A photograph of an erupting volcano hit by a bolt of lightning has earned Sergio Tapiro Velasco of Mexico the prestigious title of 2017 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year. Velasco will receive a 10-day trip for two to the Galápagos Archipelago with National Geographic Expeditions, as well as a $2500 prize. Velasco?s incredible photo was selected from over 15,000 entries from participants in more than 30 countries.
Velasco took his grand prize-winning photo, titled ?The Power of Nature,? outside Colima, Mexico. For more than a decade, Velasco has been studying and photographing the Volcán de Colima, which is one of the most active volcanos in Latin America and also known as the ?Volcano of Fire.? Before he captured this striking photograph, Velasco had been carefully tracking an increase in activity and closely watched the volcano for almost a month. While shooting on a completely clear night just 12 kilometers away from the crater, Velasco heard a booming noise and witnessed the biggest volcanic lightning he?d ever seen. Until he reviewed the photos he?d taken, Velasco had no idea if he?d actually captured the spectacular event.
?When I looked on the camera display, all I could do was stare,? said Velasco. ?What I was watching was impossible to conceive, the image showed those amazing forces of nature interacting on a volcano, while the lightning brightened the whole scene. It?s an impossible photograph and my once in a lifetime shot that shows th...