2015 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest – April selects

The contest is accepting entries until June 30. The grand-prize winner will receive an eight-day National Geographic Photo Expedition to Costa Rica and the Panama Canal.

Lighting up the Night
Photo and caption by Manish Mamtani / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

“I was out in the Arches National park to take night pictures but the clouds moved in. I waited for about 2 hours in the car and finally the sky cleared and I got this image. This Selfie Image was shot at the windows section.”

Ocean World
Photo and caption by Chris Schmid / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

“Birdview of a surfer in the famous beach of Praia Mole located in Florianopolis, Brazil. This image has been made with the help of a drone.”

Frozen in Time
Photo and caption by Shane Wheel / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

“Ice cave at the Vatnajokull Glacier in Iceland.”

Jal Mahal during Sunrise
Photo and caption by Ravikanth Kurma / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

“Beautiful view of Jalmahal during sunrise. I wanted to capture the palace and other two water structures also in the frame. Thats why I have used an ultra wide angle lens to capture this frame. Not many tourists visit the place at dawn, so the location is bit peaceful early in the morning. And locals visit the lake in the morning and feed the pigeons and fish in pond. These pigeons keeps flying across the lake once in a while, which I used to fill my frame.”

Colours of earth
Photo and caption by Maja Bednas / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

“People in Dharavi slum in Mumbai work hard, producing mostly recycled articles and pottery. The posture of these two women at the local pottery store, taking a short break for conversation, express dignity, while the colours of their saris perfectly blend with the scenery.”

Camping On The Diving Board
Photo and caption by Matthew Saville / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

“As technology shrinks the world around us, it becomes more and more difficult to find ourselves truly lost in the outdoors. This makes those particular moments and scenes that much more special. Getting to the Diving Board was quite a challenge, as there is no official trail. For anybody who is prepared, careful, and respectful of nature, the reward is one of the most breathtaking views in all of Yosemite, in my opinion.”

When Conditions Are Right
Photo and caption by Lee Scott / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

“Giant waves converge and jump together along the napali coast of Kauai. An early season northwest swell and the position of the autumn sun made this shot possible, but what really makes it special to me is the bird flying in the corner of the frame. This little moment of life adds balance to the image and reminds me that the mundane often make the spectacular.”

Tribal Make-Up Artist
Photo and caption by S. Ram / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

“Taken at a Karo Village in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia. The Karo are famous for their body-paint culture and skill. Away from the crowded village square, I found this “make up artist” focused on applying make-up on a young woman. Using a q-tip as a brush he used a Georges Seurat like Pointillism technique ! The calm focused look of the artist is contrasted by the nervous, perspiring client – perhaps unsure about the results (or my camera :-)”

Last Light on Godafoss, Iceland
Photo and caption by Ed Graham / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

“I had a tripod set up on Godafoss waterfall in Iceland last month. I used a 10 stop ND filter to capture the movement of the water as the sun set in the distance.”

White Rhinos
Photo and caption by Stefane Berube / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

“The night before this photo, we tried all day to get a good photo of the endangered white rhino. Skulking through the grass carefully trying to stay 30 feet away to be safe, didn’t provide me the photo I was hoping for. In the morning however, I woke up to all three rhinos grazing in front of me.”