A fine art photograph of bare tree branches framing a moon and lake setting with purple clouds and stars — All photos: International Landscape Photographer of the Year

A fine art photograph of bare tree branches framing a moon and lake setting with purple clouds and stars — All photos: International Landscape Photographer of the Year

30 Photographs of the Most Beautiful Places in the World

The winners of the International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition will make you long to travel

Jack Shepherd

Jan 20·4 min read

Chosen from an impressive array of entrants, the International Landscape Photographer of the Year award winners will make you look with fresh eyes at the planet we live on and the myriad different ways it finds to be beautiful. The year’s overall winner was Hong Kong photographer Kelvin Yuen, whose gorgeous portfolio of landscapes from Norway to Italy to Utah showed a truly impressive depth and variety.

Out of the 3,800 submissions, 101 photos were singled out for special recognition, and this selection of images—which ranges from volcanoes in Indonesia to icebergs in Greenland to canyons in Utah—makes for an awe-inspiring testament to the endless beauty and variety of the planet we call home.

1. ‘Northern Forest’ by Zhu Xiao

A fine art photograph of a bare tree on a desert landscape, crowned by a sky full of stars — Kola Peninsula, Russia.

A fine art photograph of a bare tree on a desert landscape, crowned by a sky full of stars — Kola Peninsula, Russia.

2. ‘Hintersee on Fire’ by Alexander Lauterbach

A fine art photograph of a cloudy purple and orange sky reflected in clear still waters, plus mountains in the background — Hintersee, Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany.

A fine art photograph of a cloudy purple and orange sky reflected in clear still waters, plus mountains in the background — Hintersee, Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany.

3. ‘Evening Refection’ by Christopher Anderson

A fine art photograph of a large glacier structure on a blue, clear sea — Iceberg Alley Scoresby Sund, Eastern Greenland.

A fine art photograph of a large glacier structure on a blue, clear sea — Iceberg Alley Scoresby Sund, Eastern Greenland.

4. ‘Patagonia Fall Colors’ by Henry Wu Liu

A photograph of a creek and waterfalls running downhill among fall leaves, with a mountain range in the background — Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina.

A photograph of a creek and waterfalls running downhill among fall leaves, with a mountain range in the background — Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina.

5. ‘Hanksville Utah Sunset’ by Chance Allred

A photograph of a desert landscape, including one tall pointy natural structure — Hanksville, Utah.

A photograph of a desert landscape, including one tall pointy natural structure — Hanksville, Utah.

6. ‘Chaos Over Kansas’ by Frédéric Couzinier

Lightning emerges from a low grey storm cloud hanging above a verdant green field — Winona, Kansas, United States.

Lightning emerges from a low grey storm cloud hanging above a verdant green field — Winona, Kansas, United States.

7. ‘The Mighty Five and Neowise’ by Chance Allred

A comet flashes between two big brown desert peaks — The Neowise comet over Capitol Reef National Park.

A comet flashes between two big brown desert peaks — The Neowise comet over Capitol Reef National Park.

8. ‘Slash’ by Carolyn Cheng

The ground shows signs of age as large cracks look almost like claw marks across a piece of fabric — Iceland.

The ground shows signs of age as large cracks look almost like claw marks across a piece of fabric — Iceland.

9. ‘Northern Forest’ by Zhu Xiao

A background of green northern lights and a foreground of trees covered in so much snow they look like abstract statues — Kola Peninsula, Russia.

A background of green northern lights and a foreground of trees covered in so much snow they look like abstract statues — Kola Peninsula, Russia.

10. ‘Frozen Wave’ by Chung Hu

A night-lit shot of the Rocky Mountains, showing a cave texture that looks like water or art — Canadian Rockies.

A night-lit shot of the Rocky Mountains, showing a cave texture that looks like water or art — Canadian Rockies.

11. ‘Falling Softly’ by Mieke Boynton

a large tree with outstretched branches is mostly leafless, with a carpet of red and orange leaves covering the ground — The Buckland Valley, Victoria, Australia.

a large tree with outstretched branches is mostly leafless, with a carpet of red and orange leaves covering the ground — The Buckland Valley, Victoria, Australia.

12. ‘Window to the Past’ by Roksolyana Hilevych

The camera looks out from a cave and out at an almost prehistoric looking world including mossy rocks and bare trees — Pollino National Park, Calabria, Italy.

The camera looks out from a cave and out at an almost prehistoric looking world including mossy rocks and bare trees — Pollino National Park, Calabria, Italy.

13. ‘Oreo’ by Yuekai Du

A brightly lit orange mountain peak rises above lower snowy peaks, with a still lake in the foreground — Monte Fitz Roy, Argentina.

A brightly lit orange mountain peak rises above lower snowy peaks, with a still lake in the foreground — Monte Fitz Roy, Argentina.

14. ‘Finding a Way’ by Nate Merz

A brown barked tree snakes up through very tall bamboo, wrapping its trunk around the bamboo stalks in an embrace — Gochang, South Korea.

A brown barked tree snakes up through very tall bamboo, wrapping its trunk around the bamboo stalks in an embrace — Gochang, South Korea.

15. ‘The Life and the Volcano’ by Isabella Tabacchi

Yellow flowers in the foreground of a snowy mountain landscape — Third Place. Vilyuchik stratovolcano with yellow rhododendron as foreground, Kamchatka, Russia.

Yellow flowers in the foreground of a snowy mountain landscape — Third Place. Vilyuchik stratovolcano with yellow rhododendron as foreground, Kamchatka, Russia.

16. ‘El Bufadero’ by Ivan Miljak

A seascape shows waves crashing in on eachother with white foam as the sun shines through some clouds in the background — Tenerifes, Spain.

A seascape shows waves crashing in on eachother with white foam as the sun shines through some clouds in the background — Tenerifes, Spain.

17. ‘Watercolor Birches’ by Gianluca Gianferrari

Birch trees pop out of a still lake, with their reflections on the water giving the entire photograph a painterly effect — Last Flooding of the Po River in Italy.

Birch trees pop out of a still lake, with their reflections on the water giving the entire photograph a painterly effect — Last Flooding of the Po River in Italy.

18. ‘Big Wave’ by Jingshu Zhu Bermagui

waterfalls with white foamy water are shown in the foreground, with beautiful still blue water and rock formations in the bg — New South Wales, Australia.

waterfalls with white foamy water are shown in the foreground, with beautiful still blue water and rock formations in the bg — New South Wales, Australia.

19. ‘Foehn’ by Gergo Rugli

A large green wave with an orange sky in the background — Kiama, Australia.

A large green wave with an orange sky in the background — Kiama, Australia.

20. ‘Isolation (Dressed in White)’ by Vikki Macleod

One small snow-covered tree stands alone among small snow-covered hills — Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.

One small snow-covered tree stands alone among small snow-covered hills — Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.

21. ‘Moon Goes Down’ by Miller Yao

A fine art photograph of bare tree branches framing a moon and lake setting with purple clouds and stars — Ijen volcano, Java island, Indonesia.

A fine art photograph of bare tree branches framing a moon and lake setting with purple clouds and stars — Ijen volcano, Java island, Indonesia.

22. ‘Moonlit Spire’ by David Swindler

A tall natural peak seems to reach towards the glowing white sun, on a snowy landscape — Utah Desert, USA,

A tall natural peak seems to reach towards the glowing white sun, on a snowy landscape — Utah Desert, USA,

23. ‘Spinning Time’ by Himadri Bhuyan

A time-lapse photograph showing a spiral in the sky and a dark waterfall with white foam in the foreground — Night Sky Award. Sohra, Mehgalaya, India.

A time-lapse photograph showing a spiral in the sky and a dark waterfall with white foam in the foreground — Night Sky Award. Sohra, Mehgalaya, India.

24. ‘Jurassic World’ by Miller Yao

A beautiful fine art photo of a tree framing a low, orange mountain ranged bathed in golden light — Bromo Volcano, Java island, Indonesia.

A beautiful fine art photo of a tree framing a low, orange mountain ranged bathed in golden light — Bromo Volcano, Java island, Indonesia.

25. ‘Secret Valley’ by Miller Yao

A fine art photo from the perspective inside a cave or hiding place, showing green hills and white light streaming in — Java Island, Indonesia.

A fine art photo from the perspective inside a cave or hiding place, showing green hills and white light streaming in — Java Island, Indonesia.

26. ‘Hide & Seek’ by Felix Röser

A mountain range in the background is ringed with thick clouds that obscure bands of the mountain, green trees are in front — Little Tipsoo Lake, Cascade Mountain Range, USA.

A mountain range in the background is ringed with thick clouds that obscure bands of the mountain, green trees are in front — Little Tipsoo Lake, Cascade Mountain Range, USA.

27. ‘Demise of the Moon’ by Atanu Bandyopadhyay

Fine art photograph of a pink moon peeking out over rock structures, trees, and water, all in deep blue — Moonset, Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor, Oregon Coast, Oregon, USA.

Fine art photograph of a pink moon peeking out over rock structures, trees, and water, all in deep blue — Moonset, Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor, Oregon Coast, Oregon, USA.

28. ‘Coast of New Zealand’ by Sergey Aleshchenko

Multi-legged orange sea creatures gather on low rocks, with large sculptural rocks in the background, on still waters — Motukiekie Beach, West Coast, New Zealand.

Multi-legged orange sea creatures gather on low rocks, with large sculptural rocks in the background, on still waters — Motukiekie Beach, West Coast, New Zealand.

29. ‘To Infinity and Beyond’ by Michael Hindman

A comet or shooting star appears clearly in the sky above the clouds, which are broken in one spot showing beautiful earth — Santa Cruz Mountains, California.

A comet or shooting star appears clearly in the sky above the clouds, which are broken in one spot showing beautiful earth — Santa Cruz Mountains, California.

30. ‘Magical Night’ by Kelvin Yuen

Two bare trees frame a streak of green northern lights flashing above a snowy mountain range — First place. Norway, Tromsø.

Two bare trees frame a streak of green northern lights flashing above a snowy mountain range — First place. Norway, Tromsø.

You can find more information about this year’s awards at the International Landscape Photographer of the Year website.

Jack Shepherd

Formerly editorial director @BuzzFeed. Currently editor @Tenderly and writer at large. Email: JackAShepherd at gmail

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