Beyond Borders: The Evolution of Travel Photography
Travel Photographer of the Year
Award-winning photography from the latest winners - and the stories behind the images.
Over the last 22 years, the Travel Photographer of the Year awards have witnessed and showcased a remarkable selection of imagery, from the simply beautiful to the grittily haunting, from people and their cultures to landscapes and environment, from wildlife and conservation to architecture, history and food. Different photographic styles, including reportage, editorial, advertising, documentary and abstract make for a fascinating collection.
Behind each image is a story. It may be about the subject of the image; the place or the journey taken to get the photograph; or the photographer and their experiences or the creative processes used to make that image. Visual story-telling is such a powerful tool in photography, whether the message is obvious or suggestive in the response it provokes in the viewer.
21 Years of Travel Photography
The Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) awards were founded in 2003. In the first 21 years these awards have witnessed the transition from film to digital photography and documented our changing world. They have also showcased the work of amazing photographers around the world, many of them little known before being exhibited by TPOTY. With cultures changing, it has captured the stories of disappearing peoples and traditions through the best in contemporary travel photography.
The natural world, subject to accelerating climate change and extremes of weather, is having to evolve too. Many natural environments and landscapes are in jeopardy and others, which were hidden, are changing to reveal their beauty. Wildlife is on the frontline and in conflict between the expansion of human settlements, with increasing demand for natural resources and food security, and species loss is accelerating as undisturbed space to exist and thrive shrink.
Amongst the thousands of images showcased by these awards there is mesmerising beauty, celebration and sadness, testaments to human achievement and insights into where our planet has been and is now going. Most of all there are stories, lots of stories, of this incredible, vibrant, diverse and unique planet. Enjoy the journey!
2003 - Zanzibar, TanzaniaPOS CC 205 01
2004 - Sipadan Marine Park, Sabah, MalaysiaPOS CC 205 02
2005 - Havana, CubaPOS CC 205 03
2006 - NepalPOS CC 205 04
2007 - Ton Le' Sap Lake, CambodiaPOS CC 205 05
2008 - Abraham Lake, Kootenay Plains, Alberta, CanadaPOS CC 205 06
2009 - Gaddani, PakistanPOS CC 205 07
2010 - Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, CanadaPOS CC 205 08
2011 - London, EnglandPOS CC 205 09
2012 - Paris, FrancePOS CC 205 10
2013 - Dogon Country, MaliPOS CC 205 11
2014 - Lalibela, EthiopiaPOS CC 205 12
2015 - Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana, USAPOS CC 205 13
2016 - Salt Desert, Danakil Depression, Afar, EthiopiaPOS CC 205 14
2017 - Dumbia village, Pangala, Toraja, Sulawesi Island, IndonesiaPOS CC 205 15
2018 - Harar, EthiopiaPOS CC 205 16
2019 - Morondava, MadagascarPOS CC 205 17
2020 - GreenlandPOS CC 205 18
2021 - Eigg, Small Isles, ScotlandPOS CC 205 19
2022 - Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Nanyuki, KenyaPOS CC 205 20
2023 - Near Pienza, Tuscany, ItalyPOS CC 205 21
Travel Photographer of the Year
Each year Travel Photographer of the Year showcases and celebrates fantastic imagery from photographers around the world. These awards cover every aspect of travel photography from people and cultures to natural and urban landscapes; from the natural world on land, in the water and in the skies; from climate change to conservation, sustainability and the grittier side of the world we travel in today.
The winners feature in international exhibitions and are shown around the world through TPOTY's extensive media coverage. To find out more visit the Travel Photographer of the Year website or follow us on Instagram.
www.tpoty.com
@travelphotographeroftheyear
2023 - Near Pienza, Tuscany, ItalyPOS CC 205 22
Obama Onsen, Nagasaki prefecture, JapanPOS CC 205 23
Namib desert, NamibiaPOS CC 205 24
Sumba Island, IndonesiaPOS CC 205 25
Lake Shirakawa, Iide Town, Yamagata Prefecture, JapanPOS CC 205 26
Rural ItalyPOS CC 205 27
Fagradalsfjall volcano, IcelandPOS CC 205 28
Hamnoy, Lofoten islands, NorwayPOS CC 205 29
The Icelandic highlandsPOS CC 205 30
La Ventana, Baja California, MexicoPOS CC 205 31
Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri LankaPOS CC 205 32
Chunhua mountain village, Changsha County, Hunan Province, ChinaPOS CC 205 33
Pantanal wetlands, BrazilPOS CC 205 34
Lac La Biche, Alberta, CanadaPOS CC 205 35
Tarangire National Park, TanzaniaPOS CC 205 36
Kamchatka, RussiaPOS CC 205 37
Wild is Life Sanctuary, Harare, ZimbabwePOS CC 205 38
Sepilok Orang Utan rehab area, Borneo, MalaysiaPOS CC 205 39
Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservancy, Hwedza, Mashonaland East, ZimbabwePOS CC 205 40
Lac La Biche, Alberta, CanadaPOS CC 205 41
Anilao, PhilippinesPOS CC 205 42
Lembeh Strait, Molucca Sea, IndonesiaPOS CC 205 43
Ifrane National Park, MoroccoPOS CC 205 44
Jeju Island, South KoreaPOS CC 205 45
Litli-Hrutur volcano, IcelandPOS CC 205 46
Fidenza, Emilia-Romagna, ItalyPOS CC 205 47
Twenty-SevenPOS CC 205 48
Lake Baikal, Siberia, RussiaPOS CC 205 49
Lagos, NigeriaPOS CC 205 50
Hoi An, Quang Nam province, VietnamPOS CC 205 51
Islamabad PakistanPOS CC 205 52
Epupa, Kunene Region, NamibiaPOS CC 205 53
Kalash Valley, Chitral, PakistanPOS CC 205 54
Kolkata, IndiaPOS CC 205 55
Havana, CubaPOS CC 205 56
Manhattan, New York, USAPOS CC 205 57
On the main beach of Jericoacoara, Brazil.POS CC 205 58
Erbaa,Tokat, TurkeyPOS CC 205 59
Near the Ijen volcano, Java, IndonesiaPOS CC 205 60
Budaklı Thermal Springs, Güroymak, Bitlis, TurkeyPOS CC 205 61
Petra, JordanPOS CC 205 62
Reutte, AustriaPOS CC 205 63
La Puna, ArgentinaPOS CC 205 64
Gobi Desert, MongoliaPOS CC 205 65