From the rich black and white images of the extraordinary mud mosque in Djenne, Mali, to the memorable shot of a young boy swimming with his pet shark, Travel Photographer of the Year – the exhibition – has arrived at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). Opening this month, the showcase also heralds the launch of the 2011 competition.
The free exhibition, due to run until 10 June, is being held in the Society’s modern glass-fronted Pavilion at the heart of London’s cultural quarter in Kensington. Featuring the winning shots from the 2010 Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) awards, renowned British landscape photographer Nick Meers has curated the exhibition to include some items from the Society’s remarkable archive of more than half a million artworks, negatives, lantern slides and albums including iconic images such as Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley’s Antarctica photographs.
Meanwhile, details of the 2011 TPOTY competition are available on the website today with entries opening this week. New categories include ‘Cultures and Traditions’, ‘Exotic’, ‘Natural Elements’ and ‘Spirit of Adventure’.
Travel Photographer of the Year founder Chris Coe said: “The Society is steeped in the history of both travel and photography and it is a privilege to be able to exhibit the amazing imagery from this prestigious award at such a great venue. I am particularly pleased that the annual exhibition will be free to visit.”
The exhibition, to be held at the Society for the next four summers, will be accompanied by a series of entertaining lectures and workshops from some of the world’s leading photographers, writers and travellers. This year the line-up includes: Alexander Maitland (travel writer), Andy Rouse (wildlife photographer), Steve Bloom (travel and wildlife photographer), Michelle Jana Chan (BBC presenter and video journalist), Hugh Thomson (explorer and writer), Nick Livesey (film director) and Jason Hawkes (aerial photographer).
Dr. Rita Gardner CBE, Director of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) said: “Photography has a unique power to instantly inspire and inform us in equal measure about the landscapes, people and places of our world. As an avid photographer, I welcome this opportunity for the Society’s historic collection to be linked with some of the very best contemporary images, reflecting our long-term commitment to the photographic image as both a means of visual record and also as a source of pleasure and inspiration.”
Image by Larry Louie - Travel Photographer of the Year 2010
