A Sudanese man illuminates hieroglyphs in an ancient tomb in Al Kurru. Sudan is strewn with the ruins of Nubian kings, who once ruled all of Egypt. Today, Sudan's government struggles to control its own country, paralyzed by decades of civil, ethnic, and religious conflict.
(Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Shattered Sudan: Drilling for Oil, Hoping for Peace," February 2003, National Geographic magazine)
June 22, 2008
Woman and Dog, Newport, Rhode Island, 2003
Photograph by Bob Krist
A woman and her dog walk on a beach at low tide in Newport, Rhode Island. Each year, this small city of 27,000 residents attracts some 200,000 vacationers, who come to lounge on the beach, take in the resort town's extensive history, and get a look at the many beachfront mansions that have made Newport famous.
(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Insider's Newport," July/August 2003, National Geographic Traveler magazine)
June 23, 2008
Mountain Village, Gomera, Canary Islands, 2006
Photograph by Justin Guariglia
Tucked in a valley in northeastern Gomera, part of Spain's Canary Islands, the village of Hermigua stairsteps down terraced hills dotted with palms and banana plants. Tiny Gomera is richly contoured with hills and valleys. Wrote one observer: "To make a 3-D map of La Gomera, first crumple a piece of paper into a ball. Next, tease the center into a high point. That's it."
(Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "The Quietest Place on Earth," September 2006, National Geographic Traveler magazine)
June 24, 2008
Weddell Seals, Antarctica, 2006
Photograph by Maria Stenzel
A mother Weddell seal and her calf swim beneath Antarctic ice. Weddell seals can dive as deep as 2,000 feet (610 meters), but frequently stay in the shallows to avoid predators such as sharks and orcas.
(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Underworld: South Sandwich Islands," December 2006, National Geographic magazine)
June 25, 2008
Twin Bolts of Lightning, Grand Canyon, Arizona, 2006
Photograph by Michael Nichols
Twin bolts of lightning reach for the depths of the Grand Canyon near Point Sublime. This scenic area on the canyon's North Rim is not as easily accessible as other lookouts. But for those willing to make the two-hour trip by 4WD vehicle, the vistas are among the best the park has to offer.
(Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, "The Unexpected Canyon," January 2006, National Geographic magazine)
June 26, 2008
Tribal Leaders, Saudi Arabia, 2003
Photograph by Reza
Tribal leaders gather around a fire in the tent of a prominent sheik in Saudi Arabia. Such meetings, called majlis, are customary throughout the kingdom. They can be simple social gatherings or, if the host is powerful, an official audience, where a Bedouin camel herder asking help with a grazing issue might be followed by a billionaire property baron requesting a construction permit.
(Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Kingdom on Edge: Saudi Arabia," October 2003, National Geographic magazine)
June 27, 2008
Upper Falls, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Michigan, 1991
Photograph by Phil Schermeister
Water from the Tahquamenon River flows over the Upper Falls in Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The picturesque, tea-colored Tahquamenon is the setting for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem The Song of Hiawatha.
(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Big Lost Country," March/April 1991, National Geographic Traveler magazine)
June 28, 2008
Boat at Low Tide, County Mayo, Ireland, 2003
Photograph by Chris Rainier
A fishing boat, beached by low tide, leans against seaweed-covered rocks in Ireland's Sruwaddacon Bay. The waters of this picturesque estuary, located in County Mayo on the northwest coast, are in constant motion, emptying and filling the riverlike bay four times each day.
(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Far Edge of Ireland," March 2003, National Geographic magazine)
June 29, 2008
Desert Rainbow, Red Desert, Wyoming, 2005
Photograph by Joel Sartore
Wyoming's big sky has ample room for this 180-degree rainbow over the Adobe Town rock formations in Red Desert. This seemingly desolate expanse is home to an abundance of life, including antelope, mule deer, and Wyoming's largest herd of wild horses.
(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "All Fired Up," July 2005, National Geographic magazine)
June 30, 2008
All-American Canal, Yuma, Arizona, 2003
Photograph by George Steinmetz
The All-American Canal disappears over the horizon of the Yuma, Arizona, desert. The 80-mile (129-kilometer) canal is part of an extensive system of waterways that taps the Colorado River to irrigate hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland in southeastern California and southwestern Arizona.
(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Watching You: The World of High-Tech Surveillance," November 2003, National Geographic magazine)