A group of young men use a selfie stick to take a picture of themselves in shallow waters known as the first cataract of the River Nile outside Khartoum, Sudan, May 22, 2015. In Sudan, which faces insurgences in the western region of Darfur and along its border with breakaway South Sudan, as well as double-digit inflation and high unemployment, life goes on for young people in the capital Khartoum. (Photo by Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters)

A young Iranian woman walks in Tehran on June 14, 2021, ahead of the June 18 presidential elections. Iran is gearing up for a presidential election on June 18 but many young people are more focussed on the daily struggle to survive and their dreams for the future. Jobs are scarce in a recession-hit economy battered by sanctions, a crisis exacerbated by the region's worst outbreak of the Covid pandemic. (Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP Photo)

Young adults wearing a mask, attends a ceremony as they commemorates the Coming of Age Day of young people entering adulthood in Tokyo, Japan, on January 10, 2022. While the COVID-19 epidemic continues to progress in Japan due to the new Omicron variant, the events that have been organized by the various municipalities of Tokyo have followed a strict sanitary protocol, such as temperature control, disinfection of hands, and the wearing of a protective mask. (Photo by David Mareuil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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)

Young girls dress up in traditional costumes and pose for a selfie at the opening ceremony of the Leishan Miao new year festival in the city of Kaili, Guizhou province, China on November 23, 2015. (Photo by Imaginechina/Rex Shutterstock)

A diver dressed in a Santa Claus costume performs with sardines at the Coex Aquarium in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, December 9, 2015. (Photo by Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo)

A young Chinese girl dressed in Christmas costume, hugs a pedestrian on a street to celebrate Christmas in Nanjing city, east China's Jiangsu province, 23 December 2015. (Photo by Imaginechina/Splash News)

A young Thai man jumps in the air and cheers as his rocket takes off at the Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival on May 10, 2015 in Yasothon, Thailand. (Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images)