Travel nominee

These pictures capture parts of southwestern South Dakota, an underrated region with a rich indigenous history and striking topography of multiple sorts. I was overwhelmed by the simultaneous dynamism and unpretentiousness of the Badlands, the Black Hills and the spread of communities and landscapes in between. Visiting felt like taking a walk, or a drive, through someone else's hidden treasure.

Hello! My name is Emily Mae Czachor, and I'm a journalist based in New York City. Photography is my creative outlet and, often, cherished escape. It provides the means to share with others how I see the world, and it's beauty, even in challenging times. Perhaps especially then. Many of the pictures I take focus on natural wonders — wildlife and wide open spaces — or architecture, with a specific lens on the smaller shapes and details that fit together to form something grand.