Travel Photographer of the Year Awards, sponsored by Cutty Sark

The Travel Photographer of the Year Awards (TPOTY) for 2012 were launched recently at an event to celebrate their 10th anniversary, and for this we were invited to attend a presentation at the Mayfair Hotel in central London.

Cutty Sark whisky are a major sponsor of the awards, and have created special a prize for the overall winner, the Travel Photographer of the Year 2012. This consists of a cash and commission element (to shoot images for the brand), and more significantly the winner will also have the chance to create 50 bottles of their own whisky under the guidance of Master Blender, Kirsteen Campbell. This process includes the selecting of different whiskies from various casks, and also the designing of their own label.

Cutty Sark blended whisky was launched as a light bodied blend in 1923, at the height of cocktail culture, and contrasted with many blends of the time which tended to be dark, rich and sweet or had a smoky component. It features in numerous films reflecting its popularity in the USA (Goodfellas and Raging Bull for example), and more recently it has enjoyed success in Southern European markets, especially within the on trade. The core range has expanded to include the following age statements: 12 year old, 15, 18 and 25, and more recently the launch of a limited edition, the Tam o' Shanter.

The TPOTY awards form one of the world's most prestigious photography competitions, with entrants from over ninety countries taking part. In 2011 the competition entered into a five year partnership with the Royal Geographical Society, and as a result the winning images not only receive an assortment of desirable prizes, but also have their images exhibited at the Society (between June and August the following year), and are published in the TPOTY series of 'Journey' books. Entries for this year close on 17th September and further information can be found at: www.tpoty.com.  Examples of previous entries can be seen below:

Cultures by Philip Lee Harvey

Spirit of Adventure by Franco Banfi

There were two Cutty Sark cocktails for us to sample on the night. The first was served as a short, and contained lemon zest, juice and essences over ice, topped up with a generous measure of whisky. This was strong and invigorating. The second cocktail contained Triple Sec, lime juice, whisky and was topped up with soda and garnished with a slice of lime. This made an ideal tall and refreshing drink, showing this versatile whisky at its best.

Cutty Sark is widely available and should cost between £18-20 per 70cl bottle. For further information visit: www.cutty-sark.com