Policewomen take a picture inside a tunnel under the Chao Phraya river at a Mass Rapid Transit subway station in Bangkok, Thailand, December 14, 2015. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/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)

A chimpanzee looks in the direction of a camera at the Gut Aiderbichl Sanctuary for Traumatized Chimpanzees and other Primates in Gaenserndorf, near Vienna, 17 September 2018. 34 former laboratory chimpanzees of former Austrian pharmaceutical company Immuno AG spend their lives at the Gut Aiderbichl Sanctuary for Traumatized Chimpanzees and other Primates since 2009. (Photo by Christian Bruna/EPA/EFE)

A bus goes through a flooded street in Wuhan, Hubei province, China July 6, 2016. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)

U.S. Air Force Major Paul “Loco” Lopez performs in an F-22 Raptor during the AirPower Over Hampton Roads JBLE Air and Space Expo at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, U.S. May 18, 2018. (Photo by U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell/Handout via Reuters)

Cosplayers at China Joy 2023, the city’s Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference in Shanghai, China on July 30, 2023. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

An activist is juggling next to police officers at the Dannenrod forest, during a protest of environmentalists against the extension of the A49 motorway, near Dannenrod, Germany, November 27, 2020. (Photo by Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)

Gabriel of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's third goal with teammates during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Arsenal FC at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 26, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)