Travel photography can spark the imagination, shed light on important issues and share incredible moments and diverse ways of life from far flung corners of the world. With that in mind, these are some images that inspired us and changed our view of the world this year.
Urban Geometry from around the world
Photographer Andres Gallardo has spent six years documenting the striking shapes of architecture all over the world. So far he has photographed cities such as Berlin, Brussels, Milan, Helsinki, Paris, Copenhagen, Alicante, Bremen and Hamburg, and is currently in Taiwan working on a new chapter for his project Urban Geometry. It showcases what makes each place special, with images including buildings with pink stone fronts, modern facades and eye-catching paint jobs.
The pure beauty of the wild world
Wildlife photographer Chris Martin’s eye-catching shot of a sable fox staring at the camera set against the purple and blue speckled rocks of a beach near Ballycotton in County Cork, Ireland is a gorgeous example of how arresting wildlife photography can be. Chris even shared some tips for budding enthusiasts, including getting at eye level with your subject and showcasing the wider environment in the shot.
In our article on top 10 travel photography tips, we came across this gorgeous shot that Spanish photographer Fran Mart captured on the beach in Big Sur in California. It’s a good example how getting to a location early (when the light is soft and moody and it’s free from crowds) can really benefit your work.
The terrible beauty of Greenland’s disappearing ice
Albert Dros travelled to Greenland to lead a photography course on-board sail boats around Ilulissat. He was struck by two things – the extreme beauty of the country’s sculptural, abstract ice-caps and the reality that they are disappearing faster than anticipated. While his images are pleasing to the eye, the photographer hopes that they can also help raise awareness on climate change.
The mysteries of India’s subterranean stepwells
Journalist Victoria Lautman has been exploring India for several years to document the country’s disappearing stepwells – structures that were manufactured as public access storage systems for water. Besides being functional, they also proved feats of engineering, architecture and art.
This year, the selection of winning images from The Underwater Photographer of the Year awards presented some of unbelievable scenes that happen beneath the waves. From Richard Barnden’s overall winning shot of grey reef sharks catching and eating a parrotfish to Taeyup Kim’s shot of the alien-like coral in French Polynesia, the images make us look at the ocean a completely different way.
A rare glimpse into travels through Iraq
Norwegian Photographer Christian Lindgren has a passion for travelling to lesser-seen places, and his latest adventure saw him going to Iraq. He travelled by train, learned about the culture and met with locals. His images show a rare insight into what travelling through the country as a tourist is like, and according to Christian, one of the most memorable things about the experience was how warm, open-hearted and friendly the people were.
Africa’s black leopard photographed perfectly for the first time ever
This year, the world saw some of the best images ever captured of the elusive black leopard photographed in its natural environment in Kenya. Taken by Will Burrard-Lucas, the photographer said that after gathering information about the leopard’s habits from locals, the most challenging part of the project was knowing where to set his camera traps. After several nights of no joy, Will managed to capture a collection of stunning images.
