Year End Photos

The Big Picture presents The year in Pictures: Part II "The second collection of images from 2011 once again brought us nature at its full force with floods, drought, wild fires, tornadoes and spectacular images of volcanic eruptions. The death of Osama bin Laden, the attack on an island in Norway by a lone gunman, continued fighting in Libya, and protests around the globe were a few of the news events dominating the headlines. (45 photos total)"

In Focus presents the Winners of the National Geographic Photo Contest 2011. "After receiving more than 20,000 photo submissions from over 130 countries, the National Geographic Photo Contest 2011 concluded last month and the judging began. The winners were announced this week, with the grand prize awarded to Shikhei Goh for his capture of a dragonfly riding out a rainstorm in Indonesia. Goh was awarded $10,000 and a trip to the National Geographic Photography Seminar next year. National Geographic has shared the following winning photos (and honorable mentions) from this year's contest here. All captions and photos are by the individual photographers. [See also this earlier collection of 45 entries from this year's contest.] [15 photos]"

BostInno presents 50 Incredible Photos of Boston in 2011: Year in Review. "As 2011 comes to a close, BostInno takes a look back at the ups, the downs and beautiful moments from the past 12 months. From Hurricane Irene and tornadoes in the west, to the Bruins winning the Stanley Cup and Boston remembering 9/11, to Whitey Bulger’s capture and Occupy Boston, it’s been an incredible year filled with joy, sadness, anger, resilience and even fear for New Englanders. Below are 50 of Boston’s best moments captured in awe-inspiring photos."

In Focus shows Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. "With only three days left until Christmas, Santa Claus appears to be just about everywhere - assisted by armies of Santa's Helpers. Photographers have captured images of people dressed as jolly old Saint Nick in the United Kingdom, Japan, India, Australia, the United States, and other countries throughout the world. People everywhere are observing the season of giving not only by donning red and white apparel but by participating in charitable events, passing out gifts, listening to Christmas wishes, and simply having fun. Collected below are recent images of Santa Claus and his many helpers around the world. (Disclaimer: At least one of them may not be the Real Santa Claus.) [28 photos]"