Monday, April 30, 2012

Godafoss, Iceland

Godafoss, Iceland

Photograph by Orsolya and Erlend Haarberg

A glacial torrent pours over a 40-foot-high ledge at Gođafoss, "waterfall of the gods." After the Icelandic assembly adopted Christianity in 1000, its leader threw his pagan idols into the falls. The mossy island, notes geographer Guđrún Gísladóttir, "is protected from sheep."

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Charles Bridge, Prague

Charles Bridge, Prague

Photograph by Scott McGarvey, Your Shot

Prague's Charles Bridge at night as a dense fog rolls in off the river

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

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Alatna River Valley, Gates of the Arctic

Alatna River Valley, Gates of the Arctic

Photograph by Michael Christopher Brown , National Geographic

Alatna River Valley, August 19, 2010 "I paddled across this deep, slow-moving river in my small pack raft," says adventurer Andrew Skurka. The Alatna meanders south from the Gates of the Arctic National Park .

U.S. National Park Week is April 21-29. Download our new National Parks by National Geographic app and get ready to explore.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Hikers, Glacier Bay National Park

Hikers, Glacier Bay National Park

Photograph by JK Putnam, Your Shot

My wife and I paddled up the west arm of Glacier Bay and back on an eight-day kayak trip in Alaska s Glacier Bay National Park . We were on our own for the majority of the trip. We went days without seeing other people, but we never felt alone. This trip strengthened the already well-founded bond between us. I took this photo so that we would always have something to remind ourselves of this experience and how much closer we grew during it.

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

U.S. National Park Week is April 21-29. Download our new National Parks by National Geographic app and get ready to explore.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Sequoia Tree, Yosemite National Park

Sequoia Tree, Yosemite National Park

Photograph by Chris Hill, Your Shot

The life rings of a sequoia tree in Yosemite National Park

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

U.S. National Park Week is April 21-29. Download our new National Parks by National Geographic app and get ready to explore.

See classic pictures of Yosemite » Get photo tips for photographing national parks »

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Mount Moran, Grand Teton National Park

Mount Moran, Grand Teton National Park

Photograph by Brian Kerls , My Shot

Mount Moran is reflected in Snake River at Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park , Wyoming.

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

U.S. National Park Week is April 21-29. Download our new National Parks by National Geographic app and get ready to explore.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park

Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park

Photograph by Karin Eibenberger , My Shot

A clear night at Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park . This is a self-portrait, made during a four-day stay hiking, camping, and climbing after being sent to a conference at San Diego by Johns Hopkins it was the perfect combination of work and fun.

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

U.S. National Park Week is April 21-29. Download our new National Parks by National Geographic app and get ready to explore.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park

Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park

Photograph by Wai Chee Wong, Your Shot

Most people know about the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park , but only a few are lucky to discover the wonder near Sol Duc.

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

U.S. National Park Week is April 21-29. Download our new National Parks by National Geographic app and get ready to explore.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Whale Shark, Gulf of Tadjoura

Whale Shark, Gulf of Tadjoura

Photograph by Thomas P. Peschak, National Geographic

In winter young whale sharks come to feed on plankton in the nutrient-rich waters of the Gulf of Tadjoura, off the arid coast of Djibouti . The world's largest fish—weighing more than an elephant—is becoming a symbol of Arabia's bountiful, but largely unprotected, marine heritage.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Rainfall, Bangladesh

Rainfall, Bangladesh

Photograph by Jonas Bendiksen , National Geographic

Villagers along the southern coast of Bangladesh not only have to cope with some of the world's heaviest rainfall; they also live in cyclone-battered communities, on mushy ground just a few feet above a rising sea.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Hraunfossar Waterfall, Iceland

Hraunfossar Waterfall, Iceland

Photograph by Orsolya and Erlend Haarberg

Hraunfossar waterfall in September looks much as it would have in Viking days: birch trees, bog bilberries, and the Hvítá River, white with silt. The waterfall is a series of springs that plunge into the river on the far bank.

Submit your own favorite travel spot in Iceland » Download more pictures of tree patterns » Get tips on photographing nature »

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Canyon, Zion National Park

Canyon, Zion National Park

Photograph by Peter Scifres, Your Shot

Inside Zion National Park 's famous Subway slot canyon, my hiking and photography friend, Suzanne, ponders the way ahead.

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

U.S. National Park Week begins April 21. Download our new National Parks by National Geographic app and get ready to explore.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Mushroom, Oregon

Mushroom, Oregon

Photograph by Robin Loznak, Your Shot

Light shines through the gills of a wild mushroom found growing in a damp, forested area near Elkton, Oregon , on Monday, December 19, 2011.

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

Download more pictures of patterns in nature » Get tips on photographing nature » See more pictures of forests »

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Lava Cauldron, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Lava Cauldron, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Photograph by Carsten Peter , National Geographic

Exhaling clouds of gas, a cauldron of lava boils in the mile-wide crater of Nyiragongo, an active volcano in the Congo that threatens two million people. Eruptions have blistered the region for millions of years, since the African tectonic plate began to split apart to create the Albertine Rift.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Photograph by Francisco Companioni, Your Shot

My favorite photograph, captured on my last morning in San Francisco . After two beautiful sunrises with no fog I was treated to this gift on my final day. A truly beautiful experience full of amazing colors, fast-moving fog, and constantly changing light, which made for some dramatic images.

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

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Photograph by Francisco Companioni, Your Shot

My favorite photograph, captured on my last morning in San Francisco . After two beautiful sunrises with no fog I was treated to this gift on my final day. A truly beautiful experience full of amazing colors, fast-moving fog, and constantly changing light, which made for some dramatic images.

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

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Alligator, Florida

Alligator, Florida

Photograph by Larry Lynch , My Shot

I made this image at Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, Florida , this past spring. There had been no rain in the river valley for quite a while, and the waters were at drought level. I found this guy in a shallow depression in the riverbed, along with some trapped fish, and knew I had a good chance for an evening shot with flash.

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

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Petrified Sand Dunes, Arizona

Petrified Sand Dunes, Arizona

Photograph by Richard Barnes , National Geographic

Sinuous lines of color swirl through the Wave, the most famous landform at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Flash floods carved this passage through petrified sand dunes, exposing the iron-rich bands.

See pictures of desert landscapes » Download more wallpapers of rock formations »

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Fisherman, Thailand

Fisherman, Thailand

Photograph by Joey Yu, Your Shot

At the break of dawn, fishermen from the Phatthalung Province in southern Thailand travel out to sea for their daily catch. Using the fishing net attached to a sturdy structure, the fishermen haul the net up to gather what they have caught.

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

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Tecopa, Mojave Desert

Tecopa, Mojave Desert

Photograph by Angel Di Bilio , My Shot

Tecopa is located a few miles south of Shoshone in California 's Mojave Desert. Tecopa is known for its hot springs. Evaporation of the flooded dry lake in late spring creates cracked-mud patterns loved by photographers. The perspective is produced by the wide-angle lens (12mm) and placement of the camera close to the ground. Photo taken at sunset.

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

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Thunderheads, Canada

Thunderheads, Canada

Photograph by Mark Duffy, Your Shot

A major thunderhead masses near Briercrest, Saskatchewan, in August 2011.

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

See pictures of stormy weather » See more pictures of Canada shot by our readers »

Monday, April 9, 2012

Shoebill, Uganda

Shoebill, Uganda

Photograph by Cantay Gok, Your Shot

The shoebill is a bizarre bird, named because of its big bill. This shot was taken at Mbamba swamp in Uganda .

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

Desert Rivers, Mexico

Desert Rivers, Mexico

Photograph by Adriana Franco, Your Shot

Rivers forming treelike figures on the desert of Baja California, Mexico

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

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Karkonosze National Park, Poland

Karkonosze National Park, Poland

Photograph by Iza Opala , My Shot

Karkonosze, Poland

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

Friday, April 6, 2012

Green Anole, Texas

Green Anole, Texas

Photograph by Michael Walker , My Shot

Spring is busting out all over southeast Texas. New leaves, flower buds, and a green anole busting out of its old skin and starting over. Shot on February 26, 2012.

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

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Spring Stream, Finland

Spring Stream, Finland

Photograph by Kyle Ueckermann, Your Shot

I took this photo at the edge of a small stream in Lehtimaki, Finland . The ice is beginning to melt, revealing the water beneath.

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

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Rainy Day, Washington, D.C.

Rainy Day, Washington, D.C.

Photograph by Jim Moore , My Shot

Washington, D.C., looks like Paris at 17th and H Streets N.W. during rush hour on a rainy February day.

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

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Lily Pads, Eagle Lake

Lily Pads, Eagle Lake

Photograph by Michael Melford , National Geographic

An underwater camera offers a fish's-eye view of lily pads on Eagle Lake. Sulfur dioxide from power plants made many Adirondack lakes so acidic they became fishless. Thanks to the Clean Air Act and other measures, some now show signs of recovery.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Rubbing Stone, Washington

Rubbing Stone, Washington

Photograph by Fritz Hoffmann , National Geographic

Looking as if it fell from the sky, a 40-ton erratic stands on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State. Such boulders are sometimes called rubbing stones because bison scratched up against them.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Horned Owl, Saskatchewan

Horned Owl, Saskatchewan

Photograph by Robert Postma, Your Shot

This great horned owl burst from the window of an abandoned toolshed in southern Saskatchewan. It s nice that it made eye contact with me as it flew away.

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

Field, Scotland

Field, Scotland

Photograph by David Shields , My Shot

Just after sunrise on the east coast of Scotland (the North Sea is just below the horizon), this preharvest field seemed to stretch forever, and the clouds were amazing.

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