The 9 Winning Photos of the 2015 Smithsonian Photo Contest

Sinabung volcano circle Ring of Fire

The Smithsonian has just announced the winning photos of its 13th annual Smithsonian.com Photo Contest. A total of 9 winning shots were selected from over 46,000 submissions from photographers in 168 different countries.

The Grand Prize winner is the photo above by photographer Albert Ivan Damanik of Medan, Indonesia. It’s titled “Remaining on the Slopes of Mount Sinabung.” The caption reads:

Volcanic material flows from Mount Sinabung, as seen from the village of Jeraya, North Sumatra, Indonesia on June 26, 2015. Mount Sinabung intermittently spewed burning ash and gas a week after authorities told residents to evacuate the danger zone that lay with within a radius of seven kilometers (4.4 miles) from the crater.

Here are the winning photos in the other categories:

Readers Choice

Alice Van Kempen Rockanje, Netherlands My bull terrier Claire photographed in an abandoned train, one of a series that I am currently working on. The series is called "Leave Only Pawprints: Urbex Adventures With My Bull Terrier Claire." Alteration note: This image is HDR and composed of three different images.
“Orient Express” by Alice Van Kempen of the Rockanje, Netherlands
“My bull terrier Claire photographed in an abandoned train, one of a series that I am currently working on. The series is called “Leave Only Pawprints: Urbex Adventures With My Bull Terrier Claire.” Alteration note: This image is HDR and composed of three different images.”

The American Experience

Trucker Chapel by Lauren Pond of Columbus, Ohio , United States "Truck driver Ben Blackburn, 46, participates in a Bible study session at the Transport For Christ (TFC) mobile chapel in Lodi, Ohio, on October 23, 2013. TFC chaplains helped Blackburn enroll in trucking school after he lost his job during the recent economic recession. 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."
Trucker Chapel by Lauren Pond of Columbus, Ohio , United States
“Truck driver Ben Blackburn, 46, participates in a Bible study session at the Transport For Christ (TFC) mobile chapel in Lodi, Ohio, on October 23, 2013. TFC chaplains helped Blackburn enroll in trucking school after he lost his job during the recent economic recession. 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.”

Natural World

A Little Monkey on a Cliff by Hidetoshi Ogata of Osaka, Japan
A Little Monkey on a Cliff by Hidetoshi Ogata of Osaka, Japan
“A cold front hit the Nagano prefecture. I saw a little monkey enduring the cold in Jigokudani Monkey Park. This little monkey is really cute.”

Travel

Women's Compartment of a Suburban Train by Tamina-Florentine Zuch of Hamburg, Germany "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."
Women’s Compartment of a Suburban Train by Tamina-Florentine Zuch of Hamburg, Germany
“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.”

Sustainable Travel

My Time by Tihomir Trichkov of Highlands, North Carolina , United States "In February and March of 2014, I took a month off and went to work as a photographer/videographer in an orphan school in Likoni, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Mombasa, Kenya. My videos and pictures helped raise money to finish the building of the school for 150 children and a sleeping building for 30 orphan kids. This is the school director's daughter on her break, while at school. "
My Time by Tihomir Trichkov of Highlands, North Carolina , United States
“In February and March of 2014, I took a month off and went to work as a photographer/videographer in an orphan school in Likoni, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Mombasa, Kenya. My videos and pictures helped raise money to finish the building of the school for 150 children and a sleeping building for 30 orphan kids. This is the school director’s daughter on her break, while at school “

People

Lay Off by Benedetta Ristori of Rome, Italy "This picture was taken in Kyoto, Japan in January 2015. There is no fiction, the photo was caught while I was wandering in the streets of Kyoto. My intent was to capture the life of night workers. Shift work, even at night and on holidays, often affects workers psychophysically. The requirements imposed by the “society of work” do not recognize the natural alternations of day and night and workers' biological clocks."
Lay Off by Benedetta Ristori of Rome, Italy
“This picture was taken in Kyoto, Japan in January 2015. There is no fiction, the photo was caught while I was wandering in the streets of Kyoto. My intent was to capture the life of night workers. Shift work, even at night and on holidays, often affects workers psychophysically. The requirements imposed by the “society of work” do not recognize the natural alternations of day and night and workers’ biological clocks.”

Altered Images

Synchronous Fireflies by Radim Schreiber of Fairfield, Iowa , United States "I took this photo of fireflies (lightning bugs) in almost complete darkness using the latest low-light camera technology. I was completely surrounded by the fireflies and witnessed one of the most amazing and magical natural phenomena: fireflies that synchronize. Alteration note: I took several long exposures over several minutes and merged them together to preserve detail and clarity."
Synchronous Fireflies by Radim Schreiber of Fairfield, Iowa , United States
“I took this photo of fireflies (lightning bugs) in almost complete darkness using the latest low-light camera technology. I was completely surrounded by the fireflies and witnessed one of the most amazing and magical natural phenomena: fireflies that synchronize. Alteration note: I took several long exposures over several minutes and merged them together to preserve detail and clarity.”

Mobile

The China Red by Jian Wang of Beijing, China "In front of this Chinese red wall walks a lady in a red dress."
The China Red by Jian Wang of Beijing, China
“In front of this Chinese red wall walks a lady in a red dress.”

The 2016 contest is now open for submissions as well. You can find out more and submit your own photos on the Smithsonian.com website.

Discussion