Travel Photographer of the Year Winners 2022
Posted on Feb 2, 2023
The winners of the 20th Travel Photographer of the Year evoke emotion and poignancy
From the sprawling tundra of the Arctic to the Africa savannah, travel photographers explore every corner of the earth, capturing endangered species and unexplored cultures. Nowadays, climate change and conservation are at the forefront of nature photography and the 20th instalment of the Travel POTY contest broaches these issues with delicacy and sensitivity.
Overall winner – Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia
Slovenian photographer Matjaz Krivic took the overall title, beating out a staggering 20,000 images from other amateur and professional photographers alike, from 154 countries. His powerful images of showing the companionship between one of the last two Northern White Rhinos, 33-year-old Najin, and her keeper, Zachary Mutai; a beautifully melancholic depiction of the dark and light sides to humanity. Taken in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, the images captured the heart of the judges, alongside his other images, illustrating the effects of the long-running eruption of Cumbra Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands, a powerful reminder of the true force of nature.
Entering since the contest’s inception in 2003, Matjaz has won several individual awards over the years, and finally walks away with the ‘big one’, says TPOTY founder, Chris Coe. “Conservation and sustainability permeate the collection and illustrate the role photography can play in creating awareness”.
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Young TPOTY – Cal Cole, UK
The Travel Photographer of the Year contest seeks to celebrate rising talent with a range of youth categories. Cal Cole from Manchester wins the title of ‘Young TPOTY’ for his distinctive depiction of his hometown by night.
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Portfolio
The Art of Monochrome – Roie Galitz, Israel
The Art of Monochrome portfolio category had some intriguing entrants, with Roie Galitz taking first place for his contrasting images of polar bears in the Arctic. The first, a rare glimpse of the ritual of polar bear courtship during a blizzard and the second a harrowing figure of an emaciated polar bear mother and her two cubs; the cubs perished just two days after the image was shot.
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Other category winners:
- Young Travel Photographer of the Year: Winner, 15-18 years – Isabella Smith, USA (age 18)
- Young Travel Photographer of the Year: Winner, 14 years & under – Kaia Tham, Australia (age 14)
- Portfolio Winner: Cultures – Magdaléna Straková, Czech Republic
- Portfolio Winner: Deserts to Rainforests – Jaroslav Hora, Czech Republic
- Portfolio Winner: Green Planet, Blue Planet – Alexej Sachov, Germany
- One Shot Winner: Creative Travel – Lorenz Berna, Italy
- One Shot Winner: Mark of Mankind – Angiolo Manetti, Italy
- One Shot Winner: Water – Alexej Sachov, Germany
- Smart Shot Winner: iTravelled – Marina Spironetti, Italy
- People’s Choice Winner: Romain Miot, France
- HD Video Winner, Travel Shorts: Simon Tupper, UK
Selection of winning images (click to enlarge):
For more information on this year’s winners, head to the TPOTY website.
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