From the isolated streets of New York City during a blizzard to a golden sunrise in Tuscany, these are the dramatic images that every photographer would love to have in their portfolio.
Taken at some of the most beautiful locations in the world, these stunning snaps are the top submissions in the running for National Geographic’s prestigious annual Travel Photographer of the Year Contest.
The competition celebrates the best in travel photography with entrants submitting snaps that tell the story of a place or reveal insights about what inspires them while they travel.
One stunning submission is a shot of an enormous supercell forming over the town of Blackhawk, South Dakota, which ultimately lead to flash flooding in the state.
Another image shows a wooden shed on a cold winter night with the Northern Lights appearing in the distance in Finland.
Every submitted image is extremely different from the next, but they all have one thing in common: the power of Mother Nature and its on effects on the world.
Aside from being recognized as the illustrious magazine’s Travel Photographer of the Year, the winner will be awarded a seven-day Polar Bear Safari for two at Churchill Wild-Seal River Heritage Lodge in Manitoba.
Here are the top entries for the National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest.
1. Jonas Blizzard And The Flatiron Building — New York City
Photo – Michele Palazzo
2. Beast — South Dakota
Photo – James Smart
3. Golden Sunrise — Tuscany
Photo – Giovanni Modesti
4. Blizzards In The Mountains — Switzerland
Photo – Julia Wimmerlin
5. Wherever You Go, I Will Follow You — Japan
Photo – Hiroki Inoue
6. Namibian Desert — Namibia
Photo – Doris Landertinger
7. Mystic Shed — Finland
Photo – Pierre Destribats
8. Trollstigen — Norway
Photo – Christoph Schaarschmidt
9. Terraces Village In The Mist — China
Photo – Thierry Bornier
10. Family Ties — Japan
Photo – Takeshi Marumoto
11. Ballet Dancer — Japan
Photo – Hiroshi Tanata
12. Misty At Cemoro Lawang — Indonesia
Photo – Achmad Sumawijaya
13. Selfie Taken With A Drone — New Hampshire
Photo – Manish Mamtani
14. Fascination — Japan
Photo – Katsuyoshi Nakahara
15. Havanna — Cuba
Photo -Toni Wallachy
16. Childhood — China
Photo – Wing Ka H
17. Blue Heaven — Japan
Photo – Hidenobu Suzuki
18. Farming The Sea — China
Photo – Tugo Cheng
19. Children With Painted Face — Ethiopia
Photo – Massimo Rumi
20. Lombard Street — San Francisco
Photo – Toby Harriman
If these images don’t give you serious #travelgoals, perhaps these 30 destinations to see before you’re 30 or these inspirational countries will.
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