National Geographic's annual Photo Contest is under way, which means it's once again time to see some of the best travel photos that both amateur and professional photographers around the world have to offer.
The contest, which will wrap up at the end of the month, takes submissions in three simple categories – People, Places and Nature. The first-place winner in each category will win $2,500, and the grand-prize winner, in addition to first-place in their category, will receive $7,500 and a trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in National Geographic's annual photo seminar.
All of the entries (the good and the bad) can currently be viewed on Nat Geo's website, and they're still taking submissions, so you can try your luck as well. Take a look!
Arctic Hi-Five (Svalbard, Nature Category)
"Two Polar bear cubs full of adrenaline on iceflow in Svalbard. The mother was just trying to have a quiet stroll but the cubs were not having any of that.This was the male cub and he just was so entertaining to watch." (Photo credits: Colin Mackenzie)
Hello (Point Defiance Zoo, Tacoma, WA, United States, Nature Category)
"Capturing this gentle giant's inquisitive nature was rather easy as he swam right up to us and just stared for several long seconds. I love all the bubbles and his cute little face." (Photo credits: Misty Gage)
Catch of the Decade (Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA, Nature Category)
"Can you guess what happened next?" (Photo credits: Aaron Baggenstos)
Above Big Sur (Big Sur, California, Places Category)
"I'd gone to Big Sur to watch the gray whale migration from the cliffs, but it was too foggy to even see the water. I decided to hike up the Baronda Trail to see if I could get above the fog. This view was my reward. Miles of lupine and blue skies. Outstanding!" (Photo credits: Douglas Croft)
Mom's Love (Jakarta, Nature Category)
"The Mother Bird's feeding time." (Photo credits: Cherly Jong)
Sunrise Plaosan Temple (Plaosan Temple, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Places Category)
"While in Indonesia shooting TV commercial one of our locations was this temple. Sun rose as the people worked in rice paddies." (Photo credits: Bill Stipp)
Sunward (Nicosia, Cyprus, Nature Category)
"When the Mediterrenean Mantis opened its wings, It seemed very impressive at the sunshine..." (Photo credits: Hasan Baglar)
A Tree Dreaming (Strezlecki Desert Australia, Nature Category)
"In the Strezlecki desert of Australia a flock of galahs replenish on the only small water avaliable at the base of this lonely tree.Its a rare photo opportunity to get such a clear and symetrical shot of these beautiful birds in flight in the middle of the desert." (Photo credits: Christian Spencer)
From the Sky (Tenerife (Canary Islands), Nature Category)
The Wave (Arizona, USA, Places Category)
"I met a man at 'The Wave'. He was by himself and had a beacon for safety. It's not easy to go there for sure." (Photo credits: Takashi Nakagawa)
Bringing Home Breakfast (St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, Nature Category)
"This osprey had just captured this fish and I was lucky enough to capture this dramatic shot as he took off with his wings in the angel position, clutching a fish in one talon, and making direct eye contact with me. And then I shot a whole sequence of him making a left turn from here, landing in his nest and sharing his catch with his mate sitting in the nest. I have photographed this osprey often in that he has made his nest in the same spot for 4 years. His name is Fleck due to a fleck in his right eye at the 7 o'clock position." (Photo credits: Sandy Scott)
Kings Valley Clouds (Mansfield, Victoria, Australia, Places Category)
"I walked out onto a rock outcrop looking over the Kings Valley near Mansfield, Victoria. As I watched the morning clouds slowly disperse they opened up a beautiful landscape below me allowing the sun's rays to penetrate through to the natural forest, contrasted with the cultivated straight lines of the vineyard." (Photo credits: Joel Spooner)
Warming Up (Sambas, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, Nature Category)
"This photo I capture in the early afternoon, the animal species of lemurs fly." (Photo credits: Hendy Mp)
Physalia Physalis (Shellharbour, NSW, Australia, Nature Category)
"Despite their potentially dangerous sting, the bluebottle cnidaria is an amazingly beautiful creature. I wanted to demonstrate this with careful lighting and composition. After strong NE winds hundreds of these cnidaria are blown into the bays around my home town and trapped overnight, enabling me to get my shots. Post processing is limited to colour temp and small amounts of burning. Also slightly cropped." (Photo credits: Matthew Smith)
Mezmorized by Grace (Birminghan Zoo, Birmingham Alabama, Nature Category)
The Iguana's Cave (Island of Bonaire, Kralendijk, Dutch Caribbean, Nature Category)
"Unexpected underwater encounter with a Green Iguana. I was attempting to take some overunder sunset shots in a semi-submerged cave in Bonaire, when a Green Iguana swam toward my dome with an inquisitive doing. Just in front of my lens, she came up to the surface to take a quick breathe...." (Photo credits: Lorenzo Mittiga)
Destroyed Homs (Homs, Syria, Places Category)
"Birds fly over the destroyed houses in Khalidiya district in Homs, Syria. In the vast stillness of the destroyed city center of Homs, there are large areas where nothing moves. Then, suddenly, wind blows a ripped awning, or birds fly overhead." (Photo credits: Sergey Ponomarev)
The Lord of The Ocean (Guadalupe Island, Mexico, Nature Category)
Walking on Water (Queensland, Australia, Nature Category)
"I was finishing up a photo shoot when a wild kangaroo appeared out of nowhere and bounded onto the lake, as if walking on water. This, along with the picturesque sunset combined to create an absolute visual treat!" (Photo credits: Dave Kan)
Mexican Long Nosed Bat (Elephant Head in Southern Arizona, Nature Category)
Searching for Love (Brevard, North Carolina, Nature Category)
"Blue Ghost Fireflies in Brevard, North Carolina. Blue Ghost fireflies are unique because they stay lit and only hover about a foot off the ground." (Photo credits: Spencer Black)