Smithsonian photo contest's best images
The 13th Annual Smithsonian.com Photo Contest selected the very best images from among more than 46,000 entries from photographers in 168 countries and territories in an array of categories -- Natural World, The American Experience, Travel, People, Altered Images, Mobile and Sustainable Travel.
Here are the winners and a selection of the finalists.
The photo "Under Pressure" by Adam Taylor from Seattle, Washington was a finalist in the Sustainable Travel category.
The image was captured underneath the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. Taylor feels "the image has the ability to educate and give hope. Hope that with the right mindset, we can preserve the beauty that surrounds us by living sustainably."
Altered Images - Winner
Radim Schreiber' photo "Synchronous Fireflies" was the winner in the Altered Images category.
The photographer took several long exposures in almost complete darkness, which were merged together. He said being completely surrounded by the fireflies (lightning bugs) was "one of the most amazing and magical natural phenomena: fireflies that synchronize."
Readers' Choice - Winner
The Readers' Choice Winner was Alice van Kempen for "Orient Express."
Van Kempen, from Belgium, photographed her bull terrier in an abandoned train as part of a series called "Leave Only Pawprints: Urbex Adventures With My Bull Terrier Claire." The photo is an HDR image composed of three different images.
Grand Prize winner
"Remaining on the slopes of Mount Sinabung" by Albert Ivan Damanik, from Indonesia, is the Grand Prize winner.
Dry tree perch with volcanic material flowing from Mount Sinabung blanketed villages, as seen from the village of Jeraya, North Sumatra, Indonesia on June 26, 2015.
Indonesia's Mount Sinabung intermittently spewed burning ash and gas, a week after authorities told residents to evacuate the danger zone within a radius of 7 kilometers principal (4.4 miles).
The American Experience - Winner
The photo "Trucker Chapel" taken by Lauren Pond of Columbus, Ohio is the winner of the American Experience category.
Truck driver Ben Blackburn, 46, participates in a Bible study session at the Transport for Christ (TFC) mobile chapel in Lodhi, Ohio, Oct. 23, 2013.
Transport For Christ, an international trucker ministry, has placed 45 mobile chapels at truck stops across the United States. The chapels offer Bible study, worship services and counseling from volunteer chaplains. They also give drivers a break from the struggles and solitude of life on the road.
Mobile - Winner
"The China Red," taken by Jian Wang of Beijing, is the winner of the Mobile photography category.
Natural World - Finalist
Geer Weggen captured the image "Sun Head," of a female red squirrel standing under a flower, which was a finalist in the Natural World Category.
Weggen, from Bispgarden, Sweden, said, "My garden has many flowers, and everyday red squirrels come to visit. I am almost always ready to take some shots of these wonderful animals."
People - Winner
Benedetta Ristory, from Rome, Italy, won in the People category for "Lay Off" taken in Kyoto, Japan in Jan. 2015.
The photographer said, "My intent was to capture the life of night workers. Shift work, even at night and on holidays, often affects workers psychophysically."
Natural World - Winner
"A Little Monkey on a Cliff," taken by photographer Hidestoshi Ogata of Osaka, Japan, won the Natural World category.
The moment of a monkey enduring a cold front that hit the Nagano prefecture was captured in Jigokudani Monkey Park.
Sustainable Travel - Winner
In the Sustainable Travel Category the winning image "My Time" was taken by Tihomir Trichkov.
The photo shows the daughter of the school director, in a school for orphans in the Likoni neighborhood of Mombassa, Kenya.
Trichkov, who is from Highlands, North Carolina, took a month off from work to produce photos and videos to help raise money to finish building of the school for 150 children.
Natural World - Finalist
Simone Sbaraglia's photo "Catching Fish" was a finalist in the Natural World category.
The image of dalmation pelicans by the photographer from Miami, Florida, was taken on Lake Kerkini, Greece.
Travel - Winner
The winner of the Travel category, "Women's Compartment of a Suburban Train," was taken by German photographer Tamina-Florentine Zuch in Mumbai, India.
Zuch explained, "Every day millions of people make use of the suburban trains in Mumbai. Almost every train has separate compartments for women to avoid sexual abuse."
Altered Images - Finalist
This image of two mandrills titled "Conspiracy," taken by Pedro Jarque Krebs of Spain, was a finalist in the Altered Image category.
The photo is composed from portraits of two mandrills living at the Madrid Zoo Aquarium. The photographer applied different exposure and contrast corrections, among other photoshop techniques. The black background that recreates an image in the studio was done in post-processing, isolating the animals from the rest of the environment to focus on the subject
Altered Images - Finalist
"Bird's Nest" by Jefflin Ling, from Malaysia, was a finalist in the Altered Images category.
The photo shows the Beijing Olympic stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Natural World - Finalist
"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," taken by Suzan Meldonian from Boca Raton, Florida, was a finalist in the Natural World category.
The image shows a yellow -headed jawfish male incubating eggs in its mouth. According to the photographer, "in the beginning, the jawfish is able to swallow the eggs, keeping them hidden, and occasionally spits them out to grab a bite, then sucks them back in, all in one gulp." She added, "that after about an hour of observation with this little fish, he accepted that I was not a predator and that my presence could actually protect him. Soon he became comfortable and almost even proud to show off his family to be."