Travel Photographer of the Year 2021 winners revealed

TPOTY 2021 winner Fortunato Gallo’s image of a beach at South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. He explained, ‘I love to wander on this beach in perfect solitude, where nature inspires me and shows me natural metaphors like this sort of ‘jellyfish’ made by the tide force and weather erosion.’ Canon 5D Mk III, 24-70mm lens, f13, 8sec, ISO 100. Image: Fortunato Gallo/www.tpoty.com

TPOTY 2021 winner Fortunato Gatto’s image of Eigg, Small Isles, Scotland. He revealed, ‘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.’ Canon 5D Mk III, 24-70mm lens, f13, 1/4sec, ISO 100. Image: Fortunato Gallo/www.tpoty.com

TPOTY 2021 winner Fortunato Gallo’s image of Polychrome Pass, Denali National Park, Alaska, USA. He said, ‘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.’ Canon 5D Mk III, 70-200mm lens, f13, 1/1250sec, ISO 640. Image: Fortunato Gallo/www.tpoty.com

One of Young TPOTY 2021 winner Jai Shet’s forest images shot in Magnolia Ridge Park, Woodville, Texas, USA. His portfolio is a series of forest images taken during different seasons of the year. Each forest is a different colour 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. Canon 5D Mk III, 24-105mm lens, f16, 0.7sec, ISO 100. Image: Jai Shet/www.tpoty.com

One of Young TPOTY 2021, 15-18 winner, Tevin Kim’s shots of ‘Mormon Row’, Grand Teton National Park, Moose, Wyoming, USA. He explained, ‘The green of the roof and grass in this image helps to give this photo a calming and inviting feel. Like the red house before it, this house evokes a sense of homeliness. The path that leads to the house nicely divides the photo, but more importantly, it adds to the welcoming feel.’ Sony a7R III, 28-70mm lens, f5.6, 1/640sec, ISO 100. Image: Tevin Kim/www.tpoty.com

One of TPOTY 2021 ‘Best 8’ portfolio winner winner Alessandro Bergamini’s winning images. This was shot in Jodhpur, India. He revealed, ‘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.’ Canon 5D Mk II, 35mm lens, f1.4, 1/4000sec, ISO 100. Image: Alesssandro Bergamini/www.tpoty.com

Alain Schroeder won the ‘Best 8: Best Single Image’ in the TPOTY 2021 awards with this image of ‘dead goat polo’ shot in Kyrgyzstan. He explained, ‘In the village of Uzgen, Osh region, more than 170 horses (in this picture) and men wearing the classic Soviet tank hat or a Kyrgyz tebetei hat, push and shove each other with dexterity and endurance in fearless combat as they fight for possession of a young 60kg bull. A wealthy local man, has organised a massive game of Alaman-Ulak (a freestyle version of the national sport, Kok Buru – known by some as ‘dead goat polo’) to celebrate the 13th birthday of his son.’ Fujifilm X-T4, f5.6, 1/1000sec, ISO 1250. Image: Alain Schroeder/www.tpoty.com

One of TPOTY 2021 ‘Landscapes & Adventure’ portfolio winner Jie Fischer’s images from Lake Magadi, Kenya. She explained, ‘Lake Magadi is one of the inland lakes at the southernmost point of Kenya, belonging to the Rift Valley area of Kenya, formed by fault subsidence. During the dry season, it is 80% covered by sodium carbonate and is well known for its wading birds, including flamingos. In the dry season, there will be salt deposits around the lake, forming colourful patterns, depending on wind and wave. Large numbers of flamingos are often seen here.’ Nikon D850, 70-200mm lens, f/2.8, 1/2000sec, ISO 360. Image: Jie Fischer/www.tpoty.com

Pally Learmond won the ‘Landscapes & Adventure: Best Single Image’ category of TPOTY 2021 with this shot of a single skier in Haines, Alaska, USA. He revealed, ‘Due to the close proximity of the Pacific Ocean, snow sticks to the mountains of southeast Alaska like nowhere else on earth. This creates a phenomenon called “spines” which form on top of the normally steep and rocky mountain faces. This provides professional free-ride skiers with a playground like no other. In this photo, Austrian professional free-skier Fabian Lentsch lets it all go on a mountain face called “Dirty Needle”.’ Nikon D4, 400mm lens with 2.8 tele converter, f8, 1/2000sec, ISO 200. Image: Pally Learmond/www.tpoty.com

One of TPOTY 2021 ‘Living World’ portfolio winner Will Burrard-Lucas’ images of leopards at night in Laikipia County, Kenya. He explained, ‘I spent a year photographing leopards at night using a Camtraptions camera trap system in Kenya. To expose a leopard with stars in the sky at night required a long exposure time to expose the stars and a flash to expose the foreground. On this night, the leopard came past while the moon was still above the horizon, which resulted in this ghostly image.’ Canon 1D X, 24mm lens, f7.1, 30sec, ISO 3200. Image: Will Burrard-Lucas/www.tpoty.com

Jose Fragozo won the ‘Living World: Best Single Image’ category of 2021 TPOTY with this image of a hippo emerging from mud at the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. He revealed, ‘An eye blinked in the drought-stricken mud pool as the hippopotamus emerged to take a breath. I was watching two hippos from my vehicle, and the challenge was to catch the eye when it was open. Having observed hippos for years, I knew that they only come up for air every three to five minutes.’ Canon 1D X II, 200-400mm lens, f11, 1/1000sec, ISO 2000. Image: Jose Fragozo/www.tpoty.com

One of the images from Beniamino Pisati’s ‘People & Their Stories’ winning portfolio shot in Italy for in TPOTY 2021, Alpe Caldenno, Sondrio, Lombardy, Italy. He explained, ‘Claudio Speziale is descended from several generations of herdsmen. Every night he sleeps in an underground hut the size of a coffin, known in local dialect as a ‘bait’. Even though he owns a comfortable stone house in his alp, he prefers being close to his cows in the pastures.’ Sony a7R III, 20mm lens, f3.5, 1/8sec, ISO 8000. Image: Beniamino Pisati/www.tpoty.com

Trevor Cole won the ‘People & Their Stories: best single image’ category of TPOTY 2021 with this shot of a young herder in Terekeka, South Sudan. He explained, ‘A young Mundari herder immersing himself in fresh urine from his Ankle Watusi cow. The outcome of this is to make use of a natural antiseptic and to change their hair colour to red or even bleached blonde!’ Nikon D850, 70-200mm lens, f2.8, 1/400s, ISO 640. Image: Trevor Cole/www.tpoty.com

Johnny Haglund’s image, shot in Belèm, Brazil, that won the ‘One Shot – Green Planet’ category of the 2021 TPOTY competition. He revealed, ‘At low tide the harbour area in Belém exposes all the garbage that has been thrown into sea. A man walks here trying to find something valuable like bottles, cans and more.’ CanonR6, 24-70mm lens, f5.6, 1/25sec, ISO 10,000. Image: Johnny Haglund/www.tpoty.com

Photojournalist Mouneb Taim won the ‘One Shot: As Shot’ category of TPOTY 2021 with this image of Idlib, Syria. He explained, ‘This Syrian neighbourhood was famous before the war as the scene of mass breakfasts every Ramadan. The population was displaced during the war, due to heavy bombing. They eventually returned after a period of relative calm, but the neighbourhood was almost completely destroyed, so now the people of Idlib break their fast together among the destruction of their city instead.’ DJI Mavic 2. Image: Mouneb Taim/www.tpoty.com

Viet Van Tran won the ‘iTravelled: phone/tablet’ single image category of the 2021 TPOTY competition with this image taken in Saigon, Vietnam. He explained, ‘Mr. Trinh Ngoc, a shoemaker in Saigon, is still working at the age of 90. He studied at L’École ABC De Dessin School in Paris, France. For decades, Mr. Trinh Ngoc made shoes for the Royal Cambodian royal family, from the Queen to Prince Sihanouk, and for many famous Vietnamese singers.’ iPhone 7 Plus, f1.8, 1/25sec, ISO 32. Image: Viet Van Tran/www.tpoty.com

Dani Salvà won the ‘People’s Choice’ award in the 2021 TPOTY competition with this ‘Dance of Death’ image shot in Verges, Catalonia, Spain. He explained, ‘Preparing for “the Dance of Death”, in which five skeletons jump to the beat of a drum. Although it is part of the staging of the Passion of Jesus Christ through the streets and squares of the town, the dance has achieved international fame, as a unique and ancestral painting, a legacy of the macabre dances of the Catalan and European Middle Ages.’ Canon 6D, 24-105mm lens, f4, 1/125sec, ISO 6400. Image: Dani Salvà/www.tpoty.com