Saturday, December 31, 2011

Hiker, Scottish Highlands

Hiker, Scottish Highlands

Photograph by Luis del R o

A solitary person walking across a forest in the Highlands, Scotland

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See the winning images » See all contest entries » See more pictures of Scotland »

Friday, December 30, 2011

Eagle Owl

Eagle Owl

Photograph by Mark Bridger

A large adult eagle owl in flight

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See the winning images » See all contest entries » Download more bird wallpapers »

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Krishna Temple, India

Krishna Temple, India

Photograph by Alejandra Loreto

Krishna Temple is one of Hampi's notable Hindu temples. This photo shows the most beautiful architectural piece of Hampi and how people just feel in it. It is a place of calm and equilibrium, an escape.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See the winning images » See all contest entries » See more pictures of India »

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Swimmer, Coogee Beach

Swimmer, Coogee Beach

Photograph by Mark Tipple

A swimmer stretches out to avoid the breaking wave at Coogee Beach, Sydney.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See the winning images » See all contest entries » See pictures of life in Sydney »

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Musicians, Quito

Musicians, Quito

Photograph by Raul Linares

Musicians in a Quito bullring

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See the winning images » See all contest entries » See more pictures of Ecuador »

Monday, December 26, 2011

Dragonfly in the Rain

Dragonfly in the Rain

Photograph by Shikhei Goh

This photo was taken when I was taking photos of other insects, as I normally did during macro photo hunting. I wasn t actually aware of this dragonfly since I was occupied with other objects. When I was about to take a picture of it, it suddenly rained, but the lighting was just superb. I decided to take the shot regardless of the rain.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See the winning images » See all contest entries » Get tips on macro photography »

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Swimming Pool, Belgium

Swimming Pool, Belgium

Photograph by Franky De Schampheleer

In contradiction to the political problems in Belgium between North and South (no government for more than 450 days), I am working on a photographic "world" about those two regions in our country.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See the winning images » See all contest entries » See pictures of Europe shot by our readers »

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Reindeer Herder, Siberia

Reindeer Herder, Siberia

Photograph by Dmitriy Nikonov

Reindeer breeding is one of the basic forms of employment for the indigenous population of this region. Russia , polar region of West Siberia, Tazovsky peninsula.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See the winning images » See all contest entries » See pictures of Russia shot by our readers »

Friday, December 23, 2011

Verreaux's Sifaka, Madagascar

Verreaux's Sifaka, Madagascar

Photograph by Robyn Gianni

Verreaux's sifaka lemur, Madagascar

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See the winning images » See all contest entries » See more pictures of animals »

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Surfer Silhouette

Surfer Silhouette

Photograph by Rob Horner

A surfer walking out to his destination

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See pictures of surfing shot by our readers »

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Apartment Buildings, Singapore

Apartment Buildings, Singapore

Photograph by Jenns Hofmann

HDB flats. The name uninspired, uninviting. Behind every other window are the fading memories of the old generation who grew up in some village in rural China or India. A home they never saw again.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of Singapore »

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Girl With Kite, India

Girl With Kite, India

Photograph by Simon Christen

This young girl's kite soared above Jaisalmer. Mere paper, stick, and string It seemed to carry her daydreams to the winds.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of India »

Monday, December 19, 2011

Upper Yosemite Falls, California

Upper Yosemite Falls, California

Photograph by Andrew Coffing

This 30-second exposure revealed a moonbow hidden in the mist at the foot of the falls. The full moon and clear sky made for a perfect photo op from the Yosemite Valley floor.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of Yosemite National Park »

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Martial Arts Practice, India

Martial Arts Practice, India

Photograph by Nicolas Chorier

Kalaripayatu fighters practicing on a beach in North Kerala. Kalaripayatu is one of the most ancient martial arts, supposedly more ancient than Kung Fu. This photo was taken with no special setup, just during a regular practicing session. I was using a kite to lift the camera, in order to remain steady above the subject for more than an hour, without disturbing.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of India »

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Great White Shark and Divers

Great White Shark and Divers

Photograph by David Litchfield

Cage divers are confronted by a great white shark .

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of great white sharks »

Friday, December 16, 2011

Street Scene, Paris

Street Scene, Paris

Photograph by Brian Yen

Ah, Paris . What can I say? It's c'est la vie pretty much everywhere and anywhere.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of Paris »

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Octopus, Italy

Octopus, Italy

Photograph by Pasquale Vassallo

Despite the strong human presence on the coast, an octopus is curious about snow-covered Vesuvius.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of Italy » See more pictures of ocean creatures »

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Spiderwebs, Pakistan

Spiderwebs, Pakistan

Photograph by Russell Watkins

An unexpected side effect of the 2010 flooding in parts of Sindh, Pakistan , was that millions of spiders climbed up into the trees to escape the rising flood waters; because of the scale of the flooding and the fact that the water took so long to recede, many trees became cocooned in spiderwebs. People in the area had never seen this phenomenon before, but they also reported that there were fewer mosquitoes than they would have expected, given the amount of standing water that was left. Not being bitten by mosquitoes was one small blessing for people that had lost everything in the floods.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of cocooned trees »

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Himba Woman, Namibia

Himba Woman, Namibia

Photograph by Dominique Brand

The Himba women of northern Namibia perform daily rituals in which they anoint themselves with a mixture of ochre, oil, and ash to protect themselves from the harsh desert climate. They never take a shower, but rather burn aromatic herbs in a pot each morning with which they smoke themselves as if applying perfume.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » Get tips for photographing people in their element » See more pictures of Namibia »

Monday, December 12, 2011

Tornado Aftermath, Iowa

Tornado Aftermath, Iowa

Photograph by Timothy Wright

The awesome power of a tornado is displayed in Mapleton, Iowa, April 11, 2011.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of tornadoes »

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Nafplion, Greece

Nafplion, Greece

Photograph by Maisie Ong

Overlooking Bourtzi Castle, Nafplion

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » Get tips on taking travel photos » See more pictures of Greece »

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Leaf on the Beach

Leaf on the Beach

Photograph by Alycia Bromar

Found on the beach, the fragile state caught my eye

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » Get tips on photographing nature »

Friday, December 9, 2011

Hot Air Balloon Operator, Turkey

Hot Air Balloon Operator, Turkey

Photograph by Amy Sacka

Prepping for a balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of Turkey »

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Gelada, Ethiopia

Gelada, Ethiopia

Photograph by Clay Wilton

An adult male gelada rests in the early morning light after ascending the steep, sleeping cliffs of the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia. This male won his right to mate by successfully deposing the old leader. Now he must defend his harem by tending to his females' needs and fighting off anxious bachelors waiting for their chance to become harem leader.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of Ethiopia »

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Aerial View, New York City

Aerial View, New York City

Photograph by Navid Baraty

Watching the pace and flow of New York City from above is amazing. The constant stream of yellow taxis lining the avenues, the waves of pedestrians hurriedly crossing with the change of traffic signals, little figures disappearing into and emerging from the subway stations, the chorus of honking horns and sirens. It's all so rhythmic and strangely soothing to watch. It makes me feel incredibly small.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of New York » Get tips on taking photos of cities »

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Soccer Player, Sierra Leone

Soccer Player, Sierra Leone

Photograph by Johnny Vong

He was just a young boy when he had his arm chopped off by a rebel during the brutal civil war in Sierra Leone. He is now goalkeeper for the national amputee soccer team in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This photo was taken while working on the documentary Leone Stars.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries »

Monday, December 5, 2011

Zebra and Cloud, South Africa

Zebra and Cloud, South Africa

Photograph by Dmitry Gorilovskiy

On safari, it s not only the animals that can attract attention. Aquila Game Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » Watch a 360° panorama of zebras »

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Black-Browed Albatrosses, South Georgia

Black-Browed Albatrosses, South Georgia

Photograph by Marius Coetzee

A pair of black-browed albatrosses billing in West Point, South Georgia. It is believed that billing strengthens the bond between the pair.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » Watch a 360° panorama of Albatrosses » Download bird wallpapers »

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Western Wall, Jerusalem

Western Wall, Jerusalem

Photograph by Johannes Osterman

Every Sabbath, the ultra-Orthodox Jews gather at the Western Wall to pray. The wall is the only remnant of the Holy Temple and has become a place for pilgrimage within Judaism.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of Jerusalem » See more pictures of artful abstractions »

Friday, December 2, 2011

Ocean Air Bubble

Ocean Air Bubble

Photograph by Mark Tipple

An air bubble ascending from the ocean floor contorts and twists into a semicircle as a wave breaks in the background. Captured as part of the Underwater Project.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » Get underwater photography tips »

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Geisha, Kyoto

Geisha, Kyoto

Photograph by Clancy Lethbridge

Within an ultramodern society Japan still maintains traditions passed down from generation to generation, making it one of the most beautiful and intriguing places in the world.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)

See all contest entries » See more pictures of Japan »

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Reindeer, Scandinavia

Reindeer, Scandinavia

Photograph by Erika Larsen

Sami herders follow the migrations of the reindeer as they move across northern Scandinavia and Russia from their winter grazing grounds to cooler areas during the summer months.

Watch a video of photographer Erika Larsen's experience among the Sami » See more pictures of tundra landscapes » See pictures of Scandinavia shot by our readers »

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Storm Chasing, Saskatchewan

Storm Chasing, Saskatchewan

Photograph by Vanessa Neufeld , My Shot

Storm chasing outside Pense, Saskatchewan, earlier this summer. There was so much texture and interesting lighting that evening that made it one of the prettiest storms I shot in Saskatchewan this summer.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Monday, November 28, 2011

Tiger, Indonesia

Tiger, Indonesia

Photograph by Steve Winter , National Geographic

A tiger peers at a camera trap it triggered while hunting in the early morning in the forests of northern Sumatra, Indonesia . Tigers can thrive in many habitats, from the frigid Himalaya to tropical mangrove swamps in India and Bangladesh .

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Moonlit Canoe, Allagash River

Moonlit Canoe, Allagash River

Photograph by Michael Melford , National Geographic

Moonlight bathes a birchbark canoe on Maine's Allagash River, a tranquil spot for paddlers.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Riverbed, Iceland

Riverbed, Iceland

Photograph by Romain Chassagne, Your Shot

A riverbed in Iceland , with a four-by-four on the road to give an idea of the scale. And we can imagine the strength of the river flow at spring. With the composition, in this case, there is no preference for sky or landscape: Both are interesting and nonuniform. Breaking the rules is a common rule.

(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot .)

Friday, November 25, 2011

Winter Scene, London

Winter Scene, London

Photograph by Gordon Esler, Your Shot

A couple caught in the snow last winter at the 17th-century Greenwich Naval College, London . To the right, shrouded in mist, is the River Thames.

(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot. Have a great shot of a city? Send it to us , tag it "cities," and see if it s selected for publication in the March 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine.)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Deer, England

Deer, England

Photograph by Jim Richardson , National Geographic

The fallow deer in the park at Knole, Kent, have looked down at the world with long-nosed lordliness since the days of King James. The deer park is a rare survival from the roughly 700 in early 17th-century England.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Morning Landscape, Lithuania

Morning Landscape, Lithuania

Photograph by Eugenijus Rauduve , My Shot

Taken not far from home

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Learn about Lithuania » See more pictures of grasslands »

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Sami Herder, Scandinavia

Sami Herder, Scandinavia

Photograph by Erika Larsen

Cone-shaped tents called l vut provide temporary shelter for Sami herders while following the reindeer. Nils Peder Gaup, resting here on the tundra, feels most at home in the mountains. "The Sami spirit follows you," he says.

Watch a video of photographer Erika Larsen s experience among the Sami » See more pictures of tundra landscapes » See pictures of Scandinavia shot by our readers »

Monday, November 21, 2011

Salmon River, Idaho

Salmon River, Idaho

Photograph by Michael Melford , National Geographic

Middle Fork of the Salmon River Salmon-Challis National Forest, Idaho 104 miles protected since 1968

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Sea Pens, New Zealand

Sea Pens, New Zealand

Photograph by Brian Skerry , National Geographic

Soft corals called sea pens, usually found at depth, and a blue cod appear in shallow waters in New Zealand 's Long Sound reserve, where tannin-stained water blocks light. When disturbed, sea pens emit a greenish light and can deflate, retreating into their bulbous feet.

(From the National Geographic book Ocean Soul by Brian Skerry)

Buy the book Ocean Soul » See more pictures of ocean habitats » See more pictures of New Zealand » Browse Traveler's selections for the best trips of 2012 »

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Tundra Trek, Svalbard

Tundra Trek, Svalbard

Photograph by June Jacobsen

Brilliant day for a hike on the Arctic tundra , surprisingly alive with flora, as well as reindeer and arctic fox. It seems the mountains make their own weather on Svalbard, or at least cloud formations this one no exception.

(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Expeditions Photo Contest . The grand prize winner snapped the shot while traveling on the Land of the Polar Bears expedition.)

See pictures of Arctic aerials » See more pictures of Norway » Learn more about Svalbard »

Friday, November 18, 2011

Manhattan Solstice

Manhattan Solstice

Photograph by Robinson McClellan, Your Shot

Celebrating a "Manhattan Solstice" when Manhattan 's street grid lines up with the setting sun in front of the American Museum of Natural History. On this day, New York City's vast edifice becomes "Manhattanhenge " dedicated to sun worship!

(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot. Have a great shot of a city? Send it to us , tag it "cities," and check back to see if it s selected for publication in the March 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine.)

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Lion, Uganda

Lion, Uganda

Photograph by Joel Sartore , National Geographic

A tree-climbing lion stirs in Uganda 's Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Skyscrapers, Dubai

Skyscrapers, Dubai

Photograph by Catalin Marin, Your Shot

Every year around the month of October, Dubai experiences heavy fog due to the still-high humidity and the falling temperatures. With all the new high-rise buildings (including the tallest in the world, Burj Khalifa) this provides a great photographic opportunity.

(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot .)

Get tips for photographing cities » See more pictures of Dubai »

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Shrimp, Kingman Reef

Shrimp, Kingman Reef

Photograph by Brian Skerry , National Geographic

Translucent shrimp on anemones, Kingman Reef, 2007

(From the National Geographic book Ocean Soul by Brian Skerry)

Pre-order the book Ocean Soul » See more pictures of marine life on Kingman Reef » See more pictures of colorful sea creatures »

Monday, November 14, 2011

Sparring Polar Bears, Svalbard

Sparring Polar Bears, Svalbard

Photograph by Paul Nicklen , National Geographic

Young male polar bears spar under the low light of winter in Svalbard , a cluster of islands halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Polar bears thrive here roughly half the estimated 3,000 bears in the Berents Sea population raise their young on the archipelago's isolated islands.

Sparring Polar Bears, Svalbard

Sparring Polar Bears, Svalbard

Photograph by Paul Nicklen , National Geographic

Young male polar bears spar under the low light of winter in Svalbard , a cluster of islands halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Polar bears thrive here roughly half the estimated 3,000 bears in the Berents Sea population raise their young on the archipelago's isolated islands.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Tulip Farm, Tasmania

Tulip Farm, Tasmania

Photograph by Anthony Crehan, Your Shot

Aerial view from a helicopter of the tulip field at the Table Cape Tulip Farm on Table Cape, near Wynyard, on the North West Coast of Tasmania. It was Blooming Tulips Festival Day at Wynyard and fortunately for me and my six-year-old grandson, the helicopter operator was selling 15 minute joy-flights. On the left-hand end of the rows of tulips you can see some of the visitors to the farm's open day.

(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot .)