50 Breathtaking Photos From Our Landscape 2019 Contest

By @dean_nguyen (Vietnam)

Hon Yen island is famous for the unspoiled beauty of its beaches, as well as the scenic views of its coral reefs. Vietnamese photographer @dean_nguyen believes that photography is one of the most powerful tools for marine conservation.

By @anskar (Germany)

This awe-inspiring photo was shot with a super tele lens in Sossusvlei, Namibia. @anskar is still amazed by the composition of his shot: "The massive dune with the tiny tree as scale made me realize how small we are, and how vast/great our landscapes can be."

By @leemumford8 (Hong Kong)

#Water2019 hero @leemumford8 struck again with a beautiful snapshot of the sunrise over the iconic 9 arch bridge in Sri Lanka: "Taking a train throughout this breathtaking country is a must. In order for me to take this shot, I ventured out for 3 sunrises in a row to capture some magic low. Eventually, I caught the shot that I had in mind. Sri Lanka has one of the most breathtaking landscapes I’ve ever seen. When this competition opened, it’s an image I knew I had to use to participate."

By @anhtrungqng (Vietnam)

Vietnamese photographer @anhtrungqng describes this enchanting shot of the Tuyen Lam Lake: "This is the largest freshwater lake in Da Lat, a place that tourists often visit. The ferryman carries passengers from the ferry terminal to the eco-tourism area, located further in the lake. In the early morning, the lake is often foggy, creating a shimmering and mysterious setting." If @anhtrungqng were to win the contest, he'd donate a part of his prize to the ferryman and would use the rest to take his family to a delicious meal.

By @panvelvetora (Russia)

Russian photographer based in Shanghai @panvelvetora caught this spectacular sunset over Fenghuang, one of China's most famous old towns.

By @kveikjan (Germany)

German couple @kveikjan took this shot of the Arnisee Lake during a road trip through Switzerland: "We wanted to pass on exactly the emotions we had that day: the silence around us, the colors in the sky and the view of the mountains made us calm. We felt so close to heaven and nature. One gets drawn into the landscape through the picture and has a feeling of being there."

By @dreher.mj (Germany)

Germany's fairytale castle Neuschwanstein, nestled in the Bavarian Alps, is known as the famous palace that inspired Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Photographer @dreher.mj said: "I wanted to transmit a mystical mood with the castle. The cloudy and dark day paired with the last snow of this year creates a kind of a magical mood where the castle is suddenly appearing out of the fog. I actually had some free time this day and wanted to take some drone shots of the castle but the front gate was still under construction. So I went to the other side where I found the trees framing the castle."

By @joncleave (UK)

In this shot taken at the Pulpit Rock, Preikestolen (Norway), London-based photographer @joncleave realised how insignificant we all are in this world, as the fjords towered around him side to side: "After a 9.5 hour drive from Oslo, we began the ascent - underestimating how ambitious our Easter weekend trip was, as we hiked right up to the top as soon as we got out of the car. Was it all worth it!? Every second! The four-day intense weekend consisted of two mates pushing one another to the limits in what we could achieve in the time we had - this single shot captures one of many epic moments that these nordic landscapes have to offer. Landscapes are what I focus my photography on the most. It inspires viewers to get out of the house and explore something that’s even potentially close to their own doorstep."

By @angiolomanetti (Italy)

Roman photographer @angiolomanetti joined the competition with an outstanding aerial shot of Salin de Giraud near the city of Arles, southern France. The fascinating shades of pink and red are due to the presence of microscopic algae (Dunaliella Salina), rich in beta carotene and antioxidant activity: "I would say that it is a fascinating landscape that, thanks to a different point of view, expresses all its beauty. That red streak immediately reminded me of a vein, as if the planet laid bare its vital lymph".

By @emxpi (France)

With this photo, drone pilot @empxpi conveyed the message that life is simply a maze of possibilities waiting on decisions.

By @naingtunwinbagan (Myanmar)

Burmese photographer @naingtunwinbagan managed to snap Bagan's magical view from the top of his local pagoda on a sunny winter morning.

By @nicoprg (France)

With its glowing, red canyon walls and beams of light shining through the dusty air, the Antelope Canyon is a breathtaking destination that @nicoprg has crossed off his bucket list.

By @rahmadhimawan (Indonesia)

@rahmadhimawan captured this dramatic shot of rice fields and mountains in Kemumu, Indonesia: "The sky was really burning with red from the top east above the mountains, and the sun rose to the northwest: I wanted to transmit the beauty of the morning and the tranquility of the rural areas."

By @donaldhyip (Australia)

Melbourne-based photographer @donaldhyip entered the competition with an eerie shot of Mt Bromo, an active volcano in East Java, Indonesia. The small light trails we can see in the distant mountain are hikers making their way up for sunrise. "I wanted to convey the same sense of awe I experienced when I first saw this view. This was my 4th attempt at this location - I arrived extra early by hiking and was incredibly lucky with the conditions. This image represents one of the most unique and epic landscapes I’ve ever seen - combined with the rolling cloud, mist and light trails, it is my own take on it."

By @thedronelad (UK)

In order to take this colorful shot, London-based photographer @thedronelad flew his drone over Bali's most famous rice terrace: "I was waiting for the right moment to make this shot different than those taken before and then these blue patches seen in my image started appearing on the water parts of the terrace, making this shot quite unique."

By @franciscopaez (Argentina)

Argentinian photographer @franciscopaez experienced one of the most incredible natural phenomenon - the Northern Lights in Iceland: "With this photo, I wanted to transmit how big and beautiful our world can be. We are just small grains in a big place. The best landscape photos should always include people to contrast the immensity of the view with a human being."

By @joelfriend (UK)

These evaporations ponds spotted by @joelfriend in the middle of the Utah desert are only the most visible tip of a long and elaborate mining operation for potash, or salts that contain potassium used for fertilizer.

By @saavedraphotography (Spain)

@saavedraphotography remembers the moment when he took this splendid panorama of the Bled Lake in Slovenia: "It was a cold autumn morning in Slovenia when the sun came timidly behind the mountain, lighting up a part of the island of the lake. I took advantage of the moment to make a panorama and create a special memory of this magical place."

By @tom.bridges (UK)

British photographer @tom.bridges stitched 3 drone shots together to frame the 'Lago di Braies' around the autumn trees and encapsulate the whole environment: "For me, there’s something about getting out in nature before the sunrises and taking on the challenge of capturing something new. Lago Di Braies allows for so many different compositions: I love the way the stream acts as a leading line and takes you up through the photo into the reflections and onto the peaks. This landscape captures what it means to be outside and explore. The towering peaks and mirror lake make a perfect place to photograph. I’d spent the last 6 days on the road, traveling the Dolomites. So dispute the freezing temperatures I had a quick dip in the lake to freshen up!"

By @borsch (Russia)

It's when confronted with the immensity of nature that we can realize how little we are. Russian photographer @borsch took a sublime aerial shot of his girlfriend sitting on the edge of this massive cliff in the north of Norway, back in July 2019.