Subscribe for new photo competitions and opportunities

Stop spending hours searching. We’ll Send the best opportunities to you.

PHOTO CONTESTS SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX

Sidebar Subscribe Form

Unsubscribe Anytime!

One email a week, tops. Join our community!

Insights...

Travel Photographer of the Year 2025

travel photographer of the year 2025
Deadline:
Entry:
Both Free & Paid
Age Limit:
No Age Restrictions
Experience:
Any Experience
Open to Entries:
Worldwide
Explore Others Like This:
Photo Contests & Awards
Detail Prize License
Competition Details

The ultimate accolade, Travel Photographer of the Year 2025, will be awarded to the photographer who submits the best two portfolios across all portfolio categories, offering extensive media exposure. Entry for this prestigious overall award is automatic and free for anyone who submits at least two portfolios. For younger photographers, the Young Travel Photographer of the Year 2025 will recognise talent across 14 and Under and 15-18 age groups, with one overall winner.

This year’s theme for young photographers is “Journeys & Adventures,” encouraging submissions of four images that capture the essence of travel, whether from exotic locales or familiar surroundings, emphasising that great images can come from any adventure, big or small. Additionally, the new Travel Image of the Year award will allow both the public and judges to collaborate in selecting the single best image from various winning categories, valuing public opinion in recognising outstanding individual photographs.

PORTFOLIO CATEGORIES:

  • Adventures & Experiences,
  • Culture
  • Heritage & Beliefs
  • Landscape
  • Weather & Climate
  • Wildlife
  • Sealife
  • Birdlife

RISING TALENT AWARD – for amateur photographers and semi-pros only

In a portfolio of 6 images (colour or black & white) we would like you to show us different elements of travel photography – people, landscape, wildlife, nature, underwater, places, architecture, street, food, documentary, fine art. You should include at least three different elements.

ONE SHOT CATEGORIES:

  • Green Planet
  • Slow Travel
  • Travel in Monochrome
  • Travel Portraits

VIDEO CATEGORIES:

  • Shooting Travel
  • Our World

The People’s Choice award.

Our judges will choose a selection of images from the 2025 finalists, and these will be displayed on our website in December for public vote. The winner receives a selection of books, cards and prints from TPOTY plus membership of Eye for the Light
Additional Information

Entry Fees:

Enter by 31st July 2025 and you can get an unlimited entry TPOTY pass. This allows you to enter any category which you’re eligible for, and enter as many times as you like, for a one-off fee of £95. But this early bird offer is only up to 31st July.

Single Entries:

  • FREE – Young Travel Photographer of the Year
  • One Shot – £12 per entry – (Green Planet; Slow Travel; Travel in Monochrome; Travel Portraits)
  • Four-image portfolios £25 per entry – (Adventures & Experiences; Culture, Heritage & Beliefs; Landscape, Weather & Climate; Wildlife, Sealife, Birdlife)
  • Rising Talent award – £25 – limited to only one entry
  • Video – Shooting Travel (1 min) – £15
  • Video – Our World (2 mins) – £25

Multiple entries:

  • 2 x Four-image portfolios £35 when entered at the same time
  • ‘Four Plus Two’ 12-image combination of 4 One Shot entries and 2 four-image portfolios entered at the same time for £55 (full price would be £83 if entered individually).
  • ‘Ten Image Combination’ of between six and 10 ‘One Shot’ images for £55 (full price would be up to £120 if entered individually).
  • Travel Photographer of the Year is FREE and automatic with entry of two or more portfolio entries
  • Travel Image of the Year is FREE after entry of One Shot & a portfolio, for eligible images

Image Specifications:

  • UPLOADED images should be in jpeg file format at resolution 72dpi.
  • The maximum file size for uploaded images is 3 MB at 72dpi (this will be lower than the original image size and resolution) and no bigger than 2000px along the longest side. If the image is bigger the system may attempt to upload it, but it will not then show in your entry. If you have this issue with an upload, please check the dimensions of the file you are trying to upload – some files can be within our 3MB limit at 72dpi but be larger than 2000 pixels along the longest size, and this can cause upload issues.
  • All images must be saved in sRGB or Adobe RGB colour modes.
  • For all categories ORIGINAL high res images (if shortlisted) should be ideally high enough resolution to be printed at at least 45cm x 30cm (a minimum of 5000 pixels along longest length) at 300dpi. If your original image is much smaller than this please check with us first.
  • Scanned images – if you have shot your images on film or transparency and then scanned them, you can still upload them for any category.
Winners Are:
Judged & Voted
Judging Process Published:
Yes
Judging Anonymous:
Yes
Winners Announced:
Prize & Judging Details

PORTFOLIO CATEGORIES:

  • The winner of each category will receive £1000 plus Radiant Photo imaging software.
  • The winner of the Best Single Image award for each portfolio category receives a Genesis Imaging giclée exhibition print.
  • ALL finalists in the portfolio categories will be considered for one of two special judges’ awards. The three selected finalists (who can come from any of the four portfolio categories) will have a portfolio review by a leading New York photographer’s agent, Frank Meo

RISING TALENT AWARD

  • The 6 winners of this category will each receive £100, plus Radiant Photo imaging software and online photography training.
  • All 6 winners in this portfolio category will be considered for one of two portfolio reviews by a leading New York photographer’s agent, Frank Meo.
  • All winners will receive a portfolio review by a TPOTY judge and a place on an Eye for the Light workshop.

ONE SHOT CATEGORIES:

  • Green Planet
  • Slow Travel
  • Travel in Monochrome

Each category winner will receive £750 plus Radiant Photo imaging software.

The winner of the One Shot Travel Portraits category will receive a Lensbaby Special Edition kit worth £1000, courtesy of SheClicks – plus Radiant Photo imaging software.

VIDEO CATEGORIES:

  • Shooting Travel
  • Our World

The winner of each category will receive a prize to be confirmed shortly and exposure for their work through TPOTY’s news and social media channels

The People’s Choice award.

From the 2025 finalists, our judges will select a collection of images to be featured on our website in December for a public vote. The winner of this vote will be awarded a selection of books, cards, and prints from TPOTY, in addition to a membership to Eye for the Light.

 

Judging Process

Judging Round One

Conducted online – All entries are assessed on whether they meet the criteria and standard of photography required for the awards and the particular category in which they are entered. Images in the Young Travel Photographer of the Year section are judged less harshly on camera craft at this stage as in this category we are also looking for potential. This round is judged by a small panel of judges.

Judging Round Two

Conducted online – All images/entries which have qualified from Round One are judged independently online by each judge on the entire judging panel. The best entries in each category are chosen based on the number of votes they receive from this panel. Top entries are shortlisted for the final judging round. The number of finalists varies from category to category, and year to year, and depends on the standard of entries received.

Final Judging Round

The final judging round is held over two days. Shortlisted images/entries are individually assessed by a judging panel of 8 to 16 judges. The judges take great care and time to consider all shortlisted entries and their choices are made following group discussion.

In the unlikely event that any judge recognises an image or the photography of an individual entrant, they withdraw from judging and commenting on that particular entry. This is done to maintain anonymity during the whole judging process, and until the winners have been chosen.

Retain Copyright:
Yes
Retain Moral Rights:
Yes
License Duration:
4 Years
Photo Use Term:
Fair & Complete
--- Learn about Fair Rights?
Usage Rights, Copyright & Moral Rights
Copyright Policy

TPOTY does not make any claim whatsoever on the copyright of YOUR images. The copyright will, at all times, be respected by TPOTY and retained by the photographer.

Usage License

Where an image or images are reproduced by TPOTY, the photographer will be credited. The organisers and sponsors reserve the right to free reproduction and exhibition of entered images in all media and awards ceremonies, but only in connection with these awards. A selection of the winning and other best images may be chosen for reproduction in TPOTY portfolio books, exhibition, catalogue, TPOTY apps or public votes. For compilation and retrospective books, TPOTY will seek the permission and agreement from photographers before inclusion of any image entered more than four years previously.

We do not claim unlimited licence for TPOTY or its sponsors to reproduce your images outside of the terms set out above. Images included in all other TPOTY Collection of merchandise (cards, calendars, prints etc.) will be subject to separate agreement with the photographer and a royalty will be paid. Where image reproduction is unrelated to the awards then permission and a fee will be agreed with the photographer in advance.

TRY THESE OPPORTUNITIES
cortona on the move bartur photography grant
cvcephoto international mountain activity photo contest 2026
ocean geographic pictures of the year 2026
camera clara photo award 2026
vienna international photography award 2026
aurea photogallery open call open frame

SUBSCRIBE TO STAY UP TO DATE

Competition Display Page Subscribe Form


Disclaimer: Although we make every effort to provide accurate information, we advise a thorough review of the competitions rules and details to ensure your understanding and acceptance before proceeding with your entry.

Trending now

cortona on the move bartur photography grant
Cortona On The Move / BarTur Photography Grant
ipfa award 2025 international photography association festival
IPFA Award 2025 – International Photography Association Festival
open theme photography contest the artist gallery awards
Open Theme Photography Contest – THE ARTIST GALLERY AWARDS
the abstract image praxis photo arts center
The Abstract Image – Praxis Photo Arts Center
subscribepopupnintothelightdroom.png

NEVER MISS A DEADLINE AGAIN!

PHOTO CONTESTS SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX.

Unsubscribe Anytime!

Report Rating Guide

Our goal is to help photographers make informed choices and to support organizers in building trust. This report details our assessment of this competition’s adherence to our Photo Competition Standards, highlighting its strengths and areas for potential enhancement.

★☆☆☆☆ 1.0 Stars ->: Significant Issues

★★☆☆☆ 2.5 Stars ->: Basic Compliance

★★★☆☆ 3.5 Stars ->: Meets Expectations Well

★★★★★ 5.0 Stars: Exemplary Standard

Key Principles of Fair Usage.

  • Respect for copyright: Organizers should acknowledge and respect the photographer’s ownership of their work.
  • Limited use: Usage rights should be limited to purposes directly related to the marketing/promotion of the competition, photos and photographers.
  • Specific Usage: Detailed information regarding where the images will be used for the promotion of the competition, this should include websites, social media, partners website, media outlets, books & calendars etc.
  • Moral Rights: Photographers should be credited whenever their images are used. This includes publication and Media not owned by the organiser. Editing and manipulation of the images should be kept to a minimum.
  • License Duration: The usage license should be limited in time with a maximum of 5 years, but ideally less.
  • Compensation: Photographers should be compensated for commercial use of their images beyond promotional purposes. This can be detailed in the terms or by a separate agreement.

In essence, fair usage in a photo competition balances the organiser’s need to promote the competition, its winning entries and photographers, with the photographer’s right to control their work and receive any appropriate compensation.

VISIT PHOTO COMPETITION STANDARDS
Trust PCS - Photo Competitions Standards
Subscribe to learn about new opportunities

NEVER MISS A DEADLINE AGAIN!

PHOTO CONTESTS SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX

Unsubscribe Anytime!

One email a week, tops. Join our community!