A selection from the amazing finalists of the Smithsonian.com’s 12th annual photo contest.

This pulse-pounding picture of cheetah cubs hunting a fawn in Tanzania that has you rooting for the cats one moment and the fawn the next:

Eng Siong Yeo / Via smithsonianmag.com

This awe-inspiring photograph of the Manhattan Bridge in fog that finds tranquility in the city that never sleeps:

Az Jackson / Via smithsonianmag.com

This astonishing shot of a snake swallowing a frog in the rain in Costa Rica that displays beauty can even be found in death:

Nicolas Reusens / Via smithsonianmag.com

This bright, cheery shot of Palouse, Washington that proves you don't always need a rain jacket in the Pacific Northwest:

Ernest Wright / Via smithsonianmag.com

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