~~~~~~~Breathtaking National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest 2012~~~~~~~
The art of photography is more than capturing an orchestrated series of brilliantly-lit shots. Spontaneity and original content are equally important to the effectiveness of a photograph — something well-traveled photographers can attest to.
Sometimes a photographer is capable of capturing the most magnificent shots of their lives on a whim. Without warning, something spectacular is caught! There are plenty of examples of these types of breathtaking photographs in this year's National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.
SPONTANEOUS MOMENTS - Marrakech Traveler: It was mid-morning and he must have wanted to ride into the light. I was shooting for the ABC TV show Born to Explore when I snapped this photo. (John Barnhardt/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)
SPONTANEOUS MOMENTS - Curious: As a kid I was always curious to know where we were going. Always impatient to know the current location, and how much time it would take to get to the destination. Somehow knowing that would make me feel better. On a recent trip on a train early morning I was taking some photos and there was this kid. He was peeping back every now and then and every time the train stopped he was looking at the boards. Once he saw the camera in my hand, he got curious but was not waiting for me to click. It was worth the wait and tries. I love how it just reminds me of my childhood travels. (Gopal Patil/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)
SPONTANEOUS MOMENTS – The Running Boy: A young boy is "flying" home. (Pietro Sferrino/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)
SPONTANEOUS MOMENTS - Women’s Prayer: This was my first time seeing many women from the youngest to the oldest praying seriously with all of their heart and mind. (Lydia Isnanto/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
SPONTANEOUS MOMENTS - Innocence and Icon: The classic American car has become a symbol and staple throughout Cuba. In the back streets of Havana, one who has yet to learn of the country’s history, shows her innocence at play. (Eric Kruszewski/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)
SPONTANEOUS MOMENTS – Deer Under Falling Cherry Blossom Petals: I sat down on a stump for rest after stroll in Nara Park, and watching deer. They were eating fallen cherry blossom petals, peacefully. Suddenly strong wind blew out and cherry blossom petals were started to fall on the deer. It is like a shower of falling cherry blossom petals. It is called "Hana Fubuki" in Japanese, literally means flower snowstorm. (Hisao Mogi/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)
SPONTANEOUS MOMENTS - Chick Dropped in Soup: No, not chicken soup...It's a literal translation of a Chinese expression for being drenched. Caught this well-dressed lady trying to cross the street in a torrential downpour. (Brian Yen/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)
SPONTANEOUS MOMENTS - Window Washers: All of the sudden I looked up and there were four window washers way high up on the adjacent skyscraper. I grabbed my camera and started shooting. To get an interesting angle, I went under the glass awning and shot upward. (Amy Sacka/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)
SPONTANEOUS MOMENTS - Swirl: This was taken on 95th floor of John Hancock Building. I was fortunate to watch as fast moving low hanging clouds swept through the city buildings during late afternoon. A cloud swirled around the Trump Tower for a very brief moment for me to capture two frames. This is one of the two. (Jian Lou/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)
SENSE OF PLACE – 4800 Above Sea Level: This shot was taken in Bolivia, close to Sucre city. On 4800 meters above sea level the mountain releases gas everyday from 5am till 7am. The gas is hot but not dangerous. It’s a beautiful view in the middle of a desert. There is always a lot of travelers stopping and checking out because the place is included on the Salar de Uyuni tour. (Stylianos Papardelas/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)
SENSE OF PLACE - Split: The ancient Old Town of Split (Croatia) in February 2012 during the heaviest snowfall in its recorded history. (Nenad Saljic/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)





