WINNERS OF OG’S 7TH ANNUAL PHOTO COMPETITION

Our participants have been roaming the world; from Iquitos deep in the Peruvian Amazon to the bustling city of Accra, and from the riverside of Phnom Penh to the mountain ranges of the Himalayas, they’ve been taking us with them. We’ve been blown away by this year’s photo competition submissions! Every year the OG family grows, and we get to see more of the adventures they’ve embarked on, relationships they’ve forged, and peaks they’ve climbed. The competition was tough, but after 144 submissions and over 5000 likes, we’re excited to announce this year’s winners!

Julia Molle, 710 votesForsand, Norway

Julia Molle, 710 votesForsand, Norway

“Norway is such a magical place. This is taken looking out at the Fjords after reaching the top of Preikestolen. One of coolest places I have been. Norway is wild and beautiful.”

Jacquelyn Platis, 575 votesIsla Incahuasi, Bolivia

Jacquelyn Platis, 575 votesIsla Incahuasi, Bolivia

“As we slid across the sparkling flat surface, the unimaginable landscape of the Salar de Uyuni took my breath away. I remember gazing off at the blue sky’s stark contrast with the white salt, while noticing a small ‘island’ approaching in the distance. Once the mysterious mass of land became defined, we parked our adventure SUV and hopped out. Isla Incahuasi, is home to gigantic cacti, pictured here through one of the island’s coral-like structures. Before this photo was taken, I stood staring at this view with my hands by my side and the crisp salty air running through my lungs, cradling my body and soul.”

Samuel Davison, 435 votesMondulkiri, Cambodia

Samuel Davison, 435 votesMondulkiri, Cambodia

“Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder – On our second day of volunteering with Elephant Valley Project we had the luxury of meeting Milot, the beautiful elephant displayed above. We got to hear the background stories of Milot and the other elephants, the wrongs and injustices they were forced through in the past. Taken from the wild and worked. In Milot’s case she was a logging elephant, dragging heavy logs or other amenities needed by the people. These were strapped to a harness on her back. If uncooperative Milot would be whipped from behind by her mahouts leaving plenty of scars, bruises and cuts. Milot also was used to carry tourists around in a separate village. Milot is blind in her right eye from the abuse suffered by her owners. She now lives in EVP where she is happy and back into the wild.”

Thank you so much to our amazing community of ethical travellers for backpacking with a purpose and taking us along for the ride! Who knows what the next year will have in store.

CHECK OUT THE FULL ALBUM OF THIS YEAR’S SUBMISSIONS!