The best photos of National Geographic Traveler 2014

Magazine National Geographic Traveler announced winners of its contest. Snapshots of London streets, underwater landscapes of mountain lakes in Austria, work of a tornado chaser and other photographs – in this edition of Bird In Flight.

Slovenian Marko Korošec took the first place for his photo “The Independence Day” which was taken in the spring near Julesburg (Colorado, USA). Marko likes to shoot tornados and natural disasters: “Storms usually are very dynamic – you can never end up with two similar shots. I like to observe nature – tornados, rain, hail, lighting,” – he tells The Daily Mail.

According to National Geographic Traveler Director of Photography Dan Westergren, once the jury saw Korošec’s picture, they began guessing how much time the photographer spent storm chasing in order to capture such a great shot. “What makes the picture particularly strong is that except for the cloud, the rest of the scene is quite ordinary. The unresolved tension in the image makes me want to look at it over and over, ” – Westergren admits. Marko received the main prize of the photo contest which is an 8-day expedition to Alaska, courtesy of National Geographic.

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“text”: “Marko Korošec, «The Independence Day» / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest”
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The second place and the chance to attend a workshop in Santa Fe was awarded to Agnieszka Traczewska for her work “The First Time”. The shot was taken in Jerusalem, after the wedding ceremony of Aaron and Rivkeh, right before the couple is left alone for the very first time. The marriage was arranged by their parents, and they only got to meet once before the wedding, to confirm their choice. The tradition forbids any other interaction between the newly engaged couple. “When I look at the image I can’t help but think about the nature of love and marriage around the world. Here is a scene that in many parts of the world could be a young couple on their first date. Because of the clothes they are wearing I know that this is not a lighthearted encounter but the beginning of a lifelong commitment. Any photograph that can make me think that much deserves to be a winner,” – Dan Westergren says.

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“alt”: “The best photos of National Geographic Traveler 2014 2”,
“text”: “Agnieszka Traczewska, «The First Time» / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest”
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The third place winner who received a 6-day cruise for two along the coast of Atlantic became Marc Henauer, the author of photo “Diver in Magic Kingdom”. It was taken in Tragöss (Austria) where the melting snow raises the lake level about ten meters. “This shot at first seems like just another diver swimming by underwater. But after viewing it for a few seconds the truth begins to sink in. Once you realize that it’s not aquatic plants but grass and trees – you start looking at it in a different light. When we chose this picture we didn’t know the particulars of why a view like this exists, but we really wanted to reward the photographer for bringing it to our attention,” – Dan Westergren comments.

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“alt”: “The best photos of National Geographic Traveler 2014 3”,
“text”: “Marc Henauer, «Diver in Magic Kingdom» / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest”
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Besides the three winners, jury noted seven other photographers from different countries. Interestingly, the contest was open to anyone who wanted to send a submission, for the exception of residents of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria (because of the sanctions imposed by the US towards these countries), and also New Jersey – as the state doesn’t permit contests that require a membership fee.

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“alt”: “The best photos of National Geographic Traveler 2014 4”,
“text”: “Duowen Chen / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest”
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{
“img”: “/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/national-geographic-contest-7.jpg”,
“alt”: “The best photos of National Geographic Traveler 2014 5”,
“text”: “Sean Hacker Teper / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest”
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“text”: “Byron Inggs / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest”
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{
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“alt”: “The best photos of National Geographic Traveler 2014 7”,
“text”: “Susie Stern / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest”
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{
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“alt”: “The best photos of National Geographic Traveler 2014 8”,
“text”: “Marcelo Castro / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest”
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{
“img”: “/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/national-geographic-contest-9.jpg”,
“alt”: “The best photos of National Geographic Traveler 2014 9”,
“text”: “Evan Cole / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest”
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{
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“alt”: “The best photos of National Geographic Traveler 2014 10”,
“text”: “Mahesh Balasubramanian / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest”
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