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I always look forward to seeing the new entrants for the annual National Geographic Photo Contest. This wonderful competition is open to everyone and attracts submissions from all over the world, and viewing the pictures is always certain to open up your eyes to new worlds and stir your feelings of wanderlust. The competition is currently accepting new entries and you can submit your own pictures here. In the mean time, marvel at this selection of 15 amazing photos that have already been put forward by photographers from across the globe. |
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1. Sunset Mountain Work (taken in Nepal) by Jonathan Abdipranoto |
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| Image rights: Jonathan Adripanoto for National Geographic Photo Contest |
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The photographer says: "Nepal is a special place to me for a number of reasons and I was fortunate enough to go back to see the Himalayas on a trek that offers amazing views of Mount Dhaulagiri and Mount Annapurna. The mountain landscape continued to blow my mind! After a strenuous and exhausting 6 hour trek to Kopra Ridge, I took this photo of Mount Dhaulagiri at sunset. In the foreground, a local Nepalese man is helping usher his mules up the ridge to a nearby eco-lodge that was in the middle of construction." |
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2. Ben Youssef Madrasa College (Marrakesh) by Takashi Nakagawa |
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| Image rights: Takashi Nakagawa for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "Even though there were a lot of people in Ben Youssef, still here was more quiet and relaxing compare to the outside of street in Marrakesh. I was waiting the perfect timing to photograph for long time." |
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3. Winter Spectacle (Japan) by Sho Shibata |
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| Image Rights: Sho Shibata for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "Mt. Hakkoda is snowy mountains to watch the rime in Aomori Japan. All around is covered with white world." |
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4. The Fire Down Below (Florida) by John Moran |
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| Image rights: John Moran for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "The effect is entirely natural but decidedly surreal as the swirling tannins of the Santa Fe River mix with clear spring water as Lesley Gamble begins her dive at of Devil’s Ear Spring in North Florida. The Land of a Thousand Springs, Florida is home to the largest collection of freshwater springs in the world." |
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5. Calbuco, The Awakening (Chile) by Francisco Negroni |
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| Image rights: Francisco Negroni for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "Calbuco Volcano is located in the lakes region south of Santiago, Chile’s capital city and is one of the 10 most dangerous volcanoes in the country. After more than 40 years of inactivity, the day April 23 the volcano erupts, spewing more than 200 million tons of ash and causing the evacuation of more than 2,000 people. In the picture is seen one of the most violent moments of the eruption, which occurred in the early hours of April 24." |
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6. Ahmed Kelly (Australian swimmer) by Alex Coppel |
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| Image rights: Alex Coppel for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "Born in 1991 with significant disabilities in all four limbs, Ahmed Kelly was left at a Baghdad orphanage where he spent the majority of the first seven years of his life. He was adopted by an Australian woman, Moira Kelly, and now lives in Melbourne. Ahmed finished fourth in the London 2012 Paralympic Games for 50m Breaststroke, and is in great shape to win a medal in twelve months when the Paralympics start in Rio, Brazil." |
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7. Rooftop Sleeps in Varanasi (India) by Yasmin Mund |
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| Image rights: Yasmin Mund for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "I arrived at my guest house in Varanasi at 5:30am, I instinctively climbed the 7 sets of stairs to the rooftop (which happened to be the highest in the vicinity) to see the sunrise over the famous Ganges River. As the sun was rising I looked over the right hand side of the balcony and my jaw dropped with disbelief. Below were families – mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sister and dogs all sleeping on the top of their houses. It was mid summer in Varanasi and sleeping sans AC was difficult." |
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8. Enchantment of Light and Shadows (Estonia) by Kaiti Lillipuu |
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| Image rights: Kaiti Lillipuu for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "After the sunset we saw that fog was forming and hoped that it would not fade away till morning so we set our alarm clock 3 hours before sunrise. Then we drove for two hours to the location and along the road we could see through the trees that the bog was fully covered in fog. We quickly set up our octocopter drone and flew over the trees, the opening view was breathtakingly beautiful - sunrays, fog, shadows, pools." |
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9. Daasanach Fisherman (Lake Turnana) by Christena Dowsett |
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| Image rights: Christena Dowsett for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "A young Daasanach fisherman guts and cleans a fish on the Eastern shore of Lake Turkana near the boarder of Ethiopia and Kenya. The Daasanach are Kenya’s second smallest tribe with between 60,000-80,000 members. They are traditionally nomadic, roaming between the two countries although with continued drought over the last 20 years about 30% have looked to the lake for food and income in fishing." |
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10. Dunes' Picture (Namibia) by Stas Bartnikas |
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| Image rights: Stas Bartnikas for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "This aerial shot was taken from a small plane over Namib desert, Namibia." |
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11. Terrace Paddies in North Vietnam by Qu'nh Anh Nguyen |
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| Image rights: Qu'nh Anh Nguyen for National Geographic Photo Contest |
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The photographer says: "Terrace rice paddies in Tu Le Valley, Yen Bai province, north Vietnam at the beginning of new season. The Hmong people are crossing the fields on their way home at the end of the working day." |
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12. Atocha (Madrid) by Javier Arcenillas |
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| Image: Javier Arcenillas for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "A little girl plays in the monument to the victims of the attack of 11M in Atocha train station in Madrid." |
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13. Flamingo by Yu Huiping |
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| Image rights: Yu Huiping for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "Flamingos are going to fly!" |
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14. The End of the World (Antarctica) by Brian Stetson |
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| Image rights: Brian Stetson for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photographer says: "A small group of emperor penguins gather near the sea ice edge. Ross Sea, Antarctica." |
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15. Aurora over Kirkujufell (Iceland) by Jonathan Zdziarski |
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| Image rights: Jonathan Zdziarski for National Geographic Photo Contest |
| The photograher says: "The Aurora Borealis making a grand appearance over Kirkjufell Mountain." |
