Soft surf to sharp suits: your photos of the week

Each week, our editors choose stunning photos submitted by members of Your Shot, National Geographic's photo community.

By Kristen McNicholas
Published 14 Apr 2019, 09:19 BST
"For the first time I had the opportunity to go to Albuquerque and to enjoy this ...
"For the first time I had the opportunity to go to Albuquerque and to enjoy this fascinating festival," writes Your Shot photographer Marise Zimmermann about her first visit to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico. "I became very curious in exploring and in photographing the balloons from the inside space; the various colours and the shadows created by the sun."
Photograph by Marise Zimmermann, National Geographic Your Shot

Having the opportunity to see every single photo shared to our photo community is an incredible pleasure and privilege for me. I never know what to expect each day when sifting through the Your Shot daily photo uploads. Your Shot photographers never cease to impress, and this week the unifying vein in these images is that they all embody the unexpected in our everyday lives.

I was immediately entranced by the magical shadow play in Basson Van Zyl’s photograph of klipspringers in Richtersveld National Park, South Africa. The shadow of the small antelope lurking in the sliver of sunlight took me by surprise while bringing a huge smile to my face. It’s a detail we don’t expect to see, and it completely blew me away.

The unexpected in our everyday photographs doesn’t necessarily have to be once-in-a-lifetime serendipity. It could be a fresh perspective of a recognizable moment, like Jessie Nelson’s photograph of her six-year-old in the pool. The contrast in texture between the pool and pool deck creates a clean composition to elevate this moment to be more than just a summer scene.

There aren’t any easy formulas to find the unexpected. But being prepared for anything to happen, having your camera exposed and ready, and following the light while looking for a fresh perspective will all help you keep practicing.

What unexpected scene will you photograph next?

Associate Photo Editor Kristen McNicholas looks at daily uploads from Your Shot, starting each day by sifting through thousands of photographs. This series is a selection of her favorites from the past week.
loading

Explore Nat Geo

  • Animals
  • Environment
  • History & Culture
  • Science
  • Travel
  • Photography
  • Space
  • Adventure
  • Video

About us

Subscribe

  • Magazines
  • Disney+

Follow us

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society. Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved