2010 National Geographic Photography Contest Galleries

Nature Gallery—Week 8

View the winning shots in the People, Places, and Nature categories. Plus, browse weekly galleries.

Giraffe Tongues

Photo and caption by Samantha Zellmer

This picture was taken at Miami Metro Zoo (FL) at the giraffe feeding station. Their tongues are so wild; I had my father feed them so I could get a shot.
Starfish

Photo and caption by stephan kotas

Starfish in the shallow water on the beautiful beaches of Belitung island, Indonesia.
Symbiosis

Photo and caption by Juan Rubiano

The nature is beautiful in all seasons. His actors are always there. Embrach, Switzerland, April 2010.

Camera Nikon D300, program manual, exposure 1/80, aperture f/5.6, focal length 300mm. Original size 7.94 MB JPEG – 25.4 MB RAW. My works do not contain any retouching, any revised editions or arrangements by computer (no photoshop, no HDR). I do not edit the photos on the camera. I work only with the camera before of the shot. I do not use polarized filters on the lenses. Juan Rubiano
The happy goat

Photo and caption by Bharat Bindal

While trekking from Mcleodganj to Triund, I heard something following me. I turned and to my relief it was a goat. It walked right up to me. I moved a step back and it moved a step forward. I began clicking away as we continued playing this game and I was lucky to capture this very funny expression.

Taken in Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. September '09
Emerald Sea

Photo and caption by Todd Mintz

Bull kelp bulb floating on the surface of the Pacific Northwest ocean. The morning light angle highlighted the vibrant emerald colour of the ocean.
Colorful Raptor

Photo and caption by Glen Hush

This Kestrel was fixated on it's prey below allowing me to get close enough to capture a colorful image.
Boise Sunrise

Photo and caption by Glen Hush

With the fog and morning light this looks like a place I’d love to be. If you look very closely, you can see a deer in a clearing in the lower left area of the picture.
Praying Mantis - Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii

Photo and caption by Fred Turck

This beautiful whalbergii evolved through two of it's nymph-stages on the Barberton Daisy at left, surviving because of it's bright colour which blended so well with the flower. Towards the end of it's growth into an adult, it became a little more adventurous (but not much more) as pictured here. Once it had shed the layer in this picture, it bacame a fully-fledged adult, and departed after about two weeks. Total stay in this tiny ecosystem was approximately six weeks
Pure elements

Photo and caption by Olafur Ragnarsson

I drove my 4x4 over rivers to get a view of the Volcano eruption at "fimmvorduhals" in Iceland. It was full moon and strong winds giving me problem standing still outside the truck. I had my camera with me and zoom lens but no tripod, suddenly there was a magical moment, I was experiencing a display ofnature rarely seen by man. I found my camera with the zoom lens, rushed out of the truck, trying to stand the strong wind I pushed the camera on to the hood of the truck trying to stand still, holding my breath I shot 30 frames, and only one shot was good.
Piercing through the armor

Photo and caption by João Burini

Even with its scaley protection, this lizard (Enyalius iheringii) was not immune to the mosquitoes. This scene was seen during a nocturnal outing in the atlantic rainforest on Brazil.
Robins

Photo and caption by Carl Lukasewich

I spotted a robin chick hopping around in my back yard so I decided to snap some photos of it. I managed to get quite a few but the mother would always put herself between me and her baby. Even though the mother is out of focus she is what makes this capture special. She's the unexpected yet omnipresent force protecting the young one.
Peekaboo i see you

Photo and caption by Williams Perera

Nesting Burrowing Owl in South Florida.
Peaceful Curiosity

Photo and caption by Linda Drish

Peaceful Curiosity
Evander The Wild Boar

Photo and caption by Greg Matthews

For this shot I wore full camo and had to sneak through some wet marsh just before sunrise. I was able to get within 25 feet of this wild boar and had to wait for the lighting to be just right. I got 3 good shots before the shutter noise spooked him and he ran off, luckily in the opposite direction.
I named him Evander after Evander Holyfield due to the fact he was missing a large portion of his left ear.
Dawn Zebras

Photo and caption by Christopher Booth

A herd of zebra pictured as dawn broke in Amboseli national park, Kenya.
Growing Concerns

Photo and caption by Joseph Nguyen

California State Route 14 - Los Angeles light pollution "glow" viewed from roughly 100 miles away in the vicinity of Mojave, CA. Light trails are from a single big rig heading Southbound CA-14. The Milky Way competes to remain radiant above its growing adversary while stars trail with the Earth's rotation. With the continuing expansion of Los Angeles and its ever growing light pollution, the visibility of Milky Way will be further limited to the unaided eye.
Giraffes at savannah

Photo and caption by Niko Saunio

Unusual perspectival shot depicting two giraffes and a tree in Masai Mara, Kenya.
Goodbye, its time to fly. The Kea Parrot.

Photo and caption by Alan Smith

The Kea Parrot, found in the Southern Alps of New Zealand and is known as the only alpine parrot species. As an endangered species, with only several thousand remaining in the world, I was fortunate to find this one resting on the rail of the Muller Hut while hiking around Mt. Cook in New Zealand.
Chalten night sky

Photo and caption by David Gary

December 2009
north atlantic seals enduring winter storm

Photo and caption by eric garnett

it was already -1 and with a strong wind it was colder still had to postion my self so as to sheild the camera from the wind to keep the image sharp the snow was being blown horizentaly away from me
Itsy Bitsy Spider ...

Photo and caption by Tim DiMacchia

Capturing this Itsy Bitsy Spider was performed at night as it was spinning its web.
Amazing nature

Photo and caption by Roberto Giostri

From the cockpit of a B747 at 07:40 in the morning approaching Dubai International Airport, all I had was my iphone camera!
Arctic Sculpture

Photo and caption by Kevin O'Connell

This was taken in Antarctica of pressure ridges over the ocean. This is caused from many feet of ice and snow being formed over the ocean and with changes in temperature the ice expands and cracks, causing large pieces of ice to jet out creating beautiful natural ice sculptures. This is also very dangerous to be round because it also causes crevasse's that you can fall in leading many feet to the ocean below.
Contemplation

Photo and caption by Lawrence Smith

We were in the Bwindi National Forest in Uganda, in search of the endangered Mountain Gorilla. After 3 hours of heavy hiking, through dense jungle, we spotted a group of gorillas. This gorilla looked as if he was pondering the world and everything which was happening. Though they are wild, and you need to keep your distance, sometimes they let you approach.
Reflections Of Flight

Photo and caption by Kenneth Erick Pearson

This photo was taken 1/11/09 at sunrise on the Santa Monica Pier.
In from the shadow comes light

Photo and caption by Michelle Gray

This picture was taken in the Ngorongoro Crater. I was struggling with my camero trying to figure out the best way to capture in such dull light when we came upon him. I have never seen anything so majestic as this male elephant. As if by magic the sky opened just a bit to let the sun come through and shine on him, and thus my struggle was over. When I look at this picture I'm in awe, and a little weepy.
Snow Monkeys

Photo and caption by Mary-Lou Emmert

Snow Monkeys bathing in the hot springs in Jigokudani Japan
A person is simply awe-struck watching the monkeys going about their daily lives. The youngsters playing, the adults socializing and de-lousing one another. Resting, holding onto the sides of the pool.
Herring Gull with Guillemot Chick

Photo and caption by Ron McCombe

Taken on the Farne Islands, Northumberland, UK, the herring gull circled around the guillemot colony three or four times before dropping in and picking up this chick with the guillemot colony watching.