시베리아의 여름: A Siberian Summer

   A Siberian Summer

Reuters photographer Ilya Naymushin is based in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, the the third largest city in Siberia. He frequently takes photographs of daily life in and around Krasnoyarsk, capturing expansive landscapes, colorful festivals, and intimate moments with equal skill. Below, I've gathered some of my favorite images taken by Ilya over this past Siberian summer. 

Trucks drive along M53 highway in Khakassia region, some 270 km (168 miles) south of Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, on May 19, 2012. M53 highway connects Krasnoyarsk region, the Republic of Khakassia, the Republic of Tuva and the border with Mongolia.(Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Young equestrian Julia Verbitskaya trains Dogovor, a Hanover breed stallion, before a performance at the 1st Summer Children's Paralympic festival of equestrian sports in the suburbs of Krasnoyarsk, on June 8, 2012. Children suffering from locomotive impairments, who attend hippotherapy courses in Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Achinsk, Nazarovo and other Siberian cities, took part in a two-day sports festival supported by the regional center of adaptive sports. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Buyan, a male Siberian brown bear, cools down under a stream of water sprayed by an employee in its enclosure on a hot summer day at the Royev Ruchey zoo in Krasnoyarsk, on July 13, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Former Russian paratroopers salute during the celebration of Russian Paratroopers Day, an annual holiday, at Central Park in the Krasnoyarsk, on August 2, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Hills, reflected in the waters of the Yenisei River in the Siberian Taiga district outside Krasnoyarsk, on August 28, 2012.(Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A man displays stuffed animals for sale including a Siberian brown bear cub, a red fox and a beaver along the roadside of M53 Baikal federal highway near the settlement of Kozulka, about 100 km (62 miles) west of Krasnoyarsk, on July 2, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Combines harvest wheat in a field of the "Svetlolobovskoye" farm outside the village of Svetlolobovo, 390 km south of Krasnoyarsk, on September 3, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

An employee inspects wheat in a field of the "Svetlolobovskoye" farm outside the village of Svetlolobovo, Russia, on September 3, 2012.(Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A Russian-made Beriev Be-200ChS amphibious aircraft, owned by the Siberian Regional Center of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, dumps 12 tons of colored water matching the Russian state flag during a demonstration flight at an air show dedicated to the Day of the Russian Air Fleet at the Yemelyanovo airport outside Krasnoyarsk, on August 18, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Hayyim Broy, an 87-year-old Jewish Red Army veteran of World War Two, holds up an old photograph during a visit by volunteer hairdressers to his apartment in Krasnoyarsk, on May 8, 2012. Local school girls and would-be barbers, accompanied by their professional instructor, visited war veterans on the eve of Victory Day to help the elderly prepare for the holiday. As a former front scout and a soldier of the infantry, Broy fought at the 1st Belarusian Front under the command of the Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov. He was seriously wounded during a battle in Berlin in May, 1945. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A man jumps into the waters of the Yenisei River in Krasnoyarsk, on July 25, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

An inmate holds her baby at a children's home, located inside a female prison camp, in Krasnoyarsk, on July 30, 2012. The children of female offenders that were born when their mothers were in pretrial detention or in prison camps, live in the children's home under the care of civilian tutors and officers of the regional penitentiary system until the age 3, after which they are released to their relatives or sent to a civilian orphanage. The mothers also receive exemption from some of their usual duties and tasks in order to have daily contact with their children, according to the camp's administration. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Wheelchair-bound Svetlana Barantseva (right) and Margarita Sidorenko congratulate each other on their good results during a training session in a local amateur archery club on the suburbs of Krasnoyarsk, on May 3, 2012. Disabled people have the opportunity to learn the sport of archery for free due to financial support from the newly created state regional center of adaptive sport, according to club members. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Costumed celebrants slide down a chute on a float during a competition at the Bobrovy Log Fun Park Ski Resort near Krasnoyarsk, on August 26, 2012. The competition was organized for vacationers to mark the end of the short summer season at the Siberian resort.(Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A car drives along a highway near a monument displaying a Soviet made agrarian tractor near the village of Zlatorunovsk, some 320 km (199 miles) southwest of Krasnoyarsk, on July 19, 2012. The sign reads "The Lenin's Order State Breeding Factory".(Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A Russian Cossack burns cannabis plants during a raid near the settlement of Yemelianovo outside Krasnoyarsk, on July 12, 2012.(Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A woman and boy look at a sand sculpture at the "Wheel of History" exhibition in Krasnoyarsk, on June 18, 2012. Sand sculptures depicting space exploration, the personality of Leonardo da Vinci, the Olympic Games, the Patriotic War of 1812 against the army of Napoleon Bonaparte, created by Siberian artists, were on exhibit all summer. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A woman stands on the roadside, spraying water at passing cars during a promotional event for an annual automobile exhibition in Krasnoyarsk, on May 12, 2012. The MotorExpoShow is the largest annual exhibition and automobile festival held in Siberia, according to organizers. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

People sail a raft near a camp pitched on the banks of the Yenisei river in the Siberian Taiga, south of Krasnoyarsk, on July 28, 2012. The Territory of the Initiative Youth "Biryusa", was first held in the Biryusa Bay, on the shores of the Krasnoyarsk Sea in 2007, bringing together young people with different talents and skills. The project serves as an annual meeting place for over 5,000 representatives of various youth movements, NGOs and professional communities from Siberian Federal District in general. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

FMX-13 team pro-rider Alexei Kolesnikov of Russia performs in the Red Bull X-fighters Jams freestyle show dedicated to the Day of the Youth, in Krasnoyarsk, on June 27, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A German shepherd attacks a trainer during an annual cynologist competition, held by members of the regional penitentiary camps system, outside Krasnoyarsk, on August 24, 2012. 24 teams representing prison camps took part in a five-day-long competition.(Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Partially-sighted boys hold hands as they take part in a relay race at the Summer Children's Festival of Adaptive Sports in a suburb of Krasnoyarsk, on September 21, 2012. About 120 children in 13 teams took part in the two-day festival for disabled children from the region. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Pensioner Olga Kostina poses near a mosaic, made from plastic bottle caps, which decorates the facade of a courtyard building, in the village of Kamarchaga, in the Siberian Taiga area about 80 km (50 miles) southeast of Krasnoyarsk, on September 10, 2012. Kostina used more than 30,000 colored caps to decorate her house and other constructions in the courtyard. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

An actor from Russia's Tuva region, dressed in costume, performs traditional music during the opening ceremony of the third International Music Festival of Asian-Pacific Region in Krasnoyarsk, on June 29, 2012. Artists and actors from 19 countries from Asia-Pacific took part in more than 60 concerts and exhibitions during the week-long festival in the center of Siberia. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Beekeeper Valery Titov, 63, watches as his daughters, Anastasia (left), 11, and Valentina, 14, use his self-made fitness apparatus on his farm outside the village of Novopyatnitskoye, about 120 km (75 miles) east of Krasnoyarsk, on July 15, 2012. The psychologist, a graduate of Leningrad (current St. Petersburg) State University who now lives together with his family at an apiary farm, patented his self-built invention, which is made of more than 20 pieces of fitness equipment that can be used for bodybuilding and physiotherapy. His equipment, made of Angara pine and cedar without any metal components, have no demand among investors and businessmen at the moment, according to Titov. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A woman takes a nighttime bungee jump from a 44-meter high (144-feet high) bridge in the Siberian Taiga area outside Krasnoyarsk, on August 19, 2012. Enthusiasts took part in the "After Midnight Bungee Jumping" event on an old waterpipe bridge near their tourist camp.(Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A local man drives his motorbike as a herd of cows crosses a highway in Tyulkovo village, some 190 km (116 miles) south-west of Krasnoyarsk, on June 5, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Local residents dressed in historical costumes take part in the opening ceremony of an installation called "The Borodinsky Highway" created by a group of Russian and French arts students under the guidance of French artist Bertrand Gosselin at the Borodinsky opencast colliery located near Borodino, about 150 km (93 miles) east of Krasnoyarsk, on September 7, 2012. The colliery is the biggest opencast coal mine in Russia at 7 km (4 miles) long and 100 meters (328 feet) deep. The creation, a 90-meter (295-feet) road made from railway sleepers that passes through 3 apertures, symbolizes the difficult historical path of industrial development in Siberia. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Married women dressed in wedding and fancy dresses pose for a picture during the annual Parade of Brides festival in the center of Krasnoyarsk, on June 17, 2012. About 100 young married women took part in the festival to experience their wedding day again, according to organizers. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Members of the clergy wait for the arrival of Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, near the Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel, the oldest building in Krasnoyarsk, on September 12, 2012. Patriarch Kirill was visiting the Krasnoyarsk region for the first time on a 3-day trip.(Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Amateur spider keeper Yegor Konkin, 23, shows a venomous Psalmopoeus cambridgei spider at his parents' apartment in the town of Minusinsk, 425 km (264 miles) south of Krasnoyarsk, on May 20, 2012. Konkin, a hobbyist who has collected spiders for two years, keeps approximately 50 venomous spiders of various species, which are deadly to humans and other animals. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Participants in the annual Mansky tourist festival, dedicated to the opening of the amateur rafting season, greet people aboard rafts on the Mana river, near the settlement of Beret in the Siberian Taiga, about 75 km (47 miles) east of Krasnoyarsk, on June 22, 2012. Local nature-lovers, fans of ecological tourism and devotees of the festival have gathered for more than 30 years, to travel by self-made rafts, take part in the overnight festivities and relax around campfires. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Participants in the annual Mansky tourist festival land a raft on the bank of the Mana river near the settlement of Beret in the Siberian Taiga, on June 22, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A German shepherd puppy plays on a bank of Yenisei River outside Krasnoyarsk, on August 13, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

An aerial view of an opencast aluminum ore mine of the Rusal Achinsk aluminum plant near the town of Achinsk, 180 km (112 miles) west of Krasnoyarsk, on September 24, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A worker operates a mixer of fused aluminum at the foundry shop of the Rusal Krasnoyarsk aluminum smelter in Krasnoyarsk, on August 14, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Workers store aluminum ingots in the Rusal Krasnoyarsk aluminum smelter in Krasnoyarsk, on August 14, 2012. The smelter produces about 1 million tons of aluminum a year and accounts for 25 percent of all aluminum production in Russia and 3 percent of global output, making it one of the largest smelters in the world. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

School children line up during a ceremony to mark the beginning of a new academic year at school-liceum number 12 in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, on September 1, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A police dog handler, accompanied by Gladys a female German shepherd, searches for explosives during an anti-terrorist patrol in a city school on the eve of a new academic year in Krasnoyarsk, on August 31, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A view of the town of Bogotol, Russia from a helicopter carrying medical staff from the regional Sanitary Aviation special medical service before landing, on September 24, 2012. Bogotol is located 270 km (168 miles) west of Krasnoyarsk. According to the service, around 5,000 people a year receive emergency treatment from them in the Krasnoyarsk region, an area covering 2.4 million square kilometers (925,000 square miles), using private aircraft under long-term state contracts. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A helicopter carrying medical staff from the regional Sanitary Aviation special medical service, after landing in the town of Bogotol, Russia on September 24, 2012. The service has been operating since 1939. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Konstantin Baryshnikov (left), a surgeon and the head of the regional Sanitary Aviation special medical service, and doctor's assistant Oleg Ratushny attend to a patient in a local hospital before he is evacuated from the village of Kozulka, located some 100 km (62 miles) west of Krasnoyarsk, on September 24, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Men fish as a barge is transported in a boat lift at the Krasnoyarsk Dam and hydroelectric power station, 45 km (28 miles) south of Krasnoyarsk, on September 22, 2012. The lift is a caisson riding on an electric track on an inclined plane designed to allow ships to bypass the dam situated on the Yenisei River, one of the world's largest hydro electric projects. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

A brown bear cub walks in an area of taiga near the village of Ust-Mana, 30 km (18 miles) south of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, on September, 16, 2012. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) 

Garance Franke-Ru

내쇼날 지아그파프 잡지 2012년 수상 사진: National Geographic Photo Contest 2012

National Geographic Photo Contest 2012

Once again, National Geographic is holding its annual photo contest, with the deadline for submissions coming up on November 30. Beginning on September 1, the society started gathering and presenting galleries of submissions, encouraging readers to vote for them as well. National Geographic was kind enough to let me choose among its entries from 2012 for display here on In Focus. Gathered below are 50 images from the three categories of People, Places, and Nature, with captions written by the individual photographers.

Butterfly at sunset: Photographer Toni Guetta submitted this macro shot of a butterfly with the sunset in the background near Hod ha'sharon, Israel. (© Toni Guetta/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Baby seal: a baby elephant seal relaxes on a South Georgia beach. (© Ondrej Zaruba/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Tiled roof: the colorful roof of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. (© Casey Taylor/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Yosemite Valley at Dusk: A mist had settled over Yosemite Valley, as automobiles passed through, headlights illuminated the fog. (© Phil Hawkins/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

The Edge: Looking just over the edge, just enough to see what is ahead, not enough to know the whole, just getting the gist. (© Mei Ratz/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Wind Swept Foxtail Barley: My wife and I traveled by RV to Alaska during July and August 2012 to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. To define the natural beauty there one word comes to mind - "Majestic". An awesome trip with thousands of images. This image in particular stood out from all the rest. We spent about a week in Chicken, Alaska where the foxtail barley was growing everywhere. I must have taken 50 images of the barley but this one best conveyed the wave and flowing nature of the subject and the simple beauty I experienced while photographing them. (© Jim Cottingham/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Alone in the Dark: The discovery of a local Fox den has resulted in some great photographic opportunities recently. A Red Fox in the twilight in Shepreth, England. (© Sam Morris/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Crater Lake Storm at Sunset: A thunderstorm swirls across the water at Crater Lake National Park, as the setting sun creates a rare double rainbow. Taken from Rim Village, approximately 1,000 feet above the lake's surface, providing a straight-on vantage point of the storm. (© Duke Miller/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Chaos: A huge flock of Red-billed Queleas flies in to drink at the same time as an African Elephant in Tsavo National Park, Kenya. (© Antero Topp/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Fargo Flight: An F-15 banks in front of the crowd during an airshow in Fargo, North Dakota. (© Darryl Skinner/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Reflections: Icebergs in the harbor in Ilulissat, Greenland. (© Frank Walley/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Man and Animal Conflict: A Leopard attacks a forest department employee, after the man threw a stone toward the leopard in an abandoned construction site in Limbu Village in Siliguri in West Bengal, India. (© Salil Bera/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Don't play with war: I was captivated by the scenery before I got my camera out of my bag. In the foreground a soldier in his bunker and in the background a Ferris wheel that looked like it had been shot at. The contrasting dualism in the image struck me before I took the picture. Square/round, adult world/child world, war/peace. Unfortunately I was arrested since I was not allowed to take photos of the military, but I managed to show them a cropped version on my camera screen, displaying only the Ferris wheel. Photo taken in Beirut, Lebanon. (© Janus Langhorn/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Determination: Nothing will stand in his way. Portrait taken in Florence, South Carolina. (© Brittany Zedalis/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Yellow Spider on a Yellow Flower: I sat down to watch our children play in the lake and this colorful one found me sitting beside her. Photo taken in Dorset, Ontario, Canada. (© Jeremy Crawford/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Expedition Amundsen: A race that follows in the path of the famous explorer Roald Amundsen brings the contestants to the Hardangervidda Mountainplateu, Norway. 100km across the plateau, the exact same route Amundsen used to prepare for his South Pole expedition in 1911 is still used by explorers today. Amundsen did not manage to cross the plateau and had to turn back because of bad weather. He allegedly said that the attempt to cross Hardangervidda was just as dangerous and hard as the conquering of the South Pole. The group in the picture used the race as preparations for an attempt to cross Greenland. (© Kai-Otto Melau/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

The Explosion! The subject's name is Busaba, a well cared for Indochinese Tigress whose home is at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Thailand. I had taken many portraits of Busaba previously and it was becoming more and more difficult to come up with an image that appeared any different to the others. Which is why I took to observing her more carefully during my visits in the hope of capturing something of a behavioral shot. The opportunity finally presented itself while watching Busaba enjoying her private pool then shaking herself dry. In all humility I have to say that Mother Nature smiled favorably on me that day! (© Ashley Vincent/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Full Moon setting behind Alps and the Sacra of San Michele: The picture captures the full Moon setting behind the Alps and the Sacra di San Michele, a religious complex situated 1,000 meters up Mount Pirchiriano, some 60 kilometers form Turin, in northern Italy. (© Stefano De Rosa/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Great White, Sun Light: As I am sitting on top of a suspended submersible cage, 30 feet below the surface, a 15 foot Great White Shark swims overhead just starting to block out the sun. I took the shot right after I had released a breath though my respirator. Photo taken off Guadalupe Island, Mexico. (© Kirk Nielsen/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Storm's Backside: Evening stroll on Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida -- voted no. 1 beach in the country. (© Judy Robertson/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

King: Spotted this male lion while on safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa. His disdain for the light clearly shows his imperiousness for those around him. (© Michaela May/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Relax: Photo taken of the guardian of the Medici's Villa at Poggio a Caiano, in Italy, where at the end of the working day he is allowed a cigarette. (© Giacomo Baldi/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Close Encounter of the Insect Kind: Check out the awesome face on this praying mantis. I can't get over the mouth, it's like something from a science fiction movie. Of all photographic styles macro is definitely my favorite. I am constantly amazed, in every photo that I take, by the intricate level of detail that exists on even the smallest of creatures. It's a stark reminder that a very complex and infinitely beautiful world exists just beyond our human-sized level of perception. Photo taken in Donnybrook, Queensland, Australia. (© Andrew Young/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Sunrise in Glacier: I took this from the balcony of Many Glacier Lodge in Glacier National Park, on August 1, 2012. The sun was rising behind me and onto the mountains. (© Sharon Lyon/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Canis lupus occidentalis: Wolves have always been a fascination of mine and I was thrilled when I got the opportunity to photograph a pack one afternoon. This particular Northwestern female wolf caught my eye because of her haunting yellow eyes and black coat, I knew I had to capture her on camera. She stands out beautifully against the green grass, her golden eyes staring right into the camera, drawing the viewer in. (© Amy Bell/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

In the Heat of the Moment: British riot troops stand firm against a petrol bomb attack in a street riot in Hampshire, Southern England. (© Kerry Hutchinson/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Abeguwo: Abeguwo is a goddess of Melanesian mythology. She resides in the sky, and when she feels the urge to urinate, does so onto the Earth in the form of rain. Photo taken in El Campello, Spain. (© Stan Bouman/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Ninja Kangaroos: Young male kangaroos test their strength with "boxing" matches that mostly occur at dawn. One buck gets in the others face with its forepaws until the second one concedes and hops away, or stands up tall and faces its tormentor. Then the two grapple until an advantage is gained and one rears back onto its tail and kicks out with both its feet. Here the roo on the left clearly has its opponent on the retreat. Photo taken at Lake Cootharaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. (© raoul slater/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Shades: This view of the Ladakh range near Lamayuru, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, was encountered on my way to Leh. The colors of these ranges keep on changing as the day progresses. The blue shades of the mountains enveloped by clouds afar added to the natural contrast with the golden hue of sun in front. (© Ankur Sharma/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Oriental White Ibis: An Oriental White Ibis or Black-headed Ibis in flight at the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in the state of Karnataka in India. (© Sushrutha Metikurke/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Baitfish Skillfully Use Sea Turtle as Cover: Off of Isla Mujeres, Mexico, sailfish were circling as baitfish used a sea turtle as cover. The sailfish successfully attempted on several occasions to slap the baitfish with their bills (with surgical precision) to disorient them and have a quick snack before the turtle dove deep to escape the carnage. (© Scott Belt/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Beautiful Inside and Out: This photo was taken during my trip to Haiti. A man full of joy after winning a community contest to keep their new homes beautiful inside and out. (© Mike Trenh/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Lightning Sunset: Thunderstorms in the Florida Keys are often sporadic, short-lived, and incredibly isolated. This photo shows a small cluster of storm clouds that had blown in during a sunset on an otherwise clear day. (© Judy Jinn/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Skull Spider with Spiderlinks No. 001: A Skull Spider is also known as a Daddy Longlegs. But in this case, the one guarding my front door turned out to be a Mommy Longlegs. After hours of trial and error, while standing on a ladder with my head and hands in the Arachnid's web, my eye to the camera, and using a poor man's macro, I finally got a few good shots of the mother with her freshly hatched babies held between her jaws. It was quite a photographic experience, but for days afterwards I felt like there were spiders crawling all over me. (© Lon Casler Bixby/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Failed Escape in the Everglades: I was watching three young alligators when an adult approached. The adult grabbed this one and went underwater... suddenly it came up to flip the juvenile and eat it. Grassy Waters Preserve is part of the original Everglades, and is a natural area that is part of the water supply for the City of West Palm Beach, Florida. (© Steve Scherer/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

With a Couple of Jovian and Lunar Lights: Jupiter and the Moon light up the sky above a rock formation near Kitaibaraki City, Japan. (© Dr. Akira Takaue/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Swan Dive: A swan feeds at sunset. (© Mark Bates/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Life in Hell Valley: In Owakudani, Japan, (also called Great Boiling Valley or Hell Valley) eggs are hard-boiled in the hot springs. The boiled eggs turn black and smell slightly sulphuric. Consuming the eggs is said to increase longevity. Eating one is said to add seven years to your life. (© Franjo Selinger/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

I See You - Do You See Me? Walking the mountains of the Sacred Valley in Peru, we came across children in their school playground preparing a variety of traditional items for a festival celebration later that night. After a few cautious moments of who is who, we were welcomed into helping with the preparations. We couldn't speak a word of the local dialect and had to rely solely on our good friend from the near-by town of Ollyantaytambo to help with communication. That said, there was far more communication that passed between all of us without words... the kind of connection that only giggles and laughter can bring. (© glen fisher/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Adrift: Penguins adrift on iceberg during a heavy snow storm in Antarctica. (© Joshua Holko/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Dead Hippo and One Sharp Crocodile: I was leading a photographic safari in Zambia's, South Luangwa National Park. It was already dark and we came across a dead Hippo upside down in the river. The Crocodiles were busy feeding on it and there was a lot of movement in the water -- the distance was quiet far, but I could manage to take a picture using artificial light, the camera mounted on a tripod and a long-time exposure (5 seconds). (© Stephan Tuengler/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Jump: Two squirrels were playing in the warm afternoon in the Penitencia Creek County Park in San Jose, California. (© Chih-Hung Kao/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Sword Fight: Two performers in a sword fight in Nong Nooch, Pattaya, Thailand. (© Lars Edvard Dalsboe/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

A Refreshing Sight on a Hot Day: On August 27, 2012, my husband and I were photographing wildlife in the Jasper area, when we decided to go to the Maligne Lake Lodge for a bite to eat. While walking up to the building, Terry exclaimed "is that a Moose swimming in the lake?!" Sure enough, the Moose swam across part of the lake, then proceeded to stand in the water, submerging her head to feed on the vegetation at the bottom. I sat on the shore and snapped several photos, including this one. What an exciting experience that was for us! (© Cathy Parsons/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Grand Canyon at Dusk: Grand Canyon visitors watch the sunset from a perch on the south side. (© Phil Hawkins/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

My baby: This small baby is about a few hours old. Photo taken in South Georgia. (© Ondrej Zaruba/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins having an underwater chat: These three Atlantic Spotted Dolphins were acting playful for a few minutes so I swam over to join in. When I got close the dolphins came together as if they were going to discuss my presence. One of them seemed to say something then they did a little dance and were on their way. Amazing animals, I felt very lucky to capture the moment. Photo taken on White Sand Ridge on Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas. (© John Gaskell/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

California Football: As the sun sets on the Eagles home field at the California School for the Deaf in Freemont, the Richmond High Oilers try to overcome a 31 point deficit in the first half. The Oilers held a state high losing streak at 39 losses in 2005. In 2012 season, they have yet to win a game. If the past is any preview of the future, chances dwindle that they will win as the season continues. Due to academic struggles, asthma and other issues that haunt the city of Richmond, many players do not see the season to its completion. (© Lauren Kate Rosenblum/National Geographic Photo Contest) 

Relax: This cow (adorned with frogs) is looking very happy. Photo taken in Sri Lanka. (© Ondrej Zaruba/National Geographic Photo Contest

Secluded Pier at Lake Brunner: I was on my 170km solo cycling trip around West Coast, New Zealand and one of the destinations was this famous Lake Brunner. I reached this pier in one foggy morning and I found this moment was like no other. (© Mohd Nadly Aizat Mohd Nudri/National Geographic Photo Contest)