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 modernityNational Geographic
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 modernityNational GeographicH'Mong minority children were playing with their balloons on the foggy day in Moc Chau - Ha Giang province Viet Nam in January 2012. Contest judge Alexandra Avakian said: 'This picture is like a dream, and it's timeless not only because it's black and white and there's no sense of modernity, but also because it depicts an activity that children everywhere on the planet do with balloons. The fog and soft background make it feel like a memory'National GeographicDuring the Easter holy celebration called “Misteri” in Trapani, the devotees carry the scenes of Christ’s passion on their shoulders all night long. When the day comes they take a break. The light on the icon of Jesus is as critical to the success of this picture as the varied expressions on the men’s faces after an exhausting night carrying statues depicting the Passion of Christ. Recognizing when and how to balance different kinds of light in the same photo is something that can make the difference between a muddy and uninteresting picture and one that’s good, aesthetic, and full of content. This picture was taken at the port in the tuna-fishing town of Trapani, Sicily—a land known for its religious processions.National Geographic'This is the great Japanese maple tree in the Portland Japanese Gardens,' photographer Fred An said to National Geographic. 'I tried to bring a different perspective of this frequently photographed tree'National GeographicNear the city of Morondava, on the West coast of Madagascar lies an ancient forest of Baobab trees. Unique to Madagascar, the endemic species is sacred to the Malagasy people, and rightly so. Walking amongst these giants is like nothing else on this planet. Some of the trees here are over a thousand years old. It is a spiritual place, almost magical.National GeographicTaken at Cloud Break at an outer reef in Fiji, a surfer duck dives his board to clear the rolling waves of the raw ocean.National GeographicMore than 2,000 Buddhist temples and pagodas fill the plains of Bagan. Once the capital of the Pagan Empire, farmers now raise their livestock within the centuries old complex. The best way to see Bagan, apart from a ride on a hot air balloon, is by bicycle. It's easy to get off the beaten path and live out your wildest Indiana Jones fantasy.National GeographicSauKhiang Chau writes,"The Last Supper Of Da Vinci? No, They are just some old men of Chefchaouen with djellaba, sitting and talking each other."National GeographicThe 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 400 meter 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.National GeographicCamila Massu describes the image," 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 uncontrollably. Had to rush into the lake to take this snapshot!"National GeographicA lonely cabin is illuminated under the Northern Lights in Finnmark, Norway.National Geographic
The call for the 2012 National Geographic Photo contest resulted in a staggering 12,000 entries from 6,615 photographers in 152 countries. After much judging, debate and discussion, 11 photographs have been chosen as being particularly special and worthy of prizes ranging from the chance to go on a photography expedition on the legendary Galapagos Islands to gift certificates from B&H Photography.
The winning photograph - captured by Cedric Houin and titled Butterfly - was shot in the Kyrgyz lands of Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor and shows a woman and child sitting inside a yurt, a traditional wooden-framed portable house. The second prize went to Vo Anh Kiet of Vietnam, whose photograph of children playing with balloons was received wonderfully well. The third place photographer was Andrea Guarneri, whose winning photograph was about Easter celebrations in the picturesque environs of Sicily, Italy.
The winning entries come in from across the world, including countries like Madagascar, Vietnam and Norway.
This is the 24th edition of the annual competition and submissions were judged on creativity and photographic quality, by a panel of judges including National Geographic contributing photographer Alexandra Avakian.
The 2011 contest was won by Shikhei Goh, for his photograph of a dragonfly riding out a rainstorm. The photograph, taken in Indonesia, was called Splashing and Goh won a little over £6000 for his work, as well as a trip to the National Geographic headquarters in Washington DC, to participate in the annual photography seminar.
This year's winner, apart from the prize money, will also be given a ten day trip, with a staff photographer, to the legendary Galapagos Islands, where he/she will have the chance to shoot some of the archipelago's unique flora and fauna and also be trained in the nuances of shooting wildlife.
