Winners of the National Geographic Photo Contest 2014 have just been announced! Out of more than 9,000 entries, the photo titled A Node Glows in the Dark nabbed the top spot. An eerie glow comes over the girl in the center of the photo, who’s consumed by her smartphone. It’s the sign of the times. The photographer of that image, Ben Yen of Hong Kong, told National Geographic, “I feel a certain contradiction when I look at the picture. On the one hand, I feel the liberating gift of technology. On the other hand, I feel people don’t even try to be neighborly anymore, because they don’t have to.”
Photographers from more than 150 countries submitted their photos into three categories: people, places and nature. The grand prize winner, Ben Yen, receives $10,000 and a trip to National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., to participate in their annual National Geographic Photography Seminar in January 2015. The first place winner in each category takes home $2,500 and his or her winning photograph will be published in the prestigious National Geographic magazine.
Our favorite category, above and beyond, was Nature. From National Geographic’s Honorable Mentions, here are our favorites. Congrats to all the winners!
Above: Honorable Mention People
The Storm
During I was taking photo with my nephew, the storm came and I caught this beautiful moment.
Location: Kocaeli, Turky
Photo and caption by Aytl AKBAS/National Geographic 2014 Photo Contest
Honorable Mention Nature
Stag Deer Bellowing
Stag Deer Bellowing in Richmond Park
Location: Richmond Park, London, UK
Photo and caption by Prashant Meswani/National Geographic 2014 Photo Contest
Honorable Mention Nature 
On a windy day right after a Cyclone passed the far northern Great Barrier Reef I took some friends out to the reef. Never before I saw that many glass fish on this particular coral ‘bommie’.Just when I setup my camera, this Napoleon Wrasse swam right through the school of fish building a living frame.
Location: Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Flynn Reef, Australia
Photo and caption by Christian Miller/National Geographic 2014 Photo Contest
Honorable Mention Nature 
Shoulder Creek
A wild short-eared owl completes a shoulder check in case something was missed. Northern harriers were also hunting in the field and these raptors will often steal a kill from the owls.
Location: Boundary Bay, BC, Canada.
Photo and caption by Henrik Nilsson/National Geographic 2014 Photo Contest
Honorable Mention Nature 
Dragon
Ice art on the window.
Location: Estonia Tabasalu
Photo and caption by Maie Kirnmann/National Geographic 2014 Photo Contest
Honorable Mention Nature 
Muscle Power
This playful fight amongst two young sub adult Tigers was indeed a brilliant life time opportunity that lasted exactly 4-5 seconds. The cubs were sitting in the grass as dusk approached when suddenly one of them sneaked up behind the other and what happened next is captured in this image.
Location: Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India
Photo and caption by Archna Singh/National Geographic 2014 Photo Contest
Honorable Mention People 
Tokyo – Shinagawa Station
I was up at an ungodly hour to make it to the Tsukiji Fish Market, in Tokyo. With so many amazing things to see in the city, I had hardly slept, and managed to get off at the wrong station. Wave after wave of people kept coming through the station passageway. I spied a coffee shop with a vantage point and managed to snap a free shots, camera resting on the ledge. After the caffeine kicked in, i was ready to brave the river of people…
Location: Shinagawa Station, Tokyo, Japan
Photo and caption by Peter Franc/National Geographic 2014 Photo Contest
Honorable Mention People 
Temper
A young girl throws a temper tantrum in a Bangkok shopping mall. June, 2014
Location: Bangkok, Thailand, Southeast Asia
Photo and caption by Adam Birkan/National Geographic 2014 Photo Contest
Places Winner 
Bathing in Budapest
The Thermal Spa in Budapest is one of the favorite activities of the Hungarian especially in winter. We were fortunate to gain special access to shoot in the Thermal Spa thanks to our tour guide, Gabor. I love how the mist caused by the great difference in temperature between the hot spa water and the atmosphere. It makes the entire spa experience more surreal and mystical.
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Photo and caption by Triston Yeo/National Geographic 2014 Photo Contest
Nature Winner 
The Great Migration
Jump of the wildebeest at the Mara river.
Location: North Serengeti, Tanzania
Photo and caption by Nicole Cambr/National Geographic 2014 Photo Contest
Grand Prize and People Winner 
A Node Glows in the Dark…
In the last 10 years, mobile data, smart phones and social networks have forever changed our existence. Although this woman stood at the center of a jam packed train, but the warm glow from her phone tells the strangers around her that she’s not really here. She managed to slip away from here, for a short moment, she’s a node flickering on the social web, roaming the earth, free as a butterfly. Our existence is no longer stuck to the physical here, we’re free to run away, and run we will.
Location: Hong Kong
Photo and caption by Brian Yen/National Geographic 2014 Photo Contest