Second Place Winner: “Thunderstorm at False Kiva”. 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. – Max Seigal. National Geographic Traveler Director of Photography Dan Westergren, one of this year's judges, shares his thoughts on the second place winner: “This photo combines two different scenes into one: the small kiva in a cliff dwelling and the grand vista of Canyonlands National Park across the valley. I really like the two different color palettes – warm inside and purple outside. This two-for-one scene was caused by the lightning storm outside the dwelling, which lit up the landscape like it was a huge electronic flash. Looking at this picture I can imagine what a wonderful sight it must have been for the ancient people who lived here. It doesn't seem too amazing now in our modern world, but might have been mind-blowing for the prehistoric residents”. Location: Utah. (Photo and caption by Max Seigal/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Ukrainian teenagers hit each other with pillows during a large pillow fight in downtown Kiev, Ukraine, 24 April 2016. About hundred people took part in the event “Pillow battle 2016” in Kiev. (Photo by Roman Pilipey/EPA)

Dancers perform during a rehearsal for the “2023 Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes” at St. Paul the Apostle Church on Thursday, October 19, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Andres Kudacki/AP Photo)

New York Rangers right wing Ryan Reaves punches Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Foligno (17) during a third-period fight in an NHL hockey game Thursday, October 13, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (Photo by Aaroan Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP Photo)

Pedestrians use their smartphones to capture the newly illuminated Christmas tree at the Syntagma square in Athens on November 23, 2023. (Photo by Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP Photo)

Brasil's Flavia Saraiva competes on the Balance Beam in the Women's Team Final during the 52nd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, in Antwerp, northern Belgium, on October 4, 2023. (Photo by Lionel Bonaventure/AFP Photo)

The Tidal Basin in Washington overflows the banks with the rain from Tropical Storm Ophelia, Saturday, September 23, 2023. The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flooding warning for the area. (Photo by J. David Ake/AP Photo)

While photographer Thomas Herbrich is not a smoker, he said he has always been fascinated by cigarette smoke. These photographs have been featured in arts fairs such as ART Cologne, ART Karlsruhe, Art Fair Hong Kong, as well as several exhibitions. (Photo by Thomas Herbrich)