Michael George

This rātā forest is the most stunning example of crown shyness I’ve ever seen. It is so precise I had multiple people message me and ask if it is computer generated. It’s not fake, but it would be nearly impossible for you to see it in real life. The forest is found on Enderby Island, one of the most remote places on the planet. Close to 300 miles south of the mainland of New Zealand, Enderby is part of the Auckland Islands. It is one of the rare “pest free” islands where endemic species can thrive without the fear of being killed by the countless invasive mammals we’ve brought to that part of the world. There’s the rare yellow-eyed penguin, New Zealand sea lions, and birds with songs that sound like video game sound effects. If you turn your sound on, you can hear one of those birds in this video. PS: For those bewildered by the term in my opening sentence, crown shyness is “a phenomenon observed in some tree species, in which the crowns of fully stocked trees do not touch each other, forming a canopy with channel-like gaps” #trees #forest #nature #newzealand

This is someone special … Thomas “Tiger” Ziegler has been working the bar in Hotel Congress for 59 years. When I asked him why he’s still there at the ripe age of 85, he said with a flamboyant chuckle, “Well I have a few friends who stopped working … and they’re dead!” During our portrait session a few customers came in and he served their drinks with a perfect balance of kindness and sass. As you can see by the sign in the background, a few years ago to celebrate his legacy the Hotel renamed the bar to Tiger’s Taproom. If you find yourself driving through Tucson, make sure you stop in to say hello. // Shot on assignment for @natgeotravel in September 2018

I know. This looks like a head. The Flowerpots Rocks are an unusual group of formations in the Bay of Fundy in Eastern Canada. They’re advertised as a place where you can “walk on the ocean floor.” Twice a day these rocks are actually inaccessible as the tide rises as much as 52 feet, one of the largest tidal changes in the world. My assistant and I arrived first thing in the morning, with the water far out, the seabed exposed, and the rocks standing mostly alone as seagulls greeted the grey sky. The coast of this area is made of sandstone that has slowly been worn away by the tidal cycle over thousands of years, leaving parts of the coastline detached and standing alone like you see here. Nature has continued to grow some lonely trees on the tops of these rocks, giving the illusion that they are giant freestanding flower pots. One of the beautiful parts of the daily tides is that every 6 hours, the ocean comes in and washes away every footprint/trace that people were ever here before.

Video by @michaelgeorge | The cherry esplanade at @brooklynbotanic is my favorite place to experience peak spring (and peak allergies 🙃) every year. This time we had a particularly spectacular bloom. If you find yourself in NYC it may be too late to see this display, but the bluebells are about to pop off. Every week in April & May brings something new to 🌸🌷🌼

scenes from Morocco pt. ii 🇲🇦 * overlooking aït benhaddou * lovebird in the royal mansour * tetouan * camels & kasbah * hiking the atlas mountains * the ouirgane valley * cat merchant

scenes from Morocco 🇲🇦 * the medina in Tetouan * Atlas in her stable, ouirgane valley * Oulid outside kasbah tebi * dinner in Ait Bennhadou * the drive to Imlil * pet turtles on the roof in Tetouan all places I now love

Antarctica – the coldest, windiest, driest continent 1. A humpback whale’s breath & dive 2. Adélie penguins late for work 3. The true size of an iceberg 4. Waves of the Endurance 5. Rothera Research Station: a British base where folks live for 6 - 18 months at a time All videos #shotoniphone during my work with @lindbladexp  / @natgeoexpeditions ❄️

These strange, windswept sculptures are not manmade. The ‘Zao Snow Monsters’ in Japan are a phenomenon created at the top of Mount Zao where fir trees get pelted with moisture from icy winds and get so encased that they begin to lean over, giving them the look of storybook monsters. Featured in the @natgeo World’s Best List for 2026 ~ As described in the article: “While some of Japan’s more popular destinations grapple with overtourism, mostly rural Yamagata Prefecture, roughly 200 miles north of Tokyo, offers moments of otherworldly quiet. Not even one percent of Japan’s visitors experience its sacred mountains, tranquil temples and shrines, and onsen villages.” I arrived in Zao on my own in January of this year and was surrounded by snowbanks that were taller than myself. Steam from the hot springs wind through the town, casting a constant haze over every street. At night, it feels like you’re in a dream. To access the snow monsters, you take 2 ropeways and feel the temperature drop and drop. I spent two days traveling up and down (the line for the ropeway can be quite long) and captured the monsters in varied lighting. Walking among them for hours they start to take on a presence in your peripheral vision. I remember asking myself, “did that one just move?” #japan #yamagata #snow #winter

The ‘Zao Snow Monsters’ in Japan are a phenomenon created at the top of Mount Zao where fir trees get pelted with moisture from icy winds and get so encased that they begin to lean over, giving them the look of storybook monsters. I am very excited to share that my images of the monsters & the Yamagata prefecture are featured in the @natgeo annual Best of the World for 2026. As described in the article: “As some of Japan’s more popular destinations grapple with overtourism, mostly rural Yamagata Prefecture, roughly 200 miles north of Tokyo, offers moments of otherworldly quiet. Not even one percent of Japan’s visitors experience its sacred mountains, tranquil temples and shrines, and onsen villages.” I arrived in Zao on my own in January of this year and was surrounded by snowbanks that were taller than myself. Steam from the hot springs wind through the town, casting a constant haze over every street. At night, it feels like you’re in a dream. To access the snow monsters, you take 2 ropeways and feel the temperature drop and drop. I spent two days traveling up and down (the line for the ropeway can be quite long) and captured the monsters in varied lighting. Walking among them for hours they start to take on a presence in your peripheral vision. I remember asking myself, “did that one just move?” Special thanks to @allisonrosehess for all her support of this series

Arctic thunder rumbles regularly across the water of this fjord. It doesn’t come from the sky, but the near constant calving of the many glaciers that lie languid on the surrounding rock faces. The largest one pushes out sculptural icebergs, many of which ground themselves and slowly melt in the too warm September air. This one, specifically sharp and unusually clear, descends deep into the water below. Floating on my kayak and using it like a rudimentary camera dolly, I captured its unique shape–close to mimicking the glacial face from which it fell. 📍 Kangerlussuatsiaq, Greenland

New Zealand (pt. I)

Little Corn Island, Nicaragua for @lonelyplanet There are *many* overused phrases in the travel world, but “hidden gem” is probably at the top of the list. To arrive at Little Corn Island it takes (2) regular planes, (1) teeny plane (for 1.5 hours), (1) half-hour drive to the port, (1) forty five minute boat ride across the open ocean and then you finally arrive. The island has a population of only 800 people with no cars or automobiles. Everyone walks the island and carries everything via wheelbarrow (important to note that because of this everyone is shredded). There’s a small path you can walk that circumnavigates the coastline of the entire island. Walking from one end to the other takes about a half hour. Isolated on the north end is @yemayalittlecorn with views of a large shipwreck and immediate access to the surrounding coral reefs. There are many small restaurants, most of which serve seafood that was caught just offshore. I’ve always been attracted to islands because they’re able to create a world that is all their own. Little Corn is so small (I mean … it’s literally in the name) it is one of a kind and unlike anywhere I’ve ever been. A real hidden gem! I didn’t even know they still existed. Endless thanks to @katelynperry_ @pia_peterson and @ninawuwuwu 💫