The winners of the National Geographic Traveller UK Photography Competition 2026 have been announced, celebrating outstanding photographic achievements from a pool of more than 3,500 submissions. The competition recognizes photographers for capturing diverse subjects, ranging from remote natural landscapes to vibrant urban scenes.
Edward Hasler was awarded the grand prize and won the aerial category for his photograph of sand dunes in Namibia's Sossusvlei. His image captured the patterns formed by an overflow of rivers after heavy rain, creating a tree-like appearance from above. "The flow of water had created these patterns in the sand that looked like the branches of a tree when viewed from above," Hasler said.
Other category winners include Zaeem Jafri, who won the food category for his photograph of a dumpling stall in Seoul's Namdaemun Market. Jafri described the moment, "As I got to the front of the line, I raised my camera above the people in front of me to capture the precise moment the tray arrived without being invasive, steam still rising and the eager crowd closing in."
James Campbell received the landscape award for an image taken inside an ice cave in Katla, Iceland. The photograph looks through blue glacial ice walls towards a distant stream and greenery, framed by dark bands of volcanic ash. Campbell noted the ephemeral nature of ice caves, stating, "It makes the shot especially meaningful to me, as it captures a scene unlikely to ever exist in exactly the same form again."
In the wildlife category, Felix Belloin's photograph of a sleeping polar bear in Svalbard, Norway, earned him the top prize. Belloin captured the image using a drone from an expedition vessel, ensuring not to disturb the animal. "I made sure to stay high enough and use the tele lens so as not to interrupt its sleep," he explained.
Vaishu Gomthy Alwarappan was recognized with the Rising Star award for a portrait of an elderly vendor in his shop in Chennai, India. Alwarappan was inspired by the vendor's "unhurried calm as he pauses over his paper; a moment of stillness before the morning rush begins."
Somdutt Prasad won the urban category for an image in Kolkata, India, showing a passerby mirroring a mural. The photograph captures a "serendipitous alignment of the pedestrian and the mural's subject, both absorbed in their smartphones," Prasad stated, aiming to document the "evolving rhythm of Kolkata."
Ben Pipe's portfolio, featuring Chagras (cowboys and cowgirls) in Ecuador's Cotopaxi National Park, secured the portfolio award. Pipe mentioned that despite challenging weather conditions, the overcast skies enhanced the atmosphere of his images.
Nurettin Boydak's photograph of thousands of women gathered for Eid prayer in Hara, Ethiopia, won the people category. The image depicts the women in colorful attire, creating a "living mosaic." Boydak aimed to capture a moment where "culture, belief and community converge into a single expression."
