October 5, 2021 – 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 extraordinary 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 Crallé; 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

The SATW Membership

Founded in 1955, SATW and its members have adapted continually to meet an-ever changing media landscape. Today, SATW remains the nation's premier professional travel media organization comprising 1,000 of the travel industry's 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.”

A Welcoming, Vibrant and Professional Community

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 membership is inclusive and welcoming to all professionals.

MEDIA REQUESTS: For additional information and interviews with SATW President Larry Bleiberg, or with incoming SATW President Elizabeth Harryman, contact SATW's External Communications Manager, Victoria Larson, victoria@vklarsoncommunications.com. For information about SATW and its membership, contact SATW Executive Director Marla Schrager, mschrager@satw.org.

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