Boy, I would have loved to have been there when the judging panel of the National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year contest was deciding the winners.

Photographers from all skill sets had until May 31 to submit their best travel shots, and of course the competition was fierce.

In the end, The Telegraph reports, the judging panel managed to choose the victors from the thousands of submissions.

Let’s take a squizz at their winning shots:

Reiko Takahashi’s “Mermaid” photo took first prize in the Nature category, and was the overall grand prize winning shot. Here’s the story behind it:

I was fortunate to have encountered a humpback whale with her calf on my first day snorkeling near Japan’s Kumejima Island. Most of the time, the calf stayed close to her mom. At one point, the calf began jumping and tapping its tail on the water near us — it was very friendly and curious. Finally, the mother, who was watching nearby, came to pick up the calf and swim away. I fell in love completely with the calf and it’s very energetic, large, and beautiful tail.

Yeah, we love it, too.

If humpback whales are your jam, you should also check out this video of swimming with the supergroups in Cape Town.

Are those birds? Are they planes. Oh wait, no, they’re definitely birds.

Hao J’s photo, titled “Flamingos Taking Off”, took home second prize in the Nature category, and the shot didn’t come easy:

The photo was taken from a helicopter in colorful salt Lake Natron, Tanzania. Before taking off, flamingos need to take a short run on water to build up some speed. at this time, they are long, red legs will trod a series of water ripple on the surface of the lake. looking down from the helicopter these ripple lines are like giant aquatic plants in the lake.

I suppose a helicopter shot isn’t enough to get you top spot these days.

It’s called “Mars”, but Marco Grassi’s photo – which placed third in the Nature category – was actually taken on Earth:

These natural sand towers, capped with large stones, are known as the Earth Pyramids of Platten. They are situated in Northern Italy’s South Tyrol region. Formed centuries ago after several storms and landslides, these land formations look like a landscape from outer space and continuously change over the years and, more accurately, over seasons. This natural phenomenon is the result of continuous alternation between periods of torrential rain and drought, which have caused the erosion of the terrain and the formation of these pinnacles.

Still, it’s a pic that’s out of this world.

You’d be forgiven if you thought this pic – titled “Reflections” was a futuristic city. It’s actually Dubai, which was captured by Gaanesh Prasad and placed third in the Cities category. Here’s his story:

On an early morning, I wanted to photograph the fog, which is epic in Dubai every year from December to January -and almost every photographer’s dream in this part of the world. Sadly, I could not get access to the rooftop and so I peeped through the glazed window on a lower floor.

I was overwhelmed and excited to see how beautiful the city looks, and my excitement was quadrupled as soon as I saw the reflection of the road and building on the building that I was in. I immediately opened the window to the maximum permissible amount and clicked a single shot with stretched hands.

Prasad’s perseverance certainly paid off in this instance.

“Tea Culture” placed second in the People category, and photographer Alessandra Meniconzi has a neat story behind it:

For a long time, I have been fascinated by the ancient Mongolian method of hunting with Golden Eagles. In early 2018, I followed one family of eagle hunters during their migration from winter camp to spring camp. Mongolia is sparsely populated, but the inhabitants have a very hospitable and welcoming culture. Tea for Kazakh culture is one of the attributes of hospitality. Tea isn’t just a drink, but a mix of tradition, culture, relaxation, ceremony, and pleasure.

Big kudos to these photographers who captured these snaps – you can view the rest of the winning photos here.

Keen to grab your camera and snap an award-winning shot for next year’s contest? Score a great deal on airfare via More Cheap Flights, point, and click – voila.

They also do hotels and car rentals, so no excuses now. See your pics next year.

[source:telegraph]