-
Actress, Italy
Photograph by William Albert Allard, National Geographic
From shadows and silhouettes to fashion and the marine depths, dark makes light pop and adds mood and complexity to images. Whether it emphasizes the shape of a figure or provides an element of contrast, black really does goes with everything.
Gazing through her veil, a Sicilian actress strikes a dramatic pose in this photo that appeared on the August 1995 cover of National Geographic magazine.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
-
Mont-Saint-Michel, France
Photograph by Jim Richardson
Standing on an islet, the fortified abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel is silhouetted against a stormy sky in Normandy, France. Only since the late 19th century has a bridge connected the islet to the mainland.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
-
Buddha Statues, South Korea
Photograph by Martin Gray
Light and shadow play on a row of Buddha statues in a cave temple at Sanbangsan, a mountain on South Korea’s Jeju Island. About a quarter of South Koreans identify themselves as Buddhist.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
-
Pine Forest, California
Photograph by Peter Essick, National Geographic
In California’s Ansel Adams Wilderness area, lodgepole pines cast long shadows at sunset.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
-
Portrait, China
Photograph by James L. Stanfield
A woman stands half in shadow outside a commune building in China. The country’s population is made up of Han Chinese—constituting about 92 percent—and numerous ethnic minority groups.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
-
Water Lilies, Florida
Photograph by Raymond Gehman
Water lilies, highlighted by the afternoon sun, grow in an open marsh in Florida. The state’s wetlands—important habitat for wildlife—are under threat from land development and agribusiness.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
-
Jellyfish, Antarctica
Photograph by Bill Curtsinger
An inch-long transparent jellyfish glows in the dark waters off Antarctica, home to many diverse—and sometimes bizarre—species of deep-sea marine life.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
-
Girl and Cat, Chile
Photograph by James L. Stanfield, National Geographic
A girl in Chile peers through a window while a black cat sits on its ledge. The black cat is an object of superstition around the globe, often considered a harbinger of bad luck.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
-
Alligator, Florida
Photograph by Medford Taylor
American alligators like the one pictured here in the Florida Everglades have bounced back from the brink of extinction to thrive in their native habitat: the swamps and wetlands of the southeastern United States.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
-
Boutique, Paris
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
On Paris’s Right Bank, well-heeled patrons flock to trendy boutiques like this one, La Petite Robe Noire, where renowned designer Didier Ludot sticks to the most classic of fashion fundamentals: perfect, stylish little black dresses.
(For more pictures of the amazing colors of our world, buy the National Geographic book Life in Color.)
-
See More Life in Color
Photograph by Roberto Cattani, My Shot
Life in Color Galleries
Advertisement
-
Jane Goodall
Over the course of 50 years Jane has witnessed the lives of three generations of chimpanzees.
-
Explorer Moment
Ed Viesturs shares an early morning view from Everest.
Special Offers
-
National Geographic
Subscribe to National Geographic magazine and save. Print and digital editions available.
