The Invasion. A quiet street in Macau. Modernization around is quickly changing the city, as documented by Paul Tsui. (Photo by Paul Tsui/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)

Miniature spring-wound 35-mm film camera in a modified cigarette pack. The Tessina’s small size and quiet operation provided more options for concealment than most commercially available models. (Photo by Central Intelligence Agency)

Adorable 1-year-old micro pig George from Gower Fresh Christmas Tree's Farm in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom on June 26, 2023 enjoys a quiet evening stroll through the beautiful lavender field where he lives. (Photo by Joann Randles/Cover Images)

German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945) enjoys a quiet picnic between meetings, circa 1933. Picture 196 of a series of collectable images published in Germany during the Nazi period, entitled “Deutschland Erwacht” (Germany Awakes). (Photo by Heinrich Hoffmann/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

What do superheroes do when they’re not busy fighting bad guys and saving the world from destruction? Perhaps they’re drawing strength alone in the peace and quiet of the great outdoors. That’s the premise of French photographer Benoit Lapray‘s photo-manipulation series “The Quest for the Absolute.”

Classic antique cars are seen at an auto dealer in West Branch, Iowa, March 6, 2015. Iowa, the American heartland. Endless farm fields and quiet towns. 56,273 square miles that are soon to become the focus of the nation as the long process of electing the next U.S. president begins. (Photo by Jim Young/Reuters)

A visitor interacts with deer at Nara Park in Nara on January 27, 2025. As peckish deer chase delighted tourists in Japan's temple-dotted Nara Park, a quiet but dedicated team of litter-pickers patrols the stone paths, collecting plastic waste that threatens the animals' health. (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP Photo)

A woman dancer prepare a performance during Nyepi celebration, the annual day of silence marking Balinese Hindu new year in Bali, Indonesia on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Most Balinese practice self-reflection and stay at home to observe the quiet holiday, and tourists visiting the island are asked not to leave their hotels and the airport will be closed. (Photo by Firdia Lisnawati/AP Photo)