These Are Some of the Incredible Candidates for Nat Geo‘s ’Photo of the Year’
- Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:51am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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It’s a one in 20,000 shot, but one of the images below could be National Geographic’s Photo of the Year.
Business Insider got a hold of some of this year’s candidates and shared them on its website. Here’s how it sets up the brilliant, fascinating, and awe-inspiring photos:
Over 20,000 photos are competing in three categories — people, places and nature. The top winner will be selected among the finalists in these groups and will be awarded $10,000 among other coveted prizes.
We’ve included some of the pictures below. You can see the rest at Business Insider and National Geographic:
In a mud pool at the sea salt mines near Bourgas, Bulgaria locals gather. He applies the mud from the pool and then stands upright until it is dry only to take a dip in the nearby sea. Afterwards he gets a relaxing swim in the 30cm of water in the salt mine (80-90% pure salt). Photo and caption by Antoni Georgiev/National Geographic Photo Contest
Snow Geese in flight. Kleinfeltersville, PA. Photo and caption by Charles Funk/National Geographic Photo Contest
When does childhood become adulthood? When does snack time become lunch at your desk? When did safety shift from blankies to insurance? When did magic turn into illusion? Childhood. When the whole world is magic. Photo and caption by Mei Ratz /National Geographic Photo Contest
An unexpected side-effect of the 2010 flooding in parts of Sindh, Pakistan, was that millions of spiders climbed up into the trees to escape the rising flood waters; because of the scale of the flooding and the fact that the water took so long to recede, many trees became cocooned in spiders webs. People in the area had never seen this phenomenon before, but they also reported that there were fewer mosquitoes than they would have expected, given the amount of standing water that was left. Not being bitten by mosquitoes was one small blessing for people that had lost everything in the floods. Photo and caption by Russell Watkins/National Geographic Photo Contest
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Comments (72)
Tryrdon
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 2:27pmOkay, the spider tree just creeps me out. I hate spiders. But creepy or not, it’s still cool!
Report Post »Independent Tess
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 3:54pmI don’t mind spiders, but I abhor mosquitos (and anything else that sucks your blood). Isn’t it nice that the mosquitos are held in check by something we might not embrace, otherwise. God has a sense of humor!
Report Post »TheCoffinMaker
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:44pmImagine a kid looking up at Sandusky like that!
Report Post »LouC57
Posted on December 9, 2011 at 7:39amI lived in a place where each spring, maybe millions (?) of spiders would let their silk out till it started to wad up in the wind…then they’d take off like parachutes. Pretty ingenious way to relocate.
Report Post »GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 10:38pm@The coffin maker
Report Post »Ohhhh…I was in a good mood watching the pictures, reading the opinions, laughing….and you come with your creepy comment……lol
pap pap
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:42pmI’d love to see that Spider Tree. I like spiders and even have names for some of them in my house.
Report Post »SerikFox
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:59pmI hate spiders. Quite honestly; I’d be burning the trees lol :P
Report Post »Patriotic_Mercenary
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 1:36pmThe trees o’ spiders is pretty cool. When I was stationed in Korea, we had our porch covered in spiders. Some yellow-and-black-striped types. They got pretty sizable. During our barracks clean-up, we’d sweep them down. After a few times of doing that, I told our folks to stop doing it because I’d noticed that there were swarms of bugs bothering us afterwards. So, while letting the spiders stay, we were bug-free.
While on the farm, we had plenty of wolf spiders (some recognize them as funnel spiders). We’d get bugs and toss them onto their webs and watch the ensuing struggle.
The only spiders I‘ll really get after are black widows and any others that are a serious to my and my family’s health. I still get creeped out if I walk right into a web, but nothing like my wife, who freaks out at the mention of my having seen a spider in the house. Poor sucker gets chased with a vacuum cleaner after that.
Report Post »OniKaze
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 1:36pmAgreed, I love spiders… Not a big fan of them crawling on me, But (like Snakes) I like things most people don’t…..
With Spiders….. (like snakes) the bigger the better…..
Pink Toed Spider (Tarantula) is one of the neatest Arachnids I have ever seen… By the way, side note, if you want to see some cool pictures, Google Images of the Emerald Tree Boa, by far natures most beautiful snake, possibly one of the prettiest animals in existence (if you negate feline animals)
Report Post »minnierv
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 2:36pmSERIKFOX, I’m right there with you.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:33pmI looked at the link from Business Insider. What amazing pictures! I enjoyed this…. except for the picture of the little boy (sorry).
Report Post »Kansas Mom
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 6:31pmLol… didn‘t like that one either and I’m a Mom of two boys.
Report Post »Doctor Nordo
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:21pmOk, that Pakistani dude has some serious balls for being willing to stand directly underneath that spider tree.
Report Post »jgsr
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:35pmNo kidding….even though old now, when I run into a spider web w/spider along, I can still do all the body contortions, epileptic-type of movements at the same speed as when I was 20, accompanied with screams identical to the tweeners at a Beber concert and I have no idea how my voicebox can create those sounds…..which I can’t voluntarily reproduce if I tried.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on December 9, 2011 at 6:45amarachnileptic fits……hate spiders, even though I know they are useful. That’s what men are for…killing the spiders.
Report Post »WalterMitty
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:16pmDespite their propensity toward the green movement, National Geographic still has the best photographers in the world. Hands down.
Report Post »Doctor Nordo
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:22pmAgreed. I love that magazine, which is saying a lot considering how “green” it is.
Report Post »Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 1:43pmYou’re going overboard with this green hatred. When I was a kid, it was pretty much agreed that you shouldn‘t litter and pollute nature and all that but now it’s a dividing line politically. One time there as an article on here about recycling and everyone was bashing it. This hatred of green thing has gotten ridiculous. Where are you rednecks going to hunt, fish and perform beastiality if we turn everything into a parking lot?
Report Post »IWISHFORABETTERAMERIKA
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 2:00pmBible Quotin‘ Science Fearin’ Conservative American: You said, “This hatred of green thing has gotten ridiculous. Where are you rednecks going to hunt, fish and perform beastiality if we turn everything into a parking lot?” 1.) I guess you thought being insulting to people you don’t even know was going to improve their propensity to recycle/reduce/reuse? 2.) You call yourself “Bible Quotin’” and hurl insults. 3.) You expose your hatred for what you don’t know (automatically assuming people who disagree with you are rednecks who copulate with animals) while bashing them for their “hatred” of things green? Oh, the irony!
Report Post »Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 2:40pmIf being insulted is the reason you choose not to recycle then you are a moron.
Report Post »Doctor Nordo
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:14pmI do recycle and I do care about taking care of the planet. I just don’t like having it shoved down my throat. And Nat Geo has been guilty of blowing many things way out of proportion.
Moron.
Report Post »ThankBabyJesus
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:12pmThe spider tree picture is amazing. And I hate spiders :P
Report Post »MUSE_FENDERTAMA
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:01pmThe spider one should win!
The kid is just a pukey little kid with ugly eyes and a bad haircut, I see cuter kids every day on the street! As far as an artistic message in the caption, please pick a more effective child or overall photo to claim “the magic of childhood” deal. Looks more like he got his candy taken away if you ask me.
The mudbathing guy was a little strange, but I like the grime on his face with the smoke rolling out of his mouth. It wasn’t a moving one like a Tienemen square picture, but it still was interesting and very culturally removed from our everyday life.
Report Post »hannah
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 11:53amWhat a waste of space and time NATGEO is. They want to rewrite history but news flash, we ain’t buying it, literally.
Report Post »caveman74
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 11:52amwhere can I get my own spider tree? I live in the NorthWest where both mosquitos and flooding are prolific, but we seem to have a notable shortage of spider trees lol
Report Post »bailey08
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:58amPicture of the Year:
Jan 2013
Obama is in a helicopter waving good-bye as he leaves the WH for the last time.
Michelle/kids/grandma on a second helicopter
Bo the dog in a third helicopter.
One last chance to bill the taxpayers.
Report Post »Eblaze44
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:12pmI was truly hoping to see him dragged away in chains.
Report Post »PATRIOTIST
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:55amThe spider trees helped keep the mosquitos at bay? am I the only one who sees the hand of GOD in that?
Report Post »the wireworker
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 11:46amnope, i see that too…everything is a blessing…it just take the right perspective in knowing He is still in control….although we may not see it at the time it is happening to us…
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:21pmTo everything there is a purpose, even if we might “hate” that purpose. I dislike spiders also and are thankful I don’t see many here in Colorado; Colorado is virtually a bug free zone. However, they do have a purpose in specific locations.
See insects will be here long after we are gone.
Report Post »another_mormon_4_Ron_Paul
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:19pmIn the book “The Hiding Place”, the woman was grateful for the fleas in their German prison camp because the guards wouldn’t come into their barracks, and thus didn’t find the Bibles that the prisoners were hiding. It helps to be grateful for things that might be an inconvenience, but are a blessing in the long run.
Report Post »In a Bunker
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:50amWow, the spider tree. What a trip! Gets my vote (even though I hate spiders).
Report Post »piper60
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:43amIf the Blaze were to put up a poll, I’ll vote for the spiderweb tree. What a great example of adaptation. We may end up with a new species of spider out of this. WoooooHoooooooooooo!
Report Post »LobsterBoy
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 11:24amOr one less species of tree :p
Report Post »Herndo
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:32amAs a full blown Arachnaphobe I’m now scarred for life after seeing that damn “Spider Tree!”
Report Post »Canuck GB Fan
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 11:54amLol-Ditto!!
Report Post »GetRight
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:30amI am going to have nightmares about that spider tree!
Report Post »LukeAppling
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:58amNational Geographic is a shill for the environmentalist glob al warming scam to gain funds “for the tigers and gorilla” I have cancelled my subscription after 45 years.
Report Post »tommy_pete
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:31amTotally agree. Nat Geo is a shill for the environmental movement.
Report Post »Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 1:45pmWell, it is a magazine about the environment and culture and environmental scientists are pretty well in agreement about global warming. But if you want to put your head in the sand like the rest of the republican clowns then, by all means, do it.
Report Post »Darla_K
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:02amI would like to see more pictures. :)
Report Post »Bobj_1960
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:38amLargely unimpressed. I think they focused more on the story than the actual picture
Report Post »dealer@678
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:48amPhoto of that rat walking in front of the podiam of an Obama speach is my pick
Report Post »JAMACAMECRAZYMAN
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:29amI like the fly on his hideous face……….
Report Post »NOBALONEY
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:22amSpider web trees are an interesting story.
Report Post »AzDebi
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:54amAnd the “spider web” picture reminds us all of the miracle of creation! God designed his creatures to survive and adapt…His design was evident even in the midst of the devastation…
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:16am.
Report Post »The picture of the year should be a picture of the last transport plane full of Obama supporters being deported……..
65Mustang
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:44amYes, yes, yes !!!!!!
Report Post »randy
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:48amOr Obama being led out of the White House in hand cuffs.
Report Post »SmallGovBigGuns
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:15amwow the bottom photo is insane. winner
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:21amI’d like to see a candidate photo of something really fantastic, such as bigfoot, an alien landing or maybe the government creating an actual job.
Report Post »Charles
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:11amMostly crap pictures oooed and ahhhhed over by people with no taste who are easily impressed. Everyones a “Photographer”. Not.
Report Post »Impenitent
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:10amwhere is the photo of the digital camera?
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:05amAs far as the first picture-if he is doing it for his skin, well it’s definately not working for the wrinkels! Loved the birds, the kid, not fond of spiders. They may be good bug catchers-still wouldn’t like it-creepy.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:00amPhoto of the year 2012: Obama crying when he found out he lost.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:11amand I would want a 200 copies to post on every pole in the neighborhood
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:14am.
Report Post »Should be a LSU logo………..
southernhart
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:21amGod I needed that belly laugh, thanks Gonzo.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:26amI’ve been seeing an LSU logo since Sunday Monkey, not sure why you don’t. I’ll leave it up as long as it takes for you to see it…as much as it pains me.
Report Post »godhatesacoward
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:56pmmonkey is pulling your chain. lsu has been up since the moment that you posted your new profile pic!
Report Post »