Nick Uhlig and Philipp Oettel race alongside Lukas Erlecke and Leon Freygang during the opening round of the German sidecar championship at the 58th ADAC Motocross in Schopfheim, Deutschland on June 1, 2025. (Photo by Grant Hubbs/IMAGO via Avalon)

Nine-year-old Barry Miller appears none too impressed with the movements of an African Rock Python which is exploring his scalp. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 27th August 1961

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gestures during a news conference in Kiev, Ukraine, June 5, 2015. REUTERS/Mykhailo Markiv/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Pool

Tank crew standing in front of M-4 tank, Ft. Knox, Kentucky, June, 1942. (Alfred Palmer/OWI/LOC)

An enterprising Chinese man pulls a bicycle cart packed high with bags of recyclable plastic containers in Shanghai July 25, 2002. The man sells each kilogram (2.2 pounds) of plastic for 0.08 yuan ($.01) to a nearby depot. (Photo by Claro Cortes IV/Reuters)

An LGBTQ member prepares before a streamed performance of “Pride at Home”, at the National Theatre in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, July 4, 2020. To celebrate 20 years of gay pride in Venezuela, LGBTQ members organized a presentation of different artistic shows via live streaming amid the new coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Matias Delacroix/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)

This photo taken on November 7, 2023 shows winter swimming enthusiasts taking photos at Beiling Park after snowfall in Shenyang, in China's northeastern Liaoning province. (Photo by AFP Photo/China Stringer Network)