Travel photo of the year competition: Win a trip to Western Australia

The UK's biggest competition for travel photographers

With opportunities for amateurs and pros alike, the UK's biggest and best travel photo competition is on the lookout for entries. In 2014, the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year competition – in association with The Independent – received thousands of submissions, many of which inspired, moved and surprised our team of judges.

The competition seeks out spell-binding photos from all corners of the globe. Winning photos will be printed in these pages and Wanderlust magazine, and shown at Destinations 2016, the UK's top holiday and travel show.

The four category winners of our Amateur competition will have the chance of a lifetime – a Wanderlust photo commission to Western Australia thanks to Tourism Western Australia – while the winner of our Portfolio contest (open to all) will take home a cash prize of £3,000.

Amateur category: Wildlife-rich waters, vast rocky expanses, and more sunshine than anywhere else in the world: that's why Western Australia is one of travel's most exciting draws. From its endless white beaches separating the rugged red interior from its deep-blue ocean reefs, Australia's largest state is a nature lover's dream.

Its diverse landscape is just one attraction – the capital, Perth, is a vibrant city full of culture. All this is why Wanderlust has teamed up with Tourism Western Australia (westernaustralia.com) to whisk four winners off on an extraordinary photographic commission. Selected results will be showcased in The Independent Traveller and Wanderlust magazine on their return.

Photos entered into the Amateur category can be taken anywhere, but must be a travel image (not your cat or your back garden!) and fit one of the four categories: People, Wildlife, Landscape or Travel Icons. The Travel Icons category is for pictures of people, places or events that have achieved a landmark status in the travel world.

Portfolio category: Can you create a series of shots that tells a story? Then put your creative talents to the test. The Portfolio competition is open to amateurs and professionals, who should enter five eye-catching shots, all of which are remarkable in their own right but, when blended, tell a tantalising tale about the world we travel in. Like the Amateur competition, Portfolio entries must fit one of our four categories: People, Wildlife, Landscape or Travel Icons. However, there will be just one winner, who will bag themselves £3,000. All Runners Up and Highly Recommended entrants will win amazing Nikon cameras. The Runners Up will get a fantastic Nikon D5500 D-SLR + 18-55 VR II Lens (RRP £719.99) and the Highly Recommendeds will win the Nikon COOLPIX P610 (RRP £339.99). See nikon.co.uk for details.

For full terms and conditions go online to travelphotooftheyear.co.uk or get the October issue of Wanderlust. The closing date for entries is 31 October 2015.