Grand Prize Winner

Steven dos Remedios, 25-time traveler
Oakland, CA

This perfectly composed photograph of a Zen meditation instructor in Kyoto was taken on our Japan’s Cultural Treasures adventure.

Comments from the judges: We were very impressed by the composition of Steven’s photograph, and how it captures pieces of local culture both in the main subject and throughout the background. His use of diffused split lighting works especially well by enhancing the Zen master without losing any important details in the overall photo.

Scenery Winner

Dolores Rebovich, 12-time traveler
Uniontown, PA

The morning mist rolling in from the Dolomites adds an enchanting element to this photo of a chapel in Gardena Valley taken on our Northern Italy: The Alps, Dolomites & Lombardy adventure.

Comments from the judges: The monochromatic use of color conveys the serene mood. The lines of the chapel appear to mimic the shape of the jagged mountain peaks, and the off-center placement of the chapel in the photo (utilizing the “rule of thirds”) works especially well. It’s nice how the uphill path and descent of the mountains create a focal point at the chapel and the figure standing in front of it.

Wildlife Winner

Martha Nickerson, 6-time traveler
Chichester, NH

This close-up of an oxpecker bird hitching a ride on the back of a zebra was taken on our Ultimate Africa: Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe Safari adventure.

Comments from the judges: A unique perspective on African wildlife. Cropping the photo this way—making the unassuming bird its focal point against a background of geometric shapes—was an excellent choice by the photographer. It also reveals how the best wildlife shots aren’t always about the “Big Five.”

Local People Winner

Don Browers, First-time traveler
Omaha, NE

This photograph of a camel herder in the Sahara was captured on our Tunisia: From the Mediterranean to the Sahara adventure.

Comments from the judges: The way the camels seamlessly blend with the dunes really captures the symbiotic relationship between Tunisian herders and the desert. With the subject looking directly into the camera, the photograph also gives us an intimate glimpse of local culture in a moment in time.

Fellow Traveler Winner

Regina Quinn, 8-time traveler
Longmont, CO

You feel like you’re right there aboard a mokoro in the Okavango Delta in this photograph taken on our Ultimate Africa: Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe Safari adventure.

Comments from the judges: The perspective of the photograph does a nice job of placing the viewer directly in the scene. The shallow depth of field also helps evoke a greater sense of excitement to the scene, showing you how close you are to the wildlife.