The images in Jessica Hilltout‘s Amen tell a gripping story of the joy soccer provides for Africa’s less fortunate. Inspired by her father, Hilltout set off to photograph soccer in Africa in all its shapes and sizes, coming to the conclusion that “the beautiful game exists in its purest form in what I saw — people playing for the joy of playing.”
Honorable Mention: “The Storm”. During I was taking photo with my nephew, the storm came and I caught this beautiful moment. Photo location: Kocaeli, Turkey. (Photo and caption by Aytül Akbaş/National Geographic Photo Contest)