Travel Photographer of the Year: 2016 winners revealed

By Barry Neild, CNN
1 minute read
Updated 11:51 AM EST, Fri December 16, 2016
Michele Palazzo braved a blizzard caused by 2016's Winter Storm Jonas to take this image of New York's famous Flatiron Building. It took the top prize in the Cities & Architecture single image category.
Flatiron Building, Manhattan, NYC —
Michele Palazzo braved a blizzard caused by 2016's Winter Storm Jonas to take this image of New York's famous Flatiron Building. It took the top prize in the Cities & Architecture single image category.
Michele Palazzo/www.tpoty.com
"The eruptions of Batu Tara volcano are extremely loud, big and powerful, so that the whole island quakes," says German photographer Martin Siering. His image of Komba Island in Indonesia earned a special mention in the Land, Sea, Sky category.
Komba Island, Indonesia —
"The eruptions of Batu Tara volcano are extremely loud, big and powerful, so that the whole island quakes," says German photographer Martin Siering. His image of Komba Island in Indonesia earned a special mention in the Land, Sea, Sky category.
Martin Siering/www.tpoty.com
Italian photographer Raimondo Norberto Giamberduca, earned a Highly Commended in the New Talent, Eye to Eye category for this image of a reindeer race in Jokkmokk, Sweden.
Reindeer race, Jokkmokk, Sweden —
Italian photographer Raimondo Norberto Giamberduca, earned a Highly Commended in the New Talent, Eye to Eye category for this image of a reindeer race in Jokkmokk, Sweden.
Raimondo Norberto Giamberduca/www.tpoty.com
This serene shot of someone running into the sea is part of a collection by India's Darpan Basak, 14, the winner of the Young Travel Photographer of the Year contest.
Chandipur, India —
This serene shot of someone running into the sea is part of a collection by India's Darpan Basak, 14, the winner of the Young Travel Photographer of the Year contest.
Darpan Basak/www.tpoty.com
Sunlight catches a ritual of devotion in Chinese photographer Biran Zhao's image of nuns taking their daily walk in Sichuan Province, China. "Regardless of the season, they walk year after year, day in and day out," says Biran. The photo took top prize in the Shaped by Light category.
Baiyu County, Sichuan Province, China —
Sunlight catches a ritual of devotion in Chinese photographer Biran Zhao's image of nuns taking their daily walk in Sichuan Province, China. "Regardless of the season, they walk year after year, day in and day out," says Biran. The photo took top prize in the Shaped by Light category.
Biran Zhao/www.tpoty.com
This image by overall winner Joel Santos shows a man of the Ashanti people using traditional fishing techniques in Lake Bosumtwi in Ghana.
Lake Bosumtwi, Ashanti, Ghana —
This image by overall winner Joel Santos shows a man of the Ashanti people using traditional fishing techniques in Lake Bosumtwi in Ghana.
Joel Santos/www.tpoty.com
Salt miners can be seen guiding a donkey and dromedary caravan through the salt desert of the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia in this aerial shot by Joel Santos of Portugal -- the overall winner of the Travel Photographer of the Year contest.
Danakil Depression, Afar, Ethiopia —
Salt miners can be seen guiding a donkey and dromedary caravan through the salt desert of the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia in this aerial shot by Joel Santos of Portugal -- the overall winner of the Travel Photographer of the Year contest.
Joel Santos/www.tpoty.com
Italian photographer Beniamino Pisati was named winner in the Journeys and Adventures portfolio category for his images of Mongolian grassland owners and their relationships with wild horses.
Bayankhongor, Mongolia —
Italian photographer Beniamino Pisati was named winner in the Journeys and Adventures portfolio category for his images of Mongolian grassland owners and their relationships with wild horses.
Beniamino Pisati/www.tpoty.com
This windswept fox earned young US photographer Courtney Moore the top prize in the Young Travel Photographer of the Year 15-18 category.
Island Beach State Park, New Jersey —
This windswept fox earned young US photographer Courtney Moore the top prize in the Young Travel Photographer of the Year 15-18 category.
Courtney Moore/www.tpoty.com
The Wirral Peninsula in the northwest of England is the scene of this unusual image taken by Craig Easton. It shows a lone Buddhist monk walking around the boundary wall of a lake. Easton's series of images from the Wirral earned him the top prize in the Land, Sea, Sky portfolio category.
West Kirby, Wirral, UK —
The Wirral Peninsula in the northwest of England is the scene of this unusual image taken by Craig Easton. It shows a lone Buddhist monk walking around the boundary wall of a lake. Easton's series of images from the Wirral earned him the top prize in the Land, Sea, Sky portfolio category.
Craig Easton/www.tpoty.com
"This elderly woman was cutting grass from a small plot to feed her livestock," says UK photographer Jeremy Woodhouse, who shot this image in Coltesti, Romania. Woodhouse took the best single image award in the Mankind portfolio category.
Coltesti, Romania —
"This elderly woman was cutting grass from a small plot to feed her livestock," says UK photographer Jeremy Woodhouse, who shot this image in Coltesti, Romania. Woodhouse took the best single image award in the Mankind portfolio category.
Jeremy Woodhouse/www.tpoty.com
China's Zijie Gong, 16, earned a runner-up prize in the Young Travel Photographer of the Year 15-18 category for this image of a child on the Sichuan/Tibet border in China.
Sichuan/Tibet, China —
China's Zijie Gong, 16, earned a runner-up prize in the Young Travel Photographer of the Year 15-18 category for this image of a child on the Sichuan/Tibet border in China.
Zijie Gong/www.tpoty.com
Greek photographer Panos Laskarakis's series showing mysterious forest celebrations on Falakro Mountain in Greece earned him a runner-up position in the Mankind portfolio category.
Volakas, Falakro Mountain, Greece —
Greek photographer Panos Laskarakis's series showing mysterious forest celebrations on Falakro Mountain in Greece earned him a runner-up position in the Mankind portfolio category.
Panos Laskarakis/www.tpoty.com
Ruiyan Chen of China was named the winner in the Mankind portfolio category for a series of images of the ethnic Yi people in the Daliang Mountains of Sichuan Province.
Daliang Mountains, Sichuan Province, China —
Ruiyan Chen of China was named the winner in the Mankind portfolio category for a series of images of the ethnic Yi people in the Daliang Mountains of Sichuan Province.
Ruiyan Chen/www.tpoty.com
UK photographer Timothy Allen's series of images of a four-day pilgrimage to Andalucia, Spain earned him the runner-up position in the Journeys and Adventures portfolio category.
Andalucia, Spain —
UK photographer Timothy Allen's series of images of a four-day pilgrimage to Andalucia, Spain earned him the runner-up position in the Journeys and Adventures portfolio category.
Timothy Allen/www.tpoty.com
Lluís Salvadó of Spain scooped top prize in the Journeys & Adventures single image category for this shot from the fiery festival of Saint Anton in San Bartolomé de Pinares, Spain.
San Bartolomé de Pinares, Spain —
Lluís Salvadó of Spain scooped top prize in the Journeys & Adventures single image category for this shot from the fiery festival of Saint Anton in San Bartolomé de Pinares, Spain.
Lluís Salvadó/www.tpoty.com
This stark image of some unusual towers in Astana, Kazakhstan earned Irish photographer Dominic Byrne a highly commended in the Cities, Architecture & Spaces category.
Astana, Kazakhstan —
This stark image of some unusual towers in Astana, Kazakhstan earned Irish photographer Dominic Byrne a highly commended in the Cities, Architecture & Spaces category.
Dominic Byrne/www.tpoty.com
US photographer Kyle Adler was named joint runner up in the Wildlife and Nature single image category for this shot of a basking alligator. "The alligator lay out in the middle of the waterway seeking what little sunshine was offered on a cloudy day in December as we sailed by," he says.
Alligator, United States —
US photographer Kyle Adler was named joint runner up in the Wildlife and Nature single image category for this shot of a basking alligator. "The alligator lay out in the middle of the waterway seeking what little sunshine was offered on a cloudy day in December as we sailed by," he says.
Kyle Adler/www.tpoty.com
This tangled heap of male moor frogs trying to mate with a common toad earned German photographer Rudi Sebastian the joint-runner up award in the Wildlife and Nature single image category. Sebastian said the toad only just escaped being drowned. "It took about 30 minutes before she managed to free herself and reach dry ground."
Moor frogs, Berlin, Germany —
This tangled heap of male moor frogs trying to mate with a common toad earned German photographer Rudi Sebastian the joint-runner up award in the Wildlife and Nature single image category. Sebastian said the toad only just escaped being drowned. "It took about 30 minutes before she managed to free herself and reach dry ground."
Rudi Sebastian/www.tpoty.com
An early morning visit to Prague Zoo in January, when few people were around, gave Czech photographer Magdaléna Straková this image of a flamingo. It earned a special mention in the Wildlife & Nature category.
Prague Zoo, Czech Republic —
An early morning visit to Prague Zoo in January, when few people were around, gave Czech photographer Magdaléna Straková this image of a flamingo. It earned a special mention in the Wildlife & Nature category.
Magdaléna Straková/www.tpoty.com
Italian photographer Marco Urso won a special mention in the Wildlife & Nature category for this image of a young bear in Kamchatka, eastern Russia. "The young cubs like to play," Urso says. "This one was having fun with a small stick. After biting it, he relaxed for a few seconds, looking like a little fisherman."
Kamchatka, Russia —
Italian photographer Marco Urso won a special mention in the Wildlife & Nature category for this image of a young bear in Kamchatka, eastern Russia. "The young cubs like to play," Urso says. "This one was having fun with a small stick. After biting it, he relaxed for a few seconds, looking like a little fisherman."
Marco Urso/www.tpoty.com
British photographer Luke Massey was named winner in the Wildlife & Nature single image category for this shot of a rare Iberian lynx in Spain's Sierra de Andújar National Park.
Sierra de Andújar National Park, Andalucia, Spain —
British photographer Luke Massey was named winner in the Wildlife & Nature single image category for this shot of a rare Iberian lynx in Spain's Sierra de Andújar National Park.
Luke Massey/www.tpoty.com
Elyas, the head barber and owner of Son & Dad Barbers in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, straightens his collar in this image by UK photographer, Alison Cahill, the winner of the New Talent -- Eye to Eye category.
Son & Dad Barbers, George Town, Penang, Malaysia —
Elyas, the head barber and owner of Son & Dad Barbers in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, straightens his collar in this image by UK photographer, Alison Cahill, the winner of the New Talent -- Eye to Eye category.
Alison Cahill/www.tpoty.com
These two women waiting for a parade in Paris during France's Bastille Day celebrations were captured by Italian Marina Spironetti. It took top prize in the Smart Shot -- iTravelled, iCaptured single image category.
Paris, France —
These two women waiting for a parade in Paris during France's Bastille Day celebrations were captured by Italian Marina Spironetti. It took top prize in the Smart Shot -- iTravelled, iCaptured single image category.
Marina Spironetti/www.tpoty.com
India's Ankit Kumar, 14, took this image of flamingos taking flight above Tanzania's Lake Natron. It was one of a series that earned him the title of Young Travel Photographer of the Year 14 and under.
Lake Natron, Tanzania —
India's Ankit Kumar, 14, took this image of flamingos taking flight above Tanzania's Lake Natron. It was one of a series that earned him the title of Young Travel Photographer of the Year 14 and under.
Ankit Kumar/www.tpoty.com
Travel Photographer of the Year: 2016 winners

Story highlights

More than 20 photographers from around the world picked up prizes in international event

Portugal's Joel Santos is the overall winner for his images of fishermen in Ghana

CNN  — 

Here’s proof that not every travel photo needs to contain the photographer’s own grinning face.

These beautiful images were selected for some of the prizes in 2016’s Travel Photographer of the Year awards.

Among them, a stunning wintry shot of New York’s famous Flatiron building during a fierce January storm, a volcanic display in Indonesia and other incredible images of people, places and creatures.

Overall winner Joel Santos received £4,000 ($4,970) for his “delicate and intimate” portfolio depicting traditional fishing in Ghana and an aerial shot of Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression, one of the world’s hottest places.

The UK-based contest’s international panel of judges named 14-year-old Darpan Basak from India Young Photographer of the Year for his soulful images of his homeland, earning him £500.

Photographers from 20 countries took awards. The winning images will go on show at exhibitions at the UK City of Culture celebrations in Hull from May 18 to June 30, 2017 and in London at the University of Greenwich from August 4 to September 2017.

Click through the above gallery for a selection of some of the best images.

MORE: Amazing aerial beach photos