The Sifter’s friends at National Geographic were kind enough to share a few images from a recent gallery entitled Illuminating the World. The 33-image gallery was compiled from National Geographic’s online photo community Your Shot. The photos span the entire globe even including a few holiday-themed shots.

Be sure to check out the entire gallery on National Geographic. To learn more about National Geographic’s photo community, visit Your Shot.

 

 

Monks looked up at the magnificent night sky filled with thousands of lanterns in awe. This was the moment I’ve been waiting for and it lasted very quickly due to strong wind. A very heavy downpour occurred right after we left the place.

 

 

I camped on this spot for some time waiting for the right balance of light as the sun set. I was rewarded with many great shots of the late afternoon and even in moonlight. This long exposure captures the essence of the village life with a party on the wharf.

 

 

People are walking through the Christmas night in downtown Tokyo to enjoy the illumination by millions of LED lights.

 

 

Shanghai’s famous elevated roads come to life at night as the city illuminates them with bright blue lights. Light trails from the cars lead toward the futuristic skyline of Pudong in the background.

 

 

Christmas market illuminated one winter evening in the old town of Tallinn, Estonia

 

 

The colors of neon lights that illuminate this motel recall the colors of the Malagasy flag.

 

 

Visited a light show in Pitlochry, Scotland