| 2013-2-manhattan-street-sandy | | Picture of a street in Manhattan after Superstorm Sandy | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos
Hurricane Sandy swept through Manhattan, taking much of the city's power with it. I explored the streets for hours in pure darkness, trying to find any light that I could. The main source of light in the city came from first responders’ vehicles, food carts fighting the cold, and flashlights from dedicated pet owners. When this street was empty, I was unable to make out objects ten feet away.
(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day?
I like that the photographer chose to capture this scene using a long exposure. The resulting effect creates a clear juxtaposition between the dark quiet of the monolithic buildings and the vibrancy of people continuing to go about their lives. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-2-gelada-simien-mountains | | Picture of a gelada monkey in Ethiopia | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos
A moment captured during a trek in Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, in November 2012
(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day? Last month I ran a photograph of rather terrifying-looking geladas in full attack mode. The gelada here looks equally formidable, but I like the chance to focus on its beauty, especially the brilliance of the red markings on its chest. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-2-reed-frog-botswana | | Picture of a reed frog on a water lily in Botswana | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos
A reed frog blending in with a water lily awaits its meal of flies in Botswana.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I have seen many tightly composed shots of creatures on flowers, quite often beautiful and well done. What I love about this one, though, is the presence of the flies. They add an element of grit to an otherwise pristine-looking scene. Here, it’s not only about capturing the creature on the flower but also conveying the broader environment—in this case, the next meal. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-2-building-facade-detroit | | Picture of buildings seen through a facade, Detroit | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos
My earliest memories of Detroit are of the doors locking when we drove into town. I live here now, and I am trying to unlock things.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day? When I first looked at this, I thought the perfectly framed buildings in the background were reflections. Then I realized that what I thought was an intact structure is actually a facade. It’s hard to tell whether it’s a remnant of better days or a sign of new beginnings, but either way it speaks to the idea of a city at a crossroads. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-2-sunset-splash-canada | | Picture of the splash from a rock being thrown into the water in British Columbia | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos
This unedited image was taken with a tripod mounted in the Pacific Ocean during a winter sunset in White Rock, British Columbia, Canada. Taken at the moment a rock was thrown into the water.
(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I find this photograph a lot of fun—and clever. Though the elements are simple—water, sun, and a splash effect—together they create the illusion of fire. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-2-eagles-poland | | Picture of white-tailed eagles in Poland | | I took this image during my last trip to Poland, where I was amazed by these birds. It seems like every one of them wanted to dominate the group. Displays of such mild aggression were very common.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The first thing that grabbed me about this photograph was the obvious—the moment of interaction between the eagles. But after spending more time with this picture, I also came to appreciate the smaller birds on the periphery, like spectators at the main event. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-2-moonrise-trees-colorado | | Picture of the moon rising in the Colorado high country | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos
In November, the high country's evening light is amazing.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day? Photography is all about light, and waiting for just the right time of day to capture a scene has its well-earned rewards. The soft, luminous light of the “blue hour”—the time right after the sun sets and as the moon is rising—makes a photograph sing like nothing that can be achieved in postproduction. The contrast of the twilight sky and the red of the hills is gorgeous, and the framing of the moon between the trees completes the scene. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-2-fishermen-ship-haiti | | Picture of fishers salvaging a ship offshore in Haiti | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos
This long-exposure photo was taken in Jeremie, Haiti, as local fishermen tried to salvage a ship that got stuck, using the waves to bring pieces of the ship back to shore.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I find this tableau to be hauntingly beautiful, from the smoothed waves to the ghostlike figures in the surf. I get the feeling of time passing as the waves roll in, first carrying pieces of the ship ashore, then ultimately erasing the entire scene. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-2-deer-field-moravia | | Picture of textured fields in the Czech Republic | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos
Deer enjoying the wavy fields in southern Moravia in the Czech Republic
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The color and texture of the evenly planted rows make me think of an iridescent fabric, like taffeta or velvet. This is appealing in itself, but it’s the tiny figures of the deer that make the shot and give the eye a place to rest. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-2-monarch-butterfly-jar | | Picture of a monarch butterfly emerging from a jar | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos
I found a monarch chrysalis on a piece of bark while at work on a farm one day. Maybe I should not have brought the bark home, but I did, in anticipation of watching the monarch emerge. After a little over a week of life in a jar, the chrysalis changed colors, and the butterfly began to emerge. It was absolutely fascinating. This is the jar in which I watched it emerge, in which it first flapped its wings, and from which I freed it. What a beautiful creature.
(This photo was submitted to Your Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day? This picture is quite different than what I normally run, which is one of the reasons I chose it. I like the interaction happening between the photographer who cared for the chrysalis, eagerly awaiting its metamorphosis, and the butterfly now going free. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-2-columbus-circle-new-york | | Picture of pedestrians and traffic around Columbus circle | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos
The line to see the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The composition and bold colors work for me—the curve of the circle, the yellow of the taxicabs, the black of the pedestrians' clothing. What could very easily be a scene with too much going on comes together thanks to the thoughtful framing. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-2-girl-portrait-canada | | Picture of a Mennonite girl on a train in Canada | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Your Photos
A young Mennonite girl looks out the window of the Heritage Number 9 Waterloo Central Railway steam train as it reaches its destination at Waterloo station in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. This candid photo was taken in October of 2012, but it feels timeless to me.
(This photo was submitted to My Shot.)
What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I personally love documentary portraits of people, so I'm happy when I find one that will hold its own as a Photo of the Day. The subject, the setting, and the choice of black and white work together perfectly to create a timeless photograph, and the direct gaze of the young girl draws me in. —Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor
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| 2013-1-pigeons-port-blair | | Picture of a person feeding pigeons in Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Animal Pictures
This was taken in Port Blair, where every morning people come to feed these pigeons. These birds don't fear human presence, and every day more than 22 pounds of grain is fed to these birds of flight.
(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)
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| 2013-1-bear-finland-forest | | Picture of a bear in a forest in Finland | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Animal Pictures
This was the only bear that turned up that night. I spent 16 hours in the hide, and at about midnight, he turned up. He made one appearance and then disappeared. I just loved seeing the bear in its beautiful habitat. Image taken in Finland.
(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)
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| 2013-1-gorilla-pair-rwanda | | Picture of a pair of juvenile gorillas in Rwanda | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Animal Pictures
I took this photograph on the final day of a four-day trip to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The two juvenile gorillas were playing endlessly, rumbling and tumbling as most of their family members of the Sabyinyo group relaxed and rested comfortably. Pouring over my shots following the trek, I was just as excited as the expression on their faces when I saw I had at least one photograph of the hundred or so I took of them in the midst of their debauchery.
(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)
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| 2013-1-owl-wind-dunes | | Picture of a snowy owl in the dunes on Long Island | | This Month in Photo of the Day: Animal Pictures
Not too far from the daily "rush hour" campaign one can visit one of nature's most special environments—Jones Beach, New York, the west end. It's a perfect host for various bird of prey species throughout the four seasons. Each winter hundreds of birders and photographers travel in search of the snowy owl.
(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)
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