A Man in Sheep’s Clothes. May 24 Photograph by Seyit Konyali, National Geographic Your Shot “Here is a farm in Beyşehir, Turkey,” Your Shot photographer Seyit Konyali writes. “Shortly after the birth of lambs, shepherd İsmail [stays with them while they are] running around. He is wearing a poncho made of their mothers’ wool. This makes the lambs feel closer to the shepherd while their mothers are out feeding.”
Fields of Old. May 5 Photograph by John Qu, National Geographic Your Shot “This land symbolizes the rhythm of the people, as it was formed through generations of farmers shaping it with irrigation,” says John Qu, a member of our Your Shot community. “It is a rare phenomenon of man-made beauty disguised as a natural occurrence.” Qu captured the photo of the Yuanyang rice terraces while traveling in China’s Yunnan Province. “I’ve traveled to this place multiple times, purposely in the winter, when the rice terraces are flooded. I’ve gone through the entire area and observed that the light at sunset, with the reflection and high angle, would make the terraces look more like a piece of abstract art, yet with real trees and huts. The shot was taken from a mountain above. I waited a few days for the perfect moment.”
Bird Buddy. May 20 Photograph by Akash Das, National Geographic Your Shot A cooperative bird finds and eats insects from a buffalo’s face in a grooming ritual that pays off for both of them.
Playing Through. May 29 Photograph by Cedric Delves, National Geographic Your Shot “Warm inland. Cold at sea. So fog rolls in,” writes Your Shot member Cedric Delves, who captured this image in Folkestone, along the English Channel coast. “Cricket is prone to any and all even faintly adverse weather conditions (presumably why we English play it outdoors). Anyway, it fails to stop play this day. That said, she looked ready to quit, asking her brother over and over whether it was time to go and look for an ice cream!”
Kitting Around What kid—or kit—wouldn’t like to play in the rain? After months of trying, Your Shot photographer Vladislav Kamenski caught this little fox frolicking in a park in Montreal, Canada, early one rainy morning. “It took me approximately three months to create this shot,” Kamenski writes. “Sometimes the rain was too strong or too weak, and sometimes the foxes weren’t there or [in] the wrong spot. But finally my patience paid off, and one day everything came perfectly together.”
Salt of the Bay PHOTOGRAPH BY JASSEN T., NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT The most visited Photo of the Day this January was a gorgeous shot of a cabin on the banks of a misty river in Hungary. I loved the calm tone of that frame, which you can see here, but putting together this round-up of favorites from the month, I found myself drawn to the bolder side, starting with the above aerial of a salt marsh in California’s San Francisco Bay, full of color and geometry.
Tipping the Scales PHOTOGRAPH BY NGUYEN LAM, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT Workers in Kiên Giang, Vietnam, shift trays of fish drying in the sun. Located in the Mekong Delta, Kiên Giang, along with a few other provinces in the region, is a major player in Vietnam’s fishing industry. ------------------------- Phơi Khô Người lao động ở Kiên Giang, Việt Nam, chuyển khay sấy cá dưới nắng. Tọa lạc ở đồng bằng sông Cửu Long, Kiên Giang, cùng với một số tỉnh khác trong khu vực đóng góp lớn trong ngành công nghiệp đánh bắt cá của Việt Nam.
Camping On The Diving Board PHOTOGRAPH BY MATTHEW SAVILLE As technology shrinks the world around us, it becomes more and more difficult to find ourselves truly lost in the outdoors,” writes Matthew Saville, who submitted the above photograph to the 2015 Traveler Photo Contest. “This makes those particular moments and scenes that much more special.” In this month’s selection of Photo of the Day favorites from May, we give a nod to the restorative power of the outdoors, whether you’re sleeping under the stars like these campers in Yosemite National Park or spending an afternoon in your own backyard.
Mother of the Forest PHOTOGRAPH BY MARSEL VAN OOSTEN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT “These baobab trees on Madagascar are up to 800 years old,” writes Your Shot member Marsel van Oosten. Locally known as “mother of the forest,” the baobab forms a micro-ecosystem of its own, supporting life for both animals and humans, van Oosten says. “Old hollow baobabs are a home to snakes, bats, bush babies, bees, and sometimes even humans. More importantly, the tree is an important source of water—it can store up to 4,000 liters of water in its trunk. For Africa, it is literally the tree of life.”
Friendly Reflection PHOTOGRAPH BY PABLO PONTI, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT “It had been raining all day in Luanda, Angola, where we live,” writes Pablo Ponti, a member of our Your Shot community. “Just as the last raindrops fell and the sun broke through the clouds … I took my daughter and her two best friends out for a snack, and when we approached a large puddle, the opportunity to show their silhouette in the water’s reflection was formed in my mind. Since they are best friends, I wanted to show them in a different light, through their feet and their reflections. The kids enjoyed it, and I loved the end result.”
Changeable Spring PHOTOGRAPH BY TATIANA TOURAEVA, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT While traveling through Vladimir, Russia, Your Shot member Tatiana Touraeva and her family stopped to stroll around a historic section of town. “The weather seemed to be pretty changeable that day,” Touraeva writes. Though a freezing wind was blowing, the sun could still be seen through the clouds. “We were having fun, riding scooters and playing tag” when the snow began to fall. “That was quite unexpected, with all that sunshine and green grass almost [coming] out of the ground here and there,” she writes. “The church’s domes seemed lit up by the rays, and the snowflakes—so big and light—moved slowly in the air … That was really a rare moment I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Fan Girls PHOTOGRAPH BY KATE PARKER, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT “We all know that sound it makes when you yell into a fan,” writes Kate Parker, who shared this picture with our Your Shot community. Parker had volunteered to take a friend’s children outside after an early dinner out. “This was shot in July in Georgia,” she writes. “Lots of restaurants have these huge fans outside in case anyone is looking to sweat while they eat. [As] soon as the girls saw the fan, they were drawn right to it.” Parker recalled doing this herself as a child. “It is universal. I knew I wanted to capture that moment … yelling freely, with the wind blowing their hair, and just being kids.”
Double Trouble PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIELLE MUSSMAN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT Ethel the Great Dane attempts the impossible on a spring day in northern Kentucky. “I am constantly drawn to her eternal optimism in attempting to catch balls thrown her way, only to be defeated by her gangly legs” and just-a-beat-off timing, writes Your Shot member Danielle Mussman. “Ultimately, the photos of her missing the ball are always more amusing than those of her finally succeeding in catching it.” Mussman’s husband thought he might improve the odds by slowly tossing two balls in Ethel’s direction. “The result?” writes Mussman. “Double the confusion, double the frustration, and double the treats for our sweet girl who never gives up.”
A Floating Crown Protea Banks, a reef off the eastern coast of South Africa, is home to incredible biodiversity—including this massive cephea jellyfish, spotted by Your Shot photographer Pier Mane. He calls it the “biggest jellyfish I’ve ever seen. Her purple head and yellow fuselage were simply amazing.”
A Solemn Ride In Aitoliko, a small Greek island, a man takes a solemn ride past onlookers on the feast day of St. Agatha, patron saint of, among others, bakers, nurses, breast cancer patients, and victims of torture.
Sardine Run Photograph by G. Lecoeur Grand Prize Winner, 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year "Trong cuộc di cư dọc bờ biển Wild Coast, Nam Phi, hàng triệu con cá mòi bị săn lùng bởi loài cá heo, chim biển, cá mập, cá voi, chim cánh cụt, sư tử biển... Những bầy cá heo khởi đầu cuộc săn, lùa đàn cá mòi lên gần mặt nước. Những năm gần đây, việc đánh bắt quá mức và thay đổi khí hậu làm cho cuộc di cư hàng nằm của loài cá mòi trở nên ngày càng khó nắm bắt. Phải mất đến hai tuần tôi mới có cơ hội để chứng kiến và ghi lại cuộc săn mồi dưới biển này." ------------------------------- I captured this image during the migration of the sardines along the wild coast of South Africa. Natural predation, sardines are preyed upon by cape gannet birds and common dolphins. The hunt begins with common dolphins that have developed special hunting techniques. With remarkable eyesight, the gannets follow the dolphins before diving in a free fall from 30 to 40 meters high, piercing the surface of the water head first at a speed of 80km/h to get their fill of sardines.
Approach Photograph by Tori Shea-Ostberg Second Place Winner, Action, 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year "Trận lốc xoáy EF2 đi qua một ngôi nhà ở Wray, Colorado hôm 7/5/2016. Khi chúng tôi đã an toàn, cơn lốc xoáy đã đi xa, băng qua cánh đồng. Chúng tôi leo lên đồi để xem mọi người thế nào. May thay, ai nấy đều ổn, thật đáng mừng. Nói chuyện với người phụ nữ vừa bước ra khỏi tầng hầm, chúng tôi chợt nhận ra một cơn lốc mới ngay trên đầu chúng tôi. Phải chạy đi tìm chỗ nấp ngay mà chưa kịp nói lời chào tạm biệt." ---------------------------- An EF2 tornado bears down on a home in Wray, Colorado- May 7, 2016. As soon as we were safe, as the tornado roared off into the distance through a field before roping out, we scrambled up the hill to check on the residents.Thankfully, everyone was alright, and we were grateful for that. As I was checking in with a young woman coming out of the basement, we became very aware of a strong new circulation - right above our heads. We needed to run for cover, and did so before saying a proper goodbye.
Changing Fortunes of the Great Egret Photograph by Zsolt Kudich Third Place Winner, Action, 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year "Câu chuyện thần kì về thành công của cuộc bảo tồn loài Diệc lớn thoát khỏi nguy cơ tuyệt chủng ở Hungary. Năm 1921, chỉ có 31 cặp còn lại. Chưa đầy một thế kỷ sau, những nỗ lực bảo tồn đã chiến thắng. Riêng ở Hungary số lượng lên đến hơn 3000 cặp." --------------------------------------- A remarkable conservation success story, the graceful Great Egret was saved from the brink of disappearance in Hungary, when in 1921 there were only 31 mating pairs remaining. Less than a century later, international conservation efforts have triumphed. We can now count over 3,000 mating pairs in Hungary alone.
Jellyfish Feast Photograph by Scott Portelli Honorable Mention, Action, 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year "2 con đồi mồi dứa đang ngấu nghiến những xúc tu mềm của một con sứa, vốn là nguồn thức ăn quen thuộc của các loài rùa." ----------------------------- Green turtles devour the soft tentacles of a jellyfish which are a common food source for many turtles.
