For the third year in a row, Operation Groundswell’s alumni have shared stunning photos from their journeys around the globe. Our annual photo competition saw breathtaking photographs from the corners of Ghana, India, Peru, Cambodia, Thailand, Guatemala, Israel, Haiti, and Kenya. Here are the top 3 photos that you voted for!

Lucas Iuliani took the top prize with 362 votes for his flawless photo from Ladakh, India.“On the seventh day of our hike through the Markha valley, the Early Summer India crew got a taste of nature at its truest – serene one moment and fierce the next. After a night of camping out in a blizzard, we faced a day of heavy rain and snowfall during the scale to the summit of our highest and final pass. Throughout the several hours of overcast, I was gifted with a brief moment of clear skies to capture this memory of our experience.”

Agatha took second place with 172 votes after capturing everyday life in Sandema, Ghana.“To really get to know and understand a culture you must immerse yourself in the everyday doing of the people. This is our trip leader, Michelle, walking to our home in Sandema with a bucket of water from the well after our water tank ran dry.”

Finally, Anna Cunningham took 3rd place with a winning combination of elephants and our awesome trip leader, Steve!“Happiness all around! At Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand.”

Congratulations to all our winners and a huge thanks to all those who voted! Til next year!

Check out the photos from our 3rd annual photo competition on our Facebook page here.