Pictures We Love: Best of June

Radiation Room

Photograph by Umit Bektas, Reuters

A technician examines a cell phone in a testing room on June 9 at the Market Surveillance Laboratories, part of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority of Turkey, in Ankara. The lab was founded in 2007 to test how much electromagnetic radiation is absorbed by body tissue while using a cell phone or other mobile communication device.

On May 31 cancer experts with the World Health Organization had announced that cell phone use may be linked to an increased risk for developing certain types of brain tumors. Although the link is not definitive, the researchers recommended that mobile phones be classified as "possibly carcinogenic," putting the devices in the same risk category as lead, chloroform, and coffee, Reuters reported.

Why We Love It

"This is something I have never seen before. It suggests that strange beauty can be found in other industrial processes, much as photographer Margaret Bourke-White showed us in the 1920s and '30s."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"I really enjoy the texture of this image because of the triangular shapes on the walls. It seems ironic that such a large compound is needed to test a little object like a mobile phone."—Janna Dotschkal, associate photo editor

Published June 30, 2011

Free Fallin'

Photograph by Xavier Coll Sola, My Shot

Spanish contestant Dario Barrio seems to fall from the sky during the BASE Jump World Championship accuracy competition, held June 10 and 11 in Benidorm, Spain. Competitors leaped from the top of the Gran Hotel Bali—billed as the tallest hotel in Europe.

Unlike skydiving, BASE jumping involves parachuting from a fixed object such as a bridge, cliff, or dam. BASE is an acronym that stands for Building, Antenna, Span, Earth—the four most popular objects jumpers use for their sport.

Why We Love It

"This hair-raising photograph of an expert jumper in Spain does a remarkable job of capturing an extreme sport—and of provoking sympathy for the jumpers' families."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"The BASE jumper is simultaneously floating and hurtling through this frame. As the jumper is not fully pictured, an additional sense of immediacy is brought to an already extreme sport."—Sarah Polger, senior photo editor

Published June 30, 2011

Crystal Cave

Photograph by Victor Lyagushkin, Barcroft/Fame Pictures

Braving near freezing waters, a cave diver seems to hang suspended in the crystal clear waters of Orda Cave, the world's longest underwater gypsum cave, in a picture released this month. A common ingredient in drywall and plaster, gypsum is a soft, calcium-based mineral that can form transparent crystals.

A team of divers recently spent six months exploring and documenting the Orda Cave system, which stretches for 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) through Russia's western Urals region.

Why We Love It

"I love the unearthliness of this environment—and the photographer's ability to overcome its extreme technical challenges."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"This is something that I can't draw up in my mind. I feel very cold when looking at this picture. The photographer did a great job using the light to capture the diver and the rocks."—Andy Gottesman, photo intern

Published June 30, 2011

Dry Poole

Photograph by Stefan Wermuth, Reuters

A man walks his dog through the fire-scorched landscape of Upton Heath, near Poole in southwestern England, on June 10. Parts of the region are experiencing near-drought conditions after an unusually sunny, dry spring.

Why We Love It

"Even wildfires have silver linings, or so photographer Stefan Wermuth shows us in this stark shot."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"It's amazing that one little trickle/stream of water can stop a raging wildfire in its path."—Monica C. Corcoran, senior photo editor

Published June 30, 2011

All Together Now

Photograph by Feng Li, Getty Images

Singers perform during a gala celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in the Great Hall of the People on June 28 in Beijing.

Why We Love It

"The visual pattern in this picture jumped out to me, and the interplay between the foreground singers and their video backdrop clinched the deal."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published June 30, 2011

Hold Your Horse

Photograph by Dan Kitwood, Getty Images

An Irish sport horse in Newmarket, U.K., is hoisted onto an equine operating table ahead of its operation at Newmarket Equine Hospital—the largest of its kind in Europe—in a picture taken in March and released June 19.

Why We Love It

"An unusual scene to say the least, this photograph holds a cinematic quality. The graphic and monolithic doors, anonymous doctors, and horse hanging from the ceiling might fit well in any David Lynch or Stanley Kubrick movie."—Sarah Polger, senior photo editor

"Although seemingly graphic, this image interests me because it's likely a standard procedure. We know how doctors operate on humans, but you never think how a veterinarian would operate on a horse, and that makes this photo all the more interesting."—Web Barr, associate photo producer

Published June 30, 2011

Balancing Act

Photograph by Fu Zhiyong, Imaginechina/AP

A worker transports building materials for a new path along the cliff of Shifo Mountain in central China's Hunan Province on June 1. Supported by wooden structures, the mountain path will be nearly 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) long when finished—the longest of its kind in China.

Why We Love It

"I hope that the subject of this picture is still alive and well. There is a compelling contrast between the visual quietness of this image and the alarming situation it pictures."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"This photo made me do a double take. Where did the worker come from, and what's he going to do with his materials next? It's amazing to think, in this day and age, that roads are still being built like this in some parts of the world."—Monica C. Corcoran, senior photo editor

"A surreal image. The worker floating midair, on a walkway that disappears into the horizon, forces the viewer to question how this path was constructed and where exactly this worker is taking that wheelbarrow next."—Sarah Polger, senior photo editor

Published June 30, 2011

Daffodil Festival

Photograph by Lisi Niesner, Reuters

A boat decorated with daffodils passes a carnival figure during a parade at the Narzissenfest, or Daffodil Festival, along Grundlsee lake in the village of Grundlsee, Austria, on June 5. The annual celebration fetes the start of springtime in the mountainous region.

Why We Love It

"This playful picture made me smile. Can you spot the distant Hello Kitty daffodil float?"—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"This photo is loads of fun, from the quirky festival to the wacky carnival figure to the boat full of traditionally dressed villagers all looking at something outside the frame that the viewer can't see." —Monica C. Corcoran, senior photo editor

Published June 30, 2011

Surfer on Ice

Photograph by Mike Killion, My Shot

Surfer Artem Abakumov prepares to take to the icy waters of Lake Michigan, Indiana, in December.

"'Twas the day after Christmas in the heartland of America. There was ice and snow all around, temps well into freezing, ice chunks floating in the slushy waters," said photographer Mike Killion, who submitted the picture to National Geographic's My Shot site on June 15.

Why We Love It

"The dedication of surfer Artem Abakumov—and of photographer Mike Killion—impressed me, and the rich texture of the frozen lake spray gives us plenty to investigate."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"This quiet portrait creates a sense of heroism."—Sarah Polger, senior photo editor

"I like that the shape of the surfer and the design on his board mimic the diagonal shapes in the ice."—Janna Dotschkal, Associate Photo Editor

Published June 30, 2011

Next: Best News Pictures of 2010 >>

Photograph courtesy Jodie Bieber, Institute for Artist Management, shot for Time

Published June 30, 2011