Lonely Planet blog

Many of the photos being submitted to our Capture the City photo competition, even if they’re not perfect guidebook cover photos, are really hitting the nail on the head and capturing the essence of the city in the photograph.

Photographers are taking different approaches to the challenge: some go for the macro-level wide view of a city, others focus in on details that symbolize the place and the culture: an iconic sight, a regional food, a local product, a scene that evokes the mood of a place.

If a photo truly captures the essence of a city, you should be able to tell what city you’re looking at without the help of a caption, right? Let’s put that to the test with 20 photos selected from the entries we’ve received so far. Some you’ll get right away, others might take a bit of thought. How many of the 20 cities can you identify? Click the link below each photo to see the original photo and caption and check if your guess is correct.

Photo by Giulia M. – See original

Photo by Christophe S. – See original

Photo by Ioannis L. – See original

Photo by Wendy Y. – See original

Photo by Miguel S. – See original

Photo by Lucinda G. – See original

Photo by Fabrice C. – See original

Photo by Paul S. – See original

Photo by Wilmer K. – See original

Photo by Francis L. – See original

Photo by Ritu J. – See original

Photo by Philip W. – See original

Photo by Adam R. – See original

Photo by Sam R. – See original

Photo by Sebastien T. – See original

Photo by Mai H. – See original

Photo by Michelle L. – See original

Photo by Zhanna B. – See original

Photo by Bruno M. – See original

Photo by Tom H. – See original

Do you have a photo the captures the essence of a major city and would be perfect for a Lonely Planet guidebook cover? Enter the Capture the City photo competition for the chance to win a travel voucher and the opportunity for your photo to be selected for a real Lonely Planet city guide or pocket city guide cover. For more inspiration, here are five of our favourite photos so far mocked-up as Lonely Planet guidebook covers.

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