The winners of the annual Travel Photographer of the Year contest have been released. Out of the 20,000 submissions, the snapshots of one of the world’s last two remaining Northern White rhinos bagged the top price.
Captured by Matjaz Krivic, judges were amazed at how he was able to tell the sad story of the animals’ existence as they try to survive and hopefully revive their species from near extinction. “Kenya tells this sad story beautifully and sensitively. The images are tender and intimate,” the judges of the competition stated.
Krivic is a documentary photographer with over 25 years of experience in traveling around the world and capturing different stories of people and places. He is currently immersed in showing environmental issues and advocating for a better future.
The set of winning photos was not his first entry to the contest. According to Travel Photographer of the Year, the artist has entered every year since it was established in 2003.
#21 Green Planet, Blue Planet, Special Mention: Jason Edwards, Australia

Tres Chimbadas Oxbow Lake, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru: A Black-skinned Parrot Snake draping its elongated body over a branch above an oxbow lake. I always take the time to search trees overhanging rivers and lakes, as wildlife use these transition zones to hunt and rest.
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53points
#22 Deserts To Rainforests, Highly Commended: Stephan Fürnrohr, Germany

West Greenland / Disko Bay Area Greenland: Year after year the same natural spectacle takes place on the Greenland Icecap. As the summer approaches, large meltwater lakes appear at the edge of the icet, which are drained towards the sea by a network of streams, rivers and crevasses. The water filters all spectral colours from daylight until only blue tones remain, which are scattered and reflected on the icy bottom of the lakes. All photos were taken from within a small plane.
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50points
#23 Deserts To Rainforests, Runner-Up: Marek Biegalski, Poland

Iceland: Glacial rivers become visible only when you are high up in the sky. They're called 'braided river systems, as they often resemble an intricate jumble of patterns, intertwining in an almost inexplicable fashion and colours.
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49points
#24 Cultures, Highly Commended: Athanasios Maloukos, Greece

Canosa di Puglia, Italy: La Desolata, is one of the most poignant processions in the Christian world during Holy Week, in the village of Canosa di Puglia, Italy.
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49points
#25 Overall Winner: Travel Photographer Of The Year 2022: Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia

El Paso, La Palma, Spain: As the new vent opened lava found new ways down the mountain, destroying new houses in the neighborhood of El Paso on November 30th. The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma Island is the island's longest-running volcano eruption. Huge rivers of lava and enormous amounts of continuously falling volcanic ash have transformed this Spanish holiday paradise. 7000 people have been evacuated; more than 1700 buildings were destroyed by the volcano. Strong earthquakes and permanent tremors were traumatizing the local population.
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49points
#26 The Art Of Monochrome, Special Mention: Donell Gumiran, Philippines

Kalash Valley, Chitral, Pakistan: The Kalasha are a Dardic indigenous people, considered unique among the peoples of Pakistan. Their richly embroidered clothes serve as the most obvious symbol of identity for the Kalash community.
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47points
#27 Deserts To Rainforests, Winner: Jaroslav Hora, Czech Republic

Sesriem, Namib desert, Namibia: Curves of the Namib desert. The photo series was created in Namibia in the Namib desert using a helicopter. During the flight I tried to capture the unusual shapes created by the sun, light and shadow, along with the sand dunes.
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45points
#28 Cultures, Special Mention: Katy Gomez Catalina, Spain

Southeast Cameroon: A diminutive, graceful figure appears from the jungle, a faint accent of colour in a vanishing world. For thousands of years Baka pygmies have lived in harmony with magnificent jungles in southeast Cameroon, but within a generation much of their unique lifestyle will be gone forever due to deforestation and industrial interests, the policies of sedentarization and preservation of protected areas that has forced them to abandon their traditional life.
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44points
#29 Water, Runner-Up: Jochen Bongaerts, Belgium

Brekkuskógur, Iceland: An aerial view of Bruarfoss, often called Iceland’s bluest
waterfall, showing the flow of glacial water through the river.
waterfall, showing the flow of glacial water through the river.
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42points
#30 Overall Winner: Travel Photographer Of The Year 2022: Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia

Tacande, La Palma, Spain: Footage of a ravaged mountainside with a single tree withstanding the lava flow. The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma Island is the island's longest-running volcano eruption. Huge rivers of lava and enormous amounts of continuously falling volcanic ash have transformed this Spanish holiday paradise. 7000 people have been evacuated; more than 1700 buildings were destroyed by the volcano. Strong earthquakes and permanent tremors were traumatizing the local population.
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42points


