Photo of the Day: Best of August
Every day, we feature an image chosen from thousands around National Geographic. Here are some highlights from August.
“Pay attention,” Your Shot member Fran Virues Avila was told by the diver seen above, before he leapt into the waters off La Caleta Beach in Cádiz, Spain. “My jump will be worthy of observing.” This feels like an apt point of departure for this month’s roundup of Photo of the Day favorites. Each frame contains a moment that beckons us to pay attention, whether it be to the composition, the story being told, or the energy of life in motion.
***
A woman harvests rice from a field in Thailand in this picture by Your Shot member Sarawut Intarob. The photo was included in the final story for the recent Your Shot assignment What’s in a Frame? “This picture comes together so well,” says National Geographic photographer Stephen Alvarez, who curated the assignment. Alvarez praised the light, the woman’s expression, and the way Intarob shot through the bundled rice plants to provide a low view.
As we floated over the Dubai desert in a hot-air balloon at sunrise, I was captivated by the plays of light from the morning rays of sun over the repeating patterns of undulating dunes,” writes Your Shot member Mark Seabury. “It was like the desert was alive with motion, with sand waves mimicking the swell of the sea, extending as far as the eye could see into the distant horizon. This single tree appeared in the arid earth as a steadfast symbol of life in impossible conditions—a lone survivor in a vast ocean.”
“This picture was taken in the attic of an old house in Ferrara, Italy,” writes Your Shot member Giulia Pesarin. “The protagonist is the Italian dancer Elisa Mucchi.” Pesarin says that the shot is a continuation of a study that begins with an image in which the position of the dancer is similar. “The purpose is to represent a human body while moving and entering in relationship with the environment,” she writes. “But specifically I hide a part of [the] body … amplifying the imaginative power of the beholder.” Hiding, she says, is a catalyst for opening up new possibilities for the human imagination.
Amid the haze of toxic fumes from burning refuse in a garbage dump in Cambodia, a young garbage scavenger searches for scraps of recyclables in newly dumped loads of rubbish. “Covered in filthy rags, they were scruffy, sickly, and sad. They earned 4,000 riel ($1) a day—if they were lucky,” writes Your Shot member Yap Kh.
“This was the last picture [from] an incredible day,” writes Your Shot member Cristiano Xavier. “We saw more than 15 tornadoes.” Xavier captured this image in Simla, Colorado, stopping briefly after outrunning the storm.
Sophia’s favorite game is hide-and-seek,” writes Your Shot member Juan Carlos Osorio, who captured this picture of his daughter in Verona, New Jersey. “It was a very cloudy afternoon, but when the sun came up, I saw my wife’s shadow next to my daughter [as she asked] her to start counting so she could hide. We had a lot of fun.”
Related Topics
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- These are the weird reasons octopuses change shape and colorThese are the weird reasons octopuses change shape and color
- Why young scientists want you to care about 'scary' speciesWhy young scientists want you to care about 'scary' species
- What rising temperatures in the Gulf of Maine mean for wildlifeWhat rising temperatures in the Gulf of Maine mean for wildlife
- He’s called ‘omacha,’ a dolphin that transforms into a man. Why?He’s called ‘omacha,’ a dolphin that transforms into a man. Why?
- Behind the scenes at America’s biggest birding festivalBehind the scenes at America’s biggest birding festival
Environment
- What rising temperatures in the Gulf of Maine mean for wildlifeWhat rising temperatures in the Gulf of Maine mean for wildlife
- He’s called ‘omacha,’ a dolphin that transforms into a man. Why?He’s called ‘omacha,’ a dolphin that transforms into a man. Why?
- The northernmost flower living at the top of the worldThe northernmost flower living at the top of the world
- This beautiful floating flower is wreaking havoc on NigeriaThis beautiful floating flower is wreaking havoc on Nigeria
- What the Aral Sea might teach us about life after disasterWhat the Aral Sea might teach us about life after disaster
History & Culture
- Scientists find evidence of ancient waterway beside Egypt’s pyramidsScientists find evidence of ancient waterway beside Egypt’s pyramids
- This thriving society vanished into thin air. What happened?This thriving society vanished into thin air. What happened?
Science
- Extreme heat can be deadly – here’s how to know if you’re at riskExtreme heat can be deadly – here’s how to know if you’re at risk
- Why dopamine drives you to do hard things—even without a rewardWhy dopamine drives you to do hard things—even without a reward
- What will astronauts use to drive across the Moon?What will astronauts use to drive across the Moon?
- Oral contraceptives may help lower the risk of sports injuriesOral contraceptives may help lower the risk of sports injuries
- How stressed are you? Answer these 10 questions to find out.
- Science
How stressed are you? Answer these 10 questions to find out. - Does meditation actually work? Here’s what the science says.Does meditation actually work? Here’s what the science says.
Travel
- Going on a cruise? Here’s how to stay healthy onboardGoing on a cruise? Here’s how to stay healthy onboard
- What to see and do in Werfen, Austria's iconic destinationWhat to see and do in Werfen, Austria's iconic destination
- How to get front-row seats to an active volcano in GuatemalaHow to get front-row seats to an active volcano in Guatemala
- Urban wine is making a comeback in Paris. Here's how to try itUrban wine is making a comeback in Paris. Here's how to try it