Animal World

Friday, April 26, 2013

‘Medusa’ Lake Turns Animals to Stone

In Greek mythology, Medusa was a monster with the face of a human female and a head of venomous snakes for hair. Gazing directly upon her would turn any creature to stone.

In northern Tanzania, Lake Natron has had similar effects—on birds in particular. As part of his latest book, Across the Ravaged Land, award-winning photographer Nick Brandt explains:

“I unexpectedly found the creatures – all manner of birds and bats – washed up along the shoreline of Lake Natron in Northern Tanzania. No-one knows for certain exactly how they die, but it appears that the extreme reflective nature of the lake’s surface confuses them, and like birds crashing into plate glass windows, they crash into the lake. The water has an extremely high soda and salt content, so high that it would strip the ink off my Kodak film boxes within a few seconds. The soda and salt causes the creatures to calcify, perfectly preserved, as they dry. I took these creatures as I found them on the shoreline, and then placed them in ‘living’ positions, bringing them back to ‘life’, as it were. Reanimated, alive again in death.” [Source]

The arresting images below were taken with a medium format Pentax 67II. Each roll of film comes with only 10 shots and there is no zoom, auto-focus, auto-metering, motor drive or image stabilizing lenses. Brandt only uses two fixed lenses, a 35mm (standard 50mm equivalent) and a 100mm. You can read more about his preference for film and his inspiration for this book in a personal essay entitled, I am the Walrus [PDF].

Across the Ravaged Land is the third and final volume in Brandt’s trilogy of books documenting the disappearing animals of eastern Africa. The book offers a darker vision of this world, still filled with a stunning beauty but now tragically tainted and fast disappearing at the hands of man.

In addition to a range of starkly powerful animal portraits, Brandt introduces some new themes, as humans make an appearance for the first time. He also contributes two essays summing up his photographic odyssey, which has taken more than a decade of intensive work to complete.

[via Gizmodo, New Scientist]

visit NICKBRANDT.COM for more

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Saturday, April 20, 2013

Portraits of Dogs, Mid-Shake

In 2011, animal photographer Carli Davidson took a series of dogs portraits, mid-shake. Every dog owner (or unsuspecting passersby) know the shake well. What better way to rid oneself of excess water than a violent contortion of the body?

The photos were a worldwide hit garnering millions of views and putting the Portland-based photographer on the map. Earlier this week, Davidson released Shake, a 144-page hardcover book featuring sixty-one different dogs in 130 full-page portraits.

You can buy the book through your preferred online retailer by visiting shakethebook.com. To keep up with the latest from Carli, be sure to check her out at the online links below.

CARLI DAVIDSON

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Photograph by CARLI DAVIDSON

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Photograph by CARLI DAVIDSON

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Photograph by CARLI DAVIDSON

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Photograph by CARLI DAVIDSON

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Photograph by CARLI DAVIDSON

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Photograph by CARLI DAVIDSON

Shake the book

Photograph by CARLI DAVIDSON

Saturday, March 16, 2013

10 Outstanding Highlights from the 2013 Nat Geo Photo Contest

National Geographic invites photographers from around the world to enter the 2013 National Geographic Photography Contest. The grand-prize winner will receive $10,000 (USD) and a trip to National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., to participate in the annual National Geographic Photography Seminar in January 2014.

Eligible contestants can visit www.ngphotocontest.com to submit photographs in one or all of three categories: People,Places and Nature. Entry fee is $15 (USD) per photo, and there is no limit to the number of submissions per entrant. The contest, which is now open, ends Saturday, Nov. 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET (U.S.).

The Sifter’s friends at National Geographic were kind enough to share a collection of images from the contest that I could choose from and use to feature on the site. Below you will find 10 outstanding entries from this year’s contest. For more info be sure to visit www.ngphotocontest.com.

To see a list of all current entries, visit: http://on.natgeo.com/1ggSg6i

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© Graham McGeorge/National Geographic Photo Contest

Eastern Screech Owls like to take over woodpecker nests that have been dug out over the years in pine trees, which are the main species of tree at this swamp. Fish and wildlife also paint a white ring around the base of a tree that has active nests in order to avoid when conducting controlled burns. Screech owls can range in height anywhere from 8-10 inches, so you have to have a sharp eye to find these little birds of prey. I spent the first few weeks of April this year photographing the grey morph screech owl that was living in the nest and had no idea there were three owlets inside.

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© Antonio Chiumenti/National Geographic Photo Contest

Carezza Lake is a pearl of the Dolomiti. Nestled between an ancient forest of grand firs and the Latemar Mountain is place of legends and beauty. A nymph lives under its emerald waters. I threw a little stone in the water to add a little mystery to the scene.

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© Yosuke Kashiwakura/National Geographic Photo Contest

The Saidai-ji Eyo festival, considered one of the three strangest festivals of Japan, is a Buddhist ritual in which 9000 men compete to grab just a pair of sacred wooden batons to decide who will be the “Blessed man” for the year. The over 500 year-old tradition of Eyo is based on an underlying understanding of the state of human life, greater than the ideals and trends of a single generation, and this idea has been cherished and passed down through the centuries.

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© Scott Bechtel/National Geographic Photo Contest

While photographing hummingbirds in British Columbia I shot this male Rufous just as he fanned out to show his authority when another male Rufous appeared over my head.

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© Gavin Hardcastle/National Geographic Photo Contest

Autumn sun pours into Punch Bowl Falls to create some stunning atmospherics. I didn’t have long to capture the moving light beams so I frantically started shooting as soon as I arrived on the scene.

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© Melih Sular/National Geographic Photo Contest

This area known as Çankr Salt Cave and believed that it was operated by Hittites (3000 BC), since 5000 years. This area has the largest rock salt reserve in Turkey. This area stated 25 km. east from Çankr and rock salt production made by the mining method, room and pillar system. Although a relatively narrow entrance gallery, the galleries where production made resemble highway tunnels. Salt cavities, 400 m. under the earth’s crust, thick of blood vessel, separated orderly room and pillars. In other words, parallel galleries designed in salt cavities.

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© Graham Erik Mandre/National Geographic Photo Contest

The picture is captured using special hide placed to the primeval forest in Finland. High trees offer protection to the brown bear cubs being vitally important to survive from all dangers around them. Bear cubs are threatened especially by the other male bears, who might attack and take their lives without any doubt. Thus fast climbing on tree is one of the most important skills for bear cubs in order to survive and they are always ready for it.

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© Teruo Araya/National Geographic Photo Contest

Taken at Mishima town in Fukushima pref. The first train goes across the railway bridge through in morning mist. The train moves forward little by little slowly.

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© Erin Wallis/National Geographic Photo Contest

Westley Wade was born pre-maturely at 28 weeks due to complications with pre-eclampsia. In this image, his adoring parents were just told that depending on test results their baby who weighed less than 2 pounds could potentially need heart surgery. As his parents emotionally looked down at him through cords and wires, this warrior new born (4 day old) baby boy Westley shot his hand up straight for them as if to let them know, that everything would in fact, be alright. Gratefully, it was and is. Westley is now 10 pounds 9 oz at 4.5 months and continues to amaze everyone who crosses his path.

Friday, March 8, 2013

10 Notable Entries from the 2013 Nat Geo Photo Contest

National Geographic invites photographers from around the world to enter the 2013 National Geographic Photography Contest. The grand-prize winner will receive $10,000 (USD) and a trip to National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., to participate in the annual National Geographic Photography Seminar in January 2014.

Eligible contestants can visit www.ngphotocontest.com to submit photographs in one or all of three categories: People,Places and Nature. Entry fee is $15 (USD) per photo, and there is no limit to the number of submissions per entrant. The contest, which is now open, ends Saturday, Nov. 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET (U.S.).

The Sifter’s friends at National Geographic were kind enough to share a second collection (previous) of images from the contest that I could choose from and use to feature on the site. Below you will find 10 notable entries from this year’s contest. For more info be sure to visit www.ngphotocontest.com.

To see a list of all current entries, visit: http://on.natgeo.com/1ggSg6i

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© Mark Bridger/National Geographic Photo Contest

A large red deer stag calling to the hinds in the bracken one misty autumn morning.

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© Ian Schofield/National Geographic Photo Contest

A Little Owl (R) defends its feeding position from a Great spotted woodpecker (L) with both birds showing their full colours with dramatic full wing extensions.

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© Morkel Erasmus/National Geographic Photo Contest

Breathe in. Breathe out. That was the message I was repeating in my head, both to myself and to the lioness in front of me. We had sat with this pride since about 30 minutes prior to sunrise as two totally oblivious adolescent elands strolled closer and closer. This was the deciding moment. This was the tension. I pre-focused on the lioness and waited for the antelope to stroll into my viewfinder. Click. This shot means more to me than the entire sequence I captured afterward, in which it ends pretty badly for the eland. I captured this moment in the Kalahari Desert.

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© Matt Smith/National Geographic Photo Contest

An over/under water split level image of beautiful crimson red waratah anemones in a rock pool at low tide. What I really love about over/under photographs is that it gives the underwater element a sense of place. For the viewer it marries the underwater environment with our own familiar world. It links the unknown with the known.

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© Allen Walker/National Geographic Photo Contest

Cape Gannets diving down to feed on Anchovies that have been driven close to the surface by circling predators of the Wild Coast of the Transkei, South Africa.

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© Guido Tramontano Guerritore/National Geographic Photo Contest

Quiraing, Isle of Skye, April 06, 2013. The Quiraing is probably one of the most photographed locations in Scotland. I spent the whole previous day looking for a different point of view, since almost all pictures of this vista seem to have been taken from the same standpoint. Taken at 5.30 AM after many attempts. The lighted hill on the right is just what I was waiting for to get a much more interesting light.

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© Sara Malas/National Geographic Photo Contest

Blue Footed Boobys are known for their silly mannerisms, including their special dance presented to their mates. While in the Galapagos Islands, I managed to capture the motion of a Booby in action; what a fun looking creature and shot!

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© Francisco Mingorance/National Geographic Photo Contest

The Fennec is a surprisingly easy to domesticate animals, which easily gets used to living with humans. However, it is considered a rare and therefore having them as a pet is illegal in many areas of its range. The Fennec is the soul of the desert, a wild and free soul whose main threat is the illegal trafficking by unscrupulous thugs who do not hesitate in the least to snatch the life from the majestic dunes to change by the cold bars of a cage prison.

Friday, February 22, 2013

The Most Adorable French Bulldog on Instagram

Professional food photographer Sonya Yu is the proud owner of Trotter, the most adorable French Bulldog on Instagram. With almost 16,000 followers on Instagram alone, Sonya delights her fans with pictures of her adorable dog dressed up in various costumes.

When she’s not snapping pics of Trotter, Sonya is busy taking mouth-watering food photography. On her personal Tumblrsite you can find a very impressive portfolio of a wide range of shots, all in glorious big picture format.

Below is a small gallery of the Sifter’s personal Trotter favourites. Check out her awesome feed on Instagram for the rest :)

Sonya Yu: About.me | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter | Flickr

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Photograph by Sonya Yu

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Photograph by Sonya Yu

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Photograph by Sonya Yu

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Photograph by Sonya Yu

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Photograph by Sonya Yu

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Photograph by Sonya Yu

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Photograph by Sonya Yu

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Photograph by Sonya Yu

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Photograph by Sonya Yu

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Photograph by Sonya Yu

Friday, January 25, 2013

Back in February, the Sifter profiled the wonderful work of Seth Casteel. His series of underwater dog portraits took the Internet by storm. The unexpected surge in popularity promptly shut down his website (due to a massive traffic spike), earned him 125,000 new fans on Facebook and also led to tons of press coverage and new work opportunities including: an assignment for the New York Times in Alaska and a marketing project for Walt Disney Design Studios.

The final culmination of this viral sensation is the book Underwater Dogs, which you can purchase online here. Seth was kind enough to share with the Sifter some exclusive photos from the book to celebrate today’s launch.

Check out the small gallery below and be sure to check out littlefriendsphoto.com for more pics, book info or prints!

1. Buster – Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (6 years old)