In pictures: National Geographic Traveler 2013 Photography Contest

In pictures: National Geographic Traveler 2013 Photography Contest Priscilla Locke/National Geographic

The annual National Geographic Traveler Magazine's 2013 Photography Contest is now underway - and, judging by this little selection of entries below, it's likely to be as spectacular than ever.

The winner of this prestigious contest, which invites photographers from around the world to enter their best work, will scoop a 10-day National Geographic Expedition to the Galapagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavour.

This contest is celebrating its 25th year in 2013, making it the longest-running photo contest in the world.

Keith Bellows, the editor of National Geographic Traveler Magazine, said: "In the last few years it seems as if the quality of shots has taken a quantum leap forward."

"The pictures increasingly reflect a more sophisticated way of seeing and interpreting the world, making the judging process more difficult. We encourage photographers to enter their work and compete against the best."

Entrants can submit photographs at nationalgeographic.com in any of four categories: travel portraits; outdoor scenes; sense of place and spontaneous moments for a $15 (£9.68) fee per photo.

2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Cowboy in a ribbon of light
 Dylan Brown: "Rodeos always provide a sense of place. There's action, dirt, pride, you name it. It's a loud, flashy sport, with cheering and showboating. But on the underbelly are quiet moments. The moments between bucking broncs, beer drinking and the announcers crude jokes. Moments like this one, where a young boy waits patiently for the next horse to come charging out of the chutes." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
King of the penquins
 Nancy Dowling: "Taken at Booth Island in Antartica." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
Door to Hell
 Priscilla Locke: "Standing at the edge of the Darvaza Crater in Turkmenistan. Known as the Door to Hell, this flaming crater has been burning for decades, fueled by the rich natural gas reserves found below the surface." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
Hagia Sophia Museum
 Melih Sular: "Hagia Sophia is the one of the most visited museums and most prominent monuments in the world in terms of art and the history of architecture. It has also been called the eighth wonder of the world by East Roman Philon as far back as the 6th century." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
Kazakh Eagle Hunters
 Tariq Sawyer: "Eagle Hunting is a Kazakh tradition that dates back 2000 years. Around 350 Kazakh Eagle Hunters are keeping the tradition alive in the Altai Mountains, Mongolia." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
Main Bazaar in New Delhi, India
 Edward Graham: "This is a long exposure, evening look at Main Bazaar in Paharganj." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
Midnight Tree
 Max Seigal: "I hiked several hours through the night in Patagonia to find a tree I had seen a few days earlier and photograph it with the night sky." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
One Mothers Love
 Graham McGeorge: "I love watching the affection and attention that Bonobos have for their young. They truly are a wonderful species of ape." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
Outburst
 Fauzan Maududdin: "This image was taken at Pacu Jawi Festival. A Traditional Bull-race that usually held after harvesting period, by Minangkabau People especially villagers at Tanah Datar, West of Sumatera. Best cows and jockeys are judge by the way they run the track fast and straight." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
Walk With Me
 Douglas Croft: "It was amazing to watch several family groups of elephants around the river. The little ones run around and play like puppies, but the tiny ones stay very close to their mothers.  We were fortunate to capture this magical moment with mother and baby." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
Surprise
 Bruno Tamiozzo: "A child by surprise, is captured during shooting of a part of the old city (Sun City) of Jodhpur (Rajasthan - India)." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
Portrait of one chilled out Kangaroo
 Graham McGeorge: "Jeez Louise...Those cookies were good." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>
The power of the Criollo
 Chris Schmid: "The power of the Criollo horses at the Cabanha Ipu, located in Paran, Brazil. The Criollo is the native horse of Uruguay (1910), Argentina (1918), Brazil (1932) and Paraguay. It may have the best endurance of any horse breed in the world next to the Arabian." <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/" target="_blank">2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest </a>

Have a look at the winning images from the 2012 Travel photographer of the Year Award, below.

Travel Photographer of the year

Quepos, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica
 A Pacific Green Tree Frog at night, frozen by the light of a torch. By Tom Spence, age17, runner up of the Young Travel Photographer of the Year.
Kaieteur Falls, Guyana
 Stuart Dunn from the UK won the One Shot Wild Moments category with this eerie shot.
Hudson Bay, Canada
 This image of a tent camped beneath the Northern Lights was taken by Thomas Kokta from Germany, runner up in the single image category One Shot Wild Moments.
Oaxaca, Mexico: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
 La Calavera Catrina (The Elegant Skull) is a popular icon of the Day of the Dead festival. Here two large Catrinas set up in the cemetery seem to smile on the tombs lining the wall. This shot, taken by Louis Montrose from the USA, was one of the overall winners of the Travel Photographer of the Year Awards.
Life in Tiebele
 The USA's Louis Montrose was one of the overall winners with this image, which shows the painted village of the Gurunsi people in southern Burkina Faso, Africa.
Fishermen checking their traps, Democratic Republic of Congo
 Taken just outside the city of Kisangani in Tshopo Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, these fishermen are pictured working in the middle of rapids and strong currents. Everything is built with materials from the jungle. Johnny Haglund, from Norway, won a special mention in the Spirit of Adventure Category.
Wye Creek, Queenstown, New Zealand
 Chris McLennan from New Zealand captured the moment a rock climber tackled a difficult overhang. It won a highly commended award in the Spirit of Adventure category.
West Mongolia, somewhere in the Altai Mountains
 Edoardo Agresti from Italy was highly commended in the Spirit of Adventure category for his image of people trying to push a car in adverse weather conditions.
White Sea, Karelia Region, Northern Russia
 A curious and playful Beluga whale swims near a scuba diver under the broken iced surface. The image was the winner of the Best Single Image in a Spirit of Adventure portfolio, taken by Franco Banfi from Switzerland.
Three children playing hide and seek, Senegal
 Edgard de Bono won the New Talent portfolio: Diary of A Destination with this image of children on Goree Island.
Stupa at Tsaparang, Tibet
Taken in the the ancient capital of the Guge kingdom in Tsada, this image by Slovenia's Matjaz Krivic was highly commended in the Natural Elements portfolio.
Angel Falls, Canaima National Park, Venezuela
The world's highest single drop waterfall, at 979 metres, was named after US aviator Himmie Angel, the first westerner to discover the falls. The picture was taken by Philip Lee Harvey from the UK, and was commended in the Natural Elements portfolio.
On the train from Urumqi to Dunhuang, China
These two men are covering themselves with the train's seat covers to protect against the powerful air conditioning. The moment was captured by Sheng Hong Tan from Malaysia, who won the First Shot Work Rest and Play (beginners' single image category).
Calcutta, India
 This photo of a rickshaw driver bathing under an outside fountain won a commendation in the First Shot Work Rest and Play (beginners' image category). It was taken by Sumit Dua from the USA.
London, UK
This street shot of a man in a white coat walking past a woman was taken by Malgorzata Pioro from Poland - and it scooped the top prize in the Exotic portfolio.
Central Highlands, Papua New Guinea
 A couple shares an intimate moment during a courtship ritual. This photograph was taken by Timothy Allen from the UK, and was the runner up in the Exotic portfolio.
Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia
This view of the rainforest canopy, taken from a 100ft observation tower, was highly commended in the Exotic portfolio. It was taken by Thomas Endlein from Germany.
Nomadic life, Yamal, Russia
Some 14,000 people live around Yamal together with their deer herds. This photo, taken by Sergey Anisimov from Russia, won the Cultures and Traditions portfolio.
Congo Basin, Central African Republic
Three Bayaka children in an unnamed village watch as a man collects honey from high up a jungle tree. Timothy Allen from the UK received a special mention in the Cultures and Traditions category.
Dhaka/Bangladesh Northern border
 During the Muslim Congregation, local residents arrive by train. They climb to top of the train and use every little space they can find. Yeow Kwang Yeo from Singapore won the Best Single Image in the Exotic portfolio category with this shot.
Tribal dancer, Bafut, Cameroon
 The UK's Philip Lee Harvey was the winner of the Best Single Image in the Cultures and Traditions Category with this photograph.
Dhaka, Bangladesh
 This image from GMB Akash, from Bangladesh, won a special mention in the Exotic category.