CHOSEN FROM MORE than 12,000 entries from 6,615 photographers around the world, below are some of the images which made it down to the wire in the National Geographic 2012 Traveler Photo Contest.
Feast your eyes…
First place: Butterfly
This image was shot in the Kyrgyz lands of the Wakhan Corridor. The intimacy of this everyday life moment, shot inside of a family yurt, is in total contrast with the harsh environment these nomadic tribes live in. On the right we notice a television and a sound console. These tribes live weeks away from any village by foot. In spite of being located at an altitude of 4,300 meters in one of the most remote areas of Afghanistan they are equipped with solar panels, satellite dishes and cellphones. Ancestral ways of living, with touches of modernity. See the full gallery here.
Second place: My Balloon
H’Mong minority children were playing their ballons on the foggy day in Moc Chau – Ha Giang province Viet Nam Shooting time Jan 2012. See the full gallery here.
Third place: Devotees
During the Easter holy celebration called ìMisteriî (mistery) in Trapani, the devotees carry the scenes of Christís passion on their shoulders all night long. When the day comes they take a break. See the full gallery here.
Merit: Old Men with Djelleba
The Last Supper Of Da Vinci? No, They are just some old men of Chefchaouen with djellaba, sitting and talking each other. See the full gallery here.
Merit: Swimming in the Rain
My sister in the south of Chile. We are sitting at home next to the fireplace in our southern lake house when it suddenly began to pour uncontrolably. Had to rush into the lake to take this snapshot! See the full gallery here.
Merit: The Village of Gásadular
The village of Gásadalur and the island of Mykines in the background.
Until a tunnel was built in 2004, the 16 residents living in Gásadalur had to take a strenuous hike or horseback over the steep 400m mountain in order to make it to the other villages. It was a rare sunny day in the Faroe Islands and I had to wait until the clouds rolled in to provide some softer light. I decided to go with a long exposure (1 minute 10 seconds) to illustrate the force of the wind and a serene sea among the isolated islands. See the full gallery here.
Merit: Underwater surf
Taken at Cloud Break at an outer reef in Fiji, a surfer duck dives his board to clear the rolling waves of the raw ocean. See the full gallery here.
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