Photographs of Life

Bhutan Novices at the Dechen Phodrang monastic school in Thimphu hear the dinner bell and come running. More than 400 boys attend the academy, where a typical day of study stretches from 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Greenland An iceberg reveals a glimpse of the southern Greenland town of Narsaq. A nearby glacier births a steady supply of bergs that jostle off the settlement's shores year-round. Solomon Islands Like a pale brooch atop royal velvet, a brittle star—barely as big as a nickel— crawls across the arm of an 18-inch-wide blue sea star. The smaller creature took just seconds to traverse the larger. India Children of the many snake charmers in the village of Padmakesharpur are no strangers to cobras. Early encounters with defanged or devenomed snakes help the babies grow up fearless. Norway Bright beaks and feet signal the breeding season for Atlantic puffins on Hornøya Island. The birds' colors dull for winter. Puffins in summer and winter coloration look so different they were once thought separate species. Malaysia Spikes at the center of the Rafflesia kerrii flower may help disperse its odor—the stench of rotting meat—throughout its jungle habitat, attracting the carrion flies that pollinate the platter-size bloom. Sudan Women walk miles from their West Darfur refugee camp—and risk assault by roving militiamen—to gather wood and grass for fuel. A full sack earns some 50 cents in their camp, home to about 15,000 people.