A man walks down a flooded road in Islip, New York August 13, 2014. More than a foot of rain hit parts of New York's Long Island on Wednesday, enough to set a preliminary state record, triggering flash floods and swamping cars on major roads that were turned into rivers during the morning rush hour. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Non-Hindus carry nets as they wait on the edge of the crater to catch offerings cast down by Hindus during the Kasodo ceremony at Mount Bromo, Probolinggo, Indonesia, August 12, 2014. The Kasodo ceremony is a way of Tengger Hindus to express their gratitude to God for good harvest and fortune. The offerings range from vegetables to chickens, from fruits to goats, from money to other valuables. (Photo by Fully Handoko/EPA)

The shoemaker in Turkey, the potato seller in Vietnam, and the weaver in Bolivia are among the billions of low-income entrepreneurs who make the world go round. They are also the type of people who can benefit significantly from microfinance. Every year, the Consultative Group To Assist The Poor (or CGAP) hosts a photo contest asking entrants to submit photos based around the idea of microfinance.The purpose of the contest is to give amateur and professional photographers a chance to show the different ways that poor households manage their financial lives and make their lives better through financial inclusion. Photo: South Asia Regional Winner – “Bricks Worker”, Bangladesh. A private enterprise worker is working at a brick field. These small businesses are creating new job opportunities for many poor people. (Photo by Moksumul Haque)

A meteor streaks over the sky during the Perseid meteor shower at the Maculje archaeological site near Novi Travnik August 12, 2014. According to NASA, the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak on August 12 and 13 in Europe. The fireballs from the meteorites are fast and plentiful, although a nearly full moon (Supermoon) makes it difficult to view them this year, the agency adds. (Photo by Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

A man from the Dani tribe cuts the head of a pig after cooked by traditional way which is use burned hot stones at Obia Village on August 9, 2014 in Wamena, Papua, Indonesia. The stone-age Dani tribe live a traditional existence in the Baliem Valley, which is situated 1600 metres above sea level in the heart of the Cyclops Mountains. (Photo by Agung Parameswara/Getty Images)

During his time in Ethiopia, New York-based art director and photographer Diego Arroyo spent time with the Hamar, Mursi, Dassanech, and Arbore Tribes. They, along with several others tribes, make up the 200,000 people situated in Africa’s Great Rift Valley. The people of the Omo Valley are still primarily herders and farmers, living an isolated and simple life. While they have yet to be truly touched by globalization, they could soon disappear. Their way of life is being threatened by a massive hydroelectric dam. (Photo by Diego Arroyo)

This strange coral-looking specimen is actually a mushroom. The photo, “Beautiful Destroyer”, was taken in the Panamanian tropical rainforest where the mushroom produces nitrogen, an element vital to soil health. (Photo by Sarah A. Batterman)

Back in 2010, French photographer Antoine Bruy began hitchhiking around Europe without any fixed route. Along his travels, he met people who had entirely abandoned city life in favour of an isolated country existence they found more fulfilling. Bruy began seeking out people who lived off-the-grid. After three years on the road, staying in makeshift houses and on community farms, he has released Scrublands, a documentation of the lifestyle. While each living situation is different, Bruy found that all the people he met shared a common desire to escape the rat race and achieve a quieter life in harmony with nature. (Photo by Antoine Bruy)