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National Geographic has announced the winner of the 2013 Traveler Photo Contest, as well as the second, third, and merit winners.
The Traveler Photo Contest is one of the most prestigious image competitions in the world. It is hosted by the National Geographic and it invites travel photographers to share their best shots, depicting beautiful or intriguing locations and moments.
Wagner Araujo wins National Geographic’s 2013 Traveler Photo Contest
The 2013 contest has been the 25th annual edition. National Geographic has just announced the 2013 Traveler Photo Contest winner, who has been awarded a 10-day expedition to Galápagos for two people for his achievement.
The laureate is Wagner Araujo with the “Brazil Aquathlon” photo. The image has been captured in Manaus, Amazon, Brazil, during the Aquathlon Championship.
The photographer said that his lens got really wet, but the action and the energy of the athletes could not have been missed. The contest’s judges added that Araujo broke some composition rules here, as some subjects are heading out of the frame, but they admitted that sometimes it is good to break the rules.
Thunderstorm ruins party, “epicness” ensues
Moving forward, second place has been awarded to Max Seigal. It depicts an entirely different subject, but it can be considered “epic” as well. The shot has been taken at the Canyonlands National Park in the United States.
The photographer went to Utah for nighttime photography to capture a shot of the Milky Way. However, a thunderstorm ruined the “party”. Thankfully, the clouds brought the “pizza and beer”, resulting in an astounding photo.
“Say cheese!” brings third place to Yanai Bonneh
The third-placed winner is Yanai Bonneh. The photographer captured a shot of a couple of cheetahs on the top of a vehicle filled with tourists in one of Kenya’s national parks.
Cheetahs will often climb on tourists cars, in order to check the surroundings for pray or rivals, and this safari experience in the Masai Mara has not been different. The rooftop of the Toyota Land Cruiser was open, so you could say that the passengers adrenaline levels were skyrocketing.
The photo also shows one of the tourists with a camera to his eye, looking to capture a portrait of the beautiful animal. Additionally, a woman is holding a camera in her hands and is aiming to take a self-portrait with the coolest background possible: a living cheetah.
Merit winners’ photos are definitely amazing, too
Seven merit winners have also been selected. The list includes Marcelo Salvador, Graham McGeorge, Michelle Schantz, Hideyuki Katagiri, Gergely Lantai-Csont, Nikola Smernic, Chan Kwok Hung, and Dody Kusuma.
Out of these, Graham McGeorge’s photo really stands out. It is a portrait of an Eastern Screech Owl and it has been captured in Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia, United States. You have to take a really good look at the image to spot the owl.
Gergely Lantai-Csont’s photo also deserves extra credit, as the photographer has been able to “infiltrate” in the Tatahonda sect, D.R. Congo. The images shows several women getting ready for a religious ritual.
More information and the full gallery of shots can be found at National Geographic’s official 2013 Traveler Photo Contest website.