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)

Russia's Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin perform during the ice dance free dance program at the Rostelecom Cup ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Moscow November 15, 2014. (Photo by Grigory Dukor/Reuters)

A demonstrator dressed as Santa Claus holds up a flag as a riot police vehicle releases a jet of water during a protest against the private system of pension fund administrators in Santiago, Chile, December 10, 2015. The flag reads “Classist Workers Union”. (Photo by Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

New lovebirds boxer Robin Deakin – once known as “Britain's Worst Boxer” – and former UK “Big Brother” star Lisa Appleton go to the boxing gym in London, United Kingdom on September 28, 2016. The pair were seen holding hands in the street on arrival, and they then slogged it out in the ring and fooled about in Robin's gym. (Photo by FameFlynet UK)

Dancers wearing new bikinis perform in front of passers-by and a line of photographers during a promotional flash mob event on a square outside Shinjuku station in Tokyo on July 18, 2016. The event was organized by the Japan Swimsuit Association to promote new swimwear. (Photo by Toru Yamanaka/AFP Photo)

Ukrainian soldiers of the 71st Jaeger Brigade fire a M101 howitzer towards Russian positions at the frontline, near Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, March 22, 2024. (Photo by Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo)

A cat sits in the flooding waters from Hurricane Matthew in downtown Nichols, South Carolina, October 10, 2016. (Photo by Randall Hill/Reuters)

Scotland fans climbed on English playwright William Shakespeare's statue in Leicester Square prior to the Euro 2020 soccer championship group D match between England and Scotland, in London, Friday, June 18, 2021. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/Reuters)