NASA's annual photography competition for its employees has concluded, and <a href="https://images.nasa.gov/album/2021_NASA_Pictures_of_the_Year_Winners">12 images</a> received accolades consisting of first, second, and third place awards in four categories: Portrait, Documentation, People, and Places. Shown above is the first place winner in the Portrait category. This is astronaut Thomas Marshburn, photographed by NASA photographer Josh Valcarel.

Norah Moran won first place in the Documentation category with this image of Kelsey Young and Tess Caswell practicing geological research on the "moon," meaning a simulated lunar field at at Johnson Space Center’s Rock Yard. See all the winning images with descriptions in<a href="https://gizmodo.com/nasa-photographer-of-the-year-competition-2022-1849168307"> a slideshow at Gizmodo.&nbsp;</a>#NASA #photography #photocompetition #photocontest

2022 NASA Photographer of the Year Winners

Nature is full of beauty and perfection. Being with nature is like looking at a masterpiece. It's a good thing that a camera exists so that we can capture nature's artwork. Photographers from all over the world share their views of nature for the <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/photo-contest/2021-winners/" class="on">Nature Conservancy Photo Contest 2021</a>. The photos are breathtaking, inspiring, and even moving. The grand prize winner of the contest catches a western lowland female gorilla 'Malui' walking through a cloud of butterflies. This was captured by Anup Shah in December 2011 at Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Republic. Check out all the images that won by category over at The Nature Conservancy. Image above: Anup Shah/TNC Photo Contest 2021 #nature #photocontest #gorilla

People's Choice Winner: FirefliesFireflies congregate on trees in certain regions in India, just before the monsoon.Image:&nbsp;Prathamesh Ghadekar/TNC Photo Contest 2021#firefly

First Place, Landscape: DroughtThe remains of a Pantanal alligator (Caiman yacare) in the dry, arid soil in the municipality of Poconé, Brazil.Image:&nbsp;Daniel De Granville Manço/TNC Photo Contest 2021#alligator #caiman #drought

Second Place, Landscape: Serra Do Mar White cloud cover on this sea mountain range make it look like the head of a dinosaur.Image:&nbsp;Denis Ferreira Netto/TNC Photo Contest 2021

Third Place, Landscape: Salt Ponds Colorful salt ponds over the bay near San Francisco International Airport.Image:&nbsp;Jassen Todorov/TNC Photo Contest 2021#salt #saltpond

Honorable Mention, Landscape:&nbsp;Life Colour Mangroves line the mud flats in the Gulf of Carpentaria in tropical north Queensland, Australia.Image:&nbsp;Scott Portelli/TNC Photo Contest 2021#mangrove

Honorable Mention, Landscape: Hong Kong Full Moon at Hung Hom residential district in Hong Kong.Image:&nbsp;Kim-pan Dennis Wong/TNC Photo Contest 2021#HongKong #FullMoon #Moon

First Place, People and Nature: Saving OrangutansSumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme team preparing 3-month-old female orangutan named Brenda for surgery.Image:&nbsp;Alain Schroeder/TNC Photo Contest 2021

Second Place, People and Nature: Sand Storm A guide standing on a dune in the Sahara Desert during a sand storm.Image:&nbsp;Tom Overall/TNC Photo Contest 2021#Sahara #SaharaDesert #sandstorm

Third Place, People and Nature: COVID-19 Waste Medical waste used during the pandemic has now reached the seas.Image:&nbsp;Sebnem Coskun/TNC Photo Contest 2021

Honorable Mention, People and Nature: The Way Home People crossing the river carrying livestock and harvest in Yunnan, China.Image:&nbsp;Minqiang Lu/TNC Photo Contest 2021

Honorable Mention, People and Nature: Space of HK Image:&nbsp;Wax Leung/TNC Photo Contest 2021

First Place, Water: Water and peopleImage:&nbsp;Kazi Arifujjaman/TNC Photo Contest 2021#water

Second Place, Water: Swimming Swimmers, freedivers and divers in a fresh water cave or cenotes in Mexico.Image:&nbsp;Joram Mennes/TNC Photo Contest 2021#freediving #swimmer #diver #cenote

Third Place, Water: WinterIceland 2019Image:&nbsp;Man Wai Wong/TNC Photo Contest 2021#waterfall

Honorable Mention, Water: Glacial Bubbles Air bubbles is released as temperature rises and glacial ice melts.Image:&nbsp;Jorge Andrés Miraglia/TNC Photo Contest 2021#glacier

Honorable Mention, Water: Summer on the Lotus Pond Lotus ponds across Vietnam are entering the growing season.Image:&nbsp;Manh Cuong Vu/TNC Photo Contest 2021#lotus #pond

First Place, Wildlife: A Turbulent SwimFive male cheetah crossing the river (they made it!)Image: Buddhilini de Soyza/TNC Photo Contest 2021#cheetah

Second Place, Wildlife: Sunflowers In the winter, sunflower seeds attract thousands of birds of various species.Image:&nbsp;Mateusz Piesiak/TNC Photo Contest 2021#sunflower

Third Place, Wildlife: Fishing A pike caught a large perch.Image:&nbsp;Viktor Vrbovsky/TNC Photo Contest&nbsp;2021#pike #perch

Honorable Mention, Wildlife: Waiting Galapagos sea lion calf (Zalophus wollebaeki) waiting for its mother on the beach of San Cristobal Island, Galapagos.Image:&nbsp;Kristhian Castro/TNC Photo Contest 2021#sealion #Galapagos

Honorable Mention, Wildlife: Searching Orangutans living on trees and feeding on wild fruits.Image:&nbsp;Thomas Vijayan/TNC Photo Contest 2021#orangutan

Honorable Mention, Wildlife: Wildebeest Herd on the Move Wildebeests crossing the Mara River in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.Image:&nbsp;Anup Shah/TNC Photo Contest 2021#wildebeest