National Geographic released its annual “Pictures of the Year” issue this week, featuring 20 photos – out of some 2.3 million controversial ones – that depict striking scenes of nature, wildlife and human connection to the world.
Here are CNBC's picks for one of the best of one of the best.
A leap of religion
With “a lot of persistence and even more luck,” Bertie Gregory managed to capture the moment a young emperor penguin jumped off a 50-foot cliff for the primary time.
According to National Geographic, emperor penguins have increasingly moved from low-lying ice to higher, more everlasting ice shelves as climate change alters their environment.
These chicks, whose parents abandoned them a month earlier, are actually learning to hunt on their very own, it was said.
“A lot of patience”
At the University of Konstanz, photographer Ingo Arndt observed an ant colony that might normally be hidden within the forest.
She was there to capture this juvenile by ripping open its cocoon with its jaws, after which adult females helped free it from the remainder of the cocoon.
“To capture this image it was necessary to work under controlled conditions in a laboratory. I built a mini wood ant nest there and so I was able to take this picture with a lot of patience,” said Arndt.
“A deep sense of urgency”
In January, scientists… BioRescue The project transferred a southern white rhinoceros embryo right into a female southern white rhinoceros. But before the pregnancy was confirmed, the rhino died of a bacterial infection. Scientists later discovered the 70-day-old fetus.
Nevertheless, scientists are confident that successful waterproofing can support efforts to avoid wasting the northern white rhinoceros, which is critically endangered. According to National Geographic, only two remain.
It's a story Ami Vitale has been reporting on for 15 years.
“When I realized how close we are to losing not just the rhino but countless other species, I was given a deep sense of urgency and a recognition of our shared responsibility,” she said. “I hope this work will help raise awareness of the urgent challenges facing our planet.”
Backlit by the celebs
Concan, Texas
With 10 million bats, the Frio Bat Cave is home to certainly one of the biggest colonies on the planet, although their numbers can sometimes double in summer.
These Mexican free-tailed bats leave the cave at sunset to feed totally on moths in a nightly ritual that may last as long as three hours. Since dozens of bats emerge from the cave every second, Babak Tafreshi said, he took this shot using a 30-second exposure with multiple soft flashes to disclose the bats, which were also backlit by the constellations Orion and Taurus within the night sky.
“I learned so much about bats from this project. How intelligent they are, how incredibly precise their trajectory is. How productive they are for the ecosystem and local farmers and the Texas economy,” he told CNBC Travel.
When cold and warmth collide
Fanning Springs State Park, Florida
This photo was taken early on a winter morning at some extent where warm spring water merged with the dark, cold waters of the Suwannee River.
Photographer Jason Gulley said he donned a drysuit, jumped into the water and waited motionless to photograph the fish as they danced between warm and cold temperatures.
“It was years of experience with springs on the Suwannee River that let me know that I would find unique and visually stunning conditions that morning,” Gulley told CNBC Travel.
“The advantage of photographing in my figurative backyard is that I have had years to learn how different water levels, seasons and weather conditions affect the environment.”
Fuel from the sun
Jülich, Germany
According to National Geographic, the synthetic solar fluid constructed from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide could someday power trucks, ships and planes without having to upgrade their engines.
In June, the Swiss company Synhelion opened the world's first industrial-scale plant to supply the energy alternative.
“The photo attempts to abstractly represent the fuel produced by two simple and fundamental elements: air and sun. “I took the shot in an improvised studio at the company facility, using a mirror to support the fuel drops and a gradient light that would evoke sun and sky,” said photographer Davide Monteleone.
“I felt and heard a rumbling”
Antigua, Guatemala
The day-long hike up Fuego's sleeping twin, Acatenango, to capture this shot – with 45 kilos of camera equipment – was one of the vital difficult Peter Fisher has ever done.
But a well-timed break to catch his breath turned out to be a completely happy accident.
“About 30 seconds after I stopped, I felt and heard a rumble and then saw lava shooting into the sky. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect,” he told CNBC. “The sun had just set, so you could still see the silhouettes of the other climbers, and if I had continued climbing, the change in perspective would have caused their bodies to disappear into the dark volcanic ash surrounding them.”
Fisher said a friend who was climbing with him used a flashlight so as to add “a nice spot of light in the foreground.”
He said it was “one of those moments that you can't plan and everything falls into place just right.”
Find more National Geographic “Pictures of the Year 2024” here NatGeo.com/Photos.
image credit : www.cnbc.com