Amateur Photographer of the Year

Here are the top 30 images uploaded to Photocrowd from Round Eight, Travellers’ Tales, with comments by the AP team

1 Marco Tagliarino Italy 30pts Canon 5D Mk IV, 70-200mm, 1/400sec at f/4, ISO 200

Every photographer strives to capture a moment when everything fits together perfectly, and this is a superb example. The tight crop draws us into the scene and the zigzag lines and equal spacing between each individual are wonderfully balanced. The bright white and blue clothing pops out from the surrounding deep, earthy tones, creating a lovely contrast. It’s topped off by the misty smoke, which adds atmosphere. A huge number of elements have come together to make this fantastic travel scene.

2 Darrell Godliman UK 29pts Nikon D300S, 18-70mm, 1/1250sec at f/4.5, ISO 800

Marrakech’s Jemaa el- Fnaa market is legendary for its freneticism. From stallholders to snake charmers and street performers, all human life is here. Darrell has managed to capture it in a (relatively) quiet moment, but at the end of the day, this image is all about the light. Those raking shadows formed by the setting sun bring the scene to life and give it a three- dimensional effect. We could spend hours looking at the individuals captured in this stunning scene.

3 Steve Cheetham UK 28pts Canon EOS 5DS R, 16-35mm, 150sec at f/11, ISO 100

Steve was fortunate enough to travel to Japan for this image. It was shot at the seaweed farms in Aichi Prefecture, on the island of Honshu. A long exposure is the perfect treatment, as it reduces the scene to its most simple, graphic elements – that is, the uprights of the poles and the soft curves of the nets. Converting the image to monochrome is the ideal finishing touch. A great image, with the ideal balance between movement and static.

4 Simon Turnbull UK 27pts Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-105mm, 1/80sec at f/4, ISO 800

Simon captured this image at sunrise while in Bali, and the intensely orange light is a great example of why we should photograph at either end of the day. His timing is excellent, as not only has he captured the fisherman’s arms at full stretch (and at a pleasing diagonal angle), but also the net is forming a beautiful shape, with just the right amount of movement. Any more would have rendered the image too abstract, potentially losing detail, while any less would have made things too static.

5 Bob Souster UK 26pts Fujifilm X-H1, 18-55mm, 1/2200sec at f/4, ISO 200

Any image that makes the viewer stop and stare, and take a second look, is worth a place in this competition – and that’s exactly what the judges did with this one. It’s intriguing and takes a moment for the brain to process what’s going on, but within a few seconds we’ve managed to disentangle the scene. By looking directly up, Bob has captured a pleasing, semi-abstract shot that’s given extra depth and dynamism by the light that’s shining through the clothing. A clever and well-seen image. We could all do with looking up a bit more often…