Capturing the essence of life’s highs and lows across the globe, the 2023 international Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) awards showcased a diverse range of images. From picturesque European landscapes and poignant aerial shots of elephants foraging in garbage dumps to captivating portraits of Siberian shamans and inspiring moments of elderly athletes, the winning entries presented a visual tapestry of our world. More than 20,000 images from amateur and professional photographers in over 150 countries were submitted to TPOTY 2023.
The winning shots, now accessible in the online Winners’ Gallery on tpoty.com, will be featured at The Photography & Video Show in NEC, Birmingham, UK, from March 16-19 and at Xposure in the UAE. Slovenian photographer Andreja Ravnak secured the Travel Photographer of the Year 2023 title, following in the footsteps of compatriot Matjaz Krivic. Ravnak’s enchanting portrayal of hop growing in Slovenia, coupled with images of idyllic fields in Italy and Czechia, combined fairy-tale beauty with the precision derived from her architectural background.
TPOTY founder Chris Coe remarked on the subtle elegance of this year’s winners, particularly praising Ravnak’s portfolios for their engaging and beautiful depiction of unconventional subjects. Ravnak expressed gratitude for the recognition, acknowledging the complexity of judging photography and emphasizing the collective effort of photographers in documenting the world for future generations.
In the Young TPOTY awards, all three winners hailed from the United States. Caden Shepard Choi, Lilly Zhang, and Zayan Durrani claimed top honors in their respective age categories with compelling stories captured through their lenses.
Andreja Ravnak’s prize includes a £1000 cash bursary, a personalized leather portfolio book, Radiant Photo imaging software, a portfolio review from New York agent Frank Meo, and more. Similarly, Caden Shepard Choi receives £500, a Plastic Sandwich leather portfolio book, Radiant Photo imaging software, and other accolades.
The awards also recognized outstanding individual categories. Armand Sarlangue won the Landscape & Environment portfolio category, while Martin Broen’s images of Mobula ray migration in Baja California secured top honors in the Nature, Wildlife & Conservation category. Greek photographer Athanasios Maloukos captured the judges’ choice in the People and Cultures category, and Alain Schroeder’s Visual Stories portfolio focused on elderly athletes. Additional categories included MPB One Shot and the HD video category, World in Motion.
MPB, joining the TPOTY sponsor lineup for the first time, presented three One Shot categories challenging photographers to capture themes in a single image. Ignacio Palacios, Josien van Geffen, and Andrea Peruzzi emerged victorious in these categories.
The People’s Choice award, decided by public voting, went to 15-year-old Rohan Neel Shah from Kenya for his captivating image of a lone wildebeest in the midst of the Great Migration in the Maasai Mara.
Noteworthy in this year’s awards is the opportunity for three finalists to have their work reviewed by top New York photographer’s agent Frank Meo from The PhotoCloser.
Judged anonymously by a 16-strong international panel of imaging experts, the TPOTY awards continue to celebrate the diverse and captivating world of travel photography. For more information, visit www.tpoty.com.
