28 tender photos from the Nat Geo archives that will bring a smile to your face

There's many reasons for celebration in February—from ringing in the Lunar New Year and excitedly watching the Winter Olympics to feeling the importance and joy of Black History Month. It made choosing a cohesive theme for last month difficult. But with Valentine’s Day in mind, I gravitated towards images with pink and red hues, loving moments, and fun pairings.

One of my favorite pictures is from photographer pair Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott, of a tender kiss between a married Inuit couple in the far reaches of Canada's Northwest Territories. Another is Brian J. Skerry’s photo of a young harp seal, resting in Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence with a spectacular twilight pink sky behind it. The picture is both incredibly cute and striking.