Winners and finalists of the Travel Photographer of the Year competition

Winners and finalists for the 2021 Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) competition were recently announced. The global competition that deems itself ‘run by photographers for photographers’ received over 20,000 submissions from photographers residing in 151 countries.

An international panel of judges selected Fortunato Gatto as the Overall Winner. Gatto is originally from Italy but has called Scotland his home for the past 7 years. His prize included a Fujifilm X-T4 cameras, with a lens, and £1000 cash.

The winning shots, which can all be seen on TPOTY’s site, will be displayed at a free outdoor exhibition in London’s Granary Square.

OVERALL WINNER – THE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021: Fortunato Gatto, Italy

Location: Polychrome Pass, Denali National Park, Alaska, USA

Artist Description: I took this picture just before a grizzly bear showed up. The fresh snow covering the mountains in the background was the perfect frame for this special meeting between autumn and winter.

Gear and Specs: Canon 5D Mk III, 70-200mm lens, F13, 1/1250s, ISO 640

OVERALL WINNER – THE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021: Fortunato Gatto, Italy

Location: Eigg, Small Isles, Scotland

Artist Description: I was alone in this place for about two weeks. I observed the tidal phenomenon for days until I could see peaks drawn in the sand, with the reflection of the clouds in the middle.

Gear and Specs: Canon 5D Mk III, 24-70mm lens, F13, 1/4s, ISO 100

WINNER: YOUNG TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021: Jai Shet, USA (age 18)

Location: Magnolia Ridge Park, Woodville, Texas, USA

Artist Description: This portfolio is a series of forest images taken during different seasons of the year. Each forest is a different color of the rainbow. Bright reds of fall in Texas, warm yellows of summer in Wyoming, lush greens of spring in California, and cold blues of winter in Colorado.

Gear and Specs: Canon 5D Mk III, 24-105mm lens, F16, 0.7s, ISO 100

YOUNG TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 15-18 WINNER: Tevin Kim, USA (age 17)

Location: Mormon Row, Grand Teton National Park, Moose, Wyoming, USA

Artist Description: Normally, the vast landscape of the sharp, layered Teton mountains would be visible in the background of each of these photos. However, due to the wildfires that were raging in the Western United States when this photo was taken (August 31st, 2021), the mountains are practically invisible.

Gear and Specs: Sony a6000, 16-50mm lens, F8, 1/320s, ISO 100

YOUNG TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 15-18 CATEGORY, RUNNER-UP: Nayana Rajesh, USA (age 17)

Location: Caddo Lake, Texas or Louisiana, USA

Artist Description: This picture came about just as the United States Presidential Election results were declared and we finally had a sense of clarity and calm. We awaited the sunrise inside a small boat on Caddo Lake, when finally, the sky filled with a golden light. The trees dotted around the lake provided exciting silhouettes. Still, this group of three trees in descending order of height seemed to render balance and uniformity to the composition.

Gear and Specs: Sony a7R IV, 70-400mm lens, F16, 1/200s, ISO 400

YOUNG TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 14 YEARS AND UNDER CATEGORY WINNER: Indigo Larmour, Ireland (age 13)

Location: Al Dhaid, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Artist Description: Camel races are a hugely popular sport in the Arab world and during the winter months they happen most Friday mornings as the sun rises, before it gets too hot. The race is full of excitement and a buzz; especially as the race starts. I wanted to capture this rush through my image using slow shutter speed.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D600, 24-85mm lens, F18, 1/20s, ISO 160

YOUNG TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 14 YEARS AND UNDER CATEGORY, RUNNER-UP: Miguel Sánchez García, Spain (age 12)

Location: Arusha National Park, Tanzania

Artist Description: Giraffes are real giants that stand out at the foot of Mount Meru.

Gear and Specs: Pentax K20D, 70-300mm lens, F6.7, 1/750s, ISO 400

BEST 8 PORTFOLIO WINNER: Alessandro Bergamini, Italy

Location: Pushkar, India


Artist Description: As this lady covered her face with her long, embroidered scarf, she revealed her hand, which was painted with henna as tradition dictates. The impact was to enhance the deep, magnetic color of her eyes.

Gear and Specs: Canon 5D Mk II, 135mm lens, F2, 1/1600s, ISO 1600

BEST 8 PORTFOLIO WINNER: Alessandro Bergamini, Italy

Location: Jodhpur, India



Artist Description: This young Muslim girl had her face completely covered, although her graceful features can be seen through the fabric. She looked at a nearby man, seeking consent to remove her veil, and he gave her permission to do so. The photo was taken at the exact moment she was about to push aside the red veil.



Gear and Specs: Canon 5D Mk II, 35mm lens, F1.4, 1/4000s, ISO 100

BEST 8 PORTFOLIO RUNNER UP: Trevor Cole, Ireland

Location: The Namib desert, Namibia

Artist Description: The spectacle of Sossusvlei from the air at dawn when the first light catches the top of the dunes. The beauty of the Namib desert is inimitable. This is the oldest desert on Earth – it has been here for 300 million years – and is arguably the most beautiful. It is, as it should be, undisturbed, surreal and magnificent. This image was taken from a helicopter.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D850, 70-200mm lens, F2.8, 1/3200s, ISO 320

LANDSCAPES & ADVENTURE PORTFOLIO, HIGHLY COMMENDED: Yevhen Samuchenko, Ukraine

Location: Kherson region, Ukraine

Artist Description: At the Pink Planet. The first time you see the pink salt lakes of the Kherson region in Ukraine it feels as though you are looking at another planet. During the summer months, microscopic algae cause the water to turn pink and red.

Gear and Specs: DJI FC2013, F2.6, 1/110s, ISO 114

LANDSCAPES & ADVENTURE PORTFOLIO SINGLE IMAGES, SPECIAL MENTION: Javier Sanchez Martínez, Spain

Location: Stromboli volcano, Aeolian islands, Italy

Artist Description: The summit of Stromboli, with the Mediterranean in the background – complete with boat lighting up the water. When it gets dark, you only need to wait about 15 or 20 minutes for the eruptions that recur during the night.

Gear and Specs: Pentax K-5 II, 70-200mm lens, F5.6, 4.6s, ISO 800

ONE SHOT – ICONS OF TRAVEL COMMENDED: James Rushforth, UK

Location: Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England



Artist Description: Comet NEOWISE passes over Stonehenge in the United Kingdom. It’s fascinating to think that this historic site did not exist when NEOWISE last passed the Earth. This is a single-exposure photograph. The orange glow is light pollution from nearby villages and a passing lorry very kindly painted the rocks with light.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D850, 70–200mm lens, F2.8, 4s, ISO 5000