Artist Ali Khalifa, center, draws graffiti at his old Kadhimiya district of Baghdad that needed municipal services, Iraq, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. (Photo by Hadi Mizban/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)

Rays from the rising sun shine through the foliage of trees as fog covers the ground near the Guckler Karoly Observatory in Budapest, Hungary, 02 January 2017. (Photo by Balazs Mohai/EPA)

French actress Audrey Tautou arriving to the Balmain show as part of Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020/2021 on February 28, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Meryl Curtat/SIPA Press)

American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift kisses Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after an AFC Championship NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, January 28, 2024, in Baltimore. The Kansas City Chiefs won 17-10. (Photo by Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

A Brazil supporter kisses a replica of the world cup trophy before the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match between Croatia and Brazil at Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha, on December 9, 2022. (Photo by Adrian Dennis/AFP Photo)

A pedestrian holds an umbrella to protect from the sun in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, May 3, 2024. (Photo by Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo)

A woman poses with her twins before the Igboora World Twins Festival 2024, in Igbo-Ora on October 12, 2024. (Photo by Olympia de Maismont/AFP Photo)