The Big Picture

Monks message of humility

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:23:06 GMT

Reuters photographer Ricardo Moraes spent time documenting a religious fraternity called O Caminho, (The Way), a group of Franciscan monks and nuns who help the homeless on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. They consider the election of Pope Francis, the first pontiff to take the name of St Francis of Assisi, to be a confirmation of their beliefs in poverty and simplicity. -- Reuters ( 20 photos total)

Brother Jose Wellington Damasio Antonio, a member of the Franciscan fraternity O Caminho, prays in the chapel of fraternity's house in the Campo Grande neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro on April 2. (Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)

The start of the Monsoon season

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:05:25 GMT

Monsoon season in southern Asia has begun, and in India the rains arrived ahead of schedule, easing drought concerns. Monsoon rains can be disruptive and even deadly, but crucial for the farmers whose crops feed millions of people. Though concerns for flooding are prevalent, the arrival of the rains brings colorful celebrations and relief from the heat every year. -Leanne Burden Seidel (32 photos total)

An Indian buffalo herder holding a traditional handmade umbrella stands in a field to keep watch of his buffaloes as monsoon clouds hover above in Bhubaneswar, India, on June 13, 2013. (Biswaranjan Rout/Associated Press)

Graduation season 2013

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:19:09 GMT

Graduation season is well underway, with kindergartners, high schoolers, college seniors and graduate students alike donning caps and gowns to celebrate their achievement. With their diplomas, graduates also get words of wisdom from a commencement speakers and a good excuse to celebrate. -- Lloyd Young ( 31 photos total)

US Naval Academy graduates throw their hats at the conclusion of their commencement and commission ceremony, attended by President Barack Obama at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on May 24 in Annapolis, Md. (Michael Reynolds/European Pressphoto Agency)

Walls

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:27:13 GMT

They keep things out or enclose them within. They're symbols of power, and a means of control. They're canvases for art, backdrops for street theater, and placards for political messages. They're just waiting for when nobody's looking to receive graffiti. Walls of all kinds demarcate our lives. -- Lane Turner (41 photos total).
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Workers clean the curtain wall of the 40-story National Bank of Economic Social Development in Rio de Janeiro on December 12, 2012. (Vanderlei Almeida/AFP/Getty Images)

Daily Life: May 2013

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 18:01:43 GMT

For this edition of our look at daily life we share images from France, Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, Ecuador, Germany, Italy and a few others from around the world. -- Lloyd Young -- Editors note: The Big Picture will publish again next Wednesday June 12. ( 52 photos total)

A girl plays on May 28 with soap bubbles during the Share Drive of Life charity event organized by the Kiev Chapter Ukraine motorcycling club for children with autism in a park in Kiev. The number of children with various forms of autism in Ukraine increased over the past five years by 2.35 times, and 2,791 children were under the supervision of child psychiatrists in 2012. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images)

Flooding in Europe (updated)

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 18:22:52 GMT

The Danube River reached its highest level in 500 years. The Elbe, Rhine, and other rivers and tributaries are cresting high as well as swathes of central Europe lie inundated by floodwaters that have killed 12 and displaced tens of thousands. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic have been severely affected, as Hungary prepares for the swell of water. Gathered here are images of the flooding and people affected in the last several days. -- Lane Turner (49 photos total)

The river Rhine floods Mainz, Germany on June 2, 2013 (picture taken with an underwater camera). (Fredrik Von Erichsen/AFP/Getty Images)

Protests in Turkey (updated)

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 18:53:30 GMT

An undercurrent of explosive anger at the government of Turkey found a fuse on May 31 as a protest over the demolition of a public park in Istanbul quickly spread to other cities and encompassed simmering passions on broader issues in Turkish political life. Police have used tear gas and water canons to break up the protests, which have grown as demonstrators express opposition to what they view as the increasing authoritarianism of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. [NOTE: Nine new photographs from June 11 and 12 have been added as the protests continue.] -- Lane Turner (38 photos total)

Tear gas surrounds a protestor holding a Turkish flag with a portrait of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as he takes part in protests against the Turkish Prime Minister and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Ankara on June 1, 2013. (Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images)

100 Years of Indian cinema

Fri, 31 May 2013 21:49:10 GMT

Indian cinema's first silent feature film, 'Raja Harishchandra,' by home-grown film maker Dadasaheb Phalke was released on May 3, 1913. Known as the 'father of Indian cinema' Phalke's 40 minute offering tells the story of a righteous king, adapted from Hindu mythology. An unusual feature of the film was that all female characters were actually male actors. In the 100 years since the movie's release, the Indian film industry largely thanks to Bollywood has become one of the biggest in the world. More than one thousand films are produced in several languages each year. Although the Bollywood factor has given India a huge new profile, the period of the 1950s to the 1960s is considered the Golden Age of Cinema, with some of the most acclaimed films being made during that time. The images that follow illustrate the love of cinema in that country and also includes a small visual essay featuring Ram Pratap Verma, an aspiring Bollywood film actor. -- Paula Nelson( 38 photos total)

A film crew member holds a clapper board during the shooting of Bollywood film 'Black Home' at a beach on the outskirts of Mumbai April 26, 2013.(Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

Gun violence: Salvador, Brazil

Fri, 31 May 2013 19:15:00 GMT

The city of Salvador, Brazil, one of the country's main tourist destinations and a 2014 World Cup host city has suffered from an unprecedented wave of deadly violence with an increase of more than 250% in the murder rate (according to the Brazilian Center for Latin American Studies (CEBELA). Reuters photographer, Lunae Parracho traveled to Salvador to document a police patrol through the slums, high-tech police training, a homicide squad, victims of gun violence; and to make portraits of drug gang members. The images that follow are all by Parracho. -- Paula Nelson( 24 photos total)

Police patrol in the Nordeste de Amaralina slum complex in Salvador, Bahia State, March 28, 2013. One of Brazil's main tourist destinations and a 2014 World Cup host city, Salvador is suffering from an unprecedented wave of violence (Lunae Parracho/Reuters)

Climbing Mount Everest

Wed, 29 May 2013 23:23:57 GMT

Sixty years ago today New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made the first confirmed ascent of the world's tallest peak which reaches 29,029 feet. Since then thousands of people have made the attempt, with many perishing. Just last week 80-year-old Japanese mountaineer Yuichiro Miura became the oldest person to reach the summit for the third time, although he said that he nearly died on the descent and that this would be his last time. The 1953 expedition that took Hillary and Norgay to the top ended with a stay of just 15 minutes, with Norgay leaving chocolates in the snow and Hillary leaving a cross that was given to him by Army Colonel John Hunt, the leader of the British expedition. -- Lloyd Young ( 37 photos total)

Tenzing Norgay, left, and Sir Edmund Hillary on their historic ascent of Mount Everest in 1953. (Associated Press)

Puffin census on the Farne Islands

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:28:54 GMT

Every five years, National Trust rangers carry out a puffin census on the Farne Islands, off the northeast coast of England. The beautiful birds return to their breeding grounds on the islands, which offer excellent sources of food, few ground predators, and good protection for nesting. This count carries particular significance because the last survey in 2008, recording 36,500 pairs, indicated that numbers had fallen by a third from the 2003 census. There is also fear that the extreme weather in the past year could affect the numbers. In March, thousands of birds washed up dead due to severely cold winds, and last summer, many of the birds were flooded out of their homes. Rangers are now faced with the daunting task of counting every burrow-nesting bird, which involves reaching down to each of the underground nests to see if it is occupied. The results will be ready in July. -Leanne Burden Seidel (15 photos total)

Puffins return to their summer breeding grounds on the Farne Islands in Northeast England on May 16, 2013. They are often called "sea parrots" due to their colorful beaks. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Tornadoes wreak havoc in US

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:20:49 GMT

Tornadoes can form anytime of year, but occur most frequently in April, May, and June, due to favorable weather conditions. Earlier this week a massive 200-mile-per-hour EF5 tornado hit Moore, Okla., killing some two dozen people, damaging thousands of structures, and causing an estimated $2 billion in damage. This year, twisters have already touched down in Kansas, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, and Alabama. ( 46 photos total)

A woman carries a child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., on May 20. A tornado as much as half a mile wide with winds up to 200 mph roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press)

Afghanistan civilians: April 2013

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:50:06 GMT

One of the most desperately poor, war-torn nations on earth, Afghanistan attracts our attention mostly for the wrong reasons. Well over 30 percent of the population lives in absolute poverty, with as many clinging to their places just barely above the poverty line. While Afghanistan is the world's leader in opium exports, domestic consumption afflicts almost a quarter of a million, with an additional 150,000 addicted to heroin, triple the number from 2005. Violence against women and girls continues. But rich cultural traditions abound, and Afghan society is making progress. Gathered here are images of the colorful yet troubled lives of Afghan civilians. -- Lane Turner (29 photos total)

A boy tries to catch a falling kite on a hilltop in Kabul on April 28, 2013. (Omar Sobhani/Reuters)

Deadly crossing

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:46:18 GMT

In 2012, sheriff's deputies in Brooks County found 129 bodies, around double the amount from the year before and six times the number recorded in 2010. Most of those who die succumb to the punishing heat and rough terrain that comprise the ranch lands of south Texas. Reuters photographer, Eric Thayer, traveled to Brooks County, Texas and Reynosa, Mexico to investigate the rising rates of immigrant deaths along the border there, spending time at a migrant's hostel in Mexico and with U.S. Border Patrol in Brooks County. Many migrants, after spending several weeks traveling through Mexico and past the Rio Grande, spend a few days in a "stash house," such as Casa del Migrante, in Reynosa, Mexico, and many are ignorant of the treacherous journey ahead. -- Paula Nelson ( 28 photos total)

A U.S. Border Patrol agent from the Rio Grande Valley Sector searches for a group of undocumented immigrants who crossed the Rio Grande River in Mission, Texas March 28, 2013. Brooks County has become an epicenter for illegal immigrant deaths in Texas. (Eric Thayer/Reuters)

Chechnya: daily life

Wed, 15 May 2013 19:31:46 GMT

After two Chechen brothers were named in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings, Reuters photographer Maxim Shemetov took this collection of images titled "Inside Modern Chechnya" showing daily life in the semi-autonomous Russian region known for a centuries-old tradition of defying Moscows rule. Shemetov focused on the area in and around the capital of Grozny. -- Lloyd Young ( 28 photos total)

Members of a Chechen dance group pose for photographers at a government-organized event marking Chechen language day in the center of the Chechen capital Grozny on April 25. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

Sugar and salt

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:18:52 GMT

Although modern techniques often bring sugar and salt to our tables, these two simple treats for the palate are still harvested and processed in traditional, if not ancient methods the world over. Over 160 million tons of sugar is produced annually in well over 100 countries, most of it processed from cane in tropical countries. The world uses 240 million tons of salt every year in everything from food to industrial applications. Gathered here are images of the toils that result in two of our favorite flavors. -- Lane Turner (32 photos total)

A cut stem of sugar cane stands in a field in Saraburi province, Thailand on May 9, 2012. Thailand is the world's second-biggest exporter. (Dario Pignatelli/Bloomberg)

National Geographic Traveler Magazine: 2013 Photo Contest

Fri, 10 May 2013 18:13:25 GMT

The National Geographic Traveler Magazine photo contest, now in its 25th year, has begun. There is still plenty of time to enter. The entry deadline is Sunday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. Entrants may submit their photographs in any or all of the four categories: Travel Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place and Spontaneous Moments. The magazine's photo editors showcase their favorite entries each week in galleries. You can also vote for your favorites. "The pictures increasingly reflect a more sophisticated way of seeing and interpreting the world, making the judging process more difficult," says Keith Bellows, magazine editor in chief. (The captions are written by the entrants, some slightly edited for readability.) As always, you can take a look at some of last year's entries and winners.. -- Paula Nelson ( 40 photos total)

OUTDOOR SCENES - Portrait of an Eastern Screech Owl - Masters of disguise. The Eastern Screech Owl is seen here doing what they do best. You better have a sharp eye to spot these little birds of prey. Okeefenokee Swamp, Georgia, USA. (Photo and caption by Graham McGeorge/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Wildfires in California

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:27:21 GMT

California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. yesterday declared this week as "Wildfire Awareness Week" in recognition of last week's devastating fires northwest of Los Angeles. His proclamation noted, "In an average year, wildfires burn 900,000 acres of California's timber and grasslands." Rains that moved into the area on Monday helped extinguish the fires that started last Thursday along US Route 101 near Camarillo Springs and Thousand Oaks, endangering some 4,000 homes. -- Lloyd Young ( 31 photos total)

A man on a rooftop looks at approaching flames as the Springs Fire continues to grow on May 3 near Camarillo, Calif. The wildfire has spread to more than 18,000 acres on day two and is 20 percent contained. (David Mcnew/Getty Images)

By rail

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:42:01 GMT

Simple and efficient, rail travel nonetheless inspires a sense of romance. By train, subway, and a seemingly endless variety of trams, trolleys, and coal shaft cars, we've moved on rails for hundreds of years. Industry too relies on the billions of tons of freight moved annually by rolling stock. Gathered here are images of rails in our lives, the third post in an occasional series on transport, following Automobiles and Pedal power. -- Lane Turner (47 photos total)

An employee adjusts a CRH380B high-speed Harmony bullet train as it stops for an examination during a test run at a bullet train exam and repair center in Shenyang, China on October 23, 2012. (Stringer/Reuters)

Daily Life: April 2013

Fri, 03 May 2013 19:56:28 GMT

I look forward each month to browsing the compilation of "slice of life" images from around the world. They offer us a visual break, if you will, from the tragedies, disasters, wars and violence seemingly so pervasive in our world. Through these images, we can immerse ourselves in the simplicity of everyday life. Daily Life: April 2013 takes us to North and South Korea, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Spain, Indonesia, China, Russia; and around the United States to California, Texas, Maine, Florida, Kansas, Washington state, and more. Enjoy.--- Paula Nelson ( 49 photos total)

A village boy holds a traditional handmade umbrella as he keeps watch over cattle grazing in the field on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, India, April 20, 2013. (Biswaranjan Rout/Associated Press)

Hurricane Sandy: 6 months later

Wed, 01 May 2013 21:49:38 GMT

Damage left behind by Hurricane Sandy's landfall last October can still be seen along the US East Coast, especially the hard hit beachfront areas in New Jersey, as many communities work to move forward. Dubbed "The Superstorm" and reaching 1,000 miles wide at times, Sandy caused some $50 billion in damage and killed 159 people. ( 27 photos total)

Ken Flynn of Ship Bottom does some carpentry work for a home that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy in Long Beach, N.J., on April 30. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie came to Long Beach Island for a town hall meeting, six months after the island was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. (Chris Pedota/The Record of Bergen County via Associated Press)

304 Dead in Building Collapse, Bangladesh

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:29:51 GMT

The search for survivors continues in one of the worst manufacturing disasters in history. Fifty survivors were found today; the death toll stands at 304. Terrified workers notified the police, government officials and a powerful garment industry group about cracks in the walls, discovered just days before the collapse. The owner of the eight-story Rana Plaza assured 3,000 workers that the structure was safe and they returned to their jobs. The death toll nears 300 with more workers trapped under the massive concrete and wire. A small collection of the hundreds of images made over the last three days, follows. -- Paula Nelson ( 30 photos total)

A Bangladeshi woman weeps holding a picture of her missing husband as she waits at the site of a building that collapsed April 24, in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 26, 2013. (Kevin Frayer/Associated Press)

China earthquake: Sichuan province 2013

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:53:42 GMT

A powerful earthquake hit the Sichuan province of China near Ya'an city over the weekend reportedly killing some 200 people. Thousands of rescue workers have been deployed to help feed, treat, and house the displaced residents and help clear roads blocked by landslides in the remote area. The quake comes just short of five years after a massive quake in the same region killed some 70,000 people. -- Lloyd Young ( 46 photos total)

A woman whose relatives were killed in Saturday's earthquake cries while sitting on a pile of rubble in Lingguan township in Baoxing county of southwest China's Sichuan province on April 22. The earthquake in Sichuan province killed some 200 people, injured more than 11,000 and left nearly two dozen missing, mostly in the rural communities around Ya'an city, along the same fault line where a devastating quake to the north killed more than 70,000 people in Sichuan and neighboring areas five years ago in one of China's worst natural disasters. (Associated Press)

Terror at the Boston Marathon

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 03:18:18 GMT

With thousands of runners still on the course at the Boston Marathon, two explosions rocked Boylston Street just yards from the finish line. The blasts ripped through crowded spectator viewing stands. The death toll as we publish stands at three and is expected to rise, with over 140 others injured and transported to local hospitals. No arrests have been made. Please follow Boston.com for further updates. (WARNING: Some images are graphic.) (32 photos total)

The scene at the finish line of the 117th Boston Marathon when one of the two bombs exploded. (David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)

Guns

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:12:54 GMT

Guns. That single word evokes a strong reaction, no matter what side of the debate you fall on. Certainly, the massacre of innocents at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a national tipping point, but one that seems only to have brought back into the public consciousness, a long-simmering debate. A debate for which there is no resolution at the moment. Congress is still proposing and voting, states are taking independent action. Individuals rally and protest and fight, expressing their beliefs. This post is a collection of images - supporters of gun control, those against; victims and families of victims, gun enthusiasts. -- Paula Nelson( 53 photos total)

A 9 mm bullet in a box on the counter at Duke's Sport Shop in New Castle, Pa., April 5, 2013. Gun enthusiasts fearful of new weapon controls and alarmed by rumors of government hoarding are buying bullets practically by the bushel, making it hard for stores nationwide to keep shelves stocked. (Keith Srakocic/Associated Press)