Mount Sinabung looks calm as seen from Karo, North Sumatra at dawn on August 8, 2021. (Photo by Tibta Nangin/AFP Photo)

A fishing boat (L) heads out to sea at dawn in Lhokseumawe, Aceh on August 9, 2021. (Photo by Azwar Ipank/AFP Photo)

A girl walks along former railway tracks in the so- called “Tunnel of Love”, surrounded by arches of intertwined trees, near the Ukrainian village of Klevan, Rivno region, on August 6, 2018. The tunnel of about five kilometres in length is a botanical phenomenon, which became a cult place for tourists and couples in love. The tourist legend says that wishes of couples in love will come true, if the couple passes through the tunnel. (Photo by Sergei Supinsky/AFP Photo)

Decaying fishing trawlers known collectively as The Fleetwood Wrecks, are seen at low tide on the banks of the River Wyre in Fleetwood, Britain on September 26, 2023. (Photo by Lee Smith/Reuters)

The extremely rare Kelvin-Helmholtz cloud formation lurking in the skies over Northumberland in North East England on December 5, 2023. The distinctive formation gets its name from scientists Lord Kelvin and Hermann von Helmholtz who studied the physics behind the rare cloud. (Photo by Ian Davison/South West News Service)

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)

A giant Uncle Sam balloon is marched down 6th Avenue during the 87th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, November 28, 2013, in New York. After fears the balloons could be grounded if sustained winds exceeded 23 mph, Snoopy, Spider-Man and the rest of the iconic balloons received the all-clear from the New York Police Department to fly between Manhattan skyscrapers on Thursday. (Photo by John Minchillo/AP Photo)

Team McLaren Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton (L) and Jenson Button unveil the new MP-27 Formula 1 car at the McLaren technology centre on February 1, 2012 in Woking, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)