“My goal was to capture the image of a storm that emulated an atomic explosion”, Dobrowner says of this picture. Here: “Monsoon”, Lordsburg, N.M., 2010. (Photo by Roger Hill)

The Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) is seen over the sky near the village of Pallas (Muonio region) of Lapland, Finland September 8, 2017. (Photo by Alexander Kuznetsov/Reuters)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and these striking images of 2017 are no exception. The photo highlights include incredible snapshots of the natural world as well as some awesome animal and human encounters. The vibrant gallery also shows thrill-seekers pushing themselves to the limit with breathtaking stunts captured in perfect clarity. The pictures have been taken by a host of photographers from around the world. Here: The two lion cubs singing their hearts out at Antelope park in Zimbabwe. (Photo by David Jenkins/Caters News Agency)

Some dozens of long-finned pilot whales lay dead on a remote beach in Iceland after they were discovered by tourists sightseeing in the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland aboard a helicopter, Thursday July 18, 2019. The whales were concentrated in one spot on the beach, many partially covered by sand. (Photo by David Schwarzhans via AP Photo)

Kindergarten children show off handmade floral headdress made of ginkgo leaves on December 17, 2024 in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. The floral headdress is also known as Zanhua or Zanhuawei. Zanhuawei is a traditional Chinese hairstyle favored among ladies from Xunpu Village of Quanzhou in China's Fujian Province. (Photo by Tan Yunfeng/VCG via Getty Images)

Participants take part in the annual New Year' s Day Parade in central London, United Kingdom on January 1, 2018. Reports state that 8,000 performers representing the London boroughs and countries from across the globe are parading along the streets of London's West End on New Year’s Day. (Photo by Tolga Akmen/AFP Photo)

A woman participates in a ritual for the African sea goddess Yemanja at Ramirez Beach in Montevideo, Uruguay, Tuesday, February 2, 2021. (Photo by Matilde Campodonico/AP Photo)

The front wheels of a tractor, pulling a trailer overloaded with sugarcane, are seen lifted off the ground as it passes through the streets of Karor Lan Esan, Pakistan December 6, 2015. (Photo by Caren Firouz/Reuters)