Joanna Harper’s ‘The Boy who likes to Swim’ pipped all the other contenders to become the grand-prize winner. “The decision was based not only on the fact it captures a beautifully intimate moment, but also because it’s technically fantastic,” said National Geographic Traveller’s art editor, Chris Hudson.

Not only does Harper appear in the Photography Competition supplement, she has also won a once-in-lifetime trip to see the Northern Lights in Finland with The Aurora Zone and a top of the range camera and kit, courtesy of Tesco.

Six-runners up (category winners) have also been selected and will receive a Nikon S6100 Red Camera, courtesy of Tesco:

People: Sanjay Gupta from Hull and his image of a Maasai tribesman.
Culture: Andrew Cheek from Hatfield and the Shwezigo Pagoda, Burma.
Nature: Jesus del Toro Garcia from London and his shot of two horses in Essaouira, Morocco.
Landscapes: Martyn Ferry from Oxfordshire and his shot of Manarola in La Spezia, Italy.
Adventure: Samantha Crimmin from East Sussex and the star trails above South Georgia.
City: Nick Board from Reading and his photo of Ho Chi Minh City.

The judging panel consisted of Carol Enquist, National Geographic’s photo editor; Jonathan Briggs, editor of the British Institute of Professional Photography’s (BIPP) The Photographer magazine; Marina Syrmakezi from The Association of Photographers; and Chris Hudson, National Geographic Traveller’s art editor.

Chris Hudson said: “We’d like to thank everyone for their support in our inaugural National Geographic Traveller photography competition, we have been impressed at the incredibly high standard of submissions, whether professional or amateur – and we think Joanna Harper is a truly worthy winner.”

To see the winners and the shortlist, visit http://photos.natgeotraveller.co.uk