The National Geographic Traveler Magazine photo contest, now in its 25th year, has begun. There is still plenty of time to enter. The entry deadline is Sunday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. Entrants may submit their photographs in any or all of the four categories: Travel Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place and Spontaneous Moments. The magazine's photo editors showcase their favorite entries each week in galleries. You can also vote for your favorites. "The pictures increasingly reflect a more sophisticated way of seeing and interpreting the world, making the judging process more difficult," says Keith Bellows, magazine editor in chief. (The captions are written by the entrants, some slightly edited for readability.) As always, you can take a look at last years winners. [40 photos total]

The winners of the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards have just been announced. Norwegian photographer Andrea Gjestvang was announced as the Photographer of the Year, for her series of portraits of children and youths who survived the July 2011 massacre on the island of Utoeya, outside Oslo. This year's contest attracted more than 122,000 entries from 170 countries. The photographs were judged in six different competition categories, including Professional, Open, and Student Focus. The organizers have been kind enough to share some of their winning images with Pixtale, gathered below. See also the shortlist of winners, earlier on Pixtale. [20 photos total]

As professional and amateur cameras reveal more of the world at an increasingly rapid pace, the field of photojournalism is becoming a harder place to make a living. Yet many young photographers are pursuing careers as visual storytellers, despite a market in transition. Some study the craft at universities, others carve their own path. While building their portfolios, they have the luxury of time to explore intimate stories about relevant issues and develop a personal vision. Without the pressures of the 24-hour news cycle, these photographers are learning to make images that shout rather than whisper. Covering issues near and far, often out-of-pocket and on their own time, they posses a deep affection for people and a common goal of building a better understanding of our world. The future of photojournalism may be uncertain, but this generation of photographers will have a hand in writing the new rulebook. The following are images from students of photojournalism and photographers aged 25 and under. The featured images are peak moments captured through eager eyes, personal visions, or intimate glimpses into long-term projects about topics that matter to the photographers and their community. [40 photos total]

The Smithsonian magazine's 10th annual photo contest's 50 finalists have been chosen, but there's still time for you to vote for the Readers Choice winner! This year's competition has drawn over 37,600 entries from photographers in 112 countries around the world. Editors will choose a Grand Prize Winner and the winners in each of five categories which include The Natural World, Americana, People, Travel and Altered Images. Voting will be open through March 29, 2013. [22 photos total]

The editors of Smithsonian magazine have just announced the 50 finalists in their 10th annual photo contest. They've kindly allowed me to share several of these images here, including some great shots from each of the competition's five categories: The American Experience, The Natural World, People, Travel, and Altered Images. Be sure to visit the contest page at Smithsonian.com to see all the finalists, and vote in the Reader's Choice Awards as well. [21 photos total]

The Sony World Photography Awards, an annual competition hosted by the World Photography Organisation, has recently announced its shortlist of winners. This year's contest attracted more than 122,000 entries from 170 countries. The photographs are being judged in six different competition categories, including Professional, Open, and Student Focus. The organizers have been kind enough to share some of their shortlisted images with In Focus, gathered below. Winners are scheduled to be announced in March and April. [40 photos total]

For some, fashion is a corporate industry. For others, it's an artistic expression. And for still others, it's an embrace of cultural traditions. Fashion is a shallow pursuit in the eyes of many, and a deep embodiment of identity for others. Definitions of what is fashionable are myriad and contradictory, but the annual spectacle of the presentation and the scramble of the preparations endure long after this year's look is forgotten. Venues vary from a junkyard in Sao Paulo to the Royal Albert Hall in London. Creations from the absurd to the avant-garde by turns entertain, inspire, or pay homage. Gathered here are images from fall and winter shows both famous and obscure. [38 photos total]

For over 55 years, the World Press Photo contest has encouraged the highest standards in photojournalism. The contest is judged by leading experts in visual journalism who represent various aspects of the profession and the composition of the jury is changed from year to year. The prize-winning images are assembled into an exhibition that travels to 45 countries over the course of a year and over two million people go to a hundred different venues to see the images. The winners themselves uphold the foundation's simple mission statement: We exist to inspire understanding of the world through quality photojournalism. A sampling of the winning images follows. You can browse more amazing content on World Press Photo. [18 photos total]

I've been a fan of the photography and the stories featured in National Geographic Magazine since I was a child. I explored the world by simply turning the pages. It featured some of the most amazing and groundbreaking photography then and it's never stopped finding new ways to surprise. On January 13, 2013, the National Geographic Society will celebrate its 125th anniversary and its evolution from a small scientific body to one of the world's largest educational and scientific organizations committed to inspiring people to care about the planet. The Society has shared some images that represent those moments of discovery and will continue in its 126th year, to provide a front-row seat to what's happening at the extremes of exploration - bringing everyone along for the ride through its storytelling and photography. You can even "hangout" with some of it's more prominent explorers Jane Goodall, James Cameron and Robert Ballard, on the anniversary date, 1 p.m. EST [23 photos total]

The components of the word "photography" are Greek in origin. Photography quite literally means "to write with light."  While light serves as noun, adjective, and verb for photographers, shadows complete their sentences in bold type. The qualities of light in a picture influence our perceptions of subjects by setting mood, revealing texture, and shading detail.  These qualities appear in countless varieties of light: the shaft of sunlight in a dark scene, the gentle bath of sidelight from a big window, the cold fade of dusk, the warm glow of a tungsten bulb or a late afternoon, the eerie pulse of an electronic screen, the candy splash of a neon sign, and the contrast of a backlit silhouette.  Shadows simplify, hide, and dramatize in an endless dance with illumination.  The pictures collected here are united not by theme, but by photographers writing with light. [42 photos total]