Pictures We Love: May

Engine Power
Photograph by Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Artist Princess Tarinan von Anhalt throws paint into the flow of air coming from a Learjet 40 XR jet engine in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 30.
Called jet art, the practice involves an artist standing on a platform between a plane and a canvas, allowing the power current of the engine to hurl paint onto the canvas, creating abstract paintings. (See "Reshaping Flight for Fuel Efficiency: Five Technologies on the Runway.")
Von Anhalt made new paintings to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Learjet, a line of personal luxury jets.
Why We Love It
"We enjoyed the interplay between the dark, brooding mood of this picture and the less-than-serious situation that it depicts."—Chris Combs, news photo editor
Published May 17, 2013
Roman Skies
Photograph by Gabriel Bouys
A long-exposure picture shows seagulls soaring over the Roman sky on May 2.
Every photograph is actually a time exposure—images may be recorded in a fraction of a second or over hours. Shutter speed can be adjusted to do either very long or instantaneous exposures.
(Get more of National Geographic's tips for special photography techniques.)
Why We Love It
"I've seen lightning bug trails and other insects, but never seagulls. This is a really interesting take on the quintessential long exposure."—Janna Dotschkal, associate photo editor
Published May 17, 2013
Veteran
Photograph by Oded Balilty, AP
Soviet Jewish World War II veteran Yaakov Vilkovich, 90, poses for a portrait at his house in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod on April 11.
Vilkovich joined the Red Army in 1941, served in the 31st Armyës infantry battalion and fought in the Battle of Berlin in 1945. He immigrated to Israel in 1998. About 500,000 Soviet Jews served in the Red Army during World War II, and the majority of those are still alive today live in Israel.
Why We Love It
"When I look at this portrait, I'm reminded of a Norman Rockwell painting. The domestic setting and timelessness of both the subject and his environment give this frame an air of nostalgia."—Ben Fitch, associate photo editor
Published May 17, 2013
Oasis
Photograph by Ed Jones, AFP/Getty Images
Yueyaquan Crescent Lake sits among sand dunes in a May 12 picture taken in Dunhuang, a city in China's northwestern Gansu Province.
Formerly a trade hub between China and the West, Dunhuang relies heavily on tourism and features a number of historic sites dating back to the Han Dynasty. The city has an arid climate and is surrounded by sand dunes, a result of increasing desertification. (See pictures of desert landscapes.)
Why We Love It
"This photo has a really exotic, fantastical feeling to it. A desert oasis, tucked between sand dunes. It seems like it could be easy to miss if you were lost in the desert."—Janna Dotschkal, associate photo editor
Published May 17, 2013
Nano Flowers
Image courtesy Laura Hendriks and Wim Noorduin
These blue "flowers" were grown in a laboratory at Harvard University using a solution of chemicals and minerals.
Building micro- and nano-size particles—some much smaller than the width of a human hair—is a huge field, since they have potential uses in optics and engineering, said Wim Noorduin, a researcher specializing in crystal growth at Harvard.
But the trick with Noorduin's technique, which he has taken years to perfect, is he can control the shapes of the structures as they're growing by changing the temperature, pH, and carbon dioxide content of his chemical solutions. (Related: "Pictures: Best Micro-Photos of 2012.")
Why We Love It
"While these flowers are pleasing to look at, it's the element of surprise upon discovering they are microscopic replicas that gets my attention. Petals shaped by controlled chemistry rather than the precision of human hands is artistry that captures my imagination."—Alexa Keefe, photography producer
Published May 17, 2013
Easter Prayers
Photograph by Ariel Schalit, AP
Ethiopian Orthodox Christian women pray outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—traditionally believed by many to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ—in Jerusalem on May 2.
Orthodox Christians from around the world were in the Holy Land to mark Orthodox Easter, which fell on May 5.
Why We Love It
"The figures in this frame are very expressive, but in a subtle and delicate way. The folds of the white cloth and texture of the battered wall add to the beauty of the image."—Ben Fitch, associate photo editor
Published May 17, 2013
Horseplay
Photograph by Ali Ali, European Pressphoto Agency
A horse makes a face from its stable at the Equestrian Club west of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on May 4.
Horseback riding is an activity that Palestinians can do without being affected by the several-hours-long power cuts that occur on most days in the Gaza Strip. (Also see "Pictures: Bride Smuggled Through Gaza Tunnels.")
Why We Love It
"The bars on this window almost makes the horse seem one-dimensional. We see the horse only from the neck up, and this adds to the humor of the horse's 'grin.'"—Janna Dotschkal, associate photo editor
Published May 17, 2013
African Sun
Photograph by Kim Ludbrook, European Pressphoto Agency
Participants in the AfrikaBurn festival watch the sunset behind pieces of fabric in the Karoo Desert in South Africa on May 5.
The festival—based on the popular Burning Man event in the United States—is a combination of rave, trance party, pagan gathering, and arts festival.
Why We Love It
"The layered juxtaposition of the figures silhouetted against the sky and shadowed behind the cloth, as well as the monochromatic tones, make this a standout."—Alexa Keefe, photography producer
Published May 17, 2013
Living Goddess
Photograph by Navesh Chitrakar, Reuters
Considered a "living goddess" to Nepalese Hindus, the young girl Kumari Samita Bajracharya is pictured through a window of her house before she was taken to observe the Chariot Festival of Rato Machhindranath in Lalitpur, Nepal, on May 13.
Rato Machhindranath is known as the god of rain, and both Hindus and Buddhists pray to Machhindranath for good rain to prevent drought during the rice harvest season. (See more Nepal pictures.)
Why We Love It
"Here the viewer is really on the outside looking in. Although we're pulled back from the subject, it's still a very intimate portrait. You can feel the moment of silent preparation and contemplation before the young goddess enters the chaos of the festival."—Ben Fitch, associate photo editor
Published May 17, 2013
Illuminated
Photograph by Dimitar Dilkoff, AFP/Getty Images
A woman lights a candle during the Good Friday service in the golden-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria, on May 3. (Read about Bulgaria's gold rush.)
Why We Love It
"I love the warmth of this moment. The smile really shines through!"—Chris Combs, news photo editor
Published May 17, 2013