WASHINGTON (Aug. 14, 2012)—National Geographic Traveler announced today the winners of the 2012 Traveler Photo Contest. The grand-prize winner is Cédric Houin of Brooklyn, N.Y. He has won a 10-day Galápagos Photography Expedition for two with National Geographic Expeditions. His winning photo, “Butterfly,” captures a Kyrgyz woman and her daughter sewing with an old-fashioned-looking machine in a remote region of Afghanistan.
“The intimacy of this everyday life moment, shot inside of a family yurt, is in total contrast with the harsh environment these nomadic tribes live in,” said Houin. “These tribes live weeks away from any village by foot. In spite of being located at an altitude of 4,300 meters in one of the most remote areas of Afghanistan, they are equipped with solar panels, satellite dishes and cell phones.”
Vo Anh Kiet of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, placed second for the image “My Balloon” and wins a spot in an intensive two-and-a-half-day photo workshop at Santa Fe Workshops. Third place went to Andrea Guarneri of Sicily, Italy, for “Devotees.” His prize is to take part in a National Geographic Traveler seminar.
“I’ve judged this contest for 15 years and it increasingly thrills me. We had an avalanche of entries that clearly illustrate how powerful photography has become among those who aren’t professional shooters. The range of subject matter, the excellence of composition, the pure surprise factor—everyone stepped up their game to make this our most competitive contest,” said Keith Bellows, National Geographic Traveler magazine editor in chief.
The 24th annual photo contest received more than 12,000 images from 6,615 talented photographers in 152 countries around the globe. Contestants submitted photographs in four categories: Travel Portraits; Outdoor Scenes; Sense of Place; and Spontaneous Moments. Judging consisted of two rounds of evaluation based on creativity and photographic quality. The three winning photographs along with the seven merit winners can be viewed on the Traveler Photo Contest page.
The Galápagos Photography Expedition in which Houin will participate is a unique experience to join a National Geographic photographer aboard the National Geographic Endeavour and learn photography tips and techniques. The trip is part of National Geographic Expeditions, the travel program of the National Geographic Society, which provides guided trips spanning all seven continents and more than 60 destinations.
About National Geographic Traveler Magazine
National Geographic Traveler: Nobody Knows This World Better. National Geographic Traveler is the world’s most widely read travel magazine. Published eight times a year, Traveler is available by subscription, on newsstands in the United States and Canada and digitally for tablets like the iPad (on Zinio) and Nook (at BN.com). Its website (www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler) offers inspiring and authoritative digital content including trip ideas, photo galleries and blogs. It also houses travel apps, including 50 Places of a Lifetime that showcases the world’s greatest destinations handpicked by National Geographic’s family of globe-trotting contributors, and the award-winning National Parks app, filled with stunning pictures, maps and tips to explore America’s national parks.
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