Jenny's Noodle

Merit Winner: "Looking into Another World" "This is the great Japanese maple tree in the Portland Japanese Gardens. I tried to bring a different perspective of this frequently photographed tree." —Fred An, Photographer

National Geographic Traveler has announced the winners of its 24th annual photo contest. This year, the magazine received more than 12,000 images from 6,615 photographers in 152 countries around the globe.

As the winning images exhibit, Instagram is a revolutionary tool, but it can only bring amateur photos so far. There's still something to be said for a keen eye and the ability to design an interesting composition with unique perspective.

> View all of the stunning NatGeo contest photos here