Sparks and Seeds for Learning: February 2015

Saturday, 28 February 2015

The Cassini spacecraft was sent by NASA and ESA to study Saturn and its moons. Two of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus and Tethys, appear in the bottom right of this image. So far, the spacecraft has found new storm systems on Saturn, active geysers on its moon Enceladus, liquid oceans on its moon Titan, and many other unexpected discoveries. Due to its elliptical orbit, Cassini is occasionally able to catch beautiful images of saturn backlit by our sun, as seen above.

Credit: NASA/JPL/ESA and astronomicalwonders

Outdoor Photographers of the Year 2014

Below are some photos of the category winners (and those commended).

Al Medawara mountain
Located 100km south-west of Cairo in Egypt, Al Medawara mountain in the Faiyum oasis is an amazing place where earth meets the sky and opens a gate to the stars.
Photo and caption by: Ibraheem Al-Awadi

Dark Lake
I captured this photograph in the mountains around Petit Mont Cenis in Savoie in France. I went to this place many times to find the right weather conditions to capture the gloomy shot I’d had in mind for a while. On this occasion, I went during a storm, and just before sunset the rain stopped. The light filtered through the clouds, creating the right atmosphere.
Photo and caption by: Marco Barone

Shingle Street
It was a stormy day, but the shingle banks at Shingle Street in Suffolk create a natural harbour. There was a spectacular sunrise over the sea, but when I saw that the row of cottages opposite might be briefly illuminated against the dark brooding sky I knew that was the shot I wanted.
Photo and caption by: Lee Acaster

Icelandic beach
This was taken in Iceland as the very last rays of sun hit the beach. A storm had just passed and only a very thin gap in the clouds let the light through, briefly illuminating the basalt rocks but leaving the rest of the scene dark and dramatic.
Photo and caption by: Samuel Feron

River Wharfe, Yorkshire Dales
The river Wharfe has it origin in the upper northern Yorkshire Dales, and it narrows considerably at a place known as ‘the Strid’ on the Bolton Abbey estate. There was a lovely thick fog that particular morning. I got to work quickly as the light and weather conditions were changing rapidly. It was the combination of elements within the scene that raised my interest level as soon as I looked through the viewfinder. Golden autumn leaves on the ground balanced the heavy damp air and foliage, and the central river merging with the fog in the distance provided a sense of depth. I chose a long shutter speed to soften the water movement and to instill a sense of time. The ever-strengthening autumn sun filtered by the fog provided wonderful diffuse light.
Photo and caption by: Shaun Walby

16 of the Most Surreal Places on Earth

Too beautiful to be real? 16 surreal landscapes found on Earth

Antelope Canyon, Arizona, U.S.

Rice terraces, Bali, Indonesia

Cappadocia, Anatolia, Turkey

"Door to Hell," Derweze, Turkmenistan

Giant's Causeway, Antrim, Northern Ireland, U.K.

Hitachi Seaside Park, Hitachinaka, Japan

Giant Buddha, Leshan, China

Odle Mountains, Italy

Travertines, Pamukkale, Turkey

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, U.S.

Red beach, Panjin, China

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Dragon's blood trees, Socotra, Yemen

Sossusvlei, Namibia

Tunnel of Love, Klevan, Ukraine

The Wave, Arizona, U.S.

Orchid Mantis

Orchid Mantis, or Hymenopus coronatus, is a beautiful pink and white mantis with lobes on its legs that look like flower petals.

In the wild Hymenopus coronatus is found in Malaysia.

Tree Shaped by Strong Winds

Squirrel's Taking Photos in the Snow

Russian photographer Vadim Trunov has taken adorable photos of squirrels in the snow. To see more of the incredible photo collection go to http://www.boredpanda.com/squirrel-photography-russia-vadim-trunov/

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Architecture Photography: The Thin Line

Here are two of the photographs from Serge Najjar's The Thin Line series.

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/serge-najjar-a-thin-line#slide-1

'The concrete world of buildings and architecture are transformed by the photographer's eye into swooping abstractions, playful scenes, moments of pure visual pleasure.'

Kawah Ijen Volcano's Molten Sulphur

The Kawah Ijen volcano in East Indonesia produces molten sulphur from vents in its sides, which appear bright red during the day but glow blue by night.

Photograph by Oliver Grunewald.

See more about this incredible phenomenon here: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140130-kawah-ijen-blue-flame-volcanoes-sulfur-indonesia-pictures/