2014 National Geographic Photo Contest, Week 2

“Hold On”. This Jockey is trying to survive keeping his balance when spurred two cows in Cow Race at West Sumatra. Photo location: West Sumatra. (Photo and caption by Achmad Sumawijaya/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“The carpet maker”. Carpet maker Kurdish women. Photo location: Tekeli village, Turkey. (Photo and caption by Istvan Kerekes/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Namaste”. A group of holy men were scattered along the sides of a quiet street relaxing in the warm afternoon sun in the beautiful desert town of Pushkar, Rajasthan. The vibrant orange of this particular man’s traditional Pagri head piece contrasted beautifully with the chipped blue wall behind him. I couldn’t go past the contagiously warm smile plastered across his face. Photo location: Pushkar, Rajasthan State, India. (Photo and caption by Angela Winter/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Hope on the Horizon”. A young Swazi girl holds on to the hope found in Jesus Christ promised to her daily in the sunset over the mountains. Photo location: Mbabane, Swaziland, Africa. (Photo and caption by Christina Kehres/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Someday…” If Csabi behaves well, after school he is allowed to ride his mini-motorbike in the street. He would like to be racer when he grows up. Photo location: Szigetmonostor, Hungary. (Photo and caption by Esteban Sanchez/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Tatum”. Lifestyle shoot in Downtown Dallas. Photo location: Dallas, TX. (Photo and caption by Tyler Lyons/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“The Buckskin”. As I was waiting for the sunset to get a silhouette of rider on horseback the God light begin to break thru the clouds and outlining the horse in a glow of yellow light. Never got my silhouette but got a better picture. Photo location: Weatherford, Texas. (Photo and caption by Bill Stipp/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Above Big Sur”. I’d gone to Big Sur to watch the gray whale migration from the cliffs, but it was too foggy to even see the water. I decided to hike up the Baronda Trail to see if I could get above the fog. This view was my reward. Miles of lupine and blue skies. Outstanding! Photo location: Big Sur, California. (Photo and caption by Douglas Croft/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Mists around Kilimanjaro”. This picture was taken during a safari in Amboseli. The sky was clear early in the morning, but around ten it began to cloud over around the Mountain. Creating the effect of an island over the the sea. I hope to go back to Africa and see again the snow-covered peak of Kilimajaro. Maybe in the future this picture won’t be possible due to climate change. Photo location: Amboseli National Park, Kenya. (Photo and caption by Juan Manuel Aguilera Angulo/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Sunrise Plaosan Temple”. While in Indonesia shooting TV commercial one of our locations was this temple. Sun rose as the people worked in rice paddies. Photo location: Plaosan Temple, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. (Photo and caption by Bill Stipp/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Blazing”. Tsuta-swamp in Aomori Japan. The autumn leaves blazing in response to the morning sun. Photo location: Towada Aomori, Japan. (Photo and caption by Sho Shibata/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Mont Blanc lights”. The road on the ridge towards the summit of Mont Blanc (4450 m). Photo location: Mont Blanc, France. (Photo and caption by Grzegorz Kapias/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Mexican Long Nosed Bat”. Mexican Long Nosed Bat feeding on a nectar flower during the night at Elephant Head in Arizona. The photo was taken during the night with inferred triggers that set off the camera when the bats came to the flower to feed. Photo location: Elephant Head in Southern Arizona. (Photo and caption by Juan DeLeon/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Kings Valley Clouds”. I walked out onto a rock outcrop looking over the Kings Valley near Mansfield, Victoria. As I watched the morning clouds slowly disperse they opened up a beautiful landscape below me allowing the sun’s rays to penetrate through to the natural forest, contrasted with the cultivated straight lines of the vineyard. Photo location: Mansfield, Victoria, Australia. (Photo and caption by Joel Spooner/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Rocks of Monterey”. One of my favorite places to shoot in the USA is definitely the Pacific Northwest. For three nights I had no colour to speak of. Certainly nothing that made me get excited. The last day however the wind was strong, the clouds were coming and going fast, and the sunrise that Mother Nature gave us was AMAZING. This shot to me shows the magical colours that Mother Nature can throw our way on that coastline. Truly a beautiful place. Photo location: Monterey, California. (Photo and caption by Michael PA/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Kangeroo Dreaming”. In the salt lakes of the mallee Region of Victoria in Murray Sunset National Park in Australia the western grey kangeroo enters the salt lakes for still unknown reasons. Maybe to replenish salt levels, it is not clear. It was a magical moment and gives the impression of the kangeroo magically walking on water. Photo location: Murray Sunset National Park, Australia. (Photo and caption by Christian Spencer/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“A tree dreaming”. In the Strezlecki desert of Australia a flock of galahs replenish on the only small water avaliable at the base of this lonely tree.Its a rare photo opportunity to get such a clear and symetrical shot of these beautiful birds in flight in the middle of the desert. Photo location: Strezlecki desert, Australia. (Photo and caption by Christian Spencer/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Inside Out”. Flying with my father over Bárðarbunga to experience this eruption from inside of our earth was amazing. The power, heat and beauty was overwhelming. On many occasions you feel how small you are when standing in the nature – this was one of those times, although I was not standing but sitting in my fathers plane. Photo location: Bárðarbunga, Holuhraun, Iceland. (Photo and caption by Ragnheidur Arngrímsdóttir/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Sunward”. When the Mediterrenean Mantis opened its wings, It seemed very impressive at the sunshine… Photo location: Nicosia, Cyprus. (Photo and caption by Hasan Baglar/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Swans in Golden Midst”. Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) at Lake Kussharo, on the first couple of mornings that I had in Hokkaido. Small sections of the lake were warmed with hot spring waters allowing spots for the Whoopers to get overwinter. As early morning steam from the geothermal hot spots rises from the lake and diffuses morning light into multiple light rays, throngs of whooper swans arrived for their morning feeding. Wonderful flight shots of their arrival are possible, followed by extraordinary photo opportunities of them landing on the ice. Photo location: Lake Kussharo, Hokkaido, Japan. (Photo and caption by Kiat Teo/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Arctic Hi five”. Two Polar bear cubs full of adrenaline on iceflow in Svalbard. The mother was just trying to have a quiet stroll but the cubs were not having any of that. This was the male cub and he just was so entertaining to watch. Photo location: Svalbard, Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. (Photo and caption by Colin Mackenzie/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“Dugong feeding on seagrass”. A dugong (Dugong dugon, sirenian) feeding on a seagrass field and accompanied by juvenile pilot jacks. Photo location: Abu Dabbab, Marsa Alam, Egypt, Red Sea. (Photo and caption by Laura Dinraths/National Geographic Photo Contest)

“The Iguana’s cave”. Unexpected underwater encounter with a Green Iguana. I was attempting to take some overunder sunset shots in a semi-submerged cave in Bonaire, when a Green Iguana swam toward my dome with an inquisitive doing. Just in front of my lens, she came up to the surface to take a quick breathe… Photo location: Island of Bonaire, Kralendijk, Dutch Caribbean. (Photo and caption by Lorenzo Mittiga/National Geographic Photo Contest)