We all know the earth we live in is full of visual treasures too magnificent to describe. We also know that it’s no easy feat to witness that kodak moment of a panda in front of the sunset all the way on the other side of the globe. Luckily we have photographs — digestible snapshots of moments in time — allowing diverse peoples, endangered animals and magnificent landscapes to meet our lines of vision wherever we may be located.
For years, National Geographic Magazine has delivered these images and more, helping adventure addicts, photography fans and virtual world travelers bear witness to the most vibrant, bizarre and touching moments to ever take place before a camera lens. Now the finest of the bunch are headed to Christie’s for an online auction entitled “Limitless: Iconic Photographs from National Geographic Editor’s Choice.” Selected by Elizabeth Krist, senior photo editor at National Geographic Magazine, the images capture the magic of daily life, from colorful laundry blowing in the breeze to an elephant giving a kiss.
“I felt as if because every image stood on its own,” Krist explained to The Huffington Post. “I didn’t have to worry about them representing a particular sensibility. I had the pure luxury of being able to choose images because I love them. I could react to them on a very visceral level in terms of the beauty of the image and whether they moved me emotionally.” Of the 11.5 million photos in the Nat Geo archive, Krist selected around 250 images, which Christies then narrowed down to 75. The photos are now available online, with starting bids ranging from $400 to $1400.
“It was nice traveling to the end of the world,” Krist said of the experience, “you felt like you just never wanted to stop.
It doesn’t even matter if you have three pictures of the same place or the same person or the same tree. Each one stands alone.” Below, we’ve included a glimpse at our favorite images from the auction. Behold, nine photos that capture the vibrant details of planet earth better than we ever, ever could.
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National Geographic/Christie’s ImagesAron Huey- Funeral dancing in Mali 2009 -
National Geographic/Christie’s ImagesAmy Toensing, Laundry in a Breeze, Utuado, Puerto Rico, c. 2002 -
National Geographic/Christie’s ImagesBrian Skerry -
National Geographic/Christie’s ImagesCarsten Peter, Scientist in Thermal Suit Collects Lava, Mt. Etna, Sicily, 2001 -
National Geographic/Christie’s ImagesJim Richardson, Mount St. Helens Before and After, 1997 -
National Geographic/Christie’s ImagesRobb Kendrick, Blessings from The Elephant Velliamma at Nataraja Temple, Tanjore, India, 1992 -
National Geographic/Christie’s ImagesSarah Leen, First Day At The New House, Clovis, California, c. 2000 -
National Geographic/Christie’s ImagesSarah Leen, The Silver Man during Carnival, San Nicolas de los Ranchos, Puebla State, Mexico, 1998
“Limitless: Iconic Photographs from National Geographic Editor’s Choice” runs until May 27 online at Chrisite’s.
