Oil and water do not mix

Thousands of birds take off together at the Snettisham Nature Reserve in England

Hot and cold in Ukraine

the largest set of Roman ruins in the world - Palmyra, Syria

Waiting for the passing train

Saints Peter & Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg rising through winter mist

Cherry Blossoms by Vijay

The last days of the historic Enchanted Valley Chalet

Louis Armstrong and his wife at the Pyramids in 1961

Photograph by Julie Fletcher, honorable mention winner, 2013 National Geographic photo contest

Hans Zimmer’s studio

Medellin, Colombia at dusk

The Beaten Path (Photo by Michelle Spencer)

Inside the mouth of a lemon shark

Leshan Buddha Statue

The Emperor’s Corridor, Prachov Rocks in the Czech Republic

Deepwater horizon sinking

The Hermitage Pavilion in St. Petersburg, wreathed in dawn mist

Street in Shirakawa-go