After the Snowfall

Photograph by Veronika Pekkerne Toth , National Geographic Your Shot

Your Shot member Veronika Pekkerne Toth captured this shot the day after an all-day snowfall. "On this morning the weather was better already, but changing: clouds coming and going, sometimes snowing, or with a sun peeking out," she writes. "The Grand Canyon is always awe-inspiring, but with all this light and shadow, with the misty clouds, and with the snow cover on the top of the cliffs looking like powered sugar on some cakes, it was just beyond my imagination."

Pekkerne Toth s picture recently appeared in the Your Shot assignment Nature in Black and White .

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Marmot Watch

Photograph by Sebastian Wahlhuetter , National Geographic Your Shot

This photo was taken during a 100-kilometer [62-mile] trekking trip in Ladakh, India, at an altitude of 4,500 meters [14,763 feet]," writes Your Shot member Sebastian Wahlhuetter . "I was at Lake Tso Kar, one of the highest saltwater lakes on Earth. I [had been] watching the marmots for a couple of days, and I was wondering if I might be able to get a close-up shot from a very short distance, covering not only the animal but also the stunning environment these creatures were living in. It took me one desperate evening and a very successful morning for the final outcome. With literally hundreds of holes it was quite a task of observation to figure out where these animals would eventually appear next."

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Scenic Route

Photograph by Carsten Peter, National Geographic

Climber Emily Harrington takes the hard way up southern China s Moon Hill, an arch from the remains of a collapsed cave. Sightseers have an easier option: a paved walkway to a viewpoint beneath the arch, then a dirt path to the top.

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Light at the Museum

Photograph by Jason Maloney , National Geographic Your Shot

"When I shoot street photography, I'm always looking for interesting light, juxtapositions, and emotions that will make a good picture," says Your Shot member Jason Maloney . "I was drawn to the background in this photo, as it is a well-known piece of Denver on the outside of the Denver Art Museum."

Maloney says the sliver of light looked very dynamic. "I felt it would make a great photo. I wanted to wait for just the right moment, though, and after a few passersby and groups of people, I saw this single man walking along."

Maloney's picture recently appeared in Your Shot's Daily Dozen .

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Growing Grouper

Photograph by David Doubilet, National Geographic

This ten-inch-long juvenile goliath grouper in the Florida Keys may spend five years among mangroves, relatively safe from predators, before venturing out to the reefs. The species survival depends on mangrove forests, which are contending with coastal development.

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A Fragile Livelihood

Photograph by Robin Hammond, National Geographic

In this picture from the July 2014 issue of National Geographic magazine, a girl tends goats in the mountains near Shiikh in the Somaliland region of Somalia. Though big farms make headlines a subject explored as part of our Future of Food series small farmers still produce most of the food in Africa. Both are crucial for the continent to be able to feed its own growing population much less the rest of the world.

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Neist Point Lighthouse

Photograph by Stefano Coltelli

"After several days of rain, I finally got to witness a beautiful sunset at Neist Point Lighthouse and took this picture at dusk," writes Stefano Coltelli. "The image was made in mid-August on the Isle of Skye in Scotland."

This photo and caption were submitted to the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

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Mashatu Herd

Photograph by Jaco Marx , National Geographic Your Shot

"For years I have been fascinated by elephants and elephant herds," writes Your Shot member Jaco Marx . "I've traveled to Chobe in northern Botswana quite often to photograph them in large numbers, enjoying the sight of hundreds of elephants at a time. I came across an article on photographing from an underground hide in southeastern Botswana at the Mashatu Game Reserve, an opportunity to get really close to the animals from an interesting perspective."

The hide gave Marx a mouse's-eye view of the elephants. "I waited until the young ones concentrated around one female and took a group shot. The sky was moody dark, with clouds all over, which at first concerned me but eventually added a lot of atmosphere to the picture."

This photo was submitted to Your Shot . Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

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Over the Delta

Photograph by Hans Strand , National Geographic Your Shot

"I was shooting for my upcoming book on Iceland and hired a pilot to fly me over the highlands," writes Your Shot contributor Hans Strand . "In the far distance I saw this inspiring river delta over Hv tarvatn near Langj kull glacier and directed the pilot to make a few laps over it. We flew three 360-degree laps at about a 400-meter [1,300-foot] altitude right over the delta, and I concentrated on getting a good frame. The wind coming from Langj kull was very strong, which made the airplane very turbulent, and after the three laps I had to give up and fly back to Reykjav k due to airsickness. Luckily, I got what I wanted."

This photo recently appeared in the Your Shot assignment Nature in Black and White .

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Dolphin Games

Photograph by Brodie McCabe

"These two dolphins where playing out in the deeper ocean for some time," writes Brodie McCabe, who captured this picture at Point Danger in Tweed Heads, Australia. "As a set of waves came through, they followed the swell toward the shore, racing each other for the key position. As the wave started breaking, one pulled off the back so as not to 'drop in' on the other."

This photo and caption were submitted to the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

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Urban Formations

Photograph by Carsten Peter, National Geographic

Yangshuo, China, was a sleepy village two decades ago, when foreign climbers and cavers began frequenting nearby formations. Today domestic tourists vastly outnumber foreign visitors.

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Beribboned in Bolivia

Photograph by Esther Buttery

"At 14,000 feet in icy winds this llama was completely at home," writes Esther Buttery, who submitted this photo, taken on Bolivia's Laguna Colorado salt lake, to the Traveler Photo Contest. "It was a different world for me. I'd like to think that we shared a moment."

This photo and caption were submitted to the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

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Western Wall

Photograph by Jiang Xi

A mural decorates a wall near a Tibetan Buddhist college in China's Sichuan Province.

This photo and caption were submitted to the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

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Falling Water

Photograph by Peter Lik

"The shafts of light in [this] canyon [were] one of the most amazing things I ve ever seen," says Peter Lik, who submitted this photo to the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest. "It was a surreal feeling being surrounded by the towering cliffs. The only way I could capture this special moment of weeping walls was after an incredibly torrential rain. I knew I had to get to a shallow portion of the river to unfold my tripod. I was drenched from head to toe by the falling water. Mist and rain covered the camera, but I fired a few shots. As I stood in awe of the scene, the sun broke through for a few seconds and cast God s rays into the side-lit waterfall."

This photo and caption were submitted to the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

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Distant Oasis

Photograph by Galileo Project/NASA/JPL; Reprocessed by Ted Stryk

The frozen, fissured surface of Jupiter's moon Europa, seen here in a colorized mosaic image from the Galileo spacecraft, hides a liquid ocean that may hold all the ingredients needed for life.

This image is from the July 2014 feature story Life Beyond Earth."

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Up on the Scaffold

Photograph by Ali Hamed Haghdoust , National Geographic Your Shot

"A horse is tied in a makeshift stall while Iranian youth gather on the scaffolding to watch the competition during a nomad festival," writes Ali Hamed Haghdoust , a member of our Your Shot community. The festival took place on the outskirts of Kaleybar city in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.

Haghdoust's picture recently appeared in the Your Shot Daily Dozen .

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Fireworks Over Jerusalem

Photograph by Dor Kedmi , National Geographic Your Shot

"This photo was taken at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, during the celebration of the 66th Independence Day of Israel," writes Your Shot member Dor Kedmi , who arrived at the location about an hour before the fireworks display started. "I was looking for the best angle to capture them. Fortunately, two soldiers stood in front of me and helped me a lot in capturing the moment."

Kedmi's picture recently appeared in the Your Shot Daily Dozen.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot . Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

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Curious Ones

Photograph by Rajiv Kumar , National Geographic Your Shot

"Zanskar is one of the most beautiful and remote regions of Ladakh in India," writes Rajiv Kumar , a member of our Your Shot photo community. "Full of valleys, rivers, lakes, and passes, this region remains disconnected from the rest of the world for almost six months every year, buried under the snow."

During a drive to the Ladakh region in September 2011, Kumar focused on capturing the beauty of Zanskar, home to the village of Rangdum and its monastery. "The monastery sits right at the end of the village, watching over the whole valley like a fort. There are two schools there, one run by the monastery and another run by local authorities, both with very limited resources. I carried a lot of books, stationery, etc., for the kids, and it was a delight to see their happy faces as they received the supplies for their studies."

Kumar's picture recently appeared in the Your Shot Daily Dozen .

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Warm and Fuzzy

Photograph by John Halvorson , National Geographic Your Shot

A cygnet peers out from its mother's wing at a local pond in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. According to Your Shot member John Halvorson , the adult swans arrived in February, during an unusually bad winter. "I followed them daily through the mating cycle and the nest building," he says. "When we had a brutal series of ice storms and there was little for them to eat I took them cracked corn. I became a trusted friend, so when the chicks hatched I was allowed to sit close by and photograph the adults and the newly hatched chicks. I stop by frequently to check on them. Of six eggs, four hatched, and today only two survive. They are beautiful birds."

This photo was submitted to Your Shot . Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

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Night Lights

Photograph by Massimo Gugliucciello , National Geographic Your Shot

"I've always been fascinated by the magic of fireflies in the Sele Valley of southern Italy, where I live," says Massimo Gugliucciello , a member of our Your Shot community. "There are many during the months of May and June, a [sign] of a healthy habitat."

This photo was submitted to Your Shot . Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

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Powder Lines

Photograph by Bradford White

Heli-skiers make fresh tracks on a powder run in the Bugaboos in British Columbia, Canada. The mountain range, part of the Canadian Rockies, is a popular destination for skiers and hikers who prize remote adventure.

This photo and caption were submitted to the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

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Dive Sight

Photograph by Matt Lasky , National Geographic Your Shot

"I was diving off a live-aboard dive boat named Febrina in the Vitu Islands in West New Britain, Papua New Guinea," writes Your Shot member Matt Lasky . "We were diving our second of five dives for the day and found this friendly turtle at about 22 meters [72 feet] that was happily swimming around the divers, checking us out. There was a large school of jacks closer to the surface, and I was fortunate enough to be below the turtle and see the jacks swimming in the opposite direction."

This photo was submitted to Your Shot . Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

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Light in the Afternoon

Photograph by John Bragg

"The town of St. Magdalena, Italy, sits at the base of the Dolomite mountain range, with an amazingly beautiful view during the afternoon hours," writes photographer John Bragg.

This photo and caption were submitted to the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

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Sulking Tulips

Photograph by Cheryl Bezuidenhout , National Geographic Your Shot

Your Shot contributor Cheryl Bezuidenhout captures this photo at RoozenGaarde in Washington State. "It was the last weekend of the Skagit County Tulip Festival, which [the gardens] hold every April," she writes.

"It was a rainy morning when my family and I arrived, but the rain held off as we made our way around the gardens. These tulips were unusual in that all the others in the garden were upright, perfectly formed, and vividly colorful, while these seemed to be sulky and past their best, drooping and heavy from the rain. The original photo is of pink tulips, but I converted it to black and white. I felt the lighting and moodiness of the flowers to be the most important message of the image."

This photo was submitted to Your Shot . Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

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Where the Antelope Play

Photograph by Chris Schmid , National Geographic Your Shot

"We were driving around the Savute plains in northern Botswana, searching for a group of lions that had killed a very young female impala a few minutes before," writes Your Shot member Chris Schmid . "After [we'd been] observing the lions, a group of impalas got my attention. A young male was jumping around just a few meters away from the lions that had just killed one of its kind. The contrast between life and death made this moment unique. The other impalas were observing the lions, but this young male didn't care one bit about them. He was just enjoying being alive."

Schmid's picture recently appeared in Your Shot s Daily Dozen .

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Dubai Sunrise

Photograph by Kevin Wu , National Geographic Your Shot

"This photo was taken on a flight to Egypt, when we were flying over the city of Dubai," says Kevin Wu , a member of our Your Shot photo community. "I've never seen such an amazing view. The city seemed to be surrounded by clouds."

This photo and caption were submitted to the 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.

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Sunset at Xingping

Photograph by James Bian , National Geographic Your Shot

The sun sets over the mountaintops in Xingping, China, in this photo by Your Shot member James Bian .

"Guilin and the Li River are famous for their beautiful landscape," he writes. "Visiting this area [has been] my dream. Before the trip, I selected a couple of locations to photograph sunrise and sunset, and Laozhai mountain was one of them. On a clear afternoon, I hiked to the peak an hour before sunset on a trail built and maintained by a Japanese gentleman (which saves a lot of energy for photographers). The view was overwhelming, with the Li River making a 180-degree turn right under my feet. I spent most of my time focusing on a wide-angle view until I realized that leaving the river out and just zooming in on the peaks and sun was a much better composition."

Bian's picture recently appeared in the Your Shot Daily Dozen .

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Temple Talk

Photograph by R hahn Croquevielle , National Geographic Your Shot

Symmetrical architecture serves a conversation at a temple in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, India.

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Swimming for Supper

Photograph by Narong Rattanaya , National Geographic Your Shot

"On Phuket, Thailand, monkeys [inhabit] the mangrove forest and tourists and locals come to feed them bananas and nuts," writes Narong Rattanaya , a member of our Your Shot community. "The monkeys swim and dive in the water while they wait for the food."

This photo was submitted to Your Shot . Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

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Riverside Blooms

Photograph by Scott Rotzoll , National Geographic Your Shot

"The Nakdong Riverside Yuchae Festival in Busan, South Korea, is an annual event that I'd never been to before," says Your Shot contributor Scott Rotzoll . "So when a notice appeared in a local magazine, I made sure to put aside the time to visit it. There really wasn't a lot of preparation for this shot. There were canola flowers blanketing the riverside as far as you could see, dotted with people. My main focus was to use the bridge to frame one side of the photo, with one or two points of interest within."

Rotzoll's picture recently appeared in the Your Shot Daily Dozen .

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