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A jaguar sneaking up on a photographer trying to spot an armadillo, a polar bear sitting on a sperm whale, and more took center stage in this year's Photo of the Year awards. National Geographic.
“Pictures of the Year is a project that is always inspiring and thought-provoking,” said Nathan Lampe, the magazine's editor-in-chief. National Geographic. “Every year, our photographers and editors sift through thousands of images, searching for those rare moments that stop us. Individually, these photographs speak of beauty, fragility and wonder. Taken together, I see a collective sense of urgency—a call to preserve what is in danger of being lost, as well as a reminder of the poetic beauty that can be found in continuing the journey and daring to dream of a better future.”
Below are a sample of this year's incredible photos. (Click to expand images to full screen.) To read more about this story, visit natgeo.com/photo.
Diego Paredes, standing in the saddle Diego Paredes, standing in the saddle of his horse Lobuno, surveys the once bustling trade route that ran through this picturesque valley in northern Argentina. Along with his brother Hugo, Diego is proud of the new life they are bringing to this land by running educational horseback riding tours with their company Renaciendo Costumbres (Revival of Traditions). Image: Photo by Natalis Favre.For years, photographer Anand Varma has been trying to capture situations where the egg yolk is still visible but the shape of the bird is clear. He experimented by incubating embryos in artificial shells before finally recording the transformation at 12 days of age. Varma separately raised several chicken embryos, which he donated to the community. Image: Photo by Anand Varma.While observing the burrow of a rare giant armadillo in Brazil's Atlantic Forest, photographer Fernando Faciole came face to face with another vulnerable animal: a jaguar. Heavy deforestation has decimated the local population, and today there may be fewer than a dozen jaguars left in the state park where Fasiole took this photo. Image: Photo by Fernando Faciole. The Solomon Islands are home to some of the most diverse coral reefs on the planet. Earlier this year, the island nation pledged to conserve 59 million acres of its marine waters, including the seas surrounding the lush island, which form part of a vital aquatic region called the Coral Triangle, which spans six countries and contains 76 percent of the world's coral species. Image: Photo by Manu San Felix.Cover of National Geographic magazine “Pictures of the Year 2025”. Image: National Geographic
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