See the winning images in the International Landscape Photographer of the Year awards

The gorgeous wilds of Patagonia and New Zealand are captured in the winning images of the International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.

Chosen from more than 3500 entries by over 850 photographers, the winner of international competition is Maxe Rive from the Netherlands. His photographs, which show off the beautiful mountainous landscapes, secured him the top award. Winners are judged on a portfolio of landscape images, from amateur and professional photographers. Rive’s accomplishments for 2017 were twofold, as he also took home the award for International Landscape Photograph of the Year, which is given to a single image.

Rive was commended for his “distinctive visual approach applied to some stunning locations”. The photographs were taken during his travels in Patagonia and New Zealand, which involved hiking through each region’s most beautiful territory. Rive says has called himself a professional photographer for the past three years, adding that photography gives him a purpose while he goes hiking through the mountains.

“With photography, you take home something more than just memories. I think it is the combination of traveling, experiencing new things and being in the outdoors on the one hand, while working on something and leaving a part of your spirit and vision behind in the form of art on the other hand, that makes landscape photography the perfect combination for me”.

The second place winner is Adam Gibbs of Canada, while the third place winner is Huibo Hou of the US. The top 101 landscape photographs are also included in a book. More information can be found on the official website.