Russia's Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin perform during the ice dance free dance program at the Rostelecom Cup ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Moscow November 15, 2014. (Photo by Grigory Dukor/Reuters)

A demonstrator dressed as Santa Claus holds up a flag as a riot police vehicle releases a jet of water during a protest against the private system of pension fund administrators in Santiago, Chile, December 10, 2015. The flag reads “Classist Workers Union”. (Photo by Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

Who Left The Tap Running by artist Simon McGrath is seen as part of the Sculpture by the Sea outdoor exhibition along the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk on November 4, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Scotland fans climbed on English playwright William Shakespeare's statue in Leicester Square prior to the Euro 2020 soccer championship group D match between England and Scotland, in London, Friday, June 18, 2021. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

A cat sits in the flooding waters from Hurricane Matthew in downtown Nichols, South Carolina, October 10, 2016. (Photo by Randall Hill/Reuters)

Artist German Vinogradov acts in the performance of the burning of Maslenitsa tower, devoted to Pancake Week, a pagan holiday marking the end of winter, in the village of Nikola-Lenivets, Kaluga region, Russia, February 25, 2017. (Photo by Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

A racegoers cheers on her horse in Race 4 ahead of the race of the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, November 7, 2017. (Photo by Andy Brownbill/AP Photo)

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)