Winners revealed: National Geographic Traveller (UK) Photography Competition 2026

Celebrating its 13th year, our annual competition showcases the best travel photography — we reveal the winners and finalists across eight categories.

A smiling boy in Ecuador wearing a cowboy poncho and hat.
One of the winning images in the Portfolio category, which celebrates photographers who present a cohesive story with depth and multiple layers in a set of 10 images.
Ben Pipe
ByNational Geographic Traveller (UK)
Last updated May 28, 2026
30 min read
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

Seeking to highlight the best in travel photography and celebrating its 13th year, National Geographic Traveller (UK)’s prestigious annual competition, sponsored by Hahnemühle and King’s Cross received thousands of entries. Photographers, both amateur and professional, submitted travel images taken during the past year in any of eight categories: Landscape, People, Urban, Aerial, Wildlife, Food, Rising Star and Portfolio.

Expert judges, including established photographers, art directors and designers, whittled down the submissions to a small selection of winners and runners-up. Capturing everything from epic wildlife spectacles in Antarctica to quiet moments of daily life in India, they show that travel photography continues to go from strength to strength, transporting the viewer across the world in new and imaginative ways.  

Don’t miss:
The winning images from the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Photography Competition 2026 will be on display at London’s King’s Cross between 28 May and 12 July, transforming Granary Square and the surrounding area into an open-air gallery.

Aerial

Overhead photography that offers an unexpected perspective on the landscape.

A landscape shot taken from the air of a desert river in Namibia looking like a cellular web under a microscope.
Grand prize winner Edward Hasler shot the webbed rivers in the Namib Desert from a helicopter.
Edward Hasler

The winner: Edward Hasler

Heavy rains across Namibia caused rivers to flow down the large sand dunes in the Namib Desert. The flow of water created these patterns in the sand, which look like the branches of a tree when viewed from above. The image was captured at sunrise, on a helicopter ride over the enormous dunes.

Follow Edward on Instagram.

What the judges said: "This totally unique perspective of the Namibian desert really caught our eye. It’s full of abstract detail, with water tracks almost resembling veins, all enveloped in warm sandy tones from the morning sun."

An aerial shot of a cloud of devil rays in the ocean as a diver approaches on one side.
This formation of Munk's devil rays in Mexico's Baja California reaches 15 metres deep below the water surface.
Bingqian Gao

Highly commended: Bingqian Gao

This shot shows one of the largest aggregations of Munk’s devil rays in Mexico. A lone snorkeller provides a sense of scale, but what remains unseen is the formation underwater: a slow tornado 15 metres deep, churning up nutrients. It’s a reminder of the ocean’s abundance and our small place within it.

Follow Bingqian through her Instagram.

A cargo shipwreck stranded on the edge of a beach in Yemen.
The Gulf Dove shipwreck has been resting in the shallow waters of Socotra island in Yemen since 2019.
Tony Anh Tung Pham

Runner-up: Tony Anh Tung Pham

Socotra is an island that feels surreal at every turn. Delisha Beach is no exception, with the Gulf Dove shipwreck resting in shallow waters beside the dunes.

Follow Tony on Instagram.

A glacial river in Iceland merging with the black sands of a local volcano as a car drives by on an empty road.
Pawel Zygmunt shot this glacial river in the Eastern Region of Iceland.
Pawel Zygmunt

Runner-up: Pawel Zygmunt

A glacial river spreads across the black sands of Stafafell, redrawing the landscape. A vehicle crosses a bridge over this ever-shifting terrain.

Follow Pawel on Instagram.

Urban

Capturing the unique personality and energy of cities around the world.

A young man pausing on a street in Kolkata to take a picture as a mural behind him shows a man taking a photo, too.
The mural that creates this striking symmetry between urban art and daily life in Kolkata is by artist Sayan Mukherjee.
Somdutt Prasad

The winner: Somdutt Prasad

This candid moment shows a striking symmetry between urban art and daily life. A passerby unintentionally mirrors the subject in a vibrant mural by artist Sayan Mukherjee, with both absorbed in their smartphones.

Follow Somdutt on Instagram.

What the judges said: "We love the street photography style. It’s a quirky, eye-catching scene with its saturated colours."

A person rushing across a street crossing in Tokyo in the rain.
Callum Alexander Liddle managed to capture a fleeting moment of isolation in Tokyo’s Shibuya district at the world's busiest road crossing.
Callum Alexander Liddle

Highly commended: Callum Alexander Liddle

Shot in Tokyo’s Shibuya district on a rain-soaked night, the photo catches a fleeting moment of isolation on one of the busiest road crossings in the world. A schoolkid dashes through a neon-lit puddle, making it across just in time before the lights turned red.

Follow Callum on Instagram.

A quiet street showing British fish and chips shops with an empty rollercoaster in the background.
The rides of Blackpool's Pleasure Beach lie dormant in the off-season, leaving an eerie scene as everyday life goes on.
Sean Mark Dagnall

Runner-up: Sean Mark Dagnall

Off season, the rides of the Pleasure Beach lie dormant while everyday life goes on. A motorcyclist heads down a barren street with the Big One roller coaster behind, an outlandish and strange backdrop.

Follow Sean on Instagram.

Twin towers of a church with a hot air ballon in the middle.
Matthew Ingham Dempster waited for the perfect moment this hot air balloon aligned with the clock towers of Budapest's University Church.
Matthew Ingham Dempster

Runner-up: Matthew Ingham-Dempster

Taken from the popular vantage point of Gellért Hill, the BallonFly hot air balloon is framed by the clock towers of the University Church.

Follow Matthew on Instagram.

Rising Star

Identifying future talent in the world of travel photography, in a category open to 18- to 25-year-olds.

An elderly man sitting inside a shop reading the newspaper with light trickling in through a window.
Pettikadai (box shop) in India's Chenmai are often affectionately known as a thatha kadai (grandpa’s shop).
Vaishu Gomthy Alwarappan

The winner: Vaishu Gomthy Alwarappan

In the early morning, the neighbourhood of Mylapore is just waking up. Behind Kapaleeshwarar Temple, an elderly vendor is ready for the day in his pettikadai (box shop), often affectionately known as a thatha kadai (grandpa’s shop). Found in streets all over Chennai, they open before the city wakes up and close after everybody’s gone to sleep. It’s a moment of stillness before the morning rush begins.

Follow Vaishu on Instagram.

What the judges said: "This is a really strong composition, with an anchor in the centrally focused subject. The light is perfect and the colour and toning feel beautifully stylised."

An owl captured in flight over a field.
Lucas James Leal Martin captured this long-eared owl in Scotland's Pentland Hills Regional Park.
Lucas James Leal Martin

Highly commended: Lucas James Leal Martin

A long-eared owl swoops from a tree towards its hunting ground. The birds are very nocturnal, yet this photo was taken with a few hours of sunlight left in the day, a heather covered hill in the background giving a false impression of nightfall. This owl was behaving unusually, perhaps disturbed by a nearby hiker.

A father carrying his daughter on his shoulders as a flock of seagulls surrounds them by the sea.
Bangpu in Thailand is known for its flocks of migratory seagulls.
Harry Ho Zi Le

Runner-up: Harry Ho Zi Le

The resort is known for its thousands of migratory seagulls. In the middle of the rush of wings and movement, a child held high in her dad’s arms reaches towards the birds above.

Follow Harry on Instagram.

A teenager boy performing a skateboard stunt in a skate park at sunset.
The internationally renowned skate park in Morocco's Taghazout comes alive once the sun has set.
Lucy O’Mahony

Runner-up: Lucy O’Mahony

There’s a skate park in Taghazout with an international reputation. It comes alive as the sun sets, when people gather to watch the spectacle put on by young skaters from the area.

Follow Lucy on Instagram.

Wildlife

Images that show the interplay of species and environment, wherever they are in the world.

A polar bear shot from the air as it sleeps on the edge of an ice cap.
Felix Belloin used a drone to capture this sleeping polar bear in Norway's Svalbard, flying high enough as to not interrupt the animal's slumber.
Felix Belloin

The winner: Felix Belloin

A polar bear is fast asleep, nestled in a crack near a piece of blue ice. The shot was captured by drone from an expedition ship, kept high enough and using a telelens so as not to interrupt the animal’s slumber.

Follow Felix on Instagram.

What the judges said: "A tender portrait; there’s something especially potent about the shape of the water and how it seems to be approaching this vulnerable bear in its sleep."

A hoopoe chick being fed by its mother on the side of a tree.
Cam Parfitt found this hungry hoopoe chick being fed the vast local insect life in Bács-Kiskun, Hungary.
Cam Parfitt

Highly commended: Cam Parfitt

The hoopoe chick was constantly demanding food by sticking its head out from the nest in a tree trunk. The adults brought all manner of insects back for it, showing the vast insect life present in the area.

Follow Cam on Instagram.

An underwater shot of pelicans dipping their beaks below the surface to feed on a swarm of fish.
Matt Porteous captured this dynamic scene in Mexico's Baja California, where both brown pelicans and Californian sea lions fed on a sardine bait ball.
Matt Porteous

Runner-up: Matt Porteous

Brown pelicans dive into a sardine bait ball as California sea lions drive the shoal upwards from below, two species working at the same feast.

Follow Matt on Instagram.

An Arctic fox peaking up from behind a snowy landscape with snow dusted on its fur.
Cheryl Michie travelled to Iceland's Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, where she stumbled upon this Arctic fox.
Cheryl Michie

Runner-up: Cheryl Michie

Simplicity is key in this photograph, which captures a quietly striking moment: an Arctic fox pauses from its digging and looks up, snowflakes dusting its head.

Follow Cheryl on Instagram.

Food

Photographs that capture both produce and provenance, combined with a clear sense of place.

A steamed bun seller on a busy market in Seoul carrying a full tray past waiting customers.
Seoul’s historic Namdaemun Market is home to a beloved stall serving fresh kimchi and king dumplings.
Zaeem Jafri

The winner: Zaeem Jafri

At Gamekol Son Wangmandu, a beloved dumpling stall deep inside Seoul’s historic Namdaemun Market, a vendor prepares a fresh tray of steamed kimchi mandu (dumplings) and wang mandu (king dumplings). As a new batch arrives from the kitchen, the eager customers gather in.

Follow Zaeem on Instagram.

What the judges said: "The combination of a tray full of dumplings, the rising steam and the anticipation in the crowd captures a comforting snapshot of everyday life."

A bird's eye perspective on soy sauce pots at a factory in Hanoi with workers tending to the clay pots.
This traditional soy sauce factory in Vietnam's Hanoi still uses ceramic jars.
Edward Hasler

Highly commended: Edward Hasler

Taken with a drone, this shot was captured on a tour of a soy sauce factory in Hanoi. It shows a top-down view of two women demonstrating one of the stages of production — a traditional method using ceramic jars that goes back 2,500 years.

Follow Edward on Instagram.

A middle-aged man mixing hot sugar-cane caramel and holding up a big spoon with the mass dripping off.
Giulia Verdinelli travelled to the mountains of Antioquia in Colombia, where she captured the making of sugar-cane caramel.
Giulia Verdinelli

Runner-up: Giulia Verdinelli

In the mountains of Antioquia, maker Yeison stirs sugar-cane caramel into moulds, working over a wood fire. The juice is reduced until it turns glossy, before setting into golden blocks.

Follow Giulia on Instagram.

An Indian woman sitting on a stone floor in the shade, sieving lentils with her back to the camera.
Jadene Carey immortalised a rare and quiet moment of food preparation in Jaisalmer, India.
Jadene Carey

Runner-up: Jadene Carey

In the desert city of Jaisalmer, a woman sits alone next to a sack of grain, carefully sorting through them. One by one, she places them into a metal bowl. Moments like this, of quiet food preparation, are rarely seen.

Follow Jadene on Instagram.

Landscape

Landscape images are one of the fundamental disciplines in travel photography, with the best showing fresh ways of framing a view.

The scalloped entry to an ice cave in Iceland, shot from the inside out.
This ice cave in Iceland's Katla is unlikely to exist in the same form ever again.
James Campbell

The winner: James Campbell

This shot from an ice cave reveals smooth walls of glacial ice, layered over time by snowfall, compression and melt. Bands of volcanic ash and silt deposited during past eruptions are preserved within. Ice caves are never fixed, melting and reshaping over time. It’s a scene unlikely to exist in the same form again.

Follow James on Instagram.

What the judges said: “Cleverly combines a textured foreground, leading lines and layered depth."

The curves and swirls of a Canyon opening shot from below against a blue sky.
Lower Antelope Canyon in Arizona has been carved by water and wind over thousands of years.
Ryszard Lomnicki

Highly commended: Ryszard Lomnicki

Lower Antelope Canyon has been carved by water and wind over thousands of years. Light filters from above, illuminating the curves of the sandstone and highlighting its flowing shapes and rich colours.

Follow Ryszard on Instagram.

A landscape shot of rolling fields with snow-capped peaks in the distance.
Timothy Burgess captured the pastures of the Alpe di Susi in the Italian Dolomites when the snow had just melted from the day before.
Timothy Burgess

Runner-up: Timothy Burgess

The evening sun breaks through the clouds and lights up the pastures of the Alpe di Siusi. The previous day’s snow has melted from the still-green fields, but remains on the slopes of the Sassolungo mountain range seen in the background.

Follow Timothy on Instagram.

A nighttime mountain scene of a snowy peak with a few mountaineers shining their headlights into the still distance.
Pointe de la Carmélite in the French Alpes is an arresting peak captured by Lena Drapella after dark.
Lena Drapella

Runner-up: Lena Drapella

This shot shows mountaineers making their way to the Pointe de la Carmélite, a summit in the French Alps. There’s a stillness to the scene: the moonlight fading, the first light of dawn touching the peaks and the two small figures pausing in the vast landscape.

Follow Lena on Instagram.

People

Photography that captures both people and destination in a single shot.

A sea of clothed people with prayer rugs in front of them.
For Eid prayer in Ethiopia's Harar, thousands of women gather to express their culture, belief and community.
Nurettin Boydak

The winner: Nurettin Boydak

Thousands of women gather for Eid prayer in Harar; seen from above, the vibrant colours of their clothes transform the crowd into a living mosaic. The shot captures a moment where culture, belief and community converge into a single expression.

Follow Nurettin on Instagram.

What the judges said: “An incredible image that at first makes you think you’re looking at a colourful piece of fabric or carpet, before realising its true nature."

A Vietnamese fisher wearing a straw, cone hat and sitting in the middle of a fishing net.
On a small island off Hoi An in Vietnam, local artisans still repair fishing nets by hand.
Ashleigh Benn

Highly commended: Ashleigh Benn

An artisan on a small island off Hoi An repairs fishing nets by hand. Sat among a sea of blue mesh, she weaves each strand with care, wearing a conical hat to shield herself from the midday sun. The image captures a quiet moment of skilled labour, reflecting coastal life where fishing traditions remain deeply rooted in the culture.

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A portrait of an elderly water seller in Morocco wearing a tassel hat and tins cups on a chain around his neck.
Guerrab or water sellers are a longstanding tradition in the historic square of Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakech, Morocco.
Luisa Dicicilia

Runner-up: Luisa Dicicilia

On a hot day, a guerrab (water seller) moves through the historic square of Jemaa el-Fnaa, part of a longstanding tradition in the iconic location.

Follow Luisa on Instagram.

A tight rope in a desert with a young man balancing across it.
Alice Rosano captured the moment of Highliner Davide Spaccasassi momentarily losing his balance on a tight rope in the Sinai Desert.
Alice Rosano

Runner-up: Alice Rosano

Highliner Davide Spaccasassi momentarily loses his balance crossing a line suspended between isolated sandstone towers, surrounded by the silence of the Sinai Desert.

Follow Alice on Instagram.

Portfolio

Travel-related stories told through a series of images — a mix of landscapes, portraits and other styles to help create a complete and rounded picture of a location.

A young cowgirl in Ecuador standing next to a horse in the mountains.
A close-up of a hand on a saddle.
Ben captured a photography series on Chagras, cowboys and cowgirls who live and work in the highlands of Ecuador.
Ben Pipe (Top) (Left) and Ben Pipe (Bottom) (Right)

The winner: Ben Pipe

Chagras are cowboys and cowgirls who live and work in the highlands of Ecuador. The biggest challenge in the shoot was the weather but, in the end, the dark overcast skies added to the atmosphere and suited it better than a clear blue sky.

Follow Ben on Instagram.

What the judges said: “This series of documentary images shows a photographer well immersed within their subject matter. This is a skilfully executed body of work, with a strong variety of portraits, reportage and details."

An elderly couple standing on the railing of a cruise ship at sunset.
A symmetrical shot taken through a cruise ship door out onto the deck.
Fred Forse's series shows daily life on a cruise journey from Southampton, UK to Skjolden, Norway.
Fred Forse (Top) (Left) and Fred Forse (Bottom) (Right)

Highly commended: Fred Forse

On a cruise, the ship itself is a destination — a self-contained world with its own alien landscapes and customs. This series shows daily life on cruise journey from Southampton, UK to Skjolden, Norway and back again over seven days of unseasonably hot weather.

Follow Fred on Instagram

A flock of camels sat in the desert surrounded by rocky hills.
A portrait shot of a Jordanian young man in the desert.
Julia Caira's portfolio series documents the rhythms of daily life in Wadi Rum, Jordan.
Julia Caira (Top) (Left) and Julia Caira (Bottom) (Right)

Runner-up: Julia Caira

These images document the rhythms of daily life in the desert: camels, Land Cruisers, local hospitality and an awe-inspiring landscape, capturing Wadi Rum’s otherworldly feel.

Follow Julia on Instagram.

A flock of penguins with one young, brown penguin in the middle looking at the camera.
A single penguin on the edge of an ice cliff.
Tamara Mitchell's series documents the lives of king and Adélie penguins in some of the world’s most remote environments.
Tamara Mitchell (Top) (Left) and Tamara Mitchell (Bottom) (Right)

Runner-up: Tamara Mitchell

This series documents the lives of king and Adélie penguins in some of the world’s most remote environments. At first, the colonies merge into one anonymous mass in the landscape but, with time, individuality emerges.

Follow Tamara on Instagram

Published in the July/August 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).

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