Travel Image of the Month Winners 2025

Many congratulations to our joint winners for January: Omar Shamma for Bull Racing in the Mekong Delta and to Sanjoy Sengupta for Craft Work, Muscat, Oman.

Our adjudicator this month, Glyn Paton, was most impressed by the standard of images submitted for January, it gave him a "good" headache.

Bull Racing, Mekong Delta: This image has power and dynamism.  To deconstruct the image; the background is largely spray, which gives the picture its atmosphere, but the bush, bottom right provides an anchor point, as does the solitary leaf, bottom left’ish.  The central pole with the flags is so important to this image.  The pole provides the fulcrum of the shot and the flags that dash of colour. The ropes lead our eyes down to the bulls and the man/jockey. The concentration and effort is etched on the man’s face, not to mention the bulls themselves straining through the water.  A wonderful picture.

Congratulations to Sanjoy Sengupta

There is so much precision in the positioning of almost everything in this image that it’s like a painting or a film set where the director of photography has precisely placed all the items. Starting on the left with the window and the lantern.  I’m not sure why you’d have a lantern there, but it fills a blank space perfectly, and then you have its reflection on the wall. Perfect! We then move to the mat on the wall and the craftsman’s head is placed right in the middle!  Moving down and back to the left the basket making reeds lead us into the craftsman, beautifully lit, with enough detail to see the reeds being made into baskets.  And the display of goods on the right hand side, bringing an effective stop to that side.  The colour palette is beautiful, with the green handles of the baskets just giving enough variety and tension.  Everything is so well positioned it’s almost like a still life. I would be happy to have this picture on my wall.

Glyn Paton, this month's adjudicator, observed:

What a story this image tells us. The open textbooks, with Arabic script, the wooden scratched and worn “desks”, the head wear, the out of focus children at the back. It really gives us an idea of what life in a Madrassa is like.  It is such a different world to our Western ideas of school, but the two boys at the front give a wonderful connection to us; humour. The boy’s cheeky smile and his friend sharing the joke, but looking down so as not to be part of his “cheekiness”.  Of course it’s that smile that makes the picture.  Brilliant.

Many congratulations to Jo Kearney.

Victor Wong, this month's adjudicator wrote: 

I am immediately drawn to the serene atmosphere created by the calm water and vast sky in this picture. A beautiful composition featuring a solitary figure skilfully working with a fishing net, which adds a sense of purpose and narrative to this special scene in India.

The use of natural light enhances the soft colours and reflects beautifully off the water's surface. I appreciate how the figure is positioned off-centre, following the rule of thirds, which creates a balanced yet dynamic composition. The simplicity and harmony of the scene evoke a sense of tranquility. The artistry and the amazing geometry make this truly a compelling image and thus the “Winner of the month.”

Many congratulations to David Huggett.

Justin Cliffe, this month's adjudicator wrote:

This image has real impact, helped by the low down angle and the use of a wide-angle lens. I really get the feeling of being there, watching this woman as she scavenges across the rubbish and the birds circle above her and her companion in the background. One very minor point, the sky does seem to have been over-darkened a little as there’s a bit of a halo around the woman’s back and head however it’s a powerful image which cannot be ignored.

I applaud the photographer for actually getting this image, I can imagine that the pervading smell must have been horrendous!

Many congratulations to Brian Houghton.

Victor Wong, this month's adjudicator, wrote:

I really like this photo with strong visual and compositional qualities. The composition is simple but effective, with the camels and herder positioned in a way that naturally guides my eye across the scene. The arrangement of the camels’ heads forming a line leading towards the herder creates a great sense of depth and focus.

I also love the colour harmony here: the matching blue sky and the yellow trousers of the herder work beautifully together, creating a vibrant yet balanced palette. The earthy tones of the camels complement the desert landscape nicely, adding warmth and unity to the image.

The way that all the subjects’ eyes are gazing directly at the camera creates a strong connection, making me feel engaged and curious about the scene. The relaxed posture of both the herder and the camels enhances the storytelling.This image captures an authentic moment with thoughtful composition and striking colours, making it the winner of the month.

Many congratulations to Jo Court.

Glyn Paton, this month's adjudicator wrote:

Stunning. This picture has it all, architecture, geometry, people and a real sense of place. It isn’t easy to take great photographs of brilliant architecture, but this shot is excellent. Obviously, the position of the photographer is critical, as are the two people who provide scale and that extra dimension that makes this such a great image. Well done.

Many congratulations to Sanjoy Sengupta

With thanks to Justin Cliffe.

An excellent environmental portrait with the woman preparing the incense sticks. The lighting is lovely, presumably just coming through the door to the left of the woman who, fortuitously, has turned to look at the photographer, thereby allowing the light to catch her face and give us a connection to her. Exposure has been handled well whilst the colours all tone nicely together.

Just one suggestion, she’s quite small in terms of frame - cropping about a quarter off the right and a little off the top and bottom would give more prominence to her, still show us the environment in which she is working and have the benefit of removing the two light / white objects on the right side of the frame which are a little distracting. That said, an excellent photograph.

Congratulations to Jeremy Fraser-Mitchell

Our adjudicator this month, Victor Wong, says

I feel the river’s calm and the distant jagged silhouettes of the karst beyond. The line of the pole slices the frame left to right, showing motion in stillness, while the raft and figures anchor the scene with quiet purpose. Hazy clouds above soften the light, lending a painterly mood to the greens and blues. This image feels intimate, traditional, and timeless. An excellent showcase of Vietnam’s fishing culture.

Congratulations to Brian Houghton.

With thanks to this month's adjudicator, Glyn Paton.

Such drama! What a position the photographer has taken up, really close up with a wide angle lens. The results are there for all to see.  The fantastic capture of the central character, with his “chain of office”.  The gripped hands on the left hand side speak of the emotion and passion of this parade as do the closed eyes of the other man.  The Virgin Mary is perfectly positioned and is the final piece that makes this picture a winner.  The exposure on the dark gown, her face and above all the halo (literally and metaphorically) are handled perfectly.  The black and white conversion is excellent and adds to the drama. Well done! Brilliantly seen and executed. Congratulations to Brian Houghton.

With thanks to this month's adjudicator Justin Cliffe.

This photograph is made for me by the light on the two women which, the title tells us, is beside a canal. What really helps, and provides a sense of place, is the alleyway and street name at the top, drawing my eye nicely through, and out of the frame.

The window at the top left provides an added dimension, particularly with the blue light coming through it, which contrasts nicely with the artificial light elsewhere in the image.

Perfectly exposed, in challenging light, a worthy winner.