MUST SEE! Nat Geo contest's AMAZING photographs

The National Geographic has shortlisted some photographs out of 3,000 entries from across the globe for its 2012 photography contest. 

Contest participants were asked to send their photographs in three categories -- people, place and nature. The final results will be announced on December 15, 2012.

We present some of the amazing photographs that are in line for the prestigious award. Text and photographs courtesy National Geographic.

Readers can also apply with their photographs for the contest. (Click here to apply)

Also see: DON'T MISS! 12 AWESOME photos from the world over

The Matterhorn: Night Clouds #2

The picture shows the 4,478 metres high Matterhorn peak on the border between Switzerland and Italy.

The Matterhorn is one of the highest peaks in the Alps.

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A tiny mantis larva in an American Poppy flower

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During the Libyan revolt again Muammar Gaddafi, the city of Benghazi was liberated early on, and became the base for the rebels and the transitional governing body.

Armed rebels were seen all over the place. Many of them had no previous war experience but joined the revolt willingly to get rid of the regime.

This rebel, with his spick and span boots and outfit, was guarding the old shipyard.

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Hikers under the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, Alaska. When conditions are right, streams melt holes into the glacier.

At times they are large and stable enough for exploration. The ice filters out most colours of light except for the blue wavelengths leaving a stunning blue glowing from the ice above, the photographer says.

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The iron and steel bars are located in their correct position.

May be it is not deliberately made by somebody, but naturally positioned through the passage of time, says the photographer.

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Fishermen catching fish in the night. They used the fire to attract the fish close to their boat and got them, the photographer says.

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This Rocky Mountain big horn sheep ram was bold enough to allow me to approach him and snap this shot before he lost interest in me and rejoined his herd, the photographer says.

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The (unnamed) coast in the midst of a storm, the photographer says.

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On the last day of her life, the photographer adds.

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Bird Black Drongo selects good perch near water body, akes off from perch when insect sighted on water surface, skims through water surface and back to perch. This image is an outcome of my decision to capture this action, the photographer states.

"Spent almost 10 days (1 hr daily morning -- sitting quietly and movement-less) and on 25th Oct 2012 this was clicked.

I am lucky to get this clicked just before skimming action starts. I like the concentration level in its eyes, wing position and wide open mouth ready to catch the insect by surprise and same action in reflection," the photographer explains.

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I took this picture while I was in an aerial cableway going down from the Mt Pilatus in Central Switzerland. It was the end of a nice day spent hiking, including a stop by the beautiful little white chapel on Klimsenhorn on the way to the top, the photographer says.

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When he was young he remembers the Japanese passing through during WWII. He was spear fisherman then, and still today, at around 80, he remains a spear fisherman, the photographer tells the story.

"He earns little from his catch, maybe 2-3 dollars a day, for spending hours in the water. This time in the water is keeping him young though, able to hold is breath for 2 minutes while chasing fish with no-fins. I could barely keep up with him and I had fins on," the photographer adds.

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"This spectacle which everyone in the world has not seen until now!  The farmers who live in Hokkaido invented it using wisdom. The potato is buried under the snow during the winter season," the photographer says.

"This increases the sugar content of the potatoes and makes it very delicious," the photographer explains.

"The thing which is visible to a cross is a pipe which emits the gas released from the potatoes."

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For a couple of weeks a year the sun sets over this hill near to where I live. I knew the field was favoured by a few hares and had previously photographed them on this ridge with the sun setting behind. For this particular image I had been tracking this individual hare as it wandered along the ridge and was set up to capture it as it leaped in the air, the photographer explains, without naming the place.

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Around the turbulent waterfalls of Si Phan Don in Southern Laos a select few fisherman risk their lives daily to catch fish from the swollen Mekong River. The fisherman use small bamboo traps to catch migratory fish making their move through the falls, the photographer says.

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