-This article is reproduced from the official account: Thomas looks at the world-
Let me tell you the good news for friends who follow National Geographic’s ultimate Chinese explorers. The photos of our explorer Thomas (Chu Weimin) won the Global Champion (Grand Prize) and the first place in the city category of the 2019 National Geographic Travel Photography Contest !
National Geographic Ultimate China Explorer Thomas (Chu Weimin)
Since being attracted by the unique temperament of Greenland three years ago, Thomas has started a long-term shooting plan there.
During the exploration for 1-2 months every year, Thomas visited many no-man’s lands in the Arctic on foot, and photographed some little-known natural landscapes. At the same time, he was gradually attracted by the unique local social culture, and began to observe and record the living conditions of the local people, as well as the changes in Greenland’s landform and culture under the influence of globalization.
In March of this year, Thomas traveled to northern Greenland again during the coldest time of the year to see what the winter was like there, and the grand prize photo came from Thomas’ trip this year.
Thomas said that when he received the award notification, he was really happy and surprised.
So next, let us take a look at which works won the National Geographic Photo Contest this year. (The first place in the People category should also be a photographer from China. Congratulations to all the winners.)
Annual Champion
First place in the city category
“Arctic Winter”, photographer: WEIMIN CHU, (Thomas sees the world)
Upernavik is a village built on a narrow island in northwestern Greenland. In the past, people here would paint their houses in various colors to distinguish the functions of the houses and even the occupation of the owners. For example, commercial buildings are red, and fishermen’s houses are blue. In the cold winter, when the sea and the ground are covered with white snow and ice, these houses become the only color on the more than 2 million square kilometers of Arctic land.
I found the fascinating structure, color and layers of this angle on a small hillside, so I set up a telephoto there, increased the ISO, and captured the street activities of local people, including this picture of a family of three walking on the road . When the night falls, the strong blue tone makes this icy and snowy land look even colder. Only the lights in the house and the warm family make people feel warm.
City category second place
Aviation Age, Photographer: JASSEN TODOROV
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has four runways. This is a rare view I took of the landing end of runway number 28. It’s always been my dream to record the dynamic moments of this busy airport from the air. After applying, I was finally allowed to fly the plane directly over the airport. It was a blustery day with wind gusts at the airport of 35-45 mph. The strong flight turbulence made me feel flustered while controlling the plane while busy shooting. The flight was challenging, but it was also so exciting that I couldn’t sleep for days completing the project.
Third place in the city category
“The Streets of Dhaka”, Photographer: SANDIPANI CHATTOPADHYAY
People pray on the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh, during the Islamic “global event”. Bishwa Ijtema (Bishwa Ijtema) is one of the major religious gatherings held in Dhaka every year, bringing together millions of devotees. Dedicated prayer venues are no longer enough to accommodate so many people, so many people come to pray on the main street of Dhaka. During this time, all ground transportation and pedestrians will be suspended pending the conclusion of the ceremony.
1st place in nature
Tender Eyes, Photographer: TAMARA BLAZQUEZ HAIK
In the Monfraguay National Park in Spain, I saw a beautiful vulture in flight. People often say that vultures bring bad omens, but in its eyes, I see a different tenderness. Vultures are an important part of the ecology, feeding on dead animal carcasses. Seeing these noble and majestic kings of the sky in flight, we should feel humbled and awed by them.
natural second place
“Water Wall”, Photographer: DANNY SEPKOWSKI
What happens before the wave breaks? This question stuck with me and became the subject of my shoot last year. That day I decided to shoot a sunset on the east coast of Oahu, Hawaii. On this beach, more than 100 photographers are shooting the sunrise every morning, but I am the only one at sunset. The texture of the waves blown by the westerly wind and the subtle colors of the sunset created a wonderful “chemical reaction” in my 100mm lens. I looked nervously at my viewfinder and clicked the shutter just as the wave was about to smash.
natural third place
Dusky Dolphin, Photographer: SCOTT PORTELLI
Dusky dolphins often congregate as they travel across Kaikoura Fjord, New Zealand, in search of food. They swim quickly and effortlessly in the sea, only surfacing when they breathe. Dusky dolphins are fast and can even keep up with speedboats. I had to wait patiently on the bow to capture the moment the dolphins surfaced. Their elegantly streamlined bodies are tailor-made for speed and maneuverability.
first place in character category
“Show Time”, Photographer: HUAIFENG LI
Actors prepare for an evening theater performance in Licheng County, China. I spent a whole day tracking and recording these actors from makeup to stage. I am a freelance photographer, and the “Cave Life” series is a long-term project of mine. In China’s Loess Plateau, local residents dig holes in the loess layer, creating a unique type of cave living space called “cave dwellings”. The thermal insulation properties of the cave dwellings helped the local people survive the cold winters one after another.
People category second place
“Daily Morning Exercise”, Photographer: YOSHIKI FUJIWARA
This photo was taken at Choi Hung Building in Hong Kong. When I visited in the afternoon, it was full of young people coming to take pictures and play basketball. But when I visited again at sunrise, it became a quiet place, with only two or three local residents exercising in the morning. When I see an old man doing Tai Chi in the sun, I feel a unique and sacred atmosphere.
People category third
“Horse”, Photographer: JOSÉ ANTONIO ZAMORA
At the annual Spanish Sant’Antonio event, locals hold an animal purification ceremony known as Las Luminarias. In the province of Ávila, this ritual, dating back to the 18th century, involves horses and riders jumping over bonfires. I am very interested in photographing these folklore activities.
Competition introduction
The annual National Geographic Travel Photography Contest, organized by the National Geographic Society of the United States, aims to honor photographers who show the world through travel and exploration. By 2019, it has gone through 31 years.
Winner of the 2018 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, Photographer: REIKO TAKAHASHI
There are 3 categories in this year’s competition, which are Nature, City and People. Each category will select the works with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places respectively. The award-winning works need to submit the original documents and the shooting process for review. Posing shots, harming animals, and post-production changes beyond the regulations are not allowed by the rules of the competition.
In the end, the judging committee will select another annual champion from among the first place winners in the three groups according to the originality, sense of picture, composition quality and other standards of the photos. Reprinted by the Ins account of National Geographic magazine with more than 100 million followers.
Winner of the 2017 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, Photographer: SERGIO TAPIRO VELASCO
Thomas’s words:
From the time when I started to like geographical exploration, being on this world stage has always been one of the goals that I am very far away, but I am constantly striving for it.
Of course, luck plays a big role in winning the award. I can’t be complacent just because I got lucky once. In the future, I will continue to explore and try to present more original works to everyone.
Of course, the most important thing is to thank Jiying partners, friends and fans for their long-term support!
*This article is reposted from the public account “Thomas Looks at the World”, with sorting and deletion.
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