Members of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) demonstrate their skills on motor-bikes during the BSF Golden Jubilee Day celebration in New Delhi on December 1, 2015. (Photo by Money Sharma/AFP Photo)

In this photo taken on Monday, August 5, 2019, a family watches explosions at a military ammunition depot near the city of Achinsk in eastern Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region, in Achinsk, Russia. Russian officials say powerful explosions at a military depot in Siberia left 12 people injured and one missing and forced over 16,500 people to leave their homes. (Photo by Dmitry Dub/AP Photo)

A Ballet Paraisópolis student wearing a face mask rehearses amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on August 13, 2020 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Ballet Paraisópolis is a project that teaches dance to children and young people in the Paraisópolis community in order to encourage them to seek better life opportunities. Founded in 2012 by ballerina, teacher and choreographer, Monica Tarragó, Ballet Paraisópolis has a total of 200 students and another 2,000 on the waiting list. (Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)

Actress/Model Emily Ratajkowski's celebrates her 25th birthday at the private residence of Absolut Elyx CEO Jonas Tahlin on June 10, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Absolut Elyx)

American television personality Paige Desorbo on June 26, 2025 channels her inner disco ball in a glittery snap. (Photo by paigedesorbo/Instagram)

Lucaz Adamus (3), from Lucan, enjoying the Dublin Racing Festival, at Leopardstown Racecourse in Dublin, Ireland on February 5, 2023. (Photo by Tom Maher/Inpho)

US actress Tiffany Haddish attends a photocall for the film “The Card Counter” presented in competition during the 78th Venice Film Festival, on September 2, 2021 at Venice Lido. (Photo by Yara Nardi/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)