National Geographic Traveler has announced the winners of its twelfth annual photography competition, showcasing the most beautiful and powerful images taken by British and Irish photographers who traveled over land and sea to capture them.
The winners of the competition, who traveled all the way to Antarctica and as close to London’s Chinatown, were made up of both amateur and professional photographers, each capturing breathtaking images from around the world.
The photographs each portray a unique side of the world, both natural and man-made, telling a different story of progress, conservation, faith, wonder and more.
The competition consisted of five categories that highlighted 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: ‘The entries in this year’s competition continue to amaze us with their creativity.’
LONDON, UK: A fox serenely relaxes as dandelion seeds rest gently on its face, after the rest of its family reportedly took up residence in a south London cemetery
CANADIAN ARCTIC – Molly (pictured) and her shy daughter wear traditional Inuit clothing known as amautis, made from seal skins
ADELAIDE ISLAND, ANTARCTICA: A public toilet for women stands alone against Antarctica’s harsh climate
NAMIRI, TANZANIA: Countless zebras, wildebeest and other animals take refuge near a river in the eastern Serengeti as the Great Migration moves south
VESTRAHORN, ICELAND: A lonely person gazes into the sky and watches the Northern Lights dance with the rarely spotted Milky Way Galaxy
ELESMERE ISLAND, CANADA: A lone polar bear takes a nap on an ice stream near Ellesmere Island, one of the northernmost stretches of solid land in the world
SALAR DE ARIZARO, ARGENTINA: El Cono de Arita, a bizarre natural formation of earth shaped by the wind on the salt pans of Salar de Arizaro, casts a long shadow over this almost lifeless part of the world
MARRAKECH, MOROCCO: The city’s Souk Haddadine is home to some of the most skilled blacksmiths and craftsmen in the world, who toil day and night to produce intricate pieces of metalwork
CORNWALL, UK: Scores of swimmers decided to brave the icy waters of Cornwall’s Bude Beach on Christmas Day
LONDON, UK: Tourists and Londoners alike flock to Chinatown day in and day out to take in the sights and smells unique to Chinese culture in the heart of the capital
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: This richly colored basement bar was featured in the heartbreakingly beautiful film Return to Seoul, which tells the story of a young woman, adopted by French parents, who returns to South Korea to find her biological family
DUONG DONG, VIETNAM: A bird’s-eye view of the bustling city of Duong Dong, formerly home to lush jungles and mangroves and now a place of vibrant human activity
DEVON, UK: You can see a hardworking fisherman taking his catch from his boat, a sight seen countless times along British coasts over the centuries
KOH DACH ISLAND, CAMBODIA: Bean curd peels are a popular food item in China, Japan and Korea. You see how this worker makes them by hand
KERALA, INDIA: A man dressed as a deity jumps through a raging fire during a 3am ceremony for the Kandanar Kelan Theyyam – a Hindu religious ceremony
