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6 Photos That Made An Impact In The Nat Geo 2024 “Pictures Of The Year” Magazine
Photographers for Nat Geo ventured far and wide this year to capture the most fascinating images. Over 2.3 million submissions were received from across the continents. However, only 20 were selected to feature in PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2024, which is the brands annual editorial publication highlighting the finest and most compelling photos captured around the world.
Nat Geo is popular for its striking portraits and photography, and this year’s spotlighted pieces are no different. Each snapshot is a noteworthy attempt, spotlighting these hard-to-capture moments. Scroll below to explore some of these extraordinary impressions as seen through the lens of the National Geographic photographers. From a leaping emperor penguin to the newest hope of the declining Rhino population, each glimpse offers a wondrous and exciting understanding of the world we live in.
More info: NatGeo.Com
#1 DEEP KNOWLEDGE, Ngounié Province, Gabon (National Geographic Magazine Cover, Dec. 20)
In Bongolo Cave, researchers—joined by a bat—work to create a record of past rainfall by analyzing stalagmites, calcium carbonate formations created by water dripping over thousands of years onto the cave floor. The Western African Paleoclimate Project’s goal is to understand the climate threats to agriculture across the region. (Photo by Robbie Shone for National Geographic
#2 TAKING THE PLUNGE, Atka Bay, Antarctica
A young emperor penguin jumps off a 50-foot cliff for its first swim. The species normally breeds on low-lying sea ice, but some colonies have been found on higher and more permanent ice shelves, behaviour likely to become increasingly common with climate change. Left by their parents a month earlier, the chicks must fend for themselves and find food by hunting in the sea. (Photo by Bertie Gregory for National Geographic)
#3 NEW HOPE FOR RHINOS, Nanyuki, Kenya
A scientist holds the 70-day-old fetus of a rhino conceived through in vitro fertilization. (Photo by Ami Vitale)
#4 A BOOM WITH A VIEW, Antigua, Guatemala
Fuego Volcano has been erupting continually since 2002. A one-day hike up its dormant twin, Acatenango, and across a valley rewards adventurers with a view from Fuego’s ridgeline. Eruptions can occur multiple times a day. (Photo by Peter Fisher for National Geographic
#5 TRACKING THE ELUSIVE BLACK TIGER, Odisha State, India
A black tiger—known for its merged stripes—patrols the Similipal Tiger Reserve. Prasenjeet Yadav poses as the animal to test a camera trap. (Photo by for Prasenjeet Yadav for National Geographic)
#6 WHEN WATERS COLLIDE, Fanning Springs State Park, Florida
Just after sunrise, snook and mullet dart between the dark, tannic Suwannee River and the clear Fanning Spring, one of a thousand freshwater springs in Florida. A late winter flood caused the colder, denser river water to creep under the warmer water in the channel connecting the spring to the river. (Photo by Jason Gulley for National Geographic)
In a statement regarding their efforts, Nathan Lump, Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic, said, “A compendium of the best recent work from National Geographic’s photographers in the field, PICTURES OF THE YEAR is an annual highlight of our editorial calendar. This year’s selection is both timeless and timely. Our 2024 photos are visually captivating, to be sure, but they also bring to life the urgent challenges facing us as well as the ingenuity that’s been sparked in meeting them – from an effort to save rhinos to advances in green technology to adaptations in animal behaviour. We hope that these images will stop audiences in their tracks and inspire them to learn more.”
*The full collection can be viewed on NatGeo.Com and in Nat Geo’s December issue.
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