National Geographic is currently holding its annual photo contest, with the deadline for submissions coming up on November 30. For the past nine weeks, the society has been gathering and presenting galleries of submissions, encouraging readers to vote for them as well. National Geographic was kind enough to let me choose among its entries from 2011 for display here on In Focus. Gathered below are 45 images from the three categories of People, Places, and Nature, with captions written by the individual photographers. [45 photos]
Many people pilgrimage to Uluru, but what is seen there often depends on where you’ve come from. (© Robert Spanring)
This image captures almost 6 hours of climbing parties on Rainier going for the summit under starry skies. Wind shifts during the night would cause bands of smoke from fires 100 miles away on Mt Hood to pass over Rainier. This intermittent low-level haze caused the red glow seen in the sky and a Rainier that looks like it was almost painted on. Lights from Sunrise can be seen in the lower right of the frame.(© Chris Morin) #
Russia, polar region of West Siberia, Tazovsky peninsula. Reindeer breeding – one of the basic employment of indigenous population of this region. All earths, suitable for a pasture, are assigned to families of reindeer breeders or sovkhoz brigades. Reindeer graze freely and in search of reindeer lichen for a night can disperse on few kilometers. The foreman of shepherds examines herd on a pasture with the help of binocular. (© Dmitriy Nikonov) #
An adult male gelada rests in the early morning light after ascending the steep sleeping cliffs of the Simien Mountains, Ethiopia. This male won his right to mate by successfully deposing the old leader. Now he must defend his harem by tending to his females’ needs and fighting off anxious bachelors waiting for their chance to become harem leader. (© Clay Wilton) #
