November 21, 2017
Lady of Gion
An apprentice geisha, called a maiko, waits in a doorway in Kyoto's teahouse district of Gion. Maiko train in the arts of traditional entertainment for up to five years, becoming a full-fledged geisha around the age of 20.
November 17, 2017
Fox and Ice
"I wanted to photograph the rare blue morph species of arctic foxes in their harsh winter environment," says Your Shot photographer Sonalini Khetrapal. "To photograph these miraculously tough animals, I went to the uninhabited Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in northern Iceland. I captured my dream image as she stared straight at me, making fleeting eye contact, while we both braced ourselves against the roaring winds."
November 13, 2017
River of Fire
In Takayama, Japan, an annual tradition involves a temporary bridge and a lot of handheld fireworks. The festival happens every August 9th, and asks for a year of happiness and good fortune.
November 11, 2017
Bonfire Night
Every November 5th, Brits celebrate Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night. It commemorates the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when an attempt to blow up the House of Lords was foiled. Celebrations include bonfires and fireworks, and the biggest celebration of all happens in the town of Lewes, shown here.
November 7, 2017
Top of the Täschhorn
A climber stands atop the jagged peak of the Täschhorn in the Swiss Alps. Your Shot photographer Ben Tibbetts was in the same group that climbed the 14,734-foot tall mountain. "We set off under a fine starry sky," but before it even got light it started snowing... making for a long day out.
November 6, 2017
Flamingo Season
Every year, Kenya's Lake Bogoria receives an influx of tourists between late August and early October. But the visitors aren't people—they're flamingos. Hundreds of thousands of lesser flamingos flock to the low waters of Lake Bogoria before the rainy season begins. During that period, the area is home to the largest flock of lesser flamingos in the world.
October 30, 2017
Sunlit Dive
Sunlight shines into the water as a diver swims in a cenote in Mexico. "It's an amazing and unique experience in the life of a underwater photographer," says Your Shot photographer Fabrice Guerin. "The mysticism, beauty, and exuberance of these underwater landscapes make me feel like I discovered another world."
October 29, 2017
To the Island
The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge connects Awaji Island to Honshu, the largest Japanese island. The bridge is almost 2.5 miles long, and approximately 23,000 cars cross it each day.
October 27, 2017
Monastery in the Mist
Near the town of Kalambaka, Greece, six Eastern Orthodox monasteries are built on top of a series of tall rock formations called the Meteora. Pictured here is the Roussanou Monastery, which was founded sometime in the mid-16th century. Today, a small group of nuns resides there.
October 25, 2017
Seeing Double
Your Shot photographer Øyvind Blomstereng says he waited for years to get this photo in his hometown of Trondheim, Norway. "There was a full moon and low pressure outside the coastline of my part of Norway," he explains. "Normally there is a distance from the wharves to the river ... not this morning."
October 24, 2017
Look Up
While driving through Northern California, Your Shot photographer Josh Heidebrecht experienced a moment of photographic serendipity after he and his friend pulled over to see what they could find in the grove. "While searching, a squirrel briefly chattered above me, causing me to look straight up," he remembers. "Luckily I had my wide-angle lens with me so I could capture this perspective of the partially burnt redwoods towering above us in an eerie silence."
October 23, 2017
Mermaid Parade
Since 1983, Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, has thrown a Mermaid Parade as a celebration of the start of summer. More than 1,500 people dress in elaborate, artistic costumes, traveling through the neighborhood and along the boardwalk. In this photograph, a participant poses for a portrait.
August 29, 2017
Morning Rooftops
Day begins in Varanasi, the holiest city in India for Hindus. Located on the banks of the holy river Ganges, millions of pilgrims visit each year to bathe in the sacred waters. "Being the oldest continuously inhabited city in India, Varanasi is chaotic and colorful, intense and frenetic," says Your Shot photographer Yan Li. "Although it is the holiest place for Hindus, the daily life of locals has no difference compared to ours."
May 30, 2017
Morning Grind
Skateboarders start their day on a ramp in Los Angeles. Your Shot photographer Corban Lundborg says that for him, skateboarding is more than a hobby: "The traffic jams in Los Angeles cause many to look for alternative modes of transportation."
Photograph By Corban Lundborg, National Geographic Your Shot
May 29, 2017
Hello, Spring
A bird inspects the offerings of a cherry tree before all the blossoms are in full bloom. Every spring, the iconic trees, known as sakura, usher in Japan's busiest tourist season.
May 27, 2017
Follow the Leader
A goatherd treks through the snow in Beysehir, Turkey. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, there are 65.5 million goats and sheep in Turkey-- which works out to about 215 goats per square mile.
May 26, 2017
Bearing the Load
In Bangladesh, a worker in a brickyard carries stacks of bricks out from the kiln. The nation is growing rapidly, and the need for construction materials is constant.
May 25, 2017
A Swarm of Sharks
Your Shot photographer Kimberly Jeffries was scuba diving in the Galápagos Islands when dozens of scalloped hammerhead sharks began swimming above her. "Without the use of video lights or strobes it was challenging to shoot straight up," she recalls, "but we didn't want to disturb the sharks with flashes. It's beautiful to witness nature in its untouched and wild form like this."
May 24, 2017
Dreaming in Green
A fruit vendor naps after her lunch in the Kothapet market near Hyderabad, India. The Kothapet fruit market is the largest of its kind in the whole state of Telangana.
May 23, 2017
Misty Mountains
Your Shot photographer Karsten Hoenack says that he was "totally overwhelmed" by the beauty of this mountain chain in Coahuila, Mexico. "Mexico is one of those countries which surprises you around every corner," he says. After this sight, he remembers, "Minutes later Monterrey City appeared. Fantastic how close to a big city such a beautiful landscape can be."
