Sparks fly in front of the Milky Way in Himachal Pradesh, India on May 12, 2023. Lit steel wool is spun in front of the stunning cluster of stars and over a pool of water. The scene was pictured in the Himalayas, by using a 30 second exposure to capture the stars and movement of sparks. (Photo by Ganesh Bagal/Solent News/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Elders perform coronation rituals on Kabaka (King) Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II during his 30 year coronation at his palace in Mengo, Kampala, on July 31, 2023. Thousands of Ugandans thronged the palace grounds of the country's largest kingdom Buganda despite pouring rain on July 31, 2023, dancing and ululating as they marked 30 years since the coronation of King Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. (Photo by Badru Katumba/AFP Photo)

This handout photo taken on August 31, 2023 and provided by the South Korean Defence Ministry shows South Korean soldiers participating in an air assault drill at a training field in Jangseong, as part of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military drills between South Korea and the United States. (Photo by Handout/South Korean Defence Ministry/AFP Photo)

Lea Meyer of Germany falls at the water in the women's 3000m Steeplechase heats at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, USA, 16 July 2022. (Photo by Robert Ghement/EPA/EFE)

A labourer drinks water from a pipe at a brick kiln on a hot summer day in Sukkur, Sindh province on May 23, 2024. The Pakistan Meteorological Department said temperatures are expected to hit as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of rural Sindh. (Photo by Shahid Ali/AFP Photo)

The world's biggest wild animal farmer, Carr Hartley of Rumuruti in Kenya, sells animals to zoos, circuses and film companies. (Photo by Maxim Ruston/BIPs/Getty Images). November 1956

Dancers perform on their way to attend a rally with former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, “Lula”, supporting President Dilma Rousseff in the historic Lapa neighborhood on April 11, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brazil's congressional impeachment committee approved the motion to proceed with President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment process today. A full vote by the lower house of Congress on the impeachment is scheduled for Sunday to decide whether she will face trial. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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)