The Premier International Travel Photography Awards are calling for entries to the 2018 Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) competition. Submit your best travel photos for a chance to win up to £4,000. 

The competition was created by photographers, for photographers, and the organisers are searching for talent from all over the world, young or old, professional, or amateur.  

And according to a press release, TPOTY is not only about prizes. 

“This prestigious award offers massive exposure for your work through our media activities, books, photographer profiles and exhibitions,” the organisers said. 

“TPOTY-winning photographers have had their work showcased around the world: established photographic careers received a huge boost, new careers were kick-started, and people who never thought they’d see their photographs in print have had a happy surprise! 

“In 2016 and 2017 our touring exhibitions were seen by 250,000 visitors. This year’s exhibitions programme will be visited by an estimated 1.8 million people.” 

The awards are judged by leading photographers and experts in the field, whose distinction and integrity add greatly to the prestige that comes with being one of our winners – or even being shortlisted. But whether you’re a winner or not, it’s also about fun – the fun of challenging yourself to shoot to a theme, to look at your images with fresh eyes, to be a part of the TPOTY experience. To be part of the adventure! 

Entries for 2018 competition close on October 1st, giving you less than three weeks to get your best shots together, or to go out shooting.   

There is a range of categories to challenge all levels and ages of photographers, from the portfolio categories ‘Travel’, ‘Faces, People, Cultures’ and ‘Natural World’ and the  three single-image One Shot categories, ‘Beauty of Light’, ‘Hot, Cold’ and ‘Tranquillity’ to the Young  Travel Photographer of the Year category (for ages 18 and under), the New Talent award and, for pictures taken on a smartphone or tablet, the ‘iTravelled’ category. 

Apart from cash bursaries, contestants will also get the chance to win the latest professional cameras and lenses, membership to the Royal Photographic Society and much more.   

Winning will be exhibited in Spring, 2019 at opposite the Tower of London and close to London Bridge, and at TPOTY exhibitions internationally. These include the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah and Dubai, the leading photo festival in the Middle East. 

Travel Photographer of the Year entry fees start at £8 and entry for Young TPOTY is free of charge. The awards are close on October 1st. The shortlisted photographers will be announced in November and the winners in December. See www.tpoty.com for full information and to enter the awards.