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Visitor Information: The RPS Gallery and coffee shop will be closed on Saturday 7 December

Travel Image of the Month - August 2021: Isfahan Art Class - Neil Harris

One of the good things about being able to post your shots on this page, is to become a little self indulgent in terms of being able to be close up to your shots before they are posted on the competition site. We are always learning as photographers, both by seeing images, and encouraging others to comment on them through competitions like this. 

This month there were many which made me stop and think, not only about the way that our criteria of 'a sense of place' was being interpreted, but also about simply how the shot was captured. Was it an opportunistic shot taken in a brief moment, or was it a more considered shot? There are examples of both in this months collection of 25 images. 

Certainly the consideration of who to award the monthly winner title to this month provided our judge this month, Justin Cliffe ARPS, a challenge before choosing a worthy winner.

Justin commented ..

"A good number of photos to review and consider this month - after a quieter one last month. Having had a good look through them, and reflected on my short-list for a day or so, I have selected, as my Winner for August:"

Isfahan Art Class - Neil Harris
"I really like this image, which is made by the light being reflected back from the book onto the faces of the two women to the right of the picture. It is then complemented by the two women in the bottom left (and, yes, I know that we ‘should’ have had either 1 or 3 people here for compositional purposes!), with the far left one looking into the picture and up at the two readers - perfect! Finally, we have a good idea as to where we are here, with the dome of the mosque in the background setting the scene. All in all, a lovely, and restful, image."

"I was also taken with the following, Highly Commended, images:"

Chaga People, Mount Kilimanjaro, United Republic of Tanzania - Thomas Andy Branson
"This one has grown on me and I’ve ended up really liking it. There looks to be a story here - what is the woman looking at out of the frame, what about the motorcycle - and the blue & yellow colours work well, simple, uncluttered and effective." 

Take a break, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan - Allan Hartley
"Full credit to the photographer for actually getting to this amazing location and taking this photograph. I particularly like the composition, with the line of the valley leading us up, into, and through the image. Do we need all of the sky - possibly not, perhaps a little off the top might enhance it further, whilst emphasising the scale of the background through the people in the foreground."

Shadow Marking – Madagascar - Andy Pinch
"Lovely soft colours from the late afternoon sunshine and perfect composition with the two figures on the left moving into the picture, the ball in the middle and the third player on the right, looking inwards, preventing our eyes from wandering out of the frame. Nicely captured."

At play at the market stall, Bac Ha, Vietnam - Stu Thompson
The vivid colours really makes this image jump off the page - the attention then being drawn to the face of the little child, staring into the camera, and then, presumably, her(?) sister looking fondly at her on the right. Nice, uncluttered, background and good composition.  

• Congratulations then to Neil, his winning shot for this month will be added to the Travel Image of the Month page on the website, with the overall monthly winners competing to be the Group’s best travel photograph of the year.

Click here to see winning images from previous years or here to see 2019 winners, here to 2020 winners, and here for 2021 winners.

Isfahan Art Class
CREDIT: August 2021 - Neil Harris
Isfahan Art Class
Chaga People, Mount Kilimanjaro, United Republic Of Tanzania By Thomas Andy Branson 580Px 72Dpi
CREDIT: Thomas Andy Branson
Chaga People, Mount Kilimanjaro, United Republic of Tanzania
At Play At The Market Stall, Bac Ha, Vietnam
CREDIT: Stu Thompson
At play at the market stall, Bac Ha, Vietnam
Take A Break, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan (1 Of 1)
CREDIT: Allan Hartley
Take a break, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan
Madmaheswar, Uttarakhand, India
CREDIT: Saurabh Bhattacharyya
Madmaheswar, Uttarakhand, India
Silk Dier
CREDIT: Dennis Anguige
Silk Dyer, Lake Inle, Myanmar
Glencoe
CREDIT: Catherine Phillips
Glencoe
JS8314 Approaching Beiquan Mine, China
CREDIT: Ian Silvester
JS8314 approaching Beiquan mine, China
Long Walk For Water
CREDIT: Liz Bugg
Long walk for water
Money, Money, Money
CREDIT: Carl Mason
Money, money, money
The Tram Market, Hong Kong
CREDIT: Kai Kong Wong
The Tram market, Hong Kong
Modern Cuba
CREDIT: Gareth Hughes
Modern Cuba
Third Bag Free
CREDIT: Gabriele Dellanave
Third bag free
CGR Travel 01
CREDIT: Christopher Russell
Through My Window
Boy With A Wheel Burma
CREDIT: Jane Tearle
Boy with a Wheel, Burma
Fast Track
CREDIT: Bruce Gardener
Fast Track, Pretoria to Victoria Falls
Fishing The Big Blue, Tangier Bay
CREDIT: Sue Hutton
Fishing the Big Blue, Tangier Bay
Gold Hill, Shaftsbury
CREDIT: Andrew Gasson
Gold Hill, Shaftsbury
Change Of Heart.
CREDIT: Lynda Golightly
Change of Heart
Arrival In Antarctica
CREDIT: Barbara Fleming
Arrival in Antarctica
Dawn Mist Lake Inle,Myanmar, Jay Charnock Copy
CREDIT: Jay Charnock
Dawn Mist, Lake Inle, Myanmar
Cathedral And Harbour At St Andrews, Fife
CREDIT: Alan Waddell
Cathedral and Harbour at St Andrews, Fife
Shadow Marking Madagascar
CREDIT: Andy Pinch
Shadow Marking – Madagascar
Heavy Traffic, Hoi An, Vietnam
CREDIT: Philip Walton
Heavy Traffic, Hoi An, Vietnam
Calcutta Bathroom
CREDIT: Steve Jones
Calcutta Bathroom