The Atlantic:

The National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest is now underway, and entries will be accepted until the end of the month, May 27, 2016. The grand prize winner will receive a seven-day Polar Bear Safari for two in Churchill, Canada. National Geographic was kind enough to allow me to share some of the early entries with you here, gathered from three categories: Nature, Cities, and People.

Some of these photos are so spectacular, they make me want to throw away my camera gear because I know I’ll never come close to capturing the beauty of travel in the way these shooters have.