“Fanfare”. Winter season on Kauai translates to large ocean swells and slightly cooler temperatures. When the first large swell passed through the islands I embarked on my inaugural wave hunting expedition. It's a tricky dance of timing, being patient, and juggling settings on the camera. Every wave that explodes into the air is uniquely defined by its environment. Photo location: Kauai, Hawaii. (Photo and caption by Lace Andersen/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Beautiful Morning”. I had been to this spot for three consecutive mornings and captured the best shot this morning. The water surface was calm and interesting clouds appeared. The Fujigoko area became much colder in November and the air also became clearer. Photo location: Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi, Japan. (Photo and caption by Yuga Kurita/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Living in a Box”. Living in a Box is living in Hong Kong. Photo location: Hong Kong. (Photo and caption by Norbert Well/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Simply Venice”. I'm not the only one who likes to walk the Venice by night. There are many places which giving you the sense of history and pouring in directly to your memories and heart. Once you leave you know, that definitely you will come back again. Prove me wrong! Photo location: Venice, Italy. (Photo and caption by Robert Hradil/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Chameleon on the walk”. Chameleons are amazing lizards. Their vision, walking or hunting skills are one of the worlds top extraordinary things most people know about. We found this one walking on the road at the Baobabs Alley on west cost of Madagascar. This species is one of the large ones, you can find the smallest on the other side of Madagascar in tropical forests. Photo location: Baobab Alley, Madagascar. (Photo and caption by Robert Hradil/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Just hanging out”. As full autumn hits the valley of Hallingdal in Norway, this bear chills out in a tree which seems to barely cover its weight. Photo location: Flå, Hallingdal, Norway. (Photo and caption by Jorgen Tharaldsen/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“The Cook”. The cook in Tal. Photo location: Nepal. (Photo and caption by Ed Graham/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Pygmies”. On the way to the north east of DRC i came across this fantastic village where a small Pygmies group lives, they were very happy to invite me to their house. During this shoot i realised that the children had a unique and intense expression so i focused just on them, leaving the adults out from the camera. Photo location: Ituri Forest, Congo. (Photo and caption by Passarini Mattia/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Above The Clouds”. Dubai’s tallest buildings piercing through a dense blanket of fog that covered the city shortly before sunrise. Photo location: Dubai, UAE. (Photo and caption by Marcelo Castro/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Seal Loungeroom”. Seal Loungeroom, taken on Isabella. Photo location: Galapagos. (Photo and caption by Ryan Essex/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Fire Dragon”. Taken in Fung Shun, Gaung Dong, China, this event held annually on the second month of Lunar calendar. Photo location: Fung Shun, Gaung Dong, China. (Photo and caption by Chan Kwok Hung/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Golden Gate Bridge in the fog”. This photo was taken in April 2014. Just one minute before, the Golden Gate Bridge was entirely hidden in the fog. Photo location: San Francisco, California. (Photo and caption by Solene Peralta/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Women of Sri Lanka”. Captured in Sri Lanka at the Galle Fort, these women walked at dusk after the sun had just set in progression together along the seaside. Their beautiful energy could be felt a mile away. A joy to photograph. Photo location: Galle, Sri Lanka. (Photo and caption by Emma Willetts/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Firewood”. A Makua man leaves his village and enters the forest to gather firewood for his family. Photo location: Chitimba, Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. (Photo and caption by Rafael Hernandez/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Downstairs”. Travelling with Stockholms Underground is also a art sigthseeing tour! Photo location: Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo and caption by Torsten Muehlbacher/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Huli Wigman”. The Huli wigmen are traditional warriors of the Tari area in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea. They grow their hair from early puberty and fashion it into the wig you see in this image. Each warrior has a different wig, with different adornments, it all depends on who you are in the tribe and what your accomplishments would have been. Photo location: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. (Photo and caption by Vanessa Kerton/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Stuborn Danassech Girl”. After a long, chaotic ride through to Danassech territory, Ehiopia, I crossed the Omo river aboard a carved out tree trunk, and I then arrived to the first village. I got the pictures I had been thinking of for several months. I was about to board the boat back to the campsite when a young, pregnant woman hailed me: she wanted her picture to be taken. I was not really interested but I took a few shots, out of politeness. And I then noticed her pride and determination through the viewfinder. I thought she was superb. Photo location: Danassech village, near Omorate, Omo Valley, Ethiopia. (Photo and caption by Vincent Dirckx/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Red tempo”. Building of the outer wall of the red iron lattice-like in the Aomori Japan. “Nebuta” is a float of summer festival tradition is on display in this building. Photo location: Aomori, Japan. (Photo and caption by Sho Shibata/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“A girl smeared with colors powder”. A girl smeared with colors powder during Holi, the Hindu festival of colors in Kuala Lumpur on March 23, 2014.Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, is celebrated by people throwing colored powder and water at each other. Photo location: Kuala Lumpur. (Photo and caption by Firdaus Latif/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Human Scarecrow”. This young girl, from the Erbore tribe in the Omo Valley, Ethiopia, watches birds as they approach the tribe's Sorgho (a sort of cereal) fields at sunset. A mud ball is attached at the end of her whip, which she is ready to throw at any bird attempting to get too close to the precious seeds. Photo location: Erbore Village, Omo Valley, Ethiopia. (Photo and caption by Vincent Dirckx/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Egret display”. The eternal cycle of Spring embodied in the mating display of the the Great Egret. Photo location: Delray beach, Florida. (Photo and caption by Paul Arnold/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Sunshine”. I had always felt attracted to the serene atmosphere of coastal villages, and I felt that it was my calling to document the lifestyle of Huian villagers before they were swept away by modernization. I wanted to capture their modest beauty, and how they lived with nature, receiving the gift of life from the ocean. The women carrying bucket is both symbolic and representative. Because in this area women take care of the hard work and while men sail far away. This conservative yet original life style really attracts me. Photo location: Fujian, China. (Photo and caption by Olly Liu/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Vole in a hole”. A wild water vole sitting in his favourite water pipe munching on some water weed. Photo location: East Malling, Kent, UK. (Photo and caption by Mark Bridger/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Mavis the Great Hunter”. When I parked my car in front of her house, she came outside and shouted, “You must be Rachel! Can you give me a ride to the liquor store?” I told her that I had heard she liked bourbon and brought her a bottle as I pulled out a small bottle of Maker's Mark. She looked at me with amusement and said, “Oh, sweetheart, I'll use this as an emergency back-up, but I'm going to need a bigger jug”. Mavis has successfully hunted every big game animal in Montana, except the bison. Now at 87, her trophies hang in her Missoula home as she tells stories of hunting, motorcycle touring, and canoeing. Photo location: Missoula, Montana. (Photo and caption by Rachel Stevens/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Autumn Call”. A large red deer standing in the morning mist calling the hinds, this stag is one of a number of wild deer that live in the middle of London's Richmond Park. Photo location: Richmond Park, London. (Photo and caption by Mark Bridger/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Tree-like rivers in Baja California Desert”. I took this shot flying on a trike ultralight over the coast of Baja California, México, where the sea joins the desert forming rivers of tree-like figures. Photo location: Baja Caifornia, México. (Photo and caption by Adriana Franco/National Geographic Photo Contest)