PUTTING THE WORLD ON SHOW - Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition opens at RGS (with IBG)

Malgorzata Pioro/TPOTY.com

Louis Montrose/TPOTY.com

Thomas Kokta/TPOTY.com

A scuba diver swims alongside a friendly Beluga whale, as the gentle giant ‘smiles’ straight at the camera. The Northern Lights put on an incredible show above a tent on a snowy landscape. Mysterious figures stalk the streets of a Mexican town celebrating the Day of the Dead. A man dances in front of an electric ‘sun’ at Tate Modern. And a lone adventurer makes a jaw-dropping descent as he abseils a thundering 225m high waterfall.

These are just a few of the glorious and engaging images now on display in the magnificent, free-to-view, Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in London. Featuring the winning entries from the 2011 Travel Photographer of the Year awards (TPOTY), the exhibition runs until August 19th. It is open 9.30am – 5pm Monday to Saturday and 10am – 4pm on Sundays.

It offers a chance to step away from the hustle and bustle as London prepares for – and then plays host to – the Olympic Games. Visitors can take a visual journey around the globe, through the eyes of the hugely talented amateur and professional photographers who beat entrants from over 90 countries to take the top places in the awards. Just a few minutes walk along Exhibition Road from the Natural History, Victoria & Albert and Science Museums, it’s the latest ‘must-do’ London attraction!

The exhibition also features a number of special showcases, plus archive images from the Society’s own collection of historic travel photographs, giving visitors a chance to view pictures dating back to the pioneer days of photography – such as a wonderful shot of Papua New Guinean tribesmen quizzically examining an old gramophone.

Visitors have the opportunity to buy the beautiful new Travel Photographer of the Year portfolio book, Journey Four, containing the winning images from the 2011 and 2010 awards. The latest in a highly collectable series, it is on sale for the first time ever, price £25. The exhibition also sees the launch of the TPOTY Collection of greetings cards, miniprints and framed and unframed prints, available at the gallery. Finally, visitors can choose their own favourite image and be entered into a prize draw to win a tailor-made trip to Cambodia with Explore.

Travel Photographer of the Year is the world’s leading travel photography award. Last year’s exhibition broke all attendance records for the Society’s exhibitions, bringing in thousands of Londoners and British and international tourists, all keen to see world-class travel photography in an impressive setting. This year’s exhibition should provide the perfect inspiration for those considering entering the 2012 TPOTY awards, which are now open for entry.

For more information on the exhibition and awards, please visit www.tpoty.com