Picturesque villages, majestic animals and candid human moments - captured around the world by the photographers of this year's National Geographic Travel Photo Contest. Each year talented artists allow us to travel the globe through the lenses of their cameras, which capture breathtaking moments we would otherwise miss. The contest honors these explorers and photographers by accepting global entries across three categories—Nature, Cities, and People.
The 2019 grand prize of $7,500 went to Weimin Chu for his whimsical 'Winter in Greenland' photograph. Depicted in the image is a small fishing village in Upernavik, whose brightly colored homes shine brightly amidst the fog and snow. Top winners from the other categories include Huaifeng Li’s Showtime image, which won 1st Place in the People category and captures actors preparing for an evening opera performance in Licheng County, China. Winning 1st Place in the Nature category, Tamara Blazquez Haik’s photograph of a griffon vulture—titled Tender Eyes— perfectly timed to capture the bird soaring through the skies in Monfragüe National Park in Spain. Scroll down below to see all the winners and don't forget to upvote your favs!
#21 People's Choice, People: 'On The Streets Of Bulgaria' By Kristyn Taylor
Dressed in his long-haired goat costume, a man is ready to walk the streets of Pernik, Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Surva Festival is an annual gathering of villagers masquerading as Kukeri. The ceremony is a pagan festival intended to ward-off evil spirits and welcome renewal in the New Year.
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86points
#22 People's Choice, People: 'Cherry Blossoms In The Concrete' By Lester Lau
Having wandered around Seoul during my spring trip, I saw a cherry blossom tree blooming near the street corner. There is only a [single] light beam for the tree to grow in the concrete jungle. It seems that the human invasion has made [the trees] struggle and force them to find a way to live with us.
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81points
#23 Third Place, Cities: 'Streets Of Dhaka' By Sandipani Chattopadhyay
People pray on the street in Dhaka, Bangladesh during Ijtema. Bishwa Ijtema is one of the major Islamic religious gatherings which is [observed] annually in Dhaka and millions of Muslims visit [during this time]. Dedicated prayer grounds are not [large] enough to handle this huge number of people, so large numbers of people come to [Tongi], the main street of Dhaka. All the ground transportation and [pedestrian crossings] are suspended during that time.
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74points
#24 People's Choice, Cities: 'Tokyo Life' By Shan W
This room in the Tokyo Tower looks dynamic. In the busy city, the natural light entering this room gave us time to relax. My wife was reading a magazine, while enjoying the scenery and slow time.
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73points
#25 People's Choice, People: 'Beach - Chaung Thar, Myanmar' By Maciej Dakowicz
A quiet evening on the beach in Chaung Thar, one of Myanmar’s most popular beach towns.
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66points
#26 Third Place, People: 'Horses' By José Antonio Zamora
Every year on the feast of Saint Anthony the ceremony of the purification of animals, called Las Luminarias, is celebrated in Spain. In the province of Avila, horses and horsemen jump over bonfires in the ritual that has been maintained since the 18th century. The animals [are not hurt], and it is a ritual that is repeated every year. To make the photo, I moved from Seville to San Bartolomé de Pinares because I am very interested in photographing ancestral rites.
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57points