Visitors look at a plastinated human body during the “Body Worlds” exhibition by German anatomist Gunther von Hagens at a pavilion of the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNKh) in Moscow, Russia on March 24, 2021. Head of Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin ordered a probe of the exhibition after it sparked outrage among conservative religious groups and public figure. (Photo by Evgenia Novozhenina/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)

Kamchatka brown bears at Kurile Lake in Kamchatka peninsula’s volcanic terrain, Russia on August, 2017. Kamchatka brown bears are generally not dangerous to humans, and only 1% of encounters result in attack. (Photo by Igor Ivanko/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Miley Cyrus broke onto the scene as “Hannah Montana” in 2006. Since the show ended, she’s been desperate to shed the Disney image, first with “Can’t Be Tamed” in 2010, then with open marijuana use and twerking on Robin Thicke’s crotch in 2013. (Photo by Getty Images)

A black golden shaded British Shorthair cat is admired by visitors as he is carried at the Cat Extravaganza event at Olympia in London, Sunday, February 18, 2024. Loving Cats Worldwide brought its Cat Extravaganza and Rescue Awareness Event to London, where visitors could learn all about this intelligent species by observing the show's five judging rings. Plus, meet with local rescues and charities, as well as hear educational anecdotes about different cat breeds. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photo)

A group of boys toss their friend into the water at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States on June 25, 2024. New England temperatures reached into the high 80's(F) and low 90's(F) this week after a heatwave brought temperatures close to 100(F) last week. Heat domes causing heatwaves have been hitting the US over the past week with high alerts placed in the I-95 corridor on the East Coast. The National weather service has predicted above-normal temperatures for most the US for the month of July. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A woman loses her hat as waves crash into the St. Joseph Lighthouses, Sunday, June 30, 2024, off Tiscornia Beach in St. Joseph, Mich. (Photo by Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP Photo)

A Cucumber and a Chuta Cholero hug during the traditional festival “Desentierro del Pepino” (unearthing the Cucumber) to mark the beginning of carnival on January 21, 2024 in La Paz, Bolivia. People dug up the cucumber from the cemetery and walk through the streets with two characters, the Ch'uta and the Chola. (Photo by Gaston Brito/Getty Images)