The 2015 National Geographic Photo Contest is currently accepting submissions, until November 16, in three categories: People, Places, and Nature. There will be a first place prize awarded in each category, which includes $2,500 and publishing in National Geographic magazine and online.
In addition, there will be an overall grand prize where the winner will receive $10,000 and a trip to the National Geographic headquarters, with the chance to participate in the annual National Geographic Photography Seminar in January 2016.
Below are just a few of our favourite images competing for the grand prize.
Spitsbergen Solar Eclipse 2015
Photo and caption by Isabelle Bacher
Calbuco, The Awakening
Photo and caption by Francisco Negroni
Calbuco Volcano is located in the lakes region south of Santiago, Chile's capital city and is one of the 10 most dangerous volcanoes in the country. After more than 40 years of inactivity, the day April 23 the volcano erupts, spewing more than 200 million tons of ash and causing the evacuation of more than 2,000 people. In the picture is seen one of the most violent moments of the eruption, which occurred in the early hours of April 24.
An Explosive Early Warning
Photo and caption by Eric Lew
During July 2015, the hottest month in recorded history, an iceberg collapses under the sweltering Greenlandic sun. A huge shelf of ice hitting the water creates an explosion of water and ice in a spectacular but poignant moment. Icebergs like this and the glaciers that create them are melting at an ever faster rate as our climate heats up; they serve as a dire early warning for the rest of our planet.
Floating Whale
Photo and caption by Gaby Barathieu
Humpback whale swimming! As if she was floating. You will have noticed, I intentionally shot this photo to the impression that the whale is trying to float on water. One of my closest encounter with these magnificent animals.
Grand Mosque
Photo and caption by Siddharth Prem
Reflections at Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Bromo
Photo and caption by Joke Van Damme
Sunset, everybody was looking at the sunrise, than i looked left en see tis most beautiful sight on the Bromo vulcan.
Enchantment of light and shadows
Photo and caption by Kaiti Lillipuu
After the sunset we saw that fog was forming and hoped that it would not fade away till morning so we set our alarm clock 3 hours before sunrise. Then we drove for two hours to the location and along the road we could see through the trees that the bog was fully covered in fog. We quickly set up our octocopter drone and flew over the trees, the opening view was breathtakingly beautiful - sunrays, fog, shadows, pools.
Surrealist painting in nature
Photo and caption by Tugo Cheng
As the largest mountain ranges in Central Asia, Tian-shan ('sky-mountain' in Chinese), has one of the best collections of natural landscapes in the world and is seen by many as a paradise for outdoor adventures. Thanks to the richness of sediments compounded with the power of erosion by rivers flowing down the mountains, the north face of Tian-shan is carved into stunning plateaus and colorful canyons hundreds of meters deep, resulting in this surrealist painting in nature.
Ben Youssef
Photo and caption by Takashi Nakagawa
Even though there were a lot of people in Ben Youssef, still here was more quiet and relaxing compare to the outside of street in Marrakesh. I was waiting the perfect timing to photograph for long time.
The Fire Down Below
Photo and caption by John Moran
The effect is entirely natural but decidedly surreal as the swirling tannins of the Santa Fe River mix with clear spring water as Lesley Gamble begins her dive at of Devil's Ear Spring in North Florida. The Land of a Thousand Springs, Florida is home to the largest collection of freshwater springs in the world.
Singing rocks
Photo and caption by ALEXEY KHARITONOV
Russia, Yakutia, rock pillars on Sinyaya river (tributary of Lena river). Locals call this group of pillars "Singing rocks" because of the wind whistling in them sometimes. In the summer of 2015 UNESCO recognized Sinyaya Pillars as part of the Lena Pillars Nature Park world heritage site
