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 .)

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Girl With Pail, Tibet

Girl With Pail, Tibet

Photograph by Li Fan , My Shot

In Tibet in 2011, a young girl was on her way home with a pail of water from a river.

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

Friday, November 11, 2011

Langurs, India

Langurs, India

Photograph by Stefano Unterthiner , National Geographic

After a rare downpour langurs seek shelter from a fleeting desert waterfall. The Thar is usually inhospitably hot and dry, reaching 120 F. These monkeys, which are about two feet long and 25 to 40 pounds, are the only primates besides humans that thrive in this harsh habitat.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Blue Pond, Hokkaido

Blue Pond, Hokkaido

Photograph by Kent Shiraishi , My Shot

The blue pond of the famous tourist resort in Biei, Hokkaido, Japan is a place where many tourists gather in spring, summer, and autumn. However, since this pond freezes in winter, nobody is there during that period. This photograph was taken during the first snow of the season as it fell over the blue pond.

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

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

African Buffalo, Uganda

African Buffalo, Uganda

Photograph by Joel Sartore , National Geographic

African buffalo create tracks in the salty mud at the edge of a crater lake in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Southern Right Whale

Southern Right Whale

Photograph by Brian Skerry , National Geographic

Southern right whale eye, New Zealand, 2007

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

Pre-order the book Ocean Soul » See more pictures of oceans » Learn more about right whales »

Monday, November 7, 2011

Moonset, California

Moonset, California

Photograph by Peter Essick , National Geographic

A setting moon makes a fitting backdrop for a lunarlike landscape near Donohue Pass in California s Ansel Adams Wilderness area.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Owyhee River, Idaho

Owyhee River, Idaho

Photograph by Michael Melford , National Geographic, aerial support from Lighthawk

Owyhee River, Owyhee River Wilderness, Idaho 120 miles protected in Oregon since 1984 and 67.2 more since 1988; 171.1 miles protected in Idaho since 2009

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Bear, Finland

Bear, Finland

Photograph by Michel Giaccaglia , My Shot

I spent all day in a small hide in the marsh waiting for bears. This female finally appeared during the last flashes of color, about 10 p.m. in northern Finland .

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

Friday, November 4, 2011

Summit Lake, California

Summit Lake, California

Photograph by Peter Essick , National Geographic

High winds and gathering clouds signal the approach of a winter storm at Summit Lake in California s Ansel Adams Wilderness area.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Leaves, Cascade Lake

Leaves, Cascade Lake

Photograph by Michael Melford , National Geographic

In New York s Adirondacks, ash and maple leaves float on Cascade Lake, mere particles in the biomass the park sheds every autumn in the form of fallen leaves.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Oxpecker and Giraffe

Oxpecker and Giraffe

Photograph by Ben Bronselaer , My Shot

I love the markings of giraffes , and when this oxpecker clung to the side of one, I thought it would make a perfect abstract painting to capture the little bird on.

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

Download bird wallpapers » See more pictures of animals »

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Merced River, Yosemite

Merced River, Yosemite

Photograph by Michael Melford , National Geographic

Merced River, Yosemite National Park , California 114.5 miles protected since 1987; 8 additional miles since 1992