Pyongyang Mass Games, North Korea

Photograph by David GuttenfelderNational Geographic

Children mobilized for the annual mass games in Pyongyang, North Korea, act as pixels to portray a happy patriot in uniform.

Bubbles, Cartagena

Photograph by Massimo Rumi
National Geographic

On Sundays during Mes de la Cometas, or Kite Month, the sky over Cartagena, Colombia, fills with colorful kites moving in every direction. "I knew this was a great opportunity for photography," says Your Shot contributor Massimo Rumi, who on arriving at a park found that the many colors, families, and kids presented a larger challenge than expected. "Flying a kite is a family sport in Cartagena, and I wanted to capture a family moment of relaxation and fun," he says.

Having come across a dog chasing soap bubbles, Rumi first tried to focus on the animal, then suddenly zoomed out. "I wanted to capture the whole family, and the bubbles unexpectedly helped frame the people in such a perfect way."

Basketball Court, Hong Kong

Photograph by Brian Yen
National Geographic

Your Shot contributor Brian Yen calls it his "weekly photography fix": the uninterrupted hour and a half after he drops his daughter off at her ballet lesson, which he spends shooting pictures in the school's neighborhood. "I had encountered this scene in the past, but always with many players on the court," he says of this image, shot from a pedestrian overpass above Garden Road in Hong Kong. "But this time, near the end of my walk, I saw this lone player shooting hoops. The contrast with the Friday evening rush hour traffic was immediately obvious."

Holy Week Procession, Guatemala

Photograph by Chantal Levesque

This photo was taken during a procession in Antigua Guatemala during Holy Week.

Gorner Glacier, Switzerland

Photograph by Robbie Shone

Beneath the stars, two scientific explorers descend into the icy depths of a moulin on the Gorner Glacier in Switzerland. The freshly exposed rock above the glacier on the left-hand side shows how the ice has melted under an increasingly warm world. These explorers are mapping the changes taking place beneath the surface. Their work must be carried out at night because high daytime temperatures create vast amounts of meltwater, making exploration difficult and dangerous.

Shepherd's Cave, Afghanistan

Photograph by Matthieu Paley

Kyrgyz men seek shelter in a shepherd’s cave during their annual journey from their mountainous homeland in remote Afghanistan to the nearest trading village in Pakistan, an icy, five-day trek. They will barter livestock, wool, and dairy products for everything from tea to television sets

Climber, Queen Maud Land

Photograph by Cory Richards

Suspended from an anchor in the rock hundreds of feet above the ice and snow, Mike Libecki hauls himself up a granite tower in Antarctica's remote Queen Maud Land.

Snake Charmer, China

Photograph by Wesley Thomas Wong

A snake charmer performs with his pet snake during a spring festival in China.

Snorkeler, Mexico

Download Wallpaper (1600 x 1200 pixels)

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

A snorkeling tourist floats in a cenote called Las Calaveras—“the skulls”—near Tulum. Local Maya got their drinking water here until about 30 years ago, when divers found bones. Archaeologists have recorded the remains of more than a hundred people, usually shrouded by the water’s primordial darkness.

Military Guide, North Korea

Photograph by David Guttenfelder

A military guide leads a tour to the mystical Mount Paektu. It was here, official lore says, that Kim Il Sung fought for independence from Japanese occupiers in the 1930s.

Woman and Child, Bhutan

Photograph by Lynsey Addario

In the tiny Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, environmental protection is one of the "four pillars of Gross National Happiness," along with sustainable development, cultural preservation, and good governance. A high entry fee for visitors keeps idyllic places like this eastern forest—through which Kunzang Choden sets off with her nine-month-old baby to visit family—free from crowds of backpackers.

Farmers & Thunderstorm, Nebraska

Photograph by Jim Richardson

A thunderstorm halts haying as farmers watch the sky.

Cricket Game, Bangladesh

Photograph by Mohammad Rakibul Hasan

Due to the effect of climate change, in 2007 Tropical Cyclone Aila hit Gabura Union, a coastal island of Bangladesh. Now people from this place are recovering from their wounds. Children are playing cricket in a salty, barren field.

Rath Yatra Festival, Bangladesh

Photograph by Md Rafayat Haque Khan

Enthusiastic devotees take part in a colorful Rath Yatra procession in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. Also known as the Festival of Chariots, the Hindu celebration honors a mid-summer chariot journey made by Lord Jagannath.

Photographing in his hometown, Your Shot contributor Md Rafayat Haque Khan wanted to capture the essence of the festival in a single frame. To get this shot, Khan went to the top of a three-story building as devotees pulling raths, or holy carts, arrived in time for an afternoon prayer. "I got a vantage point for capturing this awesome moment," Khan says. "It seemed to me I was seeing a wave of devoted souls coming row by row to get blessings from the Jagannath."

Whirling Dervishes Ankara, Turkey

Photograph by Sukri Celil Advan

Whirling dervishes perform the ritual dance of the Sufi sect in a showroom in Ankara. Practitioners believe the act of repeatedly spinning allows them to forget their earthly body and move closer to God.

Hikers Camping, Glacier Bay National Park

Photograph by JK Putnam

My wife and I paddled up the west arm of Glacier Bay and back on an eight-day kayak trip in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park. We were on our own for the majority of the trip. We went days without seeing other people, but we never felt alone. This trip strengthened the already well-founded bond between us. I took this photo so that we would always have something to remind ourselves of this experience and how much closer we grew during it.

Tukad Unda Dam, Bali

Photograph by Lisa Hendrawan

This dam is on a river called Tukad Unda in Klungkung, Bali. I framed the photo to make the dam look like a natural waterfall. Locals regularly bathe and wash their clothes here. It's also a fun place for the children to play. I adjusted the shutter speed to capture the arcs of water flowing from their buckets. —Lisa Hendrawan

Musicians, New Orleans

Photograph by Robert Davies

On our last walk around the French Quarter before heading home we came across this band setting up on Royal Street. We were able to hear a few songs and snap a few shots before rushing off to the airport.

Novice Shaman, Mongolia

Photograph by Carolyn Drake

A novice shaman makes an offering of milk to the spirits at her initiation outside the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.

Kyrgiz 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.