Photo of the Day: Best of May 2010

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Pantanal, Brazil

Photograph by Mike Bueno, Your Shot

Birds in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso in central-western Brazil

(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

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Rideout Bay, Ontario

Photograph by Lee Anne Carver, Your Shot

This is an image from Rideout Bay in Kenora, Ontario, situated on the Lake of the Woods. The February sun veiled the shoreline as it teased the fog from the open water. There is no reason to believe this point looked any different 500 years ago, and I welcome its haunting invitation to return to innocence.

(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

Afghan National Policeman, Kabul

Photograph by Shashwat Saraf, Your Shot

It was very strange to see an Afghan National Police officer manning the completely destroyed and abandoned Darul Laman Palace in Kabul. Darul Aman was built during the 1920s as a part of the reformist King Amanullah Khan's modernization drive. It is an imposing neoclassical building on a hilltop overlooking a flat, dusty valley in the western part of the Afghan capital.

(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

Beijing Tourists

Photograph by Tsi Wang, My Shot

Benches lining the walls outside the Forbidden City provide a moment’s rest for tourists visiting the ancient imperial palace in Beijing. The 178-acre (72-hectare) complex draws more than seven million tourists each year and ranks as China’s top attraction.

This photo was submitted to My Shot. Create and share albums, puzzles, and games with your photos in our My Shot community.

Nagqu Horse Festival, Tibet

Photograph by Michael Yamashita, National Geographic

Teenage jockeys race Nangchen purebreds at the Nagqu Horse Festival, a centuries-old summer gathering on the Tea Horse Road in Tibet. The competition features the Nangchen, long prized for its speed and stamina.

Bridal Procession, India

Photograph by Antonino Puppi, My Shot

Women in bright saris crowd together as they walk in a bridal procession in Mandawa, Rajasthan. Rajasthan is the largest state in India—a land of extremes—encompassing steamy forests, dry plains, and the snowy Himalaya.

This photo was submitted to My Shot. Create and share albums, puzzles, and games with your photos in our My Shot community.

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Night Landscape, Tanzania

Photograph by Antonio Busiello, Your Shot

I took this picture at nighttime in Tanzania. The tree is lit with tent light and the flash.

(This photo and caption were submitted to Your Shot.)

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Hazrat Ali Mosque, Afghanistan

Photograph by Shashwat Saraf, My Shot

Here, a woman passes the Hazrat Ali mosque (the "Blue Mosque") in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, where deep ethnic and religious divides are briefly bridged as Sunni and Shiite alike come to pray.

This photo was submitted to My Shot. Create and share albums, puzzles, and games with your photos in our My Shot community.

Sidewalk Café, Paris

Photograph by Steven Greaves, My Shot

Paris is a densely settled metropolis, but one with numerous small parks and gardens. Most public places have benches or chairs, which encourage people to stop, rest, and talk. And of course sidewalk cafés, like this one, are everywhere.

This photo was submitted to My Shot. Create and share albums, puzzles, and games with your photos in our My Shot community.