Second Prize Six-Day Italian Walking Tour, along the Amalfi Coast and over to Capri, for two. (Trip courtesy of Backroads and American Airlines.) Sublime images, such as Bjarne Nygård's moody depiction of sundown in a Cuban village, are frequently the product of a confluence of preparation and chance. "A day before I took the shot, I spotted this vista on a hill above where I was staying in Viņales, a small village a couple of hours drive west of Havana," explains Nygård. "I thought it would be a great image with someone leaning against the car, watching the sunset. So the next evening I asked a Canadian woman I'd met to come along and pose for me, which she happily agreed to do. The dog just happened to be there, and I was able to lure it where I wanted it to enhance the picture." For Nygård, a museum maintenance worker and animal keeper from Molde, Norway, passion and planning count more than photographic philosophy in his work. "I've been photographing for about 13 years now, and my favorite images are documentary-style portraits of people and environments," he says. "I don't have any sort of special 'theory' behind my photography. I just head out and try to capture anything that strikes my fancy." (Canon EOS 600, Sigma 24-70mm zoom f3.5-4.5 lens, Kodak Elitechrome 100 ASA film.) © 2002, 2003 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.