The 11 Winners of National Geographic’s 24th Annual Traveler Photo Contest

The 11 winners of National Geographic’s 24th annual Traveler Photo Contest have been announced. These eleven images were chosen from more than 12,000 entries submitted by 6,615 photographers from 152 countries in four categories: Travel Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place, and Spontaneous Moments.



First place winner, by Cedric Houin. “This image was shot in the Kyrgyz lands of the Wakhan Corridor. The intimacy of this everyday life moment, shot inside of a family yurt, is in total contrast with the harsh environment these nomadic tribes live in. On the right we notice a television and a sound console. These tribes live weeks away from any village by foot. In spite of being located at an altitude of 4,300 meters in one of the most remote areas of Afghanistan they are equipped with solar panels, satellite dishes and cellphones. Ancestral ways of living, with touches of modernity.” (© Cedric Houin/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





Second place winner, by Vo Anh Kiet. “H’Mong minority children were playing with their balloons on a foggy day in Moc Chau – Ha Giang province, Vietnam. Shooting time Jan 2012.” (© Vo Anh Kiet/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





Third place winner, by Andrea Guarneri. “During the Easter holy celebration called ‘Misteri’ (mystery) in Trapani, the devotees carry the scenes of Christ’s passion on their shoulders all night long. When the day comes they take a break.” (© Andrea Guarneri/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





Viewer’s choice winner, by Michelle Schantz. “A lonely cabin is illuminated under the Northern Lights in Finmmark, Norway.” (© Michelle Schantz/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





One of seven Merit winners, by Lucia Griggi. “Taken at Cloud Break at an outer reef in Fiji, a surfer duck dives his board to clear the rolling waves of the raw ocean.” (© Lucia Griggi/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





A Japanese maple, by Fred An, one of seven Merit winners. “This is the great Japanese maple tree in the Portland Japanese Gardens. I tried to bring a different perspective of this frequently photographed tree.” (© Fred An/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





One of seven Merit winners, by Ken Bower. “The village of Gásadalur and the island of Mykines in the background. Until a tunnel was built in 2004, the 16 residents living in Gásadalur had to take a strenuous hike or horseback over the steep 400 meter mountain in order to make it to the other villages. It was a rare sunny day in the Faroe Islands and I had to wait until the clouds rolled in to provide some softer light. I decided to go with a long exposure (1 minute 10 seconds) to illustrate the force of the wind and a serene sea among the isolated islands.” (© Ken Bower/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





One of seven Merit winners, by Peter DeMarco. “More than 2,000 Buddhist temples and pagodas fill the plains of Bagan. Once the capital of the Pagan Empire, farmers now raise their livestock within the centuries old complex. The best way to see Bagan, apart from a ride on a hot air balloon, is by bicycle. It’s easy to get off the beaten path and live out your wildest Indiana Jones fantasy.” (© Peter DeMarco/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





One of seven Merit winners, by SauKhiang Chau. “The Last Supper Of Da Vinci? No, They are just some old men of Chefchaouen with djellaba, sitting and talking each other.” (© SauKhiang Chau/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





One of seven Merit winners, by Camila Massu. “My sister in the south of Chile. We are sitting at home next to the fireplace in our southern lake house when it suddenly began to pour uncontrollably. Had to rush into the lake to take this snapshot!” (© Camila Massu/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





One of seven Merit winners, by Ken Thorne. “Near the city of Morondava, on the West coast of Madagascar lies an ancient forest of Baobab trees. Unique to Madagascar, the endemic species is sacred to the Malagasy people, and rightly so. Walking amongst these giants is like nothing else on this planet. Some of the trees here are over a thousand years old. It is a spiritual place, almost magical.” (© Ken Thorne/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Great photos from the top 40 that didn’t win but still deserve recognition…

Dust Dance: A tornado tightens up and kicks up a lot of dust as it heads straight for me, roping out and dissipating approximately 1/2 mile from my location less than a minute later. The tornado was on the ground for a total of 4 minutes. To the right of the main tornado another funnel with a debris cloud on the ground can be seen. The tornado was a rare cold core tornado that had papers written up about it a few days later, referencing my photos. This is one of seven tornadoes I saw that day, making it my most successful storm chase to date. June 20th, 2011 near Norton, Kansas at 2:32pm. (© David Mayhew/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





Lava Kiss: My husband and I, along with a tour guide and a group of friends, hiked up to what was formerly the Royal Gardens subdivision above Kalapana, Hawaii, where the last standing house was just recently taken over by the active lava flow. While waiting for the rain to pass, we started taking back-lit portraits of each other in front of the lava flow after I set up my camera on the tripod. For the last photo, my husband spontaneously dipped me in a kiss. It was a truly once-in-a-lifetime moment! (© Dallas Nagata White/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





Fly by: This photo was taken on the ice near Arctic Bay last month. As far as we know, it is the highest latitude passenger flight on a hot air balloon ever. It was quite the sight to see a hot air balloon fly between the iceberg columns — it is one iceberg but looks like two. (© Michelle Valberg/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





African leopard jumping in a tree in the Samburu National Reserve in Kenya. (© Juan Hernandez/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





Silky Floor: After a dive in the Bahamas, a group of curious silky sharks come to investigate our boat. (© Jorge Cervera Hauser/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





The Cave: Deep, blue and cold. The frightening experience of climbing inside an ice cave on the north face of alpine summit at 3,800 m above sea level is very difficult to describe in words. Especially in summer, when all the glacial ice melts making the place for completely new formations. You need to stay focused, pay attention to every single move and commit yourself entirely to this climb. The reward?! An amazing experience of climbing something pure and truly unique. (© Kamil Tamiola/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





Leading Lines: A slow shutter image of the Kuching Waterfront located in Sarawak, Malaysia. (© Sharkawi Che Din/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





Dragon Wave: This photo was taken from the rocks at Ke’e beach, as a wave formed into the shape of a dragon. (© Lace Andersen/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

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