“I wonder about everyone that I photograph, what are they thinking at the moment, what is going on in their life, what are they really like. Photographs are such abstractions of real life, both true and false at the same time and so limited in the scope of what can be captured, yet limitless in how it stimulates our imagination. Indeed, photography is a rich medium”. – Mike Peters. Photo: Meatpacking District, NYC, September 28, 2012. (Photo by Mike Peters)

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)

Sharon Montrose has what most people consider a dream job: She photographs adorable animals – from lions to flamingos to knobbly-kneed giraffes – and sells prints online at her store, The Animal Print Shop. But what's her job really like? Does she ever get scared? What's the trickiest animal to photograph?

The ‘Stop the Violence’ advertising campaign by Brazilian agency Terremoto Propaganda aims to reduce the risk of accidents on the road. The visually grabbing print campaign shows a vehicle painted on the face of one person and the fist of another, drawing the comparison between what is widely known to be intentional violence, such as punching someone in the face, with what many incorrectly consider unintentional, like speeding or unsafe lane changes. Let us know what you think about this campaign in the comments below.

A rescue worker holds an injured boy after what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in Idlib city, Syria December 20, 2015. (Photo by Ammar Abdullah/Reuters)

These greenfinches go head to head in what appears to be a heroic fight or a playfull moment together, inspiration for a new version of “Angry Birds”, in Trezzo Sull'Adda, Italy in March 2013. (Photo by Marco Redaelli/IMP/AbacaPress.com)

“Catch of the Decade”. Can you guess what happened next? Photo location: Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA. (Photo and caption by Aaron Baggenstos/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Naked footballers participate in a Germany v Netherlands soccer match in protest against what they say is increasing commercialization of professional football, in Wuppertal, Germany on September 6, 2020. (Photo by Leon Kuegeler/Reuters)