“Watery Shapes” by Phillip Glombik. First Place.
Photos of sweeping scenic landscapes from all corners of the earth were entered into The Independent Photographer‘s Landscape Photography Awards and the winners of the November 2023 contest have just been announced. Judged by renowned National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson, the winners and finalists are a beautiful look at the natural world.
Photographer Phillip Glombik took home the top prize for his evocative aerial photo of a river in Iceland. Taken with a drone at the end of the Ölfus River, the image has a calm, hypnotic composition that won over Richardson.
“This was the image that always pulled me back, always invited me to get lost in wonder,” says Richardson, who is the co-founder of the educational collaborative Eyes On Earth. “I know what it is: river sediments in Iceland. But in places, it echoes the forces of creation we see in space telescope images of galactic nebula where stars are born. In other places, it echoes the desert dunes, or perhaps arctic blizzard drifts. The patterns are primordial. But what struck me most is how this image was elevated over similar images by the pattern or ripples that lay over the whole image like a veil. Just wonderful.”
The celebrated photographer also appreciated Ed Smith’s look at a cloud inversion sweeping across the Scottish Highlands, which came in second place. He was particularly drawn to the mystery of the image and the way it bucks the traditional manner in which landscapes are often portrayed.
See more of the powerful winners and finalists below in this contest that honors one of photography’s oldest and most beloved genres. And then stay tuned to see who will win December’s monthly contest, which is currently taking submissions and is centered around the theme People.
Here are the winners of The Independent Photographer Landscape Photography Awards.
“Fringes of Abernethy” by Ed Smith. Second Place.
“Morning Freeze” by Remi Bergougnoux. Third Place.
“Mystical Driftwood Drift” by Jacqueline Anders. Finalist.
“Misty-rious Hill” by Ian Asprey. Finalist.
“Offshore” by Michael Jurek. Finalist.
“Frozen Migration” by Nicolas Castermans. Finalist.
“Into the Mist” by Brandon Yoshizawa. Finalist.
“Inversion” by Kyle Barden. Finalist.
“Untitled” by William Holderfield. Finalist.