Experiences of a Lifetime Photo Competition: The Top 10 

In January 2024, we launched our inaugural guest photo competition, giving our travelers the opportunity to share photos from their Scott Dunn vacations over the last 10 years. With the theme “Experiences of a Lifetime” there was no shortage of epic submissions. It was incredible to experience the wonder of travel through our guests’ lenses, and really appreciate the impact an unforgettable trip can have on our life.

Last month, after tough deliberation, our guest judge, professional photographer Scott A. Woodward, narrowed it down to a top 10 before selecting our winner and two runners up. The Top 10 features photographs from Chile, Mongolia, Iceland, Kenya and more. A huge congratulations to our winner Suzana Lightman and the rest of the top 10, and a special thank you to each guest who entered and shared their experiences of a lifetime. Explore the full list below.

First Place – Suzana Lightman

Title: “Flamingos in the Atacama”

Location: Atacama Desert, Chile 

Quote from our judge: “As soon as I saw this photograph, I instantly knew it would make the top 3. The composition, lighting, and symmetry are fantastic. This is a photograph I'd proudly hang on my wall. It's beautiful and emotionally captivating and it clearly adheres to our theme of ‘Experiences of a Lifetime’… Congratulations Suzana!”

Second Place – Davina Grundemann

Title: “Eagle Hunter”

Location: Mongolia 

Quote from our judge: “You’ve documented this ‘experience of a lifetime’ beautifully. I really feel the intensity of the eagle’s glare, I love the lighting and the thrill and exhilaration of being there. It draws me in, and it is a wonderful portrait. Congratulations on second place, Davina!”

Third Place - Finn Hanley

Title: “Trip to Iceland”

Location: Iceland 

Quote from our judge: “I love this photograph. The moss, the mist, the maritime feel. It’s a beautiful photograph – the barn to the right, the man in the yellow coat in the center of the frame and the dramatic mountains in the background. It has a real strong visual appeal to me. The triumphant body language really capsulises this ‘experience of a lifetime.’ Congratulations, Finn!”

Fourth Place – Alex Wood

Title: “Elephant Parade”

Location: Kitirua Conservancy, Amboseli National Park, Kenya 

Story behind the image: “Matriarchal herd moving across the dry Amboseli plains. The lake was in flood due to the heavy rains this year, however large groups collected around the water’s edge and then walked back into the heart of the national park in large groups. The herd would move right toward the car in curiosity before veering off and carrying on. This picture was of a small sub-group within a much larger herd.”

Fifth Place – David Painter

Title: “Red rocks in the Altiplano, Atacama Desert, Chile”

Location: Atacama Desert, Chile

Quote from our judge: “The colors in this picture are so striking - the blues unfolding across the lake, the marbling of the mountains behind and the cobalt sky. It’s clearly a beautiful destination and David’s done a great job at capturing this. I can feel his excitement through the photograph. A fantastic image that truly draws me in.”

Sixth Place – Dan Fogarty

Title: “View of Alila Jabal Akhdar”

Location: Oman 

Story behind the image: “When I first saw this view of Alila Jabal Akhdar in a magazine, it stopped me in my tracks and I thought “Where is this?!? I have to go there!” I read the caption: “Oman? Where’s Oman?” I was nervous at first, knowing nothing about the country or even the region. But after I spoke with my Travel Specialist, she gave me the perfect rundown of the country. Asked what I liked to do, she’d actually been all over the country before and loved it and could recommend exactly what I was looking for. She quickly sent me the most detailed itinerary with every detail filled out and taken care of.  Just a few months later I was in this exact spot, taking this picture on the edge of this steep canyon, of the exact view that brought me here.”

Seventh Place- Lucas Lu

Title: “Swallowed by a Cravas”

Location: White Desert, Antarctica 

Quote from our judge: “Taken from deep in the cravas. It has a huge emotional draw to it – this perspective, drama, fear, exhilaration. As a photographer, I love to add a person to a photograph as they give a sense of drama and scale and Lucas has done this perfectly, so bravo to you Lucas!”

Eighth Place – Claire Palles Clark

Title: “A view of Mendoza from the Catena Zapata winery"

Location: Argentina 

Quote from our judge: “A beautiful photograph taken by Claire through a window at the Catena Zapata winery. Super striking, right off the bat - the yellow crop, the blue sky and the brick building eels very magical. It gives a wonderful sense of place and transports me right there. It has real postcard quality and a true experience of a lifetime.”

Ninth Place – Robin Balen

Title: “Early morning hot air balloon ride over Napa Valley”

Location: Napa Valley, California, USA 

Quote from our judge: “It has this beautiful ethereal quality to it. It’s very hopeful with the sunlight, the clouds, the hills. It makes me feel like I want to be there and has a lot of warmth, I love it.”

Tenth Place – Belinda Tan

Title: Leaping into 2024!

Location: White Desert Antarctica 

Quote from our judge: “What I really liked about this photograph was the human element of the penguin. It is fun, whimsical and captured my attention from a fun point of view. Compositionally it’s captured really well. It’s in the moment and captures the moment perfectly.”

Keep an eye out for more entries which will feature on our social media soon!