The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) has awarded Blaine Harrington III top honors as the 2022 Photographer of the Year in the prestigious SATW Bill Muster Photo Awards. Eric Lindberg and Eric Stoen also scored high marks as the Silver and Bronze Photographers of the Year respectively.
Named for the late Bill Muster, a renowned photographer, and SATW member, the SATW Muster Photo Awards recognize excellence in travel photography featuring nature, people, and cultures. These awards are presented each year at SATW’s annual convention which took place in Milwaukee this year. The images are taken between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2021, and entrants must be SATW members.
“This award has become one of the most highly sought after in travel journalism,” said SATW President Larry Bleiberg, ”which is a testament to the extraordinarily high standard of excellence that the contestants, year in and year out, bring to their work. SATW’s Board of Directors values the Muster family’s passion for capturing the world’s monuments and people, its natural landscapes and culture, through the lens of a camera, and for their support of SATW’s photographers.”
After serving in WWII, Bill Muster graduated from the University of Illinois and devoted his life to capturing images for newspapers and media companies. He was a venerated member of the SATW community. Since 1981, SATW has presented the Muster Awards and cash prizes for travel photography in a range of categories awarded at the annual convention. After Bill Muster died in 1989, his children Nori and Bill Jr., have generously continued their father’s legacy with an annual gift that funds the cash prizes awarded for individual photos as well as portfolios.
The Winners of the 2022 SATW Bill Muster Photo Awards Are:
Photographer of the Year: Gold – Blaine Harrington III; Silver – Eric Lindberg; Bronze – Eric Stoen
Single Subject: Gold: – Gary Crall; Silver – Ellen Clark; Bronze – Art Meripol
Action/Adventure: Gold – Mark Downey; Silver – Bob Holmes; Bronze – Marlene Goldman
Animal: Gold – Paul Rubio; Silver – Greg Vaughn; Bronze – Karen Leperi; HM – Michael Snell
Culture: Gold – Lina Stock; Silver – Donnie Sexton; Bronze – Jim Ferri; HM – Stuart Dee
Natural Scenic: Gold – Greg Vaughn; Silver – Stuart Dee; Bronze – Mark Downey
People General: Gold – Dino Vournas; Silver – Sandra Foyt; Bronze – Marlene Goldman
People Portrait: Gold – Bob Holmes; Silver – Mark Downey; Bronze – Karen Leperi
Founded in 1955, SATW and its members have adapted continually to meet an-ever changing media landscape. Today, SATW remains the nationߣs premier professional travel media organization comprising 1,000 of the travel industryߣs most experienced journalists, photographers, editors, broadcast/video/film producers, bloggers, website owners, media relations experts, and hospitality industry representatives from the United States, Canada and beyond. All members must meet and maintain the industry’s highest standards of productivity, ethics, and conduct, and support SATW’s mission of “Inspiring Travel through Responsible Journalism.” 360 Magazine is excited to see people getting recognition for their work, especially for photography.
SATW is a vibrant resource in and to the travel industry for bringing travel media and destinations together. Importantly it has become a community where professionals can network, learn through professional development, share peer-to-peer best practices and experiences, and build relationships. At its annual convention, SATW also presents the Phoenix Awards, given to destinations for cultural and natural preservation, and the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, the industry’s highest honors in travel journalism.
SATW also champions the ongoing struggle for racial equality with formal statements of diversity, equity, and inclusion publicly welcoming all races, religions, ethnicities, physical abilities, and the LBGTQ community. This initiative is supported by an active Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Committee, which presents programs on diversity and seeks to ensure the membership is inclusive and welcoming to all professionals.
