Merit Winner: The Village of Gásadalur. Outdoor scene category. “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.” Location: Gásadalur, Faroe Islands. Photo #2 and “quoted” caption by © Ken Bower/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Merit Winner: Lost in Time – An Ancient Forest. “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.” Location: Avenue du Baobab, Morandava, Madagascar. Photo #3 and “quoted” caption by © Ken Thorne/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
The first place winner was Butterfly: Sense of Place Winner. “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.” Location: Wakhan Corridor Afghanistan. Photo #4 and “quoted” caption by © Cedric Houin/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
One of Seven Merit Winners — Bagan Bliss: Sense of Place. “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.” Location: Bagan, Myanmar (Burma). Photo #8 and “quoted” caption by © Peter DeMarco/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
What’s Up? Spontaneous Moments. “Hundreds of adolescent elephant seals live on the beach eating and learning adult behavior before leaving the island. It is a cacophony of sound and activity until noon, when everyone seems to take a siesta. As I walked by these sleeping seals, one of them popped up his head as if to ask, ‘What’s up’?” Location: South Georgia Island. Photo #11 and “quoted” caption by © Barbara Engel/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Lava Kiss. Spontaneous red hot kissing moment erupts on Kalapana, Hawaii. “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!” Photo #13 and “quoted” caption by © Dallas Nagata White/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
The ice cave experience: Sense of Place. “Deep, blue and cold. The frightening experience of climbing inside an ice cave on the north face of alpine summit at 3800 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.” Location: Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix, Haute Savoye, France. Photo #14 and “quoted” caption by © Kamil Tamiola/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Dust Dance — a spontaneous moment in Norton, Kansas. “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.” Photo #17 and “quoted” caption by © David Mayhew/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Blizka: Sense of Place, abandoned and forgotten. “The Buzludzha Monument on a 1,441-meter-high peak was built by the Bulgarian communist regime to commemorate events in 1891 when the socialists led by Dimitar Blagoev assembled secretly in the area to form an organized socialist movement. It was opened in 1981. No longer maintained by the Bulgarian government, it has fallen into disuse. Approaching and visiting the building in the middle of winter was a real adventure.” Location: Bulgaria. Photo #20 and “quoted” caption by © Thomas Jorion/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Gotcha! Spontaneous Moments. “Another day on safari but not an ordinary one. Suddenly my guide starts the ignition and away we go toward the river. He just received word the migration was happening just a short drive away. We arrive at the rivers edge with not an inch to spare between vehicles. Tourists gather to watch one of the natural wonders of the world. We pull a bit further up river. The jeep didn’t even stop. My guide yells to me ‘Take Picture Take Picture!’ Caught by surprise crossing the river just outside of Bataleur camp in the Masai Mara. And believe it or not-he got away!” ( African Safari) Location: Masai Mara Kenya. Photo #25 and “quoted” caption by © Irene Nathanson/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Sand Spirit: Outdoor Scenes. “My son, Skye, named this image because he said that it looked like ghost floating in the air. I agreed with him, and thought it slightly ironic because the Navajo people who have permits to guide this canyon had closed it for the entire day. They closed Upper Antelope Canyon to bless it, and give back to the ancestors. Vern, our guide, informed us that they take from the canyon by profiting from the tour guides, and that sometimes they just need to give back to the spirits in the canyon. For some reason the wind was howling through the canyon the day after the blessing, and I got this shot.” Location: Upper Antelope Canyon. Photo #26 and “quoted” caption by © Matt Walker/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
The Perfect Waterfall: Outdoor Scenes. “Huang Xi – thats how this waterfall is callled. It`s 50 km away from Luang Prabang, Laos. I arrived early in the morning long before the first tourist set a foot into the crystal clear water. So many cascades where the water runs above. But you have to pick the right time in the year. Summertime when the waterlevel is low it`s a good time. A saw a lot of different waterfalls but this one was one of the best.” Photo #27 and “quoted” caption by © Thomas Hagenau/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Moonlit Hohokam Road, Saguaro National Park West, Arizona: Outdoor Scenes. “After a full day’s hike around Saguaro, I found myself returning in the darkness, having once again miscalculated my daylight allowance. I stepped carefully along the darkening trail, scanning the ground for silhouettes of rattlesnakes and spiny chollas. Luckily, this was a full-moon night, and my path was soon illuminated with a blue-grey haze, criss-crossed with shadows of tall cactus sentinels. I finished my hike by moonlight, and stopped to take this picture on the drive back to my campsite.” Location: Hohokam Road, Saguaro National Park West, Arizona. Photo #28 and “quoted” caption by © Matt Relkin/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Popocatepetl Volcano Explosion: Spontaneous Moment. “Last year I was climbing for the 18th time the Iztaccíhuatl volcano (5287 masl), it was Sunday 20th November 2011 and it was my last weekend living in Mexico before I left my country because of a new job. I was climbing with some of my best friends and it was a kind of farewell. We were at the south summit when suddenly the terrain vibrated and we heard a roar. The result was this image and one of the most amazing memories I’ll have for the rest of my life.” Location: Parque Nacional Izta-Popo, Mexico Photo #33 and “quoted” caption by © Miguel Valencia Villaseñor/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
The Angel’s Share: rock climbing Outdoor Scene. “Visiting Italian climber Michele Caminati climbs at sunset in the Peak District National Park on the aptly named ‘Angel’s Share’ route. Originally the climb was far more dangerous but with the introduction of bouldering mats (crash pads used to break the climbers fall), the climber can now focus purely on the technical difficulty of the climb. It is rumoured that the first ascentionist Johnny Dawes used a combination of tree branches and car seats in order to break his fall.” Location: Black Rocks, Matlock, Derbyshire, England. Photo #35 and “quoted” caption by © Nick Brown/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Flower Island of the Azores: Outdoor Scenes. “Traveling from Bermuda to Europe, the first grass, trees and cows sailors see after days of just Atlantic Ocean is the island of Flores. Overlooking the small town Fajãzinha, on the right one of at least 20 waterfalls of Ribeira Grande that flow into see here. On the horizon Fajã Grande, Europe’s westernmost village. 4000 inhabitants life very remote, visited by a few tourist per year only. Flores and the smaller Corvo are part of the North American tectonic plate, unlike all other Azorean islands which sit on the European plate. Flores on UNESCO’s list of World Network of Biosphere Reserves.” Location: Fajãzinha, Flores, Azores, Portugal. Photo #46 and “quoted” caption by © Sybrand Treffers/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Man vs Nature: Outdoor Scenes. “A balmy 41 degree day and ominous storm clouds promised a little more excitement than normal at Perth’s Australia Day celebrations. The crowd was more impressed with the lightning than the million dollar fireworks and this photo shows why. In the battle for awe inspiring sky shows…. nature wins, hands down.” Location: Perth, Western Australia, Australia. Photo #48 and “quoted” caption by © Matthew Titmanis/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
A snapshot from mountaineer‘s life: Sense of Place. “Have you ever wondered how does a mountaineer’s day start? I will give you a hint: you wake up at 3 am, set the stove, wake up your partner, pretend it is warm, quickly consume a high-calorie breakfast, watch your friends slowly ascending the icy slopes of your dream summit with their tiny head torches glimmering against perfectly blue ice, and hope for the good weather. One would ask: why all this trouble? The answer is easy: for the love of the adventure and the unknown.” Location: Chamonix, Haute Savoye, France. Photo #49 and “quoted” caption by © Kamil Tamiola/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
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