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 .)
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Photograph by Mark Bridger
A large adult eagle owl in flight
(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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Photograph by Raul Linares
Musicians in a Quito bullring
(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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Photograph by Robyn Gianni
Verreaux's sifaka lemur, Madagascar
(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)
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Photograph by Rob Horner
A surfer walking out to his destination
(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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Photograph by Maisie Ong
Overlooking Bourtzi Castle, Nafplion
(This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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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 .)
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