With the Natural History Museum opening its 53rd Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition this month, we've been thinking about some of our favourite travel related photographers. Below are five wanderlust-inducing, conservation-championing, and eagle-eyed camera-wielding geniuses whose work we suggest you check out right now...
Brent Stirton
Talking of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, this year's 53rd winner is a must to include in our Top Five. Famed for his work depicting social and environmental injustice, Brent's winning photograph of a de-horned rhino in South Africa's Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park illuminates the dark side of the African wildlife industry.
Harrowing though it might be, Brent's work is an important reminder of the poaching problem that still needs to be addressed in Africa, and sadly all over the world, and reminds us of some of the good work that our friends in the industry are doing to combat it - take The Ant Collection and their fantastic work setting up the Save The Waterberg Rhino project, for example.
Check out Brent's work alongside many other fantastic pieces at the National History Museum exhibition from now until 28th May.
Tommy Clarke
Off the back of his very recent exhibition in London's Old Truman Brewery, Tommy Clarke has stolen our hearts with his fascinating aerial photography. Tommy's work regularly graces the glossy pages of Conde Nast Traveller and he's snapped shots from the doors of helicopters and light aircraft all over the world. Growing up on the Dorset coast Tommy likes to focus on the contrasts between land and water and his most recent exhibition on Iceland is no exception. Check out his Instagram to see what we mean and gain a whole new perspective on the world, quite literally.
Beach lovers and those dreaming of warmer weather will also want to have a look at his Antigua collection. Tommy Clarke has recently opened up a studio in Clapham, London.
Luke Massey
With a combination of model-like muses, spectacular sunsets and silhouetted scenery there isn't a more photogenic location than the Kenyan bush. Winning the wildlife category at last year's Travel Photographer of the Year awards and the People's Choice round of it this year, Luke Massey has produced some of our favourite African photography and this year he is offering a fantastic opportunity for amateurs to travel into the bush with him.
Joel Santos
Awarded the prestigious Travel Photographer of the Year title in 2016, Portuguese born Joel Santos has travelled the world far and wide, capturing the everyday moments that make it so special. With our Indonesia team on high alert over the potential eruption of Mount Agung recently, we've been reminded of our fascination with volcanoes, and there's nobody better to turn to in search of dramatic volcano photography than Joel. In fact, such is Joel's addiction to volcanic photography that he once nearly suffocated from sulphur gas while shooting in a volcano crater in Java (now that's suffering for your art)!
Check out his website and be prepared to be very impressed.
Garlinda Birkbeck
The eye is undoubtedly most often drawn to the most kaleidoscopically colourful images but there can be beauty in even the most barren corners of the globe. Garlinda Birkbeck's work is a case in point and is so striking precisely because of its lack of colour. Stark landscapes and isolated objects are given the emphasis they deserve with an eerie black and white moodiness that forces you to analyse the photograph in more detail. Maybe the grey British winter has gone to our heads but there's something brilliantly haunting about Garlinda's photography.
Original Travel has just proudly sponsored Garlinda's recent exhibition of photography from her trips to Iceland, Patagonia and the Atacama Desert with us, and we urge you to check out her work on her website, and in Garlinda's blog post which she wrote for Original Travel.