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)

German surfer Sebastian Steudtner rides a big wave during a free surfing session at Praia do Norte, in Nazare, Portugal, 05 November 2023. The Nazare surfing spot in Portugal is one of the world's biggest wave spots in winter time. (Photo by Jean-Christophe Bott/EPA)

Waves crash against the lighthouse in Seaham Harbour, County Durham in northeast England on Friday, November 24, 2023. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

A news reporter doing a stand up near a sea wall in Cedar Key, Fla., is covered by an unexpected wave as Hurricane Hermine nears the Florida coast, Thursday, September 1, 2016. Hurricane Hermine gained new strength Thursday evening and roared ever closer to Florida's Gulf Coast, where rough surf began smashing against docks and boathouses and people braced for the first direct hit on the state from a hurricane in over a decade. (Photo by John Raoux/AP Photo)

A humane society have drafted in Star Wars characters to help find adoptable animals new homes. The Ottawa Humane Society in Ontario, Canada, used the recognisable cosplay figures to adorably interact with the likes of dogs, cats and guinea pigs. Photographed by Rohit Saxena, the series featured a stormtrooper, a Tusken Raider and Garindan. Those photographed were members of the 501st Capital City Garrison, a Star Wars costuming group in Eastern Ontario. Here: a Tusken Raider with a cat. (Photo by Rohit Saxena/Caters News)

Lindsay Knutson plays in the heavy snow with her family dog, Aspen, and daughter Flora Bejblik, 4, cq, as her husband Bob Bejblik, rear left, shovels, Tuesday, March 5, 2013 in southwest Minneapolis. The National Weather Service predicted a two-day snow total of 8 to 12 inches for much of southeastern and east-central Minnesota, including the Twin Cities. (Photo by Elizabeth Flores/AP Photo/The Star Tribune)

Huge waves hit the promenade at Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, England late Monday afternoon, March 11, 2024, with some people braving a walk along the seafront. (Photo by Ian Sproat/Picture Exclusive)

A mother takes a selfie while breastfeeding her baby at the “Hakab Na 2018”, an event held in celebration of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Philippines on Sunday, August 5, 2018. Now on its sixth year, the event is a gathering of families, lactation experts, peer counselors and breastfeeding advocacy supporters and was aimed at promoting the importance of providing support to breastfeeding mothers. (Photo by Avito C. Dalan/PNA Photo)