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Lights in the night

Christiaan Van Heijst

Netherlands

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This image is a composite, both images made by myself.
This little white chapel is an art project from Dutch artists Laurens Kolks and Dennis Lohuis that has no religious function but is a beautiful addition to the landscape in all its modest simplicity.

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Honorable Mention

Nominee

In Search for Truth

Long exposure shot from the window of a 747 cargo plane, looking at a glow of aurora to the far north and the shimmer of a thousand stars. The wing is illuminated red by the flashing beacon light on top of the fuselage, creating an interesting contrast with the sky beyond.

Silver

Flying high above the shoreline of the Caspian sea and the south-western Aqtau region of Kazakhstan. And far above and beyond reach of my airplane, an island in the sky: the moon.

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Caspian shores

Overflying the Keti Bunder Wildlife Sanctuary in Pakistan, south of Karachi reflecting the golden sunlight and showing off her intricate maze of a thousand rivers.

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Rivers of Gold

A Boeing 747 is painting an orange-blue Dalí in the skies.
Flashing her headlights to her colleagues as she passes us overhead, leaving a beautiful orange contrail behind while the sun sets slowly.

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Sunset contrails

Long exposure shot of Grand Central Station in New York. A flow of people, time and light.

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Grand Central Station - NY

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Gotham City

The F-104 Starfighter breathes speed and power. The ultimate flying machine for those with The Right Stuff.

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The Right Stuff

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Queen of the Skies

Trees casting shadows on fresh snow in Denali Park.

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Trees in winter

The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center is one of the most eye catching and striking architectural buildings in the rapidly developing capital of Azerbaijan. Finished in 2013, it was meant as a symbol of Azerbaijan's future that broke away from Soviet rule in 1991.

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Beautiful Baku

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Island in the Sky

This little white chapel is placed on an artificial hill in the Dutch town of Leidschenveen. An art project from Dutch artists Laurens Kolks and Dennis Lohuis that has no religious function but is a beautiful addition to the landscape in all its modest simplicity.

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The little white chapel

Consisting of two peaks, Mount Ararat is a 5,137 m (16,853 ft) high dormant volcano and plays a central role in many archaic myths, creation stories and legends, including the possible resting place of the Noah's Ark.

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Mount Ararat

A beautiful moonrise over a stormy Atlantic at night.

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Moonrise over the Atlantic

The first entry into the Martian atmosphere after months of travelling through the immense, cold void of deep space.
Final preparations done, checklists finished. Let's get going.

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Mars Entry

A view over Kowloon as seen from Hong Kong Island. A nearly Blade Runner-like experience while looking at one of the most vibrant cities in the world.

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Hong Kong at night

Starting re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. Stars are still visible, the Blue Marble below even more so.

This image was taken while flying at 40,000 ft up in the stratosphere, taken from the cockpit.

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Back to Earth

Model Simona Badu posing in front of a black and white entry of a victorian house, London.

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Lady in White

Visiting the Old City of Baku with the science-fiction like 'Flaming Towers' prominently in the background. What an experience.