Following the results of last month's Visual Story Award—judged by former National Geographic Senior Editor, Elizabeth Krist—the editorial team is delighted to showcase a selection of competition entries that, while not making the final cut, are nonetheless well deserving of recognition.

Deemed “The finest photographer of the nude form” by her friend and contemporary Ansel Adams, Ruth Bernhard, renowned for her striking monochrome compositions, was one of the most important photographers of the twentieth century.