Some photos just seem to pack more of a punch than others. This might be because there’s a compelling backstory. It might be because it’s a well-composed photograph. Sometimes, it’s because it shows something that’s just plain weird.
Helping hand.
This orangutan is doing a solid for a guy who’s up to his chest in mud. Maybe it recognizes that, biologically speaking, we’re all great apes.
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Abe?!
A fortuitously placed wood carving and a certain angle of light leads to the eerie impression that Abraham Lincoln is just chilling by the side of the fireplace.
She died a hero.
This is the taxidermied body of Cher Ami, a World War 1 homing pigeon. She lost an eye and a leg, but after being fitted with a wooden leg, she returned to duty.
Rawwr.
An open fire is the kind of thing you can just stare at for hours. Sometimes the flames look like something magical, and sometimes the wood turns into a straight-up dragon.
Back to nature.
It’s incredible how a car, an object made almost entirely of inorganic materials, can still be reclaimed by nature if nature gets a chance.
Coffee sunrise.
I don’t know what mechanisms caused this cup of coffee to divide so perfectly into gradients, but I’m certainly not complaining about the visual effect.
Punching through the atmosphere.
This pic shows, from a distance, a Space Shuttle leaving Earth’s atmosphere. It takes a ton of fuel and thrust, which can be seen in the thick black smoke it leaves behind.
Slurp.
Water is the essence of life, and all living things —big and small — need to take a drink from time to time. It’s really cool to see how this snail is breaking the water’s surface tension.
Technocat.
I just love this photo of a stained glass window reflecting on a cat. I’ve got two cats in my house. Now I just need to find a stained glass window somewhere.
Vertigo stairs.
Climbing the Haiku Stairs or Stairway to Heaven in Oahu, Hawaii, gives a great view. But climbing down the 3,922 steps is a precarious walk indeed.
Catching rays.
This old barn has lots of gaps and holes in its woodwork. At a certain hour of the day, the sun catches these gaps just right, creating a virtual laser show of light beams.
Centuries of history.
This house in Aveyron, France looks like it’s seen a few things. It surely has, considering the fact that it was built at some point in the 13th century.
Majestic.
I don’t know what I love more in this photo of the Faroe Islands: the lush green thatched roofs of the cottages in the foreground, or the cloud-sheathed landmass in the background.
Perfect timing.
Photographer Alan McFadyen captured this incredible pic of a kingfisher just before its dive pierced the water. It took more than 720,000 attempts to get this photo.
…that’s not coffee at all.
This recipe from the Great Depression refers to “Hard times coffee.” When you read it, it’s a recipe for stale, toasted bread and hot water. I guess life really was a lot harder back then.
The reflection pays off.
When this copper-colored sculpture is viewed by itself, it looks indistinct. But when you look at its reflection in the reflective cylinder, it looks exactly like an outstretched hand.
One yard, two seasons.
Early spring can bring some unusual weather conditions — cold enough to snow in the mornings, warm enough to sunbathe in the afternoons. Shadows have a way of preserving the snow on an otherwise warm day.
Tight squeeze.
This cruise ship has enough room to navigate the Canal of Corinth, but there really isn’t much to spare. Hopefully it can avoid any major bumps.
Oh, hello.
This baby leopard gecko just hatched, complete with a declarative message on its back: “HI.” That kind of friendliness gives the little lizard a distinct personality.
It was fate.
“After playing bride and groom at a carnival in 1926 and falling out of touch, Ron and Eileen Everest married 17 years later amidst WW2 and spent their whole lives together, sharing one daughter and one grandson,” wrote the person who submitted this.
