2015: A Year In Pictures

By Mandy Burkholder | December 22, 2015

2015: A Year In Pictures

Iconic images from far-off places make 2015 the year of adventure photography. Flip through this slideshow of epic pictures from National Geographic to tantalize your never-ending wanderlust.

Which of these locations made your bucket list for next year? Let us know in the comments!

Blacktip Reef Shark, Maldives

Photograph by Paul Wilkinson, National Geographic Your Shot. Little fish keep their distance from this blacktip reef shark.

The Children’s Place

Photograph by Masami Murooka, National Geographic Your Shot. The children merrily sled down a hill beside a parking lot for a festival in Shizukuishi, Japan.

Rainstorm, Chile

Photograph by Camila Massu. A fun, impulsive snapshot in an uncontrollable rain storm.

Supreme Sunlight

Photograph by Andrew Hara, National Geographic Your Shot. Found near a Kauai Hindu Monastery in Hawaii.

Ocean World

Photograph by Chris Schmid. Taken with a drone—they’re good for something, right?

Pilgrims’ Progress

Photograph by Michael George. Each year pilgrims attempt the ancient route Camino Frances through the Meseta plateau of central Spain.

A Stretch of Luck

Photograph by Yanming Qin, National Geographic Your Shot. A beautiful canopy of red lanterns during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Sparks Fly

Photograph by Steve Bradburn, National Geographic Your Shot. A long exposure of wire wool was used to create this fiery image.

Rock of Ages

Photograph by Nicholas Roemmelt. Taken at The Wave, a famous rock formation in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona and Utah.

Light in the Afternoon

Photograph by John Bragg. The charming town of Magdalena, Italy rests at the base of the Dolomite Mountains.

Woman and Child, Bhutan

Photograph by Lynsey Addario. A woman visits an eastern forest of Bhutan with her child.

Sheep Encounter, China

Photograph by Steven Chou, Your Shot Member. A stunning image of a wild herd of sheep running free in a remote area of western China.

At Play on the Black Sea

Photograph by Mathias Depardon. Children jump into the Black Sea near the town of Novorossiysk, Russia.

Divers, Easter Island

Photograph by Randy Olson, National Geographic. A fake moai, made for a Hollywood film, is spotted near Easter Island’s reef.

Highland Cattle, Scotland

Photograph by Patrick Kelley. An ancient breed of highland cattle known as the “kyloe.”

Alpine Climbers, Aiguille du Midi

Photograph by Thomas Woolrych, My Shot. Taken at the crest of the Aiguille du Midi at 12,604 feet.

Quiet Reflection

Photograph by Freia Lily, National Geographic Your Shot. A beautiful picture of an iceberg reflected in a glacier lagoon in Iceland.