“When I looked on the camera display, all I could do was stare,” Velasco tells Nat Geo. “What I was watching was impossible to conceive, the image showed those amazing forces of nature interacting on a volcano, while the lightning brightened the whole scene. It’s an impossible photograph and my once in a lifetime shot that shows the power of nature.”
Grand prize winner Sergio Tapiro Velasc shot this on December 13th, 2015, outside Colima, Mexico, at the Volcán de Colima.
3rd Place. Photo and caption by Misha De-Stroyev/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year. Henningsvær Football Field. "This football field in Henningsvær in the Lofoten Islands is considered one of the most amazing fields in Europe, and maybe even in the world. The photo was taken during a 10-day sailing trip in Norway in June 2017. We arrived at Henningsvær after a week of sailing through the cold and rainy weather. Upon our arrival, the weather cleared up. I was really lucky that the conditions were suitable for flying my drone, and I managed to capture this shot from a height of 120 meters."
PEOPLE - 2nd Place. Photo and caption by Julius Y./ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year. Interesting moment. "Museum visitors curiously watching Rembrandt’s painting 'Syndics of the Drapers’ Guild' where it gave the illusion that the people on the paintings too are curiously watching the visitors."
NATURE - Honorable Mention 2. Photo and caption by Yutaka Takafuji/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year. Forest of the Fairy. "Shooting in the forest This photograph was taken in the evening hours of a humid early summer day in the forest of a small remote village in the Tamba area of Japan. It beautifully captures the magical atmosphere of Princess fireflies carpeting a stairway leading to a small shrine revered by the local people."
NATURE - 3rd Place. Photo and caption by Tarun Sinha/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year. Crocodiles at Rio Tarcoles. "This image was captured in Costa Rica when I was traveling from Monteverde to Playa Hermosa. As you cross over this river, you can stop and peer over the edge of the bridge. Below, reside over 35 gigantic crocodiles, relaxing on the muddy banks of the river. I wanted to capture the stark difference between the crocodiles on land and in the water. In the murky waters, the body contours of these beasts remain hidden, and one can only truly see their girth as they emerge from the river."