National Geographic Photo of the Day

Thinking about discontinuing this blog because some other blog is doing the same thing…whether...

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:27:24 -0400

Thinking about discontinuing this blog because some other blog is doing the same thing…whether they came before or after me, they’re getting much more reblogs and followers, so what’s the point…they’re better at getting the photos out there.

In the meantime, please check out my other general photo blog, HERE.

A glacial remnant boulder is surrounded by grassland in...

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:25:00 -0400

A glacial remnant boulder is surrounded by grassland in Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Park in South Dakota. A growing number of tribes across the United States are making moves to bring back land crushed over generations of human use.

Photograph by Jack Dykinga

Radiant at sunrise, the Matterhorn towers over Riffel Lake near...

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 22:15:45 -0400

Radiant at sunrise, the Matterhorn towers over Riffel Lake near Zermatt, Switzerland.

Photograph by Verena Popp-Hackner

It rains almost every afternoon in the sunshine state. I work...

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:58:57 -0400

It rains almost every afternoon in the sunshine state. I work in a strip mall and left work to threatening, but beautiful, skies. I put on a long lens, intending to shoot only these treetops and sky. It immediately poured rain, forcing me into the car. What a blessing. I used the long lens and focused on the rain-covered windshield. It lessened the depth of field, adding to image distortion, eliminating strip mall clutter, and creating an image with the feel of a Florida afternoon thunderstorm.

Photograph by Michael Roberts

This fragile poppy looked rather strong against the wind in a...

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 21:52:19 -0400

This fragile poppy looked rather strong against the wind in a large wheat field just outside the city center of Geneva, Switzerland.

Photograph by Gulen Erendag Legrand

Pockets of eroded earth create leaf shapes in the landscape in...

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:46:20 -0400

Pockets of eroded earth create leaf shapes in the landscape in Madagascar. Erosion is one of the long-term consequences of forests plundered for the illicit rosewood trade.

Photograph by Pascal Maitre

On the remote Hermit’s Trail off the South Rim of the Grand...

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:07:00 -0400

On the remote Hermit’s Trail off the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, a rare occurrence of rain brings joy to a cold November day.

Photograph by Akshay Sateesh

Half a million sandhill cranes pause on the Platte River in...

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:17:03 -0400

Half a million sandhill cranes pause on the Platte River in Nebraska to fatten up on corn waste, worms, and other food in nearby fields. The break occurs on their spring flight from Mexico and the southern U.S. to breeding grounds in the far north.

Photograph by Joel Sartore

I was on the grass flats just offshore in Key West Florida and...

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:33:14 -0400

I was on the grass flats just offshore in Key West Florida and I found myself with sharks and rays swimming close to my small boat. They stayed with me for a few minutes and then meandered away.

Photograph by Kevin Azzouz

While hiking at Jasmund National Park in northwest Germany, a...

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 13:00:33 -0400

While hiking at Jasmund National Park in northwest Germany, a rainstorm passed by and created a stunning scene! The sea was completely flat and the only thing out there was the tiny sailing boat.

Photograph by Patrick Lienin

This photo of a cowboy in Cabo San Lucas was taken at the most...

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 15:46:24 -0400

This photo of a cowboy in Cabo San Lucas was taken at the most amazing sunset; the air was extremely heavy, and the contrast of the lighting was unbelievable. I saw this cowboy coming straight at me and I knew at that point in time how to describe the beauty of Cabo San Lucas. It was not about the magnificent ocean, the calving whales, or the seals that swam from Lovers Cove to Divorce Beach. Cabo was about the beauty of the people that made this place simply remarkable.

Photograph by Brooke Krall

On this day the sun rose directly behind the active Merapi,...

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 23:44:38 -0400

On this day the sun rose directly behind the active Merapi, ”Fire Mountain,” highlighting the volcanic smoke which steadily streamed across the horizon from its uppermost region. Facing the mountain in the image is a sacred and latticed stupa of Borobudur Monument’s first upper terrace and an endearing statue of Buddha. Thick fog filled the forest and villages below, adding interesting artistic elements to the image.

Photograph by Greg Shaw

Perched high in the Peruvian Andes, the royal retreat of Machu...

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:09:00 -0400

Perched high in the Peruvian Andes, the royal retreat of Machu Picchu testifies to the Inca’s masterful building skills with its precision-cut stones and perfectly placed cascades of terraces.

Photograph by Robert Clark

Buddhist monk and kung fu master Shi Dejian (above) and his...

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:58:22 -0400

Buddhist monk and kung fu master Shi Dejian (above) and his disciples hauled bags of cement and roof tiles up steep mountain paths to build an isolated retreat (in background) away from the tourist crowds at the Shaolin Temple.

Photograph by Fritz Hoffmann

Chords of friendship bind accordionist Olesya Kamovich and...

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:20:33 -0400

Chords of friendship bind accordionist Olesya Kamovich and comrades, who meet Sundays in Sevastopol to sing.

Photograph by Gerd Ludwig

After a day of grazing in the surrounding desert, a herd of...

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:08:53 -0400

After a day of grazing in the surrounding desert, a herd of sheep and goats follow their owner to his home on the edge of Timbuktu. Founded by Tuareg herders, Timbuktu still counts the livestock trade among its primary sources of income.

Photograph by Brent Stirton

The terraced pools of mineral-laden water at Maras produce salt...

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 18:11:21 -0400

The terraced pools of mineral-laden water at Maras produce salt by evaporation, as they did in the time of the Inca. The ancient community nearby was called Kachi, “salt” in the local language.

Photograph by Robert Clark

With a vigorous quiver, an Arizona sweat bee “buzz...

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:23:27 -0400

With a vigorous quiver, an Arizona sweat bee “buzz pollinates” a deadly nightshade flower. Its vibrating body shakes free the golden dust that will feed the larvae back in the nest—and promise the plant’s DNA a future.

Photograph by Mark W. Moffett

An abandoned rail line has become an elevated park known as the...

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:18:07 -0400

An abandoned rail line has become an elevated park known as the High Line. Dense plantings at the southern end heighten the contrast with the old steel structure as well as with the cityscape. The Standard Hotel, one of three buildings that cross over the High Line, is on the right.

Photograph by Diane Cook and Len Jenshel

An expedition member walks on the cooled lava floor, turned red...

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 23:05:49 -0400

An expedition member walks on the cooled lava floor, turned red by the reflected glow of a lake, of a caldera in Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Down here you feel the volcano,” says photographer Carsten Peter. “It’s a low-frequency rumbling that pulses through your body—like being inside a giant subwoofer.”

Photograph by Carsten Peter