Home WorldEuropeUnited KingdomEngland 2016 Travel Photographer of the Year

2016 Travel Photographer of the Year

by The Travel Magazine
Ashanti fisherman, Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana

Travel Photographer of the Year 2016

Photographers from 20 countries have won awards, and the winning images will go on show at Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) exhibitions at the UK City of Culture celebrations in Hull from 18th May to 30th June 2017 and at 10 Stockwell Street, Greenwich at the University of Greenwich, London from 4th August to 3rd September 2017.

Joel Santos, Portugal – Winner

Joel Santos becomes the first-ever Portuguese overall winner in the award’s 14-year history, beating photographers from 123 countries to take the title of Travel Photographer of the Year 2016. His winning entry features a delicate and intimate portfolio depicting traditional fishing in Ghana and – in another first for TPOTY – an aerial portfolio captured using a drone, giving a bird’s eye view of one of the hottest places in the world, Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression.

Ashanti fisherman, Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana

Lake Bosumtwi, Ashanti, Ghana (c) Joel Santos/www.tpoty.com

The Ashanti people fish from the traditional wooden padua.

Salt Desert, Danakil Depression, Afar, Ethiopia

Salt Desert, Danakil Depression, Afar, Ethiopia (c) Joel Santos/www.tpoty.com

This unique aerial photo shows the salt miners guiding a dromedary and donkey caravan through this desert’s unique salt patterns.

Young Travel Photographer of the Year 2016

Darpan Basak, India – Winner

running on sea

Chadipur, India (c) Darpan Basak/www.tpoty.com

From land to sea – joy to eternity

Courtney Moore, USA (age 18) – Winner, 15 to 18 years old

fox in Island Beach State Park, New Jersey, USA

Island Beach State Park, New Jersey, USA (c) Courtney Moore/www.tpoty.com

On a particularly windy day, this fox was sitting only a few yards away from the ocean as sand pelted against his fur.

Zijie Gong, China (age 16) – Runner-up, 15 to 18 years old

young Chinese girl

Between Sichuan and Tibet, China (c) Zijie Gong/www.tpoty.com

A life of freedom for young children.

Ankit Kumar, India (age 13) – Winner, 14 years old & under

Lake Natron Tanzania

Lake Natron Tanzania (c) Ankit Kumar/www.tpoty.com

A flock of Lesser flamingos take flight above Tanzania’s salt and soda Lake Natron.

Mankind

Ruiyuan Chen, China – Winner

old Chinese man smoking

Daliang Mountains, Sichaun province, China (c) Ruiyuan Chen/www.tpoty.com

Portraits of the ethnic Yi people, who live in great poverty.

Panos Laskarakis, Greece – Runner-up

costumed man from Falakro Mountain, Greece

Volakas, Falakro Mountain, Greece (c) Panos Laskarakis/www.tpoty.com

Mysterious and ancient celebrations in the forests on the mountain.

Jeremy Woodhouse, UK – Winner, Best Single Image in a Portfolio

Elderly Woman Cutting Grass with a Sickle for Animal Food

Coltesti, Romania (c) Jeremy Woodhouse/www.tpoty.com

This elderly woman was cutting grass from a small plot to feed her livestock.

Land, Sea and Sky

Craig Easton, UK – Winner

A lone Buddhist monk walks around the boundary wall of the West Kirby Marine Lake.

West Kirby, Wirral, UK (c) Craig Easton/www.tpoty.com

A lone Buddhist monk walks around the boundary wall of the West Kirby Marine Lake.

Martin Siering, Germany – Special Mention

The eruptions of Batu Tara volcano in Komba Island, Indonesia

Komba Island, Indonesia (c) Martin Siering/www.tpoty.com

The eruptions of Batu Tara volcano are extremely loud, big and powerful, so that the whole island quakes.

Journeys & Adventures

Beniamino Pisati, Italy – Winner

horses in Bayankhongor, Mongolia

Bayankhongor, Mongolia (c) Beniamino Pisati/www.tpoty.com

Horses are present in all aspects of life in Mongolia. A popular saying is: “A Mongol without a horse is like a bird without wings”.

Timothy Allen, UK – Runner-up

flamenco dancers in El Rocío, Andalucía, Spain

Andalucia, Spain (c) Timothy Allen/www.tpoty.com

Pilgrimage to El Rocío: celebrating at the end of the four-day journey.

Lluís Salvadó, Spain – Winner, Best Single Image

horseman running through fire

San Bartolomé de Pinares, Spain (c) Lluís Salvadó/www.tpoty.com

Each January 16, the festival of Saint Anton takes place in San Bartolomé de Pinares.

Shaped by Light

Biran Zhao, China – Winner

nuns in Baiyu County, Ganzi, Sichuan Province, China

Baiyu County, Ganzi, Sichuan Province, China (c) Biran Zhao/www.tpoty.com

Every morning, the nuns walk around the mountain as practice lesson. Regardless of the season, they walk year after year, day in and day out.

Cities & Architecture

Michele Palazzo, Italy – Winner

Flatiron Building, Manhattan, New York, USA

Flatiron Building, Manhattan, New York, USA (c) Michele Palazzo/www.tpoty.com

While walking through the Jonas snowstorm that swept across the East Coast, I captured this shot of the Flatiron Building against a backdrop of swirling snow.

Dominic Byrne, Ireland – Highly Commended

art installation in Astana, Kazakhstan

Astana, Kazakhstan (c) Dominic Byrne/www.tpoty.com

An image of an interesting art installation composed in a way to give a War of the Worlds feel to a nearby modern tower.

Wildlife & Nature

Luke Massey, UK – Winner

Iberian lynx

Sierra de Andújar National Park, Andalucia, Spain (c) Luke Massey/www.tpoty.com

In 2001 there were less than 100 Iberian lynx left in the wild. Fifteen years later there are now more than 400, but it is still, unfortunately, the rarest cat in the world.

Kyle Adler, USA – Joint Runner-up

aligator

(c) Kyle Adler/www.tpoty.com

This alligator lay out in the middle of the waterway seeking what little sunshine was offered on a cloudy December day as we sailed by.

Rudi Sebastian, Germany – Joint Runner-up

toads

Berlin, Germany (c) Rudi Sebastian/www.tpoty.com

In a small pond at the rural border of Berlin, male moor frogs in their bright blue mating colour try to mate with a common toad, which almost drowned. It took about 30 minutes before she managed to free herself and reach dry ground.

Marco Urso, Italy – Special Mention

Kamchatka, Russia

Kamchatka, Russia (c) Marco Urso/www.tpoty.com

The young cubs like to play. This one was having fun with a small stick. After biting it, he relaxed for a few seconds, looking like a little fisherman.

Magdaléna Straková, Czech Republic – Special Mention

Prague Zoo, Prague, Czech Republic

Prague Zoo, Prague, Czech Republic (c) Magdaléna Straková/www.tpoty.com

This flamingo was photographed early in the morning in January, when few people visit.

Smart Shot – iTravelled, iCaptured

Marina Spironetti, Italy – Winner

Two women waiting for the 14th July parade on the Champs Elysées

Paris, France (c) Marina Spironetti/www.tpoty.com

Two women waiting for the 14th July parade on the Champs Elysées.

New Talent – Eye to Eye

Alison Cahill, UK – Winner

Portrait of Elyas the head barber and owner of Son & Dad Barbers, George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Son & Dad Barbers, George Town, Penang, Malaysia (c) Alison Cahill/www.tpoty.com

Portrait of Elyas the head barber and owner of Son & Dad.

Raimondo Norberto Giamberduca, Italy – Highly Commended

Reindeer race

Jokkmokk, Sweden (c) Raimondo Norberto Giamberduca/www.tpoty.com

Reindeer race.

Booking.com

Related Articles