October winner. “A burst of the aurora borealis over Kirkjufell, taken in September 2016. This shot has been a holy grail for me and was finally captured after many trips”. MICK RYAN, JUDGE: Iceland is a hotspot for aurora photography and this composition of the symmetric, free-standing Kirkjufell and the trident waterfall is much-sought after. If you can time your visit when the aurora “kp” index is high and know the settings for nighttime aurora images, you may end up with a beautiful photograph like this. (Photo by DВ/The Guardian)

Junior Lambrechts has his face painted in preparation for the Cape Minstrel Carnival in Cape Town, South Africa on January 2, 2023. (Photo by Shelley Christians/Reuters)

“Misty Morning”. Every morning, people expect sunny weather. Photo location: Bali, Indonesia. (Photo and caption by Henry Adam/National Geographic Photo Contest)

A South Sudanese model applies make-up during the Festival of Fashion and Arts for Peace in Juba August 9, 2014. (Photo by Andreea Campeanu/Reuters)

Visitors run away as waves caused by a tidal bore surge past a barrier on the banks of Qiantang River, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province August 13, 2014. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

Relatives gather to identify bodies in the village of Nyamukubi, South Kivu province, Congo, Saturday, May 6, 2023. The death toll from flash floods and landslides in eastern Congo has risen to over 150, with some 100 people still missing, according to a provisional assessment given by the governor and authorities in the country's South Kivu province. (Photo by Moses Sawasawa/AP Photo)

Fans attend the World Premiere Of Marvel Studios' “Captain America: Brave New World” at TCL Chinese Theatre on February 11, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/WireImage)

In a photo taken on August 30, 2014 a man brushes his dog as he waits to take part in a competition at a dog show in Seoul. Some 2000 dogs took part in the three-day show organised by the Korea Kennel Federation which was celebrating its 58th anniversary. Dog ownership in South Korea is a growing industry widely reported to have passed 10 million in 2013, with private expenditure on pet supplies increasing some 14 percent per year since 2000, according to a report by the Nonghyup Economic Research Institute. (Photo by Ed Jones/AFP Photo)