Pictures We Love: Best of July

Mirror Image
Photograph by Xiao Yijiu, Xinhua/Zuma Press
Record-setting floods along the Yangtze River produced one unexpected upside: a whimsical image of police on patrol.
The officers are marching past China's famous Three Gorges Dam, an enormous—and controversial—hydropower project.
On July 24, during the height of the flood season, the dam experienced its largest flood peak of the year with a flow of 2,470,000 cubic feet (70,000 cubic meters) of water per second.
Why We Love It
"The slick graphic lines of the policemen's legs and the dam structure behind them, both reflected in standing water, conflict in a really pleasing way with the totally chaotic water gushing nearby."—Katel LeDu, director of photography
Published August 1, 2012
Back to Nature
Photograph by Michael Mehrhoff, Your Shot
A hotel ruined by a fire three years ago is among a number of once glamorous buildings being slowly reclaimed by nature in Germany.
Ruins of famous hotels such as Scheirke, Hotel Heinrich Heine, and Beelitz Heilstatten are appealing to a new class of "urban explorers"—including photographer Michael Mehrhoff, who submitted this picture to National Geographic's Your Shot photo community on July 25.
Why We Love It
"The scene captured in this picture is easy to relate to. I wonder if my home would survive three years of nature's incursions."—Chris Combs, news photo editor
Published August 1, 2012
Celebrating
Photograph by Raad Adayleh, AP
A Jordanian groom shields his eyes from foam spray during the marriage ceremonies of 46 couples in Amman, Jordan, on July 6.
The mass wedding was hosted by Al-Afaf—chastity in Arabic—an Islamic organization that preaches abstinence before marriage.
Why We Love It
"Jubilance in a photograph! Using an unconventional perspective helped the photographer capture the glee of waving arms and flying foam."—Chris Combs, news photo editor
Published August 1, 2012
Washed Away
Photograph by Lu Guiming, Xinhua/Corbis
With the broad movements of an impressionist painting, sepia-toned water at China's Hukou waterfall sweeps over an ill-fated bridge on July 28.
The picture shows the magnitude of the flood peak—the largest in more than 30 years—that recently struck Shanxi Province.
Why We Love It
"This scene is at once beautiful and terrifying. I love how the power of the water is so immediately present in this frame. Focusing only on the water overtaking the bridge, rather than showing the surrounding landscape, allows me to get completely drawn in to the moment."—Alexa Keefe, photography producer
Published August 1, 2012
Slow Burn
Photograph by Colin Cagley, Your Shot
Trees on Oregon's Mount Hood still bear the scars of the Dollar Lake fire, which torched more than 4,500 acres (1,820 hectares) of forest in 2011.
"The contrast of blackened trees and snow made the experience of the hike surreal," photographer Colin Cagley noted with his submission to National Geographic's My Shot photo community on July 3.
"I could still smell the scent of burnt wood in the air."
Why We Love It
"The unusual marks on the bottom of the trees and the perfect circles around their roots makes this image have interesting dimensions. The frame is almost divided into bands of color, with the sky at the top, the trunks in the middle, and the snow at the bottom."—Janna Dotschkal, assistant photo editor
Published August 1, 2012
Child's Play
Photograph by Miguel Parra, Your Shot
Bold colors and dark shadows dominate a late-afternoon scene in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, in a picture submitted to National Geographic's My Shot photo community on July 6.
"Every afternoon, a little before sunset while there is still light, we always have to collect the geese and the clothes that are drying in the sun," photographer Miguel Parra said with his submission.
"The most difficult thing is to convince the children to stop playing and get into the cottage to have dinner and rest after a long summer day."
Why We Love It
"This image is really striking because it captures multiple elements into one well-composed frame. With the bright-colored laundry, the nearly perfect silhouette, and the geese scurrying through the right side of the frame, the eye has plenty to look at."—Janna Dotschkal, assistant photo editor
Published August 1, 2012
Free Fall
Photograph by Dean Treml, Red Bull/AFP/Getty Images
Orlando Duque of Colombia plummets 95 feet (29 meters) to the sea on July 20 during the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, held in Islet Vila France de Campo, Portugal.
Duque placed second that day, but took first on the French leg of the competition and now stands first overall. The 2012 competition canvassed three locations: France, Norway, and Portugal.
(See a picture of a daredevil on his recent return from near the edge of space.)
Why We Love It
"Just looking at this photo makes my stomach lurch in one of those 'I can't stop looking at it' kind of ways. It took me a moment to realize the perfectly poised and composed mini-diver between the rocks."—Katel LeDu, director of photography
Published August 1, 2012
Gray Lady
Photograph by Daniel Berehulak, Getty Images
A burqa-clad woman walks past a window screen on her way to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' Camp for Internationally Displaced Persons in Jalozai on July 13.
The woman, from the Khyber Tribal Region of northwestern Pakistan, is one of thousands of displaced Pakistanis who have been forced by the country's military to flee their homes since January.
But there's an upside: "It has been a window of opportunity for us to be able to vaccinate people from the tribal regions during this last influx [of displaced persons] from Bara," an area within the Khyber Tribal Region, said Imran, a doctor at a camp clinic whose full name was not provided to the Getty news service.
Why We Love It
"For me this image is all about texture: the folds of the burka, the rugged geography of the background, and the screen between the lens and the subject giving the image an etching-like quality throughout."—Ben Fitch, associate photo editor
Published August 1, 2012
Beauty Sleep
Photograph by Philippe Lopez, AFP/Getty Images
A contender waits his turn in the International Bodybuilding and Fitness Invitation Championship, which took place in Hong Kong on July 14.
In addition to their training regimens, would-be champions prepare their bodies with tanning and reflective oils to emphasize their physique.
Why We Love It
"This picture captures such a still, deep moment for the subject, superbly emphasized by the fact that this competitor looks almost carved from the same stone that lies beneath him."—Katel LeDu, director of photography
Published August 1, 2012
Stonehenge in Miniature
Photograph by Jae C. Hong, AP
Workers install "Sacrilege," an inflatable replica of Stonehenge, on July 21 in Greenwich Peninsula, London, as part of the 2012 Olympic Games.
(Also see pictures: "London Leaps Hurdles in Green Olympic Games Bid.")
Why We Love It
"Whether intended or not, this scene of men moving an inflatable Stonehenge seems to almost mysteriously suggest how the real thing might have been erected so long ago."—Katel LeDu, director of photography
Published August 1, 2012
See More Pictures We Love
Photograph by Antero Topp, HBW/Rex
Published August 1, 2012