https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/ National Geographic : Photo of the Day Mother kangaroo and her joey on the beach at Cape Le Grande, Esperance, Western Australia. https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=173444340 173444340 Cricket Game, Bangladesh. What Makes This a Photo of the Day? Having an element coming in from the edge of the frame can be distracting, but in this case, the pitcher?s hand reaching in from the left creates suspense and mirrors the anticipation of the players as the ball is struck. ?Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=174898388 174898388 Café, Amsterdam. What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I agree with the photographer?this does feel like a scene in a film, with all the elements working together to provide a cohesive sense of place: the picture of the couple on the wall, the patrons sitting in just the right spot by the window. What makes this great, of course, is that the scene is one the photographer happened upon, a lucky find. ?Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=174944530 174944530 Barn Owl, United Kingdom. What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I have an affinity for owls. Knowing that not everyone may feel as I do, I try to limit myself to one owl photograph per month, and I?m happy for the chance to run this one in February. The light is beautiful and the composition nicely balanced, with the owl punctuating the empty space above the reeds. ?Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175006529 175006529 Ferry, Myanmar. Photograph by Clementine Crey. What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I love photographs that give me the opportunity to put visual clues together to get a sense of a culture. The overhead angle allows me to really see what this man?s work is about, including the ingredients he?s working with. And the composition of the round bowls is also appealing. ?Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175165569 175165569 Rough Green Snake. Photograph by Jason Wiles. What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The focus of the frame, the snake?s yawning mouth, is tack-sharp, which is what makes this a success. I also appreciated the extra information from the photographer, as I too would have assumed this was one disgruntled fellow. ?Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175165578 175165578 Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia. Photograph by Vincent Ma. What Makes This a Photo of the Day? The three parts of this photograph?the iron structure of the bridge, the straight line of climbers in the center, and the neighborhood below?are well balanced and present a complete scene. The blue of the climbers' jackets provide just enough color to make them stand out. ?Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175244906 175244906 Ship, Juan de Fuca Strait. Photograph by Jason van der Valk. What Makes This a Photo of the Day? Patience has its rewards, as evidenced here. The dramatic beauty of this photograph, with the lone ship silhouetted against the sunlit swath of ocean, dwarfed by the sea and sky, is what first caught my attention. Hearing the story behind it made me appreciate it even more as an intentional work of art. ?Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175244685 175244685 Aztec Dance. Photograph by Aydin Palabiyikoglu. What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I like that the photographer chose to go tight on the dancer rather than show the wider scene. The effect is that it becomes not so much about the movement of the dance but the energy of the dancer, which is interesting. ?Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175349568 175349568 Footprints, Belarus. Photograph by Alexander Zozulya. What Makes This a Photo of the Day? I love when a photo surprises me. The first few times I looked at this frame I was sure it was a screen grab from a surveillance video. The more I looked at it, I came to realize that the graininess I was seeing was actually the texture of the ground beneath, lightly dusted with snow. ?Alexa Keefe, Photo of the Day editor https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175349649 175349649 Jaguar, Ecuador. Photograph by Steve Winter. A jaguar on the hunt trips a camera trap at a spot frequented by piglike peccaries, a favorite prey. To the Waorani, one of the native groups in this area, jaguars are ancestral spirits that visit shamans in dreams to tell them where game is plentiful in the forest. https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175736904 175736904 Traditional Home, Libya. Photograph by George Steinmetz. Kasim Abdu Salaam Habib, 39, opens his lovingly decorated 600-year-old home to foreign tourists in Ghadames in western Libya. The house needs repairs, and visitors are scarce these days. But Habib is optimistic. "I want to see Libya as a democracy," he says. https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175737216 175737216 Stone Mound, Mongolia. Photograph by Carolyn Drake. A stone mound, or ovoo, in Mongolia marks a place where spirits are said to have appeared; respectful travelers circle it three times. https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175736906 175736906 Yasuní National Park, Ecuador. Photograph by Steve Winter. From the bromeliads, ferns, and orchids that cover a kapok tree 160 feet above the forest floor to the jaguars that prowl below, Ecuador's Yasuní National Park is home to countless plant and animal species. All of them now face threats from oil development. https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175736908 175736908 Kyrgyz Nomads, Afghanistan. Photograph by Matthieu Paley. Kyrgyz herders adore their cell phones, which they acquire by trading and keep charged with solar-powered car batteries. Though useless for communication?cellular service doesn't reach the isolated plateau?the gadgets are used to play music and take photos. https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175736905 175736905 Emperor Penguin, Antarctica. Photograph by Paul Nicklen. Preparing to launch from the sea to the sea ice, an emperor penguin reaches maximum speed. https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175736903 175736903 Roman Theater, Libya. Photograph by George Steinmetz. Libyans enjoy a visit to Sabratah's ancient Roman theater, one of Africa's largest. https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175736907 175736907 Rhino Viper, Cameroon. Photograph by Mattias Klum. The element of surprise gives this rhino viper in Cameroon an edge over prey. Quick-kill venom finishes the job. Vipers provide valuable toxins, including those used in drugs for hypertension and heart disease and to control bleeding during surgery. https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175782119 175782119 Beach, Gaza. Photograph by Paolo Pellegrin. Gazans swim in the Mediterranean Sea at sunset. An Israeli naval blockade to stop smuggling of arms and other goods into the Gaza Strip?the heart of Palestinian resistance?also restricts Gazans to within three nautical miles of shore. But the sea is one place where they have an open horizon. https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175853520 175853520 Noisy Night Monkeys, Ecuador. Photograph by Tim Laman. The noisy night monkey (Aotus vociferans) is one of ten confirmed monkey species that live in Ecuador's Yasuní National Park, one of the world's wildest places. https://clubforum.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=175905679 175905679