The photos document an old-fashioned tradition in which young women are presented to society at debutante balls. These women, aged 18 to 25, are selected based on their background and achievements before being introduced in a grand event wearing elegant white gowns and gloves. My photography delves into the societal rituals observed by various social strata.
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
🎥 National Geographic by ASM Channels

Photos and videos by | Fireflies in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, near the White Mountains, glow above lupine flowers in peak bloom in June. It was almost a paradise, except for all the hungry mosquitoes that were chasing me on this windless, humid night.
These images and video were captured for Life at Night Atlas, my long-term project with the National Geographic Society (). Fireflies are important night pollinators. Their populations have declined worldwide due to pesticide, loss of habitat, and light pollution. Their light signal is for mating, and it stops in the presence of bright artificial light. Fireflies are least affected by motion-sensor and shielded lights. I was happy to see them thriving here.
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
🎥 National Geographic by ASM Channels

In this image from our Pictures of the Year 2025, Nat Geo Explorer and photographer @miorarajaonary photographs Marieme Samba Ba, treasurer of And Book Am Am (Together We Share Wealth)—an all-female Senegalese food cooperative that was granted a 15-acre plot in Africa's Great Green Wall project. While the ambitious megaproject to combat desertification by planting a 5,000-mile line of vegetation has faced criticism, putting it in the hands of small communities like And Book Am Am provides jobs to people who can benefit from the fruits of their labor in real time.

National Geographic photographers ventured to places far and wide to capture the year’s most fascinating images. Out of hundreds of thousands of photos, 25 were selected as our Pictures of the Year. See them all at the link in bio.