This photographer was also featured in Earth Observatory's Image of the Day on 3/12/13. 

Date and Location:
September 25th, 2010
Mount Roy, in Wanaka, New Zealand - looking towards Mount Aspiring.

How this Photo Was Taken:
"(not exactly a cool story but) - Hiking a few kilometers through the snow, was worth it for this view."

Date and Location:
January 14th, 2013
North Side of Mount Shasta (in Siskiyou County, California), on highway US 97. 

How this Photo Was Taken:
"While driving south on Highway US 97 on the North side of Mt. Shasta, I saw how the cloud was forming into this awesome view. I posted the picture in Instagram and Facebook and my teenage son said 'Dad, that picture looks like an alien spaceship over the mountain.' "

Date and Location:
8:08 AM on January 15th, 2013
Taken from the MacDonald Observatory, Texas

How this Photo Was Taken:
"This photo was taken just after local sunrise, from the catwalk of the 107" / 2.7M Harlan J. Smith Telescope Dome at McDonald Observatory at the summit of Mt. Locke.

(Instagram Submission)

Date and Location:
December 2012
Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan

How this Photo Was Taken:
"This photo was taken at 6:26am, a beautiful sunrise on my 30th birthday."

About Photographer Kristen:
http://instagram.com/bnxx