“Touring the Koko-en Gardens adjacent to the Himeji castle was an unexpected highlight of our visit”, wrote Jeff Solar, 64, of Silver Spring, Md., about his trip to Japan. “The fall colors were outstanding and the gardens were both amazing and a bargain (just a few Yen added to the cost of the Himeji Castle admission)”. (Photo by Jeff Solar/2017 Washington Post Travel Photo Contest)

“Mr Big Dipper”, Nicholas Roemmelt (Denmark). A stargazer observes the constellation of the Big Dipper perfectly aligned with the window of the entrance to a large glacier cave in Engadin, Switzerland. This is a panorama of two pictures, and each is a stack of another two pictures: one for the stars and another one for the foreground, but with no composing or time blending. (Photo by Nicholas Roemmelt/National Maritime Museum/The Guardian)

Men dressed as Elvis Presley carry a volunteer during a street parade at the 25th annual Parkes Elvis Festival in the rural Australian town of Parkes, west of Sydney, January 14, 2017. (Photo by Jason Reed/Reuters)

Yala national park, Sri Lanka. Category: Action. “The daylight was fading and I was scanning the bush for a leopard. Then, I saw this garden lizard and a common bronzeback snake in the road. When the snake struck, the lizard performed amazing acrobatics to avoid it. The snake didn’t enjoy the extra attention from the crowd of jeeps. The distraction gave the lizard the chance to live another day”. (Photo by Sajith Buddikha Withanage/National Geographic Traveller UK)

Models present creations during the Monse and Oscar de la Renta Autumn/Winter 2017 collection during New York Fashion Week in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., February 13, 2017. (Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

A girl participates in a New Year calligraphy contest in Tokyo, Japan, January 5, 2017. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

A model poses for a picture during the 20th World Bodypainting Festival 2017 on July 30, 2017 in Klagenfurt, Austria. (Photo by Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images)

A model presents the Flesby, a one-seater mobility concept car, during a media preview of the 45th Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, Japan on October 25, 2017. Japan's flagship automakers present their futuristic visions for the post-fossil fuel era at the Tokyo Motor Show that kicks off Wednesday. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)