Winning photo of Weather Photographer of the Year 2021 reminds us why fog is so magical

As we’ve mentioned before, you don’t have to wait for the perfect weather or the golden hour to take amazing photos. As always, the winning photos of Weather Photographer of the Year remind us that this truly is the case. The Royal Meteorological Society has announced the 2021 contest winners, and they show all the beauty and versatility of different weather conditions we can find ourselves in.

Now in its sixth year, the contest received 8,900 photos taken by more than 3,300 photographers from 114 countries. But there can only be one winner, right? This year, the flattering title of Weather Photographer of the Year was awarded to Giulio Montini for his photo titled Morning Fog.

“This photo can only be taken from one point,” the photographer explained. “There is a small church on top of a hill in the town of Airuno, in the province of Lecco in Italy. Under the mist passes the river Adda. In the autumn months, on some days, it is possible to see this show with the first lights of sunrise. After 20 minutes, everything is over.”

Like every year, the contest also recognized the Young Weather Photographer of the Year, for photographers under 18 years of age. This year’s winner is Phoenix Blue from Kansas, with this photo Kansas Storm taken in Goddard, US.

Phoenix shot this gorgeous photo on an iPhone, which leads us to the exciting news for the competition. For the first time in six years, there’s now a Mobile Phone category. The winner in this category is Christopher de Castro Comeso from Abu Dhabi, UAE. His image Foggy Morning carries a similar title to the overall winning photo, but it’s very much different, showing one of the oldest landmarks in Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Hosn.

The contest also selects runners-up, which are then shared for the public vote. The 2021 Public Favorite is Serge Zaka and his image Lightning from an Isolated Storm over Cannes Bay.

There are plenty more fantastic photos among runners-up. Take a look at them below and make sure to visit Weather Photographer of the Year’s website for more information, and to keep an eye on the future contests.