Viburnum Leaf Photograph by Michael Melford, National GeographicThe palette of the Adirondack forest shifts with the seasons. In the delicate tracery of a viburnum leaf, summer’s green gives way to autumn’s red as chlorophyll fades and underlying pigments emerge. Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)
Photograph by Michael MelfordConifers green the crevices of Catamount Mountain while the forest below is in its last incandescence before winter. Purchase this print »Download wallpaper » www.michaelmelford.com
Information Booth Photo and caption by Jay DorfmanWith 16,000 square feet of waiting room, New York city’s Grand Central Station can be a daunting place even for the most well seasoned traveler. On my way to a weekend out of the city and always with my cameras I came upon this moment of a lost little girl and the information booth attendant. The body language of both bespoke the tension and uncertainty of the moment and also contained a promise of resolution. Several minutes later the young traveler was greeted by her mom who had turned her back on the little girl for a moment and lost her for what seemed like an eternity.
The moment they lifted their cameras Photo and caption by Cheng Niu“ManhattanSunset” happens twice a year and is known as one of the most spectacular urban views in New York. Travelers/photographers gather together, waiting several hours for this exciting moment. I was part of the event this May but unfortunately I arrived late that day. There were already many people waiting there and I had to find a spot behind the crowd. I was not able to see it myself but was happy to have grabbed the moment when everyone lifted their cameras focusing on their long-expected view. Indeed I was at the back of the crowd. But in another sense, I was in front of all of them.
New York City Skyline Photograph by Jim Richardson, National Geographic At times, the overall color of a scene can be so different from the way we normally see it that we hardly recognize the place. Seeing lush, green Central Park in a pink fog changes it completely in Jim Richardson’s stunning view, shot from a hotel window. —Annie GriffithsPhoto Tip: Bad weather makes great pictures. It can also make the familiar completely new. So head out in that snowstorm and find ways to shoot in the rain. Celebrate fog and sandstorm and lightning. New pictures await under these conditions. Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)
The High Line - New York City An abandoned rail line has become an elevated park known as the High Line. Dense plantings at the southern end heighten the contrast with the old steel structure as well as with the cityscape. The Standard Hotel, one of three buildings that cross over the High Line, is on the right.
Not long ago, the entire length of the High Line was an unkempt jumble of weeds and wildflowers. The third and last segment, to the north of 30th Street, still is. Diane Cook and Len Jenshel/National Geographic Image Collection