Three Pictures

This photo was shot by Alfred Eisenstaedt. He also took this photo and although it is much more famous, I really like this one, too. Eisenstaedt is famous for his spontaneous WWII photos. Part of the spontaneity behind his work is that the individuals were never named, so this couple still goes unknown, as far as I am aware. There's something really cool about being insanely famous and not having any idea about it.

http://twink.tumblr.com/post/147366013/a-serviceman-gets-a-goodbye-kiss-before-shipping

This fireman saved the doberman from a house fire. There is so much genuine emotion behind this thank you and its all caught in an instantaneous moment on film. So sweet. Also - I stumbled upon this photo from a forwarded email from my mother back in 2005 (when forwarding email chains were still slightly acceptable...). It just goes to show you how you can find good art, good stories and good inspiration anywhere.
http://nyc_dog_blog.downtownpet.com/2007_09_01_archive.html

Who knew a multi-colored afghan and a one-piece red swimsuit could continue to defy the standards of sexy in modern society. This photo catapulted  Farrah Fawcett to fame, but was just a spontaneous moment that was set-up by total accident at the photo shoot that particular day. It's a natural photograph from top to bottom and really captures the spirit of something beautiful.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/dp-nws-farrah-swimsuit,0,2812458.story

Photos

This first image I chose is a visual that often pops up in many of the music magazines I read. The man in the bubble is Wayne Coyne, the lead singer of psychedelic rock group The Flaming Lips. Coyne is notorious for pulling this stunt at all of the band's shows and The Flaming Lips are best known for their on-of-a-kind live show that is done on such a grand scale that they rarely play concerts that aren't part of a music festival. This particular photo was taken at the Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco last fall. I have never seen them play live, but whenever I see pictures of him rolling in a plastic ball through a massive sea of outstretched hands it makes me want to catch one of their shows. Photo: Fader Magazine

The second photo I chose was a picture of James Dean from the 1955 film "Rebel Without A Cause." I've been a big fan of James Dean ever since I discovered that he is from my home state of Indiana. He was one of the original badasses. He epitomized the ideal of live fast, die young. This picture depicts the look he was known for, most notably the D.A. hair and the cigarette hanging out of his mouth. It also is one of the few photos of Dean where there is even a trace of a smile on his face. He was one of those "tortured souls" so he seldom would smile in pictures. He also is a great actor. I am not really someone who likes old movies, but I genuinely enjoyed "Rebel Without A Cause." Photo: theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com.

This last photo requires a little explanation. When I was little, having a Supersoaker meant that you were just a little bit cooler than everyone else on the block. The bigger the better, and if it had two spray nozzles, you were set for life. That is the reason why my inner 8-year-old went nuts when I found out that my brother (the picture above) was going to be "the guy on the Supersoaker boxes." I just bought the gun with his face on it at Target and, no lie, it's probably going to be mounted proudly on a wall in my apartment somewhere. Photo: homebase.co.uk

Photos

I had to get a screenshot of this because of copyright rules, but this is from the Lens blog at the NYT. I love that it shows the division of pro-Mubarak and anti-government protestors in Egypt. This shows how close in proximity the opposing forces are to each other, but none of the protestors are wielding weapons any larger than rocks. Because the masses of people span beyond the confines of the photo in both directions, it gives viewers an idea of the magnitude of the protests.

I knew I wanted a picture from 9/11 in this entry because there are so many striking examples to choose from, but I chose this one because it offers a different perspective than most. This is a New York Times picture taken at the Newseum (if you haven't been, you should go. It's definitely worth a trip to Washington, D.C.). As this picture shows, their 9/11 exhibit includes the remains of the north tower, a wall of September 12, 2001 front pages, and a repeating video of survivor stories. Something about the charred remains of the tower makes for a visually overwhelming and unforgettable experience.

On a much lighter note, I remember coming across this photo from the AJC while I was stuck inside during the snow days, complaining about cabin fever. This photo was quite a contrast from the images of cars sliding on icy roads and pedestrians making the hazardous treks to the grocery store that had previously filled my Twitter feed. I love the expression the dog seems to have- it doesn't care about the problems the snow has caused, it just wants to catch a snowball. It reminded me to at least try to enjoy what is a somewhat rare event in Athens. After all, when you live in Georgia you can't count on seeing snow every year...unless it's the week before spring break.

Some Pretty Stuff I Found.

Snatched from "The New Yorker"'s blog "Photo Booth" about a the exhibit "Of Beauty and Being," this image—apparently a composite taken in 1995 and 2010—stands out to me because of its play of planes, and because of the craaaazy interior decorating.


Taken from some random Flickr stream, what I like most about this photo is the reflecting planes, and the sense that you're seeing everything, all at once. Do I care that it might be photoshopped? Not at all.

Finally, because I have to give a local shoutout, Dina Zolan—a resident photog for "The Red & Black—snapped this photo during the snowpocalypse. The clash of light against the tunneling, forced perspective makes that most awful of cold-frozen things not awful.

Sarah Osbourne

Okay, here it goes...

My first photo is from Time magazine (online). It is a photo from the rioting in Egypt. The reason I like it is the angle of the photo, and I think it captures the severity of the situation going on in the country. It is one thing to read the numerous articles about what is happening, but I believe a photo is much more moving and personal.



This is a photo from the Time magazine website, as well. It is a photo of an artist by the name of Seth Kirby viewing his own artwork at an exhibition. I love the photo because I think it would be extremely challenging to capture, and I think it makes an interesting composition. I also think it is meaningful that the photographer could capture an artist admiring his own work in a unique manner.




This photo shows a seagull covered in oil after an oil rig collapsed. It is from Time magazine online, as well. This photo is admirable to me because I think it is very simple, yet has a huge impact. Many people were outraged at the oil spill, and the environmental damage resulting in this oil spill was horrific. I think this photo does a wonderful job of capturing this.




The end!!

Photos

First, I have posted a photo of the inside of a hot air balloon. I like this picture because it is taken in a angle that is not normally seen. Also the photo really conveys the size of the object and the small size of the person in comparison. The color also grabs attention.

I like this next picture of a volcano because of the clam surrounding and the chaotic explosion of colors. The flames and ash are shot in a way that look like they are going to fall on top of the houses. This photo grabbed my attention because of the way it was taken and the interesting subject.

Finally I love this photo called Notice. Even though it is supposed to be funny, the composition of the picture is really nice. I like the strange orange face and the handwriting. I also like the fact that you can tell this is really on a street somewhere creeping people out every day.

Photos

I have a lot of different interests when it comes to photograpy. It was really hard to narrow these down to three but here it is.

This first picture is from Wildflowers Photography. Here is their blog. They are currently my favorite portrait/wedding photographers. I love this image partially because I think photographing kids is possibly the cutest thing ever and partially because I am obsessed with vintage cameras.


This image is by Steve McCurry who is a famous National Geographic photograher. The detail in this image is incredible. I love how he was able to capture the movement of the smoke, every crevice of his face and that intense look in his eyes. There is so much story telling to his portraits. I hope one day to be half as talented as him.












This last picture I first saw when I visited the Newseum in Washington, D.C. There is a whole exhibit for the Pulitzer Prize Photographs and I was absolutely inspired. I now have the book of all the photographs. This was shot by Kevin Carter and here is his story.

Photos

This picture was taken by one of my good friends Ashley Connell. I just think its a beautiful shot, and such a precious calf. We were exploring a dairy in Lexington Ky when this was taken. My dad sent this photo into Hoards Dairyman Magazine, and it ended up becoming the cover shot.

The next two photos were taken by my friend Heather Maynard. She has a growing photography business in Athens, and is the photographer to many of the kids I babysit. I always enjoy reading her blog and following her photos. This little boy is close to my heart because I have been babysitting him since he was born. I just love the simplicity and colors in this photo. His eyes are so stunning, and the photo really captures the moment.

So I guess my blog consists of kids and animals. This photo combines the two. I just love the look on this dogs face. It is priceless.I love the eye contact and only seeing the heads of the twin babies. It think Heather did a great job capturing this sweet moment in a creative way.

Sophie's Photos

Robert Doisneau's "Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville." This one's hanging on my wall at home. I've always loved this photo. I like that while the couple kisses, the others around them pass by, as if they do not notice. It's nice and I think it really captures the moment.









I took this photo.
It's my boyfriend on Amelia Island.
This was an awesome day to be out on the beach because of all the reflection on the sand. I don't know much about photography and what makes a good picture, but I think this is a cool one.










Another photo that I took of my friend Hannah and some sheep in Newfoundland. It's essentially the edge of North America and we were joking that you could see Ireland in the distance. I like this photo because it accentuates how small everything is compared to the vast landscape.

Mis Favoritas Picturas

Photo Attribution: Summer Nelson

My friend Summer took all three of these photos in her backyard.  She has an amazing knack for capturing the simple beauty in nature.  Whether it's a wilting flower that gets overlooked everyday or a beautiful insect in its natural habitat I love the simple beauty of her pictures.  The first one is one of my favorites (it's actually my twitter background :P) because of the contrast in the color of the flowers with the gray background.  I know that on a gloomy day such as the ones we've been having lately, the last thing I would think to do is stop and look at the budding nature around me (which is what she did).  Now dragonfly's can beat their wings 28 beats per second, so to capture the wings at perfect extension is pretty cool.  And lastly, butterflies are like my favorite thing.  The power of transformation over their short life from something creepy and crawly to something elegant and graceful is quite beautiful.  That's why I love butterflies and especially this picture of one.   

Photos

I don't have a stock of favorite photos or photographers, so I've just decided to find pictures about things that I like. It turns out that I mostly like pictures of landscapes/places. Enjoy!

I love this National Geographic picture because of the geography of the setting. You can see the erosions in the earth and the grooves of the land. It reminds me of flying and looking down at all the cutouts in the earth, the little squares and patches of land that you can't see from the ground.

This picture came from some guy's blog, but the important thing is that it's a picture of SAN ANTONIO. I'm obsessed with this city and, more importantly, the Riverwalk, which is what you see here. I love the colors, the boats, the people and everything. When I visited, a Cinderella carriage drove over one of the bridges as I was just strolling down the Riverwalk with friends. It's just magic there, and you can almost feel it by looking at this picture.

This is a picture of Leary, Ga. It's a picture of a teeny tiny farming town. It also happens to be the place where I grew up. I love this picture because it represents everything Leary is--small, deserted, beautiful. The other pictures on Brian Brown's website are amazing, too. But this one is my favorite because of the railroad. I cross it every time I drive through town because it's literally in the middle of town. It's about the only thing left intact in the whole place.

Drew Davis's Favorite Photos

My friend James Roh is an amazing photographer who is about to graduate from Ohio University. He does profile pieces on social issues taking place throughout Ohio and predominately uses photos to tell stories of the people affected by the issue he's discussing. These particular photos are from a piece he did on homelessness in Ohio. He followed a couple, Del and Bev (pictured at the bottom), that recently became homeless in August of 2008 after battling substance abuse and a tough economy. He documented their struggle to rebuild their lives completely sober. I thought the photography was beautiful and revealing. He even captured them dumpster diving for food. He more recently did a piece on strippers, which also surprisingly captured really beautiful moments. You can check out more of his stuff (including the stripper photos - which I didn't know if I could include on this blog) at Jame's blog.