Nature's Best Photography: Italy's Dolomites National Park

Nature's Best Photography: Italy's Dolomites National Park:

Samuel Bitton / Samuel Bitton

The Dolomites of northeastern Italy are renowned for the carbonate rock that creates the range's dramatic shapes and colors. UNESCO declared this area a Natural World heritage Site in 2009 to protect the landscape's geology, vegetation, fauna, and spectacular beauty.

By Robert Hood

Photographer’s comments: “Normally I shoot during early morning or sunset, but on the day I made this image there were interesting cloud patterns in the mid-afternoon. I loved the way the sun softly lit up some parts of the landscape and not others. The light on the foliage and mountains revealed the delicate subtleties of their color and texture—creating a moody, water-colored effect.”
Photographic information: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III; 24-105mm L IS lens at 35mm; 0.9 GND filter; 1/5 seconds at ƒ/16; ISO 50; Gitzo Mountaineer tripod; Acratech ballhead. See more photos at www.samuelbitton.com

Each year “Nature’s Best Photography” magazine hosts the Windland Smith Rice International Awards Exhibition. Msnbc.com and and Nature’s Best are sharing some of the 2011 competition results with our readers here in PhotoBlog.
A print exhibition of the winning images and other entries will be displayed from March 30, 2012 to Jan. 6, 2013, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
Competition overview: The Nature's Best Photography concept began with simple yet dynamic goals: to celebrate the beauty and diversity of nature through the art of photography, and to use this far-reaching medium as a creative tool for encouraging greater public interest in outdoor enjoyment and conservation stewardship. The annual Windland Smith Rice International Awards program evolved from this ambitious mission to become one of the most highly-respected and visually compelling nature photography competitions in the world. More than 25,000 entries are received and judged each year in the International Awards. See more in the "Enter Photos" section.
See more of the photos from the 2011 Windland Smith Rice International Awards Exhibition

• Polar bears in Manitoba, Canada
• Viine Snake in Choco, Colombia

See more of the photos from the 2010 Windland Smith Rice International Awards Exhibition

• Antelope Canyon, Ariz.
• An osprey hits its prey
• A crab takes a defensive stance in Madagascar
• Flamingos fly past the Paine Mountains in Chile
• The view from inside a Hawaiian wave
• African elephant on alert in Kenya
• Hummingbird faces off with a pit viper

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