“Gásadalur”. I first visited the small village of Gásadalur in the Faroe Islands some twenty years ago, when it was accessible only by boat or, as I did, by walking over the surrounding mountains. Today the once secluded village can be reached by car and I used the opportunity to revisit this picture perfect part of the world. Photo location: Gásadalur, Faroe Islands. (Photo and caption by Hans Juul Hansen/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Lets Keep Open all the Windows”. On the Victory Day of Bangladesh, 16 December, the local children who live near Runway are celebrating and waving flags while an aircraft is going to land in the airport. Photo taken from a staircase of a half-constructed building. Photo location: Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Photo and caption by Md Khalid Rayhan Shawon/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Hand-Stretched Noodles”. It was Eidal-Adaha Festival, an important holiday for Uyghur people. I was invited to a Uyghur family for lunch. The hostess was very kind and hospitable. She made hand-stretched noodles for me. After the dough was workable, she shaped it into a roll. Then she began to stretch it. Soon a bundle of noodles was in her hands before I realized. Photo location: Taklimakan Desert, Xinjiang , China. (Photo and caption by Bo Fu/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“A Malanka bear”. A young man poses for a portrait in a costume of a bear made of hay a couple of days before the traditional holiday of Malanka in the Ukrainian village of Krasnoilsk, Chernivtsi region, Ukraine. Malanka is a wild holiday that is marked on the eve of January 14, New Year according to the Julian calendar. Hundreds of people wear handmade masks and costumes and march through the streets of the village dancing and singing in the night and during the whole day. Roots of the holiday lie somewhere in the pre-Christian Europe. Some researchers believe that once it was an initiation ritual. Photo location: Krasnoilsk, Chernivtsi region, Ukraine. (Photo and caption by Alex Furman/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“The First Fall”. After a 3 day trip to Zion National Park, my friends and I decided to stop in kanarraville to try this hike along the river. At one point the river heads into a small slot canyon. We came across this waterfall and couldn't believe the beauty of it. We all stood there just enjoying the sound and the view of the water. We all pulled out our cameras and captured the falls and have a last picture of an amazing trip. Photo location: Kanarraville, Utah, USA. (Photo and caption by Alex Langley/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Sunrise at Wadi Doan”. With my police escort I had arrived at my lodgings at dusk, perched on the edge of a massive escarpment in Yemen's Wadi Doan. In the fading light and on the valley floor I could see this fortresslike village. Having imagined how it might present under a rising sun, I was up at first light. Below me, shepherds and their goats made the only sounds. The sun rose, bathing the escarpment in golden light. It seemed like an eternity before it finally gilded the top of the village – magic. Photo location: Haid Al-Jazil in Wadi Doan, Hadramaut, Yemen. (Photo and caption by Paul Nevin/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“City in the Sky”. San Francisco down town in the sea of clouds. Photo location: San Francisco, USA. (Photo and caption by Shumon Saito/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Winter Climbing from inside Ben Nevis”. The view from inside the mountain, as a winter climber passes through the cave on Minus Three gully. Photo location: Ben Nevis, Fort William, Scotland. (Photo and caption by Daniel Wildey/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Bedouin in Wadi Rum”. People have lived and traveled through Wadi Rum in Jordan for thousands of years and although the place has become very touristic, the locals still manage to find a peaceful moment from time to time. Photo location: Wadi Rum, Jordan. (Photo and caption by Catalin Marin/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Great-white Egrets”. Air battle of Great White Egrets in the National Park of Kiskunság, Hungary. Rivalry of the kin is frequent, even if there is no breeding season and they have enough food. Photo location: Kiskunság National Park, Hungary. (Photo and caption by Bence Mate/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Tilling in the Mist”. A lone farmer tilling his field at dawn at the rice terraces in Longji, China. The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountain top, between 600 m to 800 m above sea level. The terraced fields were mostly built about 650 years ago. They are called Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces because the rice terraces resemble a dragon's scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon. Photo location: Longji, Guangxi, China. (Photo and caption by Chaitanya Deshpande/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Tibidabo”. Beautiful view from a hill of Tibidabo, in the middle of Barcelona. “Tibidabo. This phrase, meaning I will give to you, was said to Jesus by the devil as they looked down from an exceedingly high mountain upon all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them”. Photo location: Barcelona, Spain. (Photo and caption by Erdelyi Gabor/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“The decisive moment”. This was taken in Bardia National Park, Nepal. It was early morning when I and the deer froze in our tracks and faced each other. I slowly got my camera into position, paused, took a deep breath and snapped just as it looked straight at me! This was a moment of silence, trust and surrender! Photo location: Bardia National Park, Nepal. (Photo and caption by Olivia Pino/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Portrait of a Yao Woman”. A Yao woman in a pensive mood while selling handicrafts and wares. The Yao people are a recognised minority in China, where they reside in the mountainous terrain of the southwest and south. The Yao women take great pride in their hair; they tie it in a big bun and they only cut their hair once in their lives. Photo location: Tiantouzhai, Guangxi, China. (Photo and caption by Chaitanya Deshpande/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“The Explorer”. In the Freezing cold air of Jökulsárlón, Iceland, A boy ran around, discovering the glistening washed up Ice blocks, remnants of huge icebergs broken up that drifted into the sea. Photo location: Jökulsárlón, Iceland. (Photo and caption by Ronen Goldman/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“A adventurous surfer on Mars”. The wave crashed on the sand and spread whole them into water. Painted the image like a sort of place in Mars. Photo location: Palm Beach, New South Wales, Australia. (Photo and caption by Joe Hsu/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“The eagle huntress”. I wanted to document the “Future Generation” – boys who take their first steps in learning the hunting skills, boys who hold the tradition’s future in their bare hands Ashol Pan is the daughter of an experienced eagle hunter around Han Gohadok, which is south of Ulgii. She was perfect. I was amazed by her comfort and ease as she began handling the grand eagle. She was fearlessly carrying it on her hand and caressing it somewhat joyfully. Photo location: west Mongolia. (Photo and caption by Asher Svidensky/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“A View from Williamsburg”. A Hasidic Jewish man looks to Manhattan while waiting for the ferry from Brooklyn. Photo location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City. (Photo and caption by Aaron Pierce/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“The Stripe”. Sometimes you run across very special Icebergs with stripes in them. These are formed from cracks that are then filled with water and then frozen. As this is frozen water, they are clear without the normal air trapped from snow falling. These stripes produce amazing colorations as they reflect their surroundings and allow us to look into the heart of an Iceberg. Photo location: Bernstorff Isofjord, Greenland. (Photo and caption by Michael Quinn/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Great Fire of Valparaíso”. I was recently in Valparaiso Chile when a wildfire got out of control and crossed into the town. The fire destroyed at least 2,500 homes, leaving 11,000 people homeless and unfortunately there was loss of life. This photo was taken from Cemetery No2 and you can see the early stages of the fire before it crossed the ridge. The cemetery was closed but the caretaker unlocked the gate and let me in for 10 minutes. I had the place all to myself. Photo location: Cemetery No2 Valparaiso, Chile. (Photo and caption by Terri Alfonsi/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Forces of Nature”. A wild Beach in Martinique, French West indies, The force of the atlantic waves breaking on the shore of the north of the island, the strenght of both the man and the horse riding along... This race of thoroughbred horses happens once a year for the town festival. Photo location: Sainte Marie, Martinique, French West Indies. (Photo and caption by Nicolas Derné/National Geographic Photo Contest)