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“Floating Market”. The Lok Baintan floating market is located in Banjarmasin, about an hour from central Banjarmasin by klotok (traditional boat). Trading begins early in the morning and traders sell and barter freshly harvested fruits and vegetables. Location: Lok Baintan, South Borneo, Indonesia. (Photo and caption by Hary Muhammad/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Lasting Reach”. Towards the evening spectacular cloud formations stretched out above the Cuernos of Torres del Paine. The contrast between the power of Patagonia and the vulnerable tents once again establishes how nature can be so intriguing. Location: Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. (Photo and caption by Violette Wolters/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Golden Gate Sunset”. Pelicans flying towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Location: San Francisco. (Photo and caption by Mike Stephenson/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Faith”. Weathered old hands full of history and character clutch prayer beads during an important Buddhist festival in Ladkah. These hands belong to a nomadic woman who has travelled a long way by foot with her family and her herd to attend this festival. They are known as Chang-pa herdspeople, or Tibetan plateau nomadic herdspeople. Living life off of the land is physically demanding at these altitudes. This area is thought to be the highest cultivated land in the world. Summer is short, winter is long. The Chang-pa people travel from plain to plain, allowing their animals to graze. Location: Tsomoriri Lake, Ladakh, India. (Photo and caption by Stephen Harrold/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“São Paulo”. A man in front of the countless skyscrapers of São Paulo. Loneliness. The truth is that puts a little fear but is a wonderful city. Location: São Paulo, Brasil. (Photo and caption by Ignazio Sciacca/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Fresh milk”. Old lady gladly pours fresh milk to a stranger wondering in mountains. Location: Verkhovina. Carpatian mountains. Ukraine. (Photo and caption by Mstyslav Chernov/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“A Moment Caught in Time”. April 2012 – Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park. I was so entranced by this scene, I almost didn't get the shot. I watched the mists recede into the background to reveal beautiful, rich colors, the different shapes of the trees, the glass of the pond producing perfect reflections and the early light of the Sun. (Photo and caption by Sue Ernisse/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Merit Winner: Swimming in the Rain”. My sister in the south of Chile. We are sitting at home next to the fireplace in our southern lake house when it suddenly began to pour uncontrollably. Had to rush into the lake to take this snapshot! Location: Lago Caburgua, Chile. (Photo and caption by Camila Massu/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Kazakh Horseman Riding Through Winter Steppe of Fire”. Driving through hours and hours of steppe with Kazakh colleagues in January we stopped on the side of the road to stretch our legs in –30 C temperatures as the winter sun descended. From a village to the east, barely visible from the main road, came a Kazakh rider, galloping through the frozen grass. I was able to capture a series of beautiful photos as the rider passed beside us and on towards the sunset, heading to who knows where across the steppe in the bitter cold at sundown. Location: In the vicinity of Amankaragaj, Kostanay Province, Kazakhstan. (Photo and caption by Josh Brann/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Longing for a dream, the ecstasy of it becoming real”. After years of waiting, one of the most popular industrial metal bands, Rammstein, was finally in Istanbul, headliner of the first day at Sonisphere festival. As the stage turned to passionate red,pink crowd got darker. There's no way i can describe the excitement, the ecstasy and the longing for that day better than this photograph. Location: Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo and caption by Sinan Yilmaz/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Morning at Varanasi”. The Ganges is the most sacred river, while Varanasi is regarded as the holy city to Hindus. Everyday from dawn to dusk, people comes here to pray. (Photo and caption by Ng Hock How/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Hide and Seek”. It was a very foggy windless morning when I visited my favorite place close to home. The waterfowl already had some spring jitters. During my routine walk I came across this couple Canada Goose. I thought it was funny to see as they played a game of hide and seek. I waited patiently to capture this moment with the Geese on the right place in the frame. Location: Nature reserve “De Hazenputten”, Nijnsel, Noord-Brabant, The Netherlands. (Photo and caption by Andrew George/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Beauty of the night”. After coming back from several weeks out in nature back into a city like New York, I was at first overwhelmed by its rough metropolitan character. On a bike ride through Upper and Lower Manhattan I met a local at a traffic light. He spotted me taking pictures of unusual spots. He later took me for a ride around the greater city area and gave me insights into his perspective of how he sees his home town. This photo was taken on that evening from the top of the Empire State Building. He inspired me and enabled me to see the city from a whole new perspective. (Photo and caption by Lukas Ziegler/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Snowflakes”. Frozen snowflakes on the sidewindow of the car while driving towards the slopes for a great day of snowboarding. Location: Leissigen, Switzerland. (Photo and caption by Mark Timmermans/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Split”. The ancient Old Town of Split (Croatia) in February 2012 during the heaviest snowfall in its recorded history. (Photo and caption by Nenad Saljic/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Uzury/Ice tracery”. Russia, Baikal lake, Olkhon island, near the small settlement Uzury (Uzu:ri). This name spells almost like russian word “uzory” (uzo:ri), one of the meanings is “tracery” – the tracery of Baikal ice, cleanest in the world. March, early morning, –25C. (Photo and caption by Alexey Kharitonov/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“A snapshot from mountaineer's life”. Have you ever wondered how does a mountaineer's day start? I will give you a hint: you wake up at 3 am, set the stove, wake up your partner, pretend it is warm, quickly consume a high-calorie breakfast, watch your friends slowly ascending the icy slopes of your dream summit with their tiny head torches glimmering against perfectly blue ice, and hope for the good weather. One would ask: why all this trouble? The answer is easy: for the love of the adventure and the unknown. Location: Chamonix, Haute Savoye, France. (Photo and caption by Kamil Tamiola/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Haunting moonrise”. A full moon over St. John's bridge in Portland, Oregon. (Photo and caption by Fred An/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“The ice cave experience”. Deep, blue and cold. The frightening experience of climbing inside an ice cave on the north face of alpine summit at 3800 m above sea level is very difficult to describe in words. Especially in summer, when all the glacial ice melts making the place for completely new formations. You need to stay focused, pay attention to every single move and commit yourself entirely to this climb. The reward?! An amazing experience of climbing something pure and truly unique. Location: Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix, Haute Savoye, France. (Photo and caption by Kamil Tamiola/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“A Store in Kuala Lumpur Railway Station”. I have once visit this historical railway station and shoot this scene with iphone, after several month I think that I should do it in high resolution and shoot it properly way. The parallel construction is what I concern. Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo and caption by Kinwei Choong/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Waiting for the Wave”. A ritual of a measured stare into the open space of the ocean – a time to offer your respect to the water before its embrace. Location: Bondi Beach, Sydney. (Photo and caption by Jordan Wainer/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“A Date in Fairytale Town”. A romantic couple enjoying the peace and calmness of the fairytale town of Fribourg. Location: Fribourg, Switzerland. (Photo and caption by Erol Can Ün/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Fishing at sunrise”. Early morning at Trillium lake, Oregon, the sun had not fully come out yet, but these two folks had already launched their boats for fishing. It was quite a lot of fun to watch them chatting and casting the line, especially with the morning colors and mist. (Photo and caption by Victor Liu/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Glacier Bay View”. Boating through an ice-filled bay along the Inside Passage of Alaska, one is filled with wonder at the raw beauty surrounding the Baird Glacier. (Photo and caption by Maureen Ruddy Burkhart/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“4800m above sea level”. This shot was taken in bolivia close to Sucre city. On 4800m above sea level the mountain releases gas everyday from 5am till 7am. The gas is hot but not dangerous. Its a beautiful view in the middle of a desert. There is always a lot of travelers stoping and checking out because the place is included on the Salar de uyuni tour. Location: Bolivia. (Photo and caption by Stylianos Papardelas/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Monsoon Rains – Children at the Pond”. After the monsoon rains, I traveled in southern Ethiopia. While visiting the Lower Omo Valley tribes, I spent some time with these lovely children. This is the local version of leisure at the “swimming pool”. The harsh environment, and the fact that the children share the same pond with cows and donkeys does not prevent them from enjoying the short wet season, which will soon turn into mud, dust and drought. (Photo and caption by Alexander Shahaf/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Light up”. Dusky fog gently descending upon the ancient cave settlement of Sassi di Matera as the town lit up. Location: Matera, Basilicata, Italy (Photo and caption by Chen Fei/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Gather”. Yao People Yao nationality is distributed in six provinces but the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region contains the largest population of the Yao people. Location: China, Guilin. (Photo and caption by Albert Tan/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“The Great White Wall”. The Great White Wall is a vertical drop off covered by white soft corals. When the current conditions are right the corals open up like on the photo. Location: Northern Fiji (Taveuni), Somosomo straight, 2011. (Photo and caption by Vladimir Iakovlev/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Worship Frenzy”. It was the final day of Ganpati celebrations in 2011. Large processions of people took to the streets in celebration. Ganpati is one of the most worshiped Hindu deities. The average height of these idols is between 20 and 30 feet. Location: Mumbai, India. (Photo and caption by Girish Menon/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Volcanic”. Volcanic images @ NG are always about lightning, lava and immense cones, but a volcano can also be spewing out mud, allowing you to bathe in them! This volcano is approximately 50 feet (15 m) high and can accommodate 10 to 15 people on its active crater. It takes a bit to jump in, what if the pressure goes away? Location: Colombia, Mud volcano, El Totumo. (Photo and caption by Jorgen Tharaldsen/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Sunrise on Palouse Hills”. The sun's first rays warm the rolling hills of the Palouse Country in Eastern, Washington. Location: North of Colfax, Washington. (Photo and caption by Randall Roberts/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Souvenir Market”. A small souvenir market selling wares with vibrant colors as seen from the top of the Inca remains in the town of Ollantaytambo, some 60 km from Cusco. Location: Ollantaytambo, Peru. (Photo and caption by Ben Leshchinsky/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Venice”. One of the out lying island in Venice shrouded in early morning fog. It was incredibly calm and serene. (Photo and caption by Brian Yen/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Anthropization”. Tourists contemplate astonished the power lines and pipes that cross the desert to feed mining towns. Location: Atacama, Chile. (Photo and caption by Nicolas Sanchez/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“People People People and more People”. Here's a typical guy who's trying to tune out all the people in the Beijing Subway. It feels like all 1.2 billion people is trying to fit this cart. (Photo and caption by Brian Yen/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Sticks on desert”. Morning in the desert after sand storm. Location: Sossusvlei, Namibia (Photo and caption by Ondrej Zaruba/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“A Zoo Life”. A rhinoceros in its small concrete enclosure at the Toronto Zoo. (Photo and caption by Vincent Demers/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Breathe a spiritual dimension”. In my trip to Turkey one of the things that stuck with me most impressed was the spiritual dimension and the involvement of people. Location: Turkey, Istanbul, Blue mosque. (Photo and caption by Angelo Cirrincione/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Playing on the roof”. Kid playing on the roof of a building in Havana, Cuba. (Photo and caption by Vincent Demers/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Returning to a comfortable place”. Tired and cold after a four day trip inside the first cave to hold the 1km depth record, a cave explorer tries to return to a more comfortable place. He wraps a foil blanket around his shivering body and uses the heat from the flickering candle to try and regain some warmth and strength. The Gouffre Berger (cave) in the Vercors region of France is notorious for its cold temperatures with an icy cold wind that chills to the bone. (Photo and caption by Robbie Shone/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Merit Winner: Bagan Bliss”. More than 2,000 Buddhist temples and pagodas fill the plains of Bagan. Once the capital of the Pagan Empire, farmers now raise their livestock within the centuries old complex. The best way to see Bagan, apart from a ride on a hot air balloon, is by bicycle. It's easy to get off the beaten path and live out your wildest Indiana Jones fantasy. Location: Bagan, Myanmar (Burma). (Photo and caption by Peter DeMarco/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Stroll”. The every day for me is others' non-every day, and the every day for me is others' non-every day. Location: Yemen, Manaha. (Photo and caption by 良充 練木/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Event Horizon”. The view inside an enormous inactive cooling tower, France. (Photo and caption by Reginald Van de Velde/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Throwed-away bicycle”. Throughed-away bicycle. Location: India. (Photo and caption by Tang Wing Kit/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Leisurely Greek Afternoon”. I took this photo in Mykonos, Greece. I loved how the three men in the middle were deep in conversation while there was one person on each bench on either side of them gazing off into the distance. I also loved the warm afternoon sun. (Photo and caption by Angie McMonigal/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Bombay Beach”. This was an unusual evening at Bombay Beach. As I stood there awaiting the sunset, a blanket of mist suddenly rolled in. It created a surreal sense of serenity and color that seemed almost to clash with Bombay Beach's usual, apocalyptic decor. Location: Bombay Beach (at the Salton Sea in California). (Photo and caption by Jennifer Magallon/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Splendid Spiral”. This boy's mom invited me to visit their home when I was wondering around the old town in Havana. Sensing that there was a visitor, he ran down and stared at me with his curious eyes. I couldn't take my eyes off the staircase. It is so dilapidated yet somehow I see a splendid spiral, in its old, old glamorous time. (Photo and caption by Elisa Chiu/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Woman in red”. An old woman trudging through the streets of Williamsbourg with her market cart beside her. The streets were empty because of the jewish Passover celebrations and she appeared, a red dot in the void streets, giving the scene an otherworldly feel of loneliness. Location: Williamsbourg, NY City, U.S.A. (Photo and caption by Andrea Nuvoloni/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Blizka”. The Buzludzha Monument on a 1441 metres high peak was built by the Bulgarian communist regime to commemorate the events in 1891 when the socialists led by Dimitar Blagoev assembled secretly in the area to form an organised socialist movement. It was opened in 1981. No longer maintained by the Bulgarian government, it has fallen into disuse. Approaching and visiting the building in the middle of winter was a real adventure. The photography was taken with a large format camera and film. (Photo and caption by Thomas Jorion/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“The residents of the desert”. The Namibian desert always has something different. Except the unique landscapes and wildlife you can see one of the most traditional and colorful tribe of all Africa. Especially when they are front of the sunset in the desert you can see the spectacular silhouettes of their bodys. Himba is there and i was there in time. Location: Serra cafema- Kaokoland, Kunene river, north Namibia (Photo and caption by Panagiotis Laskarakis/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“God's Window”. This is a self portrait I shot whilst on a photographic assignment for WILD magazine in the Tankwa Karoo, Western Cape. I was humbled by the sense of space I felt looking down into the valley – the magnitude of nature and miracle of creation reminded me of how small we really are. (Photo and caption by Karin Schermbrucker/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Who said the world is round!” This photo was taken whilst on a liveaboard diving trip in Tubbataha April 2012. When surfacing from a dive Soren was taken some photos and I captured this moment of calm and beautiful surroundings in the middle of the Sulu sea. Location: Tubbataha Reef, Philippines. (Photo and caption by Chris Hewett/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“China”. Women in traditional chinese dress. Location: China. (Photo and caption by Thomas Kalak/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“The Aged in Tibet”. When prosperity fades away, the serenity moves us a lot. As a photographer, there are touching sceneries everywhere on the way and all scenery has its own touching story. Just like these elders, even we do not know their experiences, we can see their precipitated serene. Location: Qingpu, Tibet, China (Photo and caption by Yang Hai/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“I need a vacation”. Spotted this little shack on the roof of a building under construction in Hong Kong. It's almost like a secluded little temple on top of the Himalaya. The only difference is the the music of constant hammering and drilling, the aromatic scent of latex paint and occasionally shrouded in concrete mist. One thing they do share though, is the prayer you surely would be singing, wishing you could end up at a better place. (Photo and caption by Brian Yen/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Merit Winner: Underwater Surf”. Taken at Cloud Break at an outer reef in Fiji, a surfer duck dives his board to clear the rolling waves of the raw ocean. Location: Cloudbreak, Fiji, Pacific Ocean. (Photo and caption by Lucia Griggi/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Cinque Terre, Italy”. There are places on earth where nature and its human inhabitants, along with all their excessive props, fit together just fine. (Photo and caption by Sara Coen/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Burj Khalifa”. At 829.84m (2,723 ft), the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. However, plans are underway to construct an even higher building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. If completed, that structure will be the first in the world to surpass the 1km (3,280ft) mark.
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo and caption by Sandra Leduc/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“Magic view”. It was already late evening on the way home. It was dark and silent almost everywhere on the turkish peninsula Bodrum. Suddenly we came to the small village Dereköy and saw this miraculous shop for lamps made from calabash. What a magic view.
Location: Dereköy, Bodrum, Westanatolia, Turkey. (Photo and caption by Thomas Richler/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“First Place Winner: Butterfly”. This image was shot in the Kyrgyz lands of the Wakhan Corridor. The intimacy of this everyday life moment, shot inside of a family yurt, is in total contrast with the harsh environment these nomadic tribes live in. On the right we notice a television and a sound console. These tribes live weeks away from any village by foot. In spite of being located at an altitude of 4,300 meters in one of the most remote areas of Afghanistan they are equipped with solar panels, satellite dishes and cellphones. Ancestral ways of living, with touches of modernity. National Geographic contributing photographer Alexandra Avakian, one of this year's judges, shares her thoughts on the first place winner: The light and texture captured in this portrait are painterly, and the predominance of red is rich. The content of the photo is striking because the photographer captured both the nomads’ traditional way of life and some of their modern accouterments – the viewer gets the visual satisfaction of something that goes against cliché. Triangle shapes tend to add dynamism to photos. In this picture they appear in several places, including the main subject’s knee, elbow, and white scarf. I’ve slept in the guest yurt of Kyrgyz nomads in remote mountains while on assignment for Elle magazine; the location is hard to reach and off the beaten path for most travelers, and therefore of educational as well as aesthetic value. Location: Wakhan Corridor Afghanistan. (Photo and caption by Cedric Houin/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)