Top 100 Photos of the Year 2012

 

*Please note the photographs themselves were not necessarily taken in 2012, they just happened to be featured as a POTD this year. The pictures are also listed in reverse chronological order. There is no ranking amongst the photos  

Enjoy! 

100. CHICAGO FROM AFAR 

 
Photograph by Robert Elves on Flickr 


99. THE ROLLER COASTER SUBMERGED BY SANDY 

 
Photograph by Stephen Wilkes | Prints available 


98. A DESERT OASIS IN LIBYA 

 
Photograph by George Steinmetz 


97. SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT AT NIGHT 

 
Photograph by Andrew Choy 


96. THE ALPINISTS 

 
Photograph by Jakub Polomski on 500px 


95. INSIDE THE OLD METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE 

 
Photograph via The Natioanl Archives and Records Administration 


94. THE POWER OF AN ORANGE 

 
Photograph by Caleb Charland 


93. TITANIC’S ENGINES UNDERWATER 

 
COPYRIGHT© 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute 


92. SUNRISE OVER LONDON’S TOWER BRIDGE 

 
Photograph by Jason Pope 


91. THE WHITE WHALE 

 
Photograph by Dan Fisher 


90. NUGGET POINT LIGHTHOUSE, NEW ZEALAND 

 
Photograph by Scott Robertson 


89. VINTAGE NEW YORK, 1935 

 
Photograph by Berenice Abbott 


88. OUR SUN ERUPTS 

 
Photograph by NASA/GSFC/SDO 


87. THE EYE OF THE DRAIN 

 
Photograph by Liammm on Reddit 


86. SNOWMOBILING THE NORWAY-SWEDEN BORDER 

 
Photograph by haqbar on Reddit 


85. A CABIN THAT FLOATS 

 
Photograph by Marcus Peabody 


84. THE SLEEPING GODDESS 

 
Photograph by The Lost Gardens of Heligan 


83. A TINY HERMIT CRAB CLOSE-UP 

 
Photograph by sleepychinchilla on Flickr 


82. PURPLE HAZE OVER EDINBURGH CASTLE 

 
Photograph by Scott Hutcheson (SMHutch Photography on Flickr) 


81. THE COCONUT OCTOPUS 

 
Photograph by Mario Neumann (scuba.hamburg on Flickr) 


80. A CLOUD ILLUMINATED BY LIGHTNING 

 
Photograph by Mike Jones (mrjones131 on Flickr) 


79. A TINY RIVER HOUSE IN SERBIA 

 
Photograph by Irene Becker for National Geographic 


78. A SUBMARINE SURFACES THROUGH ARCTIC ICE 

 
Photograph by Tiffini M. Jones, U.S. Navy 


77. A WALL OF FALL 

 
Photograph by Eric Forey (Kala___ on Flickr) | Prints Available 


76. AN AIRPLANE CROSSES THE MOON 

 
Photograph by Chris Thomas 


75. THE RED ZONE AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM 

 
Photograph by Elia Locardi on Google+ | blamethemonkey.com 


74. ONE TRIPPY PROFILE PIC 

 
Photograph via persnicketypoop on Reddit 


73. LIONESSES AT THE WATERING HOLE 

 
Photograph by Ranger Chad Cocking of the Motswari Private Game Reserve 


72. DEATH BEGETS LIFE 

 
Photograph by Ireena Worthy on Flickr 


71. MOUNT FUJI FROM ABOVE 

 
Photograph via news.mydrivers.com 


70. SKYDIVING INTO BURNING MAN 

 
Photograph via opi8 on Reddit 


69. THE ONLY AMERICAN NOT ON EARTH ON SEPT 11 

 
Photograph by NASA 


68. THE VENEZUELAN POODLE MOTH 

 
Photograph by Arthur Anker on Flickr 


67. THE PERSEIDS METEOR SHOWER 

 
Photograph by David Kingham on Flickr | Prints Available 


66. AN X-RAY OF A STINGRAY 

 
Photograph by Ken Jones 


65. THE POWER OF ONE SMALL STEP 

 
Photograph by NASA 


64. MOTH TRAILS AT NIGHT 

 
Photograph by Steve Irvine for National Geographic 


63. JUST A PINCH 

 
Photograph by mmarsupilami on Flickr 


62. EVOLUTION OF THE NEW YORK SKYLINE 

 
Photograph via Lee @ tier1dc.blogspot.com 


61. AN ELEPHANT MEETS A SEA LION 

 
Photograph by Michael Durham via The Oregon Zoo 


60. FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE 

 
Photograph via moctodtidderptth on Reddit 


59. AN OLYMPIC FULL MOON 

 
Photograph by REUTERS/Luke MacGrego (via Reuters Olympics on Facebook) 


58. BASE JUMPING IN RIO 

 
Photograph by Wolfgang Luif/Red Bull Content Pool 


57. THE BOMBING OF DRESDEN 

 
Photograph by Richard Peter 


56. HOTTEST. KISS. EVER. 

 
Photograph by Dallas Nagata on Google+ 


55. WHERE THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA MEETS THE SEA 

 
Photograph via Better_Be-Safe on Reddit 


54. THE CHICAGO SKYLINE FROM INDIANA 

 
Photograph by Tom Adams on Reddit 


53. LIVING ON THE EDGE 

 
Photograph by Tim Kemple 


52. THE MOLOKINI CRATER IN HAWAII 

 
Photograph by Ron Garnett/Hawaii Tourism Authority 


51. IF JUPITER WAS THE SAME DISTANCE AS THE MOON 

 
Artwork by jb2386 on Reddit 


50. A SEAHORSE INSPECTS A DIVER’S WATCH 

 
Photograph by Don McLeish 


49. AN ILLUMINATED SNOW TUNNEL IN RUSSIA 

 
Photograph by Michael Zelensky 


48. THE HONEYBEE’S FINAL STING 

 
Photograph by Kathy Keatley Garvey 


47. EVERYBODY WAS KUNG FU FIGHTING 

 
Photograph by China Foto Press 


46. STREET ARTIST SAINER GOES BIG IN POLAND 

 
Photograph via Fundacja Urban Forms on Facebook 


45. MOUNT RAINIER CASTING A SHADOW ON CLOUDS 

 
Photograph by Nick Lippert (via Komo News) 


44. FIRST CONTACT 

 
Photograph by CMGW Photography on Flickr 


43. THE IRISH SKY GARDEN CRATER 

 
Photograph by Liss Ard Estate 


42. MOON BRIDGE IN DAHU PARK, TAIPEI 

 
Photograph by bbe022001 on Flickr 


41. FLIGHT OF THE DEVIL RAYS 

 
Photograph by FLORIAN SCHULTZ 


40. GÁSADALUR VILLAGE IN THE FAROE ISLANDS 

 
Photograph by GARETH CODD PHOTOGRAPHY on Flickr 


39. WORLD’S EDGE 

 
Photograph by RHYS DAVIES 


38. THE CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE IN VANCOUVER 

 
Photograph by MICHELLE LEE 


37. FRACTAL PATTERNS IN DRIED OUT DESERT RIVERS 

 
Photograph by ADRIANA FRANCO for National Geographic 


36. MEDITATING MONKS AT PONGOUR FALLS 

 
Photograph by DANG NGO – Prints Available 


35. HANGING OUT ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, 1914 

 
Photograph by Eugene de Salignac/Courtesy NYC Municipal Archives 


34. A SUNSET ECLIPSE 

 
Photograph by GIL NARTEA 


33. BORA BORA FROM SPACE 

 
Photograph by PLEIADES-HR SATELLITE 


32. THE LARGEST RAFT OF CANOES AND KAYAKS IN THE WORLD 

 
Photograph by NANCIE BATTAGLIA for National Geographic 


31. ADAPTIVE ROOTS IN THE CONCRETE JUNGLE 

 
Photograph by HORST KIECHLE 


30. THE HAMILTON POOL NATURE PRESERVE 

 
Photograph by DAVE WILSON PHOTOGRAPHY 


29. ABOVE THE CANOPY 

 
Photograph by MICHAEL NICHOLS for National Geographic [Print Available] 


28. COLLIDING RIVERS IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND 

 
Photograph via I_let_my_dog_lick_my on Reddit 


27. THE STUNNING GREEN VINE SNAKE 

 
Photograph by SUHAAS PREMKUMAR for National Geographic 


26. AURORA AUSTRALIS (SOUTHERN LIGHTS) FROM SPACE 

 
Photograph by André Kuipers / ESA / NASA 


25. MOUNT KILIMANJARO FROM ABOVE 

 
Photograph by KYLE MIJLOF @ kylemijlof.blogspot.co.uk 


24. THE AMAZING STRENGTH OF AN ANT 

 
Photograph by Yu Wu for National Geographic – Your Shot 


23. YARN BOMBING A BUS IN MEXICO CITY 

 
Artwork by Magda Sayeg (Photograph by Cesar Ortega) 


22. FELIX BAUMGARTNER JUMPS FROM SPACE 

 
© Jay Nemeth/Red Bull Content Pool 


21. THE MOST INCREDIBLE AURORA OF 2012 

 
Photograph courtesy of Jónína Óskarsdóttir for NASA 


20. THE WATERFALL ISLAND AT IGUAZU FALLS 

 
Photograph by Andrew Murray on Flickr 


19. OVERGROWN RAILROAD TRACKS IN THE FOREST 

 
Photograph by T.-C on Flickr 


18. A POD OF SLEEPING SPERM WHALES 

 
Photograph by Wild Wonders of Europe [www.wild-wonders.com] via Business & Biodiversity Campaign 


17. 7 HOURS IN ONE IMAGE 

 
Photograph by Isil Karanfil (isilkrnfl on deviantART) 


16. PIXEL PEOPLE PERFECTION 

 
Artwork by Craig Alan via Artexpo (Eric Smith) on Flickr 


15. GALACTIC MONSOON 

 
Photograph by BRET WEBSTER 


14. STRIKING ARTISTRY OF MULTIPLE TAKEOFFS AT HANNOVER AIRPORT 

 
Photograph by HO-YEOL RYU 


13. THE KEEL WALK 

 
Photograph by ALEX THOMSON RACING 


12. A SEA OF PURPLE IN THE BADLANDS OF UTAH 

 
Photograph by GUY TAL PHOTOGRAPHY | Print Available for Sale 


11. PUTTING THE SIZE OF A WHALE IN PERSPECTIVE 

 
Photograph via timz45 on Reddit 


10. MEANWHILE IN SWITZERLAND 

 
Photograph by Reuters/Denis Balibouse 


9. ONE BOAT AND 145 WATER-SKIERS 

 
Photograph by MARK SEATON PHOTOGRAPHY 


8. SALAR DE UYUNI AFTER SOME RAIN 

 
Photograph via Paean on Reddit 


7. OUTDOOR JACUZZI ON THE MATTERHORN 

 
Photograph via Iglu-Dorf.com 


6. THE PRECIOUS BLUE MARBLE 

 
Photograph by NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring 


5. MAELSTROM AT KAUAI, HAWAII 

 
Photograph by PATRICK SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY 


4. CAPSIZED CRUISE SHIP COSTA CONCORDIA FROM SPACE 

 
Photograph by DIGITALGLOBE.COM 


3. Serenity Now 

 
Photograph by ZAK NOYLE for SURFER MAGAZINE 


2. BEAUTIFUL BERN FROM ABOVE 

 
Photograph via loki010 on Reddit 


1. FIRST RISING SUN OF 2012 

 
Photograph by JIJI Press/AFP/Getty Images