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 US soccer fan cheers during the FIFA World Cup 2014 group A preliminary round match between Brazil and Croatia at the FIFA Fan Fest in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 12 June 2014. Brazil won 3-1. The FIFA World Cup 2014 will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014. (Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA)

An artist has discovered a bizarre way to create his work – by coating the feet of insects with paint who then crawl across the canvas creating intricate pieces of art. (Photo by Caters News)

A group of San Bushmen from the Khomani San community practice their hunter-gatherer craft in the Southern Kalahari desert on October 15, 2009 in the Kalahari, South Africa. One of the largest studies of African genetics by an international team from the University of Pennsylvania, published in April 2009, revealed that the San of Southern Africa are the most genetically diverse on earth, and that the San homeland could be the spot where modern humanity began. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Sister Milly Wu (16) and Chloe Wu (18), both students from Manchester pose for photographs at the Hyper Japan 2012 Event at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre on February 24, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images)

Bediha Gun (L) of Turkey in action against Oleksandra Khomenets (R) of Ukraine during their semi final bout of the women's Freestyle 55kg category at the European Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, 30 March 2022. (Photo by Tibor Illyes/EPA/EFE)

Right wing demonstrators chase a Black Lives Matter protester after a pro-Trump caravan rally convened at the Oregon State Capitol building on September 7, 2020 in Salem, Oregon. The caravan event, billed as the Oregon For Trump 2020 Labor Day Cruise Rally, began in Clackamas and made its way to the Oregon State Capitol in Salem. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)