Karte Sakhi Cemetery, Kabul

Photograph by Ali Hamed Haghdoust , Your Shot

An Afghan man walks in the Karte Sakhi Cemetery during a snowfall in Kabul, Afghanistan, on February 4, 2013.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The blanket of snow allows the eye to fully take in the grave markers, appreciating not only their shapes but also the seemingly random way they are placed. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Karte Sakhi Cemetery, Kabul

Photograph by Ali Hamed Haghdoust , Your Shot

An Afghan man walks in the Karte Sakhi Cemetery during a snowfall in Kabul, Afghanistan, on February 4, 2013.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The blanket of snow allows the eye to fully take in the grave markers, appreciating not only their shapes but also the seemingly random way they are placed. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Grasshopper and Moss

Photograph by Andrey Antov , Your Shot

A green grasshopper rests aboard a red mushroom boat in a sea of moss.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I like how this is simply what it is color and texture playing off each other to create an eye-catching tableau. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Fog, Acadia National Park

Photograph by ABM Musa , Your Shot

Fog-covered islands during sunrise, seen from the top of Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park, Maine

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The undulating fog bank, recalling both air and water, is what first caught my eye. My favorite part of looking at this photograph, though, is making out the faint detail of the shoreline underneath. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Cherry Blossoms, Nakameguro

Photograph by Giovanni Pascarella , Your Shot

Nakameguro in Tokyo is one of the most famous places for admiring the blossoming cherry trees in the middle of the city.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? Beautiful simply by being, cherry blossoms are an easy get (and I fall for them every time). What is not so easy is making a shot that is unique. I like that my eye is first caught by, and then travels past, the spray of blossoms, continuing along the light-refracted river to the tiny people on the footbridge at the end. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Nuns, Jerusalem

Photograph by Eli Basri , Your Shot

Church of Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I have never been to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but this photograph takes me there. I can easily imagine the dampness of the ancient stones and the hushed echoes. The glimpse of the nuns clad in luminous white lends a timelessness and mystery to this photograph. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Ganges River, India

Photograph by Joy Acharyya , Your Shot

These kids were playing in the Ganges River in Varanasi, India. The moment this kid saw me with my camera, she posed with the huge flag in her hand and made my day.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? Looking at this picture I am reminded of childhood adventure stories, and I like the fact that this was captured right as the subject became aware of the photographer a salute to a fleeting moment. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Computer Parts, French Polynesia

Photograph by Philippe Reichert , Your Shot

What is changing faster than our computers? This shot was taken in a high school yard in Tahiti, French Polynesia.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I love detail shots that play with the viewer's sense of scale. The tangled mass of hardware gives the feeling of gazing down into a dystopian mini-metropolis. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Stuttgart City Library, Germany

Photograph by Shu Koumura , Your Shot

Visitors browse the Stuttgart City Library, a media center opened in 2011 and lauded for its clean and open design. Your Shot community member Shu Koumura shot on tungsten-type film and used an E-6 bleach bypass development process.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? Film! That detail alone makes me smile. A nod to those still practicing the art of analog and alternative processing techniques aside, this is a great example of taking something straightforward—the already photogenic interior of the City Library in Stuttgart—and making a stand-out shot. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Skeleton, St. Lawrence River

Photograph by Stephen Clough , Your Shot

While walking along the St. Lawrence River in Quebec City I saw this skeleton.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? This photograph has the elements of many shoreline shots I have seen the waves made smooth by the long exposure time, the glistening sand but the skeleton lends an unexpected and welcome twist. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Summer Evening, Hong Kong

Photograph by Brian Yen , Your Shot

A lady fans her skirt on a hot summer night in Wan Chai.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The feeling of a summer evening in the city and the anticipation of a night out is palpable in this shot. I also really like this Wan Chai denizen's zebra boots. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Rice Mill, Bangladesh

Photograph by Pronob Ghosh , Your Shot

A rice mill worker rests in Bangladesh.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The careful framing of the worker, his tools, and the rice creates a scene that is almost iconic in its simplicity. With nothing else to distract the eye, we are able to appreciate this worker and the work he has just completed. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Holy Week Procession, Guatemala

Photograph by Chantal Levesque , Your Shot

This photo was taken during a procession in Antigua Guatemala during Holy Week.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The light shining through the smoke creates an aura of mystery perfectly in sync with the event itself. Being eye level with the faces in the crowd, I feel an intimacy with it, almost as if I were there. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Ward Charcoal Ovens, Nevada

Photograph by Royce Bair , Your Shot

In operation between 1876 and 1879, Nevada's Ward Charcoal Ovens here glowing with filtered lights that simulate functioning ovens were built to produce charcoal from pinyon pine and juniper. In the years following, the ovens are said to have served as shelters for workmen and hideouts for stagecoach bandits. Today they're the main attraction in Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? While I appreciate the beauty in imperfection, perfection can be equally as compelling. It is clear that a lot of work went into creating this stunning scene. The light painting draws my eye to the hand-hewn symmetry of the structures, lit from within by filtered lights placed to simulate functioning 1876 ovens. The effect is otherwordly. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Cheetah, Serengeti

Photograph by Eva Liang , Your Shot

A gazelle's blood stained the cheetah's mouth. Taken in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Africa.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The cheetah's closed eyes and curled tail lend an incongruous daintiness to this photograph. Far from conveying the savagery of the kill, this image shows us cheetah as epicure, savoring the end of a gourmet meal. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Fair, India

Photograph by Abhishek Nandy , Your Shot

This was shot at a local fair in Jamshedpur, India. This is a structure for a bike show. The structure, the canopy, and the sunlight together made a unique pattern.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The angle, composition, and person included for scale make this a good shot. The light illuminating the canopy, shining through the slats, and casting the intricate shadow make it an exceptional one. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Swans, Slovakia

Photograph by Norbert Nemes , Your Shot

Swans and ducks, Pie any, Slovakia

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I love the slightly off-kilter composition here, with the cluster of birds near the bottom of the frame. This gives a sense of movement and allows the eye to take in the peripheral elements the ripples of the water and the sprinkling of ducks. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Churchgoers, Romania

Photograph by Kathleen McLaughlin , Your Shot

In Maramureş, Orthodox churches are divided in half. The front half is for men, while the back and outside are for women.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? This glimpse of a young girl s direct gaze as she is being ushered protectively into the church by her elders is the gift of a moment perfectly captured. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Gorner Glacier, Switzerland

Photograph by Robbie Shone , Your Shot

Beneath the stars, two scientific explorers descend into the icy depths of a moulin on the Gorner Glacier in Switzerland. The freshly exposed rock above the glacier on the left-hand side shows how the ice has melted under an increasingly warm world. These explorers are mapping the changes taking place beneath the surface. Their work must be carried out at night because high daytime temperatures create vast amounts of meltwater, making exploration difficult and dangerous.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? This is a beautifully composed frame and so pleasing to look at. I love the sharpness of the climbers and the areas of the ice illuminated by their headlamps, contrasted with the dreamy sky above. Being at eye level with them as they make their descent underscores the feeling of being between two worlds. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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High Tide, Chioggia

Photograph by Mattia Oselladore , Your Shot

In autumn, the high tide often submerges Chioggia, a small town in the Venetian Lagoon, creating reflections and an enchanting atmosphere. This phenomenon is called acqua alta, which means high water.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? Ambiance, color, reflection. I love night shots that go beyond the usual. This quiet scene is complete in itself while also leaving room for the imagination. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Penguin Pair, Antarctica

Photograph by Marius Ilies , Your Shot

I took this picture at Port Lockroy during my trip to Antartica in 2010. The two penguins almost touching flippers, looking at each other, and captured against the majestic frozen background, seemed romantically involved.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? Ah, penguin love. In addition to the unavoidable invitation to anthropomorphize this pair, I am taken by the composition. The layers of this frame take it one step beyond the obvious. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Street Art, Tel Aviv

Photograph by Lydia Polimeni , Your Shot

I was captivated by this airbrushed artwork in an industrial section of Tel Aviv, Israel. It really appeared as if a window to another dimension had opened up. As you look at the picture you will also notice other artworks on the facade of the building.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I am delighted by this atypical "picture of a picture." I stared at it for a few minutes, wondering if the tiny dancers were actually real people photographed through a smudged window. Once that question was answered my eye took in the other details of the facade. This is a detail shot I want to spend time exploring. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Starlings, United Kingdom

Photograph by John O Neill , Your Shot

A flock of starlings takes flight at the moment of shutter release. These social birds were declining over the past few years in the U.K., but the numbers appear to be stabilizing. They can flock in such huge numbers that they have been known to break the boughs of trees while roosting.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I like how mundane elements a flock of birds, a white picket fence, even the barbed wire are transformed into something more by the photographer's readiness to capture the moment and by his careful framing. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Fireworks, China

Photograph by Andrew Crane , Your Shot

This was taken on the east side of the Xiangjiang, next to Dufujiang Pavilion. The fireworks are displayed every Saturday night at Orange Island.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? At first glance this could be taken for the usual fireworks photo, but what makes this one stand out for me is the composition the crowd in the foreground with cell phones aglow, capturing the festivities in the harbor. It s not just about the event, it's the entire scene. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Free Diver, Greece

Photograph by Dimitris Maroulakis , Your Shot

Free diver in a state of absolute serenity during a training session at a blue hole in Vouliagmeni, near Athens.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The more time I spend with this photograph, the more its simplicity appeals to me. There is only the diver, perfectly suspended over the ocean floor. And we get to travel along with him. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Commuter Train, Tokyo

Photograph by Shigehiro Ono , Your Shot

Panning shot from a pedestrian deck. Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The train speeding through the blur of multicolored lights gives me the feeling of being transported into a different dimension, almost like looking inside a video game. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Snowy Landscape, Japan

Photograph by Teruo Araya , Your Shot

Landscapes become like paintings occasionally. Taken at Lake Ikari, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? It is precisely the painterly quality of this photograph that attracted me. The trees and melting snow are like brushstrokes. Lovely. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Kash Harvest, India

Photograph by Biswajit Patra , Your Shot

The blooming of kash flowers announces the advent of autumn. Such natural beauty can be seen for miles here. The irony of this photograph is that these two women were cutting and collecting the stems for use as cooking fuel.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The word that comes to mind when viewing this photograph is grace. The robed figures of the women and the willowy stalks of the plants create a visually harmonious scene. The woman paused on the left, face illuminated by the sun, underscores the soft beauty of the frame. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Cyclists, Thailand

Photograph by Songkran Weelapong , Your Shot

Cyclists participate in the Trek-Shimano Century Ride along Chao Lao Beach in Chantaburi, Thailand.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? Pattern, texture, palette, detail ... This well-composed frame has them all. My favorite part of looking at this photograph is how my eye travels from the broad strokes of the coastline and rocky cliffs to the detail of the tiny cyclists traveling along the road. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Snake Charmer, China

Photograph by Wesley Thomas Wong , Your Shot

A snake charmer performs with his pet snake during a spring festival in China.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I first saw this picture when it was submitted to a Your Shot assignment called Catch the Light, and I keep coming back to it. The monotone color palette and the deliberate posture of the performer juxtaposed with the shadowed, slightly askance curtain is an example of perfection and imperfection working together. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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Mountains, Chile

Photograph by Richard Duerksen , Your Shot

"We have mountains," my wife said as she shook the bed. We were staying in a B&B; on the edge of Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. There was only fog instead of mountains. I set up my cameras anyway and pointed them toward the park. Art happens when light and shadows play on granite and snow.

What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I had several dramatic landscape photos in my initial edit all stunning mountain faces with gorgeous light but the caption for this one was the tiebreaker. I love hearing a little more about what was going on at the moment. Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor

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