Amateur and professional photographers alike enter the <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tpoty.com" target="_blank" target="_blank">Travel Photographer of the Year</a> competition, one of the world's most prestigious such awards. The winning and commended images are on show from now until August 18 at London's <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rgs.org%2FHomePage.htm" target="_blank" target="_blank">Royal Geographical Society</a> -- here's a selection. In this first image, shot in Norway, Glaucous Gulls fight over scraps left by a polar bear; Michal Jastrzebski, Poland; winner, Best Single Image in the Wild Planet category.
Polar bear scraps —
Amateur and professional photographers alike enter the Travel Photographer of the Year competition, one of the world's most prestigious such awards. The winning and commended images are on show from now until August 18 at London's Royal Geographical Society -- here's a selection. In this first image, shot in Norway, Glaucous Gulls fight over scraps left by a polar bear; Michal Jastrzebski, Poland; winner, Best Single Image in the Wild Planet category.
Michal Jastrzebski/www.tpoty.com
Namib desert, Namibia: quiver trees beneath the stars; Marsel van Oosten, Netherlands; winner, Wild Planet portfolio. Oosten swapped his former award-winning career as an advertising art director for the more precarious life of a wildlife photographer. <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fireport.cnn.com%2Ftopics%2F337949">iReport: send us your best travel snaps</a>
Quiver trees —
Namib desert, Namibia: quiver trees beneath the stars; Marsel van Oosten, Netherlands; winner, Wild Planet portfolio. Oosten swapped his former award-winning career as an advertising art director for the more precarious life of a wildlife photographer. iReport: send us your best travel snaps
Marsel Van Oosten/www.tpoty.com
Old City of Jerusalem, Israel; Jordi Cohen, Spain; commended, People Watching category.
Old city —
Old City of Jerusalem, Israel; Jordi Cohen, Spain; commended, People Watching category.
Jordi Cohen/www.tpoty.com
Omo River Valley, Ethiopia: Kara tribe warrior; Jan Schlegel, Germany; runner-up, People Watching category.
Beast and burden —
Omo River Valley, Ethiopia: Kara tribe warrior; Jan Schlegel, Germany; runner-up, People Watching category.
Jan Schlegel/www.tpoty.com
Grand Gedeh, Liberia: children watch an Oxfam team at work; Timothy Allen, U.K.; Best Single Image in People Watching portfolio.
Holes in the wall —
Grand Gedeh, Liberia: children watch an Oxfam team at work; Timothy Allen, U.K.; Best Single Image in People Watching portfolio.
Timothy Allen/www.tpoty.com
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, United States; Samuel Fisch, United States, aged 15; winner, Young Travel Photographer of the Year. The judges called Fisch's images "remarkably accomplished for someone so young and inexperienced." <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fireport.cnn.com%2Ftopics%2F337949">iReport: send us your best travel snaps</a>
Wide eye —
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, United States; Samuel Fisch, United States, aged 15; winner, Young Travel Photographer of the Year. The judges called Fisch's images "remarkably accomplished for someone so young and inexperienced." iReport: send us your best travel snaps
Samuel Fisch/www.tpoty.com
Brandseth Valley, Norway; Hilde Foss, Norway; winner, One Shot "Water." An IT consultant whose interest in photography developed from holiday snaps, Foss tries to get a few months off each year to travel and take photos. The judges praised "the energy and dynamism" of this winning image.
Color wash —
Brandseth Valley, Norway; Hilde Foss, Norway; winner, One Shot "Water." An IT consultant whose interest in photography developed from holiday snaps, Foss tries to get a few months off each year to travel and take photos. The judges praised "the energy and dynamism" of this winning image.
Hilde Foss/www.tpoty.com
Siberia, Russia: young Nenet girl collects wood in the forest; Alessandra Meniconzi, Switzerland; winner, New Talent award. A self-taught, semi-professional photographer, Meniconzi's portfolio mixed "gritty reality with great beauty," the judges said.
Winter harvest —
Siberia, Russia: young Nenet girl collects wood in the forest; Alessandra Meniconzi, Switzerland; winner, New Talent award. A self-taught, semi-professional photographer, Meniconzi's portfolio mixed "gritty reality with great beauty," the judges said.
Alessandra Meniconzi/www.tpoty.com
Iquitos, northern Peru: Amazonian rainforest parrots, on sale for $0.25 each, swelter in a plastic tub; Jason Edwards, Australia; runner-up, Journeys portfolio.
Parrots for sale —
Iquitos, northern Peru: Amazonian rainforest parrots, on sale for $0.25 each, swelter in a plastic tub; Jason Edwards, Australia; runner-up, Journeys portfolio.
Jason Edwards/www.tpoty.com
Black Rock Desert, Nevada, United States, Burning Man Festival; Lung Liu, Canada; winner, Journeys portfolio. Liu's early experiences as a refugee have left him with a permanent sense of wonder at new places, he says. He produced "uniquely engaging images" of a much photographed event -- the Burning Man Festival -- judges said.
Burning man —
Black Rock Desert, Nevada, United States, Burning Man Festival; Lung Liu, Canada; winner, Journeys portfolio. Liu's early experiences as a refugee have left him with a permanent sense of wonder at new places, he says. He produced "uniquely engaging images" of a much photographed event -- the Burning Man Festival -- judges said.
Lung Lui/www.tpoty.com
Siberut Island, Indonesia; Andrew Newey, United Kingdom; Best Single Image in a Journeys portfolio.
Roots and colour —
Siberut Island, Indonesia; Andrew Newey, United Kingdom; Best Single Image in a Journeys portfolio.
Andrew Newey/www.tpoty.com
Sabucedo, Galicia, Spain: Rapa das Bestas (Shearing of the Beasts) festival; Enrique López-Tapia, Spain; winner, Celebration portfolio category. López-Tapia's shots combine "lovely story-telling quality with great emotion, drawing the viewer into the heart of the action," judges felt.
Wild horses —
Sabucedo, Galicia, Spain: Rapa das Bestas (Shearing of the Beasts) festival; Enrique López-Tapia, Spain; winner, Celebration portfolio category. López-Tapia's shots combine "lovely story-telling quality with great emotion, drawing the viewer into the heart of the action," judges felt.
Enrique López-Tapia/www.tpoty.com
Paris, France; Craig Easton, United Kingdom; winner, Cutty Sark Award and overall winner of the Travel Photographer of the Year 2012. French privacy laws dictated that that no one be recognizable in Easton's street images, leading him to the idea of anonymous silhouettes against a highly recognizable background. "Striking graphic images" was the judges' verdict, applauding his success in making an artistic victory out of such restrictions.
Iron icon —
Paris, France; Craig Easton, United Kingdom; winner, Cutty Sark Award and overall winner of the Travel Photographer of the Year 2012. French privacy laws dictated that that no one be recognizable in Easton's street images, leading him to the idea of anonymous silhouettes against a highly recognizable background. "Striking graphic images" was the judges' verdict, applauding his success in making an artistic victory out of such restrictions.
Craig Easton/www.tpoty.com
The Minch, Western Isles, Scotland; Craig Easton, United Kingdom; part of a series of images called "Dreich" -- an old Scottish word describing dank and miserable conditions. The small screen doesn't do justice to these shots, the award organizers emphasize -- but his prints "come alive with subtle moodiness." <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fireport.cnn.com%2Ftopics%2F337949">iReport: send us your best travel snaps</a>
"Dreich" —
The Minch, Western Isles, Scotland; Craig Easton, United Kingdom; part of a series of images called "Dreich" -- an old Scottish word describing dank and miserable conditions. The small screen doesn't do justice to these shots, the award organizers emphasize -- but his prints "come alive with subtle moodiness." iReport: send us your best travel snaps
Craig Easton/www.tpoty.com