Our partners over at National Geographic just sent us some of their most eye-catching entries from the 2012 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest. Though it started back in April and should have ended at the end of June, they’ve just extended their deadline till July 11. The contest is divided up into four distinct categories – Travel Portraits; Outdoor Scenes; Sense of Place; and Spontaneous Moments. You can win some awesome prizes including a National Geographic Galpagos Photography Expedition, a 10 day excursion aboard the National Geographic Endeavor cruise ship where you get to travel with an actual National Geographic photographer to learn their tricks of the trade and where you’re pretty much guaranteed to capture once-in-a-lifetime photos of rare animals in their natural habitat. (Can you say bucket list?)
You can get more info about the contest here, or if you’re just ready to check out the stiff competition go here. Finally, if you’re just eager to start submitting, you can do that here.
The following are some of the most stellar standouts from the current competition.
Branches: The great Japanese maple tree in the Portland Japanese Gardens.
Credit: Photograph by Fred An, National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Deer: Deer under falling cherry blossom petals in Nara Park, Japan.
Credit: Photograph by Hisao Mogi, National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Elephant: In front of my hotel on the river banks, Ramu the elephant and his handler came walking along and attracted this small European girl (tourist) attention. Ramu was drawn on his forehead with chalk.
Photograph by Lauren Volo, National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Fish: Cayo Arena is a beautiful sandbar 10 kilometers into the middle of the Atlantic off the coast of Punta Rucia.
Credit: Photograph by David Pou, National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Cliffs: The village of Gsadalurand the island of Mykines in the background.
Credit: Photograph by Ken Bower, National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.
Hills: The sun’s first rays warm the rolling hills of the Palouse Country in Eastern, Washington.
Credit: Photograph by Randall Roberts, National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.
Snowy Streets: This photo was taken at a market during my trip to Hokkaido which is located at the north of Japan.
Credit: Photograph by Miki Kudo, National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.
Little Cleaner: This photo was taken at a market during my trip to Hokkaido which is located at the north of Japan.
Credit: Photograph by Miki Kudo, National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.
Desert: A lonely Massai walking in the desert.
Credit: Photograph by Romana Wyllie, National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
Fisherman: Cormoran fisherman on the Li river, Yangshuo, China
Credit: Photograph by Philippe Cap, National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest