News in pictures

on November 20, 2024 at 3:05 pm

The Close-up Photographer of the Year competition is now in its sixth year, and recently released its shortlisted picks, with the winners set to be announced in January. The contest “celebrates close-up, macro, and micro photography,” among 11 separate categories. Competition organizers were once again kind enough to share some of these amazing images with us here. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Wallaby Baby. Animals. "A baby wallaby tries to settle into the warm security of its mother's pouch, but because it has grown quite large, it is not easy to fit inside. After several tries and with a great deal of persistence, it finally managed to fold its long legs in and get comfortable. This image was captured at a conservation center in France." (© Copyright Pedro Jarque Krebs / cupoty.com) […]

on November 18, 2024 at 6:22 pm

Millions of people across northern India and Pakistan have spent the past few weeks under a blanket of toxic smog, enduring some of the region’s worst air quality ever recorded. The sky is filled with particulates from the seasonal burning of rice-paddy stubble on nearby farms, mixed with other vehicular and industrial emissions. Several health emergencies have been declared, many schools have been closed, and residents are being encouraged to stay indoors. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A crow perches on a fence in front of the Taj Mahal amid thick smog in Agra, India, on November 15, 2024. ( Pawan Sharma / AFP / Getty) […]

on November 15, 2024 at 3:52 pm

Speed climbing in Saudi Arabia, wildfires in California and New Jersey, a blanket of smog in New Delhi, a celebration of rural life in Turkey, Veterans Day in Seattle, a surfing record attempt in Brazil, a rodeo exhibition in Argentina, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Members of the public take photographs following the unveiling of the 2024 Christmas jumper design on the animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex at the Natural History Museum in London, England, on November 12, 2024. ( Alice Horsley / Getty) […]

on November 13, 2024 at 4:37 pm

More than 125 years ago, Erwin Barbour, a geology professor at the University of Nebraska, took an interest in what he described as an “agricultural movement”—the proliferation of creative and inexpensive homemade windmills on farms across Nebraska. In 1897, Barbour documented this phenomenon, traveling the state, photographing the mills, interviewing their inventors and owners, and estimating the costs and benefits. He found that both wealthy and poor farmers built a wide variety of mills, many of them of novel or experimental design, made largely out of spare parts and scrap wood. These mills were used to pump water for irrigation and livestock, and to power farm machinery—often giving the owners a huge advantage in a time of drought. During a recent visit to the U.S. National Archives, I found and converted these images from an 1898 photo album that had not previously been digitized. Many of the woodcuts used in Barbour’s 1899 report were based on these photographs. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A four-blade mock turbine windmill, belonging to Friederich Ernstmeyer, seen near Grand Island, Nebraska, used to pump water for livestock. The eight-foot-diameter rotor is attached to the frame of an old mower that was mounted atop a tower of four cottonwood logs with the bark still on. Because the project used mostly found and unused parts, its total cost was 32 cents, which was the price of a long plank used for the rotor blades. ( U.S. National Archives) […]

on November 11, 2024 at 4:59 pm

The German Society for Nature Photography recently announced its winning images from the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024, selected from nearly 18,000 entries from 38 countries in 11 categories. This year’s overall winner was Jaime Rojo, with a remarkable photograph of monarch butterflies clustered in trees in Mexico’s El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. Competition organizers were kind enough to share some of the winning and honored photographs with us here. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Shaking off the Snow. Runner-up, Mammals. "This picture was taken in Wapusk National Park on the coast of Hudson Bay, Canada, during a heavy snowstorm in November 2022. With a single vigorous movement, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) shakes off the powdery snow that has accumulated during the storm. A gust of wind picks up the snow and forms a decorative veil around the animal." (© Copyright Daniel Valverde Fernandez / European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024) […]

on November 8, 2024 at 3:35 pm

Election Day in the United States of America, a volcanic eruption in Indonesia, roller-skating in Georgia, continued flood cleanup in Spain, a figure-skating competition in France, a penny-farthing race in Prague, autumn colors in China, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Vancie Tuner and her horse Clementine rally people on Main St. to vote on Election Day, November 5, 2024, in Driggs, Idaho. ( Natalie Behring / Getty) […]

on November 1, 2024 at 3:00 pm

Autumn colors across Europe, Day of the Dead displays in Mexico, Diwali lights in India, deadly flooding in Spain, a kite festival in South Africa, the School of Santa Claus in Brazil, World Series celebrations in Los Angeles, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A 16-foot-tall hand sculpture named Quasi stands perched on its fingertips atop the roof of an art gallery in Wellington, New Zealand, on October 30, 2024. ( Charlotte Graham-McLay / AP) […]

on October 30, 2024 at 5:16 pm

Over the past several weeks, people around the world have been celebrating the season of Halloween—dressing up, taking part in parades and festivals, hosting parties, and braving trips through haunted houses (and at least one haunted car wash). Collected below are photos that capture some of these scary (and fun) pre-Halloween festivities in Wales, Japan, India, Romania, Spain, Ireland, Thailand, the United States, and elsewhere. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A woman wearing a costume is silhouetted against the sunset sky at the West Side Hallo Fest, a Halloween festival in Bucharest, Romania, on October 26, 2024. ( Andreea Alexandru / AP) […]

on October 28, 2024 at 5:29 pm

Over the past three days, the streets of Toulouse, France, hosted an urban opera titled The Guardian of the Temple—The Gates of Darkness, in which three massive robotic puppets of mythological creatures—Lilith the scorpion woman, Asterion the Minotaur, and Ariane the spider—performed in several locations around the city. The show, put on by the French street-theater company La Machine, was directed by François Delarozière. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. The human-scorpion creature Lilith, the guardian of darkness, parades during a major street show by the French company La Machine, in Toulouse, France, on October 26, 2024. ( Matthieu Rondel / AFP / Getty) […]

on October 26, 2024 at 3:00 pm

Flooding in the Moroccan desert, a volcanic eruption in Mexico, an illuminated abbey in England, a space-shuttle mock-up in California, a snacking bear in Scotland, a giant pigeon in New York City, and much more. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A camel yawns at sunset in the desert of Pushkar, located in the Indian state of Rajasthan, on October 19, 2024. ( Himanshu Sharma / Anadolu / Getty) […]

on October 25, 2024 at 3:23 pm

One hundred thirty-one years ago, Chicago hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, which recorded more than 25 million admissions from May 1 through October 31, 1893. The overall theme was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus landing in the New World. Architect Daniel Burnham and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted worked together with many others to reshape a swampy park along Lake Michigan into a 686-acre Venetian-inspired fairground. More than 65,000 exhibits from 46 nations were displayed in more than 200 structures built for the fair. Visitors were introduced to many new (and relatively new) concepts, inventions, and products, from Cracker Jack and Juicy Fruit gum to large-scale electric lighting and the Ferris wheel. This photo essay originally misidentified the year a “farthest north” record was set. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Visitors to the World's Columbian Exposition look out over the Basin and the Court of Honor. This view from the roof of the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building looks from southeast to northwest over the Grand Basin. ( Chicago History Museum / Getty) […]

on October 18, 2024 at 3:00 pm

A heart-shaped lake in Germany, sculptures by the sea in Australia, sightseeing in the Gobi desert, a colorful forest in Romania, a wife-carrying race in Maine, Halloween lights in England, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A woman photographs artwork from the "Sculpture by the Sea" exhibition at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia, on October 17, 2024. ( Mark Baker / AP) […]

on October 17, 2024 at 4:52 pm

The results of the 2024 Small World Photomicrography Competition were just announced, and organizers have once again shared some of the winning and honored images. The contest, now in its 50th year, invites photographers and scientists to submit images of all things visible under a microscope. More than 2,100 entries were received from 80 countries in 2024. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Image of Distinction: The anterior section of a palm weevil ( Dr. Sherif Abdallah Ahmed, Tanta, Egypt) […]

on October 16, 2024 at 5:42 pm

As the days grow shorter in the Northern Hemisphere, we once again welcome autumn—the best season. The autumnal equinox took place a few weeks ago, on September 22, marking the end of summer. Now comes the season of harvests, festivals, winter preparations, migrations, and, of course, spectacular fall colors. Across the North, people are beginning to feel a chill in the evening air, apples and pumpkins are being gathered, and animals are on the move. Collected below are early images from this year, with more to follow in the weeks to come. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A girl struggles under the weight of the hefty pumpkin that she was attempting to carry out of the field at the Bainbridge Island / Suyematsu Farms Pumpkin Patch on Bainbridge Island, Washington, on October 9, 2024. ( Meegan M. Reid / Kitsap Sun / USA Today Network / Reuters) […]

on October 11, 2024 at 3:00 pm

The aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Florida, a beachside air show in California, restoration efforts in the Vatican, a historical autumn fair in England, a dog-grooming class in Brazil, cranberry harvesting in Massachusetts, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, lights up the sky over an old grain elevator in Brant, Alberta, Canada, on October 7, 2024. ( Todd Korol / Reuters) […]

on October 10, 2024 at 4:50 pm

The 60th annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition attracted more than 59,000 entries from 117 countries, and just recently announced the winners. The owners and sponsors have kindly shared some of this year’s winning and honored images below. The museum’s website has many more images from this year and previous years. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. Captions were provided by the photographers and WPY organizers, and are lightly edited for style. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A Tranquil Moment. Winner, Behavior: Mammals. Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod found this serene scene of a young toque macaque sleeping in an adult’s arms. Resting in a quiet place after a morning of photographing birds and leopards, Vinod soon realized he wasn’t alone. A troop of toque macaques was moving through the trees above. Vinod spotted this young monkey sleeping between feeds and used a telephoto lens to frame the peaceful moment. (© Copyright Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod / Wildlife Photographer of the Year) […]

on October 9, 2024 at 5:34 pm

Residents of Florida are preparing themselves for Hurricane Milton, currently a Category 4 storm, which is expected to make landfall later tonight or early tomorrow morning. Milton arrives less than two weeks after many Florida cities and towns were hit by Hurricane Helene—piles of storm debris still line the streets. Mandatory-evacuation orders are in place in cities along Florida’s central west coast, and residents have spent recent days boarding up windows, piling sandbags, and looking out for loved ones as they ready themselves for this enormous storm. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Eli Perez, 2, of Stuart, Florida, helps his mother fill a bag with sand at the Sailfish Ballpark distribution site on October 7, 2024, in Stuart, Florida. ( Crystal Vander Weit / TCPalm / USA Today Network / Reuters) […]

on October 8, 2024 at 5:39 pm

In Tarragona, Spain, more than 40 teams of “castellers” recently gathered for the city’s 29th biannual human-tower competition—working together to build the highest and most complex human towers (castells) possible. Winning teams reached as high as 10 tiers above the ground. Gathered here are some of the images of these amazing structures, and the effort involved in forming them. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Members of the Castellers de Vilafranca team form a castell during the 29th Castells Competition in Tarragona, Spain, on October 6, 2024. ( Lluis Gene / AFP / Getty) […]

on October 4, 2024 at 3:00 pm

Wildfires and drought in South America, a celebration of China’s National Day in Hong Kong, Israeli missile strikes in Lebanon, early Christmas celebrations in Venezuela, a dahlia show beside Stonehenge, devastating floods in Nepal and the U.S., and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Drummers from Worldbeaters perform “Fireflies” to the crowds on the esplanade in Weymouth, England, on September 28, 2024. Activate Performing Arts presented the world premiere of “Fireflies” as part of We Are Weymouth’s Dusk Til Dark 2024 event. The processional show combines a fusion of drumming, light, and community performers. ( Finnbarr Webster / Getty) […]

on October 1, 2024 at 4:33 pm

The highest-scoring panoramic photos entered into the 15th Epson International Pano Awards were just announced. Organizers reported that they received 4,529 entries from 1,105 professional and amateur photographers in 95 countries this year, competing for the top spots in four categories, for several special awards, and for cash prizes. Contest organizers were once again kind enough to share some of the winners and other highest scorers below. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Power of Nature, Overall Winner - Open Competition, Highest Scoring Aerial, and Winner, Open—Nature / Landscapes. Mountains in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Kelvin Yuen: "The primary goal of this trip was to capture the iconic mountains of Guilin, renowned for its karst formations. On the day I took this photo, I woke up at 3 a.m. and was supposed to hike up for the sunrise. However, a heavy thunderstorm struck out of nowhere, so I decided to shoot the thunderstorm. I flew my drone to wait for the lightning due to safety concerns. The drone surprised me by being functional after 30 minutes of downpour. I took 700 photos with the same compositions, of which more than 40 were lightning shots." (© Copyright Kelvin Yuen / The 15th Epson International Pano Awards) […]

on September 30, 2024 at 5:51 pm

Late Thursday night, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, with winds gusting up to 140 mph. The storm then crashed inland, causing wind damage and severe flooding that killed at least 120 people across six southeastern states, according to the Associated Press. Millions remain without power as first responders work to reach those in need and search for survivors. Gathered below are images from the past weekend, showing some of the devastation in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. In this aerial view, power crews work on the lines after Hurricane Helene passed by on September 27, 2024, in Crystal River, Florida. ( Joe Raedle / Getty) […]

on September 27, 2024 at 10:00 am

The effects of Hurricane Helene in Cuba, severe drought in Brazil and Ecuador, a simulated moon walk in Germany, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, runway scenes from Paris Fashion Week, a comet viewed from Earth orbit, scenes from the opening weekend of Oktoberfest in Germany, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Horses run through wetlands in Wulan Butong scenic area on September 22, 2024, in Chifeng, in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. ( Sun Zhongnan / VCG / Getty) […]

on September 24, 2024 at 4:19 pm

The winning entries in this year’s Bird Photographer of the Year competition were just announced. Patricia Homonylo was named the overall winner for her conservation-themed image of the thousands of birds killed in one year by colliding with windows and other reflective surfaces in urban areas. Competition organizers were once more kind enough to share some of the other winners here, selected from a field of more than 23,000 entries. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. A Modern Dancer. Gold Winner, Comedy Bird Photo. "I was sitting on a Zodiac next to my husband and 10-year-old son near Brown Bluff, Antarctica, when we spotted a group of Adélie penguins on some sea ice. As we slowly approached them, they started to toboggan on the ice, and I captured one of them sliding as if performing a modern dance move." (© Copyright Nadia Haq / Bird Photographer of the Year) […]

on September 20, 2024 at 10:00 am

Destructive flooding throughout Europe, cliff diving in Austria, deadly wildfires in Portugal, a scene from Fashion Week in Milan, celebrations of Independence Day in Mexico, sparks at the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, and much more To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Moo Deng, a two-month-old pygmy hippo, plays with a zookeeper in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand, on September 19, 2024. ( Sakchai Lalit / AP) […]

on September 17, 2024 at 5:10 pm

The winning images from the fourth annual Natural Landscape Photography Awards were just announced. The competition was started to “promote the very best landscape photography by digital and film photographers who value realism and authenticity in their work,” with rules set up to prevent deceptive editing techniques. A total of 1,134 photographers entered from 59 countries this year, in categories named “Grand Scenic,” “Intimate Landscapes,” and “Abstract & Details.” Contest organizers were once more kind enough to share their winners and runners-up. To receive an email notification every time new photo stories are published, sign up here. Mountains, Runner-Up. A Patch of Sunlight on Beinn Eighe in Late Autumn. "After a few days of the peaks of Beinn Eighe being hidden, the clouds finally lifted to reveal a light dusting of early snow. The weather was stormy, but occasional breaks in the cloud illuminated tiny patches of the autumnal grasses on the flanks of the mountain." ( Sophie Carr / Natural Landscape Photography Awards) […]