Rosie Weaver leans against the headstone of her husband, U.S. Army Spc. Michael Weaver, after a Memorial Day ceremony, Sunday, May 25, 2025, at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly Township, Mich. (Photo by Ayrton Breckenridge/The Flint Journal via AP Photo)

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)

Nicki Minaj attends the Haider Ackermann show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2017/2018 on March 4, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Swan Gallet/WWD/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

American singer-songwriter and actress Reneé Rapp gets slimed at the Kids’ Choice Awards on July 13, 2024 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by reneerapp/Instagram)

A South Sudanese People Liberation Army (SPLA) soldier patrols the streets in Malakal on January 21, 2014. (Photo by Harrison Ngethi/AFP Photo)

Amanda Lepore attends the “Doll Parts” book launch party at The Standard, Highline on April 18, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by J. Kempin/Getty Images)

An adult and two children stop to cool off at the water from an open fire hydrant in hot and humid weather in New York City on Thursday, July 11, 2024. After dealing with extreme humidity and heat for the past few days the trip-state area got a break as humidity levels took a slight but noticeable drop. (Photo by John Angelillo/UPI/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Women sells vegetables at Kaporo market in Conakry, Guinea Monday, September 13, 2021. (Photo by Sunday Alamba/AP Photo)