This Month in Photo of the Day: 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest Images
An adult male gelada rests in the early morning light after ascending the steep, sleeping cliffs of the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia. This male won his right to mate by successfully deposing the old leader. Now he must defend his harem by tending to his females' needs and fighting off anxious bachelors waiting for their chance to become harem leader. (This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest.)
This Month in Photo of the Day: 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest Images
Watching the pace and flow of New York City from above is amazing. The constant stream of yellow taxis lining the avenues, the waves of pedestrians hurriedly crossing with the change of traffic signals, little figures disappearing into and emerging from the subway stations, the chorus of honking horns and sirens. It's all so rhythmic and strangely soothing to watch. It makes me feel incredibly small. (This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest.)
Photo: A player on the Sierra Leone amputee soccer team
This Month in Photo of the Day: 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest Images
He was just a young boy when he had his arm chopped off by a rebel during the brutal civil war in Sierra Leone. He is now goalkeeper for the national amputee soccer team in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This photo was taken while working on the documentary Leone Stars. (This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest.)
Photo: A zebra stands underneath a cloud formation
This Month in Photo of the Day: 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest Images
On safari, it’s not only the animals that can attract attention. Aquila Game Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa. (This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest.)
Photo: Ultra-Orthodox Jews gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem
This Month in Photo of the Day: 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest Images
Every Sabbath, the ultra-Orthodox Jews gather at the Western Wall to pray. The wall is the only remnant of the Holy Temple and has become a place for pilgrimage within Judaism. (This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest.)
This Month in Photo of the Day: 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest Images
An air bubble ascending from the ocean floor contorts and twists into a semicircle as a wave breaks in the background. Captured as part of the Underwater Project. (This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest.)
This Month in Photo of the Day: 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest Images
Within an ultramodern society Japan still maintains traditions passed down from generation to generation, making it one of the most beautiful and intriguing places in the world. (This photo and caption were submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest.)
This Month in Photo of the Day: Nature and Weather Photos
Sami herders follow the migrations of the reindeer as they move across northern Scandinavia and Russia from their winter grazing grounds to cooler areas during the summer months. See more pictures from the November 2011 feature story, "Sami: The People Who Walk With Reindeer."
This Month in Photo of the Day: Nature and Weather Photos
Storm chasing outside Pense, Saskatchewan, earlier this summer. There was so much texture and interesting lighting that evening that made it one of the prettiest storms I shot in Saskatchewan this summer. (This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
This Month in Photo of the Day: Nature and Weather Photos
A tiger peers at a camera trap it triggered while hunting in the early morning in the forests of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Tigers can thrive in many habitats, from the frigid Himalaya to tropical mangrove swamps in India and Bangladesh. See more pictures from the December 2011 feature story, "A Cry for the Tiger."
This Month in Photo of the Day: Nature and Weather Photos
A riverbed in Iceland, with a four-by-four on the road to give an idea of the scale. And we can imagine the strength of the river flow at spring. With the composition, in this case, there is no preference for sky or landscape: Both are interesting and nonuniform. Breaking the rules is a common rule. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)
This Month in Photo of the Day: Nature and Weather Photos
A couple caught in the snow last winter at the 17th-century Greenwich Naval College, London. To the right, shrouded in mist, is the River Thames. (This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot. Have a great shot of a city? Send it to us, tag it "cities," and see if it’s selected for publication in the March 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine.)
