Pictures We Love: Best of September

Wigging Out

Photograph by Martin Mejia, AP

As the Southern Hemisphere spring dawns on Lima, Peru, inmates at a women's prison don frowns and fairy frills at a costume party on September 24—part of a stress-relieving, confidence-building program at the facility.

Why We Love It

"The bright colors placed throughout the frame keep your eye moving."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published October 4, 2012

Not-So-Deep Purple

Photograph by Tom Northwood, Your Shot

Branching Acroporacorals look down on themselves via reflections in the water's surface near the Great Barrier Reef resort of Heron Island, Australia. (See more coral pictures.)

What we tend to think of as coral is actually the accumulated limestone exoskeletons of soft-bodied coral polyps. When a polyp anchors itself to rock and begins successfully dividing into multitudes of clones, you've got the beginnings of a reef.

Why We Love It

"I love the close perspective of this shot. It feels like we're being given a private tour of a very strange world."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published October 4, 2012

Points of Light

Photograph by Julio Cortez, AP

Lanternlike traffic signals glow against pre-storm skies on September 18 in Newark, New Jersey. (Related: "Summer Storms to Create New Ozone Holes as Earth Warms?")

Why We Love It

"Beyond the bold repetition of traffic lights, which are appealing in a graphic sense, the smaller details tucked among the framework are what make this photograph interesting—the silhouette of the person motoring across the street, the billowing American flag, and the repetition of the street signs."—Alexa Keefe, photo producer

Published October 4, 2012

Night Boat

Photograph by Teruo Araya, Your Shot

Like Jonah into the belly of a beached whale, night workers prepare to board a ferry in the Japanese port of Aomori in a picture submitted to National Geographic's My Shot photo community on September 17. Settled since prehistoric times, Aomori has been a locus for ferries for at least a century. (Video: boarding the bullet train in Aomori.)

Why We Love It

"The low angle of the camera emphasizes the height of the ferry over the men and it feels sort of ominous, as if the workers are waiting for something to emerge from the depths of the boat."—Ben Fitch, associate photo editor

"I like that the photographer chose not to show the faces of the workers. This, and the low light conditions add a sense of mystery to the image—the darkness envelopes the scene like a heavy blanket."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor

Published October 4, 2012

Hoop Dream

Photograph by Heng Yuan, European Pressphoto Agency

Originally intended just for sightseers—and at about 50 stories tall, it's tough to miss—a giant steel ring in the fast-growing Chinese city of Fushun, pictured on September 13, is now to be a jumping-off point for urban adventure. Four rope ladders have been hung inside the structure, and a ring-topping bungee-jumping platform is under review, according to the European Pressphoto Agency. (Video: Watch a traditional take on bungee jumping in the South Pacific.)

Why We Love It

"I like the interplay between the clean lines of the ring structure and delicate-looking cranes and muddied ground below—and the way the perfect o of the steel ring is echoed in the less perfect circular driveway."—Alexa Keefe, photo producer

Published October 4, 2012

Domino Effect

Photograph by Amit Dave, Reuters

Workers rest in a new commercial building on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, on September 8. Already one of India's ten largest cities, fast-growing Ahmedabad has been ranked the world's 19th strongest city, economically speaking. (See a picture of a weaving class in Ahmedabad.)

Why We Love It

"The way the workers are positioned, each within their own circular frame, reminds me of profile portraits on coins. It's an interesting play on scale."—Ben Fitch, associate photo editor

"The great negative space accentuates the perfectly circular windows, creating interest. The blotches of color round out the composition by offering a reward for one's initial interest."—Amina El Banayosy, photo intern

Published October 4, 2012

Bag Man

Photograph by Rodrigo Abd, AP

Shouldering a 214-pound (97-kilogram) sack of garlic, porter Javier Churase weighs the pungent cargo in Lima, Peru's historic La Parada wholesale market on September 19. The city proposes moving the market to new facilities outside the city. But to thousands of workers and businesspeople, who worry about lost revenue and jobs, the plan just doesn't smell right, according to the Associated Press.

Why We Love It

"I like the subdued color palette of this image, and the way this image gives us a peek into the little-seen world of food distribution."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published October 4, 2012

Feeling the Strain

Photograph by David Guttenfelder, AP

North Korean children hoist toy barbells at a school for the performing arts on September 13. They may be among the country's lucky ones—according to a 2012 UN report, nearly a third of North Korea's children under five suffer from malnutrition. (Pictures: "Escape From North Korea.")

Why We Love It

"The bareness and neutrality of the environment make the subject really pop. This image is full of whimsy, from the bright, bold colors to the small children lifting barbells in their school uniforms."—Monica Corcoran, senior photo editor

Published October 4, 2012

In the Wings

Photograph by Jon Gambrell, AP

A dancer waits to go on stage at the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria, on September 16. Performer Femi Kuti, son of the late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, plays at the venue weekly.

Why We Love It

"It seems clear that the photographer was paying close attention to background details that would escape most people's notice—such as the placement of the metal roof at the top-left corner of the frame—while also waiting for the right moment in the dancer's body language."—Chris Combs, news photo editor

Published October 4, 2012

More Pictures We Love

Photograph by Jens Koehler, DAPD/AP

Published October 4, 2012