See the stunning finalists of the 15th annual Smithsonian Photography Competition

The final 60 images in the 15^th Annual Smithsonian.com Photo Contest have been revealed, with the impressive selection showcasing diverse talent from all over the world.

This year, the competition received 48,000 submissions from photographers in 155 countries and territories, from dynamic portraits to breath-taking landscapes and examples of captivating photojournalism at its very best. The competition was broken up into six categories; Natural World, The American Experience, Travel, People, Altered Images and Mobile.

Stunning images in the running include a photograph of a seemingly smiling seal pup enjoying the morning breeze on Düne Island in Germany, a boatman in India lying back and relaxing on green waters, a bustling Vietnamese marketplace, a nomadic Iranian girl in the rain and vibrant red chilli peppers being picked in Bangladesh.

The final selection comprises of images taken in diverse places around the world, including Cuba, Nicaragua, Poland, England, Italy, Turkey, India, China, Australia and across the United States of America.

Voting is now open for the Reader’s Choice category, running until 26 March, with the winner of the Grand Prize being announced at the competition on 27 March. The six category winners will also be announced at this time, with the 16^th Annual Photo Contest opening for submissions on the same day.

More information on the competition as well as the full list of finalists is available at the official Smithsonian website.