내쇼날 지오그라프지 사진 대회 작품들: Photos from the National Geographic Contest

The photographers that take part in the National Geographic Photographer of the Year contests never ceases to amaze, and this year is no exception. Take a look at the breathtaking shots they each captured. Which of the following is your favorite? One this is certain, National Geographic will have a hard time picking a winner: 

Chobe River, Botswana in April 2016.

Photographer: Sam Kurtul

The Palouse region of Washington State - this region offers one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the U.S. 

Photographer: Hamish Mitchell 

Fox bathing in the snowflakes in Japan's Shiretoko National Park.

Photographer: Hiroki Inoue

An African buffalo covered in mud in the Masai Mara, Kenya.

Photographer: Chris Schmid

Closeup of an Atlantic Puffin, captured on the protected nesting site of Machias Seal Island, off the coast of Maine.

Photographer: Harry Collins 

A wave curls in multiple layers over a shallow reef on the New South Wales Coast, Australia. 

Photographer: Warren Keelan

A delicate and beautiful underwater creature which appeared during the vertical migration - the largest migration on Earth. This migration takes place every night in the oceans around the world. Captured in the Gulf Stream Current Florida.

Photographer: Suzan Meldonian

A colossal Cumulonimbus flashes over the Pacific Ocean. Captured at 37,000 feet.

Photographer: Santiago Borja 

A person takes a closer look at the lava on the French island of Reunion. 

Photographer: Gaby Barathieu

A group of mosquitoes attack a snapping turtle at Bombay Hook NWR in Delaware, U.S..

Photographer: Jerry am Ende

A sleeping walrus on the shore of Chukotka in Russia.

Photographer: Mike Korostelev 

Thousands of flamingoes in Lake Bogoria, Kenya. 

Photographer: Yu Huiping

A mountain hare, Scotland.

Photographer: Jamie Snr

High waves captured in Na Pali Coast, Hawaii.

Photographer: Lee Scott

Southern calamari squid native to Australian and New Zealand coastlines. 

Photographer: Matthew Smith

A bear fishing for salmon in Kamachatka, Russia.

Photographer:  Mike Korostelev



Greenland's pristine landscape amid a U.S. Air Force base which was abandoned in 1947, leaving everything behind including 10,000 aviation fuel barrels. 

Photographer: Ken Bower

Lava flows into the ocean in Hawaii. 

Photographer: Mason Lake

Fox kids, usually very active and playful. They engage in play that prepare them for lessons later in life. In this case, it would seem that one is not quite prepared for an attack. 

Photographer: Henrik Nilsson 

A man, Paulo, enjoying high-lining at 980 meters above the ground, while drying some laundry. 

Photographer: Fred Marie

2017년 벽두에

변함없이 흐르는 시간을 하나님이 낮과 밤을 만드시고 해와 달을 이용하여 날을 만드셨다는 성경의 말씀이 나이가 들면서 아니 노인의 대열에 들어서면서부터는 매일 지나가는 시간과 하루가 그리고 한해가 더 새롭고 귀중한 의미로 닥아 오고 있다.

지난 12월 19일엔 아들의 두째 여자 아이가 태어났다. 새생명인 손녀의 사진을 처음 대하고 나서 가슴 벅차 오르는 감정은 전에는 경험해 보지 못할 정도로 유별난 것이었다. 사랑하는 아들의 딸이라는 사실만으로 기쁨과 사랑이 솟아 오르고 있었다.

7순을 앞둔 인생에게 핏줄이 이어짐을 허락하시므로 생명의 탄생을 늦은 나이에 목도케 하신다. 그일이 일어나지 않았으면 절대로 다른 어느 것으로도 얻을 수 없는 새로운 감격을 준비해 두셨다. 어떻게 보면 완전 재생이 불가능한 잊혀진 사랑, 기쁨, 감사, 기대와 흥분이 자연적으로 용솟음쳐 올라오는데 매우 새로운 감정이라는 사실을 깨닫게 되었다. 인생 길에서 일어 나는 희로애락의 감정은 절대 같은 것이라고는 없는데 나이 들어 자손으로 인해 생기는 사랑과 즐거움은 색다르다는 걸 자각하였다. 흔히 말하는 내리사랑인 것인데 말로만 듣던 내리사랑의 차원은 나에게는 너무 다르게, 매우 거대한 환희의 폭포를 온 몸에 맞는 것 같았다.

세월이 가면서 자연 퇴화해 버리는 육체적 순리로 정신마져 약해지며 나약해 가기 쉬운 인생길에 이런 기가막힌 순간들을 뜻하지 않게 끼워 넣어 그때마다 몸과 마음이 새롭게 순화되며 젊어져서 육체를 이별하는 날까지 의미있고 감사한 삶을 살아갈 수 있게 만드셨다고 알게 되었다. 육체적 욕망은 더욱 한낮 풀의 꽃같이 허망한 것임을 확인하게 되었다.

새해가 되면서 일을 하고 있기에 올해의 계획도 세우면서 새로워진 기쁨과 사랑으로   열심히 해 보려고 한다. 평생 자손들 후배들에게 되뇌였던 진부해져 버린 금과옥조 같은 말을 되새겨 본다, Boys be ambitious. 꿈은 크게. 이 나이에? 라는 부정적 생각도 들기는 하지만 배우기에는 늦음이 없다는 금언을 되새기며 오늘도 배우고 사랑하고 감사하며 이 한해를 보내야겠다는 마음이 든다.

(고전 13:4) 사랑은 오래 참고 사랑은 온유하며 시기하지 아니하며 사랑은 자랑하지 아니하며 교만하지 아니하며

(고전 13:5)

무례히 행하지 아니하며 자기의 1)유익을 구하지 아니하며 성내지 아니하며 악한 것을 생각하지 아니하며

(고전 13:6)

불의를 기뻐하지 아니하며 진리와 함께 기뻐하고

(고전 13:7)

모든 것을 참으며 모든 것을 믿으며 모든 것을 바라며 모든 것을 견디느니라

사랑장의 말씀이 삶 속에서 이루어지기를 기도하면서

2016년 내쇼날 지오그라프지 올해의 자연 사진작가 출품작: 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Contest

National Geographic Magazine has opened its annual photo contest, with the deadline for submissions coming up on November 4. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a 10-day trip for two to the Galapagos Islands. The kind folks at National Geographic were once more kind enough to let me choose among the contest entries so far for display here. The captions below were written by the individual photographers.



"Territorial Hippo." I was on a photographic safari in Chobe River, Botswana in April 2016 when I took this image. At this time of the year the water levels are high and herds of hippopotamus share the tributaries. This particular bull was very territorial and liked to mock charge whenever our boat (driven by a qualified local guide) passed his patch of the river on our daily outings. On this occasion, I pre-focussed my 600mm lens and fired a few shots at a safe distance and got this golden hour shot!




"The Rolling Fields of Palouse." Often referred to as the Tuscany of America, the Palouse region of Washington State offers one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the United States. The seemingly endless rolling fields of wheat, lentils, and canola offer year-round beauty for those [who] choose to take in the spectacular landscape




The fox was bathing in the snowflakes in Japan's Shiretoko National Park.





"Buffalo Mud Bath." An African Buffalo full of mud late in the afternoon in the Masai Mara, Kenya. A different portrait for this powerful animal





"Pacific Storm." A colossal cumulonimbus flashes over the Pacific Ocean as we circle around it at 37,000 feet en route to South America





"Atlantic Puffin." A closeup of an Atlantic Puffin on the protected nesting site of Machias Seal Island, off the coast of Maine. Access to the island is very restricted for the benefit of the puffins. It was an amazing experience to be up so close to these beautiful and unique birds that spend the majority of their lives at sea. 





"Congeal." A jelly-like wave curls in multiple layers over a shallow reef on the New South Wales South Coast, Australia. When there's no wind on the ocean's surface, waves can can look like surreal sheets of melting glass.





"Crazy Man!" A person ascended the cone to see the lava lake inside on the French island of Réunion. He stayed at least 2 minutes, without any protection.





"Ocean Guest." A sleeping walrus on the shore, Chukotka, Russia





"Paradise for Flamingoes 2." Thousands of flamingoes live in Lake Bogoria [in Kenya] where it's like paradise for them. 





"Did Someone Say Hare?" Mountain Hare contemplating that last piece of grass, in Scotland





"Pop the Top." Waves shoot high into the evening air like champagne at a party in a celebration of life and the joy of being in nature. Na Pali Coast, Hawaii.





"Celestial Terrestrial #1." The alien-looking southern calamari squid is native to Australian and New Zealand coastlines. Its dot-painting-like skin patterns are reminiscent of ancient Aboriginal paintings. It took me several weeks of night dives and patience to achieve this unique portrait: When I shot this frame I was elated!!





"Napoleon." Bear in the river while fishing for salmon. Kamchatka, Russia.





"American Flowers #1." In Greenland's pristine landscape lies a US Air Force base which was abandoned in 1947 and everything was left behind: vehicles, asbestos laced structures, and over 10,000 aviation fuel barrels. The Inuits who live in the region call the rusted remains American Flowers. In 2014 and 2015 I camped out solo to photograph it. In 2015 my 5 day solo camping trip turned into 8, as I couldn't get picked up due to the weather. 





"Lava Ocean Entry." Lava ocean entry from the 2016 Kalapana lava flow on the Big Island of Hawaii. Watching new earth being formed is an amazing experience. Boiling ocean waves crashing into fresh lava & giving off clouds of steam along with scatter[ing] violent lava bursts from pressure release. Creation of the earth is mesmerizing & powerful sight to see. 





"Help!" Fox kits are very active and they often engage in play that prepares them for lessons later in life. In this case, however, it would seem one is not quite prepared for a pending attack. Image captured with a 500 mm lens which yielded the very shallow depth of field (amount of the scene in focus).





"Washing Highline in Kjerag." In Norway, above the fjord, Paulo enjoys highlining at 980 meters above the ground, drying some laundry at the same time.





"Leopard With Kill in a Tree." We drove along a short gravel road in Kruger National Park this year until we saw a few cars standing under a tree next to a dry riverbed. When we arrived there, we could see a leopard with a small antelope sitting in a tree. There were a lot of branches in front of his face, so taking a good picture wasn't possible. We stood there for about an hour watching the big cat eating and moving his kill every now and then until we had the perfect position for this shot!





"The Frozen Pond With Snow." The famous "Blue Pond" in Hokkaido Biei-cho, Japan. The scheduled illumination period for the pond this year will be from November 1, 2016 to February 28, 2017. We, all the residents who are living in Biei town, are expecting more tourists from all over the world coming to visit us this year.





"Bear Hug." Brown Bears, Katmai National Park, Alaska.





"From Floor to Cloud." In Pienza, Tuscany, I was waiting for this lightning!





"Skeeter Attack." A group of mosquitos attack a snapping turtle. Each year, snapping turtles emerge from the wetlands at Bombay Hook NWR in Delaware. The mosquitos are particularly bad in this area and swarm these turtles.





"Microscopic Underwater Butterfly." Another delicate and beautiful underwater creature that appears during the vertical migration. This is the largest migration on Earth, and it occurs every night in the oceans around the world. Tiny planktonic creatures, larval forms, and pelagic miniatures come up to feed in the dead of night. This photo [was] taken in the Gulf Stream Current off SE Florida, in the Atlantic Ocean. 






"Red Fox." It's easy to romanticize the idyllic Alpine meadows of the Swiss Alps in spring, glowing with dandelions and ringing with the chimes of cow bells. This fox tells a different story of much harder times. I fired off a few shots showing the fresh wounds of her struggle to survive. I chose to keep these hidden from you and let her eyes do the talking. 

움직이는 사진: Sensational Moving Photos

Close your eyes for a moment and take a deep, slow breath. Then open them only to enjoy the beauty of these quietly moving scenes made by French Photographer and Design Artist Julien Douvier, creating a hybrid where only some elements in the picture are animated. I find that by the time I get to the end of this series, great serenity has taken hold.