Phyllis Vance

A slow camera exposure blurs the crowds inside the Lincoln Memorial, which celebrated its centennial on May 30, 2022. Carved from 38,000 tons of marble, limestone, and granite, the edifice honoring the 16th president holds a massive statue of Abraham Lincoln by sculptor Daniel Chester French.

A muleteer and his horses follow the 39-mile, high-altitude path to Choquequirao, an Incan settlement built in the same era as Machu Picchu. While many travelers hike the full route—which can take two or three days round trip by foot—others ride pack animals for some or all of the journey.

Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatchling release on North Padre Island, with 93 hatchlings released. Witnessing the cycle of life was truly a celebration.

As I left Forestburg one evening and passed through Montague going south, the sun was setting behind a ranch museum, and I quickly snapped two shots with my wife's digital camera before the light changed. A Texas-ranch-country shot.

Taken just before sunrise to avoid crowds at the Alamo. The blue color of the twilight sky provides good contrast to the illuminated Alamo building. A light breeze provided some nice movement to the Texas state flag.

Late in the dry season, a remnant pool in the Mussicadzi River channel attracts a mob of hungry birds, including storks, egrets, and hammerkops, along with a couple of thirsty waterbuck. Gorongosa’s avian richness swells further in the wet season, when nomads arrive to feed.

Japan’s obsession with all things kawaii (which can mean “cute,” “cuddly,” or “lovable”) is on display at Ueno Park as owners line up their pets for a portrait shoot. The kawaii aesthetic of cute culture has been one of Japan’s most successful exports, driving pop culture trends in fashion, technology, video games, and cartoons.

Leonardo’s “Mona Lisa” is believed to depict Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a Florentine silk merchant. Every year, millions of visitors jostle for a view at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The painting, protected by a thick layer of glass that must be cleaned regularly, has never been restored.

In Palau's biodiverse waters, scientists find life is thriving under the seas. Here, a tiny goby camouflages with a branch of red coral.

Grand Canyon National Park

Cape May

Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleston