Spectacular Winning Images of The National Geographic Traveller Photography Awards 2023

National Geographic Traveller has revealed the winners of its 11th annual photography competition, celebrating the best in travel photography across categories like wildlife, landscape, food, people, and urban. The judging panel sifted through thousands of entries to come up with a shortlist of 18 finalists for each category, and from there, the final seven winners were selected.

Though only open to UK and Irish participants, the winning images are said to reflect some of the best photography from around the world, showcasing a mix of drama, intimacy, and warmth that capture unique perspectives of travel.

The grand prize this year went to Renato Granieri, whose winning photograph was an inspiring image of two newly qualified eco-guards working at the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone, submitted in the people category and praised as a “firm favourite” among the judges.

Renato Granieri, winner: Grand Prize, People category

Mariama Turay (left) and Marah Hawa, two newly qualified eco guards in Sierra Leone’s Loma Mountains national park. For the judges, Granieri’s shot captured ‘the authenticity of shared laughter’. Eighteen photographers made the shortlist for the awards, now in their 11th year.

More: National Geographic Traveller Photography Awards h/t: guardian

Ed Hasler, winner: Wildlife

A stag in Richmond Park, London. The judges said they loved ‘the beautiful colour palette of this serene, intimate scene’.

Sam Davies, winner: Landscape

Nearing Tasiilaq, Greenland. The judges said they liked ‘the simplicity of the image and the placement of geometric shapes against the negative space of the sea’.

Richard Quirke, winner: Urban

The water feature El Paraguas at the Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City. This shot showed ‘great dedication to seeking out unusual angles within our urban environments’, said the judges.

Simon Urwin, winner: Food

Helen Turner in the kitchen of her Tennessee barbecue joint, Helen’s Bar BQ. ‘A perfectly timed image, and the composition is spot on,’ said the judges.

Serge Melesan, winner: Portfolio

The Portfolio prize is for a series of photographs from a particular location. The following three shots are from Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, off the north-west coast of Madagascar.

Serge Melesan, winner: Portfolio

The judges said that each of Melesan’s photographs was ‘compelling and a few utterly outstanding’ and offered ‘a fascinating insight to a world below water’.

Serge Melesan, winner: Portfolio

‘Mayotte is still unknown,’ Melesan said. ‘I’m a big scuba diver, but during my stay in Mayotte, snorkelling was the key. You don’t need to go deep here to appreciate marine life.