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TRIFECTA

John Edwards

United States of America

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This drone photograph was taken at the world’s largest salt flat, Uyuni, Bolivia, which had been transformed into a surreal mirror after a rainstorm left it covered in five inches of water. I was heading out to photograph the upcoming sunset.

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Nominee

HEADING HOME

This panoramic photograph was taken at the world's largest salt flat, Uyuni, Bolivia, which had been transformed into a surreal mirror after a rainstorm left it covered in five inches of water.  Out in the middle of this "lake" I found this set of tire tracks under the water heading into the clouds.

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HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN

A couple of children had just come out of the rain and were pulling their red umbrella into their home.  The recent rain only enhanced the vibrant blue-painted walls of Chefchaouen, Morocco.

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COMING OUT OF THE RAIN

This photograph was taken in Namibia as the sun was setting behind one of the highest sand dunes in the world.  There are only seconds to capture the moment the trees appear black from shadow of the dunes behind my camera, while the sand dunes in front of the camera are lit up by the setting sun.

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SAND DUNE SUNSET SILHOUETTE

I captured this panoramic photo just after sunrise in a remote part of Thailand. Wanting to create something less conventional, I flipped the image upside down, transforming the scene into an illusion where the sky above the Buddha appeared to be filled with flowers and plants.

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REFLECTING ON BUDDHA

After returning to my room from a safari in Botswana, I discovered a wild leopard had leapt onto my deck and settled in for a nap on the daybed.  The only barrier between us was a screen and wooden slats.

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LEOPARD LOUNGE

I came upon this scene in South Africa.  Pulled over by the side of the road and with one camera captured the scene with a slow shutter speed to capture the feeling of the ocean to the right and river to the left.  I used my second camera to freeze the horse heading toward the ocean.

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HEADING TO THE OCEAN

I went to Skógafoss, Iceland when I knew that the sun would likely produce a rainbow with the mist of the falls. What I did not expect was an Icelandic horse at the location, which was crazy. 
This is a single image, with nothing added. But I did remove some people from this image.

Honorable Mention

While traveling on the remote island of Sumba in Indonesia,  I came across a herd of horses roaming freely on a beach.  One horse decided to wade into the Indian Ocean to cool off.  To my surprise it decide to revel in the waves crashing over its body and I was able to capture the moment.