Lookback on July

The Unsplash library welcomed an astounding addition of 106,779 visuals, showcasing photographs capturing hot lava to incredible starry nightscapes. Join us in exploring 20 extraordinary submissions from the month of July.

"I managed to capture this moment as I was discovering the Shiga station building in Japan, and just happened to notice the newly-painted crossing as I looked down from the platform! Having a camera gave me a reason to discover the little moments happening around me that I would have normally ignored.” — James Chan 🇭🇰

“I took this photo on my photo trip to Crete this year. I am a passionate "astroscaper". I like scenic places where it is very dark so that I can photograph the beauty of a location under the stars. This was a small nameless beach in the southwest of Crete not far from Chora-Sfakion. Crete is an island where most of the cities and tourist hotspots are in the north of the island. In the south of the island there are only a few larger settlements and a few nature reserves. So it is nice and dark and therefore perfect conditions for me to do astrophotography. I select potential locations before the trip using Google Maps, Google Earth, Flickr and other services. If I see that there are nice photos to be taken during the day and the location is suitable due to its orientation and low light pollution in the area then I visit the location on site before sunset, examine it, and if the conditions actually allow astrophotography, I plan the nighttime shoot. Then I wait until it gets dark and take photos. It's that simple. :)” — Evgeni Tcherkasski 🇩🇪

'I am a big fan of tennis. This illustration captures a match I saw during Roland Garros when one of the tennis players threw a ball into the crowd, and one of the audience nearly got hit by the ball. In the illustration, I wanted to add the third character in any tennis game: the crowd and how they can also be active within the game. By allowing one of the crowd members to catch the ball, I wanted to highlight that the crowd is not just a spectator; they are active team players and supporters.'' — Keva Epale 🇫🇷

“This picture captures a serene moment in the Sahara Desert, featuring a person leading a camel over the vast, undulating sand dunes. The soft, golden hues of the sand contrast beautifully with the clear, pale sky, creating a tranquil and timeless scene. The composition highlights the expansive and majestic landscape of the Sahara, emphasizing the scale and beauty of the desert environment.I was inspired by the profound beauty and simplicity of life in the Sahara. Growing up in Morocco, I have always been captivated by the desert and its people. The residents of the Sahara, with their rich cultural heritage and harmonious relationship with nature, deeply influence my work. This particular image reflects their traditional way of life, where camels, often referred to as the "ships of the desert," play a crucial role in daily transportation. The endless dunes and the resilient spirit of the desert dwellers serve as a constant source of inspiration, reminding me of the timeless beauty and enduring traditions of Morocco.” — Mehdi El marouazi 🇲🇦

“There are talented photographers and NASA who capture stunning real photos of the moon and meteor showers. I wanted to create something different, something that isn't possible in real life but still looks amazing. With 3D software, there are no limits to what we can create, so I made this image.” — Anirudh Reddy 🇮🇳

"This picture was taken from the ferry between Bodo and Moskenes, Norway, at the perfect time of day, just before sunset. The impressive rock formations of Lofoten rise magnificently from the sea, bathed in warm orange light. Notice the birds flying gracefully across the horizon, adding life to this breathtaking view." — Marek Piwnicki 🇵🇱

“This photo is my attempt to regain my inspiration. I started taking selfies every month. And this is one of them. Interesting fact: this was a test shot with almost no preparation, but it turned out better than the rest of the series.” — Julia Vivcharyk 🇺🇦

“To take this picture I had to set the alarm at 3 a.m., then drive for an hour and climb another 800 meters. But when you are rewarded with a view like this, all the effort is forgotten.” — Pascal Debrunner 🇨🇭

"I missed the first of the recent eruptions in Iceland back in 2021, so when I heard in the news about a second eruption in 2022, I immediately bought a plane ticket and hoped the eruption would last for a few more days. Immediately after I came to Iceland, I headed to the eruption site and took a moderately challenging hike to the volcano. The views were spectacular, I fulfilled one of my dreams that evening - standing next to the active volcano and this is one of the shots I took with my drone." — Tomáš Malík 🇸🇰

“This is my attempt to create a completely digital surrealistic studio portrait. I used a realistic human model with hyperrealistic skin texture and a simple studio light setup. For the surrealistic part, I created a simple composition with bright-red spheres, whose main purpose was to stand out from the general color palette of the image and capture all the attention. On top of that, I added a film-like color grade and heavy film grain for additional texture (I just really love film grain) to hide the digital look a little. The main purpose of the image is to make the viewer ask, 'What is even happening there?' and create their own meanings to this." — Alex Shuper 🇱🇻

“This picture was taken on July 4th during American Independence Day celebrations. This year I decided to stay home because of the large crowds and terrible amount of traffic in the city. I took this picture standing on the rooftop deck of my flat in the middle of San Francisco. I wanted to catch the fireworks during the big flash right before the firework fully blossomed. As you can see the flash was so bright that it lit up the immediate surrounding neighborhood and buildings. I was very pleased with how it turned out, it has almost a surreal vibe to it.” — Kellen Riggin 🇺🇸

“An abstract neon image at Ningxia Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan.  I have a fractal filter on my lens that I like to use for taking cyberpunk photos. I was out making my usual rounds and just randomly snapped this photo of the neon sign at the entrance to the market.  I always aim to create unique images that cannot be duplicated that allow people to see familiar places in a totally different light.” — Andrew Haimerl 🇺🇸

“We captured this moment during an unforgettable road trip across the Philippines, specifically on the island of Bohol. Through some dedicated research, we discovered a hidden gem – a small spot renowned for its frequent whale shark visits. The locals advised us that the best time to witness these majestic creatures was early in the morning, around 5:00 AM. With high hopes, we set out at the crack of dawn, and to our amazement, the experience exceeded all expectations. This stunning photo was taken using an underwater housing designed for mirrorless cameras, allowing us to capture the magical underwater world in vivid detail.” — Juan Boche 🇩🇪

"I had never really experimented with vehicle photography before, so this was uncharted territory for me. I captured photos from the passenger side window of my friend's car as he drove through the streets of Las Vegas. I draw a lot of inspiration from Cyberpunk and Bladerunner for my street photography. The motion blur and city lights combined to create a strikingly futuristic aesthetic for the shoot.” — Samuel Branch 🇺🇸

“We went to the zoo in the morning, we couldn’t see anything in complete darkness. We could hear animals and knew they were close. As the sun rose it silhouetted two feeding giraffes behind a vibrant orange sky on a chilly morning allowing us to witness this beautiful breakfast in our pajamas 😍” — Sebastian Ashton 🇦🇺

“I took this photo outside my office building in downtown Toronto. It's a snap of the underside of an art installation called "Evanescent" by Atelier Sisu, featuring large bubbles against the sunlight and towering office buildings. The elements of this photo—from the foil-like texture to the iridescent glow— really captures the energy of the city in the summer.” — Frank Huang 🇨🇦

“I love storytelling and doing that while capturing portraits is my favourite part. This was a high fashion/sport-inspired look and out of the numerous images I took, this image was perfect for me, it passed the story I was trying to tell. From the pose, lighting, composition and the expression of the model. You can look at the image and be instantly drawn to think deeply about it. To me, that’s everything” — Ben Iwara 🇳🇬

“I took this photo years ago on a photography trip in South Tyrol. We hiked through the Dolomites for several days and slept at the tree Crimes to capture the sunrise. Now I have rediscovered the photo on my hard drive and instantly fell in love with it.” — Johannes Kopf 🇦🇹

“Mesmerizing — A group of dolphins, swimming through in the crystal clear blue waters of Maldives. I was traveling from one island to another on a boat and all of a sudden, these beautiful creatures showed up and made my day.” — Shaain Ibrahim 🇲🇻

“During my last trip to Portugal I noticed that the beaches here are one of a kind. The sandy areas are interspersed with many rocks and caves. One beach in the Algarve region had so many hidden caves, that everyone could have their own private piece of beach, in the shade or the sun to choose from, like you can see in the photo. This was my top 1 spot, I think other people who discovered this place thought the same.” — Patrycja Chociej 🇵🇱

See you in a month when we take a look back on August!👋 (Psst, want to make the next round-up? Include a description with your submission.)