Evening Commute
Photograph by Robin Hammond, National Geographic

The entrepreneurial fervor of the Nigerian capital of Lagos has made that country’s economy the most vibrant in Africa. Here, vans crowd into Idumota Market on Lagos Island to pick up workers returning home to the mainland, where most Lagosians live.

Sunlit Cenote
Photograph by Terry Steeley, National Geographic Your Shot

“Timed right, diving a cenote can be a truly magical experience, hugely rewarding and unlike most other scuba adventures,” writes Terry Steeley, a member of our Your Shot community who dove on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. “I had dived many times at the Taj Mahal cenote, but today was different: Navigating my way through the tunnels to Bill’s Hole provided a real treat. The intimately lit cavern layered against energetically dancing light beams was breathtaking. Indeed, a very special dive.”

Incoming Flight
Photograph by Klaus Nigge, National Geographic

Two bald eagles aim for the same post in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. According to Klaus Nigge, who wrote the January 2015 National Geographic story “First Bird,” the one that lands first in such squabbles usually vacates the perch in order to avoid being raked by the incoming bird’s open talons.

Double Vision
Photograph by Stéphane Scotto, National Geographic Your Shot

Kayakers navigate a watery fairway on the Bay of Arcachon in southwestern France. Your Shot member Stéphane Scotto was shooting aerial images from an ultralight motorized plane while the subject of a TV segment about his work on the bay. “The tide was changing, and I saw these two kayaks,” he writes. “[The scene] looked like an iris in which clouds were reflected."

'Pine Needles
Photograph by Heather Allen, National Geographic Your Shot

“The lines of the quills were perfect, forming a Fibonacci curl from the nose right to the end of the quill,” writes Your Shot member Heather Allen of this porcupine photographed on the Oregon coast. “I just loved the light hitting the top quills, setting off its face. The final [bit of] luck was that he lifted his head and looked right at me.”

From the Top
Photograph by Hendra Gunawan, National Geographic Your Shot

Sulphur streaks the rocky, lake-filled Ijen crater in East Java, Indonesia. Your Shot member Hendra Gunawan captured this shot after climbing to the crater in the early hours of the morning. “I went to the top,” he says, “and found a beauty I cannot write in words.”

Salar de Uyuni Sunrise
Photograph by Hideki Mizuta, National Geographic Your Shot

“No wind, no sound—it was a very calm morning,” writes Hideki Mizuta, a member of our Your Shot community who captured this image at Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni. “I joined a sunrise tour at 2 a.m., first seeing a star-filled sky, and then early in the morning, around 5 a.m., this scene appeared through the window of the car. I ran out in a hurry. It was an amazing view that I couldn’t put into words. I thought, I want this scene all to myself, and walked away from people and took this photo in absolute silence.”

Ashura in Bijar
Photograph by امیر بهروزی, National Geographic Your Shot

Shiite Muslims in Bijar, Iran, mourn during the first ten days of the Islamic month of Muharram, the first month of the lunar-based Islamic calendar. On the tenth day, or Ashura, Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Hussein, a grandson of Muhammad.

Air Traffic
Photograph by Takashi, National Geographic Your Shot

Paragliders stipple the sky above Japan’s Mount Fuji in this picture by Your Shot member Takashi, who writes: “I was shooting from behind the takeoff field so as not to get in the way. I [waited for] the moment when many paragliders gathered in the direction of the mountain—and got this shot.”

Horses in the Highlands
Photograph by Charlotte Goss, National Geographic Your Shot

“A great cloud of dust formed in the distance as we drove through the deserted Icelandic highlands,” writes Your Shot member Charlotte Goss. “We stopped the car and seized our cameras as the herd of Icelandic horses sped toward us. They watched us as we watched them, each of us surprised by the others’ presence. It was over in seconds, yet forever frozen with a single click.”

 

Twin Peaks
Photograph by Artur Stanisz, National Geographic Your Shot

Emerging from behind a snowstorm, morning sunlight strikes the distinctive double peaks of Mount Asgard on Baffin Island in Canada’s Nunavut Territory. Your Shot member Artur Stanisz spent two weeks on a solo expedition to the island, hiking 124 miles across the Arctic landscape. He captured this photo in Auyuittuq National Park. “I had hiked across the Turner Glacier, where I set up my camp and spent the next few days exploring the area and looking for the best photo compositions,” he writes. “On this particular morning, the weather changing from snowstorm to clear sky created a spectacular light show.”

Between Takes
Photograph by Roark Nelson, National Geographic Your Shot

Dancers get into position before a photo shoot at the Walla Walla Dance Company in Washington State. “I wanted to document the direction that the teachers gave the dancers,” writes Roark Nelson, a member of our Your Shot community. “With ballet, the photo can have perfect lighting and composition, but the dancers also need to have perfect form.”

Misty Mandalay
Photograph by Toshi Miyamoto, National Geographic Your Shot

“It was freezing cold for southern California,” writes Your Shot member Toshi Miyamoto, who attempted to keep his triplets entertained while awaiting the inevitable beauty of sunset over a beach shrouded in mist. He had been driving with his wife and children along Mandalay Beach in Oxnard when he saw the scene’s potential. “I knew that day’s sunset was going to be a special one. We had an amazing time playing there.”

Sky Dive
Photograph by Matthew Trabold, National Geographic Your Shot

A member of the University of Miami diving team is captured mid-arc against a partly cloudy South Florida sky. Your Shot member Matthew Trabold, a student photographer at the university’s newspaper, chose the event for his first assignment. “One of the great things about shooting in Miami is that you can almost always count on incredible clouds rolling in at some time during the day,” he writes. “I wanted to capture the contrast between the diver and the clouds, as well as emphasize the incredible height of the diving platform.”

Fiery Flyby
Photograph by Baldur Sveinsson, National Geographic Your Shot

“Every Icelander has watched this from the day that the earthquakes under the Bárðarbunga volcano on the Vatnajökull glacier started,” writes Your Shot member Baldur Sveinsson, a retired teacher who’s been photographing aircraft for the past 40 years, the most exciting part of which, he says, is photographing from another aircraft. “A pilot friend of mine wanted to have a look at the eruption, which is about an hour from Reykjavík. We weren’t able to find any other aircraft to accompany us but decided to go anyway, as there are almost always some in the vicinity for sightseeing. We found one doing its passes from north to south. It’s at least 300 meters [984 feet] in front of the lava spout.”

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Photograph by Gleb Tarro, National Geographic Your Shot

The Cuernos (Horns) del Paine grab the early morning light in Chile's wild Torres del Paine National Park. Once the haunt of a few stalwart climbers, the park now draws more than 100,000 visitors a year.

The City of Love
Photograph by Brian Hammonds, National Geographic Your Shot

The City of Love spreads around the Eiffel Tower, seen here from the Montparnasse Tower. For many, Paris is synonymous with love itself. The city has been home to such timeless pairs as sculptors Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel and writers Anaïs Nin and Henry Miller.

Northern Lights in Lofoten Islands, Norway
Photograph by Felix Inden, National Geographic Your Shot

The northern lights glow over Skagsanden beach in Norway’s remote Lofoten Islands. Located in the Norwegian Sea north of the Arctic Ocean, Lofoten is especially popular in summer, when the sun never sets.

Tianmen Mountain, China
Photograph by Reuters

Frost rimes a walkway—and the greenery surrounding it—on Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China. The bridge connects with an all-glass walkway that hugs the mountain some 4,700 feet above sea level.

Trollstigen Road in Norway
Photograph by Christoph Schaarschmidt, National Geographic Your Shot

One car’s slow progress creates a trail of light along Trollstigen, a famously serpentine mountain road in western Norway, in this time exposure. The road’s 11 hairpin turns create exhilarating driving conditions—and several turnoffs provide photographers with a perfect view.

Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire, England
Photograph by Matt Cardy, Getty Images

The nave in Salisbury Cathedral appears to go on forever. The medieval church inspired the fictional Kingsbridge cathedral in Ken Follett’s novel The Pillars of the Earth. It holds the best preserved copy of the Magna Carta—the 1215 charter of citizens’ rights familiar to every civics student. Near the cathedral, stallholders selling hog roasts, honey, olives, and English wines gather for the Charter Market, held twice weekly since the 13th century.

Blue Lagoon, Iceland
Photograph by Cultura Travel/Henn Photography/Getty Images

The famously bright waters of Iceland's geothermal Blue Lagoon, near Reykjavik, lure visitors wishing for a warm and healing soak. Water from a nearby geothermal power plant is pumped over a lava bed rich in silica and sulfur, creating the mineral-rich basin.

Municipal Law Library, Munich
Photograph by Toby Binder, Anzenberger/Redux

There's nothing drab about Munich's municipal law library at New City Hall (Neues Rathaus). Open to the public, the library features sumptuous wood, a spiral staircase, and ornate railings that recall winding vines. New City Hall, built in mock-Gothic style in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, anchors Marienplatz, the center of city life in Munich.

Mont Blanc, France
Photograph by Daniel Rolider, National Geographic Your Shot

Sheep graze on a lush hillside in central France, close to the Swiss border. The area's mountains and crystalline lakes attract visitors year-round; trekkers tackle the Tour de Mont Blanc, a long-distance walk that winds around Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe.

Usery Mountain Regional Park, Arizona
Photograph by Dustin George, National Geographic Your Shot

Cactuses dominate the landscape at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Arizona, 25 miles east of Phoenix. One of seven desert parks in Maricopa County, Usery's hiking trails and caves are popular with visitors.

Stockholm, Sweden
Photograph by Alyssa E., National Geographic Your Shot

Stockholm's Gamla Stan (Old Town) neighborhood has colorful buildings and side streets perfect for exploring. The Swedish capital, equally historic and trendy, counts among its treasures more than a hundred museums and attractions, the Nobel Prize ceremonies, and Europe's largest royal palace.

Twelve Apostles, Australia
Photograph by Patrick Love, Redux

Rising from the sea near Port Campbell are the Twelve Apostles, a series of dramatic rock pillars that are the most famous landmarks along Australia's Great Ocean Road. Stretching from Torquay some 150 miles to Warrnambool, the road offers a mix of scenery: long sandy beaches, miles of rugged cliffs, messes of wildflowers, and pretty fishing ports.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Photography Jassen T., National Geographic Your Shot

The peaks of the Teton Range, regal and imposing as they stand nearly 7,000 feet above the valley floor, make one of the boldest geologic statements in the Rockies. A string of jewel-like lakes, fed by mountain streams, are set tightly against the steep foot of the mountains.

Siena, Italy
Photograph by Massimiliano Sechi, National Geographic Your Shot

Siena’s Torre del Mangia campanile rises above the courtyard in the town square’s Palazzo Pubblico. The palace, which was built beginning in 1297, originally housed the government and is famous for its frescoes.

Table Mountain, South Africa
Photograph by Brendon Wainwright, National Geographic Your Shot

One of Africa's most famous landmarks, Table Mountain has welcomed seafarers to South Africa for centuries. The sandstone mountain is some two miles wide and 3,500 feet high, offering magnificent views of Table Bay, Robben Island, and the Cape Town metro area, which completely encircles it.

Fukushima, Japan
Photograph by Noby Thai, National Geographic Your Shot

A local train makes its way over a scenic bridge in Japan's Fukushima Prefecture on Honshu Island. Much of the country sees snow in winter, with the northernmost island of Hokkaido receiving the most.

Reindeer Herder, Mongolia
Photograph by Pascal Mannaerts, National Geographic Your Shot

Your Shot photo community member Pascal Mannaerts took this picture of a reindeer herder near Lake Khovsgol in northern Mongolia. "Meeting them after several days of horse riding through the taiga and snow at times was unforgettable," Mannaerts writes.

Campbell Island, New Zealand
Photograph by Douglas Gimesy, National Geographic Your Shot

No one lives on remote Campbell Island, a 44-square-mile piece of land 400 miles south of New Zealand. Though unsettled by humans, the island is extremely popular with birds—albatrosses come to the mountainous island in huge numbers every year to nest.

Surigao City, Philippines
Photograph by Janos Leo Andanar, National Geographic Your Shot

A market in Surigao City, Philippines, bustles with business. The city sits on the northernmost tip of Mindanao Island, the agricultural heart of the country.

Sangihe Islands, Indonesia
Photograph by eyevine/Redux

A snorkeler explores the clear waters around the Sangihe Islands in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Perched in the Pacific between the Molucca and Celebes Seas, the Sangihes offer unspoiled beaches and rich coral reefs.

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Brooklyn Bridge
Photograph by Fahim Rahman, National Geographic Your Shot

Rain doesn't stop pedestrians from crossing the famed Brooklyn Bridge, which connects the borough to Manhattan. One of the engineering marvels of the 19th century, it was the world's first steel suspension bridge and is said to have inspired both architect Frank Lloyd Wright and artist Georgia O'Keefe.

Underside of an Antarctica Iceberg
Photograph by Alex Cornell

A passenger on a recent National Geographic Expedition to Antarctica took this rare photo of the vast underside of an iceberg. Alex Cornell, traveling in December with his family, was in a Zodiac boat when they neared the iceberg. "We saw thousands of icebergs, of course, but only one revealed its gorgeous underside—the 90 percent below the surface you hear so much about," he says. "Icebergs are typically white, like you see in pictures. This one had recently flipped over and had this arresting alien green color to it. It looked a lot more like a parked spacecraft than a floating iceberg." Cornell took this photo with a 16-35mm lens on a Canon 5D Mark II, but says anyone could have gotten the shot. "I was just lucky to be there to snap it," he says. "It's exciting to me that we can still be captivated by a picture of ice sitting in water—no exploding rainbows, grumpy cats, or backflips necessary."

Havana, Cuba
Photograph by The New York Times/Redux

Máquinas—"machines," what Cubans call the old cars that are ubiquitous in Havana—brighten the street in front of a once grand building, now declining charmingly in the tropical air. Hampered by the U.S. embargo and the collapse of the U.S.S.R. in 1991, Cuba's economy has floundered.

Santa Marta, Colombia
Photograph by Fausto Giaccone, Anzenberger/Redux

A departing storm leaves the streets wet near the cathedral in Santa Marta, Colombia. A major port, Santa Marta is the third largest city in the country.

Ginnie Springs, Florida
Photograph by David Doubilet, National Geographic

Brown and blue blend as water from Ginnie Springs mixes with Santa Fe River water naturally tinted by plant tannins. Popular with divers, Ginnie is part of Florida's vast labyrinth of freshwater springs, which honeycombs the northern half of the state.