Sulphur miners haul sulphur up an arduous path out of Indonesia’s Ijen volcano. The average carry out of the volcano is 70 kilograms per load per miner. The all-time record carry was 120 kilograms in one load. Extraordinary numbers given most of the miners only weigh around 55 kilograms. Ijen volcano, Indonesia, 2012. (Photo by Hugh Brown/South West News Service)

A Muslim faithful display her henna decoration before attending Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, at the Masjid Salaam grounds in Nairobi, Kenya on April 21, 2023. (Photo by Monicah Mwangi/Reuters)

In this timed-exposure night photo taken early on February 12, 2017, Mount Sinabung volcano spews reddish smoke and ash, as seen from the Karo district in North Sumatra province. Activity levels have increased in the past week, with Sinabung shooting hot ash clouds into the sky dozens of times, according to the local volcano monitoring agency. (Photo by AFP Photo/Stringer)

A newborn baby pangolin climbs the walls of a cage in Bangkok, Thailand April 20, 2011. The Thai custom office showed 175 pangolins they found hidden in a truck heading into Bangkok. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

Children playing their smart phone during Lunar New Year's Eve celebrations at Fuk Ling Miau temple on January 28, 2025 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, will begin on January 29, 2025, marking the Year of the Snake. The celebrations, which last for approximately 15 days, are filled with traditional activities such as family gatherings, lion dances, and the exchange of red envelopes, making it a vibrant cultural event observed by Chinese communities worldwide. (Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)

The International Space Station (ISS) moving in front of the sun in November 2020 by astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy. These incredible photos capture the clearest images ever taken of the International Space Station (ISS) moving in front of both the moon and the sun. The photos, taken within days of one another, were captured in the space of less than a second, as the space station could be clearly seen zooming across against the bright backdrops of both moon and sun. Photographer Andrew McCarthy, from California, USA, said the photo of the ISS in front of the sun, in broad daylight, was “one of my trickiest shots ever”. (Photo by Andrew McCarthy/South West News Service)

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)

The Grevy’s Illusion by Yaron Schmid, USA: a Grevy’s zebra staring at the camera in Lewa, Kenya. Third place – wildlife. (Photo by Yaron Schmid/The Nature Conservancy Global Photo Contest 2019)