Winners of the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Photography Competition 2021 Announced

LONDON (5 October 2021) — National Geographic Traveller (UK) has announced the winners of its Photography Competition 2021, sponsored by Nikon.

National Geographic Competition

Seeking to highlight the best in travel photography, this prestigious annual competition, celebrating its 10th year, invited photographers of all levels to submit travel images in up to six categories.

Pat Riddell, editor of National Geographic Traveller (UK), said: “We might have spent 18 months in a global pandemic, but that hasn’t diminished the consistent quality in our annual competition. Whether shot in the UK, or abroad during windows in which people could travel, this year’s winners remind us how photographers see the world around us and the magic of capturing a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

“A huge congratulations to our grand prize winner but also to those who made the shortlist — all 18 photographers are exceptional talents. From the abstract and mesmerising overhead shots taken from drones and airplanes to studied portraits of people and wildlife, together these images capture human behaviour, changing landscapes and nature’s beauty in a way that resonates with the National Geographic brand.”

Grand Prize Winner

The grand prize winner this year is Andro Loria for his spectacular entry in the Portfolio category. The images, all taken in Iceland from a small airplane, capture the country’s deserts, volcanos, glaciers, mountains, rivers, lakes, coast and highlands.

The judges said: “What an incredible selection of landscapes, mixing abstract, swirling colours with frozen, geyser-filled vistas in a way that is at once cohesive and distinct. The skill with portfolios is to curate a selection of images that complement each other and to elevate each above the single frame, while ensuring that each works individually — and the photographer has certainly succeeded with this.

“The abstract images immediately draw the eye with brilliant colours, but the more identifiable landscape shots serve as a necessary foil to bring the portfolio back into the real world. Bright, dynamic and interesting, this is a stunning collection of shots.”

Andro wins a Nikon Z 6II camera and 24-70 f/4 lens, plus a four-night Northern Lights tour of Swedish Lapland, courtesy of Discover the World. The five category winners each receive a Nikon D3500 SLR camera and AF-P 18-55mm VR lens. Selected entrants will also be included as part of a national press and media campaign and featured on nationalgeographic.co.uk

The winners are:

Grand prize winner:

Andro Loria: Iceland

Category winners:

Food & travel: Nic Crilly-Hargrave — fish market in Veracruz, Mexico
Landscape: Ozgun Ozdemir — Marble Hill beach in Donegal, Ireland
People: Claire Waring — Ice fishing in Hokkaido, Japan
Portfolio: Andro Loria — landscapes in Iceland
Urban environment: Clara Dip Wan Cheung — Veles e Vents in Valencia, Spain
Wildlife: Mitchell Lewis — rabbit in Richmond Park, London

Finding Photography Talent

Launched in 2011, the prestigious annual competition seeks the UK’s best travel photography talent — this year across six categories: Food & Travel; Landscape; People; Portfolio; Urban Environment; and Wildlife. A global press and media campaign will present the winning images, which will also be featured on the National Geographic Traveller (UK) website.

The judging panel consisted of Becky Redman, art director, National Geographic Traveller (UK); Harry Skeggs, award-winning wildlife photographer; Lola Akinmade Åkerström, award-winning freelance photographer; Annapurna Mellor, award-winning travel photographer; Alex Stead, award-winning Nikon photographer, F Dilek Uyar, award-winning freelancer photographer, Cathy Harlow, guide and photographer, Discover the World; and Oliver Puglisi, picture editor, National Geographic Traveller (UK).

To view the winners, visit: nationalgeographic.co.uk/photography-competition-2021

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