Pictures We Love: Best of October

Royal Sweep

Photograph by Kevin Frayer, AP

Security officers in the capital city of Thimphu, Bhutan, make a sweep of stadium grounds with metal detectors ahead of the October 13 wedding of King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck.

The small, insular kingdom of Bhutan is nestled between China and India in the Himalaya mountains. (Find out more about Bhutan in National Geographic magazine.)

Why We Love It

"At first glance, this is a simple, amusing moment. But after a closer look, the composition makes it even more interesting. The triangular arrangement of the security officers along with the vertical lines in the grass and the horizontal lines created by the stadium keep me engaged in the frame."—Dawn Deeks, associate photo editor

Published October 31, 2011

Fruit Sukkah

Photograph by Menahem Kahana, AFP/Getty Images

A Samaritan woman puts a finishing touch on a fruit sukkah, or temporary shelter, in her home on October 11 near the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank (map).

Ceremonial sukkahs are constructed both inside and out during Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, which marks the exodus of the ancient Hebrew people from Egypt.

Why We Love It

"I like photos that make me think. How does she get all that fruit to stay up there? Does she replace it piece by piece as it begins to rot? Has anyone been conked in the head by falling produce? Inquiring minds want to know."—Dawn Deeks, associate photo editor

Published October 31, 2011

Earthquake Rescue

Photograph by Umit Bektas, Reuters

Rescue workers look for survivors trapped under debris in Ercis, near the eastern Turkish city of Van, on October 26—days after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the region, killing nearly 500.

Officials in Turkey have been struggling to provide shelter for tens of thousands left homeless by the quake. Meanwhile, rescue teams have begun making the painful decision to call off searches for buried victims. (See more pictures of the Turkey earthquake aftermath.)

Why We Love It

"The light source from below takes an already otherworldly scene to another level. It's eerie and distorting but could also be read as a ray of hope in the dark."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor

Published October 31, 2011

Chile Ash Cloud

Photograph by Ricardo Mohr, My Shot

A cloud of lightning-topped ash rises toward a starry sky during the June eruption of southern Chile's Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano complex in a picture submitted to My Shot in October. The summer eruption grounded flights in Chile and neighboring Argentina.

This month officials began evacuating people from the immediate vicinity of the Hudson Volcano, 470 miles (756 kilometers) south of Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, according to the Associated Press. Recent releases of steam and ash from the volcano have had authorities in Chile and Argentina on high alert, AP reports.

Why We Love It

"Sometimes taking a step back makes all the difference. Instead of zooming in on the eruption, the photographer wisely chose to show all of the layers, complexity, and power of nature."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor

Published October 31, 2011

Calamitous Cargo

Photograph from New Zealand Defence Force via Getty Images

The stern of the Liberian-registered cargo ship Rena is seen grounded on a reef near Tauranga, New Zealand, in this October 20 picture released by the New Zealand Defence Force.

Hundreds of tons of oil have leaked from the container ship since it became stranded on October 5. Crews continue to pump oil from the ship's tanks, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Beach cleanup operations and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation are also ongoing. (See more New Zealand oil spill pictures.)

Why We Love It

"In today's world, we take for granted the dangers of shipping on the open seas, which is why this scene grabbed me. Also, knowing how large shipping containers are only adds more suspense to this photo."—Web Barr, associate photo producer

"Are these freight containers or lego bricks? The primary colors, angles and sunshine make for an unreal moment."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor

Published October 31, 2011

Wounded Youth

Photograph by Mauricio Lima, New York Times/Redux

A severely wounded Libyan, alleged by revolutionaries to be a fighter loyal to Muammar Qaddafi's regime, lies in a hospital in an October 10 picture. Rebels took the hospital during an assault on the former Libyan leader's hometown of Surt.

Qaddafi was killed during fighting on October 20. The international community has recognized the Transitional National Council as the legitimate interim governing body of Libya since mid-September this year.

Why We Love It

"To be clear, we don't endorse the disfigurement of this young man or of any other victims of conflict. This photograph is empathetic yet unflinching, and it's clear that the photographer took care in its creation."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

"A hard image to look at but powerful nonetheless. ... The composition confronts the viewer with his fear and pain."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor

Published October 31, 2011

Red-Hot October

Photograph by Peter Macdiarmid, Getty Images

Autumn leaves coat a sticky section of nonslip road in London on October 5—the result of unseasonably high temperatures combined with an early leaf fall.

Britain's October heat wave saw flowers bloom and beachside hotels sell out of rooms, according to the U.K. newspaper the Telegraph. The country also experienced its hottest day on record for the month—86ºF (30ºC), the Telegraph reported.

(See more autumn photos.)

Why We Love It

"This image is really well balanced and graphically pleasing thanks to its slightly elevated point of view. The markings on the road and the converging lines created by the sidewalk lead my eye right through the frame, and the perfectly placed cyclist adds an extra element."—Dawn Deeks, assistant photo editor

Published October 31, 2011

Foreclosure

Photograph by John Moore, Getty Images

Children lie in an empty living room as an eviction team removes their family's furniture during a home foreclosure on October 5 in Milliken, Colorado. The owners had stopped making mortgage payments some 11 months before, and the bank took possession of their home, according to Getty.

Foreclosures began to slow last fall when problems surfaced with the ways some lenders were handling paperwork, according to the AP. In response, many of the country's largest banks temporarily ceased all foreclosures.

But now the number of first-time default notices being issued has increased, AP reports, signalling renewed activity that could soon see an uptick in the number of active foreclosures.

Why We Love It

"I found the overall mood of this photograph striking. With the eerie light and the children's helpless posture, it makes a strong visual representation of the desolation and messiness of the foreclosure crisis in the United States."—Dawn Deeks, associate photo editor

"This image could be a modern-day version of the documentary photography of the U.S. Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression. A family displaced, with nowhere to go—the innocent children left with only the uncertainty of tomorrow."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor

Published October 31, 2011

Bubbly Beluga

Photograph by Dafna Ben Nun, My Shot

A ring of bubbles rises from a beluga whale in a photo taken in the Arctic in April and submitted to My Shot in October.

Also known as white whales, belugas are mostly found in the Arctic Ocean's coastal waters, migrating southward in large herds when the sea freezes over.

Why We Love It

"Right place, right time, and the right exposure. This clean and direct photograph leaves me with a taste of the wonder that the photographer must have felt."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published October 31, 2011

Next: Pictures We Love: September >>

Photograph by Jeffrey de Guzman, Your Shot

Published October 31, 2011