The results of the ninth round of our prestigious Amateur Photographer of the Year competition are in! Graeme Youngson wins the top place in this round with an image of silhouetted figures on the moped in Marrakesh. Meanwhile, Lucy Monckton came first place in the Young APOY competition. Here are the top 10 images uploaded to Photocrowd from Round Nine, Travel, with comments by the AP team and our guest judge
Distilling the essence of a place into one single frame is the ongoing challenge for the travel photographer. Because it’s not just about sight,
it’s about the sound, smell and atmosphere of a new environment. The challenge can lie in not overwhelming the viewer by trying to include everything in the frame, as tempting as that might be. Instead, as with so much photography, it’s about stripping a scene back to its essential elements – something that all our top ten entrants have managed admirably.
APOY Round Nine, Travel Results
Winner, APOY Travel, Graeme Youngson, UK 100pts
Fujifilm X-T5, 10-24mm at 24mm, 1/1000sec at f/8, ISO 125
A wonderfully decisive moment from Graeme, resulting in a multi-layered image, despite its apparent simplicity. Although the silhouetted figures on the moped dominate the frame, our eye goes straight to the older woman making her way from left to right. Taken in Marrakesh, the shot encapsulates the contrast between the generations, and the judges particularly appreciated that we are able to tell the couple are young, even though we can only see their outline. The two bollards, at first appearing incidental to the scene, are actually crucial in anchoring the action. Without them, it would feel as if the three figures are floating out of the frame.
2. Lynn Fraser UK 90pts
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 70-200mm at 200mm, 1/1250sec at f/6.3, ISO 800
There’s a beautiful sense of familiarity to this scene. Even though it’s a place most of us will never visit – Mundari in South Sudan – we can all relate to friends and neighbours sitting, working and shooting the breeze while everyday life goes on around them. We’re not sure whether it’s mist, smoke or dust (or a combination of all three) that’s creating the atmosphere, but it adds an almost filmic element to the scene, and Lynn has done well to capture elements of clarity and sharpness among it. The image is a spit second of insight into a world that will remain unknown to the majority of us, and is memorable for that.
3. Kelly Beckta, Canada 80pts
Sony A7R Mark II, 24-70mm at 25mm, 1/80sec at f/10, ISO 100
The wash of blue filling almost the entire frame is what catches the eye here, with the woman peering round the door providing the only pinprick of colour. Despite her size in the frame, there is enough detail to make her a focal point within the scene. Composing with the staircase placed centrally, with the doors on either side, keeps things strong and simple.
4. Kirsty Dolphin, UK 70pts
Nikon D750, 70-200mm at 70mm, 1/500sec at f/2.8, ISO 100
Photographing your subject as it travels away from you can be a highly effective device, and Kirsty has used it to good effect here. There’s a ponderous atmosphere to her image that’s quite serene – little sense of rush, just two people getting from A to B. The mist, of course, adds to the overall mood, and composing so that the instantly recognisable baobab trees appear in their entirety is an important part of the scene’s structure. A thoughtful and well-composed image.
5. Alaa Noureldeen, Egypt 60pts
Canon EOS 6D, 24-105mm at 24mm, 1/80sec at f/11, ISO 100
Although this picture was taken in Egypt, there’s a universality about it that translates to almost any coastal country in the world. Two men, hats protecting them from the elements, concentrate on fixing their fishing nets, unaware of the photographer who is only a few feet away. The sweeping and swirling of the nets in the foreground help ground the image, and this balances nicely with the pale blue sky above. A simple but effective shot.
6. Tommaso Carrara, France 50pts
Leica Q3, 28mm, 1/500sec at f/5.6, ISO 2000
What a vibrant image, filled with colour and energy, and fully reflecting the festival of Ganesh. To be able to capture a composition that makes sense in among the chaos is no mean feat. However, by filling the right hand side of the frame with the main character and the left with his almost mirror image, Tommaso has done a great job of distilling the event into one frame.
7. Ben Evans, UK 45pts
Pentax K-1, 28-105mm at 40mm, 1/10sec at f/4, ISO 100
Guest judge Bella Falk says: ‘While there were many excellent entries in this competition, this one caught my eye because it was so different from any of the others. While it’s relatively easy to capture stunning travel images if you’re lucky enough to go to exotic destinations, Ben has managed to capture an intriguing story in an ordinary city street. I love the juxtaposition of the nostalgic, sunny advert with the black, spike-topped wall and the dark winter clothing of the people – creating a clash between the idyllic getaway promised by the advert and the dreary daily life of the city dwellers standing in front. On top of that, Ben has cleverly included five pedestrians, the same number as featured in the advert, so it’s as if the “Five Escape To The Country” tagline is referring to them. The slow shutter speed, adding movement to the passer-by and echoing the movement of the train, is the icing on the cake. A clever, poignant, well-crafted image.’
8. James Strouse, US 40pts
Canon EOS R6, 50mm, 1/1000sec at f/3.5, ISO 160
James has given us an image that instantly conveys where he is – it can be nowhere other than the Andes. The Peruvian woman has a relaxed expression, meaning that James has done a good job of connecting with her. Her baby’s look of interest and puzzlement adds a level of warmth and humour. Then, of course, we have that backdrop. The mountains don’t need to be in focus for us to get an impression of their majesty, and indeed, had he used a narrower aperture, the added detail would have proved confusing. A lovely portrait that allows us to connect on a human level.
9. Robert Mark, UK 35pts
Panasonic TZ10, 25mm (equiv), 1/500sec at f/3.5, ISO 80
This image stood out for being completely different – just a slightly dishevelled family on holiday taking a much-needed break by the side of the road. Despite it being taken in Spain, it could have been taken anywhere – Devon, the US, Australia… – and it says as much about the actual experience of travel as a carefully crafted market scene or landscape. Robert describes it as a fleeting moment, and he’s right, as we know that the dynamics between the five individuals would have been almost completely different only 1/500sec earlier or later. It’s fun, and somewhat chaotic – and who hasn’t been on a family holiday like that?
10. Lorenzo Passalacqua, Italy 30pts
DJI FC3411, 22.4mm, 1/5sec at f/2.8, ISO 100
This is a quite epic drone shot, capturing the thermal waters of Cascate del Mulino in Tuscany. It’s as if the steam is swallowing up the abandoned mill. The way the image is divided into blue, terracotta and green has been well observed, and it’s a scene where shooting with a drone has truly done the landscape justice.
Young Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024, Travel Winner
Lucy Monckton, UK 100pts
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 70-300mm at 128mm, 1/1000sec at f/8, ISO 1250
With this win, Lucy has now become uncatchable, and has won this year’s Young APOY with a whole round still to go! This is a witty and characterful shot, and is unusual for a travel image in that it doesn’t feature a human. However, we are given just as much context and sense of place as if she’d photographed the locals in Svalbard. Congratulations!
Camera Club competition
Richie Johns, UK 10pts
Nikon Z 7, 24-70mm at 32.5mm, 1/640sec at f/8, ISO 100
Richie Johns earned ten points for Plymouth Camera Club when he uploaded this shot of fishing huts on the frozen River Ottawa in Quebec. The points of muted colour stand out nicely against the white of the snow and watery-blue sky. Barring a flurry of high-placed images from their nearest rival in round ten, it looks as if Plymouth Camera Club is going to take the prize this year, finally unseating the previously unbeatable Launceston Camera Club!
The 2024 leaderboard after round nine, Travel
With one round to go, the result of this year’s Young APOY is now settled, with Lucy Monckton taking the top spot once again (the first time was in 2021). Our camera clubs award looks almost certain to go to Plymouth Camera Club, which has inched its way up the leaderboard from third in 2022 and second in 2023. In the main competition, however, there is still much to play for, as anyone in the current top six could make the leap to first place and the overall title in round ten. With the theme of the final round being completely open, it’s guaranteed to be an exciting end to this year’s competition. Look out for the results on 6th February.
Winning kit from Camera Centre UK
What gear did our top ten photographers use?
In first place, Graeme Youngson used a Fujifilm X-T5. Described as a ‘40MP mirrorless sensation’ when reviewed in AP, this model features a 40.2MP sensor, ISO 125-12,800 (standard), 15fps shooting (mechanical shutter, full-resolution), 5-axis in-body image stabilisation and a 3in, 1.84m-dot 3-way tilt LCD. Its five-star review concluded, ‘Nothing else on the market can quite match the all-round package that the Fujifilm X-T5 offers enthusiast photographers at the price.’ This camera can be purchased from Camera Centre UK for £1,449.
In third place, Kelly Beckta used a Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM. Awarded 4.5 stars when reviewed in AP, this professional-grade standard zoom comprises 18 elements in 13 groups with nine aperture blades, has a direct drive supersonic motor to provide smooth and quiet autofocus, and is resistant to dust and moisture. It ‘resolves a mesmerising level of detail’. Find the mark II version for £1,899 at Camera Centre UK.
Ben Evans takes seventh place, and used a Pentax K-1 for his shot. This full-frame DSLR received five stars when reviewed in AP, and features a 36.4MP, full-frame sensor, ISO 100-204,800, 5-axis Shake Reduction II system, dust and weather resistance, a 3.2in, 1.037-million-dot, flexible-tilt LCD, and built in Wi-Fi and GPS. The mark II version of this camera is available at Camera Centre UK for £1,469.
To see the full range, visit www.cameracentreuk.com
