Although much of the U.S. and Europe has had a largely snowless winter to date, the temperature has finally started to feel seasonal and snowfall will certainly follow. Other parts of the northern hemisphere have been experiencing more wintry weather, such as Harbin, China, which opens its famous Ice Festival tomorrow, January 5. From the Far East to the Mississippi River, from Moscow to Stonehenge, here are some recent chilly scenes from around the world. [42 photos]

A horse carriage carrying tourists travels past ice sculptures during a lighting test for the the 13th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, China, on December 25, 2011. The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival will be officially launched on January 5, 2012. (Reuters/Sheng Li)

2

A leaf, covered in frost on November 13, 2011 at the “Planten un Blomen” park in Hamburg, Germany. (Christian Charisius/AFP/Getty Images) #

3

A picture taken on December 19, 2011 in Bocognano in Corsica shows the Punta di l’Oriente mountain range covered by snow. (Pascal Pochard-Casabianca/AFP/Getty Images) #

4

Two women racers compete during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup Dual Moguls in Meribel, France, on December 20, 2011. (Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images) #

5

Denis Dolgodorov of Russia and Mikael Kingsbury of Canada compete during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup Dual Moguls on December 20, 2011 in Meribel, France. (Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images) #

6

Windy and freezing weather over the last few days worked to splash water from the Mississippi River onto plants across from Alton, Illinois, forming an icy sculpture in the Lincoln Shields Recreational Area, on January 3, 2012. Every branch or blade of grass within 15 feet of the river showed icy buildup from the crashing water. Temperatures are expected to moderate slightly in the Alton area as the week progresses, reaching highs in the mid to upper 40′s. (AP Photo/The Telegraph, John Badman) #

7

Visitors stand in front of a blue-lit church built of snow, during its opening in Mitterfirmiansreut, Germany, on December 28, 2011. The church was opened in the Bavarian Forest two weeks later than planned. (AP Photo/dapd, Lukas Barth) #

8

Visitors stand in a snow church just after its inauguration on December 28, 2011 in Mitterfirmiansreut, Germany. The church is made of 1,400 cubic meters of snow and aims to commemorate the winter of the years 1910/1911, when so much snow fell that believers of Mitterfirmiansreut were no more able to go to church in the neighboring commune of Mauth. So they decided to build their own church, made of snow. (Armin Weigel/AFP/Getty Images) #

9

A dog makes his way through the snow near in the southern German town of Unterjoch on December 25, 2011. (Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/AFP/Getty Images) #

10

Hardy Dutch swimmers brave the icy North Sea on January 1, 2012 in Scheveningen, Netherlands. A record number of 10,000 people took the plunge in this year’s traditional New Year’s dip. The high turnout was attributed to the mild weather with a sea temperature of 8 degrees Celsius (46 F) compared to 4 degrees last year. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images) #

11

Thousands celebrate the New Year by jumping into the chilly North Sea during the traditional New Year’s Dive in the beach resort of Scheveningen, near The Hague, Netherlands, on January 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) #

12

A horse and red barn in a field just south of Walla Walla, Washington, are framed in icy spikes as heavy frost clings to the metal rectangles of a fence, on December 12, 2011. (AP Photo/Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, Jeff Horner) #

13

A flock of starlings flies over a Christmas tree as night falls in Rome, Italy, on December 23, 2011. Thousands of starlings gather each fall and winter in the Italian capital, putting aerial displays over the city. (Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images) #

14

Vehicles drive during sunrise in the Taiga area along the M54 Krasnoyarsk – Mongolia highway, with the air temperature at about – 27 degrees C (-16.6 degrees F), some 120 km (75 mi) south of Russia’s Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, on December 14, 2011. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) #

15

A woman dances as druids, pagans and revelers take part in a winter solstice ceremony at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, on December 22, 2011. The unseasonable warm weather encouraged a larger than normal crowd to gather at the famous historic stone circle to celebrate the sunrise closest to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images) #

16

Druids, pagans and revelers cheer as the sun rises at Stonehenge on December 22, 2011 in Wiltshire, England. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images) #

17

A boy makes his way up a hill, carrying his sled in Bowling Green, Ohio, on January 2, 2012. The area received a couple inches of snow marking it as the first accumulation of snow this winter season. (AP Photo/Sentinel-Tribune, J.D. Pooley) #

18

Children play on a snow sculpture during the 2nd Snow Sculpture Festival in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on December 18, 2011. The snow sculpture festival kicked off in Hailar on Friday and attracted many visitors. (Reuters/China Daily) #

19

Branches of a tree still bearing some fruit are covered in snow on December 20, 2011 in Gaiberg near Heidelberg, Germany. (Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images) #

20

A snowkiter glides through the snowy landscape near Marktoberdorf, Germany, on December 18, 2011. (Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/AFP/Getty Images) #

21

A giant lantern burns at the close of the Burning The Clocks Festival on Brighton Beach in Brighton, England, on December 21, 2011. The annual celebration is enjoyed by thousands of people who carry paper lanterns through the streets, culminating on Brighton Beach where the lanterns are burnt and the Winter Solstice is marked. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) #

22

A snow-covered landscape near Ebenhofen, Germany, on December 19, 2011. (Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/AFP/Getty Images) #

23

A young boy looks out of a window at the snow covering LaPorte, Indiana, on December 27, 2011. (AP Photo/LaPorte Herald Argus, Bob Wellinski) #

24

A winter swimmer with a mop jumps into the icy water of the Songhua River in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, on December 26, 2011. (Reuters/Sheng Li) #

25

A photo taken on December 14, 2011 shows a reindeer ice sculpture in the Santa Park near Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images) #

26

People build snowmen and ride a sled in Kolomenskoye, a historical and nature reserve museum in Moscow, on January 1, 2012. (Reuters/Denis Sinyakov) #

27

A squirrel sits on a snow covered branch in a park during a heavy snowfall in Sofia, Bulgaria, on December 22, 2011. (Nikolay Doychinov/AFP/Getty Images) #

28

Jack Mathis, 4, is hit with a snowball as his father, Mark Mathis, prepares another during a family snowball fight on December 24, 2011 outside of their house in Odessa, Texas. (AP Photo/Odessa American, Albert Cesare) #

29

A layer of protective ice covers a new strawberry blossom in a field on January 4, 2012, in Dover, Florida. Farmers spray a coating of water over their plants to help keep them from freezing damage. Temperatures in central Florida dipped into the 20′s overnight. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara) #

30

People watch starlings come home to roost on Brighton’s Old Pier as the sun sets on December 21, 2011 in Brighton, England. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) #

31

Two local residents row on a boat through a frosty fog as they cross the Shumikha Bay of the Yenisei River, with the air temperature at about minus 23 degrees C (minus 9.4 F), some 53 km (33 mi) south of Russia’s Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, on December 13, 2011. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) #

32

Layers of ice coat railings along the South Pier in St. Joseph, Michigan, on January 3, 2012. (AP Photo/The Herald-Palladium, Don Campbell) #

33

Michael Montes plays in the snow with his son Diego, 5, as they take a ride down a hill at the Coronado Country Club, in El Paso, Texas, on December 23, 2011. (AP Photo/The El Paso Times, Mark Lambie) #

34

A tourist licks the outside wall of the Balea Lac Hotel of Ice in the Fagaras mountains, 300km (184 miles) northwest of Bucharest, Romania, on December 28, 2011. Entirely made of ice, the hotel offers accommodation in 10 double rooms with king size beds, where the temperature is between -2 and +2 degrees Celsius, at a price of 35 Euro ($45.73) per person. (Reuters/Radu Sigheti) #

35

Frost covers blades of grass embedded in a newly-frozen pond in Eugene, Oregon, on December 13, 2011. (AP Photo/The Register-Guard, Kevin Clark) #

36

Arlissa Van Hoogen, from Texas, takes photographs of ice formations at the Ice Castles at Silverthorne in Colorado, on January 3, 2012. The Ice Castles at Silverthorne consist of man-made walkways, tunnels, and arches of ice with no supporting structures, some reaching up to a height of 30 to 40 feet (9 to 12 meters). These formations are illuminated at night by 200 florescent lights. (Reuters/Nathan W. Armes) #

37

Italy’s Patrick Thaler clears a gate during the first run of the men’s slalom World Cup race in Flachau, Austria, on December 21, 2011. (Reuters/Dominic Ebenbichler) #

38

A member of a local winter swimming club takes a bath in the Yenisei River, with the air temperature at about minus 20 degrees C (minus four degrees F) in Russia’s Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, on December 18, 2011. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) #

39

Members of Chapel Royal Choirboys choir skate during a photocall at the Hampton Court Ice Rink on December 19, 2011 in London, England. The event was aimed at highlighting a new charity, “The Choral Foundation”, which is hoping to raise £1.5M GBP to fund choir led music lessons for the choristers and the refurbishment of the historic organ in the Chapel. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) #

40

A tourist poses for a photograph in front of a snow sculpture depicting the famous painting “Barge Haulers on the Volga” ahead of the 13th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, China, on December 26, 2011. (Reuters/Sheng Li) #

41

A visitor sleds down a snow slope near ice sculptures during a test of the lights for the 13th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, China, on December 25, 2011. (Reuters/Sheng Li) #

42

Visitors view buildings made from blocks of ice for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province, on January 4, 2012. The festival is scheduled to officially open on Thursday night, January 5. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) #

I’s like to share with you all these from boston and atlantic

Boston: Around the world people celebrated with fireworks, kisses, blessings, gatherings, cheers, watching the sunrise and plunges into icy bodies of water to welcome in a new year. Here’s a look back at how some of them marked the transition. – Lloyd Young

Fireworks explode in the sky over Bucharest, Romania, at midnight, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, during street celebrations of the new year. Large crowds gathered downtown Romania’s capital taking advantage of the dry weather to attend the celebrations. (Vadim Ghirda/Associated Press)

2

Steve Macwithey kisses Lauren Macwithey in Times Square during a celebration to mark the start of the new year in New York, Jan. 1, 2012. (Kena Betancur/Reuters) #

3

The historic riflemen corps fire gun salutes to welcome the new year on Jan. 1, 2012 in Villingen-Schwenningen in the Black Forest, southern Germany. The traditional shooting has taken place for the first time in the year 1633. (Patrick Seeger/AFP/Getty Images) #

4

A long time exposure shows Filipino youths creating “2012″ to bring in the New Year with sparklers at a public park in Manila. Filipinos welcomed in the New Year with fireworks and celebrations. (Romeo Gacad/AFP/Getty Images) #

5

Family members raise their hands to receive the first sunrays of 2012 in Cancun, Mexico, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012. ( Israel Leal/Associated Press) #

6

Malaysians react as they watch fireworks explode during New Year celebrations at Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012. (Lai Seng Sin/Associated Press) #

7

Patty Pique, of Jackson, Tenn., comes to Peach Drop 2012 to celebrate their New Year’s Eve at Underground Atlanta, Dec. 31, 2011, in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/Associated Press/Atlanta Journal-Constitution) #

8

Wishes for 2012 written on confetti that will be released in New York’s Times Square during the New Year celebration are on display at the Times Square visitor center, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011 in New York. The Times Square Alliance conducted it’s airworthiness test Thursday in preparation for the release of one ton of confetti by hand from various buildings in Times Square at midnight on New YearÌs Eve. (Mary Altaffer/Associated Press) #

9

Revelers cheer behind police barricades in Times Square in anticipation of midnight on New Year’s Eve, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011, in New York. Some revelers, wearing party hats and “2012″ glasses, began camping out Saturday morning, as workers readied bags stuffed with hundreds of balloons and technicians put colored filters on klieg lights. (John Minchillo/Associated Press) #

10

Workman begin the task of cleaning up after thousands of revelers gathered in New York’s Times Square to celebrate the ball drop at the annual New Years Eve celebration on Dec. 31, 2011 in New York City. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images) #

11

Fireworks light up the London skyline and Big Ben just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2012 in London, England. Thousands of people lined the banks of the River Thames in central London to see in the New Year with a spectacular fireworks display. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) #

12

Fireworks explode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year Jan. 1, 2012. (Daniel Munoz/Reuters) #

13

Fireworks light the sky above the Quadriga at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin shortly after midnight, greeting the New Year, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012. Hundred thousands of people celebrated the beginning of the New Year 2012 in Germany’s capital. (Michael Sohn/Associated Press) #

14

People gather to celebrate the new year 2012 at the Temple of Heaven, the city’s historic landmark in Beijing on Jan. 1, 2012. Spectacular fireworks and crowded parties will ring in the New Year for people around the world, as billions mark the end of 2011 with noisy celebrations from Sydney to Stockholm. (Jin/Agence/AFP/Getty Images) #

15

Confetti drops as a Filipino blows his paper horn as they welcome the New Year at Manila’s Rizal Park, Philippines on Sunday Jan. 1, 2012. More than 200 people have been injured by illegal firecrackers and celebratory gunfire in the Philippines despite a government campaign against reckless New Year revelries, officials recently said. (Aaron Favila/Associated Press) #

16

A Pakistani barber gives a 2012 hair cut on a man to celebrate New Year at a barber shop in Rawalpindi, on Dec. 31, 2011. (Strdel/AFP/Getty Images) #

17

A friend pours Jon Knebel, of Iowa City, Iowa, a glass of champagne at Airliner in Iowa City on Jan. 1, 2011. ( David Scrivner/Associated Pres/The Gazette) #

18

People dance during New Year’s celebrations in Madrid, Spain, Jan. 1, 2012. (Andres Kudacki/Associated Press) #

19

A couple stands in a doorway at sunrise wearing fancy dress following New Year celebrations, in Pamplona northern Spain, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012. (Alvaro Barrientos/Associated Press) #

20

People gather on Red Square to celebrate the New Year Day in Moscow, January 1, 2012. (Denis Sinyakov/Reuters) #

21

Vikings lead the torchlight procession as it makes its way along Princess Street for the start of the New Year celebrations Dec. 30, 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Thousands of people joined in the torchlight procession, followed by the burning of a Viking long ship, to mark the start of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) #

22

Artists perform in the streets of Johannesburg on Dec. 31, 2011 during the New Year’s carnival. (Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images) #

23

People make offerings to Yemanja, the Goddess of the Sea of the Afro-American religion Umbanda, on Dec. 31, 2011 at a Paranoa Lake beach in Brasi¨-lia. Hundreds of worshippers are gathering at this place of the Brazilian capital to make their offerings and pray for the new year. (Pedro Ladeira/AFP/Getty Images) #

24

Young Sri Lankan boys play with firecrackers on the eve of the New Year, as the sun sets in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. (Eranga Jayawardena/Associated Press) #

25

Pakistani civil rights activists shout slogans in a peace rally to mark the New Year in Lahore on Jan. 1, 2012. Three people were killed and at least 60 wounded by stray bullets in the port city of Karachi today as Pakistanis celebrated the new year by firing their guns into the air, police said. (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images) #

26

Sri Lankan Buddhist devotee offers prayers at a Kelaniya Temple in Kelaniya on Jan. 1, 2012. Many Sri Lankans marked the beginning of the New Year with religious ceremonies. ( Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images) #

27

Marco Fois of Italy dives into Rome’s river Tiber as part of traditional New Year celebrations on Jan. 1, 2011. Divers jump from the Cavour bridge, continuing an annual tradition which dates back to 1946. (Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images) #

28

Hardy Dutch swimmers brave the icy North Sea on Jan. 1, 2012 in Scheveningen, Netherlands. A record number of 10,000 people took the plunge in this year’s traditional New Year’s dip. The high turnout was attributed to the mild weather with a sea temperature of 8 degrees compared to 4 degrees last year. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images) #

29

A man takes part in the annual Coney Island Polar Bear Club New Year’s Day swim at Coney Island on Jan. 1, 2012 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club claims to be the oldest winter bathing organization in the U.S. and attracts hundreds to the beach for the annual swim in the Atlantic Ocean. (Allison Joyce/Getty Images) #

30

Chinese winter swimmers perform a dragon dance on a frozen lake to celebrate the New Year in Shenyang in northeast China’s Liaoning province, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012. (Associated Press) #

31

Revelers run into English Bay during the annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver, British Columbia on Jan. 1, 2012. (Ben Nelms/Reuters) #

32

A couple kiss during the New Year’s Day Looney Dook swim at South Queensferry in Scotland Jan. 1, 2012. (David Moir/Reuters) #

33

NATO troops from the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) celebrate New Year’s Eve in Kabul Dec. 31, 2011. (Omar Sobhani/Reuters) #

34

A shaman performs a ritual for good luck in 2012 as he prays in front of an image of Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez in Lima, Peru, Thursday Dec. 29, 2011. Fernandez was diagnosed with treatable thyroid cancer on Tuesday, and will undergo surgery on Jan. 4. (Karel Navarro/Associated Press) #

35

Children of migrant workers lie on the snow to form the number “2012″ while celebrating the coming new year in front of a snow sculpture in Harbin, in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province, Friday, Dec. 30, 2011. (Associated Press) #

36

A man lights an Old Man effigy which symbolizes burning the past and getting ready to start a happy New Year without bad memories of the past in Mumbai, India, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012. (Rafiq Maqbool/Associated Press) #

37

The New Year sunrise lights up an area devastated by the March 2011 tsunami in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture, in this photo taken by Kyodo on Jan 1, 2012. The tsunami reached three-fourths of the height of the tower seen in the center. (Kyodo/Reuters) #

38

A young girl from the Gurung community attired in festive clothing participates in a parade to mark Tamu Loshar, or New Year of the Gurung community, in Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, Dec. 30, 2011. (Niranjan Shrestha/Associated Press) #

39

Confetti pours from volunteers on the second floor of the Creative Discovery falls onto the several hundred children crowded together to celebrated the turning of a new year during the New Year’s at Noon celebration at the museum, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011, in Chattanooga Tenn. ( Jenna Walker/Associated Press/Chattanooga Times Free Press) #

40

In a Sunday, Jan. 1, 2011 photo, Jolene Anthony (left) holds her daughter, Kylee, while her husband, John Anthony, holds their son, John, at Rapid City Regional Hospital in Rapid City, S.D.. Baby John was the first baby of the new year at the hospital while his sister was the last baby of 2011. (Ryan Soderlin/Associated Press/Rapid City Journal) #

41

A New Year’s hat is seen among other debris in Times Square after 2012 New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012. (Tina Fineberg/Associated Press) #

Atlantic:

Fireworks light up the London skyline and Big Ben just after midnight on January 1, 2012, in London, England. Thousands of people lined the banks of the River Thames in central London to ring in the New Year with a spectacular fireworks display. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

2

A couple watches the last rays of sunlight for 2011 at sunset from the waters off Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, on December 31, 2011. (Reuters/Jason Reed) #

3

A giant dragon lantern is displayed to celebrate the New Year near the border village of Panmunjom (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas since the Korean War, at Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, Sunday, January 1, 2012. The year 2012 is celebrated as the year of the dragon on the Chinese lunar calendar. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) #

4

Women use sparklers to draw “2012″ for photographers, in front of a house, as they celebrate New Years Eve in Manila, Philippines, on December 31, 2011. (Reuters/Romeo Ranoco) #

5

Confetti drops as a Filipino blows his paper horn as they welcome the New Year at Manila’s Rizal Park, Philippines, on Sunday January 1, 2012. More than 200 people have been injured by illegal firecrackers and celebratory gunfire in the Philippines despite a government scare campaign against reckless New Year revelries, officials recently said. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) #

6

Fireworks explode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year, on January 1, 2012. (Reuters/Daniel Munoz) #

7

People release balloons as the Tokyo Tower is illuminated to celebrate the New Year at a countdown event at the Zojo-ji Buddhist temple in Tokyo, on January 1, 2012. (Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon) #

8

Young people celebrate New Year’s Day at Tokyo’s Shibuya district, on January 1, 2012. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images) #

9

Residents watch fireworks displays above the Malaysia’s iconic landmarks, the Twin Towers, during the new year celebrations in Kuala Lumpur, on January 1, 2012. (Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images) #

10

Colorful light illuminate the Temple of Heaven, Beijing’s historic landmark during a countdown event for new year 2012 on January 1, 2012. (Liu Jin/AFP/Getty Images) #

11

People gather to celebrate the new year 2012 at the illuminated Temple of Heaven, the city’s historic landmark in Beijing, on January 1, 2012. (Liu Jin/AFP/Getty Images) #

12

In this December 31, 2011 photo, staff members of He Garden show their homemade glasses in the shape of 2012 in Yangzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Meng Delong) #

13

South Koreans view the burning of Daljips, a wooden hut built on top of a hill, to celebrate the New Year near the border village of Panmunjom (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas since the Korean War, at Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, on January 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) #

14

A Sri Lankan mask traditional dancer performs in Colombo, on December 31, 2011. The ceremony was conducted to ward off bad spirits in the 2012 New Year. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images) #

15

Fireworks explode from Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper Taipei 101 during New Year celebrations in Taipei, on January 1, 2012. (Reuters/Shengfa Lin) #

16

Students sit in a formation during their New Year’s Day celebrations at a school in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, on December 31, 2011. (Reuters/Amit Dave) #

17

A man lights an Old Man effigy which symbolizes burning the past and getting ready to start a happy New Year without bad memories of the past in Mumbai, India, on January 1, 2012.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) #

18

Thousands of people watch fireworks during New Year’s Day celebration on Red Square in Moscow, on January 1, 2012. (Reuters/Denis Sinyakov) #

19

A couple kisses as fireworks explode in the sky over Bucharest, Romania, at midnight, Sunday, January 1, 2012, during street celebrations of the new year. Large crowds gathered downtown Romania’s capital taking advantage of the dry weather to attend the celebrations. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) #

20

Lebanese watch a firework display the New Year’s celebrations in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, on January 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) #

21

Fireworks explode beside Vienna’s Giant Ferris Wheel (Wiener Riesenrad) at Prater park during New Year’s celebrations in Vienna, on January 1, 2012. (Reuters/Lisi Niesner) #

22

Fireworks explode over the Quadriga statue atop the Brandenburg Gate on New Year’s Eve on January 1, 2012, in Berlin, Germany. According to the media, up to one million people celebrated at the country’s biggest New Year’s Eve Party. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images) #

23

A couple kiss as fireworks light the sky during New Year celebrations in Sarajevo, on January 1, 2012. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic) #

24

New Year’s Eve fireworks illuminate the sky over the Dom Tower, on January 01, 2012 in Utrecht, Netherlands. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images) #

25

People spray champagne as they celebrate the New Year on the Trocadero square in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, early on January 1, 2012. (Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images) #

26

A man films fireworks exploding in the sky over the Ebrie lagoon during New Year celebrations in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on January 1, 2012. (Sia Kambou/AFP/Getty Images) #

27

A capacity crowd fills the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine with lit candles during New Year’s Eve “Concert for Peace” in New York, on December 31, 2011. (Reuters/Ray Stubblebine) #

28

Fireworks light up the London skyline and Big Ben just after midnight on January 1, 2012 in London, England. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) #

29

Fireworks explode during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the new year in the coastal city of Vina del Mar, about 121 km (75 miles) northwest of Santiago, Chile, on January 1, 2012. (Reuters/Eliseo Fernandez) #

30

A large illuminated Peep waits to be dropped to usher in the New Year, Saturday, December 31, 2011, at the Levitt Pavilion on the Steelstacks Campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Express-Times, Matt Smith) #

31

Confetti is dropped on revelers at midnight during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square in New York, on January 1, 2012. (Reuters/Gary Hershorn) #

32

Confetti rains down on celebrants at midnight during New Year’s Eve in Times Square in New York, on January 1, 2012. (Reuters/ Kena Betancur) #

33

Female impersonator Gary Marion, as “Sushi,” dangles above New Year’s Eve revelers in a giant replica of a woman’s high heel at the Bourbon Street Pub complex in Key West, Florida, December 31, 2011. The Red Shoe Drop is a Key West tradition to celebrate the arrival of the new year. (Reuters/Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/Handout) #

34

Brazilians celebrate at the annual New Year’s Eve beach party on December 31, 2011 for the Copacabana Reveillon in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. One of the world’s largest New Year’s Eve parties in the world rang in 2012 with performances lasting through 3 a.m. (Konrad Fiedler/Getty Images) #

35

People watch the fireworks along Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, on December 31, 2011 during celebrations. (Vanderlei Almeida/AFP/Getty Images) #

36

Fireworks burst over the Las Vegas Strip at midnight on New Year’s Day 2012, as seen from Mix at Mandalay Bay. (Photo/Las Vegas News Bureau, Darrin Bush) #

37

A go-go dancer from Fire N Ice Entertainment performs with DJ Benny Benassi for New Years Eve at Yost Theatre in Santa Ana, California, on January 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Dan Krauss) #

38

Spectators at Gas Works Park watch fireworks light up the iconic Space Needle as the new year begins on Sunday, January 1, 2012 in Seattle, Washington. (AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Joshua Trujillo) #

39

The first rising sun of 2012 appears above Mt. Fuji, observed at Yamanashi prefecture on January 1, 2012. All Nippon Airways (ANA) had organized a rising sun observation flight with 137 passengers on New Year’s Day. (JIJI Press/AFP/Getty Images) #

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/01/2012_marking_the_new_year.html

The biggest change is, of course, the improvement in video capabilities. Given the increasing demand for video footage from professional photographers, and the incredible success of Canon’s 5D Mark II in the professional video market, it was inevitable that Nikon’s pro flagship would need to offer a more compelling feature set than the existing models.

Beyond this, the changes to the stills-shooting specifications are relatively modest – there’s a higher-resolution, 16.2MP, full-frame CMOS sensor and the ability to shoot at 10 frames per second with autofocus, but that’s about it. The new chip’s capability has prompted Nikon to offer an ISO range from 100-12,800 that can then be extended to 50 – 204,800 (Hi4). The significant changes, beyond video, are a profusion of smaller tweaks, additions and improvements to what was already a well worked-out camera. These include a carbon fiber shutter rated to 400,000 actuations that can fire at up to 1/8000th of a second.

The biggest technical changes are the addition of a 91,000 pixel ‘metering’ sensor, replacing the 1005 pixel example used up until now. This sensor is used for much more than just metering, playing a key role in subject tracking, white balance and ‘Active D-lighting’ (a trick Canon seems impressed with, given the appearance of a similar system in the 1DX). The higher-resolution sensor allows the camera to offer face detection when shooting through the optical viewfinder.

Then there are the ergonomic changes to the camera’s body. Again like Canon’s 1DX, moves have been made to make the ergonomics of portrait-orientation shooting more closely resemble those of shooting in landscape format. The camera no longer features a dedicated AFL button, instead gaining push-button joysticks for both the vertical and landscape shooting orientations. An additional rubberized lump has also been added to provide a better grip in the vertical orientation and an additional function button added next to the vertical shutter button.

Key Specifications:

• 16.2 effective megapixel, full-frame sensor (16.6MP total)
• 10fps shooting with AF and AE, 11fps with focus and exposure locked, 24fps 2.5MP grabs
• 91,000 pixel sensor for metering, white balance, flash exposure, face detection and active d-lighting
• ISO Range 100-12,800 (extendable from 50 – 204,800)
• MultiCAM 3500FX Autofocus sensor works in lower light and with smaller apertures
• Two sub-selector joystick/buttons for shooting orientation
• 1080p30 HD video at up to 24Mbps with uncompressed video output
• New EN-EL18 battery (21.6Wh capacity, CIPA-rated at 2600 shots)
• Twin card slots – one Compact Flash and one XQD

Details:

The D4 has a new autofocus sensor and, while its headline improvement is that it can now focus in lower light, this isn’t the only step forward. The sensor module has also been redesigned to enable it to operate with slower lenses (and lens/teleconverter combinations that give slower effective apertures). As before, with lenses of f5.6 or faster, 15 of its 51 AF points act as cross-type: sensitive to both horizontal and vertical detail. The 9 central focus points will continue as cross type when used with lenses with a maximum aperture of between f5.6 and f8. And, in a step forward for the range, the D4’s central AF point will still operate as a cross-type point with lens or lens/converter combinations with a maximum aperture of f8. In addition 10 AF points retain horizontal sensitivity at this aperture.

F5.6 or brighter	F5.6-F8	F8

Ergonomics

Nikon has made a series of changes to the ergonomics of the D4 – representing some of the biggest changes to the body shape of this series of cameras. The first change many existing Nikon users will spot is that the D4’s shutter button now sits at a different angle, compared to previous models (apparently 35deg is more comfortable than 28deg, for long periods spent shooting).

There are a couple of changes to functions, mainly brought over from more lowly Nikon DSLRs. These include the addition of a button to the AF mode selector switch. Pressing this button and spinning a dial changes the AF area mode. The D4 also loses its metering mode selection switch from the viewfinder hump – it’s now one of the three functions controlled by the cluster on the left-hand shoulder of the camera. There’s also an additional button to the left of the camera’s LCD, with the D4 finally adopting the company’s separate zoom in/zoom out button behavior in live view and playback that has swept across the rest of the range.

The biggest changes, however, come for shooters using the camera in the portrait orientation. The ergonomics have been re-worked to better resemble the camera’s primary controls, with an extra (rubberized) lump on the camera’s back, to give more steady support. A function button has also been added, just beside the portrait shutter button, to give quick access to more functions. Most noticeably, though, the portrait orientation also gains a ‘sub-selector’ joystick to make AF point selection as convenient in portrait format shooting as it is with the camera held in landscape orientation.

Auto ISO improvements

Nikon has for a long time offered a degree of control over its Auto ISO settings, allowing the user to specify a minimum shutter speed that the camera should aim to maintain by raising the ISO. However shooters using zoom lenses, or worried about camera shake rather than freezing the action, may prefer a minimum shutter speed that relates to the focal length in use, rather than specifying an absolute figure. This has been resolved on the D4, with an Auto ISO system that detects the lens’ focal length. When this is activated by setting the minimum shutter speed to ‘Auto’, the user can then also bias the program towards using slower shutter speeds and lower ISOs, or faster shutter speeds and higher ISOs, in five steps.

Illuminated buttons

The D4 gains a feature that many D3 and D3S owners are likely to have found themselves hoping for: illuminated controls. Given the D3′s popularity for low-light work, and the further capability that the D3S brought, the ability to see the controls in the extremely low light levels that these cameras could operate in risked becoming an issue. With a maximum sensitivity of ISO 204,800 equivalent, it becomes even more pressing for the D4.

All the buttons immediately around the screen are now illuminated, as are the three on the cluster on the camera’s left-hand shoulder. The white stripe above the mode dial also lights up, though it’s not obvious how well this will illuminate the mode wheel. If it prevents the accidental engagement of Continuous Hi or Self Timer modes when you’re trying to select quiet shutter mode in a theatre or live music venue, that will be extremely welcome. Illumination is activated using the ‘light’ position on the power switch and the camera can be configured so that just the buttons (rather than the buttons and the status LCD panels) light up.

Video

The parallel advances made in sensor technology and Internet video distribution have helped create the ability to capture and broadcast video footage. In turn this has put pressure on many professional photographers to capture clips alongside their stills. In addition, the broadcast and movie industries have adopted the 5D Mark II to a degree that appears to have surprised even Canon. As a result, it’s not surprising that the D4 features more advanced, and better integrated, video capabilities than its predecessor. The immediate giveaway should probably be the inclusion not just of a mic input socket by a headphone output for monitoring the results (both of which have adjustable input/output levels).

The D4 can shoot 1080p movies at 30, 25 or 24 frames per second and at up to 24Mbps. The video is compressed using the B-frame compression section of the H.264 standard, which tries to optimize the capture of motion without hugely inflating the file sizes. It also has manually configurable volume control, including a line-level audio option. However, what may prove to be the camera’s biggest feature is the ability to export its uncompressed video footage via its HDMI port. We suspect that this feature, beyond all others, may help endear the camera to the broadcast and movie crowd. Whether using this for recording the camera’s best quality footage or to use an external monitor as viewfinder, it’s a feature we expect to become increasingly common.

A number of small details show how carefully Nikon has listened to the needs of movie shooters, giving the option to start movies either with a record button or with the shutter button (which, in turn, allows video capture to be started with the 10-pin cable release). Photojournalists meanwhile, get to pick whether pressing the shutter interrupt the video capture to take a still or to take a full-frame 3:2 aspect ratio 2.5MP frame grab.

Movies can also be shot at three different crops from the sensor, which Nikon is describing as FX, DX and 2.7X (native 1920×1080). This makes it easy to vary the field-of-view for grabbing footage, even if you’ve got a prime lens mounted. However, the ‘FX’ size is a significantly cropped version of the full sensor (it’s 91% of the sensor’s width), so the field-of-view will be a little narrower than you’d expect for any given focal length. Also the native 1920×1080 video will be higher quality than the FX and DX versions, since it hasn’t been downsized. This difference is likely to be incredibly small (almost certainly irrelevant for most users), but is a consideration for high-end video users.

The D4 gains improved aperture control in movie mode, with the addition of ‘Power aperture’. This simply means that the user can adjust the aperture while recording video in the A and M exposure modes. It’s also possible to set the aperture much more precisely in video live view mode before recording starts, in 1/8 stop incrementss using the Pv and Fn buttons on the front of the camera. In principle this should allow more exact matching of recording brightness across multiple camera / lens combinations.

XQD Cards

The D4 becomes the first camera to make use of the new XQD cards, created by the Compact Flash Association. The XQD slot sits alongside a conventional CF slot, and the camera retains all its options for writing and backing-up to its two slots. The new format is not only smaller but also potentially faster than conventional CF cards. And, while few people are likely to be delighted by the arrival of another new format, the speed benefits (up to around 125MB/s) should be enough to persuade shooters not to just leave the slot empty.

Image processing features

With the camera’s more powerful processors, the D4 adds more processing options, including a time lapse movie creator. This builds on the camera’s existing interval timer mode, compiling all the frames together into a full HD movie at the end. However, a fixed playback rate (meaning long-interval shoots end up being super sped-up) and its failure to save the individual frames may limit its appeal.

In a feature taken from other models in the range, the D4 gains in-camera HDR processing, with a choice of the number of frames used and a parameter for how gently all that extra data is incorporated.

Upgraded LCD monitor

The D4′s LCD monitor has been upgraded compared to the D3S – it’s a slightly larger 3.2″ 921000 dot unit, but according to Nikon has a substantially expanded colour gamut that’s close to sRGB. It also has a light sensor to detect ambient light levels, and adjust not only the screen brightness, but also the saturation, contrast and gamma as well, in an attempt to give optimized output. The monitor also has a gel resin between the LCD and the cover glass to minimise any risk of fogging when the camera is exposed to rapid changes of temperature.

WT-5 Wireless Transmitter with web-browser camera control interface

With the D4 comes a new WiFi transmitter, the WT-5, which is a neat little unit that screws onto the side of the body and draws it’s power from the camera’s battery. Its real party trick, though, is a built-in web browser-based remote camera control interface that doesn’t require you to download or install a specialized app. Essentially, you can log into your camera (with a username and password) using your laptop, tablet or smartphone and its standard web browser, at which point you’re presented with a camera control panel with live view feed. You can adjust a wide range of parameters – exposure mode, shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, ISO, white balance and so on, and initiate remote shutter release or video recording.

The WT-5 connects to the socket on the lower left of this image. In the center you can see the microphone and headphone sockets. On the lower right is the Ethernet port.

The web interface also allows you to control multiple cameras simultaneously, including the ability to release their shutters simultaneously. You can even autofocus anywhere in the scene, simply by touching your iPhone or iPad’s screen. Because this is all web-based, you don’t have to physically close to the camera either – in principle you could operate it from a different continent.

Nikon has clearly paid attention to professional photographers’ workflow requirements when shooting, and has tried to set the camera up so there’s no need to use a laptop alongside it any more. To this end the D4 allows photographers to add full IPTC data to all of their image files as they shoot, and can store 10 data presets each containing 14 fields. There’s a new network setup wizard to configure the camera for use over wired LAN, or WiFi in FTP and HTTP mode. The camera can even use the GP-1 GPS receiver to automatically set its internal clock, so multiple cameras can easily be synced and specific events from a shoot identified by the time at which they occurred.

Initial impressions:

Nobody would have reasonably expected the D4 to be a radical departure from the D3S – at this ‘the best we can do without the cost becoming incredible’ end of the market, it’s unusual to see huge leaps forward. Equally it’s no great shock that movie capability would be the focus of the biggest changes to the camera. But little touches such as lit buttons and, in theory at least, improved low-light focusing suggest Nikon has tried to make an even better low-light camera than its predecessor. And, as anyone who’s ever shot with a D3S will tell you, that’s a pretty exciting prospect.

Source: dpreview.com

Nikon has announced the D4, its latest professional DSLR. The 16MP full-frame camera is capable of shooting at 10 frames per second with full autofocus. In addition to a host of ergonomic improvements, the D4 also sees the expansion of its video capabilities, to the extent that Nikon is describing it as a ‘multi-media DSLR.’ The cameras gains an Ethernet port, a 91,000 pixel metering sensor and an uprated AF sensor that can work in lower light and with smaller aperture lenses. Its sensitivity range can be expanded to the equivalent of ISO 204,800 and adds illuminated controls to make it easier to work in the low-light situations in which such a setting becomes useful. The D4 also becomes the first camera to make use of the XQD memory card format.

Click here to read our hands-on overview of the Nikon D4

Jump to:

• Hands-on overview
• Press Release
• Specifications
• Additional images

Press Release:

WHEN THERE IS NO SECOND CHANCE: THE NEW NIKON FX-FORMAT D4 MULTI-MEDIA DIGITAL SLR IS THE DEFINITIVE UNIFICATION OF SPEED AND PRECISION

The New 16.2 Megapixel Nikon D4 Wields a Formidable Fusion of Swift Performance, Battle-Tested Technologies and Innovative New Features to Create High Caliber Photo and HD Multimedia Content

MELVILLE, N.Y. (Jan 5, 2012) – The new Nikon D4 digital SLR builds upon the legacy of the proven Nikon flagship D-SLRs before it, engineered to give today’s professional multimedia photographers a new apex of speed and accuracy with unparalleled image quality, low-light capability and Full HD video. The Nikon D4 hosts a multitude of advanced new features and useful functions that deliver speedy performance and amazing image quality for when missing the shot is not an option.

Every aspect of the new Nikon D4 D-SLR has been designed to emphasize rapid response and seamless operation to help professional photographers consistently capture incredible content. Nikon’s proven 51-point AF System has been further enhanced for maximum speed in a variety of challenging shooting situations, even at 10 frames per second (fps). Considered the new Nikon flagship, the D4 renders supreme image quality, a feat accomplished with a new 16.2-megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor, coupled with the latest generation of Nikon’s EXPEED 3 image processing engine to help produce images and videos with stunning clarity and color. Photographers are also able to shoot in even the most challenging environments and lighting conditions with the assistance of Nikon’s new 91,000-pixel 3D color matrix meter and a broad ISO range from 100 to a staggering 204,800 for low-light capture like never before. The Nikon D4 is engineered for the modern professional and incorporates never before seen HD-SLR video features for those who also need to capture multimedia content from the field.

“Speed without accuracy is irrelevant,” said Bo Kajiwara, director of marketing, Nikon Inc. “The status of a Nikon flagship camera is not given lightly; this next generation of Nikon’s most professional body exceeds the needs of a wide variety of both still and multimedia professionals that rely on Nikon to make their living. Besides overall performance and burst speed, the D4 provides Nikon’s most advanced AF system to date, as well as enhanced workflow speed to give professionals the edge in the field.”

Velocity Meets Versatility

Speed is a necessity for today’s multimedia photographer as milliseconds matter when the action commences. Whether an assignment relies on fast processing power, burst rate, write speed, enhanced workflow or even streamlined camera controls, the D4 is the epitome of professional-caliber photographic horsepower. Ready to shoot in approximately 0.012 seconds, the new Nikon D4 can capture full resolution JPEG or RAW files at up to 10 fps with full AF / AE or up to 11 fps with AF / AE locked. Immediately before image capture, the camera interprets data from the AF sensor, including subject color as detected on the 91,000-pixel RGB sensor, to deliver consistently tack-sharp focus frame after frame. Whether a photographer is shooting a full-court fast break under gymnasium lighting or the downhill slalom in the bright sun and frigid temperatures, the D4 will instill the confidence with consistently great results.

The Advanced Multi-Cam 3500 AF autofocus system is the next generation of Nikon’s proven 51-point AF system. The fully customizable system offers users the ability to capture fast moving subjects and track focus with precision or select a single AF point with pinpoint accuracy. The Nikon D4 D-SLR aligns 15 cross-type sensors in the center to detect contrast data in both vertical and horizontal planes. In addition to detecting each AF-NIKKOR lens with an aperture of f/5.6 or lower, the camera also utilizes nine cross-type sensors that are fully functional when using compatible NIKKOR lenses and TC14E or TC17E teleconverters or a single cross-type sensor when using compatible NIKKOR lenses and the TC20E teleconverter with an aperture value up to f/8, which is a great advantage to those shooting sports and wildlife. For maximum versatility in situations such as photographing nature from afar or competition from the sidelines,  photographers are also able to select multiple AF modes, including normal, wide area, face tracking and subject tracking, to best suit the scene.

The Nikon D4 D-SLR also employs a new 91,000-pixel RGB 3D Color Matrix metering system that meticulously analyzes each scene and recognizes factors such as color and brightness with unprecedented precision. This data is then interpreted and compared against D4’s on-board database to implement various settings, resulting in vibrant images with faithful color reproduction and balanced exposure. In addition, this new AF sensor now has the ability to detect up to 16 human faces with startling accuracy, even when shooting through the optical viewfinder, allowing for correct exposure even when the subject is backlit. Additionally, to capture every brief moment from a bouquet toss to a photo finish under nearly any condition, the 51 focus points deliver fast and accurate detection down to a -2 EV with every AF-NIKKOR lens.

All of this image data is funneled through a 16 bit pipeline and are written to dual card slots which have been optimized for the latest UDMA-7 Compact Flash™ cards, as well as the new XQD™ memory card. The D4 is the first professional camera to harness the capabilities of this new durable and compact format, which offers blazing fast write times and extended capacity essential for multimedia professionals shooting stills and video.

Image Quality That Hits the Mark

The heart of the new D4 is the Nikon-developed 16.2-megapixel FX-format (35.9 x 24mm) CMOS sensor that provides amazing image quality, brilliant dynamic range and vivid colors in nearly any lighting condition. By achieving the optimal balance of resolution and sensor size, professional photographers will realize exceptionally sharp, clean and well saturated images throughout the entire ISO range.

Like the D3 and D3s before it, the Nikon D4 retains Nikon’s status as the sovereign of low-light capture ability, with a native ISO range from 100 to 12,800 ISO, expandable from 50 (Lo-1) to an incredible yet usable 204,800 (Hi-4). From a candlelit first dance to nocturnal wildlife, the large 7.3µ pixel size absorbs the maximum amount of light to excel in any situation. Additionally, the sensor’s construction features a gapless micro-lens structure and anti-reflective coating which further contributes to images that retain natural depth and tones with smooth color gradation. For ultimate versatility, photographers can also take advantage of the camera’s extreme high ISO ability while recording video.

Another factor contributing to the camera’s rapid performance and stellar image quality is Nikon’s new EXPEED 3 image processing engine that helps professionals create images with amazing resolution, color and dynamic range in both still images and video. From image processing to transfer, the new engine is capable of processing massive amounts of data, exacting optimal color, perfect tonality and minimized noise throughout the frame.

There are also a variety of shooting options available to help capture the highest quality images and video. In addition to standard NEF (RAW) files, the D4 is also capable of shooting smaller compressed RAW files to ease storage and speed up workflow. Users are also able to capture even more dynamic range with the in-camera High Dynamic Range (HDR) function that merges consecutive exposures. For deep contrast and further tonality, Active D-Lighting can also be activated during shooting for balanced exposures even in backlit scenes. Additionally, the camera features a dedicated button for quick access to Nikon’s Picture Controls, allowing users to quickly select one of six presets.

Professional Multimedia Features

The Nikon D4 D-SLR is engineered with innovative new features for the multimedia professional that needs the small form factor, low-light ability and NIKKOR lens versatility that only an HD-SLR can offer. The new features add functionality for those professionals looking for the best possible experience to capture a moment in Full HD 1080p video at various frame rates, providing footage that is more than suitable for broadcast.

• Full HD video recording - Users have the choice of various resolutions and frame rates, including 1080p 30/24fps and 60 fps at 720p. By utilizing the B-Frame data compression method, users can record H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC format video with unmatched integrity for up to 20 minutes per clip. This format also allows for more accurate video data to be transferred requiring less memory capacity. The sensor reads image data at astoundingly fast rates, which results in less instances of rolling shutter distortion.
• Full manual control of exposure - Shutter speed, aperture and ISO can be changed while recording to adapt to lighting and alter depth of field for professional cinematic results that help realize a creative vision.
• Uncompressed output: simultaneous Live View - By using the camera’s HDMI port instead of the CF or XQD card, users can stream an uncompressed full HD signal directly out of the camera. This footage can be ported into an LCD display or appropriate external recording device or routed through a monitor and then to the recording device, eliminating the need for multiple connections.
• Audio recording for professionals - The Nikon D4 features a stereo headphone jack for accurate monitoring of audio levels while recording. Output can be adjusted in up to 30 steps for precise audio adjustment. The D4 offers high-fidelity audio recording control with audio levels that can be set and monitored on the camera’s LCD screen. The microphone connected via the stereo mic jack can also be adjusted with up to 20 steps of sensitivity for accurate sound reproduction.
• Multi-area Mode Full HD Video: FX/DX, and 2.7x crop mode at 1080p video modes -Whether shooting for depth of field in FX format mode, or looking for the extra 1.5X telephoto benefits of DX mode, the high resolution sensor of the D4 allows videographers to retain full 1080P HD resolution no matter what mode they choose. With the 2.7x crop, users can experience ultra-telephoto benefits in full HD resolution all at 16:9 aspect ratio.
• Simultaneous live view output without display / simultaneous monitor - Shooters have the option to send the display signal directly to an attached monitor via the HDMI port. This signal can be viewed on the camera’s LCD screen and external monitor simultaneously. Additionally, the image data display can be cleared from the screen, to remove distracting data or when feeding a live signal.
• Full-time AF - In addition to manual focus, four modes are available, including normal, wide area, face detection and subject tracking, which uses fast contrast detect AF to accurately focus while recording video and in live view.
• New LCD screen - The large high resolution 3.2-inch LCD screen is 921K dots, and includes auto brightness adjustment. User’s can also zoom in up to 46x to check critical HD focus.
• Time lapse shooting - This new feature combines a selected frame rate and “shooting interval” in a dedicated time lapse photography menu. Playback can be achieved with a wide variety of speeds from 24x to 36,000x while producing a fully finished movie file output for faster multimedia workflows.
• Remote shutter operation - Using dedicated Movie Custom Settings, recording can be set to be engaged by the shutter release button -users can now use a variety of remote accessories to trigger video recording.
• NIKKOR lens compatibility - The highest caliber optics are vital to creating HD images and Nikon is the world leader in optics manufacturing with a legacy spanning more than 75 years. Nikon has a vast NIKKOR lens system, with more than 50 lenses with a variety of focal lengths and features, including VR II vibration reduction.

Professional Construction, Superior Operability

The reputation and respect bestowed upon a Nikon D-Series flagship camera is earned from those who use it; therefore the chassis of the Nikon D4 is machined from magnesium alloy for maximum durability and reliability. The body of the camera is sealed and gasketed for resistance to dirt and moisture, as well as electromagnetic interference. Photographers are able to easily compose through the bright optical viewfinder, which offers 100% frame coverage. The shutter has been tested to withstand 400,000 cycles for maximum durability, while sensor cleaning is employed by vibrating the OLPF. The self diagnostic shutter unit also encompasses a mirror balancer to minimize the residual “bounce” to enhance AF and extend viewing time. What’s more, the viewfinder is coated with a new thermal shield finish which works to resist overheating during prolonged use, enhancing overall reliability. Users can easily compose on the camera’s wide, bright and scratch resistant 921,000-dot high resolution 3.2-inch LCD screen.

The overall controls and operability of the camera has also been engineered with a renewed emphasis on speed and functionality. During critical moments, users will appreciate refined button layouts with renewed ergonomics, such as a quick AF mode selector placed near the lens mount for fast access on the fly. A new joystick style sub-selector is also placed on the camera’s rear for AF point and option selection, while vertical controls have been enhanced for improved operability. Finally, to continue the D4’s moniker of the best tool for just about any condition, key control buttons on the back of the camera can all be illuminated, making the camera simple to operate in complete darkness.

Nikon has also made enhancements to overall workflow, adding options to streamline the process and maximize shooting time. Users are now able to automatically generate IPTC data for their images and image sets, making organizing and chronicling images easier for both the photographers and their editors. A wired Ethernet port is also utilized so that a user can shoot tethered and transfer images easily and quickly to clients. Nikon has also introduced the new WT-5A wireless file transmitter, to transmit via FTP server or computer. The device can be set to transfer either automatically or manually selected images. This device also allows for remote operation of the camera using Nikon’s Camera Control Pro 2 software. A mobile application is also in development to control the camera using this accessory, which will include the ability to trigger the shutter and record video, making this a must-have remote accessory for many professionals.

Price and Availability

The Nikon D4 will be available in late February 2012 for the suggested retail price of $5999.95.^*

To see the new D4 D-SLR and other new Nikon products, visit Nikon at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) at booth # 11039 from January 10-13th, 2012 in Las Vegas, NV.

Nikon D4 Specfications

* Suggested retail price listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

Share Xmas picture around the world

Olivia Ruch, a seven-month-old with a look of concern on her face, sits on Santa’s lap in Santa’s Grotto in Selfridges department store in London, England, on December 7, 2011. Santa is portrayed by actor David Warren, who has been playing the role for the past ten years. (Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett)

2

Nikolai Vasilyev water-skis while dressed as Santa Claus along the Yenisei River outside Russia’s Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, on December 22, 2011. Vasilyev, 58, a teacher of the Krasnoyarsk Aerospace College, constructed the self-made water skis to travel on the water surface. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin) #

3

Runners dressed as Father Christmas start in the 3rd Michendorfer Nikolaus Lauf running event in Michendorf, Germany, on December 4, 2011. Around 700 participants took part in the competition that is hosted by the Laufclub Michendorf running association. (Reuters/Tobias Schwarz) #

4

A Beluga whale wears a Santa Claus hat during a show at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium-amusement park complex in Yokohama, Japan, on November 19, 2011.(AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye) #

5

Santa Claus, who traveled to India from Finnish Lapland, gestures a traditional Indian “namaste” greeting during pre-Christmas celebrations at a hotel in New Delhi, on December 17, 2011. Santa Claus inaugurated a 20-foot tall Christmas tree made up of more than four thousand recycled plastic bottles illuminated by LED lights. (Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images) #

6

A man dressed as Santa Claus arrives by helicopter during an event at the San Juan de Dios Hospital, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on December 21, 2011. The hospital organized the event to distribute gifts to children who are hospitalized to receive medical attention. (Reuters/Jorge Dan Lopez) #

7

Santa Claus prepares a reindeer and sled in Santa Park near Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland, on December 15, 2011. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images) #

8

Santa Claus sits at his desk in his office outside of Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland, on December 14, 2011. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images) #

9

A tourist sits on Santa’s lap as he visit him in his office in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland, on December 13, 2011. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images) #

10

People take part in a half naked “Santa run” in Budapest, Hungary, on December 11, 2011. (Reuters/Laszlo Balogh) #

11

Bashii, a Sumatran tiger, meets Santa Claus while playing at the Australia Zoo, on December 16, 2011 in Beerwah, Australia. (Australia Zoo via Getty Images) #

12

A Palestinian man dressed-up in a Santa Claus costume waves as he walks on Jerusalem’s Old City walls on December 21, 2011, a few days ahead of Christmas. (Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty Images) #

13

Charity runners dressed as Santa Claus warm up before taking part in the Disability Snowport UK fun run in Battersea Park, on December 3, 2011 in London, England. 1,600 runners took part in the 6 kilometer run to raise funds for the charity which helps disabled people take part in snow sports. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) #

14

Santa Claus, portrayed by Steve Stickley of Stephens City, Virginia, gets a kiss from a stray puppy during an open house at the Esther L. Boyd Animal Shelter in Winchester, Virginia, on December 3, 2011. (AP Photo, The Winchester Star, Jeff Taylor) #

15

One of the 250 Santas participating in a fundraising event makes a run at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine, on December 4, 2011. To qualify for a free lift ticket each Santa had to wear a full red Santa costume, complete with beard, and donate at least $10 to the Bethel Rotary Club’s annual drive to provide gifts for the area’s needy children. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) #

16

Principal chief of the United Houma Nation, Thomas Dardar Jr., Indian Santa for the day, arrives at the Dulac Community Center in Dulac, Louisiana, on December 18, 2011. Darder Jr. says that Indian Santa and the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program gave more than 1,000 presents at 10 locations over the past two weekends. (AP Photo/The Houma Courier, Julia Rendleman) #

17

Hector Chacon, a Guatemalan firefighter dressed as Santa Claus, rappels down the Belize bridge in Guatemala City December 18, 2011, to give toys to children living in the neighborhoods under the bridge. Guatemalan firefighters have been giving toys to children living in the very poor area of the city during Christmastime for 13 years, according to Chacon. (Reuters/Jorge Dan Lopez) #

18

Uriah Cole rides a Harley Davidson motorcycle dressed as Santa Claus past children at Toddler Town in East Alton, Illinois, on December 1, 2011 (AP Photo/The Telegraph, Margie M. Barnes) #

19

Schoolchildren dressed as Santa Claus form the shape of a star ahead of Christmas celebrations at a school in the southern Indian city of Chennai, on December 10, 2011. Some 1,500 schoolchildren aged three to five formed the shape of a Christmas star on Saturday in an attempt to make an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records, a media release said. (Reuters/Babu) #

20

Schoolchildren dressed as Santa Claus sit on chairs to form the shape of a star in the Chennai, India, on December 10, 2011. (Reuters/Babu) #

21

Santa Claus poses with a Beluga whale at SeaWorld San Diego, on December 15, 2011 in San Diego, California. (Mike Aguilera/SeaWorld San Diego via Getty Images) #

22

People wearing Santa Claus costumes take part in a charity swim for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, on the East Strand beach in the town of Portrush in Northern Ireland, on December 18, 2011 (Reuters/Cathal McNaughton) #

23

Santa Claus maneuvers a Christmas tree onto a ship in Hamburg, Germany, on December 8, 2011 in. Every year during the Advent season, Christmas trees are distributed to the ships in the Hanseatic city. (Daniel Bockwoldt/AFP/Getty Images) #

24

Participants dressed as Santa Claus take part in the Great Edinburgh Santa Run on December 11, 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Around a thousand people took part in the annual fundraising event, with all money raised being donated to the charity “When You Wish Upon a Star”. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) #

25

Santa Claus has his pant legs bitten by a crocodile during feeding time inside a cage of a crocodile farm in Manila, Philippines, on December 16, 2011. The Philippines, a mainly Roman Catholic country in Southeast Asia, celebrates one of the longest Christmas holiday in the world, playing Christmas carols in shopping malls in September and putting up lantern and fireworks early in December. (Reuters/Romeo Ranoco) #

26

A swimmer wears a Santa Claus hat as he swims in near-freezing water in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China, on December 17, 2011. (Reuters/Sheng Li) #

27

A man dressed as Santa Claus is lifted by crane towards the world’s first Santa-friendly chimney in Somerford Keynes, England, on December 19, 2011. The development of the chimney, which is undergoing practical tests, was inspired by Leo Park after he told his mother, Jade, that the chimney in the house they were having built was too small to accommodate Santa Claus. (Reuters/Stefan Wermuth) #

28

Santa Claus embraces a woman during an event at the San Juan de Dios Hospital, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on December 21, 2011. The hospital organized the event to distribute gifts to children who are hospitalized to receive medical attention. (Reuters/Jorge Dan Lopez) #

2011 was a year of global tumult, marked by widespread social and political uprisings, economic crises, and a great deal more. We saw the fall of multiple dictators, welcomed a new country (South Sudan), witnessed our planet’s population grow to 7 billion, and watched in horror as Japan was struck by a devastating earthquake, a tsunami, and a nuclear disaster. From the Arab Spring to Los Indignados to Occupy Wall Street, citizens around the world took to the streets in massive numbers, protesting against governments and financial institutions, risking arrest, injury, and in some cases their lives. Collected here is Part 1 of a three-part photo summary of the last year, covering 2011′s first several month

A wave approaches Miyako City from the Heigawa estuary in Iwate Prefecture after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck the area March 11, 2011. The earthquake, the most powerful ever known to have hit Japan, combined with the massive tsunami, claimed more than 15,800 lives, devastated many eastern coastline communities, and triggered a nuclear catastrophe at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station. (Reuters/Mainichi Shimbun)

2

A protester stands in front of a burning barricade during a demonstration in Cairo, Egypt, on January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo during four days of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s three-decade rule. (Reuters/Goran Tomasevic) #

3

KTM MRW Rally Factory’s Juan Pedrero Garcia rides his motorcycle during the sixth stage of the 2011 Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally between the Chilean cities of Iquique and Arica in Chile, on January 7, 2011. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) #

4

Tunisia’s President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (left) visits Mohamed Bouazizi at the Ben Arous Burn and Trauma Center in Tunis. Bouazizi had set himself on fire in an act out of desperation after police confiscated fruits and vegetables he sold without a permit in the central town of Sidi Bouzid. He died shortly after this photo was taken. This photo was released on December 28, 2010, and Bouazizi’s story touched millions across the Arab world, tapping into decades-old anger, and triggered a series of uprisings leading to the fall of several dictators and widespread civil unrest that continues to this day. (AP Photo/Tunisian Presidency, File) #

5

At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the STS-133 crew takes a break from a simulated launch countdown to ham it up on the 195-foot level of Launch Pad 39A. From the left: Pilot Eric Boe, Mission Specialist Michael Barratt, Commander Steve Lindsey, and Mission Specialists Tim Kopra, Nicole Stott, and Alvin Drew. (NASA/Kim Shiflett) #

6

Orich Florestal (left), 24, and Rosemond Altidon, 22, stand on the edge of their partially destroyed apartment of Port-au-Prince January 9, 2011, close to the first anniversary of the earthquake that killed around 250,000 people and wrecked much of the capital Port-au-Prince in 2010. (Reuters/Allison Shelley) #

7

A gunman identified as Michael Gonzales aims his pistol at local village politician Reynaldo Dagsa shortly before Gonzales pulled the trigger, assassinating Dagsa in Manila, Philippines, on January 5, 2011. Reynaldo Dagsa took this picture of his family on New Year’s eve, moments before he was killed by Gonzales, who was captured on his camera together with an accomplice (man on the right). Police said they arrested both men charged in the assassination. (Reuters/Dagsa Family) #

8

Debris crushed a car outside the Christchurch Catholic Cathedral after an earthquake rocked Christchurch, New Zealand, on Tuesday, February 22, 2011. The 6.3-magnitude quake hit at the height of a busy workday, toppling tall buildings and churches, crushing buses and killing dozens of people in one of the country’s worst natural disasters. (AP Photo/NZPA, David Wethey) #

9

A giant boulder punched a massive hole through this house during the February 22 earthquake near Lyttelton, a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. This photo was taken two days later. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) #

10

Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory Rover, stands in the Spacecraft Assembly Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The rover was shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 22, 2011. The mission launched successfully on November 26, and Curiosity will land on Mars this coming August. (NASA/JPL-Caltech) #

11

A motorcycle policeman is engulfed in flames as his colleague tries to help him after protesters threw a petrol bomb in Athens, Greece, on February 23, 2011. Scores of youths hurled rocks and petrol bombs at riot police after clashes broke out during a mass rally taking place as part of a general strike. (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis) #

12

A supporter of President Hosni Mubarak, on camel, fights with anti-Mubarak protesters in Cairo, Egypt, on February 2, 2011. Several thousand supporters of President Hosni Mubarak, including some riding horses and camels and wielding whips, clashed with anti-government protesters Wednesday as Egypt’s upheaval took a dangerous new turn. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abou Zaid) #

13

Anti-government protesters gather by the thousands in Cairo’s Tahrir Square in February of 2011, calling for an end to Hosni Mubarak’s 30 years of dictatorship. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh) #

14

Anti-government protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square watch a broadcast of President Hosni Mubarak speaking to the nation on February 10, 2011. Protesters chanted, “down, down with Hosni Mubarak,” and “leave, leave,” in rage at the speech in which the president took half measures, not stepping down but handing over powers to his vice president. (Reuters/Dylan Martinez) #

15

After an abrupt change of position, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned from power on February 11, 2011. A furious wave of protest had finally swept Mubarak from power after 30 years of one-man rule, sparking jubilation on the streets and sending a warning to autocrats across the Arab world and beyond. Here, demonstrators celebrate in Tahrir Square upon hearing the news of the resignation in Cairo, Egypt. (John Moore/Getty Images) #

16

Uprisings in Libya descended into civil war, with battles raging across desert roads and cities. NATO forces controlled the skies and offered cover to the rebels. Here, vehicles belonging to forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi explode after an air strike by coalition forces along a road between Benghazi and Ajdabiyah on March 20, 2011. (Reuters/Goran Tomasevic) #

17

Getty Images photographer Chris Hondros stands in front of a burning building while on assignment on April 18, 2011, in Misrata, Libya. Hondros was killed two days later by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). (Katie Orlinsky/Getty Images) #

18

A massive tsunami sweeps in to engulf a residential area after a powerful earthquake in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan, on March 11, 2011. (Reuters/KYODO) #

19

Reporter Toya Chiba is swept up by a tsunami at Kamaishi port in Iwate prefecture, Japan, on March 11, 2011. Chiba managed to survive the tsunami by grabbing a dangling rope and climbing onto a coal heap, Kyodo news reported. (Reuters/Kamaishi Port Office via Kyodo) #

20

Houses are swept away by water following a tsunami and earthquake in Natori City in northeastern Japan, on March 11, 2011. (Reuters/KYODO) #

21

Cargo containers strewn about by the recent tsunami in Sendai, northern Japan, on March 12, 2011. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye) #

22

A woman sits amid wreckage caused by the massive March 11 earthquake and the ensuing tsunami, in Natori, northern Japan, on Sunday, March 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Asahi Shimbun, Toshiyuki Tsunenari) #

23

A Japanese home drifts in the Pacific Ocean in this photograph taken on March 13, 2011. Ships and aircraft from the U.S. Navy’s Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group were searching for survivors in the coastal waters near Sendai, Japan, in the wake of 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami. (Reuters/U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dylan McCord) #

24

A volunteer cleans a family photo that was washed away by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami as baby photos are placed to dry at a volunteer center in Ofunato, Iwate prefecture, on April 12, 2011. (Reuters/Toru Hanai) #

25

Ryo Taira (right) and an unidentified man lift a young porpoise out of a flooded rice field after it was swept there by the earlier tsunami in Sendai, Japan, on March 22, 2011. Taira found the porpoise struggling in the shallow water on Tuesday and after failing to net it, waded in to the field, which had yet to be sown with rice, to cradle the animal in his arms. (Reuters/Asahi Shimbun) #

26

A boy who survived the tsunami plays in a toy car in front of a real car still balancing on its front end after being washed up by the March 11 tsunami in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture, on April 6, 2011. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images) #

27

In this Friday, April 1, 2011, photo released by the Japan Coast Guard, members of the Japan Coast Guard rescue a dog after it was found drifting on the roof of a tsunami-wrecked house floating off Kesennuma, northeastern Japan. The dog wore a collar, but there was no address on it. (AP Photo/Japan Coast Guard) #

28

Residents take a hot outdoor bath amongst tsunami devastation in Kesennuma city, Miyagi prefecture, on April 14, 2011. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images) #

29

Anti-government protesters display their arms and hands during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 4, 2011. Yemeni troops opened fire on crowds of protesters, killing at least six and wounding more than 30 others, according to various witnesses and medical officials. Arabic reads from right, “Our blood for our country”, “Victory, Leave, Or we die, Murderer”. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen) #

30

Britain’s Prince William and his new wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, watched by bridemaids Grace van Cutsem (left) and Margarita Armstrong-Jones and pageboy Tom Pettifer, after their wedding in Westminster Abbey, in central London, on April 29, 2011. (Reuters/Dylan Martinez) #

31

An aerial photo shows tornado damage at the Lowe’s Home Improvement Center in Sanford, North Carolina, on April 17, 2011. A tornado ripped through the area Saturday as a line of severe storms moved across the state. (AP Photo/The News & Observer, Thomas Babb) #

32

Andy Page cries as he sits with his cat, Ellie, placed in a pet carrier, in his demolished apartment in Trenton, Georgia, on Thursday, April 28, 2011, after overnight storms hit the North Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee, area. Page has several cats and Ellie was the last one he was looking for. (AP Photo/Chattanooga Times Free Press, Angela Lewis) #

33

U.S. President Barack Obama (2nd left) and Vice President Joe Biden (left), along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. A team of United States Navy SEALs was at that moment descending on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, raiding the suspected residence of bin Laden. Also pictured are Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2nd right) and Defense Secretary Robert Gates (right). (Reuters/White House/Pete Souza/Handout) #

34

Crowds gather outside the White House in Washington early Monday, May 2, 2011, to celebrate after President Barack Obama officially announced the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of U.S. forces in a compound in Pakistan. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) #

35

A photo taken by a local resident shows the wreckage of a helicopter next to the wall of the compound where according to officials, Osama bin Laden was shot and killed in a firefight with U.S. forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan on Monday, May 2, 2011. The aircraft was a secretly developed stealth helicopter, which crashed during the operation. Pakistan later delivered the remaining pieces to U.S. authorities. (AP Photo/Mohammad Zubair) #

36

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (left) hits a six to win against Sri Lanka as teammate Yuvraj Singh reacts during the Cricket World Cup 2011 final at The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2, 2011. India went on to win the World Cup, beating Sri Lanka by six wickets. (Indranil Mukherjee/AFP/Getty Images) #

37

A Libyan rebel fighter smokes a cigarette next to an improvised multiple rocket launcher in the back of a pickup truck, as the rebels prepare to make an advance, in the desert on the outskirts of Ajdabiya, Libya, on Thursday, April 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) #

38

The Texas Forest Service undertook controlled burns on Sunday, April 17, 2011 to get rid of fuel on the mountains around McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, which were experiencing widespread forest fires. Here, Black Mountain is burning. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope dome is at right. (Frank Cianciolo/McDonald Observatory) #

39

Protesters, members of “Los Indignados”, take part in a demonstration with a banner that reads “System Error”, in Madrid, Spain, on May 17, 2011. (Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images) #

40

Hands are raised in protest at Puerta del Sol square in Madrid, Spain, on May 20, 2011 during a rally against Spain’s economic crisis, jobless rate, austerity measures, political structure, and more. (Pedro Armestre/AFP/Getty Images) #

Plus One More:

41

The photo of Osama bin Laden’s dead body. Undoubtedly, this photo, if it had been released, would have been one of the iconic (if gory) photos of the year. According to reports, at least three sets of photographs of bin Laden’s body exist, somewhere in the custody of the CIA. President Obama has decided against releasing them to the public, concerned about them being used to incite further violence, or being used as a propaganda tool. Several FOIA requests have reportedly been declined. (Photographer unknown) #

Surf rescue swimmer Doug Knutzen carries Dale Ostrander to the shore of Long Beach, Washington, on August 5, 2011. Rescue swimmers Eddie Mendez (left) and Will Green had found Ostrander in the surf, after the boy was underwater for more than 20 minutes. Ostrander was hospitalized and placed in a medically induced coma for a time, but has since returned home and started the 7th grade. His recovery is still in progress, as he continues to undergo speech and physical therapy. (AP Photo/Damian Mulinix/Chinook Observer)

2

Robonaut 2 (R2) waits inside the electromagnetic interference chamber at Johnson Space Center following tests that ensure the robot’s electronic systems won’t cause problems for other important systems at the International Space Station. Humanoid robot R2 journeyed to the space station onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-133 mission, conducting tests. NASA hopes to eventually build a robot helper suitable to assist humans in complex tasks in space or on Earth. (NASA) #

3

A levee protects a home surrounded by floodwater from the Yazoo River, on May 18, 2011 near Vicksburg, Mississippi. The flooded Mississippi River was forcing the Yazoo River to top its banks where the two rivers meet near Vicksburg causing towns and farms upstream on the Yazoo to flood. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) #

4

Palestinian protesters infiltrate the Israel-Syria border on May 15, 2011, near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, Israel. Reportedly at least 12 were killed and several injured when IDF soldiers opened fire on protesters in several locations along Israel’s borders with Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. Four of the 12 were reportedly killed while attempting to cross the Syria-Israel border here, adjacent to Majdal Shams in Northern Israel. (Update: This caption has been clarified to reflect a more accurate accounting of deaths near Majdal Shams.) (Jalaa Marey/JINI/Getty Images) #

5

Wingwalker Todd Green falls from John Mohr’s Steerman aircraft to his death, after losing his grip while trying to perform a transfer to a helicopter during the Selfridge Air Show, less than 30 miles from Detroit, on August 21, 2011. (Reuters/David Angell) #

6

A migrant stands in a line after arriving at the port in Benghazi from the besieged Libyan city of Misrata, Libya, on May 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) #

7

Karren, part of a group called the Pujie Girls, demonstrates planking, a recent fad where participants take photos of themselves lying face down in unusual locations, such as here, outside Taiwan’s National Theater in Taipei, on May 25, 2011. (Reuters/Nicky Loh) #

8

An anti-government protester holds up a scarf reading, in Arabic, “My country, I love you my country”, during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sunday, May 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen) #

9

This May 23, 2011 photo made by Expedition 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA-20 following its undocking and released by NASA shows the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour at an altitude of approximately 220 miles. A Soyuz capsule had never headed for home while a shuttle was parked at the space station, providing a rare opportunity for the photo session. (AP Photo/NASA, Paolo Nespoli) #

Warning:
This image may contain graphic or
objectionable content

Click to view image

10

A federal policemen guards a crime scene in Monterrey, Mexico, on May 30, 2011. Gunmen killed five people, four taxi drivers and one woman working at a taxi stand, during a drive-by shooting outside a supermarket, local media reported. Drug wars and widespread violence between cartels and the Mexican government continued throughout the year, with some estimates tallying 46,000 related deaths in the past five years. (Reuters/Tomas Bravo) #

11

This aerial photograph shows a neighborhood destroyed by a powerful tornado in Joplin, Missouri, on May 24, 2011. A tornado moved through much of the city, damaging a hospital and hundreds of homes and businesses and killing at least 116 people. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) #

12

Foreign soldiers leave the Intercontinental Hotel at the end of a military operation against Taliban militants who had stormed the hotel in Kabul, on June 29, 2011. Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, sparking a five-hour battle with Afghan commandos backed by a NATO helicopter gunship in an assault that left at least 10 people dead. (Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images) #

13

The sun shines through the smoke from the Las Conchas wildfire near the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, on June 29, 2011. The New Mexico wildfire raged largely unchecked for a fourth day near one of the nation’s top nuclear arms production plants, but firefighters finally gained some ground in corralling the flames. (Reuters/Eric Draper) #

14

Scott Jones and Alex Thomas share a kiss while on a street after Thomas was knocked to the ground by riot policemen during the riot that followed the championship loss by the Vancouver Canucks, on June 15, 2011 in Vancouver, Canada. (Rich Lam/Getty Images) #

15

Lightning flashes around the ash plume above the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain near Entrelagos, Chile, on June 5, 2011. The volcano in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain, dormant for decades, erupted in south-central Chile, belching ash over 6 miles (10 km) into the sky, as winds fanned it toward neighboring Argentina, and prompted the government to evacuate several thousand residents, authorities said. (Reuters/Carlos Gutierrez) #

16

This unprecedented view of the space shuttle Atlantis, streaking through the Earth’s atmosphere during re-entry, was photographed by the Expedition 28 crew of the International Space Station, on July 21, 2011. Atlantis, the final space shuttle to ever go into orbit, was on its way home for the last time, landing in Florida later that day. Each of the shuttle orbiters are now undergoing decommissioning in preparation for being placed on public display. (NASA) #

17

A Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) soldier stands in line during a rehearsal of the Independence Day ceremony in Juba, Sudan, on July 5, 2011. On July 9, the Republic of South Sudan declared its independence, creating the newest nation in the world — the 193rd nation to join the United Nations. (Reuters/Goran Tomasevic) #

18

Men play football on Ipanema Beach ahead of the Preliminary Draw of the 2014 FIFA World Cup on July 28, 2011 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #

19

Mihag Gedi Farah, a malnourished seven-month-old child weighing only 7.5 pound (3.4kg), is held by his mother in a field hospital of the International Rescue Committee, IRC, in the town of Dadaab, Kenya, on July 26, 2011. The U.N. will airlift emergency rations this week to parts of drought-ravaged Somalia that militants banned it from more than two years ago, in a crisis intervention to keep hungry refugees from dying along what an official calls the “roads of death.” Tens of thousands already have trekked to neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, hoping to get aid in refugee camps. A reporter tracked down Mihag shortly after and was told that doctors expected him to make a full recovery. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam) #

20

An aid worker using an iPad films the rotting carcass of a cow in Wajir near the Kenya-Somalia border, July 23, 2011. Since drought gripped the Horn of Africa, and especially since famine was declared in parts of Somalia, the international aid industry has swept in and out of refugee camps and remote hamlets in branded planes and snaking lines of white 4x4s. This humanitarian, diplomatic and media circus is necessary every time people go hungry in Africa, analysts say, because governments – both African and foreign – rarely respond early enough to looming catastrophes. Combine that with an often simplistic explanation of the causes of famine, and a growing band of aid critics say parts of Africa are doomed to a never-ending cycle of ignored early warnings, media appeals and emergency U.N. feeding – rather than a transition to lasting self-sufficiency. (Reuters/Barry Malone) #

21

A Somali woman weeps for her child (wrapped in cloth), who had just died after being brought in for treatment for malnutrition, at Banadir hospital in Mogadishu, on July 21, 2011. (Reuters/Feisal Omar) #

22

Japan wins the World Cup after a penalty shoot-out at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final match between Japan and USA, on July 17, 2011, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Christof Koepsel/Getty Images) #

23

A leopard attacks a forest guard at Prakash Nagar village near Salugara, on the outskirts of Siliguri, India,on July 19, 2011. The leopard strayed into the village area and mauled several villagers, including three guards, before being caught by forest officials, according to news reports. The leopard, which suffered injuries caused by knives and batons, died later in the evening at a veterinary center. The forest guard being attacked was also injured. (AP Photo) #

24

Ciara Trait of Ireland, after winning the 25 meter backstroke event in the 2011 Special Olympics Summer Games, on July 1, 2011 in Athens, Greece. (Vladimir Rys/Getty Images) #

25

An injured man is attended to at the site of a powerful explosion that rocked central Oslo July 22, 2011. A huge explosion damaged government buildings in central Oslo on Friday including Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg’s office, injuring several people, a Reuters witness said. The blast blew out most windows on the 17-story building housing Stoltenberg’s office, as well as nearby ministries including the oil ministry, which was on fire. (Reuters/Per Thrana) #

26

Covered bodies lie next to a small structure on the shore of the island of Utoya, on July 23, 2011, after a gunman in police uniform killed at least 77 people in a ferocious attack on a youth summer camp of Norway’s ruling Labour party, and hours after a bomb killed seven in Oslo. (Reuters/Fabrizio Bensch) #

27

People gather outside Oslo City Hall to participate in a “rose march” in memory of the victims of the July 22 bomb attack and shooting massacre in Norway, on July 25, 2011. Gunman Anders Behring Breivik has admitted bombing Norway’s capital and opening fire on a political youth group retreat, but he entered a plea of not guilty, saying he wanted to save Europe from Muslim immigration. In November, Breivik was declared insane, and now faces compulsory psychiatric treatment, possibly for the remainder of his life. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) #

28

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (left) reacts as he embraces Eskil Pedersen, the leader of the Norwegian Labour Youth league and survivor of the Utoya island shooting, at a hotel where survivors of the youth camp attack are being reunited with their families in Sundvolden, Norway, on July 23, 2011. (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images) #

29

A festival attendee in mid-bungee-jump, during the 17th Woodstock Festival in Kostrzyn-upon-Odra River, Poland, on August 6, 2011. (Reuters/Pawel Kopczynski) #

30

A hooded youth walks past a burning vehicle in Hackney, on August 8, 2011 in London, England. Pockets of rioting and looting took place in various boroughs of London this evening, as well as in Birmingham, prompted by the initial rioting in Tottenham and then in Brixton on Sunday night. Disturbances broke out late on Saturday night in Tottenham and the surrounding area after the killing of Mark Duggan, 29 and a father-of-four, by armed police in an attempted arrest on August 4. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) #

31

Aaron Biber, 89, assesses the damage to his hairdressing salon after riots on Tottenham High Road, on August 7, 2011 in London, England. After Biber’s story became known, an online campaign raised more than £25,000 to help him get back in business. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) #

32

A woman takes part in a SlutWalk protest, in central Seoul, South Korea, on July 16, 2011. About 100 protesters, mostly women, attended the SlutWalk protest march which became a movement of rallies around the world after a Toronto policeman suggested in January that women could avoid sexual assault by not dressing like a “slut.” (Reuters/Truth Leem) #

33

Rebel fighters stomp on the head of a statue of Muammar Qaddafi inside the main compound in Bab al-Aziziya in Tripoli, Libya, on Tuesday, August 23, 2011. Libyan rebels stormed Muammar Qaddafi’s main military compound in Tripoli Tuesday after fierce fighting with forces loyal to his regime that rocked the capital as the longtime leader refused to surrender despite the stunning advances by opposition forces. (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev) #

34

Salem Hasam Ali, 62, a shop owner, cries while singing the pre-Qaddafi Libyan national anthem at the rebel-held town of Benghazi, Libya, late Tuesday, August 23, 2011. Hundreds of Libyan rebels stormed Muammar Qaddafi’s compound Tuesday, charging wildly through the symbolic heart of the crumbling regime as they killed loyalist troops, looted armories and knocked the head off a statue of the besieged dictator. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini) #

Warning:
This image may contain graphic or
objectionable content

Click to view image

35

Burnt bodies lie in a warehouse in Tripoli, Libya, on August 27, 2011. Up to 150 people were found dead, 53 bodies were burnt in a warehouse in the last few days. The victims are believed to be Libyan civilians arrested by pro-Qaddafi loyalists for interrogation. As the Libyan rebel forces were advancing, the pro-Qaddafi forces acted to cover up the bodies of the people they were interrogating, they threw grenades into the warehouse and then set fire to tires inside to cover up the bodies, locals said. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images) #

36

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attempts to bend a frying pan with his bare hands during his visit to the summer camp of the pro-Kremlin youth group “Nashi” at Lake Seliger, some 400km (248miles) north of Moscow, on August 1, 2011. (Reuters/Yana Lapikova/RIA Novosti) #

37

A photographer, after being thrown to the ground and beaten during a student rally in Santiago, Chile, on August 9, 2011. Students, teachers, and many others staged multiple protests throughout the year, seeking serious education reforms. (Reuters/Victor Ruiz Caballero) #

38

Riot police stand covered with paint thrown by demonstrators trying to reach La Moneda presidential palace on the second day of a national strike in Santiago, Chile, Thursday August 25, 2011. Chileans marched Thursday, demanding profound changes in the country’s heavily centralized and privatized form of government. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) #

39

Air Tahiti Nui wildcard trialist Anthony Wals of Lennox Head, Australia, rides a massive barrel during a tow-in surfing session at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, on August 27, 2011. (AP Photo/ASP, Kirstin Scholtz) #

40

In this television frame grab from KIMT in Mason City, Iowa, slain Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson’s dog Hawkeye lays next to his casket during funeral services in Rockford, Iowa, on August 19, 2011. Tumilson, age 35, was one of 30 American soldiers killed in Afghanistan on August 6 when their helicopter was shot down during a mission to help fellow troops who had come under fire. (AP Photo/KIMT New 3, Shane Delaney) #

Occupy Wall Street protesters march and hold signs in New York City on September 17, 2011. Frustrated protesters had been speaking out against corporate greed and social inequality on and near Wall Street for the previous two weeks, further sparking a protest movement that spread across the world. Original here. (CC BY SA Carwil Bjork-James)

2

A worker prepares rappelling lines at the top of the Washington Monument as inspections to the structure begin on September 27, 2011. Engineers planned to rappel down the 555-foot (170-meter) Washington Monument to assess damage from a rare 5.8-magnitude earthquake and storms that struck the U.S. capital in August. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque) #

3

A P-51 Mustang airplane crashes into the edge of the grandstands at the Reno Air show on September 16, 2011, in Reno, Nevada. The World War II-era fighter plane flown by a veteran Hollywood stunt pilot Jimmy Leeward plunged Friday into the edge of the grandstands during the popular air race creating a horrific scene strewn with smoking debris. Eleven people were killed, including Leeward, and at least 74 were hurt. (AP Photo/Ward Howes) #

4

Spain’s bullfighter Jose Tomas performs at the Monumental bullring in Barcelona, Spain, on September 25, 2011. On that day, Spain’s powerful northeastern region of Catalonia bid farewell to the country’s emblematic tradition of bullfighting with a final bash at the Barcelona bullring before a ban took effect. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) #

5

A Pakistani woman displaced by the floods walks along a flooded road holding an axe to cut wood, in Digri district near Hyderabad, Pakistan, on September 19, 2011. The United Nations appealed for $357 million Sunday to help millions of Pakistanis affected by floods that have damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and destroyed millions of acres of crops. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen) #

6

A Russian Soyuz TMA-21 space capsule descends about 150 km south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on September 16, 2011. NASA Astronaut Ron Garan and Russian Cosmonauts Andrey Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyayev returned from more than five months onboard the International Space Station, where they served as members of the Expedition 27 and 28 crews. As the Space Shuttle program was shut down earlier in the year, NASA astronauts will now have to rely on Russian rockets to ferry them into orbit, until a new manned U.S. space program is ready, possibly by 2019. (AP Photo/Sergei Ilnitsky, pool) #

7

A woman walks into a spray of water to escape the heat during the Rock in Rio music festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) #

8

In San Francisco, Nick Galloro, of Berkeley, holds a sign during a rally against banking institutions as part of the Occupy Wall Street campaign in California, on September 29, 2011. (Reuters/Stephen Lam) #

9

The Tribute in Light shines above lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, and One World Trade Center, left, on September 10, 2011 in New York, one day before the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) #

10

Robert Peraza, who lost his son Robert David Peraza, pauses at his son’s name at the North Pool of the 9/11 Memorial during tenth anniversary ceremonies at the site of the World Trade Center in New York, on September 11, 2011. (Reuters/Justin Lane) #

11

U.S. Marine dog handler Sgt. Mark Behl, left, of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force K9 unit, and another Marine, perform first aid on U.S. Military working dog Drak, after he was wounded in a bomb attack, in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on September 8, 2011. Drak’s own handler, Sgt Kenneth A. Fischer, was also wounded in the bomb attack, which also killed several civilians. Both Fischer and Drak were flown out of the country for surgery and recovery. Eventually, in line with military custom, Fischer will adopt Drak and take him home. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) #

12

Sgt. 1st Class Justin Hathaway braves a sandstorm after leaving the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq and U.S. Forces-Iraq Provost Marshal Office at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, on September 27, 2011. American troops are scheduled to completely withdraw from Iraq by the end of this year, after nearly nine years of occupation. (Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo/USAF) #

13

A seemingly intoxicated moose is discovered entangled in an apple tree in Goteborg, Sweden late Tuesday September 6 2011. Per Johansson, 45, says he heard a roar from his vacationing neighbor’s garden in southwestern Sweden late Tuesday and went to have a look. There, he found a female moose kicking about in the tree. The animal was likely drunk from eating fermented apples. (AP Photo/Per Johansson) #

14

In this citizen journalism image made on a mobile phone and provided by Shaam News Network, Anti-Syrian President Bashar Assad protesters, shout slogans as they protest at al-kessour area, in Homs province, Syria, on September 29, 2011. Angry supporters of President Bashar Assad’s regime hurled tomatoes and eggs at the U.S. ambassador to Syria as he entered the office of a leading opposition figure and then tried to break into the building, trapping him inside for three hours. The Arab Spring reached Syria in March, but protesters met stiff resistance as Assad’s troops launched deadly attacks, even using tanks to fire on residential areas. Broad restrictions on press coverage have made reporting from Syria extremely difficult throughout the year. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network) #

15

Anti-Qaddafi fighters fire a rocket launcher near Sirte, Libya, one of Muammar Qaddafi’s last remaining strongholds, on September 24, 2011. Libyan provisional government forces backed by NATO warplanes swarmed into the city of Sirte on Saturday but weathered heavy sniper fire as they tried to win control of the city. (Reuters/Goran Tomasevic) #

16

Miami Heat’s LeBron James holds his son, Bryce, during the second half of the South Florida All-Star Classic NBA basketball game, on October 8, 2011, in Miami. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) #

17

A picture of North Korea’s founder Kim Il-sung decorates a building in the capital Pyongyang, early October 5, 2011. North Korea appeared to make small, tightly-controlled steps toward the West in 2011, including an agreement with the Associated Press to set up the first permanent text and photo bureau operated by a Western news organization in the capital of Pyongyang. (Reuters/Damir Sagolj) #

18

A businessman sticks his tongue out in jest as he walks past tents erected by protesters from the Occupy London Stock Exchange group, as they continue their demonstration that started on Saturday outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London, on October 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) #

19

A protester’s face is cleaned after he was pepper-sprayed by police at the Occupy Denver camp on October 29, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. Following a march by protesters, police tried to tear down some newly-erected tents at the encampment and and a melee ensued. Police detained about a half dozen people and pepper-sprayed others before calling for reinforcements. (John Moore/Getty Images) #

20

Rescue workers carry Azra Karaduman, a two-week-old baby girl, from a collapsed building in Ercis, near the eastern Turkish city of Van, on October 25, 2011. The baby was rescued alive from the rubble of a collapsed building on Tuesday, 46 hours after an earthquake struck southeast Turkey, a Reuters Television journalist said. Her mother, Semiha, who was also rescued, had been clasping her daughter to her chest. (Reuters/Stringer) #

21

A baby gestures minutes after he was born inside the pediatric unit at hospital Escuela in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on October 21, 2011. The United Nations Population Fund estimated that the world’s population reached 7 billion on on October 31, 2011. (Reuters/Edgard Garrido) #

22

Libya’s new regime forces fire their weapons at fighters loyal to fugitive strongman Muammar Qaddafi as a comrade plays a guitar during a battle in Sirte on October 10, 2011, in a drive to control Qaddafi’s hometown after a month-long siege. (Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images) #

23

National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters take part in a street battle in the center of the city on October 14, 2011 in Sirte, Libya. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images) #

Warning:
This image may contain graphic or
objectionable content

Click to view image

24

Bloodied Former Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi is seen in this still image taken from video footage in Sirte, Libya, on October 20, 2011. Qaddafi was killed as Libya’s new leaders declared they had overrun the last bastion of his long rule, sparking wild celebrations that eight months of war was finally over. NATO aircraft had fired on a convoy of vehicles carrying Qaddafi and other loyalists, damaging and destroying several vehicles. Qaddafi escaped the airstrike, but was soon captured alive by rebel forces on the ground, who found him hiding in a drainage pipe. Multiple videos and photos showed the former dictator bleeding and being roughly handled. Shortly after, he was dead – the exact circumstance of his death remains uncertain. His body was put on display for the public to view in a freezer in Misrata for several days afterward. He was then buried in an undisclosed location in the desert. (Reuters/Esam Al-Fetori) #

25

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo throws during the eighth inning of Game 1 of baseball’s National League division series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on October 1, 2011, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) #

26

The race car of driver Will Power (left) goes airborne during a multiple-car crash at the IZOD IndyCar World Championship race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 16, 2011. The motor racing world was left reeling from the death of time-two Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon, who was killed in the crash, as the season-ending celebration turned to disaster. (Reuters/Barry Ambrose) #

27

Following the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on October 5th, Hong Kong design student Jonathan Mak poses with a symbol he designed in tribute, on October 6, 2011. Nineteen-year-old Mak’s poignant tribute to Apple founder Steve Jobs became an internet hit with its minimalist, touching symbolism and brought a job offer and a flood of commemorative merchandise using his design. (Reuters/Bobby Yip) #

28

Scott Olsen, an Iraq War veteran, and part of the Occupy Wall Street movement, is carried away by fellow protesters after Olsen was hit by a tear gas canister shot by the Police, near the Oakland City Hall, on October 25, 2011 in California. After initially being listed in critical condition, Olsen was released in November, but is still recovering from a brain injury that has affected his speech. (Kimihiro Hoshino/AFP/Getty Images) #

29

A mask-wearing protester uses his laptop computer in the Occupy LSX camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral, ahead of a demonstration against higher tuition fees and privatization in universities on November 9, 2011 in London, England. Around 4,000 police officers were on duty and were allowed to deploy baton rounds if needed. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images) #

30

John Pike, a University of California Davis police officer, pepper-sprays students during their sit-in at an Occupy UCD demonstration in Davis, California, on November 18, 2011. UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi apologized to jeering students on November 21 for police use of pepper spray against campus protesters in a standoff captured by video and widely replayed on television and the Internet. Faculty and student critics of Friday’s confrontation, some of whom demanded the chancellor’s resignation, said it had damaged the school’s image and the climate for free expression at the university. (Reuters/Brian Nguyen) #

31

Robotics student Gildo Andreoni interacts with a Dexmart robotic hand built at the University of Bologna in the Robotville exhibition at the Science Museum on November 29, 2011, in London, England. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images) #

32

Ocean waves stained red with blood crash ashore as inhabitants of the Faroe Islands catch and slaughter pilot whales (Globicephala melaena) during the traditional “Grindadrap” (whale hunting in Faroese) near the capital Torshavn, on November 22, 2011. The Faroese are descendents of Vikings, and pilot whales have been a central part of their diet for more than 1,000 years. They crowd the animals into a bay and kill them. “Grindadrap” whaling is not done for commercial purposes, the meat can not be sold and is divided evenly between members of the local community. (Reuters/Andrija Ilic) #

33

A multiple-exposure image of Novak Djokovic of Serbia, as he serves during the men’s singles match against Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London, England, on November 25, 2011. (Michael Regan/Getty Images for Barclays) #

34

A couple embraces as soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division are greeted by family, friends and loved ones at their redeployment ceremony at Wheeler Gulch, Wheeler Army Airfield in Wahiawa, Hawaii, on December 6, 2011. U.S. forces are withdrawing from Iraq after an eight year presence in the country and communities in Hawaii are welcoming soldiers home. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images) #

35

Anti-government protesters wave Bahraini flags and gesture as they participate in a rally and march that drew tens of thousands to Maqsha, Bahrain, just outside the capital of Manama, on November 25, 2011. Participants in the rally, organized by several opposition societies, waved Bahraini flags along with those of Arab spring countries Syria, Yemen, Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt, while calling for the fall of the Bahraini government, freedom for prisoners and democracy in the Gulf island kingdom. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali) #

36

A Buddha head in the roots of a Bodhi tree is partially submerged by floodwaters in the ruins of Wat Mahathat temple in Thailand’s ancient capital, Ayutthaya, on November 6, 2011. The floods in Thailand began in July and devastated large parts of the central Chao Phraya river basin, killed more than 650 people and disrupted the lives of millions. (Reuters/Adrees Latif) #

37

Vehicles are submerged at the Honda factory in Ayutthaya province, on November 14, 2011. Clean-up work was underway at four industrial estates in Thailand’s central Ayutthaya province as water has receded after devastating floods, and some factories were already back at work, officials said. (Reuters/Damir Sagolj) #

38

A New York City police officer scuffles with Occupy Wall Street protesters after they were evicted from Zuccotti Park, on November 15, 2011, in New York City. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images) #

39

A black rhino is transported by helicopter in South Africa. The seventh black rhino population established by the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project was released after an epic trip across the country. Nineteen of the critically endangered animals were moved from the Eastern Cape to a new location in Limpopo province. (AP Photo/Green Renaissance-World Wildlife Fund) #

40

A protester carries stones to throw during clashes with Egyptian riot police near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, on November 21, 2011, months after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak. Security forces fired tear gas and clashed Monday with several thousand protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square in the third straight day of violence that has killed more than two dozen people and has turned into the most sustained challenge yet to the rule of Egypt’s military.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) #