This year, the Travel Photographer of the Year 2021 - TPOTY (Travel Photographer of the Year) contest still attracted many authors and entries, despite the many restrictions on travel due to the pandemic. From 20,000 entries from authors in 151 countries and territories, the jury selected the winners in each category. The winning works are currently displayed online on the websiteTPOTY, and will be exhibited at Granary Square, near King's Cross and St Pancras stations (London, UK) in April and May this year.
In the above list, Vietnam has two authors: Tran Viet Van (currently working at Lao Dong newspaper) won second prize in the People and Stories photo series category, first prize in the Smartshot iTravelled phone photo category; and author Nguyen Tan Tuan won an encouragement prize in the single photo category.
Photographer Tran Viet Van's entry is a series of photos of Trinh Ngoc, a 90-year-old artisan making handmade leather shoes in Ho Chi Minh City. Ngoc studied in Paris (France), and has spent many years making shoes for the Cambodian royal family, as well as famous Vietnamese singers.
Photo series about Mr. Trinh Ngoc - Work of NAG Tran Viet Van
Photographer Nguyen Tan Tuan, currently living and working in Ho Chi Minh City, was selected for a photo of water buffalo moving in a herd to find new grass on Dau Tieng Lake (Tay Ninh) during the dry season. His work was ranked among the top consolation prizes in the Single Photo category of Portfolio.
Works by NAG Nguyen Tan Tuan
The overall winner of TPOTY 2021 is Italian photographer Fortunato Gatto, with a series of photos of nature in Scotland.
"Nature is the greatest work of art and that is my aim when expressing it. I look for images that show the secrets of nature," Mr. Gatto shared. The judges commented that Gatto's photos "show the beauty of nature that we must protect and preserve."
Artwork by NAG Fortunato Gatto
Some other award-winning works of the TPOTY competition:
The work of NAG Alessandro Bergamini (Italy), is in the photo series that won first prize in the Best 8 category.
The photo by photographer F Dilek Uyar (Türkiye), was judged in the category Portfolio: People and Stories
The work of NAG Jose Fragozo (Portugal), is part of the photo series that won the encouragement prize in the Living World category.
Work by NAG Zhiyue Shi (China), Special Mention in the Living World category
Pally Learmond (UK) won first prize in the Landscape and Adventure singles category with this photo of a skier on a cliff in Kaines, Alaska (USA). The judges commented that "the image combines both a beautiful natural landscape and a very eye-catching crazy adventurer."
