2014 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest received more than 18,000 entries around the world. Here are the grand prize and merit prize winners.

Official grand prizes include:

  • 1st Prize: An 8-day National Geographic Expedition to Alaska for two
  • 2nd Prize: A 5-day National Geographic Photo Workshop for one in Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • 3rd Prize: A 6-day cruise for two on a Maine windjammer schooner

7 merit prize winners will receive:

  • A $200 gift certificate to B&H Photo
  • A framed print of merit photo, matted and framed by the National Geographic Imaging Lab
  • The Art of Travel Photography Course on DVD

National Geographic Traveler Director of Photography Dan Westergren, one of this year’s judges, shares his thoughts on the first-place winner:

“This winning photo of a supercell over the plains of eastern Colorado stopped the judges in our tracks. When we first saw the picture we guessed that the photographer probably had dedicated quite a bit of time chasing storms to capture such an amazing sight. But what makes the picture particularly strong is that except for the cloud, the rest of the scene is quite ordinary. The crazy UFO-looking shape gives the impression that it’s going to suck up the landscape like a tablecloth into a vacuum cleaner. The unresolved tension in the image makes me want to look at it over and over.”

Click here for more information on National Geographic Travel Photo Contest Winners.