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)

David Nicholson, 21, surfs as "The Mask" during the ZJ Boarding House Haunted Heats Halloween Surf Contest in Santa Monica, California, United States, October 31, 2015. (Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

David Nickerson, 24, rides a wave dressed as Mrs Doubtfire during the 7th annual ZJ Boarding House Haunted Heats Halloween surf contest. (Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

Daniela Burza, 45, wears a Nasty Woman t-shirt and a mask of U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as she competes during the Haunted Heats Halloween Surf Contest in Santa Monica, California, U.S., October 29, 2016. (Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

Miss Universe candidate Rebecca Kathleen Rath from Belize walks on stage in her national costume during the Miss Universe preliminary show at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, south of Manila, Philippines 26 January 2017. (Photo by Rolex Dela Pena/EPA)

A to-do list written by John Lennon on display at the GOTTA HAVE IT! Rock & Roll Pop Culture Auction Press Preview at the Gotta Have It! store on November 30, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Getty Images)

An artwork entitled “Are you still mad at me?” by John Isaacs is displayed at the Death: A Self-portrait exhibition at the Wellcome Collection on November 14, 2012 in London, England. The exhibition showcases 300 works from a unique collection by Richard Harris, a former antique print dealer from Chicago, devoted to the iconography of death. The display highlights art works, historical artifacts, anatomical illustrations and ephemera from around the world and opens on November 15, 2012 until February 24, 2013. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid)

Women sunbath as Ferrari's Brazilian driver Felipe Massa drives past during the third practice session at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo on May 25, 2013 ahead of the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix. (Photo by Alexander Klein/AFP Photo)