Stunning photos from the National Geographic Travel photography contest

Some photos show shocking natural extremities on earth, while others give a humorous insight into travelling

Don't Leave Any Food On Your Plate: The giraffes at Nairobi's Giraffe Manor are totally at home with humans. They will eat out of your hand, or even off your plate. Location: Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya (Photo and caption by Gavin Werbeloff / National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Extraordinary entries for a travel photography competition were unveiled on Tuesday – including a man canoeing past dripping globules of molten lava, and a giraffe towering through a window to polish off some crumbs left on a plate.

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In a bid to attract more submissions, magazine National Geographic revealed some of the breath-taking shots photographers had already sent in along with their insightful captions.

Travel portraits, outdoor scenes, ‘sense of space’, and spontaneous moments are the categories which competitors can enter, with the winner being awarded a trip to a remote part of south-eastern Alaska, US.

Keith Bellows, National Geographic Traveler magazine editor-in-chief and National Geographic Travel senior vice president said of the competition: “The delight I get from our photo contest is seeing legions of so-called amateurs creating enduring images that continue to demonstrate the pictorial excellence that is the lifeblood of National Geographic.”

The competition closes on Monday 30 June.