Winners Of The 2017 National Geographic Travel Photographer Of The Year

A photograph of an erupting volcano hit by a bolt of lightning has earned Sergio Tapiro Velasco of Mexico the prestigious title of 2017 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year. Velasco will receive a 10-day trip for two to the Galápagos Archipelago with National Geographic Expeditions, as well as a $2500 prize. Velasco’s incredible photo was selected from over 15,000 entries from participants in more than 30 countries.

The power of nature – Grand Prize and 1st Prize Nature Category

Powerful eruption of Colima Volcano in Mexico on December 13th, 2015. That night, the weather was dry and cold, friction of ash particles generated a big lightning of about 600 meters that connected ash and volcano, and illuminated most of the dark scene. On last part of 2015, this volcano showed a lot of eruptive activity with ash explosions that raised 2-3 km above the crater. Most of night explosions produced incandescent rock falls and lightning not bigger than 100 meters in average. (Photo and caption by Sergio Tapiro Velasco/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

More info: 2017 National Geographic of the Year

Levels of reading – 1st Prize Cities Category

The modern interior of the city library in Stuttgart. With its wide-open space in the central, where natural light comes from through the windows on the top, it has a very unique atmosphere, where you can broaden your knowledge. (Photo and caption by Norbet Fritz/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Walled City #08 – 2nd Prize Cities Category

The Kowloon Walled City was the densest place on Earth. Hundreds of houses stacked on top of each other enclosed in the center of the structure. Many didn’t have access to open space.This notorious city was finally demolished in 1990s. However, if you look hard enough, youwill notice that the city is not dead. Part of it still exists in many of current high density housing apartments. I hope this series can get people to think about claustrophobic living in Hong Kong from a new perspective. (Photo and caption by Andy Yeung/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Henningsvær Football Field – 3rd Prize Cities Category

This football field in Henningsvær in the Lofoten Islands is considered one of the most amazing fields in Europe, and maybe even in the world. The photo was taken during a 10-day sailing trip in Norway in June 2017. We arrived to Henningsvær after a week of sailing through the cold and rainy weather. Upon our arrival, the weather cleared up. I was really lucky that the conditions were suitable for flying my drone, and I managed to capture this shot from a height of 120 meters. (Photo and caption by Misha De-Stroyev/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Colorful apartment – Honorable Mention, Cities Category

This building is apartment complex in Gifu Prefecture of Japan. It is very colorful, but it is an ordinary collective housing where ordinary people can live. (Photo and caption by Tetsuya Hashimoto/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Al Ain – Honorable Mention, Cities Category

New city on the desert. (Photo and caption by Andrzej Bochenski/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

To live – 2nd Prize Cities Category

Swans who live vigorous even in mud. (Photo and caption by Hiromi Kano/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Crocodiles at Rio Tarcoles – 3rd Prize Cities Category

This image was captured in Costa Rica when I was travelling from Monteverde to Playa Hermosa. As you cross over this river, you can stop and peer over the edge of the bridge. Below, reside over 35 gigantic crocodiles,relaxing on the muddy banks of the river. I wanted to capture the stark difference between the crocodiles on land and in the water. In the murky waters, the body contours of these beasts remain hidden, and one can only truly see their girth as they emergefrom the river. (Photo and caption by Tarun Sinha/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Marble Caves – Honorable Mention, Nature Category

The marble caves of Patagoina. (Photo and caption by Clane Gessel/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Forest of the Fairy – Honorable Mention, Nature Category

Shooting in the forest This photograph was taken in the evening hours of a humid early summer day in the forest of a small remote village in the Tamba area of Japan. It beautifully captures the magical atmosphere of Princess fireflies carpeting a stairway leading to a small shrine revered by the local people. (Photo and caption by Yutaka Takafuji/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Mt. Bromo – Honorable Mention, Nature Category

Mount Bromovolcano is a small, but active volcanic cinder cone on Java, Indonesia. Early 2016, I happened to be in Mt.Bromo during the increase of seismic activity and triggered the alert status to the second highest. (Photo and caption by Reynold Riksa Dewantara/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

In Your Face – Honorable Mention, Nature Category

Caribbean reef sharks are usually shy so I placed my camera on a rock where I know they frequent and used a remote trigger to click away as they came in and bumped my camera around. (Photo and caption by Shane Gross/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Worship – 1st Prize People Category

This photo was taken in Konya. Willing Dervish in an historical place of Sille KonyaTurkey.The ‘dance’ of the Whirling Dervishes is called Sema and is a symbol of the Mevlevi culture. According to Mevlana’s teachings, human beings are born twice, once oftheir mothers and the second time of their own bodies. (Photo and caption byF.Dilek Uyar/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Interesting moment – 2bd Prize People Category

Museum visitors curiously watching Rembrandt’s painting ” Syndics of the Drapers’ Guild” where it gave the illusion that the people on the paintings too are curiously watching the visitors. (Photo and caption by Julius Y./ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Under The Wave – 3rd Prize People Category

I recently traveled to Tavarua, Fiji to do some surf photography with pro surfer Donavon Frankenreiter at Cloudbreak. I’m always looking for new angles and perspectives. The usual surf shots have all been done so we decided to get a little creative. Makes you look twice. (Photo and caption by Rodney Bursiel/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Bridging Generation – Honorable Mention, People Category

A beautiful photo of a father and son sitting in white traditional attire with beautiful blue sky on the day of Eid al-Fitr in a mosque in New Delhi, India. The photo shows the beautiful bond which these two generation have been building up in a very simple and lovable manner. (Photo and caption by Jobit George/ National Geographic TravelPhotographer of the Year)

The Man’s Stare – Honorable Mention, People Category

The photo was taken on 23rd of July 2016 at Tongi Railway Station, Gazipur, Bangladesh. I was there for taking photos and waiting for a moment. A train from Dhaka toward another district has reached and stopped at the platform for 5 min for lifting passengers. It was huge raining. Suddenly I found a pair of curious eye was looking at me through the window and on his left an umbrella has been put for protect the rain. I got the moment. (Photo and caption by Moin Ahmed/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)

Blessings at Besakih – Honorable Mention, People Category

Besakih Temple has been known as Bali’s ‘Mother Temple’ for over 1000 years and is perched 1000 metreshigh on the southwestern slopes of Mount Agung. Here Balinese often come to offer up prayer and take blessing from the temple priests or “Pemangku” who reside there. (Photo and caption by Michael Dean Morgan/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year)