Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
ONE OF THE world’s top photography competitions is seeking entries, as photographers compete for a top prize of $10,000.
The National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest launched earlier this month and it has three categories – Nature, People and Cities.
This week, National Geographic editors selected some of their favourite photos from the Nature category.
As well as the cash prize and the prestigious title, the winning photo will also be featured on the @NatGeoTravel Instagram account, which has almost 23 million followers.
The entry fee is $15 and eligibility details are available on the contest’s website.
Last year’s winner was Sergio Tapiro Velasco, who won the top prize for his photograph of the erupting Volcán de Colima in Mexico.
Here are some of this year’s entries to the Nature category so far:
Photographer Karsten Hoenack said:
After this shot, I have been travelling the same route several times. I could not see the landscape I saw when I shot this picture again. That morning the light and shadows over the Coordillera were just perfect. The moment I had to shoot this series will remain in my memory as a special gift from nature.
Photographer Karen Larson said:
We spotted this mama and her two cubs swimming along the ice sheets in search of food.
Photography Paul Rifkin said:
One shot capture. I watched the leopard stalking the stork, I only had time to focus at 400mm, no time to change to high speed, I watched the stork and as soon as it flapped its wings I shot one shot.
Photographer Amir Sezavar said:
Ordered vs Disordered in human-altered nature. I took this photo during a road trip across Victoria, Australia, in autumn.
Photographer Reiko Takahashi said:
This calf was always with mom. A curious calf sometimes came to us.
Photographer Kirsten Tucker said:
We live in an Instagram/Facebook world. Every photo has to be the photo. How can you live up to that? Everyone’s life experience seems better than yours. But, that’s not true. Leopards can be really hard to see.
Even if you go on the ultimate trip, you might just see one – one single leopard. You may get a really bad cramp contorting yourself to get any shot. You may think you failed. And, maybe you did fail, but it doesn’t mean your trip or experience is any less than anyone elses.
Photographer Guillaume Flandre said:
Hiking in South Tyrol is a one of a kind experience. It was the first time I was walking so close to the edge of a mountain, almost surrounded by clouds. Nature’s power in these situations remind us that we’re only guests on this planet.
Upon leaving Ngorongoro Crater headed towards the Serengeti, we came across a hillside full of giraffes. After a little coaxing by me, our driver guide “James Bond” took us off-road and drove us right to them. I had always heard that giraffes don’t sit, so this photo debunks that myth.
Photographer Limin Zhu said:
A lizard hiding behind a large leaf.
This was an incredible morning at gold harbour, South Georgia. One of the biggest king penguin colonies. These two penguins were so full of love. They stood there in front of me, showing their love to each other for a long time. I felt I needed to capture this beautiful moment, and I think that you can really feel their feelings for each other through the picture.
A panel of judges, selected by National Geographic Travel, will choose a winner in each of the three categories. One of the category winners will be named the overall grand prize winner and the other two category winners will each be awarded $2,500.
After the conclusion of the entry period from 11 to 15 June, members of the National Geographic community are encouraged to vote for their favourite photo in each category from a selection of images chosen by National Geographic photo editors.
The photos with the most votes will be named People’s Choice winners.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Something unnatural about all this. Who would let work dictate their entire life and the existence or non-existence of their kids?!
Yeah, imagine forcing women to delay having children so they can make even more super profits.
Disgraceful. Yeah.
Careers should fit around families not the other way round.
If equal maternity and paternity leave was given and jobs were shared properly upon return to the workplace then there would be no need nor a want to freeze eggs for this purpose.
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a partner and be able to make the decision that they will have kids eg. next year. If it was only that simple!!
Some of us might liked to have kids before 35 but relationships didnt work out etc. No harm to freeze a few eggs, take the pressure off!
Very true but this should be state enabled. Rather than by multinational companies looking to increase their profits rather than look out for the individual.
These companies are looking to increase female participation and I would think that the majority of women are held back by the fact that maternity leave (without equal paternity leave) takes them out of the professional world and leaves them at a negative standing.
Introduce paternity leave and level the playing field. And give fathers their right to bond with their children too.
Obviously, not every family is catered for in this situation, but if you want to freeze your eggs I don’t think facebook or apple should have anything to do with it.
Thats all true Laoise.. I know plenty of women want to go back to their career once maternity leave is over. Its their right and it should be so. Sadly things can change in the workplace while you are away. Its often very subtle. Sometimes its not. Personally speaking, my job was given to the bosses son during my maternity leave and i was made redundant. I could have sued but i think i was glad. I got a job 2 minutes away from home with less stress.
Having said all that and i am glad that i am with the kids full time now, i do miss working. There is a bias against working mothers and its terribly unfair. Something needs to change!
@Laoise This sounds like it is aimed at their American workforce, and over there all healthcare is generally paid for by your employer.
Agh nepotism is another thing I’d love to eradicate but that’s just an ideal world.
Things certainly need to change but I’d like to think they are slowly. There’s an apetite for discussion over these matters whereas before anything other than the status quo was shot down.
And, I think the view of the working mother is changing now also. I know plenty of working mothers, single and married that excell at working and raising a family. Lots of working fathers that buck the trend too. There just needs to be encouragement. :)
@John They may be targeting American avenues now but they have a large employee base in Ireland too so that ethos may eventually carry over here.
And I’ll use any excuse to talk about maternity/paternity leave in Ireland :)
New life is never guaranteed, speaking from experience I would never have delayed having children.. Little did I know it was never meant to be ..
This is actually disgusting, I can understand career people not wanting kids but I wouldn’t delay having my family to make my boss happy. Good shout about Apple and facebook, it’s about time they paid their way
Unclench!
Nobody is forced to do this. It’s actually an additional benefit being offered to those who want it..
Its would be great if Apple and Facebook paid their taxes too. Maybe we could fund a lot more social health solutions.
Brave New World!?
I was lucky to have one and we should have started much earlier!
Short-sighted view of employee retention and maximising talent and also a way to eliminate older workers. Would like to see upfront their policy on supporting the same women returning to the workforce following maternity leave in their 40′s and supporting their careers having frozen their eggs. But no, that’s probably not part of the plan. If they’re not going to support family-friendly policies in natural child-bearing years they’re sure as hell not going to do it in later years.
Corporate greed and short-term view of retention and maximising employee talent. Would like to see what their family-friendly policy is in supporting older women returning to the workforce following maternity in their 40′s having frozen their eggs. No, probably not part of the plan.
It would be great if Apple and Facebook paid their taxes too, instead of using our society as place to wash money through.
Corporate state. Orwell. Is well and truly here.
the system programming the robots
Sad state of affairs. With the recession many people are finding themselves in this crux. Having both partners working has eroded a lot of family life. All to pay a bigger mortgage.
So true
I heard other so called experts suggest that women should go back to giving birth at 17 or 18 straight after leaving high school as they could be in college at 20 – 21 and ready to give the rest of their lives over to their career.In other words if you must have kids have them but your life belongs to a corporation and don’t forget that.Also I’ve read a theory that some companies should start providing on site full schooling ie.playgroup – university for employees kids so that the kids can be raised in the corporate culture so that they could make perfect future employees. Companies like Google or Facebook certainly have the resourses to create such a system and the need for such employees.I put it down as a conspiricy theory but now Im not so sure.
This is outrageous, particularly since ova preservation has a much lower success rate than sperm or embryo preservation! Great that they are giving their employees the option if that’s what they wish, but not sure it would be for me!
Corporation ey?
have your say