nature science history

Amazing Photographs and the Stories Behind Them, Part 2

alex-chinneck-for-vauxhall-motors-side-view

As a sequel to our popular post, here are another 20 amazing photographs that we came across in the excellent Picture of the Day section of Twisted Sifter.

Crimson Skies at the Reds Game

crimson-red-sky-at-the-reds-game

During Monday night’s Cincinnati Reds / Chicago Cubs game on 7 July 2014, a storm passed through that left the skies crimson red. The rain delayed play for about 20 minutes but left a treat for those in attendance. And how fitting for a Reds game! The photo was taken by Jamie Ramsey, who is the Assistant Director of Media Relations for the Cincinnati Reds.

 

The Architect
the-architect-by-erik-johansson
The latest photo manipulation by artist and photographer Erik Johansson. According to comments by Erik on his official Faecbook page, the image was created over the course of two months and involves numerous individual elements photographed and put together piece by piece.

 

Of Lava and Snow
chiavenna-italy-fog-illuminated-at-night
In this beautiful night-time capture by Jacopo Martocchi, we see fog illuminated by the city lights of Chiavenna, Italy. The artificial light gives the fog a ‘lava-like’ quality.

 

Sea Anemone or Awesome Duck Hair?

sea-anemone-gives-duck-ornament-awesome-hair

Redditor stevierar captured a candid moment in his salt water aquarium when a snackelocks sea anemone (Anemonia viridis) latched onto the head of a duck ornament he had in his tank, giving the duck the coolest hair ever.

 

Floating on a Cloud

low-fog-makes-ship-looks-like-its-floating

Low hanging fog has made this large container ship appear to be floating on a cloud. The photo was taken from an airplane window by reddit user gameadd1kt, somewhere near Tacoma, Washington.

 

Sailing Through a Tiny Planet Panorama

sailing-on-a-tiny-planet-panorama-by-stephanie-alexis

In this 360 ‘tiny planet’ panorama by Stephanie Alexis, we see her and a friend appearing to sail on a tiny water planet. The photo was recently featured by GoPro as their Photo of the Day. The photo is actually a composite of two images: the sailboat pic, taken with a GoPro on a selfie stick; and the 360 ‘tiny planet’ panorama created with an iPhone and an app.

 

Snow-Covered Ski Lift in Sweden
snow-covered-ski-lift-areskutan-sweden
In this fantastic capture we see a snow-covered ski lift at the top of Åreskutan in central Sweden. Åreskutan is a 1,420 metres (4,660 ft)-high mountain at Åre in Jämtland, Sweden. It is one of the better-known mountains in Sweden and the mountain massif features the largest ski resort area in the country. In 2007, Åre was the host for the 2007 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. The photo was also a finalist for the Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year in 2011. (Via Anders Carlsson on Wikimedia Commons)

 

Panorama Glitch Gives Woman Ultimate Selfie Arm

panorama-glitch-gives-girl-super-long-selfie-arm

Reddit user Strid3r21 used his phone’s panorama feature to capture the inside of a museum and it accidentally gave a woman taking a selfie a super long arm. The funny glitch took place inside the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois.

 

One Side of this Street Has LED Lights

the-difference-between-led-street-lights-and-older-street-lamps

In Seoul, South Korea the government has begun to replace old street lights with new LED lamps. The goal is reduce electricity costs and light pollution. In the fascinating picture above by reddit user alreadytakenusername, the difference is quite dramatic.

 

The Transparent Kayak

transparent-kayak-by-clear-blue-hawaii

The Molokini by Clear Blue Hawaii is a transparent two-passenger kayak made out polycarbonate material (the same used in the bulletproof glass and fighter jet canopies according to the manufacturer). The kayak comes equipped with an anodized aluminum internal frame system, dual flotation bladders and a three-quart water bailer.

 

A Snowplow for Train Tracks

white_pass_snow_plow_no1_aug2011

Seen here is a rotary snowplow which is used for clearing train tracks after heavy snowfalls. The machine’s precursor was the wedge snowplow. The one seen above was built in 1899, retired in 1964 and later restored in 1995, getting occasional use on the White Pass and Yukon Route. (See the snow plow in action here).

 

When Skydivers Meet

skydivers-shaking-hands-mid-air

Soul Flyers Fred Fugen and Vincent Reffet perform during training in Austria for The Ultimate Skydiving Combo, skydiving from 33,000 feet (10 km) above Austria on May 13th, 2014. Love the curvature of Earth in this shot! What an epic location for a handshake! (Photograph by Dom Daher / Red Bull Content Pool)

 

Aurora Borealis Taken from Space

aurora-from-space-iss

“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this. 10 minutes ago on the #ISS #aurora”. Those were the words of astronaut Reid Wiseman who is currently aboard the International Space Station. He posted the photo above to Twitter on 19 Aug 2014.

 

Pick Yourself Up and Pull Yourself Together

alex-chinneck-for-vauxhall-motors-side-viewBritish artist Alex Chinneck reveals his latest illusory artwork in collaboration with Vauxhall Motors. Following 2014’s ‘floating building’ in Covent Garden, ‘Pick yourself up and pull yourself together’ sees the artist hang a new Vauxhall Corsa 15 feet in the air while still attached to the road at London’s Southbank Centre. For more information on the installation visit vauxhall.co.uk (John Doe via TwistedSifter Submissions)

 

Tide Pools at Rocky Point, Mexico

tide-pools-at-rocky-point-mexico

Seen here are the beautiful tide pools at Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, also known as Rocky Point. The sunset capture by Dune Newhouse shows Gavin Beschen and his daughter exploring the area at this fast-growing, northern Mexico beach town.

 

Snow Covered Lamp on Mount Washington

snow-covered-lamp-on-summit-of-mount-washington

Seen here is a snow light at the summit of Mount Washington covered in a wavy pattern of rime ice. The photo was taken at sunrise and shows the incredible patterns the icy winds are capable of creating. (Photograph by Mount Washington Observatory)

 

Strokkur Geyser on the Verge of Eruption

strokkur_geyser_iceland_beginning_to_erupt1

In this perfectly timed photo we see Strokkur, a famous geyser in Iceland, on the verge of eruption. Located in the geothermal area beside the Hvítá River (in the southwest part of the country, east of Reykjavík), Strokkur erupts about every 4–8 minutes and can reach heights of 15–20 meters (50-65 ft), and sometimes even up to heights of 40 m (131 ft). (Photograph by Hansueli Krapf)

 

Spring Equinox in Chicago

spring-equinox-in-chicago-chicagohenge-by-nixerkgIn this perfectly timed photo we see the setting sun in Chicago during Spring Equinox on 20 March 2014. Taken by Flickr user niXerKG, who dubbed the photo Chicagohenge, he says you can see the setting/rising sun in the streets of Chicago that run East/West.

 

The Road to the Stars

the-road-to-the-starsIn this amazing aerial photograph by NASA, we see the rollout of space shuttle Atlantis to the launching pad on 4 September 2008. STS-125 was the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). After several delays, launch occurred on 11 May 2009 at 2:01 pm EDT. Landing occurred on 24 May at 11:39 am EDT, with the mission lasting a total of just under 13 days. (Photograph by NASA via Lloyd B. Eldred/galtham.org)

 

Freediving with Tunas

freediving-with-tuna-fish-by-kurt-arrigoIn this breathtaking underwater photograph by Kurt Arrigo, we see a woman freediving (i.e., no breathing aid) with a school of tuna fish. This is not a composite or digitally manipulated as many may be quick to assume. The model in the photograph is Saho Harada, a two-time Olympic synchronised swimmer for Japan, and the photograph was taken at a depth of approximately 18 meters (59 ft).

Enjoyed this article? Please keep the Mission going! Even a little support can make a big difference for independent journalism!
Alright, I'll keep you going!
Written by Tamás Varga
A sociologist and English major by degree, I've worked in the area of civil society & human rights and have been blogging in the fields of travel, nature & science for over 20 years.

1 thought on “Amazing Photographs and the Stories Behind Them, Part 2”

Leave a Comment

Your personal data will be treated securely and will not be disclosed to third parties. By clicking this button, you authorize Earthly Mission to process the personal data you provide. For more information, see Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Earthly Mission