Full of exquisite, one-of-a-kind photographs depicting the wonders of nature and the world as only National Geographic can--this stunning photo collection charts the changing light over the course of a day, from dawn to midday to evening and night. Poetic and inspiring, this elegant book is targeted to all who treasure" Simply Beautiful "and" Life in Color."

The world's best landscape photography and photojournalism stunningly depicts the passage of a single day, from dawn's first light to the closing moments of sunset. Experience shimmering mornings and opaque nights through the eyes of our finest photographers in this gloriously uplifting volume--the latest entry in National Geographic's best-selling annual photography collection. Daybreak whispers mauve over a long ocean horizon. The morning sun twinkles in a drop of dew. The broad heat of midday radiates over a beach strewn with sweat-baked sunbathers. A slender crescent moon caresses a gnarled tree standing alone on the heath.

Full of one-of-a-kind photographs, this breathtaking collection gives readers a front-row seat to the world's wonders, from its most imposing cityscapes to its most pristine landscapes. Selected from the portfolios of the most celebrated photographers, the images in this book are strikingly arranged to depict the beauty and majesty of light in all its variations. Short legends accompany every photograph to explain the picture, the scene it conveys, or how the shot was captured, along with inspiring quotations from literature. With the widest possible array of perspectives, close-ups, and details, these photos present a new experience of time and light. Large-format pages and a simple, striking design play up the photographs as they demand. Chapters dedicated to each phase of the day show distinctly different yet harmonizing visions, with unique insight and perspective from photographers, confirming that around the world and throughout all time, the passage of light from dawn to dusk, from morning to night and back again, connects us all.