sunday times travel photo competition

How I won the Sunday Times Travel Magazine photo competition – and how you could too

How to win a travel photo competition, even if you’re a total amateur.

I’m just an average photographer. No particular skill, no particular talent. I use a camera that cost about £300. I usually shoot on auto.

I still won the Sunday Times Travel Magazine photo competition.

You could win a travel photo competition too.

While we’re all in lockdown, and you’re not travelling and taking new photos, it’s a good time to do something with your old photos.

We’ve already shown you how to turn your travel blog into a stunning hardback photo book . Next we’ll have a look at how to easily edit and enhance your travel photos in minutes. Today, why not dust off some of your old photos and win a travel photo competition.

There are some very prestigious travel photo competitions, and if you’re talented enough to consider entering then you don’t need me.

But even if you are a total amateur and think that there’s nothing particularly special about your photos, you can still win prizes and get your photos into print, simply by targeting the right competition and picking the right photos.

I like to achieve new things. i’m always working on the next thing I want to do. One of the things I wanted to do was to wind a travel photo competition. I didn’t think I was good enough, I thought my photos weren’t technically good or artistically good.

Didn’t stop me.

I began looking around for competitions where I might stand a chance. I’m not going to win photographer of the year, but when I see the reader photos that are getting published in travel magazines like Wanderlust or the Sunday Times Travel Magazine, I see three things:

• A lot of very similar photos
• Photos that aren’t that much better than some of mine
• Photos taken by regular travellers, not professional photographers

If a regular traveller with a camera can win, and the photos that win are just ordinary travel photos, and a lot of them are very similar, then how hard can it be?

The Sunday Times Travel Magazine Photo Competition

The Sunday Times Travel Magazine Photo Competition is a good one to target. It runs every month in the magazine, so you have 12 chances to win every year. The winners are published in the magazine, and seeing your photo published is almost as satisfying as actually winning a prize.

There is a prize. OK, you’re not going to be winning thousands of pounds, and you’re not going to have publications offering you paid photo assignments, but you can win something. I won a very nice carry-on suitcase worth £350. (I sold it on eBay for £300.)

Here’s my winning entry:

Here’s the original photo:

It’s one of many I took when I travelled through Myanmar. By the way, if you go to Myanmar, do the balloon flight at Bagan . It’s sensational.

The Shwedagon Pagoda is actually covered in real gold. At sunset, when some monks started walking around up on the terrace at the base of the stupa, I whipped out my camera, zoomed in, and grabbed a few shots. It’s quite a dramatic setting.

The photo that helped me win the Sunday Times Travel Magazine photo competition stood out from all the others because of the sea of gold looking warm in the sunset, and the solitary monk looking isolated against the background.

If I’d zoomed out just slightly, you would have seen three other monks right behind him. he wasn’t by himself at all, but by framing the monk by himself it makes the image more interesting. It’s easy to think of the life of a monk being one of individual contemplation and calm, and the picture fits that view.

The second picture, with the three monks, is still interesting because it’s an unusual scene, but it’s too busy and not nearly as striking.

I think (and I can only make assumptions) that’s why I won. The photo is different from all the usual ones.

If you look at the pages of travel magazines or travel photo competitions, you’ll see a lot of stuff that is essentially just a variation on the same old cliches. The portrait of an ethnic person with a blurry background. Some colourful fruit and veg with a blurry background. An exotic animal emerging from some mist. Some interesting architecture emerging from some mist.

How many portraits with a blurry background must photo competition editors have to look through?

How many photos of some colourful fruit on a market stall?

How many pictures of a blue lake up in a mountain?

So how do you increase your chances of winning? Stand out from the crowd.

Look through your photos and find the one that is different .

The unusual setting, the unusual colour, the unusual action, or the unusual point of view.

You’ll catch the judges eye if you stand out from the stream of cliches.

You need a photo that is in focus and reasonably sharp, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s going to be printed in a magazine, not blown up and hung in an art gallery.

Think about how it might look on a magazine page. There needs to be some colour, and a clear subject.

So, dig through your photos and look for the ones that stand out from the rest because they are different .

There are plenty of other regular magazine or newspaper or website travel photo comps. I also got published in Wanderlust. Didn’t win anything, and now I can’t find my copy of the magazine to scan the page, but it was very satisfying just to get printed.

All you have to do is hunt through your photos, find something different from all the regular stuff, submit it, and keep trying until you win.

About The Author

Alistair Todd

Sunday Times: Big Shot Photography Competition

We know how much you love to travel and share your beautiful pictures which is why we are the proud sponsors of the 2022 Sunday Times - Big Shot photography competition.

Our favourites!

Over the last year thousands of you entered the competition, submitting your best and most inspiring travel pictures from around the world. We selected just a few of our favourite pictures and enjoyed spending time going through them all.

Above image: Great White by Mark Hunter

This years winners are...

Overall winner | stable relationship.

2nd Place | Board Meeting

3rd Place | Flying Visit

Hopping District

Out of the blue

Make a splash

Chilly Season

Caught Red Handed

Learned Friend

Flying Colours

Tough Crowd

Land Blubbers

Sign up for our newsletter

Be the first to hear about our latest offers, exciting itineraries and inspirational articles.

More From Forbes

Best travel photos: 15 winners of life framer’s world traveler photography awards.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Abbey Road, Winner, Second Prize: Curious penguins follow passengers of the Ponant expedition ice ... [+] breaker "Le Commandant Charcot," Hanusse Bay, Antarctica.

From the mountains of Bulgaria to Antarctic penguins accompanying people trekking, from salt flats in Bolivia to beerhalls in Germany, the winners of Life Framer’s World Travelers Photo competition are amazing.

The 2022 contest was judged by celebrated travel photographer Steve McCurry , who is a Magnum Photos member, four-time World Press Photo winner and creator of several of the most iconic images of our time.

The directive was simple: There’s a world out there to explore. Open your eyes to its landscapes, people, cultures – on your doorstep or 10,000 kilometers away. Expand our horizons with views from the four corners of the globe.

The winners and shortlist of 20 images include street photography, landscapes, portraiture, documentary and conceptual work. A mini-world tour from the perspective of amateur and professional photographers working around the world – that reminds us of the small space each of us occupies in our vast world and the sense of fulfilment in exploring beyond it.

Best Travel Insurance Companies

Best covid-19 travel insurance plans.

Life Framer’s photography awards showcases creative photography from amateur and professional artists. Every annual contest is overseen by a world-renowned photographer or industry professional and winners are exhibited in gallery spaces across the planet.

Sailors & The Sphinx, Winner, First Prize

Members of the French navy's bagpipe band "Bagad Lann Bihoue" visit the Sphinx in October 2020, their first and only outing during covid. Due to this being at the height of travel lockdowns during the pandemic, the normally extremely crowded tourist sight was virtually void of tourists, making for a very surreal scene to stumble upon.

Steve McCurry commented: “It can often be challenging to create a personal point of view at famous landmarks. This image feels authentic and tells a story.”

A shepherd from the Rhodopemountains in Bulgaria, Finalist.

Cradling a lamb in his warm embrace against a backdrop of unforgiving terrain, the image gives a sense of the combination of hardness and softness required for such a life.

Looking out beyond the frame, the subject seems lost in thought surveying his landscape, and we’re invited into his world for just a moment. With beautiful lighting, the bright colors of his artisanal blanket and the thoughtful pose, it’s an image that celebrates rather than denigrates such a lifestyle that may seem so far removed from our own.

An escape as well as a pocket of tranquillity among the chaos of apartment blocks, cranes, yachts ... [+] and power lines. Finalist

Travel for many is synonymous with relaxation and this aqua blue pool provides an inviting escape as well as a pocket of tranquility among the chaos of apartment blocks, cranes, yachts, power lines and beach umbrellas.

A well-balanced scene offering an interesting perspective on modern ideas of leisure, tourism, wealth and status – few places are more associated with such words as Monaco.

The Dreams We Had Obibini Girls surfing in Busua, Ghana. Finalist

This image of a surfer girl in Busua, Ghana appears in an ongoing project entitled “The Dreams We Had” that the photographer is working on in Ghana and Sierra Leone.

“I am trying to capture the life of kids and teenagers in different towns and cities,” de la Reina explained. “The focus is on discovering how different it is growing up in different parts of the world, and how similar some of the dreams and aspirations of these kids are.”

The image is a wonderfully evocative, low-key portrait of this Ghanaian girl, far removed from the image of a surfer most of us will have in mind. By stepping back, De La Reina roots her in this beautiful landscape and reminds us of the rich world that exists beyond the stereotypes and boundaries we sometimes hold.

Dusk view of the Avenue of the Baobabs at Morondava, Madagascar. Finalist

Shot at dusk as the light begins to fade, muting the colors of the day, the photographer creates an atmospheric scene that looks likes an oil painting.

The mighty baobab trees tower over this single car making its way through the landscape, their distinctive forms reaching up to a vast and empty sky. It’s a magical moment infused with adventure – one of those privileged, unexpected glimpses of beauty we’re treated to when traveling through a new place.

Tibetan artisans of Norlha Atelier, Ritoma, Ganan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Finalist

Shot in soft, washed-out lighting and set against a backdrop of lush rolling hills, Kin Chan’s portrait of these Tibetan artisans is dreamy and evocative.

There’s something theatrical in the arrangement of people and lanterns, and it’s an image that lingers because of it.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, the world’s largest salt flat. Finalist

This image comes from Latin America. It was taken in the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,the world’s largest salt flat, a legacy from a prehistoric lake that went dry, leaving behind a nearly 11,000-square-kilometer landscape of bright-white salt, rock formations and cacti-studded islands.

“During wet season, the whole salar is a huge mirror and you can't tell the difference between the ground and the sky,” the photographer explains.

This stairs to nowhere, a sculpture by artist Gastón Ugalde, purely made of salt, is supposed to represent "the passage to the sky."

Travel affords us the opportunity to see spectacular architecture, art work and monuments, and so travel photographers have to be aware of a certain truth: that an image of a spectacular thing isn’t always a spectacular image. This photo elevates the stairway beyond a simple tourist snapshot.

Taken from a raised viewpoint by drone against a setting sun, it maximizes the sense of scale and the tire-marked texture of the salt flats. With the drawn out shadows and lone silhouetted figure, it’s truly hypnotic, on first glance as if the staircase is jutting above low clouds.

Oktoberfest in Munich. Finalist

The Oktoberfest, an annual 16-to-18 day folk festival running from mid-September to around the first Sunday in October in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest festival, featuring a beer fest and a traveling fun fair that attracts more than six million international and national visitors.

Locally, it’s called d'Wiesn and its an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations that modeled after the original Munich event.

Large quantities of Oktoberfest Beer are consumed during the celebration. The record was established in 2014 when 7.7 million liters were served.

This busy, pastel-toned aerial shot in a packed beer hall, is a visual feast, offering an insight into the curious ways we celebrate tradition and spend our leisure time. With festivities taking place below idyllic hand-painted village scenes and a perfect sky, it provides an interesting comment on the real and the artificial, community and capitalism, while offering fun diversion exploring all of the people and details that the photographer captures in crisp focus.

Pick-up soccer on the wet streets of Malecon in Havana. Finalist

This image of boys playing pick-up soccer on the wet streets of Havana’s Malecon feels almost timeless – the black-and-white treatment and silhouetted figures untethering it from a place in time.

When we think of Cuba, we think of blue skies, colorful buildings and busy streets. So it’s refreshing to see this perspective, brilliantly composed to allow the viewer to absorb each figure and detail. They say bad weather makes for good photography, and it’s certainly true in this case.

Mounted on horseback, on the beach. Finalist

Only the most minimal of image statements are provided alongside this candid beachfront slice of life. So we’re left asking who these young men are. Are they out for leisure? Or trying to pick up tourists next to the food stall for beach horse rides?

Regardless, it’s an exceptional composition, every pixel of the frame filled with interest, and the photographer’s crouched point of view finding a sense of order, each element given its own space. It’s a deceptively difficult thing to achieve: to create a satisfying visual arrangement that grounds the viewer in the moment in such an immersive way.

A migrant from Haiti stands by the border wall in Tijuana

A migrant from Haiti stands by the border wall in Tijuana that stands as a symbol of separation, supremacy and racism.

Travel can be driven by curiosity and a desire for fun, but also by necessity. In a world where we create artificial boundaries, and discussions on immigration can often reduce people to numbers, this image of the border wall between Mexico and the United States makes real the concept of human movement: the lone man looking out to sea and the handwritten text on the wall acting as a poignant reminder that it’s all just driven by circumstance and the hope of finding something better at the other end of the journey.

The moon ahead is perhaps a small beacon of hope, hinting compassion and togetherness can eclipse fear and otherness

A stop along Route 66, the highway slicing the United States in half from Los Angeles to Chicago.

Route 66, the highway slicing the United States in two from Los Angeles to Chicago, is a cultural touchstone, synonymous with the great American road trip.

So embedded is it in our popular conscious that its visual language – endless straight roads, remote gas stations, motels and vintage neon signs – has become something of a cliché, over-photographed and often perversely uninspiring.

It’s a long road covering an almost endless array of terrains however, and this image offers something different to those well-worn perspectives. The signage may be immediately recognizable but the lone tree bursting forth from simple housing against a thick foggy sky creates a scene imbued with a strange eeriness, a ‘nowhereness’ of being untethered from a specific place.

Road trips are about adventure, of heading out into the unknown for new experiences, and this compelling image channels those feelings quite effectively

At dawn's first light, two friends converse in front of a Burmese puppet stall shrouded in fog in ... [+] Bagan, Myanmar. Finalist

Partially obscuring this scene by shooting into the fog and golden morning light, the photographer creates a scene which, while capturing a touristic aspect of Myanmar in this puppet stall, also feels authentic and enchanting.

One can imagine oneself in his shoes, exploring the streets and absorbing the atmosphere as the busy day wakes into life in a lovely shot that makes great use of light and shadow.

In Kyrgyzstan, many make their living as shepherds. Finalist

In Kyrgyzstan, many make their living as shepherds. They rarely own their own sheep, but earn a small income by managing them for others.

The comforts are minimal, but still sought — a cigarette when possible, climbing a mountain to get the best cellphone reception, sharing a YouTube video with a friend, to eventually return home and repeat the process the next day.

One could romanticize this way of life as more in tune with the natural world, but the day-to-day reality is far more complicated.

“I spent just 10 days up in the At-Bashi mountain range with Kyrgyz shepherds and their families, in small villages, and a local school, following and observing their routines,” said Michelia Kramer. “They spend all day, every day, with this reality. To intentionally step outside of our comforts for the sake of adventure is disillusionment in itself, yet the spectacle and the true beauty of nature does provide knowledge and wonder. To live in it constantly comes at a cost.”

Kramer’s statement provides an interesting perspective on the nature of travel and tourism, of the tricky aspect of voyeurism inherent in experiencing for a pleasure a life harder than one’s own.

Her single frame captures something of this hardship: the bone-chilling cold emanating from the scene in a beautifully aesthetic way; the sheep and mountainous valley cutting strong diagonal lines; and the bright overcast light rendering the scene almost in black and white. It’s immersive and tactile.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

OGGLE EARTH

The biggest-selling monthly travel magazine..

The Sunday Times Travel Magazine brings you the best writers, the best photography and the best, in-depth travel information every month. With over 150 inspiration-filled pages, it is perfect if you are looking to plan your next big trip, a weekend away or you just enjoy reading about exciting destinations – there is something for everyone.

Subscribe now and have The Sunday Times Travel Magazine delivered to your door or pick it up in store from all good newsagents and supermarkets.

Subscribe now

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

The Winners of Our Teen Photo Essay Contest Depict Community and Why It Matters

From 528 teen entries, we have chosen 10 extraordinary pieces. Take a look.

By The Learning Network

Our “Where We Are” photo essay contest asked a lot of students. First they had to choose and document an interesting local, offline community, both photographing and interviewing its members. Then, they had to weave it all together with an introduction and captions so that, whether they focused on a roller derby team in Los Angeles or nomadic reindeer herders in China, we viewers were taken inside.

But it wasn’t the technical requirements that intimidated these teenagers most. Instead, they told us over and over in their accompanying process statements, the hardest and the most rewarding part of the project was getting up the nerve to approach people they didn’t know.

Here is how Allison Park, 16, a runner-up, described it:

Living in suburban New Jersey all my life, I’ve always been on the outskirts of New York City, not only geographically but culturally. As a teen who has always been into alternative music and style, I have grown up feeling like I would fit in so much better with N.Y.C. culture and N.Y.C. teens. That’s why I seized the opportunity to immerse myself in an underground, D.I.Y. group of N.Y.C. kids making music. The hardest part for me was honestly getting over the fear of reaching out to this foreign community. These kids were intimidating to me because I thought they were so cool. But as I got over my fear and actually got to know them, I realized that everyone was welcoming. I made friends right off the bat.

Allison calls the community she documented “a vessel of connection, expression and escape,” and that feeling is palpable not just in her work, but in the work of all the winners. Because of the length and complexity of each piece, we are featuring just one photo essay in full. But after you scroll through our winner’s delightful piece , we hope you’ll also visit this collection to see how nine more runners-up overcame fear to make something wonderful.

As always, we invite you to leave comments for these young photojournalists to tell them what you thought.

All finalists are listed in alphabetical order by the creator’s first name. If you are one of the finalists and would like your last name published, please have a parent or guardian complete our permission form [PDF] and send it to us at [email protected] .

Chloe Moon Flaherty , 18, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles: “ The L.A. Derby Dolls Take Up Space ”

To see excerpts from nine more excellent pieces, visit this post.

Allison Park , 16 , Ramapo High School, Franklin Lakes, N.J., and JD Noonan , 16, New Design High School, New York, N.Y.: “The N.Y.C. Underground Teen D.I.Y. Music Scene”

Andrew Li, 17 , Tsinghua International School, Beijing: “The Last Reindeer Herders of China”

Finn Feldman, 17 , Centaurus High School, Lafayette, Colo.: “At This Rock Climbing Gym, ‘Everyone Belongs’”

Hannah Tang, 15 , Western Academy of Beijing, Beijing: “The Boys in Ballet”

Jaewon Yoon, 15 , Salisbury School, Salisbury, Conn.: “The Football Team at This All-Boys Academy Teaches Its Diverse Players How to Be Brothers”

Jiajia Long, 17 , Maumee Valley Country Day School, Toledo, Ohio: “At Maumee Valley Country Day School, Fifth-Grade Girls Unite for District Championship Dreams”

Madeline Leluc, 15 , Charleston County School of the Arts, North Charleston, S.C.: “A Four-Legged Community for Everyone”

Ruixin Zhang, 16 , Tsinglan School, Dongguan, China: “At Dehong, Yunnan, Jingpo Children Are Branching Out With Their Own ‘Prop Roots’”

Sydney Voorhees, 17 , Willow Canyon High School, Surprise, Ariz.: “After Years of Indigenous Trauma, The Indian Fair and Market Unites All Walks of Life”

Honorable Mentions

Alysson Estes, 16 , Jackson High School, Jackson, Mo.: “The Southern Illinois Pagan Alliance Creates Community and Family for Everyone”

Antonio Suarez, 18 , Eric J., Manuel A.and Andrea R. , Robinson School, San Juan, Puerto Rico: “Buzzer Beater: A Puerto Rican Phenomenon”

Caliyah Bassette, 17 , Glenbard North High School, Carol Stream, Ill.: “The Show Stompers”

Carleigh Bowen-Aretz, 17 , Strath Haven High School, Wallingford, Pa.: “Finding Community at the Firehouse”

Catalina Campos, 18 , The International School Nido de Aguilas, Santiago, Chile: “Chilean Rodeo: What Is Behind Each ‘Clasificatorio’?”

Celina Huo, 16 , Aliso Niguel High School, Aliso Viejo, Calif.: “Magic of the Shea Center Impacts the Lives of the Disabled in Orange County”

Danna Ramirez, 17 , Alisal High School, Salinas, Calif.: “Scorching Days and Aching Backs”

Derek Jin, 17 , Noble and Greenough School, Dedham, Mass.: “Change the Game”

Dove Williams, 17 , Ithaca High School, Ithaca, N.Y.: “ReUse: Experiments in a Circular Economy”

Elaine Wang, 13 , and Elsa W., American School Hong Kong, Hong Kong: “The Stories Hidden in a Car Park”

Emma Pakola, 16 , Tappan Zee High School, Orangeburg, N.Y.: “Together Down in the Pit”

Ivana Nguyen, 15 , Marblehead High School, Marblehead, Mass.: “Nurturing Nature’s Palette: The Acorn Gallery School of Art”

Jane Wagle, 17 , Elizabeth S., and Lana C. , Lakewood High School, Lakewood, Ohio: “Burning for Roller Derby”

Kamya Ramachandran, 16 , Podar International School, Mumbai, India: “In Mumbai, Sunday Church Visits Are an Oasis for These Au Pairs”

Madelyn M. Bae, 15 , Hunter College High School, New York, N.Y.: “The Dance Studio: The Magic You Don’t See”

Mathias Nguyen-Van-Duong, 17 , Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood, N.J.: “The Boys in the Boat”

Mellissa Nielsen-Williams, 17 , Varndean College, Brighton and Hove, England: “In a Bar in Brighton, Every Artist Has a Studio”

Muai Li, 13 , Arcola Intermediate School, Trooper, Pa.: “A Tribe Hidden in the Mountains”

Rongyu Zhou, 16 , Beijing National Day School, Beijing: “The Water Is Motionless and Fluid”

Ryan Kim, 17 , St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju, Seogwipo, South Korea: “The D.J. House”

Stella Keyes, 16 , Mayfield Senior School, Pasadena, Calif.: “For Teenagers in Los Angeles, the High School Band Scene Redefines ‘Connection’”

Wanyi Li, 16 , Shanghai Foreign Language School Affiliated to SISU, Shanghai: “The Culture of Sharing: How Residents in Yuqing Confront Modern Challenges”

Xianglin Lyu, 15 , Keystone Academy, Beijing: “The Da-Liang Mountains”

Additional Finalists

Here is a PDF of all of our finalists, including 55 additional entries that made it to the last round of judging.

Thank you to our contest judges.

From the team who produces the Where We Are series that inspired this contest: Alice Fang, Eve Lyons and Jennifer Harlan

From The Learning Network: Jeremy Engle, Katherine Schulten, Michael Gonchar and Natalie Proulx

Time in Elektrostal , Moscow Oblast, Russia now

• Tokyo 05:47PM
• Beijing 04:47PM
• Kyiv 11:47AM
• Paris 10:47AM
• London 09:47AM
• New York 04:47AM
• Los Angeles 01:47AM

Time zone info for Elektrostal

• The time in Elektrostal is 8 hours ahead of the time in New York when New York is on standard time, and 7 hours ahead of the time in New York when New York is on daylight saving time.
• Elektrostal does not change between summer time and winter time.
• The IANA time zone identifier for Elektrostal is Europe/Moscow.

Time difference from Elektrostal

Sunrise, sunset, day length and solar time for elektrostal.

• Sunrise: 03:38AM
• Sunset: 09:15PM
• Day length: 17h 37m
• Solar noon: 12:27PM
• The current local time in Elektrostal is 27 minutes ahead of apparent solar time.

Elektrostal on the map

• Location: Moscow Oblast, Russia
• Latitude: 55.79. Longitude: 38.46
• Population: 144,000

Best restaurants in Elektrostal

• #1 Tolsty medved - Steakhouses food
• #2 Ermitazh - European and japanese food
• #3 Pechka - European and french food

Find best places to eat in Elektrostal

• Best sushi restaurants in Elektrostal
• Best business lunch restaurants in Elektrostal
• Best pubs & bars in Elektrostal

The 50 largest cities in Russia

Current time by city

For example, New York

Current time by country

For example, Japan

Time difference

For example, London

For example, Dubai

Coordinates

For example, Hong Kong

For example, Delhi

For example, Sydney

Geographic coordinates of Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, Russia

City coordinates

Coordinates of Elektrostal in decimal degrees

Coordinates of elektrostal in degrees and decimal minutes, utm coordinates of elektrostal, geographic coordinate systems.

WGS 84 coordinate reference system is the latest revision of the World Geodetic System, which is used in mapping and navigation, including GPS satellite navigation system (the Global Positioning System).

Geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) define a position on the Earth’s surface. Coordinates are angular units. The canonical form of latitude and longitude representation uses degrees (°), minutes (′), and seconds (″). GPS systems widely use coordinates in degrees and decimal minutes, or in decimal degrees.

Latitude varies from −90° to 90°. The latitude of the Equator is 0°; the latitude of the South Pole is −90°; the latitude of the North Pole is 90°. Positive latitude values correspond to the geographic locations north of the Equator (abbrev. N). Negative latitude values correspond to the geographic locations south of the Equator (abbrev. S).

Longitude is counted from the prime meridian ( IERS Reference Meridian for WGS 84) and varies from −180° to 180°. Positive longitude values correspond to the geographic locations east of the prime meridian (abbrev. E). Negative longitude values correspond to the geographic locations west of the prime meridian (abbrev. W).

UTM or Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system divides the Earth’s surface into 60 longitudinal zones. The coordinates of a location within each zone are defined as a planar coordinate pair related to the intersection of the equator and the zone’s central meridian, and measured in meters.

Elevation above sea level is a measure of a geographic location’s height. We are using the global digital elevation model GTOPO30 .

Elektrostal , Moscow Oblast, Russia

• Yekaterinburg
• Novosibirsk
• Vladivostok

• Tours to Russia
• Practicalities
• Russia in Lists

Rusmania • Deep into Russia

Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

Plan your next trip to Russia

Ready-to-book tours.

Your holiday in Russia starts here. Choose and book your tour to Russia.

REQUEST A CUSTOMISED TRIP

Looking for something unique? Create the trip of your dreams with the help of our experts.

Change location

• Call us today until 5pm
• 01993 838 925 01993 838 450 or
• REQUEST A QUOTE

Audley Travel photography competition 2023

• Ranthambhore National Park

The world through your lens

We’re inviting you to join our community of visual storytellers by entering our 2023 travel photography competition, The world through your lens. It’s a chance to share the memories you’ve captured on your travels. Perhaps you formed a meaningful connection with a village elder along the Mekong River. You might have captured that perfect shot of a grizzly bear as it grappled for salmon along Canada’s western coast. Or, maybe you rose early to photograph Namibia’s burnt-orange dunes in the golden glow of dawn. Pick out your best shots to show us how you see the world.

Because we know no two trips are the same, there are no set categories — the images you choose are a reflection of your unique view of the world. The winner will be selected by award-winning photographer Harry Skeggs, our long-term competition partner. The photographer behind the shot he selects will receive a £5,000 voucher toward an Audley trip of their choice.

This year, you’ll also get to have your say. We’re introducing a Travellers' Choice Award, giving you the chance to vote for your favourite among a shortlist of entries selected by Harry. The winner will receive a £1,000 trip voucher. Make sure you’re signed up to our email list for your chance to vote.

This competition is now closed for entries.

Please read these terms and conditions carefully before entering the competition. By entering you indicate that you accept these terms and conditions, and you agree to be bound by them.

By entering, any entrant agrees to allow the free use of their names, photographs and photo locations for marketing purposes.

This includes, but is not limited to, publishing entrant’s photos in our Audley Traveller (UK) and Audley Traveler (US) magazine, on Audley Travel websites and social media channels, in email and postal mailings including the Audley Travel calendar and Audley Travel Brochures. Entrants must own the copyright to any photographs entered. Entrants will retain copyright to the photographs. All personal data submitted by an entrant in connection with this competition is submitted voluntarily. Audley Travel retains the right not to use an image.

No purchase necessary to enter or win prize. Purchase will not increase your chances of winning. By participating in the “Your shot, your story” (the “Contest”), each entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with these Official Rules and the decisions of Audley Travel UK and US Inc. (“The Promoter”), located at New Mill, New Mill Lane, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 9SX (UK) and 77 N Washington Street, Floor 4, Boston, MA 02114 (US). The Promoter’s decisions shall be final and binding in all respects.

Eligibility:

The competition is open to UK residents and U.S. residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia, 21 years of age and older.

Officers, directors, employees and members of The Promoter and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, distributors, retailers, sales representatives, advertising and promotion agencies (all such individuals and entities referred to collectively, the “Promotion Entities”), and each of their immediate family members and/or people living in the same household are NOT eligible to enter the Contest or win a prize. This Contest is void where prohibited.

Contest period:  The competition starts at 12.01 AM on 28th August 2023 and closes at 11.59PM on 20th September 2023 (the “Competition Period”). All times are GMT and any entries received outside of the Competition Period will be void.

How to enter: No purchase is necessary to enter or to win

You may enter by filling out our online form, ensuring all required text boxes are filled in correctly, and you have read and agreed to the competition terms and conditions.

This competition has two prizes. The first is a £5,000 ($6,400) voucher towards a custom Audley trip to a destination of the winner’s choice. The second is a £1,000 ($1,300) voucher towards a custom Audley trip to a destination of the winner’s choice. US prize amount has been rounded to the nearest hundred based on conversion rate on 22nd August 2023. Should the winners choose to create a trip with a greater retail value than the voucher, they will be liable for the additional cost. This voucher must be used by 31.12.2024. All travel is subject to the terms and conditions of Audley Travel Ltd, a copy of these can be obtained by calling Audley Travel Ltd on 01993 838 040 (UK) or +1 617-223-4500 (US).

If the winner is based in the US, they will need to submit a W9 tax form as they will be taxed on the value of the trip. The winner is liable for any and all taxes related to their prize, and will receive a Form 1099 from the IRS requiring them to declare the amount of their winnings.

There are no cash alternatives to the prize in whole or in part. The prize is not negotiable or transferable. The Promoter does not accept any responsibility if you are not able to use the prize voucher. Audley Travel reserves the right at any time to cancel, modify or supersede the competition (including altering prizes) if, in our sole discretion, this competition is not capable (for whatever reason) of being conducted, as specified. Audley Travel reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal value if circumstances beyond their control make this unavoidable.

Any costs incurred from changes post booking, such as a name change or other amends, are the winner’s responsibility to pay.

The winner is responsible for getting to any departure points (for flights etc), in time for security checks and the check-in procedures on the day of departure. Travel costs to airports are at the winner’s own expense.

The following exclusions apply: The prize does not include travel insurance, passport or visa costs, meals/beverages (unless otherwise stated), any applicable taxes not included in the price of the ticket, ground transportation, excursions or transfers (unless otherwise stated), personal spending money or any other costs of a personal nature not stated, all of which are the sole responsibility of the winner.

The Prize cannot be used in conjunction with any other Audley Travel or third-party discounts or special offers.

Entry requirements

Photographs must be the original work of the author. Entries which are or appear to be plagiarised will be disqualified. Entries for this competition must not contain any content that is defamatory, libellous, racist, homophobic, derogatory, pornographic, obscene, sexist, illegal, and/or otherwise inappropriate. Entrants must not do anything illegal and/or dangerous and/or that would put themselves or others at any risk. You must get the prior consent of anyone who features in your entry.

Image guidelines:

• All photos must be your own.
• Photographs must not have previously won an Audley photography competition.
• Photographs with minimal editing will be considered.
• Due to our responsible travel ethos, any entries depicting wildlife in an unnatural environment or captivity will be excluded from the competition.
• We will not accept images of children.
• Where a person is the focus of the image, please ensure you have the permission of the subject. (This only applies to images where the person is the key focus, not street photography).

Winner selection

This is a contest run by the Promoter and the winner will be selected based on the quality of photograph submitted. The decision (acting reasonably) will be final.

The winner will be notified by email, using the details they provided. All reasonable endeavours will be made to contact the winners, if a winner cannot be contacted or is not available (within 10 days of announcement of the winner) the Promoter reserves the right to select another winner. The winner will be selected by head judge Harry Skeggs, who will choose his favourite image to win.

The Promoter must either publish or make available information that indicates that a valid award took place. To comply with this obligation the Promoter will announce the winning entry via email and across its social media channels.

The Promotion Entities shall not be responsible for incorrect or inaccurate entry information whether caused by Internet users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest or by any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of the entries in the Contest. The Promotion Entities assume no responsibility or liability for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, theft or destruction, or unauthorized access to, or alteration of entries.

Judging criteria

Entries will be judged against a scale 1-5 (where 1 is low and 5 is high) according to:

• Skilled use of light
• Successful composition
• Originality

Personal data

The personal information supplied when entering this competition will be processed by us in accordance with our Privacy Policy . You should read our Privacy Policy in addition to the Terms and Conditions of this competition.

At any time, if you wish for your personal data to be erased from our systems please email [email protected] . However, if a request for data erasure is received prior to the conclusion of this competition then you will forfeit your right to winning.

All entrants agree to abide by these terms and conditions and the Promoter reserves the right to exclude entrants for any breach of these terms and conditions. The Promoter’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered in to.

Our previous winners

As inspiration, we’ve shared some of the winning images from our previous client and staff photography competitions below.

Trip ideas for photographers

Whether you’re inspired by a destination’s grand-scale landscapes, charismatic wildlife, or cultural traditions, we can shape a trip around your photography ambitions. Browse our ideas below.

Classic Rajasthan tour: forts, palaces & rural villages

16 days from £4,895pp

Antarctic Peninsula cruise

15 days from £9,480pp

Around Iceland's ring road self-drive tour

13 days from £5,425pp

Namibia's wildlife highlights self-drive safari

13 days from £4,895pp

Classic New Zealand extended self-drive tour

30 days from £10,995pp

Further inspiration

How to take inspirational travel photos: top tips from a professional

Elevate your travel photography on your next trip with advice from award-winning photographer Harry Skeggs, who’s journeyed from the Okavango Delta to the Pantanal in search of the perfect shot.

Meet our judge: photographer Harry Skeggs

Learn more about award-winning photographer Harry Skeggs, a dedicated travel enthusiast and judge of our 2022 photography competition.

I always look forward to seeing the photos my clients have taken on their travels. Whether it’s the orange-streaked sunset skies captured from their sundowner spot, a Maasai warrior silhouetted against the seemingly endless plains, or a close-up shot of an elephant’s skin, wrinkled like tissue paper, the images transport me back to the places I love most. Best of all, they show me that my clients now share my passion for Africa — job done. Africa safari specialist Arista