September 1, 2017
Shake It Off
A giraffe shakes water off its head after drinking from Lake Masek in Tanzania. Your Shot photographer Andrew D. recalls that this sighting was approximately 600 yards from where he and his group had set up camp. “I had actually just changed my lens from a 400 mm to my 200 mm, which was another stroke of luck as I would not have been able to get the shot had I not changed,” he remembers. “Better to be lucky than good sometimes!”
August 25, 2017
Above Mecca
The city of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is the holiest site in the religion of Islam. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the city, and each year, 15 million pilgrims make the trip to worship. The tower is the Makkah Royal Clock Tower, part of Abraj Al-Bait, a complex of skycraper hotels for worshippers to stay in. The clock tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world, and it sports the largest clock face—measuring 141 feet across.
You’ll probably want to jump ahead to about 9:30 for the view of Sicily Drop Zone on Fort Bragg, because, in the military, life is hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.
National Airborne Day is five days out.
August 4, 2017
Protect and Defend
Being a park ranger in Ethiopia’s Mago National Park is serious business. The men and women who take on this work risk their lives to defend the land and animals, like elephants and giraffes, from poachers.
Photograph By Yan Li, National Geographic Your Shot
July 28, 2017
The Coyote’s Howl
A coyote stops to howl near the Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. Your Shot photographer Glenn M. writes, “Another pair of intrepid photographers had gone out to look for this coyote based on its howls, and the coyote ended up coming to us.”
Photograph By Glenn M., National Geographic Your Shot
July 21, 2017
Sandstone and Storms
Low storm clouds sweep over Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, in Australia. Uluru is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is sacred to the Aboriginal people of the area.
Photograph By Ignacio Palacios, National Geographic Your Shot
This week’s photo comes from The Other Whitey;
This photo popped up in the media a couple of days ago. You might have seen it. Two Firefighters and an Engineer from my department, the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection AKA CalFire (I still call it CDF, as it was before 2006) on a structure protection assignment in central California are grabbing a homeowner’s US Flag to ensure that it will be saved if they lose the house. As I heard it, the house was protected successfully, so removing the flag and placing it in the engine was a precaution. I could be wrong about the successful outcome, that’s just how I heard it. Wasn’t there myself.
Hopefully some people might be reminded that while California does contain far too many anti-American hippies and Berkelyites, there’s lots of Americans here, too. I would also like to think it might make up a little bit for the valor-thief phony asshole who lied his way into a Firefighter-I slot with us last year.
