2016 National Geographic travel photographer of the year

01/07/2016. Contest
metalocus, JOSÉ JUAN BARBA

The annual National Geographic travel photographer of the year contest attracted 10,000 entries worldwide this year. The grand prize went to Anthony Lau for his shot of a horseman in Inner Mongolia, winning him a trip to a polar bear photo safari at Churchill Wild-Seal Heritage Lodge. Here’s a selection of the winning entries

SECOND PLACE, people: Rooftop Dreams, Varanasi. I arrived at my guest house in Varanasi at 5.30am, I instinctively climbed the seven sets of stairs to the rooftop (which happened to be the highest in the vicinity) to see the sunrise over the famous Ganges River. As the sun was rising I looked over the right-hand side of the balcony and my jaw dropped with disbelief. Below were families – mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters and dogs all sleeping on the top of their houses. It was mid-summer in Vara

SECOND PLACE, people: Rooftop Dreams, Varanasi. I arrived at my guest house in Varanasi at 5.30am, I instinctively climbed the seven sets of stairs to the rooftop (which happened to be the highest in the vicinity) to see the sunrise over the famous Ganges River. As the sun was rising I looked over the right-hand side of the balcony and my jaw dropped with disbelief. Below were families – mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters and dogs all sleeping on the top of their houses. It was mid-summer in Varanasi and sleeping sans AC was difficult. Photograph © Yasmin Mund/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

THIRD PLACE, people: Remote life at -21F. Kinnaura tribal old women in remote village in Himachal Pradesh carrying a big log back home to warm up her house. Photograph © Mattia Passarini/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

THIRD PLACE, Cities: Celestial Reverie. Lightning seemingly strikes Komtar Tower, the most iconic landmark of George Town, capital of Penang state in Malaysia. It is symbolic of the rejuvenation that the city, famous for a unique blend of centuries-old buildings and modern structures, has enjoyed in recent years. While many of its old neighbourhoods fell into neglect in the 1990s and early 2000s, a UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2008 sparked a transformation, and today, they are all part of a vibrant tourist destination. Photograph © Jeremy Tan/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

Silenced: This photo was taken on my last trip to GuangZhou, China. This place is a school dormitory of South China Normal University. When I was hanging around, most of them were taking a break. After the lunch time, they need to go back to study. The dormitories were smelly and messy. Photograph © Wing Ka H./National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: Winter Horseman. The Winter in Inner Mongolia is very unforgiving. At a freezing temperature of -20F and lower with constant breeze of snow from all directions, it was pretty hard to convince myself to get out of the car and take photos – not until I saw horsemen showing off their skills in commanding the steed from a distance, I quickly grabbed my telephoto lens and captured the moment when one of the horseman charged out from morning mist. Photograph © Anthony Lau/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

FIRST PLACE, nature: Wherever you go, I will follow you!! Romance is in the air. It was the time of day immediately following sunset. I heard a voice. “Wherever you go, I will follow you,” the voice says. Photograph © Hiroki Inoue/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest.

SECOND PLACE, nature: double trapping. Picture taken in the Brazilian Pantanal ... when I downloaded the CF did not want to believe it ... The nature knows we always give magnificent events but sometimes extraordinary. Photograph © Massimiliano Bencivenni/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

Honourable mention, nature: Bears on a Berg. This photo was taken far out on the sea ice in the Davis Straight off the coast of Baffin Island. This mother and her yearling are perched atop a huge, snow-covered iceberg that got “socked in” when the ocean froze over for the winter. To me, the relative “smallness” of these large creatures when compared to the immensity of the iceberg in the photo represents the precariousness of the polar bear’s reliance on the sea and sea ice for its existence. Photograph © John Rollins/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

Honourable mention, people - Muscle Beach Gym. A weightlifter lifts a barbell loaded with heavy plates while a bodybuilder performs an aerial handstand at the Muscle Beach Gym in Venice Beach, California. Photograph © Dotan Saguy/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

FIRST PLACE, cities: Ben Youssef. Even though there were a lot of people in Ben Youssef, still here was more quiet and relaxing compared to the street outside in Marrakesh. I was waiting for the perfect timing to photograph for long time. Photograph © Takashi Nakagawa/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

Official Prizes

Grand Prize:
• A 7-day Polar Bear Safari for Two at Churchill Wild-Seal River Heritage Lodge, a Nat Geo Unique Lodge of the World with airfare
• Grand prize winner will be named the 2016 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year

Each category will feature three winners:
• First Prize: A Sony a6300 camera furnished by B&H Photo and Video
• Second Prize: The Art of Travel Photography on DVD
• Third Prize: A National Geographic book, Destinations of a Lifetime
All winners will receive a subscription to National Geographic Traveler magazine.