June 17, 2014 at 2:02 pm

12 Amazing Entries from the 2014 Nat Geo Traveler Photo Contest

by twistedsifter

 

CONTEST CLOSES 30 JUNE 2014!

The 26th annual National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest is well under way, accepting submissions until 30 June 2014. Official categories include: Travel Portraits; Outdoor Scenes; Sense of Place; and Spontaneous Moments. The grand-prize winner will receive an eight-day National Geographic Expedition to Alaska for two aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion or National Geographic Sea Bird.

The entry fee is $15 (USD) per photo and there is no limit to the number of submissions per entrant. Judging consists of two rounds of evaluation based on creativity and photographic quality. The second-prize winner will receive a five-day National Geographic Photography Workshop for one in Santa Fe, N.M., and the third-prize winner will receive a six-day cruise for two on a Maine windjammer schooner. Seven merit-prize winners will receive a print of their photo, matted and framed by the National Geographic Imaging Lab, a $200 gift certificate to B&H Photo and “The Art of Travel Photography” course on DVD from National Geographic and The Great Courses.

The Sifter’s friends at Nat Geo were kind enough to share 12 amazing photographs already entered into this year’s contest. Stay tuned for additional coverage of this always fantastic annual contest.

 

1. Oceanic Flight

16-Oceanic-Flight

 

While on a trip to unhook live sharks from fishermen’s longlines, we were lucky enough to run into a massive school of mobula rays. The rays were moving quite fast and it was hard enough keeping up with them from the surface, let alone dive down to take a closer look. This photo was taken freediving to a depth of about 60 ft. Location: Baja, Mexico. Pacific Coast

 

2. Sunrise at Seoraksan, South Korea

07-Sunrise

 

After hiking for twelve hours out of a nineteen hour trek, it was time to watch the sunrise at Dinosaur Ridge. When we first looked out, the mountains were completely covered by clouds, but within an hour the clouds dropped and this was what we saw. It felt like heaven, and you could hear everyone present for this moment screaming and shouting for joy! I’d never seen something so incredible, I had to meditate and have gratitude to have experienced this. Some locals said that they’d never seen the mountains like this, even in their 40+ years of hiking there. Location: Seoraksan National Park, South

 

3. Are you here for the Winery Tour?

04-Winery-Tour

 

This is a Western Grey Kangaroo caught lounging in the wineries of the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. This past Autumn has been a spectacular time for wildlife viewing and I got lucky to spot this guy while mountain biking in the hills. Such a funny stance it just begs the question… Have you been drinking? …and or… Are you here for the Winery Tour? Such a spontaneous moment I figured it would be perfect for an entry. I hope you like it! Cheers. Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia

 

4. Liquid Emerald

14-Liquid-Emerald

 

I stood at the base of Niagara Falls in Ontario Canada with my camera, tripod and ND filter and 10 million gallons of water per minute. My camera was soaking when I was done and didn’t think I had achieved the effect I wanted, but later found out it was worth taking an involuntary shower compliments of mother nature to get this photo. Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

 

5. Happy Camping

15-Happy-Camping

 

Camping beneath the beauty of the Aurora Borealis in Southern Iceland in the Fall of 2013. An odd sort of reflection with the tent and the sky happening. Location: Southern Iceland

 

6. Small Squale

34 small squale 12 Amazing Entries from the 2014 Nat Geo Traveler Photo Contest

 

Nikon D3100 Obj : tokina 10-17 fish eye Housing : liquid eye + Big dome. Location: French polynesia, Moorea, Tiahura

 

7. The First Train

28-The-First-Train

 

Taken at Mishima town in Fukushima prefecture, Japan. The first train goes across the railway bridge through in morning mist. The train moves forward little by little slowly. Location: Mishima, Fukushima Pref, Japan

 

8. A Love Mysterious

09-A-Love-Mysterious

 

The sun sets as the majestic fog of the Pacific coast glides under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The long exposure of the fog reveals a silky texture as the low clouds rise and fall over San Francisco’s trademark hills. All the while, tourists and locals alike make their drive along the mountainside, to try and capture the moment for themselves. Location: San Francisco, CA

 

9. Gentoo Walking On Water

11-Gentoo

 

A returning Gentoo on the shores of New Island, Falklands with a belly full of Krill for its young ones. Location: New Island, Falkland

 

10. Kilauea Rules

30-Kilauea

 

The most extreme place we put ours kayakers to paddle till now. Location: Big Island – HI

 

11. A Love for Nature

13-A-Love-For-Nature

 

On my trip up north to Washington, we discovered a very unique location in the Olympic National Park. I couldn’t believe my eyes when we first arrived. This was something so out of this world, and nothing I’d expect to find in the USA. We only had an hour to explore before sundown. We immediately fell in love with this Rain Forest and the feeling we got being inside.
Shot using a Canon 5Dmk3 with a Canon 24-70 2.8. Location: Hoh Rainforest

 

12. An Alien World

05-An-Alien-World

 

Hang Son Doong is located in central Vietnam and is the world’s largest cave. It was only explored for the first time in 2009 and is just now opening up to very limited tourism. This photo shows some members of our party beginning the climb up one of the two collapsed roof sections or dolines that are prominent features in the cave. The vegetation that can be seen is entirely inside the cave, with the real jungle floor some 150m further above. Two-way radios and a laser pointer were used to get people in position and to ensure their headlamps provided just the right amount of illumination. Location: Hang Son Doong, Quang Binh, Vietnam

 

 

visit Traveler Photo Contest 2014 for more info

 

 

 

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