<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/ng24.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/ng24.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/ng24.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > 1 of 35 'Beautiful tornado tracks in open farm land narrowly missing a home near Simla, Colorado.' - James Smart (James Smart / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

One of the travel photography world's most prestigious competitions, the 2015 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest recently kicked off and the early entries already feature some of the most spectacular scenes captured. From a stunning shot of a waterfall in Iceland to a nighttime view of a rock formation at Arches National Park and a jaw-dropping tornado in Colorado, the entries received by the contest so far highlight the amazing beauty of the world in breathtaking (and sometimes, scary) fashion.

The National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, which runs through June 30, asks photographers from all around world to submit photos in four categories : Travel Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place, and Spontaneous Moments. The first prize is an eight-day National Geographic Photo Expedition to Costa Rica and the Panama Canal, where the winner will travel with a National Geographic photographer and photo instructors to capture images of jungle-fringed beaches, turquoise seas, and brilliant wildlife. It includes airfare for two.

Entries will be judged on creativity and photographic quality, and winners will be announced in early August.

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Have an incredible photo of your own? Submit yours to our It's Amazing Out There Photo Contest for a chance to win $15,000!