2010 National Geographic Photography Contest Galleries

Train frenzy at Bangkok's Mae Klong Market

Photo and caption by MAG TEO

The "Mae Klong Railway" or "Umbrella Market" is located at Samut Songkhram, Central Thailand. In those few minutes when the train passed through, what was originally a fully laid out wet market changed into one with its awnings fully retracted and fresh/ wet produce kept aside. Yet almost immediately after the train had passed through, the stallholders returned the market to what it was before. Truly fascinating scene - although it was clearly not fascinating to the lady on the right side of the picture, who went about with her business.

Paris on Fireworks

Photo and caption by François Vimond

A street art demonstration by night using fireworks with the Montmartre's most famous church (Sacre Coeur) in the background

Lightning Strike in the San Juans

Photo and caption by Matthew Holland

A lightning strike captured at sunrise near Ouray, CO, on 8/12/2010

Laerdalstunnelen

Photo and caption by Alexander Oglaend

13 sec long photo inside worlds longest road-tunnel in between traffic.

Length of tunnel is 24,5 km.
Speed limit is 80 km/h.

The blue color is from the special lights that they have in caves inside the tunnel.

I wanted a photo to show the extremeness of this endless tunnel.
In my photo you see car lights in the end of the tunnel, and that is all you'll see in real too. As this tunnel goes on for 20 minutes.

England's Stourhead Enjoys The Most Majestic Autumn Display For Years

Photo and caption by Matt Cardy

The sun shines on trees that are displaying their autumn colours surrounding Palladian bridge and the lakeside Pantheon at the National Trust's Stourhead on November 3, 2010 near Warminster, England. The UK is currently enjoying one of the best autumn displays for years, due in part to the long drought of this year's spring, and the wet and cool of the late summer that followed.

Floating Palace of Taj

Photo and caption by Tomasz Wagner

Woke up early morning to catch the mist rising over Agra

A Wet Summer Day in Manhattan

Photo and caption by Benjamin Chambers

New York, NY, USA. An uncharacteristicly wet and chilly day of summer 2010 in Manhattan. A commuter steps out of the subway onto Mid-town on Avenue of the Americas.

Relax

Photo and caption by Rossi Potluri

Taking a moment to soak in the mysticism of the green sand beach in Hawaii also known as Papakōlea Beach.

I had met a group of adventurers on my trek to this "mythical beach." We had no idea where this place was but along our 3 and a half hour hike across the dessert, we kept seeing pockets of green sand along the coastline.
We crossed dunes, rocks and seaside cliffs before we saw that large stratified olivine rock protruding out from the cliff.

Even though we misjudged the distance, and ran out of water, we took the time to relax in this anomaly of a beach.
Then the trek back home...

arc

Photo and caption by Ben Thomas

taken from the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe is shrunk to diorama proportions!

Rio at sunset, from the helipad at the Sugar Loaf

Photo and caption by Joe Fenton

A wide angle, sunset shot of Rio, taken at dusk with a nice golden sunset. Christ the Redeemer is visible in the middle of the shot, and you can see how the city sprawls over the hills.

Morning Light at Deadvlei

Photo and caption by Bill Young

Centuries-dead camelthorn trees stand sentinel in a dry pan, surrounded by huge red sand dunes.

Consuegra. Spain.

Photo and caption by peter lewin

While touring in Southern Spain this summer, my wife and I, along with two very good friends, stopped at the Castle de la Muela which stands on the site of an old Roman encampment.
The 12 windmills that once worked to make flour from grain overlook Don Quixote country that offers a vast panorama of endless vineyards and olive groves.

Christ the Redeemer

Photo and caption by Mike Reyfman

This aerial photo of The Christ Redeemer Statue on Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro was taken during four-month restoration in 2010. Dramatic sunset light allowed for unusual capture.

Lago di Luzzone

Photo and caption by Benoit Buzzi

Lake of Luzzone, Ticino (Switzerland)

Blackout

Photo and caption by Alceu M. Baptistao Jr

Taken during the serious 2009 blackout, that left half of the country in the dark.

Taveuni Rainbow

Photo and caption by david birri

Early in the Morning by a fijian Pearl Farm House in the Pacific Ocean

The Louvre

Photo and caption by Pete Carr

The Louvre is absolutely stunning. A contrast of old and new architecture in an amazingly brilliant way. I loved it's sheer beauty and scale.

Breakfast View

Photo and caption by Taliesin Coombes

I wanted something different from the traditional view of a steam train so went to a local cafe which looks out over the approach to Cardiff Central Station, while waiting we ordered a Great British Breakfast so it seemed natural to put the breakfast in the foreground, fortunately the train was running early and the breakfast had only just arrived so I was able to enjoy the breakfast and get the shot, the train was a charter to Mid Wales.

Suburban train, Kolkata, India

Photo and caption by Jan Kostal

Evening suburban train passing along the famous flower market in Kolkata, India.

Dejected

Photo and caption by Catie Laffoon

This other worldly photo was taken on an extremely busy, bustling day at The Santa Monica Pier in California. There were crowds of families and tourists pushing against each other as they lined up for games and rides but for one single moment the world emptied and this scene was captured.

Torontosphere

Photo and caption by Jack Veryzer

Torontosphere is a rare moment caught in time where urban skyscrapers project through the fallen skies. The kingdom below is buzzing, unaware of the calm and utopia that awaits them just above.

Víðidalstungurétt Roundup in Northern Iceland

Photo and caption by Lindsay Blatt

Each year traditional herdsman take to the back country of Iceland to round up thousands of horses, which have spent the summer grazing in the highlands. These horses were used to bring in the herd at the Víðidalstungurétt Roundup in Northern Iceland, photographed with a 4x5 camera.

Up in the Andes

Photo and caption by Leah Sakellarides

We were in the middle of our 70 mile trek through the Andes in Peru. Our trusty emergency horse was patiently waiting for us to finish our break at the 13,000 foot Victoria Pass.

A glimpse of paradise

Photo and caption by Sairam Subramanian

The view from behind Silver Falls, Oregon in late October/early November - the rocky overhang gives the illusion of the picture as a torn page with the top part missing. The menagerie of colors in the fall and the mist enhance the surreal beauty of this place.

Oia, Santorini Sunset

Photo and caption by demetrios christo

I saw this pithara jar as I was heading to watch the sunset in Oia, Santorini. I feel this image captures the essence and beauty that is Greece

Rush hour scooter hustle in Taipei

Photo and caption by Nicky Loh

Motorists ride to work on a bridge during rush hour in Taipei December 7, 2009. There are around 8.8 million motorcycles and 4.8 million cars on Taiwan's roads and nearly all motor vehicles and inhabitants are squeezed into a third of the island's area. This results in high concentrations of polluting emissions in the places where people live and work.

A median strip on the Champs-Elysees Avenue

Photo and caption by Maiko Miyazaki

Crowded with tourists who want to have the Arc de Triomphe in the centre of the composition of their photo .

The sun rises at Pushkar Mela

Photo and caption by João Luís Domingues Costa

This annual fair gather thousands of people (and camels) every year at the town in Puskar, Rajasthan. It’s India at his best: colorful, loud, crowded and, at times, surreal.

El Tabacalera de Garcia

Photo and caption by Ian Spanier

Workers at the El Tabacalera de Garcia wash the tobacco leaves at the Dominican Republic factory in La Romana. Photograph made as a part of a book project on the guide to the manufacturing of cigars shot over two and a half years across six countries.

Hawamahal window,Jaipur

Photo and caption by mariajoseph johnbasco

Hawamahal is a famous tourist spot in the pink city jaipur , india. I have seen many pro photographers shoot
the palace. But oddly enough it seemed very ordinary to me until i saw these colourful windows.I shot the window while a cyclist and woman passed through the window.

Sand-Sleigh Stand

Photo and caption by Maiko Miyazaki

A stand for sand sleigh rental on the Mingsha sand dune near Dunhuang, China.
Footsteps and traces of sleigh from and to the stand show the popularity of this recreation.

Dead Sea Hot Springs

Photo and caption by Matanya Tausig

In recent decades, the Dead Sea has been rapidly shrinking due to lack of rainfalls and human interference, as the sea level drops more of the the dead sea shore is revealed and the different kinds of water springs change their location and form, in this photo there are young men bathing in a hot water spring on the center west coast of the Dead Sea, Israel.

The Gates to Cusco

Photo and caption by Sonya Kovacic

Entering Cusco, Peru with everything it offers

Salsa Shadows of San Miguel

Photo and caption by Joan Herwig

The main square was alive with bicentennial celebrations in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. On this particular evening Salsa Dancing took to the stage. The bright light cast on the dancers created these remarkable shadows that were dancing on the wall of the building behind the stage. I found the shadows much more fascinating to photograph than the dancers on the stage.

Alone in Oslo

Photo and caption by Claudiu Fabian Milea

The Oslo Opera House is a great place for geometrical compositions

Intersection

Photo and caption by Navid Baraty

A rainy business day during lunch hour in Ginza, Tokyo.