October winner. “A burst of the aurora borealis over Kirkjufell, taken in September 2016. This shot has been a holy grail for me and was finally captured after many trips”. MICK RYAN, JUDGE: Iceland is a hotspot for aurora photography and this composition of the symmetric, free-standing Kirkjufell and the trident waterfall is much-sought after. If you can time your visit when the aurora “kp” index is high and know the settings for nighttime aurora images, you may end up with a beautiful photograph like this. (Photo by DВ/The Guardian)

A Syrian boy looks through a gate as others wait to cross into Syria at Oncupinar border crossing in the southeastern city of Kilis, Turkey February 11, 2016.. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Reuters)

Men dressed in protective suits stand around the coffin of Kenyan doctor Daniel Alushula who died of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during his funeral in the village of Khumusalaba, in Kakamega county, Kenya on November 13, 2020. (Photo by Baz Ratner/Reuters)

An Ethiopian Orthodox monk prays within a rock hewn church ahead of Ethiopian Christmas in Lalibela, January 6, 2017, which is celebrated on January 7. (Photo by Tiksa Negeri/Reuters)

Team Canada's Kyra Constantine, left, and Team England's Jessie Knight cross the finish line of the Women's 4 x 400 meters relay during the athletics competition in the Alexander Stadium at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, Sunday, August 7, 2022. England crossed ahead but was later disqualified and Canada took the gold medal. (Photo by Manish Swarup/AP Photo)

Dancers of the Saint Balthazar Kamba Kua traditional group perform in honour of Saint Balthazar, one of the Three Wise Men, during the Afro-Paraguay festival of Kamba Kua, in Fernando de la Mora, Paraguay, on January 6, 2024. The annual festival is a tradition that keeps Paraguay's Afro-descendants connected with their African roots through ancestral dance, drumming and customs. (Photo by Norberto Duarte/AFP Photo)

“Don't Leave Any Food On Your Plate”. The giraffes at Nairobi's Giraffe Manor are totally at home with humans. They will eat out of your hand, or even off your plate. Photo location: Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya. (Photo and caption by Gavin Werbeloff/National Geographic Photo Contest)

A boy, who came with the humanitarian transport of children from Ukrainian public orphanages following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reacts as he has breakfast at the Hotel Ossa near Rawa Mazowiecka, Poland on March 5, 2022. (Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters)