30 nature photos that will change the way you see the world

This photo was taken in Holuhraun, which is a lava field located in Iceland. The field of lava is approximately 33 square miles.

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"I had been dreaming of a reflecting eclipse for years, and while it was not a perfect reflection (due to wind), this was pretty much what I had wanted," photographer Erez Marom wrote about the image, taken in July 2019 in Argentina. "I can't believe it actually worked."

Off the coast of Mauritius, an island in East Africa, there seems to be a river and a waterfall under the surface of the Indian Ocean. In reality, however, there is no waterfall or secret river. It's just sand being pushed off an underwater shelf called the Mascarene Plateau. Nonetheless, the view is breathtaking.

Mammatus clouds form when cool air that is filled with ice begins to sink around warmer air. The result is a beautiful cloud formation in the sky.

These mammatus clouds were found over the plains of Georgetown, Texas.

Droppert's cloud photos were "taken during a warm and sunny afternoon in June in my hometown in Rotterdam, The Netherlands." She said she likes the "contrasting blue tones" in this photo in particular.

Dropper said she loves this photo because it demonstrates the unbelievable size of clouds when compared to the small plane.

Droppert calls this photo "The Stare," and said, "It lasted for two minutes, at least."

"'The Silence' series is created out of interest for the absence of sound witnessed in different locations around the world," photographer Doppert said.

"The intention in this series is to focus primarily on the character, elegance, power, and nobleness of the horse," photographer Droppert said. "[When] working with tones, colors, and contrasts, a feeling is created that could appeal to your emotions."

These two Siberian tigers in Gelände, Sweden, are fighting for the attention of a female.

These two bears are fighting for food in the McNeil River in Alaska.

These whales are swimming off the coast of Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In this perfectly timed photo, it appears the polar bear is waving to the camera.

"My glamorous model waited patiently for me to capture his perfect elegance," photographer Claire Droppert said.

The Pinnacles is a rock formation made of limestone in the Nambung National Park in Australia. The 16-foot-tall structures were formed over 25,000 years ago and now attract thousands of tourists each year.

"I was immediately drawn to this group of rocks and captured a number of different angles," photographer Gray said. "This shot was my favorite and if you look very carefully you can just see the ocean in the distance."

The Coyote Buttes are known as "The Wave" because of the undulating red and orange rock formations. While it's a popular tourist destination, only 20 visitors are allowed into the region per day to protect its natural beauty.

This photo was taken at sunrise in the Sossusvlei.

"One of the biggest challenges of shooting the Arctic is just how changeable it is, nothing stays the same for very long," Gray said. "The following day I drove past and stopped in for a look, this scene had changed completely. The foreground ice had disappeared, most likely destroyed or relocated by the tidal movements during the night."

The Sierra Nevada mountain range stretches along the eastern border of California.

This photo was taken at the Fredvang Bridges in Norway where the massive mountains seem to tower over the water and the road.

"Once we arrived at Hardy Reef we completed a number of laps of the area at different altitudes and I got to work, capturing a number of vertical and horizontal panoramas," Gray said. "This was my first time shooting vertical panoramas from a helicopter. As expected, the biggest challenge was avoiding the rotors in the top of the frame. I had to lean out of the chopper quite a way in the end but nailed this unique capture of such an incredible part of Australia."

"I spent a couple of hours working the scene in the dark and finally settled on this unique photo of the 12 Apostles with all the glory of the Milky Way above," photographer Gray said. "When reviewing the photograph, I was pleasantly surprised to have captured the colors of a suspected Aurora on the horizon, or perhaps it was just light reflecting off the lingering sea mist? I guess we will never know."

"What an amazing sunset this was," photographer Mark Gray said. "As the tide raced in I kept relocating my tripod further and further back until the light peaked and I captured this amazing moment."

The photographer, Claire Droppert said, "This Caribbean gem provides an abundance of opportunities to capture the quintessential feeling of silence in a unique, diverse and stunning landscape Aruba has to offer."

The photographer, Alex Noriega, calls this photo "Hibernation."

In Yellowstone National Park, the most common tree is the lodgepole pine, which covers 80% of the park.

The trees in the Kashmir Valley in India change drastically during the fall.

This photo was taken on the island of Kauai, which is known for its tropical rainforest.

This picture was taken in Colorado near the San Juan Mountains, and the photographer, Alex Noriega, calls the image "Limelight."