Renato Granieri’s King penguins win National Geographic Traveller photography prize

Photographer Renato Granieri has won the grand prize at the National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition with a shot of two beak-locked King penguins. The London-based Italian photographer captured the birds on South Georgia, an island in the Atlantic Ocean east of Argentina’s most southerly tip.

National Geographic Traveller art director Chris Hudson says, “There is an element of tenderness in the image, which contrasts with [the stark white background], and in the composition Renato has managed to capture a touching moment with exceptional technical and compositional skill.” Renato, whose clients include numerous tourist boards, The Press Association and the Rwandan Government, was awarded the accolade alongside a photography trip to the Carpathian Mountains in Eastern Europe.

Awarded annually, the prize is split into six categories: Action, Nature, People, Urban Portfolio and Video. Other winners include Daniel Burton’s shots of earth, wind, fire and water for series Elements; dogs sledding in Svalbard by Stuart Dunn; Simon Morris’ portrait of a hunter and his golden eagle at home in Mongolia; a dog peeking into a cafe window in New York by John White; and Timur Tugalev’s film Lost In Cuba.

Work by the winners and finalists is currently on display at Wallacespace in London’s Covent Garden and has been compiled into an accompanying book.