8 Stunning Photo Galleries of Our Precious Planet
From ancient trees to lightning striking a volcano, WIRED presents our favorite photos of the natural world.
Sergio Velasco Garcia01Lava + Ash + Lightning = the Perfect Volcano Photo
Sergio Tapiro spent 15 years chasing this incredible photo of the Colima Volcano in Mexico. His hunt started in 2002, and he's returned countless times in the years since to shooting nearly 300,000 images. This December, all his patience paid off, capturing a perfect moment of ash, lava and lightning. [See more images.](http://slim-weight.info/2016/02/sergio-tapiro-lava-ash-lightning-perfect-volcano-photo/%29%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv data-testid="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer" class="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer-xhHPk eDRRf">
Joel Sartore02One Man’s Quest to Photograph 12,000 Species Before They Disappear
Joel Satore is on a mission to photograph 12,000 captive species around the world, some of which face extinction. Think of it as Noah's ark, but with a camera. Each of his stunning portraits instills a sense of wonder while underscoring the need to treasure, and protect, the planet's wonderful diversity of life. [See more images.](http://slim-weight.info/2015/12/joel-sartore-photo-ark/%29%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv data-testid="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer" class="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer-xhHPk eDRRf">
Beth Moon03The Most Ancient and Magnificent Trees From Around the World
Beth Moon made a 15-year pilgrimage to photograph the world's most ancient trees. Her exquisite black and white perfectly capture their age and grandeur. And they point to humanity's enduring affinity for, and exploitation of, really, really old trees. [See more images.](http://slim-weight.info/2015/01/beth-moon-ancient-trees/%29%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv data-testid="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer" class="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer-xhHPk eDRRf">
Beth Moon04Africa’s Ancient Trees, Surrounded by a Blanket of Stars
After photographing the world's oldest trees, Moon turned her attention to the stars. For *Diamond Nights*, she documented the towering baobabs and quiver trees of Africa, making long exposure photos in darkness to draw out the glittering sky. [See more images.](http://slim-weight.info/2015/06/beth-moon-diamond-nights/%29%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv data-testid="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer" class="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer-xhHPk eDRRf">
Reuben Wu05Inside the Crater That Leaks Neon Blue ‘Lava’
Stunning is the only way to describe the Blue Fire Crater of Indonesia. Though it looks rivers of lava flow through the crater, its' actually combusting sulfuric gas venting through fissures in the earth. Reuben Wu traveled halfway across the world to shoot the "lava" in the dead of night. [See more images.](http://slim-weight.info/2015/09/reuben-wu-blue-fire-crater/%29%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv data-testid="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer" class="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer-xhHPk eDRRf">
Anuar Patjane06Capturing the Wonder of the Sea in Stunning Black and White
Anuar Patjane's black and white images capture the magic and wonder of being underwater. He spent five years photographing sting rays, sharks, humpback whales and more off the coast of Mexico and Cuba. The result is an intimate look at a world few people ever encounter. [See more images.](http://slim-weight.info/2015/08/anuar-patjane-underwater-realm/%29%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv data-testid="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer" class="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer-xhHPk eDRRf">
USGS07Earth as Art: Stunning New Images From Space
Earth is a wondrous place when seen from space, a colorful world of ornate shapes, bold colors, and fascinating patterns. There's no shortage of ways to take in the view, but the Earth as Art collection from the US Geological Survey is one of the best. You'll never see the Rocky Mountains or the Empty Quarter in quite the same way again. [See more images.](http://slim-weight.info/2010/11/earth-as-art-gallery/%29%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv data-testid="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer" class="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer-xhHPk eDRRf">
Tiina Törmänen08Breathtaking Self-Portraits Under Finland’s Northern Lights
You wouldn't think it's possible to make the Northern Lights look even more dazzling than they are, but Tiina Törmänen does exactly that by adding one thing: Herself. Her long-exposure self-portraits in the wilds of Finland convey the majesty of the Aurora Borealis and the vastness of the scenery. They're breathtaking. [See more images.](http://slim-weight.info/2015/06/tiina-tormanen-wanderer/%29%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv data-testid="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer" class="GallerySlideCaptionDekContainer-xhHPk eDRRf">
Jenna Garrett is the photo editor for WIRED Photo. Before joining WIRED, she was an editor for the Brooklyn photo blog Feature Shoot. She received a master’s degree in photography from the London College of Communication and currently lives in San Francisco. ... Read More
