When you look at these pictures from a recent photograph contest organised by National Geographic, you once again become convinced that nature is truly the greatest artist out there. But we must also give special thanks to those masters of photography who have borne witness to the beauty and wonder of the natural world and seek to share it with the rest of us.
Ball lightning
In this picture, a bubble rests on the top of a mushroom. The light from the camera produces a stunning effect.
Amigos
Smoke is constantly ejected from the crater of the volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka, but that didn’t stop it from dressing up in an elegant hat made from clouds.
The golden cliffs of the Sinyaya River
The Sinyaya River flows through Yakutia, Russia, as the left tributary of the Lena. For more than 100 km, majestic cliffs by its banks form the most intricate shapes.
You can almost touch it…
Insects are heating up the stove downstairs…
There aren’t any insects in this picture. But it’s almost as if they’re hiding under the earth — and heating up a stove, judging by this odd looking mushroom.
Have you ever seen a hedgehog’s heel?
This is what it looks like. Bizarre, yet somehow fascinating!
Light and darkness
Near the Angara River, Russia.
A pasture for three
Yakutia, Russia.
Dancing
The North Caucasus.
Droplets of pure beauty
Black & white
An eruption of the Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka.
The unity of opposites
On a Caucasian nature reserve.
Fraternal love
On the Kuril Lake, Kronotsky Nature Reserve, Kamchatka.
Flight
At sunset, a may-bug climbs to the top of a mushroom in order to take flight.
At the edge of the world
Murmansk region, Russia