National Geographic Traveler has revealed the winners of its 12th annual photography competition, showcasing the most beautiful and powerful images taken by British and Irish photographers who traveled by land and sea to capture them.
The competition winners, who traveled as far as Antarctica and as close as London’s Chinatown, were made up of amateur and professional photographers, each of whom took stunning images from around the world.
Each of the photographs portrays a unique side of the world, both natural and man-made, telling a different story of progress, preservation, beliefs, wonders and much more.
The competition was made up of five categories that exemplified a different aspect of the world: food and travel, landscape, people, urban environment and wildlife, and a portfolio category.
Pat Riddell, editor of National Geographic Traveler, said: “This year’s contest entrants continue to amaze us with their creativity.”
LONDON, UK: A fox relaxes serenely as dandelion seeds rest gently on its face, after the rest of its family was reportedly settled in a south London graveyard.
SALAR DE ARIZARO, ARGENTINA: The Arita Cone, a strange natural formation of land formed by the winds in the salt flats of the Salar de Arizaro, casts a long shadow over this almost lifeless part of the world.
CANADIAN ARCTIC – Molly (pictured) and her shy daughter are seen wearing traditional Inuit clothing, known as amautis, which is made from seal skins.
ADELAIDE ISLAND, ANTARCTICA: A public women’s bathroom can only withstand the harsh climate of Antarctica
NAMIRI, TANZANIA: Countless zebras, wildebeest and other animals take shelter in a river in the eastern Serengeti as the Great Migration moves south
VESTRAHORN, ICELAND: A lone person looks up into the sky and watches the Northern Lights dance with the rarely seen Milky Way.
ELLESMERE ISLAND, CANADA: A lone polar bear takes a nap on an ice flow near Ellesmere Island, one of the northernmost pieces of solid land in the world.
MARRAKECH, MOROCCO: The city’s Haddadine Souk is home to some of the world’s most skilled blacksmiths and craftsmen, working day and night to produce intricate metal pieces.
CORNWALL, UNITED KINGDOM: Countless swimmers decided to brave the icy waters of Bude Beach in Cornwall just on Christmas Day.
LONDON, UK: Tourists and Londoners flock to Chinatown day after day to enjoy the unique sights and smells of Chinese culture in the heart of the capital.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: This colorful basement bar was featured in the moving and beautiful film Return to Seoul, which tells the story of a young girl adopted by French parents who returns to South Korea to find her biological family .
DUONG DONG, VIETNAM: An aerial view of the bustling city of Duong Dong, formerly home to lush jungles and mangroves and now a site of vibrant human activity
DEVON, United Kingdom: A hard-working fisherman can be seen hauling his catch from his boat, a sight seen countless times on British shores over the centuries.
KOH DACH ISLAND, CAMBODIA: Tofu skins are a popular food in China, Japan and Korea. You can see this worker making them by hand.
KERALA, INDIA: A man dressed as a deity can be seen jumping through a raging fire at a 3am ceremony for Kandanar Kelan Theyyam, a Hindu religious ceremony.
