2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year: The Winners

________________

Below are the winners, winning photographs and captions for this year’s National Geographic Tavel Photographer of the Year.  A total of over 13,000 entries competed in three categories: Nature, People and Cities.  The overall winner received a $10,000 cash prize.  Feel free to dispute some of the placings, I do.

________________

Grand Prize Winner And First Place, Nature
Photographer:	Reiko Takahashi
Photograph Title:	Mermaid
Category:	Nature
Location:	Kumejima, Japan
Caption: I was fortunate to have encountered a humpback whale with her calf on my first day snorkeling near Japan’s Kumejima Island. Most of the time, the calf stayed close to her mom. At one point, the calf began jumping and tapping its tail on the water near us—it was very friendly and curious. Finally, the mother, who was watching nearby, came to pick up the calf and swim away. I fell in love completely with the calf and its very energetic, large, and beautiful tail.

________________

Third Place, Nature
Photographer:	Marco Grassi
Photograph Title:	Mars
Category:	Nature
Location:	Brunico, South Tyrol, Italy
Caption: These natural sand towers, capped with large stones, are known as the Earth Pyramids of Platten. They are situated in Northern Italy’s South Tyrol region. Formed centuries ago after several storms and landslides, these land formations look like a landscape from outer space and continuously change over the years and, more accurately, over seasons. This natural phenomenon is the result of continuous alternation between periods of torrential rain and drought, which have caused the erosion of the terrain and the formation of these pinnacles. As the seasons change, the temperatures move between extremes and storms affect the area, pyramids disappear over time, while new pinnacles form as well.

________________

Second Place, Nature
Photographer:	Hao J
Photograph Title:	Flamingos take off
Category:	Nature
Location:	Lake Natron, Tanzania
Caption: Thousands of flamingos are seen taking off from the colorful Lake Natron in Tanzania. Before taking off, flamingos need to take a short run on water to build up some speed. At that moment, their long, red legs create a series of water ripples on the surface of the lake. Looking down from the helicopter, these ripple lines look like giant aquatic plants flowing in the water. This photo was taken from a helicopter.

________________

People’s Choice, Nature
Photographer:	Niklas Weber
Photograph Title:	Formation
Category:	Nature
Location:	Camaronal, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Caption: When we arrived at the Río Grande de Tarcoles in Costa Rica, I saw a fantastic formation of the sharp-mouthed crocodiles. I couldn't help myself, and I started my drone and began to photograph them from the air. My heart was beating like crazy because I was incredibly excited, on the one hand I was a bit scared for the drone, on the other hand I was so happy about the unique moment.

________________

Third Place, Cities
Photographer:	Gaanesh Prasad
Photograph Title:	Reflection
Category:	Cities
Location:	Dubai, UAE
Caption: On an early morning, I wanted to photograph the fog, which is epic in Dubai every year from December to January—and almost every photographer’s dream in this part of the world. Sadly, I could not get access to the rooftop and so I peeped through the glazed window on a lower floor. I was overwhelmed and excited to see how beautiful the city looks, and my excitement was quadrupled as soon as I saw the reflection of the road and building on the building facade that I was in. I immediately opened the window to the maximum permissible amount and clicked a single shot with stretched hands.

________________

Second Place, Cities
Photographer:	Enrico Pescantini
Photograph Title:	Geometry of the Sun
Category:	Cities
Location:	Teotihuacan, Mexico
Caption:    Teotihuacan means 'the place where the gods were created,' and that's the exact feeling visitors have when they walk along the Avenue of the Dead at this Mexican archaeological site. This pyramid was dedicated to the god of Sun, and I found it mesmerizing how the rising sun in the picture conquered just half the image, while the other half is in the shadows. I have always loved archaeology and ancient civilizations, so I couldn't wait to visit Mexico and explore the remains of the pre-Columbian civilization. I planned my visit to Teotihuacan at sunrise, to get a combination of golden sunlight, play of shadows, and few crowds around. I flew my drone to see if the image I had in my mind was really out there: luckily for me, this frame was just waiting for my camera!

________________

First Place, Cities
Photographer:	Hiro Kurashina
Photograph Title:	Another Rainy Day in Nagasaki, Japan
Category:	Cities
Location:	Nagasaki, Japan
Caption: This is a view of the main street from a tram in Nagasaki on a rainy day. The tram is vintage, but retrofitted with modern ticketing equipment. A conductor is no longer on board—only the lone driver. The quiet streetscape seen through the front windshield of the tram somehow caught my attention. This view presents quite a contrast to busy urban centers in Japan, such as Tokyo and Osaka. The ride on a vintage tram through the relatively quiet main street was a memorable experience during our week-long visit to the historic city of Nagasaki.

________________

People’s Choice, Cities
Photographer:	Trikansh Sharma
Photograph Title:	Travelling to Heaven
Category:	Cities
Location:	Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
Caption: A traveller is seen riding across Ram Jhula bridge in India. When I was at this location, I suddenly noticed a man on a bicycle coming towards the bridge—luckily the bridge was otherwise empty. I framed this moment in my mind—which is a good example for travel photography—and then pressed the shutter to capture the image. In this photograph, the bridge has no ending point and looks as if the man is traveling towards heaven.

________________

Third Place, People
Photographer:	MD Tanveer Hassan Rohan
Photograph Title:	Challenging Journey
Category:	People
Location:	Dhaka, Bangladesh
Caption: This photograph was taken from Dhaka's airport rail station during the Eid vacation. People were returning to their village homes to spend Eid with families, and the rush at the last hour was immense. One man caught my attention: he was dangling on a train's handle with his family, trying to get inside the train. At that time, rain started and the train began to slowly move. The family had tickets to board the train, but couldn’t get to their seats. There are many people like him, who come to Dhaka for work—leaving their families and home villages—so when they get vacation, they don't want to miss the opportunity to spend time with dear ones, no matter what.

________________

Second Place, People
Photographer:	Tati Itat
Photograph Title:	Leida and Laelle – I Will Lift You Up
Category:	People
Location:	Estrela, Rio Grande Do Sol State, Brazil
Caption: Since 2016, I've been involved with Haitian immigrants and refugees living in my city, Estrela. I have become friends with some families, and especially with twin sisters, Leïda and Laëlle. They say living in Brazil is like living in paradise—very different from the reality of their country of origin. They dream of becoming models and teachers, as a way to earn money to bring their other relatives from Haiti to Brazil, to live all near one another. On this day, they were playing in front of their home, improvising exercises to develop their imagination and creativity, as if they were actresses, and playing an imitation game with poses. Laëlle reached for Leida's face and lifted her head up, showing her where she should look. At this brief moment, I took the photo.

________________

First Place, People
Photographer:	Alessandra Meniconzi
Photograph Title:	Tea Culture
Category:	People
Location:	Olgiy, Bayan-Oelgiy, Mongolia
Caption: I’m fascinated by the ancient Kazakh method of hunting with Golden Eagles. I followed a family during their migration from winter to spring camp. Mongolia is sparsely populated, but the inhabitants have a very hospitable and welcoming culture. Tea for Kazakh is one of the attributes of hospitality. It isn't just a drink, but a mix of tradition, culture, relaxation, ceremony, and pleasure. Damel, seen here wrapped in heavy fur clothes, drinks a cup of tea to keep warm from the cold temperatures.

________________

People’s Choice, People
Photographer:	Daniel Cheung
Photograph Title:	The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Category:	People
Location:	Shenzen, Guangdong, Sheng, China
Caption: The light illusion is created by artwork that uses an accumulation of light points to create a sculptural body. I saw a little girl in red dress running around the space. Luckily, she ran out again at the right moment—I found this is called “the decisive moment.” I couldn't wait to press the shutter as the lights were perfectly aligned to create a beautiful moment—like a girl crossing a time tunnel.