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Don't miss: The AMAZING winners of Nat Geo photo contest

Last updated on: August 06, 2013 08:48 IST
Wagner Araujo/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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The 25th annual National Geographic Traveler Photograph Contest received more than 15,000 entries from photographers around the globe, with contestants submitting their entries in four categories: Travel/Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place and Spontaneous Moments.

We present the winning photographs of the prestigious competition, which will be published in the December 2013/January 2014 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine.

First Place Winner: Dig Me River

Wagner Araujo of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, has been selected as the grand-prize winner of National Geographic’s 2013 Traveler Photo Contest. His winning photo, “Dig Me River,” captures Brazilian Aquathlon participants running into the Rio Negro.

“I was in Manaus, Amazonas, during the Brazilian Aquathlon (swimming and running) championship. I photographed it from the water and my lens got completely wet, but there was so much energy in these boys that I just didn't worry about that,’ the photographer says.

Araujo has won a 10-day National Geographic Expedition to the Galápagos for two aboard the National Geographic Endeavour.

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Second Place Winner: Thunderstorm at False Kiva

Last updated on: August 06, 2013 08:48 IST
Max Seigal/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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Max Seigal of Boulder, Colorado, United States of America, placed second for his image “Thunderstorm at False Kiva” and has won a spot in a National Geographic Photography Workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

“I hiked out to these ruins at night hoping to photograph them with the Milky Way, but instead a thunderstorm rolled through, creating this dramatic image,” the photographer says.

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Third Place Winner: Say Cheese

Last updated on: August 06, 2013 08:48 IST
Yanai Bonneh/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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Third place went to Yanai Bonneh of Negev, Israel, for his image of cheetahs, captioned “Say Cheese.” His prize is a six-day cruise for two on a Maine windjammer schooner.

“Cheetahs jumped on the vehicle of tourists in Masai Mara national park, Kenya,” the photographer explains

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Merit Winner: The TataHonda Sect

Last updated on: August 06, 2013 08:48 IST
Gergely Lantai-Csont/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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“I could get inside of an enclosed sect named Tatahonda in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The ladies are preparing for their religious ceremony,” the photographer Gergely Lantai-Csont explains.

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Merit Winner: Sakura

Last updated on: August 06, 2013 08:48 IST
Hideyuki Katagiri/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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“Cherry blossom is called Sakura in Japanese. Cherry blossom is a Japanese symbolic flower. The trees of the cherry tree exceeding hundreds of years are located in a line with a nebula this temple, and if spring comes every year, can become a powerful spectacle,” the photographer explains.

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Merit Winner: Children of Reindeer

Last updated on: August 06, 2013 08:48 IST
Michelle Schantz/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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“Mikael Ánde, a child of Sámi reindeer herders, takes a break indoors after a long, cold day of rounding up the animals for vaccinations and slaughter. Children of reindeer herders learn to handle these animals and the land they thrive in from infancy -- young Mikael here knew far more about the ways of nature than I could ever hope to learn,” the photographer explains.

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Merit Winner: Piano Play at Sunset

Last updated on: August 06, 2013 08:48 IST
Nikola Smernic/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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“Streets of Queenstown, New Zealand at the end of one more day filled with adrenaline. Calming and doleful scene with piano sound in the background,” the photographer says.

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Merit Winner: Portrait of an Eastern Screech Owl

Last updated on: August 06, 2013 08:48 IST
Graham McGeorge/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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“Masters of disguise. The Eastern Screech Owl is seen here doing what they do best. You better have a sharp eye to spot these little birds of prey,” the photographer explains.

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Merit Winner: Guanjiang Shou

Last updated on: August 06, 2013 08:48 IST
Chan Kwok Hung/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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“Guanjiang Shou troupes are one of Taiwan’s most popular activities that may be seen all over the country at traditional folk religious gatherings. With their fiercely painted faces, protruding fangs and powerful, choreographed performances, they are easily recognized. They may be described as underworld police or gods' bodyguards,” the photographer explains.

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Merit Winner: Lady in Water

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Marcelo Salvador/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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“A lady collects water in the river by a village in Bagan, Myanmar,” photographer Marcelo Salvador explains.

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Viewers' Choice Winner: Another Perspective of the Day

Last updated on: August 06, 2013 08:48 IST
Dody Kusuma/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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“The fisherman at Bira Beach,” the photograph explains.

 

 

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