Photos

Striking Photos from International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2015

This year marks the second International Photographer of the Year competition. Judges selected a photographer based on a portfolio submission of four or more images for the cash prize of $5,000, plus published photography in the upcoming International Landscape Photographer of the Year coffee table book and a trophy.

Luke Austin of Perth, Australia won the title, with his portfolio that included three black and white landscape images and a foggy photo depicting sheep in a field.

"I enjoy the solitude of being in the landscape, surrounded by nothing but the natural environment," Austin explained. "I find being out there with a camera in hand allows me to slow down and appreciate the finer details of the world."

(MORE: 2015 It's Amazing Out There Photo Contest Winners)

The contest included many other awards as well. The International Landscape Photograph of the Year is awarded for a single landscape image. This prize went to Luke Tscharke, also from Australia, for his image depicting dark storm clouds and a lightning bolt over a field with a single tree.

"I have been fascinated by the natural environment ever since I was a kid and I have a great deal of fulfillment merging this interest with my love of bushwalking. This combination has enabled me to photograph some of Australia's most stunning and wild natural environments. I am drawn particularly to wilderness photography and tend to use up all of my annual leave each year on trips hiking through Tasmania, my favorite place to photograph," Tscharke said.

Other titles awarded to spectacular landscape photos included: The Mist and Fog Award, The Long Exposure Award, The Aerial Award, The Abstract Award, and The Snow and Ice Award.

A selection of 101 submissions chosen by the judges will be published in a coffee table book that will also be available as a free e-book. For more information, visit the International Landscape Photographer of the Year website.

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