From a jaguar’s ‘kiss’ to ‘majestic giraffes’ and mesmerising glaciers – the breathtaking winning images in the 2024 Travel Photographer of the Year awards revealed. Which is YOUR favourite?

This spellbinding image of Brasvellbreen, a glacier in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, was taken by Israeli photographer Roie Galitz. A Greenpeace ambassador, Galitz explains: ‘As these waters flow into the ocean, they accelerate coastal threats worldwide, emphasising the urgency of addressing climate change to protect vulnerable ecosystems and human populations alike.’ Galitz wins the ‘Planet Earth – Landscape, Climate and Water award’

This mysterious photo of a shepherd’s cottage in Italy’s Dolomites mountain range was taken by Slovenian photographer Ales Krivec, who reveals: ‘Old shepherd cottages were once used for practical means, but now they are mostly used for tourism.’ The photographer wins the ‘Travel in Monochrome’ award

A runner-up in the 15-18 years category of the Young Travel Photographer of the Year award, 18-year-old Romanian photographer Vlad Paulet took this enchanting image at Cuejdel lake in Romania. Paulet says: ‘Cuejdel lake is one of the most unique and beautiful places in my country, especially during this time of the year. The wide colour palette of the trees reflected in the lake create a beautiful view’

Japanese photographer Takahiro Gamou snapped this powerful image in Ibiraki in Japan. Gamou says ‘the rain, wind, and lightning were intense, making it a very dangerous situation’, adding that the ‘arc’ of ‘lightning’ demonstrates how ‘nature is unpredictable’. The photographer is highly commended in the ‘Planet Earth – Landscape, Climate and Water’ category

LEFT: Khaichuin Sim, from Malaysia, picks up a win in the ‘Rising Talent’ category for this incredible image of a freediver with a plane wreck in Lang Tengah Island in Malaysia. He explains: ‘The freediver’s presence adds a human element to the scene, emphasising the spirit of exploration and discovery that drives us to unearth the beauty of the underwater world.’ RIGHT: This incredible image of sea stacks in the Faroe Islands was snapped by German photographer Sabine Weise and earns a special mention in the ‘Planet Earth – Landscape, Water and Climate’ category. Weise reveals: ‘The two sea stacks – called Drangarnir – are probably the most famous and unique sights in the Faroe Islands. The waves that evening were quite calm and gentle but crashed with enough power into this crevice to form a dramatic foreground’

Spanish photographer Javier Herranz Casellas earns a special mention in the ‘Faces, People and Cultures’ category for this captivating image of a woman and son ‘enveloped in a ghostly atmosphere’ in The Sahel region of Chad. The photographer explains: ‘One of the most inhospitable regions of Africa, it is nevertheless inhabited by a multitude of ethnic groups and nomadic tribes that have adapted to these extreme conditions, preserving their culture almost intact’

A winner in the ‘Rising Talent’ category, Portuguese photographer Gilberto Costa snapped this image at New York’s Grand Central Station. Costa says he wanted to ‘capture the movement’ in the hall and used a stair wall for a tripod. He adds: ‘This image stood out from the others because right in the middle of the terminal, a stranger remained static, looking at his cell phone, while the other passersby walked around and left their blurred trail in the shot’

This impressive image of the Brasvellbreen glacier in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago earns French photographer Guillaume Petermann a special mention in the ‘Planet Earth – Landscape, Climate and Water’ category. Petermann explains: ‘Svalbard is a place where the effects of global warming are absolutely obvious. The climate is warming faster here than anywhere else on Earth’

This shocking image of a jaguar killing a caiman in Brazil’s Pantanal wetland region earns German photographer Dmytro Geshengorin a win in the ‘Rising Talent’ category. He watched the animals have a ‘short and intense fight’ and reveals: ‘To me, this moment looks like the jaguar is embracing and kissing its prey – an act of imaginary tenderness that will cost the big reptile its life’

British photographer Jenny Stock took this mesmerising image of a crocodile in Cuba’s Jardines de la Reina archipelago. Stock explains that she had to ‘get up-close and personal’ with the crocodile using a macro lens. She reveals: ‘Being up close to such a powerful animal will make your heart race. They move incredibly fast and you can’t take your eyes off them. Because, for sure, they are watching you.’ The image wins the ‘Wildlife, Nature and Underwater’ category

Jamie Smart, a nine-year-old photographer from the UK, takes a ‘Runner Up’ award in the ’14 Years and Under’ category with this captivating image of a gannet ‘looking down the lens’ at Yorkshire’s Bempton Cliffs

The winner of the ‘One Shot: Escape’ category, this wintery image of a church in the village of Sveti Tomaz in Slovenia was taken by Ngar Shun Victor Wong from Hong Kong. Wong says: ‘The tranquil atmosphere, illuminated by a gentle glow, invites introspection’

This powerful photo was snapped in Indonesia by Belgian photographer Alain Schroeder and depicts a four-year-old child playing in flooded streets. Schroeder explains: ‘The sea level in Indonesia has risen by an alarming 4mm annually since 1992, a tangible consequence of climate change.’ The photo is the winner of the best single image in the ‘Planet Earth – Landscape, Climate and Water’ category

Snapped in the Dolomites region of Italy by Slovenian photographer Ales Krivec, this enchanting image of shepherd cottages is a winner in the ‘Travel in Monochrome’ category

This striking image of an ‘Iris oratoria’ praying mantis ‘backlit during sunrise’ in Sikinos, Greece, was taken by Greek photographer Panagiotis Dalagiorgos. The photographer says: ‘The sun’s reflection on the Aegean Sea is visible in the background, while the mantis in the foreground gives an unusual perspective of what we’re used to seeing in Greek island photos.’ The image is commended in the ‘Wildlife, Nature and Underwater’ category

Travel Photographer of the Year winner Piper Mackay has been exploring Africa’s wilds since 2004. In this enchanting image by the U.S photographer, Masai giraffes are seen crossing ‘the stormy plains of the Mara’ in Kenya. Mackay says: ‘The streak of light seems almost divine, highlighting the creatures’ graceful movements and emphasising their majestic presence’

Mackay took this infrared photo of two Masai giraffes in Amboseli National Park in Kenya as a ‘storm approaches’. Mackay explains: ‘The air is tense, and the storm’s approach adds a sense of urgency to their slow, deliberate steps. Despite the ominous skies, their calm, majestic demeanour evokes a sense of resilience, a living testament to survival in the unforgiving wilderness of East Africa’

Here, Mackay captures a girl from the Rendille tribe in Northern Kenya, ‘adorned in elaborate traditional attire’. The outfit symbolises the girl’s ‘readiness for marriage’. Mackay says: ‘Captured in infrared, the surreal tones of the desolate environment amplify her presence as she stands alone amidst the emptiness as a symbol of resilience and grace’