- Agora, a free photography app, recently held its #Landscape2020 contest.
- The competition, which ran from June 19 until July 3, encouraged photographers to share images they’ve taken of stunning scenery around the world.
- According to the app, more than 14,000 images were submitted, showing landscapes from France, Iceland, Indonesia, and more.
- Here’s a look at the winning shot, taken in Utah by Australian photographer Luke Simpson, and 49 nominated photos.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
“Surprised by a full moon at Goblin Valley” by Luke Simpson
Simpson told Agora that he didn’t plan to take this photograph – which won Agora’s #Landscape2020 contest – while visiting Utah’s Goblin Valley State Park.
In fact, he told the photography app that it was “only made possible” by the “running speed” and “willingness” of his friend who quickly posed in front of the moon for his photo.
“A magical sunrise” by @followmypath
This nominated image was captured in Panama by a photographer who goes by @followmypath online.
“This was definitely my favorite hike in Panama,” he told Agora. “The landscapes were out of this world, and we had an amazing sunrise that day as well.”
"A sunrise with some fog and tulips is great. With a windmill in the distance, it's epic" by Nick de Jonge
De Jonge captured these tulips in front of a fog-covered windmill in Alkmaar, Netherlands.
"I don't think it can be any more Dutch than this," the photographer said about his image while speaking to Agora.
"Another planet" by Alvaro Valiente
There's actually a hidden detail in Valiente's photograph, which was taken in Iceland.
"Can you spot my car?" he asked Agora. "It's the tiny white dot! The scale there is incredible."
"Art of nature" by Arthur Kanatov
Kanatov told Agora that he and a friend had been hitchhiking across the Caucasus region when a hotel manager picked them up. They felt "so grateful for the ride" that Kanatov was "ready to offer him some cool shots" he had photographed of a lake in Chechen, Russia.
"The manager said that he loves and respects people who prefer to hitchhike and sleep in tents under the open sky," Kanatov said. "He was so kind that he allowed us to stay for the night in their special rooms because the night was cold in the autumn season. He also gave us some food."
"Chư Đăng Ya volcano" by Hòa Carol
In the Chư Păh District of Vietnam, Carol photographed this volcano while it was surrounded by clouds.
"Classic Dutch Beach" by Cuno de Bruin
De Bruin photographed this sandy landscape in Vlissingen, Netherlands.
"Deep in the Indonesian jungle" by Sjoerd Bracke
Bracke told Agora that this waterfall was the "most impressive" he'd seen while traveling with his girlfriend and other photographers in East Java, Indonesia. He used a drone to photograph himself standing in front of the location, and did so to show the waterfall's massive height.
"Dramatic Friday" by John
A photographer named John captured this cityscape in Hong Kong. He told Agora that while the area might not be a natural scene, he still appreciates the beauty of this man-made landscape.
"Gate to heaven" by Maky and Matt
Maky and Matt, a photography duo, captured this aerial shot of themselves standing in the middle of a road in Indonesia.
"Helicopter trip" by Pamela Plaza
Plaza told Agora that it was "captivating and awe-inspiring" to visit the Tutoko glacier in New Zealand, where this nominated photo was taken. She reached the destination via helicopter on a "rare, cloudless day."
"Hidden away" by Joel Friend
Friend told Agora that visiting these smoky mountains in Iceland "felt like another planet."
"Ice cave" by Pavel Tokarev
Tokarev's photograph, which shows a woman standing in the middle of an icy blue cave, was taken at Lake Baikal in Russia.
"There was ice all around, hanging from the ceiling and streaming along the walls," the photographer told Agora about the location. "It felt like there was a mirror spreading along the ground."
"Life on Mars" by James Theo
"These colorful mud mounds I came across while in Utah were like something from Mars," Theo told Agora. "This location blew me away and I had never seen anything like it before."
"Icelandic landscape" by Victor Ferreira
Ferreira told the photography app that he wants his image, which was taken in Iceland, to show that "our planet is alive."
"In the fields" by Sandro Rizzolo
Rizzolo's nominated image shows a lush barley field in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
"Italy" by Michelle Wandering
Wandering captured this shot in Italy's Dolomites mountain range.
"Visiting the Dolomites last year was such a crazy experience," she told Agora. "I loved every single view and moment of it, even though it was freezing and I'm not a fan of cold weather!"
"Kirkjufell" by Samuele Miccoli
Despite not having his camera tripod on hand, Miccoli was able to capture this pink sunset at Kirkjufell, a famous mountain in Iceland.
"Life in a fairytale" by Chad Torkelsen
Torkelsen told Agora that he stumbled upon this Oregon waterfall by mistake.
"We missed the turnoff for the trail and walked an extra two miles," he said. "After we backtracked and went down the correct trail, we were greeted by this monster waterfall - one of the most spectacular places I've seen in Oregon."
"Lighthouse" by Matt Cannon
Cannon captured this orange lighthouse atop a rock formation in Iceland. He told the photography app that he aimed to show the structure "standing strong and braving all elements."
"Lightning and wind" by Olivier Vandeginste
Vandeginste was at Zeebrugge, Belgium, for a fireworks festival when this thunderstorm struck. As he pointed out to Agora, numerous wind turbines can be seen on the left side of the photo.
"Magic sunset" by Brian TR
This nominated image was photographed by Brian TR in the Valensole commune of France. It shows a woman walking through rows of lavender towards a pink sky and tall tree.
"Magical sunset" by Sebastian Burziwal
Burziwal told Agora that he spent "the whole evening" in Cinque Terre, Italy, to capture the town of Manarola with "magical light."
"Minimalism" by Josu Ozkaritz Astigarraga
Showing an orange-and-blue sunset, Astigarraga's photo was taken in Maspalomas, Spain.
"Moab" by Tom Franklin de Waart
Franklin de Waart told Agora that he hiked early in the morning to get to the top of this orange canyon in Utah. He described the landscape as being "ridiculously beautiful."
"Mosque 99 domes" by Reski Sandi
Sandi photographed this mosque on Indonesia's Sulawesi island.
"Mother Nature's creation" by Ilaria Ronchi
This photo is precious to Ronchi because she took it in Namibia on her first road trip outside of Europe, where she's from, as she told Agora.
"You don't need many words to describe the feeling of driving in a silent desert right after sunrise," she said. "From that moment, I just remember how overwhelming it was to be surrounded by perfect, natural sand creations."
"Namibia recently became a renowned Instagram destination for photographers, but eight years ago there was almost no one there," she continued. "On that morning, we met only 15 people. Everyone was more into enjoying the scene instead of getting 'influencer'-style pictures."
"My proudest drone shot to date" by Matthew Perks
As explained in the photograph's title, Perks used a drone to capture this shot of a boat in Padstow, England. He told Agora that he waited three hours for the tide to roll away before he was able to capture the scene.
"National Treasure" by Sergei Poletaev
In Saint Petersburg, Russia, Poletaev photographed this skyscraper, which he said "strikes with its loneliness."
"There are no other high-rising buildings in the area, just the water and one or two-storied suburban houses," he told Agora.
"Old Cairo" by Banu Diker
Diker focused on the landscape of Cairo, Egypt, for this orange-tinted shot.
"Perth" by Simon Pastor
Pastor's nominated image was taken in Perth, Australia. It shows sun streaming across the city's skyline.
"Polarlights" by André
André photographed this scene in Moskenesøya, Norway, during an eight-hour drive between the regions of Tromsø and Lofoten.
"It was in the middle of the night and suddenly I discovered the Northern Lights," he told Agora. "Since I had no tripod on hand, I used the car roof!"
"Rock bridge" by Daniel Coello
Coello told the photography app that he dressed in dark clothes to highlight his silhouette against the white sky at sunset, as well as "the volume of the natural bridge."
"Ship in a storm" by Subhash Panikar
Panikar's ominous photo, which shows a boat sailing beneath dark clouds during a storm, was taken in Thailand.
"Sigiriya Lion rock" by Artem Pikalov
Pikalov told Agora that he woke early in the morning to catch "the first rays of sunlight" and photograph the Sigiriya Fortress in Sri Lanka from the sky.
"Some of the most unique landscapes I've ever seen" by Lee Mumford
Mumford photographed this desert landscape while gray clouds filled the sky in Ship Rock, New Mexico.
"Sunrise magic" by Ester Turri
Turri told Agora that it was "really dark" when she arrived at the Seiser Alm meadow in Italy's Dolomites mountain range. Still, she decided to wait until sunrise to see if conditions would improve.
"As the first sun rays appeared behind the peaks, a thick fog rolled in, and in just a few minutes this breathtaking scenery appeared in front of our eyes," she said. "It was one of the most magical moments I was lucky enough to experience so far."
"Moments like these teach me that photography is all about waiting for the right moment," she added. "I believe it is possible to contribute to the quality of your images simply by making use of your patience."
"Sunset" by La Noia del Barret
Del Barret's photograph shows a woman walking through grass towards a winding, tree-lined road. It was taken in Crete Senesi, Italy.
"Tatacoa Desert" by Jan Meyer
Meyer's nominated image shows the landscape of Colombia's Tatacoa Desert as a bird soars through the cloudy sky.
"The anaconda ice cave" by Jeffrey Kieffer
According to Kieffer, glaciers inside the cave seen in his photo "are always moving" and "shifting from snow, melts, and floods." That being said, "nothing is permanent" at the Vatnajökull ice cap in Iceland, as he told Agora.
"The first sunset during my Iceland trip" by Filippo Bellisola
Bellisola captured this shot of the Háifoss waterfall's stream during his first day in Iceland.
"At this moment, I realized how incredible our Earth is, and how many other beautiful places I would see during the trip," he told Agora. "It was only the beginning."
"The Mont Saint-Michel" by Pascal Biomez
Taken in Normandy, France, Biomez's photograph shows the island commune of Mont-Saint-Michel.
"When I took this picture, I was surrounded by sheep," he told Agora.
"The pride" by Al Mamun Abdullah
Abdullah told Agora that he believes the landscape in his photograph "is a good representation of life" in the United Arab Emirates because it shows the desert, 4x4 vehicles, and a man dressed in traditional clothing. The man appears to be wearing a kandora or dishdasha, a white cotton garment that's commonly worn by men in the UAE.
"Thunderstorm" by Jörg Petermann
"It was my first time photographing a thunderstorm, but definitely not the last!" Petermann said of this image, which he captured in Bavaria, Germany.
"Tre Cime" by Ghislain Fave
Fave stumbled upon this tiny church while exploring Italy's Dolomites mountain range.
"The mountains were covered by clouds most of the day and while we hiked, the peaks were hidden," he told Agora. "We got lucky and the sky opened for a short period, revealing this view. I think this image conveys well how we feel small in front of nature."
"Tu Lan" by Dinh Cong Tam
Tam's nominated photo, which was taken inside a cave, shows a majestic landscape within the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam.
"Volcán Fuego" by Lukas de Vries
De Vries hiked for two days before reaching the Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala, where this photo was taken.
"Walk alone" by Wahyu Teguh Setiawan
Setiawan's image shows smoke rising from the Mount Bromo volcano in Indonesia.
"White sand beach" by Johan Vandenhecke
"This place is so pure," Vandenhecke told Agora of Australia's Whitsunday Islands, where his photo was taken. "It's only accessible by boat, so we slept on one in a neighboring bay in order to get here in the morning."
"Winter setting sun" by Jon Cleave
"The north of Iceland can be harsh in the depths of winter, but in-between the snowstorms come incredible sunsets and sunrises you'd only see this time of the year," Cleave told Agora.
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