Photo of the Day: Best of August 2011

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Kermode Bear in Tree, British Columbia

Photograph by Paul Nicklen, National Geographic

A mother of two cubs climbs a Pacific crab apple tree to grab its tart and tiny fruit. In years when autumn salmon numbers are low, the bears must find other food, such as wild berries, lupine roots, and mussels.

See more pictures from the August 2011 feature story "Spirit Bear."

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Cleopatra Relief, Egypt

Photograph by George Steinmetz, National Geographic

That's Cleopatra on the left side of a wall at a temple at Dendera—one of the few images that bear her name. She is shown fulfilling her role as pharaoh by making offerings to the gods. The appearance here of her son by Julius Caesar is propaganda aimed at strengthening his position as her heir. He was captured and executed shortly after her demise.

See more pictures from the July 2011 feature story "The Search for Cleopatra."

Brooklyn Bedroom

Photograph by Abelardo Morell

As vivid as a dream, a hypersharp image of the Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan materializes above tousled sheets. To make the surreal picture, Morell essentially put his camera inside a room serving as a camera and kept his shutter open for five hours to expose on film the incoming image. He used a prism to flip the projection right-side up. "View of the Brooklyn Bridge in Bedroom," 2009

See more pictures from the May 2011 feature story "Rooms With a View."

Nujood Ali, Yemen

Photograph by Stephanie Sinclair, National Geographic

Nujood Ali was ten when she fled her abusive, much older husband and took a taxi to the courthouse in Sanaa, Yemen. The girl's courageous act—and the landmark legal battle that ensued—turned her into an international heroine for women's rights. Now divorced, she is back home with her family and attending school again.

See more pictures from the June 2011 feature story "Too Young to Wed."

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Autumn Landscape, Adirondacks

Photograph by Michael Melford, National Geographic

Sunlight dapples the shoulders of Algonquin and Wright, two of the more than 40 so-called High Peaks that rise above 4,000 feet. Once blighted by logging and industry, the region has undergone a renaissance of woods and waters.

See more pictures from the September 2011 feature story "Forever Wild."

Char Dwellers, Bangladesh

Photograph by Jonas Bendiksen, National Geographic

When the river floods, the children of Jabed Ali know what to do: Climb the bamboo macha in the front yard and hold on tight. Char dwellers, who inhabit the constantly changing islands, or chars, on the floodplains of Bangladesh's three major rivers, are used to such calamities, which are on the increase.

See more pictures from the May 2011 feature story "The Coming Storm."

Tuareg Celebration

Photograph by Brent Stirton, National Geographic

Their hands stained by the indigo dye in their new clothes, Tuareg women celebrate a birth. Tuareg females rarely cover their faces, while men traditionally wear turbans that conceal all but their eyes.

See more pictures from the September 2011 feature story "Lords of the Sahara."

Buddha in Coal Yard, China

Photograph by Greg Girard, National Geographic

A coal yard in northern China comes with a Buddha. Coal reserves could run low in a few decades, making green energy in China a must.

See more pictures from the June 2011 feature story "Can China Go Green?"

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Ancient Ruins, Portugal

Photograph by Peter Essick, National Geographic

The ruins of an ancient village submerged by the construction of a hydroelectric dam resurface when lake levels are low. The park's man-made attractions range from medieval castles and pilgrimage sites to modern resorts.

See more pictures from the July 2011 feature story "The Delicate Balance of Portugal's Premier Park."