At just 12 years old, Kiama Public School student Leonardo Murray has won the prestigious 2024 Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) Award in the category for photographers aged 14 and under.

TPOTY is an international photography competition, run by photographers for photographers, and is open to both amateur and professional photographers worldwide. Leonardo is thrilled to have received this recognition.

“I am very grateful and proud of myself,” says Leonardo. “This is such an amazing milestone, and I’m honoured to be recognised as one of the best travel photographers under 14 in the world.”

The photos submitted for the competition were all taken during a trip Leonardo took with his father, Ignacio - also a professional photographer - to the Namib Desert in Africa.

Part of of 12-year-old Leonardo Murray's award winning collection of photos depicting the Namib Desert.

One of the judges for TPOTY, Jeremy Hoare, wrote of Leonardo’s images: “Beautiful landscapes capturing the majesty of the Namib Desert. For someone so young to see and capture the near abstract shapes and rhythms in this set shows a sense of image perception that is remarkable. At 12 years old, these show a good creative eye and use of light balancing the natural light and in-camera technique.”

A standout image from Leonardo’s collection features a vast golden sand dune cutting diagonally through the frame, with a tiny human figure standing at the top.

Part of of 12-year-old Leonardo Murray's award winning collection of photos depicting the Namib Desert.

“We had to climb the highest sand dune in Namibia to capture the amazing view,” Leonardo recalls. “It wasn’t too difficult for my brother and me, but my dad, who was carrying the camera gear, didn’t think it was so easy!”

Leonardo explains how one of his favourite photos came about: “I waited for my dad to catch up, but my brother went ahead. I took a photo of him in the distance - he’s the tiny figure on the dune.”

Leonardo’s passion for landscape photography and his deep connection to the natural environment come through in his work.

“Since I was little, my mum has taken me hiking and camping in remote places, so I’ve always loved being in nature. I feel really comfortable in the wild, and I want to show others how amazing these places are,” he says.

In addition to photography, Leonardo has been developing his bush survival skills with the Kiama Scouts.

While he’s passionate about photography, Leonardo keeps his future options open.

“I’ve always loved creative arts and the outdoors. Sometimes I see something and just want to capture it. Photography will always be a hobby of mine, but I’m also interested in exploring other things,” he says.

The Bugle congratulates Leonardo on his outstanding achievement and looks forward to seeing where his creativity takes him next! Hopefully we can feature some of his future local work.