December 27, 2013

Readers’ travel photograph competition: 2013 winners

After 12 months of judging your travel photos under very distinct themes, we round up the best of the best

readersgallery: Train between Dhaka and Chittagong, Bangladesh — Dominic Burdon, winner of January's 'action' theme: I took the photo on top of a moving train between Dhaka and Chittagong, Bangladesh's two largest cities. It's common to see this type of action in Bangladesh, either for thrill-seeking or fare-dodging. I wanted to take a documentary-type shot of the children riding the train and took several shots with different exposure settings before I was able to create the movement effect in the background. Photograph: Dominic Burdon

readersgallery: tiger snake — Kris Bell, winner of February's 'animals' theme: Melbourne is Australia's second largest city and is regarded as the country's cultural capital, but many people don't know that the river that runs through the city centre is home to highly venomous tiger snakes. This much maligned snake is actually very unassuming and I spent many hours watching joggers, dog-walkers, cyclists and picnickers pass within feet of these amazing animals on the popular riverside walks, without being any the wiser. Photograph: Kris Bell

readersgallery: Cornwall — Callum Morse, winner of March's 'water' theme: This image was taken while swimming off the north coast of Cornwall at sunset. Sunrise and sunset are always the best times to shoot the surf. This particular wave swung in perfectly coinciding with the sun breaking through the clouds and the back-lit wave just popped with a spectrum of colours. Photograph: Callum Morse

readersgallery: Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India — Graeme Reynolds, winner of April's 'threes' theme: I captured this intriguing scene during a trip to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan in north-west India. As I watched them interact for several minutes, the two vividly coloured rose ringed parakeets at the front seemed as unconcerned about me as they were of their friend behind, who appeared to look down on them disapprovingly. The birds' tail feathers and the tree branches combined to make the shape of an "X", so the image shows two kisses! Photograph: Graeme Reynolds/GuardianWitness

readersgallery: Kayan girl — David Craik, winner of May's 'costume' theme: After a typical Thai taxi ride up to the Doi Suthep temple in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, we were ready for a long saunter around the peaceful surroundings. Little did we know that we would be faced with 300 steps to climb! When building up the courage to start the hike, our eyes, and my camera, rested on this cheeky little Thai girl who, while taking a short break from posing for photos, let her guard down for just a second to enjoy some freshly bbq'd corn! Photograph: David Craik

readersgallery: New York City - View from Top of the Rock — Yen Baet, winner of June's 'cities' theme: Perhaps the best view of New York City can be found from the Top of the Rock. The 70th-floor observation deck can be accessed through the GE Building in Rockefeller Center. From here, one can take in breathtaking views of the Empire State, Central Park, the landmark bridges and as far as the Statue of Liberty on the Hudson river. Photograph: Yen Baet/GuardianWitness

readersgallery: Been there readers' comp - Simon Smith — Simon Smith, winner of July's 'landscapes' theme: This was the most striking berg of our journey. The ice had taken about 10 years to drift from an Antarctic glacier to the low-current waters off the north-eastern coast of South Georgia. Photograph: Simon Smith/GuardianWitness

readersgallery: Budapest — Jenny Downing, winner of August's 'street life' theme: This photo was taken in the bitter cold and persistent rain of a grey, wintry Budapest. It was just a fleeting moment; my husband and I were on our way to lunch and I noticed the reflection of this beautifully patterned tiled dome in a puddle on the pavement. I stopped to take a photo and fortuitously, someone walked briskly past just as I pressed the shutter. I have flipped the resulting image by 180 degrees. Photograph: Jenny Downing

readersgallery: John Hodgson, Sept photo comp — John Hodgson, winner of September's 'work' theme: This photo was taken at a busy market in Kathmandu, Nepal. The city itself is incredibly photogenic with a non-stop buzz of activity – be that religious, social or, in this case, at work in one of the city's many markets. Photograph: John Hodgson/GuardianWitness

readersgallery: Hoi An, Vietnam — Iselin Shaw, winner of October's 'faces' theme: I met this woman while I was studying in Hoi An, Vietnam. I was walking along the beach with my camera when she offered my some nuts. I took the nuts and asked if I could take a picture of her, to which she agreed. The language barrier then led us to have a 10-minute conversation consisting mostly of laughter. Photograph: Iselin Shaw/GuardianWitness

Readers' photos: colour: Fisherman, Hoi An, Vietnam — Erlend Dalhaug Daa, winner of December's 'colour' theme: a fisherman uses a plate to bale out his boat amid a sea of green plants covering the surface of this river close to Hoi An, Vietnam. Photograph: Erlend Dalhaug Daa/GuardianWitness

readersgallery: Jellyfish Lake, Palau — Super Jolly, winner of November's 'sunlight' theme and overall 2103 winner: Jellyfish Lake is secluded behind the tranquility of white sandy beaches and gentle waves on one of the paradise islands of Palau in the western Pacific. I saw a dense mass of golden spheres glistening in the sun’s rays and I was quickly plunged into a spooky alien world.

Natalie Meyer, judge: With good reason, the overall prize for the year goes to the photographer of this beautifully balanced and tranquil picture. I have walked through the monthly winners time and time again, but this is the one that always jumps out at me – for the reasons that it is technically and visually just 'right'. Well done! Photograph: Super Jolly/GuardianWitness

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