Burnouts by Simon Davidson
A burnout (also known as a peel out or power brake) is the practice of keeping a vehicle stationary (or close to) and spinning its wheels, causing the tires to heat up and smoke due to friction. Performing a burnout in a front wheel drive vehicle is likely to result in damage to the drivetrain. It is usually achieved by engaging the emergency brake (e-brake) to lock up the rear tires and flooring the gas pedal.
To perform a burnout in a rear wheel drive vehicle the driver has to simultaneously engage the gas and brake pedals. The brake pedal will require modulation, as the goal is to allow the rear tires to spin while holding the car in place with the front wheels remaining motionless. At a certain point of balance, the front brakes will prevent the car from moving forward while the rear brakes will have insufficient grip to keep the wheels from spinning, since engine power is transferred to the rear wheels only.
In expressive photos by Simon Davidson.
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The World´s Longest Tree Top Walk
Visitors of the world’s longest tree top walk between the trees of the Bavarian forest in Neuschoenau, Germany. The path, 1300 meters long and in 8 to 25m height, winds up to an impressive tower with a height of 44 meters. The wooden construction is integrated into the forest and delivers a natural experience. (Miguel Villagran/Getty Images) Continue reading »
Street Pole Dances in Poland
Pole dancers in central Poland have been honing their skills out in the streets, throwing their legs around signposts to the surprise and delight of many a passer-by. The aim was to dispel the myth about pole dancing, a discipline often associated with strippers and nightclubs.
“The reactions of the people in the streets were very good, so we thought that this is a way to popularise the sport”, explained 27-year-old instructor Natalia Stanislawska. “Coming out in the street and practicing pole dancing poles on road signs, we want to break these stereotypes. The Pole dance is a real sport and even an art that combines acrobatics, gymnastics, and fitness. It takes a lot of strength and flexibility”.
Members of the “Avocadoo” club perform a pole dance on a street sign pole in Lodz, central Poland on June 27, 2013. Talk about a traffic stopper: three pole dancers in central Poland have been honing their skills out in the streets, throwing their legs around signposts to the surprise and delight of many a passerby. (Photos by Janek Skarzynski/AFP Photo) Continue reading »
Sculptures By Susan Lordi
Susan Lordi‘s art reflects our relationships with people and the world around us. Her keen observation of the human form is further inspired by dance, art history, nature, and personal experiences with family and friends. These influences are revealed in her Willow Tree® sculptures, from which emotion is communicated through gestures only. Continue reading »
260 Elephant Sculptures
Decorative model Elephants stand in Trafalgar Square on May 4, 2010 in London, England. 260 of the decorative life size baby Elephants have been designed by established and emerging artists including Paul Smith, Marc Quinn and Julien Macdonald and have been placed across the capital in prominent places such as Buckingham Palace, Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Continue reading »
222 Golden Retrievers Frolic in a Field in Scotland
The golden retriever and its history were feted by 222 goldens and their masters who gathered from around the globe for a celebration in the breed’s ancestral Scottish Highlands home in July. Hosted by the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland, the festival is held at the abandoned home of Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, who bred the first golden retriever. (Gordon Richardson) Continue reading »
Animals/Super Heroes
The hero artworks, created by Brian Omolo, are an attempt to show a cross cultural upbringing.
“Growing up in Kenya we all loved heroes like superman and batman but also loved hearing about the mighty animals of the wild like lions, tigers and gorillas so the idea of mixing them together to see awesomeness happen was quite fascinating.” – Brian. Continue reading »
Rare Albino Hedgehogs Babies in a Private Zoo in Moscow
An albino hedgehog baby sits in a plush bed in a private Zoo in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, August 22, 2013. Three rare albino hedgehog babies, born on the same day as Britain’s new prince, have moved into a miniature castle at a Moscow petting zoo. The three are named after the Prince of Cambridge – George, Alexander and Louis. On Thursday, when they turned one month old, they were shown their new home at the All-Russia Exhibition Center. Photos by Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr./AP Photo. Continue reading »
Gun Series Project by Toronto-based Photographers
“Point Blank” is an ongoing series of handguns from around the world by Toronto-based photographer Peter Andrew, Simon Duffy and Derek Blais. Captured in extreme detail, the large-scale “portraits” are undeniably in-your-face, lending an intensity you can’t turn away from. Andrew says they are meant to be studied like you would a face, the detail and imperfections found within building a story that make us wonder where they’ve been or why and how they’ve been used. The trio has photographed seven handguns thus far and continue to build the collection.
Desert Eagle; “Point Blank” – Gun Series. (Peter Andrew/Simon Duffy/Derek Blais) Continue reading »
Life is Adventure by Marek Farkas
This series cannot get any cuter! Entitled Life is Adventure, the images portray little kittens and puppies playfully placed within elaborate scenes. To create each setting, the creative team first sketched out ideas and then used everyday household items like books, pillows, and a broom, to bring the imaginative moments to life. In the compositions, kittens ride camels, puppies sail off to sea, upside-down hangars look like seagulls, and a ring of yellow rubber gloves form a sun shining overhead. Continue reading »
Dogs Ease Namibia’s Cheetah-farmer Conflicts
Gobabis, Namibia – Winding through the parched Namibian farmland, Bonzo, an Anatolian shepherd dog, has a singular focus: protecting his herd of goats from lurking predators. He pads along, sniffing the air and marking the scrubby landscape, just like a bodyguard ready to ward off any threat to his charges, which he considers family. “They’re not pets. They’re not allowed to be pets”, said Bonzo’s owner farmer Retha Joubert. The breed descends from ancient livestock dogs used thousands of years ago in what is now central Turkey. And they not only save sheep and goats, but have handed a lifeline to Namibia’s decimated cheetah numbers by reducing conflicts between farmers and predators. “The dogs are protecting the flock in such a way that the farmers don’t have to kill predators”, said Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) which breeds the dogs near northern city Otjiwarongo. “It’s a non-lethal predator control method so it is green, it’s happy, it’s win-win”.
The concept is simple. The dogs are placed with a flock when a few weeks old to bond with the livestock. They live permanently with the animals, loyally heading out with them every day to deter hunters, and bedding down with them at night. Marker’s centre started breeding the livestock dogs to promote cheetah-friendly farming after some 10 000 big cats – the current total worldwide population – were killed or moved off farms in the 1980s. Up to 1 000 cheetahs were being killed a year, mostly by farmers who saw them as livestock killers. But the use of dogs has slashed losses for sheep and goat farmers and led to less retaliation against the vulnerable cheetah.
Anatolian Shepherd dog Bonzo (L) leads a herd of goats on Retha Joubert’s farm near near Gobabis, east of the capital Windhoek, on August 15, 2013. Five-year old Bonzo is part of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) which breeds the dogs near northern city Otjiwarongo. The dog’s behavior, harnessed in Turkey thousands of years ago, saves sheep and goats. But it has also handed a lifeline to Namibia’s decimated cheetah numbers by reducing conflicts between farmers and predators. The center started breeding the livestock dogs to promote cheetah-friendly farming after some 10,000 big cats – the current total worldwide population – were killed or moved off farms in the 1980s. (Jennifer Bruce/AFP Photo) Continue reading »
50th Anniversary of the Pirelli Calendar
“The annual Pirelli calendar brings together the world’s most beautiful women and the fashion industry’s most celebrated photographers and stylists in a celebration of the female body. Pirelli released images from its hotly anticipated 50th anniversary photoshoot featuring a stellar line-up of supermodels perfectly under-dressed and shot by renowned fashion photographers Patrick Demarchelier and Peter Lindbergh. Over the years its calendars have been designed to raise eyebrows with their provocative imagery featuring very little clothing and OTT hair and make-up design, but for the 2014 shoot the Italian tyre manufacturer has let the talent do the talking by presenting a simple studio shoot feature megastars Alessandra Ambrosio, Helena Christensen, Karolina Kurkova, Alek Wek, Miranda Kerr and Isabeli Fontana dressed in over-sized shirts and jumpers”. – Katy Winter
Pirelli celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Pirelli Calendar, bringing together Miranda Kerr, Alessandra Ambrosio, Alek Wek, Isabeli Fontana, Helena Christensen and Karolina Kurkova. (Peter Lindbergh/Patrick Demarchelier/Pirelli Images) Continue reading »
Porcelain Sculptures by Anya Stasenko and Slava Leontyev
Ukranian artists Anya Stasenko and Slava Leontyev collaborate to create delightfully quirky and unbelievably detailed miniature porcelain sculptures. Their website offers different views of many of the pieces so that you can see the elaborate paintings on these tiny pieces. I couldn’t stop smiling, always a good sign. Continue reading »
Meet Lil Bub
Lil Bub is a female “perma-kitten” house cat born with several genetic mutations causing dwarfism, polydactylism and disformed lower jaw. Bub rose to fame online after her owner Mike Bridavsky began uploading videos of her to YouTube in November 2011. Continue reading »
Photo of the Day: Be Safe, Be Seen!
A Dutch man and his mother take no chances with safety while navigating traffic with their extremely visible fluorescent scoot mobiles, equipped with a large amount and variety of horns, bells, claxons and sirens in Wassenaar, Netherlands. The couple, who dress in fluorescent safety suits and live by the motto ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’, often receive acknowlegment from passing motorists and even police patrols. (Michel Porro/Getty Images)
Kate Upton Sexy Photoshoot in Contributor Magazine
Kate Upton poses in a sexy photoshoot for Contributor Magazine. All clothes by Guess by Marciano Collection. Photography and fashion by Yu Tsai, modeling by Kate Upton@IMG, styling by Melissa Klitzke-Rubini@1 + 1 Mgmt, make up by Fiona Stiles@The Wall Group. Shoot on location in Los Angeles, CA. Continue reading »
Cricket & Larva Licket Lollipops
Insect lollipops are given to customers on a “Pop Up” stand at One New Change in London, England, on August 15, 2013. The pest control company, Rentoki, is celebrating their 85th anniversary, and for one day only were giving passers by the chance to try sweet chilli pigeon burgers, salted weaver ants, BBQ Mole Crickets and chocolate dipped worms amongst other things on their stand. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Continue reading »
Largest Mural on an Inhabited Building in the World
Steve Rolle paints the final element next to a trompe l’oeil depicting a woman and a squirrel at a window that are among features painted on the facade of the Wohngenossenschaft Soldaritaet coop apartment buildings as part of a 22,000 square meter mural in Berlin, on August 20, 2013. A group of artists working for French-based Citecreation painted the facades of the three buildings in imagery inspired by a nearby zoo and in cooperation with the buildings’ residents. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Continue reading »
A Nice Day for a Wet Wedding
Newly weds Cam Auge and Caylee Wasilenko share a kiss as they waterski in Bedwell Bay in North Vancouver, British Columbia, after exchanging vows on the dock at the Vancouver Waterski Club, on August 28, 2013. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press) Continue reading »
The World’s Largest Hot Sauce Collection
Vic Clinco owns what is thought to be the world’s largest hot sauce collection. His amazing 6,000 bottles collection from around the world includes a rare bottle of “Blair’s 16 Million Reserve”, the hottest sauce on the planet. The condiments line shelves, from floor to ceiling, in the dining room of his home in Phoenix, Arizona, as well as being crammed into cupboards and the fridge.
He has been collecting the jars for the past 17 years and is widely thought to hold the world record for a private collection. Mr Clinco, who works as a staff cook at the Four Seasons hotel, said his most expensive bottle is worth about $900 – a one of a kind – and the most he has ever paid for a bottle is $400. (Photos by Barcroft Media) Continue reading »
Kabutom RX-03 – A Large Beetle-shaped Robot
A large beetle-shaped robot “Kabutom RX-03”, made by Japanese engineer Hitoshi Takahashi, is demonstrated in Higashi Ibaraki province, Japan, on August 15, 2013. The robot is 11-meters in length and weighing 17-tonnes, can walk with its six legs and can also blow smoke from its nose. (Photos by Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP Photo) Continue reading »
2013 World Architecture Festival
The Halley VI centre designed by British architects Hugh Broughton in Antarctica which is a dismantlable research station created in the icy wastes for the British Antarctic Survey and has been shortlisted for a global architecture award. (World Architecture Festival 2013/PA Wire) Continue reading »
Painted Donkeys Arrive to St. Paul’s Cathedral
Twenty five life-size donkeys have been given pride of place in St Paul’s Cathedral as part of an interfaith exhibition. They’ve been painted by Egyptian and Western artists, to show solidarity for the people of Egypt. All 25 donkeys have been transported from Cairo for the Caravan exhibition. Each artist, whether Muslim or Christian, was asked to decorate the fibreglass donkey, created by noted Egyptian artist Reda Abdel Rahman. The exhibition runs until 23 September, after which they will be auctioned at Sotheby’s, with all proceeds going to charities in Egypt. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) Continue reading »
Photo of the Day: Two of Us
Two geese look out of step as they are surrounded by a massive flock of Red Winged Blackbirds. (John Fan/Solent News)
150th Anniversary of the Highland Main Line
Signalman Jimmy Summers changes points at Boat of Garten station on the Strathspey Steam Railway on August 27, 2013 in Aviemore, Scotland. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Highland Main Line built as a transportation link to the South for lairds and landowners living in northern Scotland. (Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images) Continue reading »
