"Strategies to Persuade Judges and Captivate Them with Your Travel Photography in the Race for Travel Photographer of the Year"
Travel Photographer of the Year 2025 Opens for Entries
The Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) competition, a celebrated event in the field of travel photography, has officially opened for entries for its 2025 edition. This international competition invites original, responsibly made travel photographs from photographers worldwide, across multiple thematic categories, with competitive cash prizes and recognition up for grabs.
Eligibility and Categories
The competition is open to all photographers, professional and non-professional alike. Entrants must ensure that their photographs are original works, free of plagiarism and devoid of defamatory, racist, sexist, pornographic, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate content. Photos must not have previously won a TPOTY or other Audley Travel photography competition, and minimal editing is allowed.
While specific category names for 2025 were not detailed in the sources, TPOTY typically has several categories covering broad themes within travel photography. Participants are encouraged to enter categories they find challenging, as these may have fewer entries, potentially increasing chances of recognition.
Awards and Deadline
The competition offers various awards across the categories, with cash prizes totaling £1,000 and additional prizes, including potentially imaging software. The deadline for entries is October 13, 2025.
Portfolio and One Shot Categories
The Travel Photographer of the Year 2025 competition has four portfolio categories: Adventures & Experiences; Culture, Heritage & Beliefs; Landscape, Weather & Climate; and Wildlife, Sealife, Birdlife. Additionally, there are four One Shot single-image categories: Green Planet; Slow Travel; Travel in Monochrome; and Travel Portraits.
A new award will be conferred for 2025: Travel Image of the Year, chosen by the judging panel and the general public. The People's Choice award is chosen from the finalists by the general public.
Additional Guidelines
Wildlife images must depict animals in natural environments; images of wildlife in captivity are excluded. Images of children (under 18) are not accepted unless they are the main focus and prior consent has been obtained, except for street photography. Entrants must adhere to all legal and safety guidelines, avoiding illegal or dangerous activities.
Personal data submitted with entries is handled according to TPOTY’s privacy policy, with the right of data erasure subject to competition rules. Entrants must follow responsible travel ethics, particularly regarding wildlife photography.
Notable Entrants
One of the notable figures in the world of travel photography is Niall Hampton, the editor of Digital Camera Magazine, who has been shooting on interchangeable lens cameras for over 20 years and has favored shooting subjects including wildlife, travel, and street photography.
Another notable travel photographer is Chris Coe, who taught himself photography with an Olympus Trip and turned it into a career. Coe has published over 50 books, including some on photography, and curated over 50 international exhibitions. He lectures, teaches, and mentors through workshops, international photography festivals, and private tuition.
The Future of Travel Photography
The Travel Photographer of the Year 2025 competition also sees the introduction of the HD Video category, inviting submissions for either a two-minute video themed Our World, or a one-minute Shooting Travel video showing how the entrant works or how they created an image. The Rising Talent award sees six amateur or semi-professional photographers selected to have their work reviewed and supported.
The Xposure festival in Sharjah, UAE, is one location where Digital Camera World spoke to Chris Coe. The festival returns to Sharjah between 29 January-4 February 2026.
Winning TPOTY can serve as a good platform for a photographer's practice, providing recognition and opportunities for further growth in the industry. The article does not offer advice on how entrants should choose their best shot ahead of submission.
For more resources and insights into the world of photography, check out Chris Coe's online creative resource, Eye for the Light, which includes photography articles and a podcast series called Newton & Coe.
[1] Travel Photographer of the Year [2] Digital Camera World [4] The Xposure International Photography Festival
- Photographers worldwide can enter the Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) competition, a renowned event in the domain of travel photography, for its 2025 edition.
- To participate, entrants must submit original, ethical photos, free of plagiarism and inappropriate content, with minimal editing allowed.
- The competition offers a wide range of categories, including Adventures & Experiences, Culture, Heritage & Beliefs, Landscape, Weather & Climate, Wildlife, and more.
- Entrants are encouraged to challenge themselves by attempting categories with fewer entries, potentially increasing chances of recognition.
- Cash prizes totaling £1,000, additional prizes, and the potential for imaging software are up for grabs in various awards across the categories.
- Wildlife images should depict animals in natural environments, and children under 18 must have prior consent before being photographed, except for street photography.
- Entries for the competition must be submitted by October 13, 2025.
- Niall Hampton, the editor of Digital Camera Magazine, is one of the notable figures in the realm of travel photography, specializing in subjects like wildlife, travel, and street photography.
- Chris Coe, an accomplished travel photographer, taught himself photography with an Olympus Trip and has published over 50 books and curated numerous international exhibitions.
- The Travel Photographer of the Year 2025 competition introduces HD Video categories, inviting submissions for Our World or Shooting Travel themes, as well as the Rising Talent award for six amateur or semi-professional photographers.
