TRAVEL PHOTO OF THE YEAR 2017

Our judges have once again been feverishly sorting through your inspirational images to find the very best entries in this year’s annual photo contest. Turn over to discover who will be heading off on a once-in-a-lifetime photo commission to Costa Rica...

WINNER (see p8) Shining pilots

Trincomalee, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka Viv Leese Accountant Gopro HERO5, 1/180 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 100

Judges’ comments: “You need to be fit and tough to get this magnificent shot of a pod of pilot whales – and you also need some luck. The degree of difficulty is high, as is the depth. Just superb all round.”

RUNNER-UP (see previous spread)

Two chinstrap penguins

Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica Gunther Riehle Food technology engineer Nikon D300, 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 400mm, 1/800 sec @ f/11, ISO 200

Judges’ comments: “Patience is not a virtue but it is a must with an image like this. A simple, engaging and effective shot.”

HIGHLY COMMENDED The kiss

Aveto Regional Natural Park, Borzonasca, Liguria, Italy Stefania Urbini Computer manager Nikon D300, 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 @ 260mm, 1/800 sec @ f/11, ISO 640

Judges’ comments: “This image of Alpine frogs laying their eggs in springtime is a beautiful use of a macro lens. The depth of field is spot on and the bokeh effect behind it is simply majestic.”

COMMENDED Kingfisher rising

Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland Patrick O’brien Chartered surveyor Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 153mm, 1/8000 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 10000

Judges’ comments: “Utterly brilliant – a flashing moment captured forever. A nano-second before or after and it is nothing.”

Hard work

West Coast National Park, South Africa Paul Wynn Retired management consultant Nikon D7100, 105mm @ f/2.8, 1/3200 @ f/4.5, ISO 250

Judges’ comments: “A truly wonderful macro shot that brings colour and vibrancy to an image of insect drudgery, turning it into something remarkable and memorable.”

Albatross courtship

New Island, Falkland Islands Georgina Strange Tour leader Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 200mm f/2.8, 1/400 sec @ f/4, ISO 800

Judges’ comments: “There are so many birds in a scene like this, so to isolate them is tricky – and to do it with so much imagination signals rare talent.”

Polar dip

Svalbard, Norway Michael Cullis Retired Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 500mm f/4 @ 700mm, 1/1600 sec @ f/10, ISO 640

Judges’ comments: “An incredible shot that tells a story, drawing the eye through the image and the lapping water to some prey off-camera that has caught the subject’s attention. A unique glimpse into Arctic life.”

The look of hope

Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India Hardik Rathod IT administrator Nikon D500, 200-500mm f/5.6 @ 500mm, 1/1000 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 2000

Judges’ comments: “Perfectly framed. The rain droplets caught mid-fall and the quiet patience of the owl – beautifully centred and camouflaged against the gnarl of the wood – makes for a wonderful composition.”

Hanging on

Puerto Egas, Santiago Island, Galápagos Islands Bill Klipp Retired Nikon D4, 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 135mm, 1/15 sec @ f/20, ISO 320

Judges’ comments: “Well conceived and simple, while the use of a slow shutter speed is ingenious and makes the shot.”

Splashing about

Etosha National Park, Namibia John Platt Chartered accountant Nikon D500, 200-500mm f/5.6 @ 240mm, 1/1000 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 100

Judges’ comments: “A wild moment of pure power that gloriously captures the unpredictable chaos of a bull elephant on the march.”

WINNER (see p10) Beginning to believe

Yellow Mountain, Anhui, China Callie Chee Fashion retail business owner Canon EOS 70D, 11-16mm @ 12mm, 1/60 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 200

Judges’ comments: “The park where this shot is taken can be notoriously busy, so it’s all the more remarkable that this image appears as if the taker is the only person in the world. A worthy and magnificent winner.”

RUNNER-UP Crossing the bike bridge

Ping River, Chiang Mai, Thailand Thomas Sweetman Music booking agent DJI FC220, 26.3mm f/2.2 @ 4.73 mm, 1/320 sec @ f/2.2, ISO 100

Judges’ comments: “Pattern, composition and imagination. A clever idea that has been wonderously realised.”

HIGHLY COMMENDED Eruption

Mount Bromo, East Java, Indonesia Callie Chee Fashion retail business owner Canon EOS 70D, 35mm, 1/15 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 100

Judges’ comments: “The highly active Mount Bromo and Mount Semeru have been shot many times, but this is just superb.”

COMMENDED Fire & Ice

Namaskard, near Lake Myvatn, Iceland Howard Angus Client services director Canon D700, 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm, 1/8000 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 200

Judges’ comments: “Smoking stacks, boiling mud and frozen air are captured majestically, their raw grandeur emphasised in the lone silhouette dwarfed by the scene. A clever composition.”

Santorini dreaming

Oia, Santorini, Greece Donald Yip IT engineer Nikon D750, 16-35mm f/4.0, 1/8 sec @ f/9, ISO 50

Judges’ comments: “A smart, alternative take on an iconic Greek town, whose cliff-side white façades are typically pitted against bright blue skies. Instead, the purpley sunset here lends it an unusually magical and dream-like quality.”

Morning at Mount Bromo

Mount Bromo, East Java, Indonesia Theam Meng Sea General manager Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 24-70mm f/4 @ 24mm, 1/125 sec @ f/8, ISO 200

Judges’ comments: “Another take on Mount Bromo, with a clever composition using the lush foreground to frame the swirling mists and blue skies.”

Arctic Winter

Nusfjord, Lofoten Islands, Norway Francesco Riccardo Iacomino Lawyer Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-200 @ 100mm, 1/125 sec @ f/8, ISO 100

Judges’ comments: “A limited palette and a truly ingenious use of framing – using the red of the rorbuer (fishermans’ cabins) to break up the white and grey of the mountains and the stockfish – creates an absorbing image out of a sparse canvas.”

It’s forbidden

Forbidden City, Beijing, China Thomas Solomon University lecturer and research scientist Canon Powershot G10, 6.1-30.5mm @ 6.10mm, 1/60 sec @ f2.8, ISO 80

Judges’ comments: “Great depth of shot sees an almost monochrome foreground erupt with splashes of colour, giving real life to this drizzly scene.”

Rainbow over Mesas

Navajo Tribal Park, Monument Valley, Arizona, USA Kenneth Vine Retired graphic designer Nikon D7000, 10-20mm f/4.0-5.6, 1/60 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 500

Judges’ comments: “Not a unique image, but who cares? A wonderful shot that wasn’t arrived at by accident, either.”

Antarctica Iceberg

Gerlache Strait, Antarctic Peninsula Ray Hems Retired project manager Nikon D7200, 70-200 mm @ f/2.8, 1/4000 @ f/6.3, ISO 500

Judges’ comments: “Grandiose and utterly compelling. The painterly blues of the iceberg really stand out against the sombre greys of the mainland and the emerging bird adds scale.”

WINNER (see p6) Krishna – God of colours

Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India Sanghamitra Sarkar Neurosurgeon Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 24-105 f/4 @ 40mm, 1/2500 sec @ f/4, ISO 320

Judges’ comments: “Holi Festival is a popular subject for travel photographers, but therein lies the challenge – to stand out. This is just magnificent, and one of the best images of people this competition has ever seen.”

RUNNER-UP Lost in travel

Sagar Island, West Bengal, India Indranil Sengupta Bank worker Nikon D300, 10-20mm f/4-5.6 @ 14mm, 1/500 sec @ f/11, ISO 400

Judges’ comments: “What looks like a piece of flotsam – a lost sandal left behind during the sacred bath at Gangasagar Fair in West Bengal – is actually a really clever image, shot from a great low angle.”

HIGHLY COMMENDED (JOINT) Siesta in the shade

Australia, Matanzas Province, Cuba Linda Wride Planning and heritage consultant Nikon D750, 24-120mm f/4 @ 120mm, 1/800 sec @ f/4, ISO 500

Judges’ comments: “Gorgeous storytelling and a beautiful picture. I can practically hear his drums – and his snoring.”

HIGHLY COMMENDED (JOINT) Rice workers

Habra, West Bengal, India Sandipani Chattopadhyay IT professional Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 24-105mm f/4 @ 24mm, 1/4000 sec @ f/4, ISO 320

Judges’ comments: “As a composition, it is beyond compare. Utterly brilliant and marvellously conceived.”

Catch of the day

Ganges River, Varanasi, India George Turnbull Retired educational consultant Canon EOS 7D, EF 70-300 f/4 @ 229mm, 1/640 @ f/11, ISO 500 Judges’ comments: “Sometimes an image just comes together. This snaphot of a fisherman hopping from boat to boat against a wall of yellow graffiti has a reckless charm all of its own.”

Shokhan

Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, Mongolia Lynn Fraser Archaeologist Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 50mm, 1/160 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 640

Judges’ comments: “A cunning use of shadow lends this scene an honest drama that isn’t remotely stagey or posed.”

The morning commute

Ollantaytambo, Peru Matt Hill Student Canon EOS 650D, EF 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 40mm, 1/400 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 400 Judges’ comments: “The alley leads the eye nicely into the picture. A discreetly clever and well-balanced shot.”

Fresh veg – Madagascan market

Antsirabe, Madagascar Andrew Lambert Commercial development manager Sony SLT-A37, DT 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 24mm, 1/60 sec @ f/4, ISO 125

Judges’ comments: “The everyday event of a market stall owner sprinkling her produce with water is captured in the naturalistic style of a true documentarian.”

Fishmonger

Dubai, United Arab Emirates Sreeranj Sreedhar HR and administration manager Fujifilm X-T1, XF18MMF2 @ 18mm, 1/210 sec @ f/8, ISO 1600

Judges’ comments: “Brilliantly lit. The strip lights dribbling into the distance hint at the sheer size of the market, its labours only briefly illuminated by what little light seeps into the busy foreground. A truly masterful composition.”

Cool driving

Havana, Cuba Linda Wride Planning and heritage consultant Nikon D750, 24-120mm f/4 @ 98mm, 1/1000 sec @ f/13, ISO 400

Judges’ comments: “A study in nonchalance, playfully shot. Nothing sums up the laid-back nature of Cuba better than a careless hand dangling over a bright pink Chevy.”

WINNER Welcome to Scotland

Cairngorms National Park, Scotland Alexander Metcalfe Stockbroker Olympus OM-D EM-5, Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 @ 30mm, 1/500 sec @ f/6.7

Judges’ comments: “Captures the full-on hardship of a white out – all bravery and zeal. And that’s just the photographer.”

RUNNER-UP Solo kayak

Soca Valley, Triglav National Park, Slovenia Rachael Tailford Biomedical scientist Panasonic DMC-G10, 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 14mm, 1/200 sec @ f/5, ISO 100

Judges’ comments: “A lovely angle and clever perspective sums up the difficulty facing the subject, who is literally caught between a rock and a hard place. A great active shot.”

The Fire Dance

Near Rabaul, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea Bret Charman Marketing coordinator Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm, 1/400 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 2500

Judges’ comments: “Simply brilliant. This coming-of-age ritual is spiritedly caught – the sparks kicked up from the ‘fire dance’ swirling into the air and taking on a life of their own. A unique scene superbly captured.”

Ratha Yatra Festival

Rikabi Bazar Point, Sylhet, Bangladesh Md Rafayat Haque Khan Travel & tourism Nikon D40, 1/50 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 200

Judges’ comments: “A great perspective – looking down on the action – puts the viewer front row and centre at this colourful festival of chariots.”

Walking at dusk

Millennium Bridge, London, UK Peter Karry Retired programmes manager Sony SLT-A99V, 12-24mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 12mm, 0.5 sec @ f/16, ISO 50

Judges’ comments: “A clever use of exposure together with billowing, dusky skies combine to really pull you in.”

Abrivado

Saintes-maries-de-la-mer, Camargue, France Philip Marazzi GP Nikon D4S, 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 230mm, 1/800 sec @ f/10, ISO 400

Judges’ comments: “The bluster and mud-splattered chaos of this traditional test of French horsemanship is spectacularly caught in an action-packed image.”

Cucu

Toronto, Canada Giovanni Frescura Lawyer Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, EF 500mm f/4l IS II USM, 1/1600 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 640 Judges’ comments: “Compelling proof that patience and timing are their own reward in photography.”

Relax and there will be no blood

Ural Mountains, Komi Republic, Russia Rokas Juozapavicius Student Canon EOS 70D, EF 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 34mm, 1/200 sec @ f/10, ISO 250

Judges’ comments: “There is an almost storylike quality to this image – the precariousness of the subject, dwarfed by the seeming inscrutable drama of the rocks that surround them.”

Hill bathed in light

Lake District, UK Ruta Mackelaite Interior designer Canon EOS 7D, EF 17-40mm f/4 @ 32mm, 1/60 sec @ f/11, ISO 200

Judges’ comments: “A riot of colour. Almost alien greens and long shadows leap out at the viewer in this deceptively clever composition.”

Birds

At sea off Andenes, Vesteralen, Norway Barry Chapman Management consultant Canon EOS 7D, EF 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 190mm, 1/2500 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 2500

Judges’ comments: “A stark backdrop stands as the only witness to this brawl of seabirds harassing a lonely fishing boat. A fine glimpse into life at sea.”