“Sometimes i feel like photographers have uncovered a special secret. A crazy, amazing, and beautiful secret. The key to truly living. All i want is to be alive”. – Karrah Kobus

Photo: “All my life i lived in a bubble”. (Photo by Karrah Kobus)

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)

“Nature is beautiful and amazing – i just point my camera at it”. – Black Cat. Photo: “I really need a manicure”! (Photo by Black Cat)

Hey Everybody! My name is Chris Ryniak (RYE-KNEE-ACK), and I make monsters. I split my time between sculpting and painting for gallery work, designing toys and being a Dad, but the thing I do the most is DRAW MONSTERS, like every day.

An Zi, is squashed amongst other commuters in a subway train on his way to work in Beijing, China, November 12, 2015. An, a movie producer, moved to Dongsanqi village in Changping this year. His commute to work can take about 2 hours, with transportation costs topping 200 yuan a month, or about a fifth of his monthly rent. (Photo by Jason Lee/Reuters)