10 Incredible Pictures From Smithsonian Magazine's Annual Photo Contest

After sifting through more than 50,000 entries, Smithsonian Magazine has announced the 60 finalists for its 2014 Annual Photo Contest. The photos fall into six different categories: Natural World, Travel, People, Americana, Altered Images, and Mobile.

Voting is now open for the public to select the Readers' Choice winner, and will continue through May 6th. The winners will be announced May 15.

We selected 10 of our favorite images from the finalists, which came from 132 countries. See the full gallery at Smithsonian Magazine.

NATURAL WORLD: "Absolute Head Scratcher" is a photo of a blue macaw, taken in Quebec City, Canada.

The Smithsonian/Richard Masters

NATURAL WORLD: Photographer Graham McGeorge spent 6 hours waiting to get the perfect image of this eastern screech owl out of its nest in Georgia.

The Smithsonian/Graham McGeorge

NATURAL WORLD: After finishing off a springbok, these two cheetah cubs began chasing each other for who got to hold onto the "prize," a piece of skin left over from the kill.

The Smithsonian/Seyms Brugger

NATURAL WORLD: During their annual migration, wildebeests are forced to find new river crossings in the Serengeti-Mara region. In this picture, the currents were so strong that the animals had to struggle desperately to get to the other side.

The Smithsonian/Karen Lunney

TRAVEL: This photographer caught Vietnam's famous terraced fields during harvest season.

The Smithsonian/Vo Anh Kiet

TRAVEL: As part of a show called "Well of Death," this Bangladeshi biker performs a stunt at a fair to celebrate Rath Jatra, a Hindu festival.

The Smithsonian/Nidal Adnan Kibria

PEOPLE: Mourners cover themselves in mud while beating their chests and standing around a fire during Ashura, a religious commemoration of the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali.

The Smithsonian/Soheil Zandazar

PEOPLE: Photographer Candy Feng's son is dwarfed by the majesty of a glacier at Fjallsárlón.

The Smithsonian/Candy Feng

AMERICANA: Dust swirls around citizens of Black Rock City as they peek into the "Black Rock Bijou Theatre," an art installation at the 2013 Burning Man Festival.

The Smithsonian/Mark Kaplan

AMERICANA: A champion bronco bucks a champion rider at the Helmville Rodeo.

The Smithsonian/Carol Fowler