More than 9,200 entries were submitted from over 150 countries, with professional photographers and amateur photo enthusiasts across the globe participating. Photographs were submitted in three categories: people, places and nature. The competition was judged on creativity and photographic quality by a panel of experts including National Geographic photographers John Stanmeyer and Erika Larsen, as well as Keith Jenkins, Nat Geo’s General Manager of Digital.
A photo of a woman spotlighted by the glow of her phone on a crowded train was chosen as the grand prize winner of the 2014 National Geographic Photo Contest. The photo, titled “A Node Glows in the Dark,” was shot at Ocean Park in Hong Kong. The photographer, Brian Yen of Hong Kong, tells 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.”
The grand prize winner receives $10,000 and a trip to National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., to participate in the annual National Geographic Photography Seminar in January 2015. The first place winner in each category receives $2,500 and his/her winning photograph will be published in National Geographic magazine.
Nicole Cambre of Brussels, Belgium, won in the nature category for a photo of migrating wildebeests in Tanzania, and Triston Yeo of Singapore won in the placescategory for a photo of the Budapest thermal spas.
You can find a Q&A with the grand prize winner and a video of the selection process on Nat Geo’s photo blog, Proof.
To see all of the entries and honorable mentions visit the official contest home page.
1. Grand Prize and People Winner – A node glows in the dark Brian Yen
2. Nature Winner – The great migration
Nicole Cambré
Jump of the wildebeest at the Mara river.
3. Places Winner – Bathing in Budapest
Triston Yeo
The Thermal Spa in Budapest is one of the favourite 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 the hot spa water and the atmosphere. It makes the entire spa experience more surreal and mystical.
4. Honorable Mention Nature – Untitled
Christian Miller
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.
5. Honorable Mention Nature – Muscle Power
Archna Singh
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. This playful fight amongst the siblings is what prepares them for their survival in the wild. The sheer power of the Tiger is beautifully captured in this image and portrays the sheer muscle power that these magnificent cats possess. May 5th, 2014, Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India.
6. Honorable Mention People – Biltigiri
Mattia Passarini
The chef of Ramnami people in Chhattisgarh,India.
Ramnami tattoo the name of the lord ìRamî on their body.
Their entire focus is on the name of Ram, the name of God that is most dear to them. The Ramnami Samaj is a sect of harijan (Untouchable) Ram. Formed in the 1890s, the sect has become a dominant force in the religious life of the area.
The tattoo is the result of their devotion and also, a gift and an acknowledgement from Ram
7. Honorable Mention Nature – Stag Deer Bellowing
Prashant Meswani
Stag Deer Bellowing in Richmond Park
8. Honorable Mention Nature – Shoulder Creek
Henrik Nilsson
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.
9. Honorable Mention People – Waiting
Roberto Fiore
he was waiting on the bed, lost in thoughts, while his wife was preparing the bread to be blessed for the orthodox Eucharist.
10. Honorable Mention Places – The Storm
Aytül AKBAŞ
During I was taking photo with my nephew, the storm came and I caught this beautiful moment.
11. Honorable Mention Places – Tokyo – Shinagawa Station Peter Franc
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…
12. Honorable Mention People – My brothers and I
Tyler G
Our road trip down to Miami traversed this outlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We rested on this ridge overlooking the mountains. Though we argued consistently throughout the journey, here we were reminded of our brotherhood.
13. Honorable Mention Places – Destroyed Homs
Sergey Ponomarev
in Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 15, 2014. (Photo Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times)
14. Honorable Mention Nature – Zebras and the rim of the Crater Zik Teo
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, is the world’s largest inactive volcanic caldera. It is a collapsed volcano that harbours a range of African wildlife that live in relatively close proximity and competition of each other. Zebras are amongst the most common animals in the crater along with wildebeest, gazelles, hyenas, and lions. On a clear day, a 360∫ view of the crater rim can be seen whilst being inside.
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