If you’re looking for reliably spellbinding photography, you really can’t go wrong with National Geographic. The magazine is in the midst of judging its 2009 International Photography Contest right now, but they’re still accepting votes for the Viewers’ Choice Competition.

Alan Taylor, of the Boston Globe’s “Big Picture” feature, selected a few of his favorite images, and even though they’re just a small selection of the three main categories, there are a lot of jaw-droppers in the mix.

The natural world is well-represented, with great shots from Olympic National Park, Death Valley National Park, and some amazing wave formations … but I think I’m a sucker for the geometry and color of this shot of an Antarctic iceberg by Mike Matas:

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by Casey Schreiner

Founder and Editor of Modern Hiker, Author of "Day Hiking Los Angeles." "Discovering Griffith Park," and "Cloud Spotting." Walking Meditator, Native Plant Enthusiast.