Grand-Prize Winner

"I've been in a lot of extreme situations, but inhaling hot ash was a new experience for me," says adventure photographer Tyler Stableford, who got this shot while tagging along with firefighters in western Colorado while they set a controlled burn to stave off wildfires in the area. Rarely do fire departments allow any journalists this close to the action, but the Colorado team made an exception for Stableford after he photographed them for an assignment the previous year. In the middle of the scorching scene, a fireman is turned into a painterly blur by the waves of heat, evoking a sense of heroism and focus on the flames that creates a feeling of fire that practically burns through the page.

CLOSE-UP

• Training: Self-taught, Stableford started pursuing photography professionally about 10 years ago while working as an editor at Climbing magazine.

• Most dangerous shoot: Inside glacier caves in Iceland when they could collapse at any moment

• Inspired by: Risky situations, although he's gotten less bold since becoming a father

• Best advice: Give prints to your models. The firefighters were thrilled to get Stableford's photos - and in return, they gave him more access later on.

• Website: tylerstableford.com