DAZZLING PHOTOS FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS 2011

1. PHOTOS OF NATURE:

Grand Prize Winner and Nature Winner - Splashing:
Arrows of rain seem to pelt a dragonfly in Batam, Riau Islands,
Indonesia. Photo by Shikhei Goh.

Honorable Mention - Blue Pond and First Snow.
Location: Biei, Hokkaido, Japan. Photo by Kent Shiraishi.

Honorable Mention - Sunrising Jellyfish. Location: Mar Menor coastal
lagoon, Murcia province, Spain. Photo by Angel Fitor.

Honorable Mention - Panic in The Pan. Location: Serengeti National
Park, Tanzania. Photo by Marius Coetzee.

Honorable Mention - The Hunt. Location: Kenya, Masai Mara
National Reserve. Photo by Stefano Pesarelli.

Viewers' Choice Nature Winner - Beluga whales in the arctic
having fun. Location: North Russia. Photo by Dafna Ben Nun.

Source

2. PHOTOS OF PEOPLE:

Winner - The Fjellman Family: With a single shot, a Sami reindeer
hunter secures food for his family during the long Swedish winter.
Location: Arjeplog, Lappland, Sweden. Photo by Izabelle Nordfjell.

Honorable Mention - Zombies: A young family dressed as zombies
in Brisbane, Queensland. Photo by Lisa Clarke.

Honorable Mention - Auburn Pride: Young men driving into a patch
of reflected light along Auburn Road, Sydney, Australia.
Photo by George Voulgaropoulos.

Honorable Mention - From Up Here: Stephen “ST 2 Lettaz” Harris,
and David “Yung Clova” Williams make up the Huntsville rap duo
G-Side. Location: Manhattan, New York, USA. Photo by
Helen Pearson.

Viewers' Choice People Winner - Women's Last Supper: Maybe women
weren't at the Last Supper, but they are certainly going to be at the
next one. Location: Lucca, Italy. Photo by Alessandro Citti.

Source

3. PHOTOS OF PLACES:

Winner - Into The Green Zone: A rainbow arches over the Philippines'
Onuk Island after a rainstorm. Location: Onuk Island, Balabac
Palawan, Philippines. Photo by George Tapan.

Honorable Mention - Sulfuric Fire Festival: Once a year, Formosa
fishermen’s unique sulfuric fire fishing ritual is handed down from
generation to generation. Location: Taipei, Taiwan.
Photo by Hung-Hsiu Shih.

Honorable Mention - Flying Kites: Kite battle at Santa Marta ghetto,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Felipe Carvalho.

Honorable Mention - Cyber Monsoon: A torrential monsoon rain
in Bhaktapur, Nepal. Photo by Anuar Patjane.

Honorable Mention - Waterway To Orbit: Space shuttle, Endeavour,
launches into orbit toward the east, as the stars and waning crescent
moon trail toward the west, leaving a beautiful reflection on the
Intracoastal Waterway in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
Photo by James Vernacotola.

Viewers' Choice Places Winner - Krishna Temple: One of Hampi's
notable Hindu temples. Location: Hampi, India.
Photo by Alejandra Loreto.

Source

[Source: National Geographic. Part of captions taken from Boston.com]