Words: Anna Galbraith
It’s estimated that more than 1.2 trillion photos were taken in the last year alone. Ninety-five million of them are posted to Instagram each day.
The age-old compulsion to record moments is as strong as ever, but the way we share the results is changing. What won’t change, though, is the impact of a truly powerful picture.
It’s with great pleasure that we announce the winners of our travel photography competition in partnership with legendary camera maker Leica. Nearly 1,000 entries were uploaded to Instagram, and each image in our final shortlist confirms to us the enduring power of travel photography.
Winner: Bill Palmer @lightmancer
“I was in Venice with my wife. I was mooching around with a camera in hand and went to stand exactly where that Italian navy officer is about to land, to snap the Grand Canal. It was wet granite, like sheet ice — I very nearly went in.
“A moment later we were walking away and I heard the motor launch approach. It didn’t stop, but the officer jumped.
“He landed perfectly and went on to his meeting without missing a step. He even launch-accelerated away. Now that’s what I call sprezzatura.
“One of the things I do for a living is run courses on professional confidence. I use this photo as an example.” — Bill Palmer, our #GJTraveller photo contest winner 2018
The prize — Leica C-Lux
The judge — Alan Schaller
Alan Schaller: “I love the mood created in this image. There’s a tension. Is he going to make the jump or fall in? The composition is nice, too. The eye is drawn straight to the main subject, but there is a lot to enjoy across the frame afterwards.”
Runner-up: Simon Hird @simonhird
Alan Schaller “This is a beautiful scene with great use of colour. The person in red sticks out despite being dwarfed by the mountains. Using a human subject in this way emphasises the scale of the environment. The photograph is well balanced.”
Runner-up: Harry Burch @hgbphotos
Alan Schaller “The movement of this wave makes this image. It’s unusual as the surrounding water appears to be quite flat. It demonstrates a good sense of timing and spontaneity. The image is well-crafted in terms of colour balance and framing.”
RUNNER-UP Justin De Souza @justindesouza_photographer
Alan Schaller “This photograph uses scale to enhance the scene brilliantly. The lone fisherman completes an image with a nice atmosphere and mood. The choice of a vantage point above the subject allows perspective to work for the photographer, framing the boat in the bottom portion of the frame with the expanse of water behind.”
Runner-up: James Parker @jamesparkerphoto
Alan Schaller “This is all about the mood generated. The light is gorgeous, and the vintage car makes it timeless. It could have been taken in the 1960s — I don’t know! It tells a human story and conveys emotion without showing any people.”
Check out how Antarctica became the next hot travel destination…
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