The result of a recent National Geographic photography competition held in Russia are some of the most riveting images I've ever seen. From the perfect timing, to the gorgeous landscapes and spectacular wildlife, these pictures really have it all. Take a look for yourself:
Click on images to enlarge
Ball lightning
If you're wondering what this is, it's the camera's flash captured in a bubble that has settled on top of a mushroom.
Amigos
Two of the volcanoes in the Ushkovsky volcanic massif, located on the Kamchatka Pensinsula in Russia, appear to wear sombreros made out of clouds.
The golden cliffs of the Sinyaya River
These stunning cliffs run for more than 100 kilometers alongside the Sinyaya river in Yakutia, Russia.
You can almost touch it...
Is there really a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? This is about as close as anyone has come to finding out!
Insects are heating up the stove downstairs...
Smoke mysteriously billows from a mushroom, believed to be caused by insects in the earth below it.
Have you ever seen a hedgehog’s heel?
Well, if you answered no, you have now!
Light and darkness
A beautiful shot taken near Russia's Angara river.
A pasture for three
Cattle graze in Yakutia, Russia.
Dancing
A spider sets a very successful trap in the North Caucasus.
Droplets of pure beauty
Daisies perfectly reflected in a series of six water droplets hanging from a stalk.
Black and white
Tolbachik volcano in Kamchatka, Russia, erupts.
The unity of opposites
Two deer look surprised to see a photographer on a Caucasian nature reserve.
Fraternal love
Two male bears, thought to be brothers, show affection toward each other in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve in Russia.
Flight
A may-bug spreads its wings in preparation for take-off as the sun sets in the distance.
At the edge of the world
The Northern Lights captured perfectly in the Murmansk region of Russia.
