When it comes to capturing breath-taking scenery and awe-inspiring wildlife encounters on camera, our worldwide Exodus travellers don’t disappoint. Every month, we choose one lucky winner whose photography shows a keen eye for detail, bold composition and imagination to be featured across our website and social media channels. And we’re only too keen to share our 2019 Photo Master Competition winners to ignite your spirit of adventure and passion for travel photography in 2020. So, why not take a seat, kick back and view our year of 2019 in photos.
January 2019
Congratulations to Alexandra Freeman who captured this breath-taking shot while on the Ethiopia in Depth trip. The Exodus Panel of judges praised Alexandra for her striking composition and interesting subject matter.
Taken at a religious gathering before one of the country’s largest festivals of the year – Timkat, this photo captures their fascinating culture that’s truly brimming at the seams in Ethiopia. On this adventure, we journey through Ethiopia’s classic northern circuit to; visit the rock hewn churches of Lalibela and Tigrai; wander through the monasteries on Lake Tana and enjoy spectacular drives up to the Simien Mountains for panoramic views overlooking dramatic volcanoes and sweeping gorges.
February 2019
In February, we’d like to thank our winner, Chrys Tremththanmor, for sharing this incredible photograph with us– another one captured while on our Ethiopia in Depth trip, in a place known to many as “the second Jerusalem”. Not only is this photo of exceptional quality and sharpness, but it also draws the audience in to the story behind the Ethiopian priest’s smile.
One of the first countries to declare Christianity and dating back to 350 A.C., Ethiopia’s Coptic churches are a must-see for all visitors to this historic country. Nowhere else can you find so many ancient Christian churches intact. We’d recommend you head to the oldest rock hewn complexes at Axum and Lalibela and take some time to visit the Simeon mountains where you’ll find an interesting mix of the country’s endemic species.
March 2019
Congratulations to Mark Vella who wins this month’s Exodus Photo Master Competition with this stunning image photographed in Namibia. Atmospheric and full of intensity, this moody photograph has a bold sense of composition and allows the audience to live vicariously through Mark’s Cycle Namibia adventure.
If you’re looking for pink towering sand dunes, petrified forests and desert adapted wildlife – Namibia delivers. Mark’s photo does an excellent job at portraying the vast Namibian wilderness on a fat bike. On this trip, enjoy coming face to face with the highest sand dune in the world and get the chance to explore around Waterberg’s National Park to bask in the beauty of its red sandstone table mountain.
April 2019
Conor Meikleham was this month’s Exodus Photo Master Competition winner with this fantastic portrait of a local potter taken while Walking in Cappadocia, Turkey. Situated just 8km away from the enchanting fairy tale chimney city of Goreme, lies the town of Avanos, which is considered to be the epicentre for clay pottery making in Turkey.
Heavily influenced by this residing town, you can find local potters keen to show you their craftsmanship all over Cappadocia. You could say the man’s masterpiece in this photo resembles one of the many mysterious rock formations, from the spectacular Pancarlik Valley to the ancient city in Zemi Valley. On our Walking in Cappadocia trip we visit these Valleys and head to the Open-Air Museum of Goreme to see the intricately carved caves and Byzantine frescos.
May 2019
Congratulations again to our previous winner Chrys Tremththanmor, for another fantastic entry in this month’s Exodus Photo Master Competition, with this dramatic wildlife photo taken on our Galapagos Wildlife Cruise.
There is nothing out there that can substitute the raw thrill of an encounter with a signature species in its own backyard, be that jungle, beach or pole, and we love this frenetic action photo shot while travelling in the Galapagos. Chrys has captured a striking moment, with two hood mockingbirds clutching at each other in a violent embrace. The near-monochrome colours only adds to the drama of this photo.
June 2019
Congratulations to Katy Dawson who wins this month’s Exodus Photo Master Competition with this wild picture of the Andes taken on The High Inca Trail trek.
Taken after climbing the highest peak of her trek the Inca Chiriasqa Pass at almost 5000m, Katy snapped this fantastic image of the sunlight falling on the mountain behind her, capturing a majestic moment in the ever-shifting landscape of the Andes in Peru. We enjoy the sense of depth in the image, created by the dynamic contrast of light and dark and classic composition. If this doesn’t inspire you to follow in the footsteps of ancient Incas past mysterious cloud forests where the Peruvian Andes meets the Amazon Basin, we don’t know what will!
July 2019
Congratulations to our winner for the month of July, Claire Wales, with this epic shot taken while on the exhilarating The Mont Blanc Ascent.
Claire’s photo leaves you with a strong sense of the scale when it comes to the majestic Alpine peaks that surround Mont Blanc. The line of hikers, trekking through the vast and empty, snowy wilderness in the centre of the photo draw your attention – humble against the looming backdrop of jagged mountains and dramatic clouds. This photo definitely ignites your spirit of adventure.
August 2019
Nicholas Moss was this month’s Exodus Photo Master Competition winner, with this heart-warming photo of a three-toed sloth and its sleeping baby hanging from the tropical tree canopies on The Costa Rica Family Escape.
The composition of the light bouncing off both mother and baby in this photo, really brings their expressions to the forefront of this sleepy embrace photograph. Sloths make for great subjects when it comes to travel photography. And on our Costa Rica Family Escape, you have the opportunity to capture beautiful portraits of these for yourself, when we venture into Monteverde in the Tilaran Mountains and catch other exotic wildlife including vibrant toucans, howler monkeys and even dolphins off the coast of Carrillo Beach, for the ultimate wildlife adventure with your kids.
September 2019
Michael Holmes is our Photo Master Winner for September with his wonderful photo from the Inca Trail & the Amazon Rainforest tour.
Taking advantage of the spectacular light that appears around golden hour, Michael captures the wistful look on the llama’s face to almost comedic effect. We’d like to think he’s aiming to join us on the exhilarating ascent towards the Sun Gate overlooking the lost city of Machu Picchu – but you’re guess is as good as ours! On this trip, enjoy walking through mysterious cloud forests where the Peruvian Andes meet the Amazon Basin, and spend three nights exploring the Amazon Rainforest on motorised canoes, where we will visit Lake Titicaca and have a traditional homestay.
October 2019
Congratulations to Mark Green, who wins this month’s Exodus Photo Master Competition with this interesting campsite shot taken at high altitude on the meadowlands during the Source of the Sacred Ganges Trek.
Like lightbulbs in the dark, these illuminous campsite tents are placed beautifully apart, as if on purpose, against the backdrop of Gangotri National Park in Uttarakhand, India. The dramatic lighting and bold composition of this photograph perfectly encapsulates the thrill of travelling through this wild and barren landscape.
November 2019
Our hats go off to our November Exodus Photo Master Competition winner, Matt Naylor, for his wildlife photo taken while on our Costa Rica Secrets trip.
Christopher Columbus didn’t call Costa Rica the “Rich Coast” for nothing. This country holds an astonishing 5% of the world’s flora and fauna, so it’s no surprise that avid wildlife photographers travel from far and wide to this region to capture exotic creatures in their natural habitat. Matt has done an excellent job of homing in on one of the tinier wildlife encounters you can see on our trip, shooting 11 hermit crabs clambering over a piece of tropical fruit on the Pacific coastline.
December 2019
Our sensational collection of travel photography in 2019 goes out with a bang, or should we say a bite, with David Roberts shot entitled, “Moth Eaten”. Our December Exodus Photo Master Competition winner took this amazingly detailed photo during our Land of the Jaguar trip in Brazil.
One of the most colourful residents of the dense forests in South and Central America, the Rufous-tailed Jacamar is a skilful predator catching its pray, be that butterflies, wasps, or in this case an unfortunate moth, by the wings. David was lucky enough to capture the moment this handsome male dove in for his lunch – but this isn’t the only wildlife encounter you can expect to see on our trip. When exploring off the beaten track of Pantanal, it’s not uncommon to come across capybaras, Giant anteaters, scarlet macaws and even the elusive jaguar – if you’re lucky.
