National Geographic's Photo of the Day Selects from October | November | December

The last three months of the year yielded some amazing photo submissions to National Geographic's Photo of the Day. Take a look at some of my favorites:

OCTOBER 6, 2014

Whale of a Tail

Photograph by Shane Gross, National Geographic Your Shot

A sperm whale “waves goodbye” to Your Shot member Shane Gross, who had traveled to Sri Lanka’s east coast hoping to photograph blue whales. “While we did have some success with the blues, it was the sperm whales that stole the show,” he writes. He captured this picture toward the end of the six-day expedition. “It was late in the day and the sun was low as this small pod swam toward me, and I did my best to keep quiet so as to not frighten them. This one started to dive and I free dove right after her, trying to get as close to that massive tail as possible. I knew she might be the last whale I'd encounter on the trip, and indeed, she was.”

OCTOBER 9, 2014

The Dreaming Tree

Photograph by Christian Spencer

In the Strzelecki Desert of Australia, a flock of galahs replenishes with the small amount of water available at the base of a lonely tree. “It was a rare opportunity to get such a clear and symmetrical shot of these beautiful birds in flight in the middle of the desert,” writes photographer Christian Spencer.

OCTOBER 23, 2014

Morning Java

Photograph by Achmad Sumawijaya

Photographer Achmad Sumawijaya waited three hours to capture this picture of Mount Bromo (in foreground) and Mount Semeru (in background) on a misty morning in East Java, Indonesia. Some Indonesians believe that the volcanoes are portals to a subterranean world.

OCTOBER 24, 2014

Success

Photograph by Peter Allinson

An Atlantic puffin returns from a successful fishing expedition in this picture captured in Iceland. A puffin can grip 20 or more fish in its beak. Those with chicks make up to eight food runs a day.

OCTOBER 31, 2014

Turtle Power

Photograph by Montse Grillo

“On the coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, we have quite the selection of affectionate green turtles,” writes photographer Montse Grillo. “This turtle was coming [down] from the surface. The sun behind it and the sun rays surrounding it gave it a special majesty.”

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

Mirror Image

Photograph by Torsten Muehlbacher, National Geographic Your Shot

On a stretch of road between Söderhamn and Gävle on the Swedish coast, Your Shot member Torsten Muehlbachernoticed this small island reflected in a lake. “I drove to a nearby parking area and walked a few minutes for the perfect view,” he writes. “I put my camera on a tripod and made a long-exposure shot for a better ‘mirror’ on the lake, because it was not windless.”

NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Temple Dawn

Photograph by Andy Ferrington, National Geographic Your Shot

“Burma (Myanmar) is one of those special countries that will never fail to inspire and excite even the most well-traveled photographers,” writes Your Shot member Andy Ferrington. “There is nothing more awe inspiring than watching sunrise from the top of one of the 2,000-plus temples in the central plain in Bagan. This was my third consecutive 5 a.m. start to climb yet another temple in the cold, dark morning in bare feet. I opted for a super telephoto shot, as I wanted to really pull the punch of those warm sunrise colors. As I was tracking the flight path of this solo balloon, I estimated that it would pass between a perfect gap in the temples.”

NOVEMBER 12, 2014

Kallur Lighthouse

Photograph by Grégoire Sieuw, National Geographic Your Shot

From a northern promontory on the Faroe island of Kalsoy, the Kallur lighthouse boasts a panoramic view of the sea and neighboring islands. About a hundred people inhabit four villages on remote Kalsoy, one of 18 islands making up the North Atlantic archipelago.

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

Hanging On

Photograph by Valtteri Murto, National Geographic Your Shot

“I’m an airline pilot interested in both urban decay and aviation history,” writes Your Shot member Valtteri Murto, who captured this picture during a day off spent photographing parts of Brooklyn. “I came to Floyd Bennett Field out of pure curiosity, and after noticing these hangars, I just couldn’t keep myself away,” he writes. Though it was a sunny day in March, recent rains had left large puddles that caught reflections like this one. “I had to dodge falling pieces of aluminium plating,” Murto adds. “The hangars are in a state of serious decay, and roof panels and debris were blown across by gusty wind.”

NOVEMBER 16, 2014

Funny Face

Photograph by Brian Callaway, National Geographic Your Shot

“The gaye holud is a traditional Bengali wedding ceremony in which the bride and groom are presented with fish dressed as the couple,” writes Your Shot member Brian Callaway, who captured this photo in the town of Mamallapuram, on the east coast of India. “Amit and Sofi have an amazing sense of humor and started playing and posing with the fish after their gaye holud. It didn’t take too long before I saw that if they held the fish up to their faces, the eyes of the fish would match their own. For me, the photo perfectly captures this cultural part of their wedding, their fun/spontaneous personalities, and, more importantly, how much fun they were having. It's also their favorite photo.”

NOVEMBER 27, 2014

The Children’s Place

Photograph by Masami Murooka, National Geographic Your Shot

Looking like playfully scattered confetti, children sled a snowy hill in Shizukuishi, Japan. Your Shot member Masami Murooka calls it an “extraordinary playground,” which emerged at the side of a large festival’s parking lot. “Anyone trying to photograph only the festival would never notice this place,” Murooka writes.

DECEMBER 1, 2014

Dearly Beloved

Photograph by Bartek Olszewski, National Geographic Your Shot

“I was so lucky,” says Your Shot member Bartek Olszewski, who found this scene on entering London’s Richmond Park on a July day. He began taking as many pictures as he could of the battling stags. “It only lasted a few seconds,” he says. “I love to watch and track red deer, finding them and enjoying their natural behavior. I have my camera in my hands at all times when I’m going out to take pictures. Always be ready—wildlife is unpredictable, so it can surprise you at any time.”

DECEMBER 5, 2014

Night Falls

Photograph by Phil Hawkins, National Geographic Your Shot

Though most photographers leave Yosemite National Park’s Tunnel View overlook when the direct light of sunset has disappeared, Your Shot member Phil Hawkins usually stays for another hour to see how the light evolves. “On this occasion I happened to notice a slight glow in the mist hugging the valley floor and wondered how this would look in a timed exposure,” he writes. “So I drilled in on an area of activity and simply left the shutter open for about ten minutes, and this image is the result.”

DECEMBER 6, 2014

Floating Season

Photograph by Nhiem Hoang, National Geographic Your Shot

“During the floating season on the Mekong Delta, wild water lilies grow in the rice fields now covered by water,” writes Your Shot member Nhiem Hoang. “They become a traditional food, processed into special dishes such as salad and sour soup with fish.” Hoang travels to the region each year to photograph what many consider its most beautiful season. “I saw this situation happening from the road while riding my motorbike alongside the Vinh Te Canal. I was lucky that day because it had just stopped raining and the woman and her boat appeared in the right place. First I used a telephoto lens but felt dissatisfied, so I tried to cross a muddy yard to fill the action using my superwide 16mm, with different shooting angles from high to low. Finally, I got the shot I expected."

DECEMBER 15, 2014

Horses in the Highlands

Photograph by Charlotte Goss, National Geographic Your Shot

“A great cloud of dust formed in the distance as we drove through the deserted Icelandic highlands,” writes Your Shot member Charlotte Goss. “We stopped the car and seized our cameras as the herd of Icelandic horses sped toward us. They watched us as we watched them, each of us surprised by the others’ presence. It was over in seconds, yet forever frozen with a single click.”

DECEMBER 16, 2014

Air Traffic

Photograph by Takashi, National Geographic Your Shot

Paragliders stipple the sky above Japan’s Mount Fuji in this picture by Your Shot member Takashi, who writes: “I was shooting from behind the takeoff field so as not to get in the way. I [waited for] the moment when many paragliders gathered in the direction of the mountain—and got this shot.”

This photo was submitted to Your Shot. Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

DECEMBER 20, 2014

'Pine Needles

Photograph by Heather Allen, National Geographic Your Shot

“The lines of the quills were perfect, forming a Fibonacci curl from the nose right to the end of the quill,” writes Your Shot member Heather Allen of this porcupine photographed on the Oregon coast. “I just loved the light hitting the top quills, setting off its face. The final [bit of] luck was that he lifted his head and looked right at me.”

DECEMBER 28, 2014

Spruced Up

Photograph by Pete McBride

Evergreen trees populate the Maroon Bells Wilderness in Colorado’s White River National Forest. Photographer Pete McBride argues that management of U.S. wilderness areas—including the introduction of plant and animal species to balance ecosystems—keeps these large swaths of land from being truly wild.

DECEMBER 31, 2014

Star Bright

Photograph by Melanie Huff, National Geographic Your Shot

“I came across this sea shell and noticed the delicate patterns when I held it up to the light,” writes Your Shot member Melanie Huff, who made this photograph in Humble, Texas. “I quickly decided that it would make a unique abstract, so I took it home and placed a lamp behind it and snapped a few shots."

all photos and text © National Geographic Photo of the Day