It is time to enter the latest round of our Amateur Photographer of the Year competition (APOY), the biggest and best of its kind… the theme is Travel

We are now into round eight of APOY, with the theme of Travel.

With APOY’s varied categories, there should be a round for you, no matter what you like to shoot. You might choose to enter just one category or enter them all with the aim of taking home the main prize and, of course, the title of Amateur Photographer of the Year 2021.

The competition is open to all amateur photographers* and we have again teamed up with Photocrowd, who will be hosting the competition on a simple and intuitive platform. This year we have two new categories. Under-21s can enter the Young Amateur Photographer of the Year, with each category winner receiving a £250 voucher for MPB, and the overall winner being awarded a £500 voucher.

Finally, there’s a camera club category, where you can accumulate points for your society. The most successful club will receive a voucher for £500.

*For the purposes of this competition, an amateur photographer is defined as someone who earns 10% or less of their income from photography or photographic services.

Send us your best travel shots!

Visiting somewhere new, whether it’s another city, country or continent, can really get the creative juices flowing. Every location has its own unique feel and photographing the buildings, landmarks, and people you encounter will help to convey the real spirit of a place.

Get up early and visit a local market or stay out late and shoot lights reflected in water. Talk to people – a smile can go a long way towards securing willing subjects. Try not to ‘steal’ a shot; be patient and courteous.

by Sirsendu Gayen. Cities provide endless potential for travel shots – whether it’s only a few miles from home or on a different continent. Look for colour, shape and balance in your compositions

ENTER HERE

Your guest judge

Jordan Banks is a travel, lifestyle and adventure photographer from London and 2020 National Geographic cities photographer of the year. Shooting for the likes of Nat Geo, Lonely Planet and a host of other travel brands Jordan’s work has taken him all over the world to document some of the most incredible locations. Jordan is the co-founder of photographic training company That Wild Idea and most recently the founding editor of JRNY, a new travel magazine supporting freelance writers & photographers. See more his work at www.jordanbanksphoto.com, www.thatwildidea.co.uk, www.jrnymag.com, Instagram @jordanbanksphoto, Twitter – @J_BanksPhoto

There are £11,000 (GBP) worth of vouchers to win in APOY 2021, supplied by sponsors, MPB, plus the title of Amateur Photographer of the Year 2021.

The winner of each round of APOY receives a £500 voucher to spend on anything at MPB. From top-of-the-range digital medium-format camera bodies, to entry-level DSLRs, telephoto zooms and wideangle lenses, MPB is a one-stop shop for used kit. And, of course, you can use your voucher towards your dream piece of kit, if it happens to cost more than £500.

For £769, you can pick up a Sony Cyber-shot RX10 Mark III in excellent condition. A sophisticated and versatile bridge camera, it features a 24-600mm-equivalent lens with an f/2.4 to f/4 aperture and 20.1MP sensor. It has an excellent dynamic range and, for moving-image shooters, 4K video. It’s an ideal travel companion.

A good zoom lens is a must when shooting travel, where subjects can often be dynamic and fast moving. The Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art offers an f/4 aperture throughout its range, and is impressively sharp, with Hyper Sonic Motor technology ensuring fast and quiet autofocus. It is available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sigma SA and Sony A mounts, and is priced between £376 and £539 at MPB.

There are second- and third-placed prizes of £100 and £50 vouchers respectively, while the winner of the Youth category wins a £250 voucher.

Check out www.mpb.com to take your pick from thousands of items.