Tagged: people

45 Sizzling Snaps & Pictures of the Year: Smoking Hot Photo Contest in the Commons

April 17th, 2014 Permalink

A decade ago, there were not tons of terrific photos to choose from in the Commons, but photographers have really stepped up by licensing their photos so people can share them along with knowledge. While you may or may not agree with the 12 Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year winners, most everyone could agree the competition was smoking hot. Categories like animals, plants, people, panoramas, nature, space, architecture and even miscellaneous objects give us a chance to go globe hopping as we celebrate these 45 sizzling snaps. Congratulations winners and thank you to all photographers who make the Commons a fountain of beautiful knowledge! Why don’t you consider uploading your photos to the Commons and maybe we’ll see you listed as a winner next year? [45 Photos]

Wikimedia Picture of the Year 2013 winner, tungsten filament burning with a flame in the light bulb

1st place winner in the Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year 2013 Contest. The photo description states, “The glass bulb of the lightbulb has been opened, causing the inert gas inside to escape. When turned on, the tungsten filament burns with a flame, due to oxygen entering the light bulb. The light bulb was screwed into a socket, which was replaced with the lamp base using image processing.” Photo #1 by Stefan Krause, Germany

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Give Thanks, Give a Card, Support Our Troops [40 PICS]

November 17th, 2012 Permalink

Thanksgiving is a great time to list out the things for which we are grateful. One of the reasons the pilgrims came to America was to have freedom. As families gather together to give thanks on Thanksgiving or see each other on Christmas, some deployed soldiers are apart from their families to ensure our freedom and protect the security of America. Even if you never see the men and women in the military, they are heroes. It is hard to be away from loved ones and family over the holidays, so if you enjoy random acts of kindness, then wouldn’t it feel great to send a smile, a little bit of cheer over the holiday season? It is a perfect time to say thank you by letting soldiers and veterans know that we appreciate them. When it comes to giving, you may be surprised how often the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard help out Santa Claus. Here’s a list of ways you can help support our troops and a look back at how some of our service men and women celebrated the holiday season in years past. [40 Photos]

Operation Enduring Freedom Afgahanistan wilderness holiday greetings

Wilderness holiday greetings from the U.S. military to us. Would you consider sending a holiday card back? Holiday Mail for Heroes: If you are looking for ways to support, honor or lift the morale of U.S. military service members and veterans who protect our security and freedom, then the Red Cross is currently accepting holiday cards. Once signed and scanned for safety, Red Cross volunteers will sort and deliver them to service members, veterans and their families across the country and around the world. Cards must be postmarked by Friday, December 7. If you see this at another time and wish to honor or thank our soldiers, there is a long list of organizations that send Cards, Letters, Gifts, and Care Packages to our troops and wounded veterans. Photo #1 by Heidi’s mom

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Hitchcock’s The Birds & Poe’s The Raven: When Birds Are Sci-Fi-like Scary [60 PICS]

October 26th, 2012 Permalink

When the woods is Brothers Grimm scary was sort of far out, fun and freaky, so here’s another peculiar collection where spectacular flocks inspired some photographers to think of Alfred Hitchcock‘s The Birds or Edgar Allen Poe‘s The Raven. Flocks can be beautiful, peaceful but then . . . when the birds are scary? [60 Photos, 2 Videos]

Boreray

Boreray. Tribute to Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. Photo #1 by steve_w

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49 Phenomenal Photos from National Geographic Traveler Photography Contest

August 25th, 2012 Permalink

National Geographic Traveler magazine reported receiving more than 12,000 entries from 6,615 talented photographers in 152 countries around the globe for its 24th annual traveler photo contest. Photos, like music, are subjective and stir up different emotions for different people. What makes each of us unique also guides us to individually interpret art as it influences us. The winners have been chosen, but it must have been extremely difficult to select the best from four travel photography categories: Sense of Place, Outdoor Scenes, Travel Portraits, and Spontaneous Moments. Over the 14 weeks of the contest, the editors picked their favorites among the many awesome shots and turned them into wallpaper. Here’s a look at few of those winning photos and many more that seemed like winners to us. While National Geographic often runs various photo contests in different categories, did you know that it also has photography guides and free tips like the “Ultimate Field Guide to Photography” to help photographers take better photos? Even if you don’t travel, if you keep your camera handy then you might be ready to snap a spontaneous moment that happens around you. Maybe next year you can enter the traveler’s photo contest? We can’t encourage you strongly enough to browse through the 12,000 traveler photo entries. You can be awed while virtual globe hopping and have a ‘staycation’ if you can’t afford a vacation to travel right now . . . all thanks to National Geographic which is kind enough to share these images with all of us. Congratulations and thank you to all the talented photographers! Keep up the great work and fantastic captures! [49 Phenomenal Photos]

Family Time Outdoor Scenes a mother's love

Family Time: One of the Outdoor Scenes in the National Geographic Travel Photo Contest. The winners have been chosen, but all of these photos seem like winners to us! There’s nothing like a father’s and a mother’s love. “A lion and lioness share some quality time with their cubs.” Location: Governor’s Camp, Kenya. Photo #1 and “quoted” caption by © Brandon Harris/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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Celebrating World Photography Day with Wikimedia Commons Pictures of the Year

August 14th, 2012 Permalink

August 19, 2012, is World Photography Day. This is great opportunity to say thank you to photographers. Without photographers licensing their awesome captures as Creative Commons, we wouldn’t be able to share so many awesome works of art. Once upon a time there were not nearly so many quality images licensed under Creative Commons, but that continues to change. We wanted to celebrate World Photography Day by showcasing the Wikimedia Commons Pictures of the Year, decided at the last part of June 2012. There were all sorts of categories in this Sixth Annual Wikimedia Commons POTY Contest, so here are extremely varied subjects that were declared Picture of the Year winners. Congratulations! [31 Photos]

WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY DAY, Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year 1st place: View of Lake Bondhus in Norway, and in the background of the Bondhus Glacier, part of the Folgefonna Glacier

Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year 2011 #1 with 143 votes in Final. A view of the lake Bondhus in Norway. In the background a view of the Bondhus Glacier as a part of the Folgefonna GlacierView of Lake Bondhus in Norway, and in the background of the Bondhus Glacier, part of the Folgefonna Glacier. Photo #1 by Alchemist-hp (www.pse-mendelejew.de)

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Happy Independence Day America!

July 3rd, 2012 Permalink

Happy Birthday America! As you celebrate Independence Day, spare a thought for our troops and for their families. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Happy Birthday USA!

Happy Birthday USA! Photo #1 by ppalmward

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Adrenaline Junkies Cave Diving Vortex Spring [Pics, Videos]

June 28th, 2012 Permalink

Vortex Spring produces 28 million gallons of crystal clear freshwater, not saltwater, and holds at a steady year-round temperature of 68 degrees. It’s located right outside Ponce de Leon, Florida. Yet instead of the famed Fountain of Youth, the commercial dive location is famous for teaching people how to cave dive . . . and a bit infamous for all the cave divers who have died there. We had not heard of this unusual yet beautiful piece of paradise, but we hope you find it as fascinating and mysterious as we do. From professional cave divers to curious adrenaline junkies, adventurers travel far and wide to dive the Vortex. There are more than 1,600 feet of underwater passageways. At 310 feet down, there is a locked steel gate that bars the way into the cave so the inexperienced and uncertified will not risk the underwater grim reaper. Sometimes even qualified divers get lost; sometimes they dive into the Vortex but they don’t come out. [32 Photos, 5 Videos]

Friendly fish at Vortex Springs

When you think of Florida and diving, “freshwater” might not be your first thought. But Vortex Spring is a popular diving area for professional, experienced and even beginning divers. It offers training classes for scuba diving as well as being a top ranked spot to become certified. The water is cool, a constant 68° and does not become stagnant due to the constant flow of water that also helps keep it clear. The photographer called this ‘Larry’s pets.’ Photo #1 by © Barry Shively

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Memorial Day Tribute: Appreciating U.S. Military Personnel [43 PICS]

May 24th, 2012 Permalink

In 1868, three years after the Civil War ended, it was decided to decorate the graves of those who died in the war. Although it wasn’t yet called Memorial Day, it did begin with the idea of remembering and honoring soldiers. Americans do still visit graves and attend Memorial Day services, but over the years Memorial Day has morphed into a three day weekend of barbecues, boating and the opening of city swimming pools. We wanted to show our appreciation of the people in the military who put their lives on the line for America. Like in hug a soldier, these photos certainly don’t include everyone, but we liked them. This tribute is our way of saying thank you to our troops for all that you do and thank you to military families for the sacrifice and separation you endure. We appreciate you and Happy Memorial Day! [43 Photos]

U.S. Service members with the Texas Military Forces participate in Game 3 of the Major League Baseball World Series in Arlington, Texas

Happy Memorial Day! We’d like to pay a tribute to people in our military as well as kick off summer and baseball! DoD Photo #1 by Staff Sgt. Eric Wilson, U.S. Air Force

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Creepy Abandoned Haunted Hospital: Soon to House Senior Citizens [70 PICS, 5 Vids]

May 19th, 2012 Permalink

How do you tell grandma or grandpa that you love them? Certainly not by putting them in a formerly abandoned and haunted hospital! Facepalm, you’ve got to be kidding me? That is just so wrong in so many different ways! The six-story Linda Vista Community Hospital, which has been abandoned since 1991, is an infamous Hollywood favorite for filming super scary movies. It also has a notorious reputation for all kinds of paranormal phenomena. After some serious renovations, the supposedly haunted hospital will be revamped into about 100 single-bedroom ‘affordable housing’ apartments — Linda Vista Senior Apartments. Do you still dispute it’s haunted after viewing the 70 photos and 5 paranormal investigation videos as ‘proof’? Even skeptics, would you want your grandma to live anywhere within the top 5 floors of these future senior living apartments? About 42% of the U.S. population admits to believing in ghosts and the decaying and creepy hospital is a hotspot for urban explorers, paranormal investigators and the curious in Los Angeles. And then there’s all those animal sacrifices and allegedly satanic rituals which leave some people asking does the devil live inside Linda Vista Hospital?

While HDR sparked epic complaints on the illegal Six Flags tour, it is an art that we especially appreciate when it comes to enhancing extremely eerie, abandoned places . . . especially ‘haunted hospitals.’ If you’d rather see an abandoned place without HDR, here is Nara Dreamland, a derelict knock-off Disneyland in Japan. Otherwise, photographers, paranormal investigators and urban explorers take us on an urbex tour of this creepy ‘haunted’ hospital. Welcome to Linda Vista, future housing for grandpa and grandma. [70 photos and 5 paranormal investigation videos]

Ray of light in the former maternity ward, abandoned Linda Vista Community Hospital

Dear “low income” senior citizen of Los Angeles, to reward you for all your struggles in life, Hollywood’s most beloved haunted hospital filming location is being refurbished so you can live there. The creepy idea is the facepalm of the day! The 88 year old hospital has been abandoned for 21 years. It’s supposedly and “scientifically” proven to be haunted. Here you see a ray of light in the former maternity ward of abandoned and eerie Linda Vista Community Hospital. Photo #1 by Neil Kremer

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44 Fantastic Photos of Beautiful Cherry Blossom & Kite Festival in DC

March 29th, 2012 Permalink

Ah beautiful cherry blossoms, kites and love is in the Spring air. It’s that time again for the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. It would be a great time to see DC since there is also a Blossom Kite Festival, previously called the Smithsonian Kite Festival. An estimated 1 million people will come to witness the events while the cherry blossoms are blooming. With the cost of gas astronomical, here are 44 fantastic photos, a tour for those of you who won’t be able to attend the Cherry Blossom Festival and Blossom Kite Festival this weekend. [44 Photos]

Cherry Blossom Festival time -- Squirrel nibbling on cherry blossoms

Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C.: A squirrel nibbling on cherry blossoms. The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., commemorates the March 27, 1912, gift of Japanese cherry trees from Mayor Ozaki of Tokyo City to DC. Photo #1 by © Fumiko Yarita via National Geographic Wallpaper

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New Year’s Midnight Kiss: Wishing you romance & crazy love in 2012 [60 PICS]

December 28th, 2011 Permalink

At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, it is a custom for couples to embrace and kiss in joyous celebration and to set the tone for the new year. On New Year’s Eve “an optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves,” stated Bill Vaughan. We wish you the magic of a midnight kiss, that crazy romantic kind of love where you are more lost in each other than where you are and who might be watching . . . Or who might be armed with a camera to catch the candid moments of expressing love and passion. If someone yells, “Get a room,” you probably got more caught up in the public display of affection than you realized. But who cares? You only live once. Here’s a candid collection of stolen kisses, romantic moments, and love quotes to live by. Happy New Year! Now get to kissing! [60 Photos]

Dance with me

Dance with me. As the clock strikes midnight, many couples embrace the tradition of kissing to ring in the New Year. And a kiss is a great way to begin a new year, hoping that romantic spark of love and passion continues for the next 12 months. “In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.” ~ Janos Arany quote. Photo #1 by Noukka Signe

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Psychedelic Pow Wow Party: Happy Thanksgiving! [50 PICS]

November 22nd, 2011 Permalink

At the first Thanksgiving there were 53 pilgrims and 90 Native Americans who feasted for three days. Yet when you look at the First Thanksgiving history, art shows mostly pilgrims outfitted in clothing that they probably didn’t wear and a small amount of Native Americans. The depicted scenes irk me as it’s all about the pilgrims and totally skewed — or perhaps screwed which is where the pilgrims would have been without help from Native Americans. The new colonists were suffering illness and malnutrition, and most likely would not have survived had it not been for Native American, Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe. Squanto helped forge an alliance between the settlers and the Wampanoag tribe. So this is a bit different for a Thanksgiving post, but hey what can I say other than be thankful and hope you enjoy the very beautifully and brightly-colored pow wows. Happy Thanksgiving! [50 Fantastic Photos]

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Once upon a time, long before white settlers came to the New World, Native Americans had many celebrations to honor the seasons such as Harvest Time in the fall. We don’t hear about that much, instead the focus is on Thanksgiving. We do hear about pow wows which honor the old Native American ways, yet are social events that both Native Americans and non-Native Americans attend to dance, to sing, and to honor culture and a rich heritage. Since we’ve done a trio of Navajo Nation tributes, we thought a Thanksgiving Pow Wow might be a cool way to celebrate. Photo #1 ‘The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth’ (1914) by Jennie A. Brownscombe” & #2 The First Thanksgiving Oil on canvas By Jean Leon Gerome Ferris & #3 by R.A. Whiteside

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