A child coated in silver body paint, smiles during the “Loucura Suburbana”, or Suburban Madness pre-Carnival parade, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, February 8, 2024. (Photo by Bruna Prado/AP Photo)

A glass is checked at the table for China's top leaders before the start of a reception to celebrate National Day at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China September 30, 2016. China celebrates its National Day on October 1. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

Afghan tea seller Farooq Shah, center, fills kettles with tea for customers at a market place in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, December 4, 2019. (Photo by Altaf Qadri/AP Photo)

The group of elephants was tracked though nearby jungle by wildlife officers in Chachoengsao, Thailand on April, 2020. More than 50 wild elephants crossed the highway. (Photo by Pratya Chutipat Sakul/Viral Press)

A man plays with his pet goat while taking a bath to cool off in a canal during hot and humid weather in Lahore, Pakistan May 30, 2018. (Photo by Mohsin Raza/Reuters)

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)

Protesting university students flee as police fire stun grenades outside Parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday October 21, 2015. The protests are part of a wave of nationwide protests that have shut down many South Africa universities, which say they are struggling with higher operational costs as well as inadequate state subsidies. (Photo by AP Photo)

A students with her face smeared in coloured powder, celebrates Holi at a university campus in Chandigarh, India March 23, 2016. (Photo by Ajay Verma/Reuters)