Photography Winning Entries

An exhibition showcasing the winning and shortlisted images from the third Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) will open at London's Royal Geographical Society in late September as part of a global tour.

It is the first time the awards have visited the UK. The theme of the competition this year is 'Beauty of Light'.

It was established in 2011 and is open to photographers of all abilities, with an overall prize fund of £248,000, making it the world's biggest photography prize.

It includes spectacular landscapes, intimate portraits and stunning black and white images by photographers from around the world. The pictures incorporate shimmering deserts, Vietnamese fishermen, birds of prey and child monks.

The exhibition will also showcase the work of five British photographers.

Sun and shadow: A man leads a camel across the dunes, leaving footprints in the sand

A weather-beaten man's eyes and head-dress stand out from the gloom as he sits by a camel

The light: A young Buddhist monk, swathed in shadow, gazes out into the sunlight. A man framed in sunlight walks towards the camera across a tiled floor

A bird in a window is captured against a backdrop of trees

Natural splendour: A train of camels are led across the desert

The theme of the competition this year is 'Beauty of Light'. It is the first time the awards have visited the UK

Vertigo: A school bus depot as seen from high overhead

Thai fishermen haul their heavily-laden craft to shire in this breathtaking black and white image

Vivid: Fields cut into the slope of a hillside are captured in a myriad of colours

Jade reflection: Aurora Borealis over Straumsvik in Iceland, September 19 2012

Predator: A bird of prey swoops in this action shot

Haunting: A man in a canoe paddles through mist and darkness in this evocative photograph

Frozen monolith: A cyclist is dwarfed by a massive snow-encrusted bridge. An adult bathes a child as trees loom overhead in this beautifully-composed image

A boat floats serenely among flamingos as the sun bounces off the water

Camouflage: A lizard's colouring matches the leaf upon which it stands