National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Bighorn Sheep

Bighorn Sheep Photo, Animal Wallpaper – National Geographic Photo of the Day

Photograph by Trish Carney, My Shot

Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn sheep react to a coyote in the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park.

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Brown Bear

Brown Bear Photo, Animal Picture – National Geographic Photo of the Day

Photograph by Zahoor Salmi, My Shot

Brown Bear
The awe-inspiring brown bear lives in the forests and mountains of northern North America, Europe, and Asia. It is the most widely distributed bear in the world.

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National Geographic Traveler - Photo Sharing - Burchell's Zebra (Botswana)

Animal Migrations Photos -- National Geographic Traveler

Photograph by Beverly Joubert, National Geographic Stock

Burchell's Zebra (Botswana)
When zebras move to fresh feeding grounds, their stripes help protect them from predators as long as they stick together—making them indistinguishable as individual animals. 

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Flying Fox (Australia)

Animal Migrations Photos -- National Geographic Traveler

Photograph by KEO Films

Flying Fox (Australia)
Little red flying foxes (aka fruit bats) blot the sky in the search for eucalyptus blossoms. While roosting in trees (below), mothers will wrap their young in their wings.

National Geographic Traveler - Photo Sharing - Albatross (Falkland Islands)

Animal Migrations Photos -- National Geographic Traveler

Photograph by NGT

Albatross (Falkland Islands)
September–October
Black-browed albatrosses alight on these rugged shores to nest before returning to the seas for months of feasting. Close Encounters: The largest colonies roost on Steeple Jason and Beauchene Islands. Lindblad Expeditions stops at the privately owned West Point Island.

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Flamingos, Kenya

Flamingos Photo, Animal Picture – National Geographic Photo of the Day

Photograph by Gina Pflegervu, My Shot

Flamingos, Kenya
A flamingo is captured in flight at Lake Nakura National Park in Kenya.

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Samburu Wedding, Kenya

Photo Gallery: How to Take Photos of People in Places -- National Geographic

Photograph by Michael Nichols, National Geographic

Samburu Wedding, Kenya
In keeping with tradition, Samburu families arrange marriages for their daughters when they’re as young as ten. The entire community celebrates during several days of elaborate ceremonies designed to counteract superstitions and bring the new couple good luck.

National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Henna Hands, India

Photo Gallery: How to Take Photos of People in Places -- National Geographic

Henna Hands, India
The hands of a woman in Jaipur are covered with mehndi patterns painted with henna. Trendy in recent years, the lacework decorations are part of a 5,000-year-old tradition of creating designs to ward off evil or declare one’s happiness.

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Cowboy Hats

Photo Gallery: How to Take Photos of People in Places -- National Geographic

Photograph by Priscilla Pompa, My Shot

Cowboy Hats
A girl wears several hats in the town of Humahuaca in northern Argentina, where people revere the traditions of their rugged ancestors.

National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Mambukal Mudpack Festival

Photo Gallery: How to Take Photos of People in Places -- National Geographic

Photograph by Alfonso Lizares, My Shot

Mambukal Mudpack Festival
Held at the height of monsoon season, the Mambukal Mudpack Festival in Murcia, Negros Occidental, celebrates the harmony of man and nature and encourages environmentalism among young people. To get in the spirit, participants cover themselves with the rich soil known as Mambukal clay.

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Woman With Cat

Photo Gallery: How to Take Photos of People in Places -- National Geographic

Photograph by Daniel Gautreau, My Shot

Woman With Cat
A colorful Havana woman enjoys an enormous cigar. The smokes are one of Cuba’s defining symbols—“Havanas” are renowned worldwide and have special cache among many aficionados in America, where their import remains illegal.

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Winter Landscape, Germany

Simply Beautiful Photographs, Tips on Composing Photographs, Gallery – National Geographic

Photograph by Norbert Rosing, National Geographic

Winter Landscape, Germany
Balance and geometry play a crucial role in successful composition. In this elegant, simple image by Norbert Rosing, we see a strong leading line—the road—as well as delicate elements that are placed in perfect geometric balance. Notice how many triangles can be found within this frame, formed by light and shadow and the placement of the subjects.

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Tree-Lined Driveway, Mississippi

Simply Beautiful Photographs, Tips on Composing Photographs, Gallery – National Geographic

Photograph by Sam Abell, National Geographic

Tree-Lined Driveway, Mississippi
This photograph by Sam Abell, which charms with its rich colors, is actually a study in geometry. The composition is symmetrical, with the road running directly down the center of the arching trees. The twin rows of trees and flowers contain a series of triangles and leading lines that draw us through the composition.

National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Plum Tree, China

Simply Beautiful Photographs, Tips on Composing Photographs, Gallery – National Geographic

Photograph by Raymond Gehman, National Geographic

Plum Tree, China
This elegant image by Raymond Gehman is a perfect example of the compositional Rule of Thirds, best understood by imagining a tic-tac-toe grid placed over the photograph. Balance within a photograph is often achieved by placing the strong elements along those grid lines, with the very strongest at the intersection of the lines. This photograph is beautiful for many reasons, but the balance created by the placement of the tree against the colors of the wall is perfection.

National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Garden Party, United Kingdom

Simply Beautiful Photographs, Tips on Composing Photographs, Gallery – National Geographic

Photograph by Jodi Cobb, National Geographic

Garden Party, United Kingdom
Sometimes the patterns within a composition are more important than the subject matter itself. We barely notice the individuals in this photograph by Jodi Cobb because we are so drawn to the pattern of umbrellas and top hats and the occasional pop of red in the composition.

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Tango, South America

Simply Beautiful Photographs, Tips on Composing Photographs, Gallery – National Geographic

Photograph by Pablo Corral Vega, National Geographic

Tango, South America
Using a wide-angle lens is a good tool for creating dynamic compositions. With the main subject usually up-close, and right in front of the frame, a wide-angle perspective also allows for an intriguing background to add to the scene. This terrific photograph by Pablo Corral-Vega shows this technique perfectly. We are immediately drawn to the passion of the couple in the foreground. Then we get a second picture of a street scene in which the people seem oblivious to the intimacy of the dancers.

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Smiling Girl

Smiling Girl Photo, Picture - National Geographic Photo of the Day

Photograph by Catherine Whitford

Smiling Girl
My friend's daughter is a ham, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time. Cassidy likes to make a heart shape with her hands and peek.

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Lion, South Africa

Photo of the Day: Best Pictures of February 2010, Gallery - National Geographic

Photograph by Barbara Motter

Lion, South Africa
This South African lion looks a bit grouchy, but he was actually yawning. His yawning caused a chain reaction of yawns from every member of the pride. Are you yawning yet?

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National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Carved Rooftop

Petra, Jordan Photos - National Geographic

Photograph by Annie Griffiths Belt

Carved Rooftop
Reclining on a rooftop carved two millennia ago, a Bedouin surveys the realm of the Nabataeans, whose ancient capital beckons from the sands of southern Jordan. Forgotten for centuries, Petra still echoes with mysteries of the past; this immense building, Al Deir (the Monastery), was probably a Nabataean shrine.
—From “Petra: Ancient City of Stone,” December 1998, National Geographic Magazine

National Geographic - Photo Sharing - Patten Pond, Maine

Photo of the Day: Best Pictures of August 2010, Gallery - National Geographic

Photograph by Christine Guinness

Patten Pond, Maine
"My daughter and her friend were flipping their hair, and I started taking photos and was delighted with the result. We are at the lovely Patten Pond in Maine in the summer of 2009."—Christine Guinness