photo: © AndreJa Ravnak - Near Pienza, Tuscany, Italy, Travel Photographer of the Year 2023, winner/TPOTY.com
Slovenian photographer AndreJa Ravnak has won the title of International Travel Photographer of the Year 2023 (TPOTY). More than 20,000 photos from photographers from more than 150 countries have been submitted to the annual competition.
For the second year in a row, a Slovenian photographer has received this honor. AndreJa Ravnak follows in the footsteps of her compatriot Matjaz Krivic, who won the title in 2022.
AndreJa's depiction of hop cultivation in Slovenia and her images of rolling fields in Italy and the Czech Republic combine a fairytale beauty with structure, something you would expect from her 'normal job' as an architect.
14-year-old Caden Shepard Choi became Young Travel Photographer of the Year 2023 for her highly accomplished and well-observed black-and-white story of how the Navajo people of Chinle, Arizona, produce wool and use it in weaving.
The prize awarded to AndreJa Ravnak includes a £1000 cash grant from TPOTY, a personalized leather portfolio book or iFolio from Plastic Sandwich, Radiant Photo imaging software, a portfolio review from top New York agent Frank Meo, plus copies of travel and drinks magazine Tonic and a membership of the Royal Photographic Society.
AndreJa Ravnak - Near Pienza, Tuscany, Italy:
Early in the spring, the first rain showers ensure that wheat grows in the rolling fields. Due to the cold nights, the landscape is often shrouded in beautiful mist on clear mornings during this period. This agricultural landscape is sparsely populated and the land is used optimally. Farms are located on top of individual hills. (DJI Mavic FC220, 26.3mm lens, f22, 1/50s, ISO 142)
Photo above:
In Pakistan, an Islamic Republic, there is no joint education in public schools. Boys and girls receive Islamic education in separate classrooms and schools. The Kalash live within the borders of Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan, but their schools are still mixed. Gender diversity and unity are seen as nothing to fear. Children receive education equally and together. (Sony A7rIII, 16-35mm lens, f3.5, 1/60s, ISO 1250)
AndreJa Ravnak - South Moravia, near Kyov, Czech Republic
In early spring the soil is still too cold for growth. An interesting pattern emerged when a new orchard was planted on the slope of the hill, making the scene very abstract. (Canon EOS R6, 60-600mm lens, f8, 1/320s, ISO 200)
The winner of MPB One Shot was Ignacio Palacios (Australia/Spain) with A Quieter Life, his serene image of a lone hiker on a white sand dune near La Puna, Argentina. Also the winner of MPB One Shot is the Dutch photographer Josien van Geffen with the unusual perspective of the Highline 197 suspension bridge in Reutte, Austria. This image plays with position and is entitled: Above, Eye Level, Below. (see TPOTY.com)
All submitted photos were judged by an international panel of highly experienced photographers and experts in the field. All judging was done 'blind' - the judges do not know the identity or nationality of the participants - and the finalist must provide the RAW/original image files for the final judging stage.
The winning photos - all of which can be viewed in the online Winners' Gallery at tpoty.com - will be on display for the first time at The Photography & Video Show at the NEC, Birmingham, UK from March 16 to 19 and will also be exhibited at Xposure in the UAE.
