Welcome to Travel Photographer of the Year
The premier travel photography awards & your showcase to the world
TPOTY is the photo contest that's run by photographers for photographers. It's open to photographers from all countries; amateur or professional, beginner or expert, young or old, we have categories to suit you all! And it's judged by leading photography experts and offers fantastic prizes from our very supportive sponsors, including travel adventures, photographic equipment and photography tuition.
TPOTY secure five figure image usage fee for 18 year old Young Travel Photographer of the Year winner. Image © Courtney Krawec. Click here to read more on the TPOTY Blog
The power of TPOTY working for photographers
It's not just about prizes – TPOTY is about getting amazing international exposure for your work. Past winners have seen their image sales soar along with interest in their photography. We're often approached by picture buyers wanting to source images (see image left and story on the TPOTY Blog) and our galleries are amongst this site's most visited pages on the whole Travel Photographer of the Year website.
The best images feature in the beautiful TPOTY 'Journey' portfolio books as well as our exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). This year's exhibition welcomed over 16,000 visitors. In 2012 we'll be exhibiting for almost twice as long, both before and during the Olympic Games in London.
How can I get the latest news from TPOTY?
We send regular e-newsletters to entrants and interested photographers and travellers. If you would like to receive these updates then please click here and send us your contact details. You'll also find the latest news about TPOTY, its entrants and sponsors on our blog.
Who can enter?
Anyone! Wherever you live in the world, whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer, and whatever age you are, you can enter TPOTY.
Click on the "competition" tab on the top menu bar to check out the four portfolio categories, the One Shot single image category, Young TPOTY (for photographers aged 18 years and under), the First Shot beginners’ award and New Talent, for students or those looking to kick-start a career in photography. There's something for everyone!
Your images exhibited during the London Olympic Games
2012 is a special year for London and for TPOTY. The winning images from this year's awards will be exhibited at the Royal Geographical Society's Kensington gallery during July and August in the lead up to and during the 2012 London Olympic Games. This gallery is a situated next to Hyde Park - venue for the triathlon - and adjacent to the Royal Albert Hall, Science, V&A and Natural History Museums. This area will be a cultural centre and transport hub for transfers to the other Olympic venues, and the exhibition will become a major attraction.
This autumn, TPOTY is also launching a festival of photography and travel at the same venue to run over several weekends. Click the Events & Courses tab for more details.
Here to help
TPOTY has helped many travel photographers - not just the winners - to raise their profile, sell their work, get commissions or launch photographic careers. And we never forget that they are your images, which is why TPOTY features on the Artists Bill of Rights approved list.
On this site you can discover all the elements that make TPOTY so special. Check out the books, the Winners' Galleries, and learn about our exhibitions and our relationships with hugely respected organisations such as the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and Young Photographers' Alliance. Visit the Showcase to see some of the best contemporary travel photography around. And if you want to take your photography to the next level, read about our photography courses and workshops.
And, of course, explore the categories and prizes for the 2011 Travel Photographer of the Year competition, and register to enter. Then you can have the fun of shooting to the category briefs, or deciding which of your images best fit the requirements. Get it right and you could feature in our 2011 Winners' Gallery!
Royal Geographical Society with IBG
The winning images from the 2011 will be exhibited at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG) in London during June and July 2012 as London prepares to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The Society gallery is situated close to Hyde Park on the newly pedestriaised Exhibition Road, adjacent the Science, Victoria & Albert and Natural History museums. It will provide a fabulous, high profile international showcase for the winning photographers.
These images will then form part of a new TPOTY international touring exhibition and appear alongside some amazing and iconic imagery from the early days of travel photography from the RGS-IBG archive.
Young Photographers Alliance
TPOTY has teamed up with the Young Photographers' Alliance (YPA) to offer mentoring and portfolio reviews to the New Talent and Young TPOTY winners.
This exciting partnership offers the best entrants a valuable opportunity to get invaluable advice and guidance on their photography from leading photographers and picture editors. The winners will also tbe offered additional guidance from the editorial team of the British Journal of Photography.
Protecting your rights
We are also passionate about protecting photographers' copyright so your images remain yours at all times and we do not ask for or grant unlimited license to use your images.
As a result, we are proud to say that TPOTY is an approved award, featuring on the Artists Bill of Rights, Rights-On list.
