After the daunting task of combing through over 48,000 submissions from across the globe, Smithsonian.com has selected the winners of their 14th Annual Photo Contest. The winning pictures, which span seven categories, capture the wonder of the world around us. Check out the incredible winners and fierce competition here.
1. Grand Prize winner: Pradeep Raja Kannaiah for "Ramadan Prayers"
"This shot is of women praying inside Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta, Indonesia, during the month of Ramadan." —Pradeep Raja Kannaiah
2. Reader's Choice winner: Milan Sachs for “Resting in an NYC Laundry Room”
"This photograph is of a woman in an NYC laundry room. It seems like she's recalling something that recently happened to her. The subject is defeated, hurt, and exhausted from this cycle she is in, like the cycle of a washing machine." —Milan Sachs
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3. Altered Images winner: Jim Mneymneh for “Improvisation”
"Dance improvisation in the studio." —Jim Mneymneh
From the list of finalists:
"Shelter Pets Project — Peggy Sue," Tammy Swarek (left); "The Beauty of Tokyo at Night," Liam Wong (right)
4. Mobile winner: Alina Rudya for “Surreal”
"A man bikes by a Peter Hazel sculpture at the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada." —Alina Rudya
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From the list of finalists:
"Volando en las nubes del agua," Luis Henry Agudelo Cano (left); "Into the Woods," Vickson Dasan (right)
5. Natural World winner: Prelena Soma Owen for “Look Me in the Eye”
"I am always looking for unique ways to showcase the beauty of elephants in the hope that it will make a difference in the way they are viewed and appreciated. This image was taken when a herd of elephants came down to the banks of the Chobe River in Botswana for an afternoon drink. The opportunity presented itself as the trunk of the elephant in the foreground framed the eye of the elephant in the background. I focused on the eye, and with some creative cropping, was very pleased with the final result." —Prelena Soma Owen
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From the list of finalists:
"Swamp Raccoon," Kim Aikawa (left); "Bestas," Javier Arcenillas (right)
6. Travel winner: Peter Nutkins for “Individual Communication”
"Commuters at Baker Street Station in communication. Each is in communication, but not with each other. How often are we in our own world, maybe communicating across the globe, yet we do not even speak to the person sitting right by us." —Peter Nutkins
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From the list of finalists:
"Firewalking," Binh Duong (left); "Lighting the Old Man," Garry Ridsdale (right)
7. Sustainable Travel winner: Greta Rybus for “A Man Looks Out the Door”
"I spent a month in Senegal documenting climate change as a human rights issue. I started photographing the issue through human relationships to the environment and to one another. The morning I photographed the high tides and the loss of homes was part of a personal realization that climate change isn't just an environmental issue, it's a human one." —Greta Rybus
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From the list of finalists:
"Golden Monkey Surveying the Area," John Beckman (left); "Jakobshavn Melt," Kerry Koepping (right)
8. People winner: João Borges for “Step by Step”
"I was surprised when I saw this old shoemaker shop with two workers, one of them a young woman doing a job usually done by older men. The look in her eyes is as strong and heavy as her work." —João Borges
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From the list of finalists:
"Violence in El Salvador," Javier Arcenillas (left); "The Longing of an Opera Artist," Nick Ng (right)
9. American Experience winner: Stephanie Foden for “Before the Portrait”
"Lila Chosa sits on the side porch of her house while her family and friends get ready for a portrait behind her. Lila's grandmother, Heart Warrior, has spent years battling to keep custody of her grandchildren in Minnesota. It’s part of a long history of Native American removal and resistance." —Stephanie Foden
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From the list of finalists:
"Farm Girl Swimming Pool," Kristen Chapman (left); "To Be Proud Of," Andrei Gorbatiuc (right)
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