Redtree Times

Calbuco Volcano, Chile- Francisco Negroni April 2015

Every year the National Geographic holds  a photo contest for great images taken around the globe within the past year.  It always produces some incredible imagery and I usually find myself really stunned by many of them.  The contest is still open so if you have  some photos that you think can stand alongside the photo at the top then get your entries in.

That picture was taken in April during the eruption of Calbuco, a volcano south of Santiago, Chile.  It captures the phenomena of volcanic lightning which  has multiple lightning strikes firing throughout the ash cloud as it spews upward.  There is still debate as to what causes this but most believe it is a result of positively charged particles coming from the volcano joining with negative particles in the ash cloud.  Whatever the case, it’s still pretty a damn impressive display of some awesome natural forces.  This photo was taken and submitted by Francisco Negroni,

Another of my favorites from recent submissions is the one at the bottom of terraced rice paddies in the Yen Bai province of North Viet Nam taken by Qu nh Anh Nguyen.  The absolute organic quality of the forms and colors just mesmerize me.  Love this image for completely different reasons than the photo at the top which shows the power of natrure over which we have no control.  This image shows how we can interact with and coexist with this world.  A different kind of power.

You can check up on recent entries ( or enter your own) at the National Geographic site by clicking here.

Rice Paddies, North Viet Nam- Qu nh Anh Nguyen 2015