Enal, a young sea nomad, rides on the tail of a tawny nurse shark in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Image: James Morgan

If there's one thing I've learned while working on this blog, it's that there are great photographers everywhere — not just in magazines. Take a look at some of the submissions to National Geographic's photo contest, currently under way. The image of the boy riding on the tail of a shark has already been circulating on the Internet, but there are many more where that came from.

"A week's trip into the Sahara toward Algiers. Snapped this one of my guide in morning, after finishing our Moroccan tea." Image: Greg Slick

"Two small boys playing outside a local police station." Image: Ben Longland

"Near the city of Morondava, on the west coast of Madagascar, lies an ancient forest of Baobab trees." Image: Ken Thorne

"I felt the beautiful landscape of the Earth." Image: Takaki Watanabe

"Enal, a young sea nomad, rides on the tail of a tawny nurse shark in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Marine nomadism has almost completely disappeared in Southeast Asia as a result of severe marine degradation. I believe children such as Enal have stories that could prove pivotal in contemporary marine conservation." Image: James Morgan

"A man in front of the countless skyscrapers of Sao Paulo. Loneliness." Image: Ignazio Sciacca

"A magical moment as tons of sea ice floats above while we explore the world beneath the waves." Image: Aaron Wong

"I actually didn't expect I would be photographing the aurora borealis during my trip to Iceland. ... The feeling I got was like I was in a fairy tale, so unreal and magical was this moment to me. I even forgot to take photographs for a moment." Image: Andrew George

"This is the great Japanese maple tree in the Portland Japanese Garden. I tried to bring a different perspective of this frequently photographed tree." Image: Fred An

"Have you ever wondered, 'How does a mountaineer's day start?' I will give you a hint: You wake up at 3 a.m., set the stove, wake up your partner, pretend it is warm, quickly consume a high-calorie breakfast, watch your friends slowly ascending the icy slopes of your dream summit with their tiny head torches glimmering against perfectly blue ice, and hope for the good weather." Image: Kamil Tamiola

"I was one of the lucky few that have seen this amazing rock formation; only 20 permits are issued a day, and there is an actual lottery to win the permit. This rock formation is Navajo Sandstone which has been created by the natural elements over eons. It is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen, and I felt privileged that I had the chance to do so." Image: Miriam Perritt

If you want to participate, you can submit here or just vote.

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