Out of this world: Winners of National Geographic competition capture stunning images of nature at its most beautiful – Oddy Central

National Geographic announced their 2011 global-wide photography contest awarding not only a warm financial prize to its three winners but world-wide publication in their magazine. The winners were taken from digital submissions on three categories of people, places and nature while judged by three National Geographic photographers.

Splashing, the grand prize winning photo as well as Nature category winner, was taken in the city of Batam in Indonesia’s Riau Islands.

Blue Pond & First Snow, by Kent Shiraishi, captured a famous tourist resort in Japan for the nature category’s honorable mention as the hot spring ripples below white-frosted trees.

The Sunrising Jellyfish, by Angel Fitor, received honorable mention in nature as it’s caught just beneath the water’s surface in Murcia province, Spain.

Panic in the Pan, by Marius Coetzee was taken during a safari in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park at a watering hole.

The Hunt, by Stefano Pesarelli received honorable mention for its natural use of panning and balance in its capture of a scene at the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.

Into the Green Zone, by George Tapan, captured a rainbow after the rain at the Palawan Islands in the Philippines, winning the category of Places.

Sulfuric Fire Festival, by Hung-Hsiu Shih received honorable mention for its capture of fire fishing in Taipei.

Flying Kites, by Felipe Carvalho, received honorable mention for its capture of a kite battle at the Santa Marta ghetto in Rio de Janeiro which for many years were used to alert drug dealers of approaching enemies.

Anuar Patjane’s Cyber Monsoon received honorable mention for its capture of a torrential monsoon rain in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Waterway to Orbit, by James Vernacotola, displays the Space shuttle Endeavour flying into orbit over the Intracoastal Waterway in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

People category winner titled The Fjellman Family, by Izabelle Nordfjell, describes in one shot, literally and physically, one method of feeding a family in northern Sweden before a long winter.

Photo titled Zombies, by Lisa Clarke, shows a young family dressed as zombies in Brisbane, Queensland around Halloween, receiving honorable mention for the People category.

The photo titled Auburn Pride, by George Voulgaropoulos, shows young men driving along Auburn Road in a small suburb in Australia that’s described as a common landing point for migrants.

From Up Here, by Helen Pearson, shows the Huntsville rap duo G-Side on a fire escape in Manhattan which shows today’s independent music scene according to the caption.

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