The Winners of Travel Photographer of the Year 2014

Philip Lee Harvey

From pilgrims making perilous progress 14,000ft up in the Himalayas to cave divers exploring the cenotes of Mexico, from the bleak beauty of skeletal trees to the warm tones of Himba jewelry and colourful bands of rock in Northumberland, and from bicycle adventures in Norway to the lives of honey-hunters in Bangladesh, the winning images in the 2014 international Travel Photographer of the Year awards give a glorious view of life on this planet.

The winning images will be displayed in a magnificent exhibition at London’s Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) from July 24th- September 5th 2015.

British photographer Philip Lee Harvey took the overall prize – and title of Travel Photographer of the Year 2014 – for elegant portfolios depicting the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia and the Himba of Namibia.

Travel Photographer of the Year overall winner, Philip Lee Harvey, UK
Lalibela, Ethiopia
Photograph: Philip Lee Harvey/TPOTY

Philip was born in Canterbury, England in 1969. After completing a Graphic Design degree at the Norwich School of Art and Design, Philip assisted some of the UK’s leading advertising photographers. Eager to develop his photographic career, Philip soon started taking on editorial and advertising commissions of his own.

Since then, he has worked in over 100 countries, ranging from Antarctica to the Sahara. His journeys have taken him to some of the world’s most inhospitable and demanding destinations.

Travel Photographer of the Year overall winner, Philip Lee Harvey, UK
Portraits of Himba woman, Namibia
Photograph: Philip Lee Harvey/TPOTY

Although Labilela and the Himba tribe have been photographed many times, judges say Harvey "captured the subjects in a striking way." Showcasing the depth of the rock-hewn churches in difficult lighting and the portraits of the Himba woman are "beautiful in their detail and limited color palette, capturing the tribal shapes and patterns in strong compositions," according to a statement posted in the official website.

Besides Philip Lee Harvey winning award, it there were more prizes include the Young Travel Photographer of the Year, in the category Best Single Image Earth, Air, Fire and Water, Spirit of Adventure and New Talent.

For Dutch photographer Marsel van Ooten, who captured eerily beautiful images of Deadvlei in Namib Naukluft National Park, Namibia, timing is key. "Fog occurs only a few times each year in Deadvlei, which is why I had to wait for many years to be able to photograph it," he said.  "The fog created wonderful low contrast light and it greatly added to the surreal atmosphere."

Timothy Allen (UK), a former overall winner of the awards, took the judges’ Best Single Image award in the Tribes and Spirit of Adventure portfolio categories, while Jakub Rybicki (Poland) received the same award in Earth, Air, Fire, Water. 

Travel Photographer of the Year overall winner, Philip Lee Harvey, UK
Detail of Himba tribeswoman’s hair, north-west Namibia
Photograph: Philip Lee Harvey/TPOTY

Young TPOTY 14 and under winner, Michael Theodric, Indonesia, age 12
Borobudur Temple, Malang, centre of Java, Indonesia
Photograph: Michael Theodric/TPOTY

Tribes winner, Nick Ng Yeow Kee, Malaysia
Forgotten faces of China - a greying society that is being left out of modernisation, rural Yunnan, China
Photograph: Nick Ng Yeow Kee/TPOTY

People & Cultures Portfolio, Winner, Nick Ng Yeow Kee, Malaysia
Han Community old people's home in Liuyi Village, Yunnan, China
Photograph: Nick Ng/ TPOTY

Tribes runner-up, Niko Vavdinoudis, Greece
The old pagan ritual of the bell-bearers in Nikisiana village, Kavala, Greece
Photograph: Niko Vavdinoudis/TPOTY

Wild and Vibrant winner, Joshua Holko, Australia
A polar bear gorges on a carcass 80º North of Svalbard in the Arctic
Photograph: Joshua Holko/TPOTY

Spirit of Adventure winner, Piotr Trybalski, Poland
On the way to Dalsnibba mountain, Stranda municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway
Photograph: Piotr Trybalski/TPOTY

Spirit of Adventure, commended, Gonçalo Barriga, Portugal
Several tall ships at the starting line during the Tall Ships Races event off the coast of Cascais, Lisbon, Portugal
Photograph: Gonçalo Barriga/TPOTY

Spirit of Adventure runner-up, Terry Steeley, UK
Kulkulkan Cenote, Riveria Maya, Mexico
Photograph: Terry Steeley/TPOTY

One Moment, commended, Johnny Haglund, Norway
‘Les Sapeurs ‘, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Photograph: Johnny Haglund/TPOTY

Monochromal winner, Johnny Haglund, Norway
La Guajiara, northern Colombia
Photograph: Johnny Haglund/TPOTY

Earth, Air, Fire, Water, winner, best single image, Jakub Rybicki, Poland
On a 800km bicycle journey across Baikal Lake, Ogoy Island, Russia
Photograph: Jakub Rybicki/TPOTY

The Winners of Travel #Photographer of the Year 2014 http://t.co/OqZ1Gxa8ab @photoffice pic.twitter.com/pVNulWMeEq

— kuchiFm Fotos (@hacerfotos) December 19, 2014

Earth, Air, Fire, Water, special mention, Patrick Griffiths, UK
Four camels and their riders cross the Chambal river, India
Photograph: Patrick Griffiths/TPOTY

Earth, Air, Fire, Water, highly commended, Ignacio Palacios, Spain/Australia
Tatio Geysers at sunrise, Atacama Desert, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Photograph: Ignacio Palacios/TPOTY

Spirit of Adventure winner, best single image, Timothy Allen, UK
Pilgrims walking up to Gosaikunda Lake at 14,370ft in the Himalaya, Langtang, Nepal
Photograph: Timothy Allen/TPOTY

Creative Travel Portfolio, Winner, Piotr Trybalski, Poland
Norwegian coastal roads
Photograph: Piotr Trybalski/TPOTY

New Talent Portfolio, Winner, Massimiliano Fabrizi, Italy
Taken in Cuba
Photograph: Massimiliano Fabrizi/TPOTY

Earth, Air, Fire, Water, commended, Nicolas Lotsos, Greece
Disco Bay, Greenland
Photograph: Nicolas Lotsos/TPOTY

 Rufus Blackwell’s quirky, short timelapse film of Kumhb Mela, the largest gathering of people on Planet Earth, was a vivid and colourful contrast to Fabrizi’s portfolio. Comprising more than 80,000 individual images, it secured the British photographer first prize in the HD Video category.

Credits: TPOTY