A striking shot of Najin, one of the world's last two remaining northern white rhinos, and her keeper, Zachary Mutai, is what clinched Slovenian photographer Matjaz Krivic the top spot as Travel Photographer of the Year 2022. It was taken in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya, and shows the effects of the long-running eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands, serving as a "powerful reminder of the force of nature", according to the announcement. For this year's awards, almost 20,000 images were submitted by amateur and professional photographers spanning 154 countries. Now, the winning photographs are going on display in a free-to-view outdoor exhibition in Bristol, England, from May. Other winners include two contrasting shots of polar bears in Svalbard, taken by Israeli photographer Roie Galitz, who won The Art of Monochrome portfolio category. One shows the bears in courtship during a blizzard, while the other shows an emaciated mother with her two cubs, which died a few days after the image was taken. Czech photographer Jaroslav Hora won the Deserts to Rainforests category, with images depicting the abstract curves of Namibia's Namib desert, which was shot from a helicopter. Fellow Czech artist Magdalena Strakova took first prize in the Cultures category for her monochrome portfolio documenting the dying tradition of horse fishermen searching for shrimp at low tide in Oostduinkerke, Belgium. The awards are judged by an international panel of professional photographers and experts in the field, who don't know the identity or nationality of any of the photographers behind the submissions. <i>“</i>Our latest winners form a fascinating collection of images," said Travel Photographer of the Year founder Chris Coe. "From the intensely powerful to the exquisitely subtle, sensitive and beautiful, they reach every corner of the world and cover every facet of travelling with a camera. "Conservation and sustainability permeate the collection and illustrate the role which photography can play in creating awareness of the issues facing our planet." Overall winner Krivic said: “This competition is special to me since I have been with it from its beginning in 2003, when I was given a Judges’ Favourite Award. Now, 20 years later, I received their highest award, which makes me very proud and means a lot to me.” Krivic’s prize includes the new Fujifilm X100V camera, a £1,000 ($1,230) cash bursary, a personalised leather portfolio book, Radiant Photo imaging software, and membership of the Royal Photographic Society and Tonic magazine.
