Photo of the Year 2018: The results
After poring over thousands of entries to this year’s Photo of the Year competition, the judges have finally come to a decision. And the results are outstanding. See the winning photographs here..
Landscape
Highly commended
– Judges’ comments
Hong Kong is very much influenced by both Western and Asian cultures. However, the Chinese people there still retain their customs in giving out blessings and greetings during Chinese New Year in the form of calligraphy and symbols, as demonstrated in these incredible posters.
Where:Central district, Hong Kong Island
By:Joe B N Leung
Settings: Leica X2, 24mm f/2.8, 1/100 sec @ f/4, ISO 100
Runner-up
— Judges’ comments
Where: Northern Highlands, Iceland
By: Markus van Hauten
Settings: Canon EOS-1D X, 17-40mm f/4L @ 20mm, 15 sec @ f/13, ISO 100
It was not easy to get this picture. Aldeyjarfoss is located in the Northern Highlands of Iceland, and to get there under winter conditions can sometimes be difficult. You need a Super Jeep and time. On our way, there were a lot of snowdrifts and the driver had to flatten the tyres to their minimum. But we did finally arrive, 30 minutes before sunrise, and found these beautiful conditions.
Winner
Lake Retba, or Lac Rose (Pink Lake), used to be the finishing point of the Paris-Dakar Rally until it moved to South America in 2009. Located north-east of Senegal’s capital city, Dakar, the lake took its name from the pink/red waters, caused by Dunaliella salina algae, and is known for its exceptionally high salt content – up to 40% in some areas.
Where: Lake Retba, Senegal
By: Paul-Vlad Epure
Settings: DJI FC220, 26.3mm f/2.2 @ 4.7mm, 1/1,250 sec @ f/2.2, ISO 100
— Judges’ comments
Wildlife
Highly commended
— Judges’ comments
As snow sweeps across Kussharo Lake, whooper swans seek warmth in the small section left unfrozen by the flow of hot spring water. This was taken in Hokkaido, Japan, at a time of year that has freezing temperatures and falling snow, creating hostile but magical conditions.
Where: Hokkaido, Japan
By: Kellie Netherwood
Settings: Canon EOS 5D Mk III, EF 100- 400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 100mm, 1/2,500 sec @ f/8, ISO 800
Runners-up
With 2,500 acres to roam during rutting season, you can hear the mating call of the red stag throughout London’s Richmond Park. I find it amazing these beautiful wild animals live so close to humans. I was very fortunate to capture this photo of one stag exhaling, a crow perched on his back, during a beautiful golden sunrise.
This was taken as the sun was setting on one of the watering holes of Etosha. Four female lions had killed a kudu and were taking their time devouring their kill. Unfortunately, 16 hyenas got wind of the scent. What ensued was a fight for survival as the hyenas tried to wrestle the kudu from the lions. They did finally convince the lionesses to leave, but not before a fierce fight in which both sides sustained bloody wounds.
Where:Richmond Park, London, UK
By:Gheorghe Dragomir
Settings:Nikon D800E, Tamron 150-600mm @ 500mm, 1/200 sec @ ƒ/6.3, ISO 100
Judges’ comments:“A long autumnal sigh of a shot. Richmond’s deer are often photographed, but this shot in particular has been expertly executed – the negative space in the frame filled gloriously with that plume of golden breath. Well composed, well anticipated and, best of all, captured in that all-important early-morning sunlight.”
Where:Etosha National Park, Namibia
By:Pao Ning Yu
Settings:Canon EOS 7D, EF 300mm f/4 IS USM @ 420mm, 1/800 sec @ f/9, ISO 400
Judges’ comments:“A wonderfully feral story unfolding in real time and captured perfectly. It’s a moment of intense connection – high drama writ large in a razor-sharp image.”
Winner
I was on an early-morning river safari when the peace and quiet was disturbed by a noisy troop of baboons. After a while I noticed a couple of baboons who seemed to be engrossed in their own game. The rising sun was low in the sky and behind the subject, but by underexposing the shot, I was able to eliminate shadow detail and create the golden outline of the animals.
Where: Chobe River, Kasane, Botswana
By: Paul Wynn
Settings: Nikon D7100, Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm, 1/2,000 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 450
— Judges’ comments
People
Highly commended
— Judges’ comments
The man in the image is a sculptor. His life is spent creating art, cherishing the sense of immortality that his work brings. His sculptures may be shipped around the world; they may even be worshipped – even if he himself will never be. He lives in a small village and is not famous; not many people know him, and while his art graces big cities and will be seen by many people, it is unlikely he will ever see them enjoying it.
Where:Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)
By:Aung Ya,
Settings: Canon EOS 60D, 10-20mm @ 10mm, 1/160 sec @ f/7.1, ISO 100
Runner-up
— Judges’ comments
Where:Tamil Nadu, India
By:Shibasish Saha
Setting:Nikon D7200, Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX II 11-16mm f/2.8 @ 15mm, 1/125 sec @ f/8, ISO 1,000
Kulasekarapattinam is a remote Indian village in India’s Tuticorin District that is best known for its grand Dussehra Festival. During this event, people from all over Tamil Nadu throng its temple to offer special prayers. On the tenth day after the new moon, some 1.5 million devotees gather. Those who have fasted for the previous 41 days dress like gods and goddesses and march here from neighbouring villages, they fall into a trance-like state as folk music plays all around them.
Winner
I took this shot on a trip to Jerusalem, where I was captivated by the solitary figure of a lost-in-thought Rabbi, surrounded by a small crowd of religious Jews bustling underneath the Western Wall. I found it as I searched for a discreet yet representative motif of Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter; a scene conveying the atmosphere of the place – its fusion of history, modernity, impassioned flurry and silent contemplation.
Where: Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem
By: Thomas Kast
Setting: Nikon D850, 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm, 1 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 64
— Judges’ comments
Travel Icons
Commended
— Judges’ comments
Shri Lokenath was an 18th-century Hindu saint and philosopher in Bengal. During the fasting festival of Rakher Upobash (or Kartik Brati), thousands of Hindu devotees sit on the floor to worship with food and lights, praying to the gods in front of the Shri Shri Lokenath Brahmachari Ashram and Temple in Dhaka.
Where: Dhaka, Bangladesh
By:Md Rafayat Haque Khan
Settings:Nikon D300, Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 @ 17mm, 1/45 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 640
Highly commended
— Judges comments
Where:Karnataka, India
By:Sunayana Dhang
Settings:Canon EOS 80D, EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II @ 55mm, 1/500 sec @ f/4, ISO 200
The image was shot at the top of Vindhyagiri Hill in the sleepy town of Shravanbelagola, where a 17m-tall monolith of Lord Bahubali is anointed once every 12 years. During this auspicious ceremony, milk, saffron, turmeric and sandal powder are poured over the head of the deity while a prayerful devotee from the Jain community is touched with divine perception.
Runner-up
— Judges’ comments
This image of Bamburgh Castle, was taken on what turned out to be a beautiful summer’s day. But the morning began with a thick sea fog rolling in off the cold North Sea. As the day warmed up, the castle could occasionally be glimpsed through the fog; then, eventually, the mist seemed to dramatically boil away off the beach, which was when I took this shot.
Where:Bamburgh, Northumberland
By:Sandy Welsh
Settings:Fujifilm X-T2, XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 LM OIS WR @ 20.10mm, 1/950 sec @ f/13, ISO 200
Winner
Cuba is a photographer’s dream: full of colourful classic cars and beautiful architecture. This image was taken on the seafront road in Havana. One afternoon, after a heavy downpour, I returned to this beautiful white Orthodox church and started photographing the cars as they drove past. Using a wide-angle lens, I got as close to the action as possible and adopted a low angle to ensure both the car and the building were in the frame. Finally, I used a fast shutter speed to freeze the splash of the water made by the passing cars.
Where: Havana, Cuba
By: Geraint Rowland
Settings: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L ll USM @ 16mm, 1/2,000 @ f/7.1, ISO 160
— Judges’ comments