I can't sleep…
“The photo is taken near Andaman islands while diving with a unique elephant, who likes to swim in the sea. It is one of the brightest experiences I’ve ever had.” ((Mike Korostelev)
Don’t miss other fantastic photos: The year’s most breathtaking travel destinations, from National Geographic’s 2015 Traveler Photo Contest
Photographer Jonathan Yeap Chin Tiong’s photographs on synchronized swimming in Singapore has made the short-list of Sony World Photography Awards. More than 170,000 images compete for the award.
See more of the finalists photos here: See 30 of the Best Photos Short-Listed in the Sony World Photography Awards
SMWI* = Saturday Morning Work-Out Inspiration
Matt Story studied art from an early age and demonstrated a unique skill for hyper-realism. “I was lauded for ‘photo-realistic’ technique, but I was never after that, really, after what a camera impartially sees, because there’s so much more there, captured only by the human filter of memory. We all posses these invisible imprints, through experience and living, but often its only artists who can play it back for us, to remind us. The paint surface needs to be a mirror for the viewer, reflecting back not his or her superficial self, but a deep shared humanness. This is the essence of looking at a piece that’s totally unfamiliar to you and yet, being awed with a sense of recognition. Your reactions, those memories and feelings are uniquely yours but you’re suddenly filled with a sense that, you share them, at least with the artist, but probably even with everyone else. That of course is art at its best: the artist, sometimes doesn’t even know what he’s doing because he’s a conduit of his or her own collective awareness.” (Find Story’s full bio here: MattStory.com)
Good news: Our friend Mr. Polar Bear is taking us on a soothing, rhythmic swim in the frosty arctic waters.
Less good news (and defeats the entire zen purpose of this post: Climate change is pulling the sea ice out from under polar bears’ feet, forcing them to swim longer distances to find food and habitat. Long-distance swimming puts polar bears at risk of drowning due to fatigue or rough seas.)
Source: Biomorphosis via Carol @ Radiating Blossom. (Thank you Carol)
