See all of the winners of the 2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

On a stormy spring day, crisp winds blew throughout the snowy peaks out of Upernavik, Greenland. Locals considered the balmy -30°C temperature a heat March evening so that they scampered to run errands below the setting sun. Photographer Weimin Chu had settled on a slope close to the airport with views of colorful homes under. “I observed the shape, color, and mood [to be] so fine from this attitude,” he recalled later, “particularly the light at dusk.”

Hoping to photograph someone strolling or kids playing in the panorama, he becomes excited to see a small family making their manner beneath the streetlights instead. Working with precision inside the low light, he captured the photograph he had envisioned—and the grand prize of the 2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest.
Upernavik’s remoteness influenced Chu. “I may want to see best a natural white land protected by using ice and snow in the course of my whole flight. But I suddenly saw a large, heat dot in [the] some distance—it turned into Upernavik. The splendor of this tranquil village turned truely beyond my imagination. It changed into a wow second for me.”

On a stormy spring day, crisp winds blew throughout the snowy peaks out of Upernavik, Greenland. Locals considered the balmy -30°C temperature a heat March night so that they scampered to run errands below the placing sun. Photographer Weimin Chu had settled on a slope close to the airport with perspectives of colorful houses beneath. “I discovered the structure, color, and temper [to be] so best from this attitude,” he recalled later, “particularly the mild at nightfall.”

View gallery

Hoping to photo a person strolling or children playing inside the panorama, he became excited to peer a small family making their way under the streetlights as a substitute. Working with precision inside the low light, he captured the photograph he had anticipated—and the grand prize of the 2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest.

Upernavik’s remoteness made an impact on the Chu. “I could only see a natural white land blanketed through ice and snow at some point of my entire flight. But I abruptly noticed a big, heat dot in [the] some distance—it turned into Upernavik. The beauty of this tranquil village turned with, out a doubt, beyond my creativeness. It turned into a wow moment for me.” Intrigued by local communities’ daily lives, Chu has also explored the remote villages of southern Greenland, such as the city of Narsaq Kajulleq.

Travel

Picture via Weimin Chu, 2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

The Chu had visited the island for years to seize its austere landscapes; in 2019, he started to report Greenland’s people and groups, first traveling Upernavik in March. The small, northwestern fishing village is home to approximately 1,000 citizens—making it the 13th biggest village within the united states. The Chu originally planned to stay for two days, but prolonged his experience: “I had to stay for one week because there were no flights. I changed into lucky because I took this prevailing photograph on my sixth day in Upernavik. If I handiest spent two days there, I [probably] wouldn’t have found this vicinity this 12 months,” Chu says. (See extra images from the 2019 Travel Photo Contest.)

The Chu spent six days scouting Upernavik’s surroundings for picture opportunities, learning the locals at stores and the primary harbor. He was hoping to capture sweeping views of the metropolis and placed himself far sufficient from the street to unobtrusively photograph the activities of everyday existence. After making some photographs inside the dusk light, Chu opened his aperture and upped his ISO, hoping to freeze humans’ actions; simply then, a circle of relatives emerged from their home, and he seized the moment.

“It felt so harmonious. The entire land changed into white, bloodless snow, and the blue tint at nightfall made it even cooler. But the light from the windows, road lighting, and the family of 3 made the arena warm again. I love the contrast and mood of this scene. I was busy taking non-stop photos at that time, trying to capture the satisfactory moment,” he said.

The Chu started out photographing throughout his college travels, and after three years working as an engineer, he got down to recognition on his pictures. Then he serendipitously entered the National Geographic Photo Contest. “Just when I began leaning into images, my image became decided on as an editors’ desire within the 2012 National Geographic Photo Contest. It [really] stimulated me, and photography [has become] a part of my life because a point,” Chu recalls.

Spending two months packrafting inside the southern Greenland fjords fed Chu’s ardor for outdoor adventure. Now he plans to keep returning to the island to recognize his pictures on Greenlandic communities and citizens’ dating with the surroundings. “Modern existence has one of a kind influenceonat the cultures in those extraordinary regions,” Chu stated. He additionally aspires to in addition evolve his picture tasks inside the mountains of Pakistan and China, merging his passion for an outside journey with his pictures, “I’d want to share some amazing however lesser-recognized snowy mountains with people.”

Samantha W. Hodgson

I love to travel, and I like sharing my knowledge of it. The travel world is vast, and there are so many places to visit and things to learn! My goal as a travel blogger is to take my readers on an exciting journey through beautiful, exotic, and historical destinations. I am always eager to discover new places to explore, so I am always looking for more tips and advice for other travelers. I can't wait to meet you!