Instead of a featured photo this week, I thought I’d share a little series of images from one of the most photogenic countries I’ve ever visited: Mongolia. I could post pictures of Mongolia all year long and still not run out of photos to share – not because of my photographic skills, but because of the country itself, with its vast open landscapes, dramatic contrasts, and marvelous people. I’ve had the good fortune to visit the country twice as a tour manager for National Geographic Expeditions, and the people of Mongolia are among my favorite photographic subjects ever, thanks to their colorful costumes, welcoming smiles, and wonderful faces. It was the evidence of lives well lived in the faces of these three older women that captured my attention as they enjoyed the festivities surrounding the local Naadam festival (one of the high points of the Mongolian year), in the small town of Zuunmod, about an hour outside of the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.