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Runner-Up, "One Shot Wild Moments"An illuminated tent sits beneath the glow of the northern lights in Hudson Bay, Canada. Photographer Thomas Kokta was a runner-up in the "One Shot Wild Moments" category of the 2011 Travel Photographer of the Year (www.tpoy.com) competition, which is run by an independent group of travel photographers in the U.K."I like this one because it's a little bit more than just a landscape," said Krista Rossow, associate photo editor for National Geographic Traveler, who did not judge the competition.The contest was judged by an international panel of 14 professional photographers and editors."The aurora borealis is impressive enough, but I think including the illuminated tent brings in the human element. You can envision yourself in that warmly lit tent after a long hike," Rossow said.The winning pictures will be displayed at the U.K.'s Royal Geographical Society next summer, leading up to and during the 2012 London Olympic Games. The winning photographer will also receive 1,000 British pounds ($1,500 U.S. dollars) and other prizes.

(Also see "Best Travel Pictures of 2011 Named.")—Ker Than

Photograph courtesy Thomas Kokta, www.tpoty.com