'Shot in low light, these images require immense skill to get right' – see the Travel Photographer of the Year 2025 and the stunning in-camera winning images

• Greek photographer Athanasios Maloukos scooped the top prize
• They entered two series of low-light images: 'Whirling Devotion' and 'Night of Sorrows'
• Judges billed the winner's portfolio as among the best they'd seen in the contest's 23-year history

Forget picture postcard views and Instagram-worthy shots of popular landmarks, the winner of this year's Travel Photographer of the Year scooped the top prize with an altogether different portfolio.

Greek photographer Athanasios Maloukos submitted two haunting series of low-light images: Night of Sorrows: The Yacente' Procession of Zamora, and Whirling Devotion: Rituals of Sufism in Anatolia.

I am speechless seeing that one of my most intimate, spiritual personal projects have touched the judges of TPOTY

Each series documents spiritual ceremonies in Spain and Turkey, respectively – the latter in particular beautifully captures a sense of motion and stillness with a masterful use of shutter speed – there's no ...