"We took of in the Cessna plane from a little dusty airstrip just beside Lake Turkana, Northern Kenya, we had waited out the heat of the day so we could use the soft afternoon light, about 5-10 minutes flying south we encountered these flamingos flying over Lake Logipi."
Photograph by Ken Dyball, National Geographic Your Shot

Photo of the Day: Best of January

Every day, we feature an image chosen from thousands around National Geographic. Here are some highlights from January.

ByAlexa Keefe

February 5, 2014

8 min read

When people ask me what makes a Photo of the Day—a curated look at photography around National Geographic—my answer is simple: I have to want to spend time with the picture, and whether full of complex detail or exquisitely simple, it has to stand on its own. The photos I choose are meant to be a glimpse of our world in a moment in time, some captured as a result of meticulous planning and research on assignment for National Geographic magazine, others happy finds from keen eyes tuned to daily life and travels from our Your Shot community. The photographers behind the lens represent a wide range of skill levels, from professional to aspirational, but each has a visual story to tell. Below are a selection of reader favorites from the month of January.

The above photo by Your Shot contributor Ken Dyball captures flamingos flying over Kenya’s Lake Logipi. While seeing the flock from this height is impressive, what I enjoy more is the blending of shapes and textures—the sharp form of the birds just above the surface, the ripples on the water, the edges of the shore, the reflection of the clouds—a scene that is at once static and in flux.

Close-up of a sea star at Pomene Estuary, Mozambique — Photograph by Peet J. van Eeden, National Geographic Your Shot

Looking at this underwater gem, I feel as if I could as easily be looking at the surface of a volcanic landscape, rather than a sea star. The texture and color are amazing.

Funeral ceremony, Romania — Photograph by Tiplea Remus, National Geographic Your Shot

The composition and perspective work together very well in this photograph of a funeral ceremony in Romania. I like how the delicate flowers so neatly placed on the tombstones mirror the crowd of people, the specks of color echoed in the clothes of the mourners.

A camouflaged grey owl protects its nest in this Your Shot picture chosen for the Daily Dozen roundup of editor favorites. — Photograph by Mauro Mozzarelli, National Geographic Your Shot

Owls are naturally photogenic but I like finding examples where the composition and mood make the difference between something I’ve seen before and something that catches my eye anew. The grumpy expression of this nesting Great Grey owl peering out of the tree hollow makes the shot for me.

A black rhino and two zebras stand on Kenya's Laikipia Plains. — Photograph by Robin Moore, National Geographic Your Shot

The low-angled perspective creates a visual illusion of scale that makes me do a double-take, but what I like most is how this accentuates the beautiful line of the rhino—an immovable hulk among the grasses of Kenya’s Laikipia Plains.

"A newlywed bride waits for her husband before boarding the special train in Kamlapur Railway Station in Dhaka, Bangladesh," writes Your Shot contributor Shahnewaz Karim of this picture chosen for publication in the Spontaneous Adventure assignment. "The mehendi in her hand is still showing as the light seeps through the roof and the people 'seated' there for the journey. This pilgrimage home is to enjoy the Eid festival with family." — Photograph by Shahnewaz Karim, National Geographic Your Shot

A newlywed bride in her bright orange kurta, frozen in a shaft of light on a train platform in Dhaka, Bangladesh, evokes a feeling of embarking on a new adventure, being on the precipice of a new life. It is a moment of anticipation and beauty.

"I cannot describe the eerie feeling I had when I walked in on this scene," writes Julie Fletcher of this photo, which received an honorable mention in the Places category of the 2013 National Geographic Photo Contest. "I followed a massive storm front for several hundred kilometers hoping to capture something special, but this blew my mind. The surreal milky green water is a natural phenomenon caused by electromagnetic activity from the lightning hitting the water's surface. There was no rain where I was and not much wind either, but in the distance the sky was charged and angry, subjecting its wrath [to] the graveyard of dead trees in this normally very dry lakebed. I was able to capture a series of unique images, this being one of the best." — Photograph by Julie Fletcher, honorable mention winner, 2013 National Geographic Photo Contest

The dramatic colors of water and sky aside, the barren landscape of Lake Menindee in New South Wales, Australia, makes a perfect setting for an electrical storm. The branches of the trees mirror the jagged bolts of lightning—and give the impression they have been through this before.

Determined to finish a new route, superclimber Alex Honnold dangles from an overhang on Oman's Musandam Peninsula. After pushing as far as possible on the rock, a deepwater solo climber simply lets go. — Photograph by Jimmy Chin, National Geographic

The chiseled body of the climber clinging barehanded to the rock creates an arresting visual tension in this photograph from the February 2014 National Geographic story “Impossible Rock.” Knowing there is water below should he lose his grip is comforting but makes the moment no less vivid.

Night view of Sunndalsøra, Norway, a town surrounded by spectacular mountains — Photograph by Christian Nesset, National Geographic Your Shot

I love seeing the pulse of life cozily tucked away between the sleeping mountains of Sunndalsøra, Norway. Energy and serenity come together here in a pleasing way.