Jerusalem, Israel

The courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is packed with people right through the day. But, as evening closes in, the crowds abate and the aura changes. A few linger to pray quietly. For some, like this sister from Africa, it may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to draw close to Jesus at the very place where he made the ultimate sacrifice. [2010]

Denver, Colorado, USA

Well before Interstate highways carried 'slope dopes' into the mountains, the Ski Train did the job. It left from Denver's Union Station in the morning and returned in the afternoon. That era came to a close in 2009. So much for sensible mass transportation. [2005]

New Oxford, Pennsylvania, USA

Despite attempts at informal education, motorcycle fatalities have failed to abate. In the year this photo was taken, over 4500 people were killed in motorcycle accidents in the United States. Half the people killed in a typical year are not wearing helmets. Now, look at the photo again. [2005]

Watertown, South Dakota, USA

If your ancestors arrived on the Dakota prairie only a hundred years ago, this is where they lived. Imagine surviving winter here under a blanket of snow and cut off from lifelines to civilization. Sod houses eventually gave way to wood, and abandonment of pioneer farmsteads followed as mechanization created new economies of scale. [2007]

Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico

When you find a plaza in Mexico, look for a church, basilica, or cathedral on its verge. It's a repetitive geographic association on the cultural landscape of Roman Catholic America. This is the church built to honor the Virgin of Zapopan. It was consecrated as a basilica in 1939, but its foundations go back to 1689. [2008]

Athens, Greece

He was doing nothing more than taking pictures of a parade and sending them to his friends. Across the Med, in Egypt, the same technology was becoming just as popular. But there, the cell phone and its sequelae had a different role to play in history. Today in Cairo, the ground hog is heralding the coming of a Periclean spring. We hope! [2006]

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

In 1916, Sydney’s government decided to locate the Taronga Zoo right on the city's harbor. As a result, many long-necked ungulates have a better view of the city’s skyline than human bipeds. In fact, it's a 'beautiful view,' which is what taronga means. [2006]