Holding Firm Photograph by MIKE KOROSTELEV Your Shot photographer Mike Korostelev’s entry in the 2016 Nature Photographer of the Year contest features this action-packed close-up of a walrus, its back against a breaking wave, in Cape Vankarem in Chukotka, Russia. “Every autumn walruses swim to this rookery,” Korostelev writes. “One day, walking along the beach away from the rookery, I came across a lone walrus … sleeping on the shore, its tusks [stuck] in the sand. I carefully crept up to it and photographed it with a wide-angle lens.”
Stuck Behind Traffic Photograph by MARK UNDERWOOD Your Shot photographer Mark Underwood spotted a woman carrying a mirror down the street in Havana, Cuba, and knew he had to scurry away from his friends to capture this shot. Reflected in the woman’s mirror is the back of an older car—a common sight in the Cuban capital, where classic American cars, many dating back to the 1950s, line the streets. As the borders between the United States and Cuba reopen, National Geographic was there to explore the effect the new wave of tourists will have on the island nation.
Open Space, Open Minds Photograph by NORBERT FRITZ Natural light floods the clean, modern interior of the city library in Stuttgart, Germany. The wide-open design of the central space shown was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.
A Swan Song and Dance Photograph by MARKUS BOLLIGER Children wearing flowy, blue costumes and swan headpieces represent the canton of Zurich at the Saignelégier Horse Show in Saignelégier, Switzerland. “Every year at the horse show, one of the Swiss cantons is invited as a special guest. This year it was Zurich’s turn,” photographer Markus Bolliger writes. Swans are a common sight on Zurichsee (Lake Zurich).
A Train Passing By in Spring Photograph by Janvika Shah Sometimes it's not about looking out but looking in. I peered inside this passing train and instead of seeing faces, caught the reflection of the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Water Trails Photograph by YU HUIPING Birds take flight from Kenya’s Lake Bogoria, drawing dotted lines on the water’s surface as they ascend. The alkaline lake is notable for being a popular feeding spot for many bird species that feed on the lake’s rich supply of algae, especially the flamingos, which flock there by the tens of thousands.
Japan's Cherry Blossom Festival Photograph by Ryan WH Best spots for cherry blossoms in Japan - *Places You Must Visit Before You Die!*
Glass Ceiling Photograph by RIDWAN PRASETYO A visitor explores an ice cave near Iceland’s Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon. The tremendous weight of the ice compresses the air bubbles out of the cave walls, resulting in this glassy blue hue.
Balancing Act Photograph by FÉLIX MORLÁN GONZÁLEZ A gray plover rests on one leg after high tide on a beach in northern Spain. According to Your Shot photographer Félix Morlán González, the birds make their way hundreds of miles to these beaches after mating. Making this image wasn’t quite as arduous for González as the journey was for the plover, but he still had to get his lens down to water level in order to get this shot in dreary weather.
Too Many to Count Photograph by EINAR ÖRN Two hundred, actually—that’s how many sheep Your Shot photographer Einar Örn says gathered in this portrait taken in Iceland. He reckons that the intense collective gaze meant that “they were waiting to get into a warm house after a stroll in the snow.”
Alien Glow Photograph by GARRET SUHRIE Step into White Pocket, in northern Arizona’s Paria Canyon, and it may feel as if you’ve been transported to another planet. The rocky landscape—so named for its white stone set in red sand—is only reachable by four-wheel-drive vehicles due to deep sand. And that green tint in the pool of water? It’s not extraterrestrial life; the pool is just teeming with algae.
Snug as a Walrus Photograph by Rick Beldegreen Your Shot photographer Rick Beldegreen lied on his belly and pointed his camera straight down to get this shot of a walrus herd on the Aleutian Peninsula on the Bering Sea in Alaska.
Elevated Outlook Photograph by ROBERT KLARIC Though often vilified, drones have made capturing a bird’s-eye view easier than ever. Your Shot member Robert Klaric shared this image taken from his Phantom 3 Quadcopter over Sošice, Croatia. “This area is quite interesting,” he writes. “Beautiful hills, river, waterfall, and very well isolated. If you want to go and find peace … go there.”
A Vision in Green Photograph by MATHIEU RIVRIN Foamy waves, agitated by European storm Ruzica, swell around the Tévennec lighthouse in Brittany, France. Local lore complements this moody scene—the lighthouse is believed to be haunted. The image does possess a phenomenal quality, according to Your Shot photographer Mathieu Rivrin: “When we went there, the light was divine, bringing a touch of green to the magnificent Iroise [Sea] for what remains one of my favorite pictures [of] the storm.”
Working in Circles Photograph by HOÀNG THÁI Bunches of Lepironia articulata, also known as gray sedge, are laid out to dry in the Mekong Delta village of Phù Mỹ in Vietnam’s Kiên Giang Province. Villagers here have been harvesting Lepironia for hundreds of years, using it to make baskets, mats, bags, and other handicrafts.
Above the Clouds Photograph by Christopher Markisz In a long-exposure photograph, waves of fog appear to engulf a neighborhood in Mill Valley, California. Your Shot photographer Christopher Markisz created this image from the top of Mount Tamalpais, a 2,500-foot peak that is the namesake of the state park in Marin County.
Sun and Sand Photograph by MOUSSA IDRISSI "In the sand dunes south of Merzouga, a village in southern Morocco, Your Shot photographer Moussa Idrissi came upon a “hypnotic moment”—a meeting with a nomad guiding his caravan of camels as the sun dipped below the horizon. Finding himself “with … good company,” Idrissi writes that he could not miss the opportunity to capture all of these elements.
After fall of Sakura Photograph by Danilo Dungo After less than a week cherry blossoms start to fall.
