams Italy offers the winner and a guest a three-night trip to Ischia. Staying on a B&B basis in Hotel Excelsior Terme.

theprintspace specialise in archival fine prints and frames. From 3-15 March, its London gallery will display this year's shortlisted images.

Alastair Jolly,  European manager for SmugMug , a photo-sharing website and image hosting service. 

Steve Davey ‚  Freelance travel photographer and writer based in London.  

Carol Enquist,  Senior photo editor, National Geographic Traveler (US)

Andy Greenhouse , Co-founder of Swhype Media , a creative motion agency based in London . 

The winning photos can also be seen in the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Photography Competition 2016 supplement, distributed with the April 2016 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)

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Travel Photographer of the Year

21 years of celebrating images from around the world and the best in travel photography, view the 2023 winners, join our mpb video category winner on a one-day video workshop, march 23, 2024.

Travel Photographer of the Year awards (TPOTY) is run by photographers for photographers. TPOTY is truly global – wherever you live in the world and whether you are amateur or professional, beginner or expert, young or old, Travel Photographer of the Year is for you!

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THE 2023 WINNERS ARE REVEALED

From lyrically beautiful images of European agricultural landscapes to heartbreaking aerial shots of elephants searching for food on rubbish…

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…and follow on from Matjaz Krivic and a list of amazing photographers. The closing date for the 2023 awards…

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Photographer and SheClicks founder has joined the tPOTY judging panel. We're delighted to welcome her and her expertise to…

Our latest overall winner – the Travel Photographer of the Year 2022- is Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia see all the winners

“I am honoured to have my work recognised and acknowledged by the judges of the “Travel Photographer of the Year” competition. This competition is special to me since I have been with it from its beginning (2003) when I was given a Judge’s Favourite Award. Now, 20 years later I received their highest award which makes me very proud and means a lot to me. Travel and photography have been my passions and a big part of my life since I can remember and this award inspires me to continue with my journey.”

WHAT WINNING TPOTY MEANS “TPOTY is one of the world most prestigious photography competitions, not just because of the quantity and quality of its participants, but also because of the recognised expertise and talent of the judges, the selection criteria for the winners based upon the printed photographs and submission in raw format, and last but not least because of the worldwide media impact. I have been very fortunate to have my work shown in London Bridge Exhibition and in the Xposure International Photography Festival in the UAE. There are not many chances to get photographs being seen by more than 2 million people but TPOTY achieves that.”  Katy Gomez Catalina, Spain

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EAMONN MCCABE – a tribute October 4th 2022: It is with great sadness that we learnt last night of the sudden and unexpected death of Eamonn McCabe – a great photographer and a TPOTY judge. When I was growing up and learning photography, Eamonn was one of my photographic heroes and went on to become a friend. His contribution to photography, especially sports and news photography, was remarkable and he inspired both me and many other photographers to be better. In latter years he turned his talents to people photography and portraiture, and his contribution to the TPOTY judging, as an award-winning picture editor, was greatly valued. I shall miss deeply our photography chats in the pub and will always regard him with great warmth and fondness. Chris Coe, co-founder, Travel Photographer of the Year

Image credits on this page: Top – Kazuaki Koseki; inset box 1) Romain Miot; inset box 2) Matjaz Krivic; inset box 3) Katy Gomez Catalina 4) Keith Berr; 3) Felicia Simion; shop inset. All rights reserved © Travel Photographer of the Year

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My name's Arthur Lookyanov, I'm a private tour guide, personal driver and photographer in Moscow, Russia. I work in my business and run my website Moscow-Driver.com from 2002. Read more about me and my services , check out testimonials of my former business and travel clients from all over the World, hit me up on Twitter or other social websites. I hope that you will like my photos as well.

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The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission