As always, this year’s Geographical Photographer of the Year competition, sponsored by Olympus , attracted a huge number of entries, with the judges sifting their way through around 1,000 images. And again, as always, the standard was extremely high, the judges praising the range of different styles and executions. The one disappointment, particularly given Geographical’s heritage, was the paucity of entries in the Expeditions and Fieldwork category. Indeed, the judges felt that none of the images entered were of a high enough standard to win and no prizes were awarded. But we’re sure you’ll agree that the other winners, shown here, were more than deserving of theirs



Meet the judges (from left)

Colin Finlay: after spending seven years at Getty Images, Colin is now a co-owner of Photoshot, where he is responsible for sourcing the best photographers and image suppliers for the library
Keith Wilson: the editorial director of Outdoor Photography and Black & White Photography magazines, Keith is also the author of The AVA Guide to Travel Photography
Sophie Gerrard: a professional photographer since 2005, Sophie recently won a Jerwood Photography Award for her images of the growing problem of electronic waste in India, which also appeared in the Guardian’s Weekend magazine




The Geographical Photographer of the Year 2008 Exhibition

A selection of the best images were showcased at a special exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society in March 2008.