Travel Photo Competition Finalists – Landscape Category

Have a look at the shortlist!

We’re very excited to present the finalists in the landscape category of our Travel Photography Competition. We had an amazing response to our competition, and our judges had their work cut out for them. But here we are – our ten best landscape images. Congratulations to everyone who made it to this list! You can also check out the finalists in the wildlife category and the people & cultures category.

Title: Sossusvlei Sandstorm
Photographer: Graham MacFarlane
Location: Namibia
Description:
“A cluster of acacia tree skeletons captured during a sandstorm, shot at Dead Vlei in the Namib Desert – a destination that’s on many photographers’ bucket list. My expectations were surpassed when Mother Nature delivered a sandstorm. The steep sand dunes became the perfect backdrop for the dead acacia trees, which would appear and disappear as the sand blasted through the region. Incredibly, all the tourists left for the safety of their vehicles, leaving me in my element.”

Title: Norwegian Forest
Photographer: Neil Patterson
Location: Norway
Description:
“This was taken early December in Northern Norway, on Route E6 near Skibton. The Northern Lights made an appearance around 2 in the morning.”

Title: Ice Curves
Photographer: Kirsty Dolphin
Location: Russia
Description:
“Taken at Lake Baikal, at sunset at about -35 degrees celsius, as the sun went down over a perfect S-shaped curve of ice.”

Title: Last Light
Photographer: Tim Burgess
Location: Italy
Description:
“We were just finishing up a photo shoot, when the sun suddenly burst through to light up the Alpine pasture of the Alpe di Siusi mountain range. There were about five minutes before the sun fully set. I chose to create a panorama in order to get in the full mountains range and to create a pleasing composition.”

Title: Celestial Church in the Sea
Photographer: Don Cardy
Location: Isle of Anglesea, Wales
Description:
“The image was taken on a moonless night in August 2024. The image shows the galactic core of the Milky Way beginning to sink below the horizon above the Church in the Sea (St. Cwyfan) at mid-tide.”

Title: Fairy Pools
Photographer: Kirsty Dolphin
Location: Isle of Skye
Description:
“A welcome reward of a shot after the hike up the hill, despite nearly getting water into my boots after wading into the water for the composition which I wanted.”

Title: Aurora
Photographer: Kirsty Dolphin
Location: Iceland
Description:
“The Northern Lights over Glacier Lagoon. This was captured during the most amazing northern lights display I have ever seen. The sky was dancing and looked like this to the naked eye.”

Title: Sea Stacks
Photographer: Thomas Fuhrmann
Location: Iceland
Description:
“This image shows the basalt sea stacks called Reynisdrangar just before sunrise. A clear, beautiful and very calm morning at Reynisfjara’s black sanded beach at low tide offered the perfect setting to get long exposure captures.”

Title: Morning at Maiga Islands
Photographer: Hafiz Ismail
Location: Malaysia
Description:
“The sun rises over Bodgaya Island, casting a warm golden glow on Maiga Island, an island located on the tranquil waters of the Celebes Sea. This picturesque island, part of the Semporna archipelago in Malaysia is home to the Bajau Laut, often known as sea gypsies, a nomadic maritime community renowned for their deep connection to the ocean.”

Title: Socotra
Photographer: Kristina Makeeva
Location: Socotra Island, Yemen
Description:
“Endemic flowering bottle trees and a flowering dragon tree on the island of Socotra, taken in the morning in a protected forest. Goats were walking around on sharp iron rocks, eating young trees that do not allow them to live to adulthood. Bottle trees have learned to cope with bites, healing their trunks, and dragon trees on the island are currently old, since goats are bred by locals for agriculture. But European travel agencies that have come to the island plant young dragon trees and protect them from goats, so that they can later be transplanted into forests.”