Autumn Woods, Germany - This photo was taken during autumn in Hameln, Germany, which is the birthplace of the infamous Rattenfänger—or Pied Piper, as we Americans know it. This shot is actually on top of the last few hills that soon sink into the state of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony). This area is essentially lowland plains—hence the name Lower Saxony!
Leopard, South Africa. Photograph by Madison Hall
A dew-bathed juvenile leopard takes a peaceful moment atop a fallen tree on a wintry South African morning. Compared with other African game, leopards are famously shy and rarely seen, partially because of their largely nocturnal hunting habits. Leopards number among many other species of top predators whose population numbers are falling due to human impacts, making this a special sighting of a rare animal that is both powerful and extraordinarily gorgeous.
Ice Cream Vendor, Greece. Photograph by Lior PatelShot in Rodos, Greece.
I was there for four days, walking around, and on the first day I had a chat with the guy that owns the car (the one in the shot) and I told him that my grandfather is from Thessaloniki, so for the remaining days, every time I passed him, he would say, "Good morning, Thessaloniki," and I would say, "Good morning, Rodos." On the last day he saw me coming from the other side of the road and yelled, "Still here, Thessaloniki," and this time I took this shot before answering, "Goodbye, Rodos" (it was my last night over there).
Train Ride, Istanbuled Wagen. Photograph by Odstein.
This shot was taken on a train ride, when the train stopped over the Galta Bridge, the bridge that split Istanbul city from the Western, more liberal part, to the more traditional part. Now, when all the Muslim world is rocking, I think this photo is more relevant than ever.
BASE Jumping, Yosemite. Photograph by Lynsey Dyer Leaping from Half Dome is illegal, but in Yosemite the sport of BASE jumping is soaring in popularity anyway. Climbers say it's faster (and more fun) to parachute into the valley than to hike all the way down the back of the mountain.
Lago di Olginate, Italy. Photograph by Stefano Anghileri. A layer of low clouds covers the alpine valleys of northern Italy, just south of Lake Como. The clouds are just dense enough to hide uniformly the valley and also filter the artificial lights below like they were an opaque blanket. Above the layer, moonlight and high cirrus clouds make the night less dark. You can easily recognize the round shape of Lago di Olginate and the lights of the villages all around its banks.
