TOP PHOTOS OF 2012 - - BREATHTAKING!

 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