The Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) 2025 competition is now open for entries, offering a wealth of cash prizes and imaging software, with more awards to be announced soon. This year introduces exciting new opportunities, including dedicated Portfolio and One Shot categories, the Young TPOTY award, and a Rising Talent section.
The video category makes a welcome return, complemented by a new second video category that invites entrants to showcase their image-making process in a style reminiscent of an Instagram reel, with a prize for the best submission. A new “Travel Image of the Year” award will also allow both the public and judges to collaboratively select the top single image from various winning entries.
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 recognize 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, emphasizing 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 recognizing 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
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.
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 categories 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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