Julia Zlobina and Alexei Sitnikov of Azerbaijan gesture as they wait in the results area after competing in the ice dance free dance figure skating finals at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Winter Olympics, Monday, February 17, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)

Siberian Husky dogs of the Royev Ruchey Park team pull a rig during a practice session for the Karadag Sled Dog Rally on the frozen Mana River, with the air temperature at about minus 21 degrees Celsius (minus 5.8 degrees Fahrenheit), in the Siberian Taiga area outside Krasnoyarsk, Russia February 6, 2018. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Seen in a long camera exposure, the Caldor Fire burns on Sunday, August 29, 2021, in Eldorado National Forest, Calif. (Photo by Noah Berger/AP Photo)

Drum queen of the Unidos do Viradouro samba school Erika Januza performs during the first night of the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 23, 2022. (Photo by Amanda Perobelli/Reuters)

Samy Rose Moshiri, an Iranian American artist and activist, covers the mouth of Belarusian activist Yadviga Krasovskaya after dousing themselves in fake blood on stage at a Freedom Rally for Iran, in support of Iranian women and against the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, outside City Hall in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 1, 2022. (Photo by Bing Guan/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 stranded cat swims through flood water searching for dry land June 16, 2008 in Oakville, Iowa. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Paolo Guerrero of Brazil's Internacional reacts after missing an opportunity to score during a Copa Libertadores soccer match against Chile's Palestino in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Tuesday, April 9, 2019. (Photo by Diego Vara/Reuters)