National Geographic just announced the 2012 winner of the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest and wow does it look incredible!

It is reminiscent of a Steve McCurry photograph. In my opinion, it seems to be a clear winner compared to the other finalists.

National Geographic 2012 Traveler Photo Contest Winner – Butterfly by Cedric Houin


The winner, photographer Cédric Houin of New York, traveled to the remote Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan. This is a photo of a Kyrgyz woman and her daughter in a family yurt.

The intimacy of this everyday life moment, shot inside of a family yurt, is in total contrast with the harsh environment these nomadic tribes live in. On the right we notice a television and a sound console. These tribes live weeks away from any village by foot. In spite of being located at an altitude of 4,300 meters in one of the most remote areas of Afghanistan they are equipped with solar panels, satellite dishes and cellphones. Ancestral ways of living, with touches of modernity.
- Cédric Houin

The photo was selected out of over 12,000 images from 6,615 talented photographers in 152 countries, according to National Geographic.

To learn more about the winner and the contest, you can read about it on the National Geographic’s press announcement. You can also check out the Winners and Finalists Gallery to see the rest of the finalists.

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