Posts

Started in 2005, the contest has grown in popularity drawing entrants from across the globe. This year over 700 entries were submitted from participants located in 23 countries. The following photo by Kyle McBurnie, from California, own this years contest. Fan FavoritePietro Cremone, ItalyMating Mandarin dragonets (Synchiropus splendidus) photographed in Puerto Galera, Philippines. Macro 1stPlaceBeth Watson, MissouriAn anemone shrimp in Puerto Galera, Philippines. Wide-angle 1stPlaceAlex Tattersall, United KingdomA lionfish on the Thistlegorm wreck in the Red Sea, Egypt....

Plants growing in the paramo have developed specific methods to protect themselves from the cold. One method is growing in rosettes, so the wind can not chill the centre of the plant. Many plants have developed very soft, “plumy” leaves and flowers which serve as mini-sponges. Sources:Wondermondo,Ecuadornews,Ecostravel

As the coal mining industry began to fall into decline in 1990, development in Houtong became progressively worse. The once prosperous mining industry fell into ruins and was lying so for decades. They posted the cats pictures on the web and received an overwhelming response from other cat lovers. Soon Houtong became a hotbed for cat lovers and amateur photographers. Houtong residents are cashing in on the tourist influx by opening souvenir shops and selling cat-shaped pineapple pastries....

Fort Bourtange is such a star fort located in the village of Bourtange, Groningen, Netherlands. William, the leader of the Netherlands, saw it necessary to break off communications between Groningen and Germany. At its heart was a central square with streets that led directly to various bastions within the protective moat. Fort Bourtange faced another battle in 1672 against a marauding German army. After capturing 28 cities and towns in the northern Netherlands, they demanded that the Fort be surrendered....

But SOMs high dreams remained unattainable. The completed structure still consume energy, but nearly 60% less than a traditional building of similar size. Photo credit Large scale solar panels are installed on the buildings facade to generate energy from sunlight. The 71-storey building was completed in March 2011. Sources:SOM,How it works daily

Each dinosaur statue is 34 meters wide and 19 meters high. The span of the two together reaches 80 meters. Erenhot is located in the Gobi Desert, in the Xilin Gol league of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Photo credit Called the “Dinosaur City”, Erenhot was once the home of dinosaurs. Many fossils have been discovered in the area, including the biggest and best-preserved dinosaur fossil in Asia. Besides the scenic boulevard, the city also has a dinosaur museum and a theme park called Dinosaur Fairyland....

Arizona-based artistTom Eckertcreates incredibly lifelike sculptures entirely out of wood, and then painted. His most mind-boggling sculptures feature flowing fabric forms, some of which appear translucent. The revelation that I was fooled, visually and intellectually tricked, stuck with me. This visual deception is now the basis for my creative direction. Cloth carved of wood has much different structural qualities than real cloth. Also see the woodworks ofRandall Rosenthal viaThis is Colossal

LOLcat is a combination of two words LOL which means laughing out loud and cat. While the term is believed to have originated in 2006, the concept of lolcats originated much earlier. Speed is essential in securing these pictures, but very often it is impossible to be quick enough. Harry took a picture and a career was begun. He took others and sold them to a postcard printer, who clamored for more....

During winter these lighthouses become barely recognizable as spectacular frozen ice formations turn them into incredible sculptural forms. Gills favorite lighthouse is the 35-foot St. Joseph that was first built in 1844. The air temperature drops 20 degrees below zero. In winter, that path is often very slippery.

Exploring Tom Gills mesmerizingpictures of frozen icy worldled me to discover a peculiar kind of ice today. Pancake Ice is formed when temperatures hover right around zero degrees with at least moderate wave activity. See other strange ice formations:PenitentesandSnow Roller Photo credit

The Aiguille du Midi is a 3,842 meter tall mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. Their plan was to link the hamlet of Les Pelerins with the summit of l’Aiguille du Midi. The project met technical problems and was abandoned. The second section La Para - Les Glaciers was completed three years later. It was then the highest cable car in the world. An Italian engineer Count Dino Lora Totino was called in to rebuild and extend the cable car....

Hutt Lagoon is the worlds largest system of algae farms dedicated to the production of this pigment. During the summer about 95% of the surface is a dry salt flat. Beta-carotene is used as a natural dye in food and is also a rich supply of Vitamin A. Naturally, it can be found in found in various fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These pictures were taken by British photographerSteve Back, while chartering a plane over the lake....

Affectionately, Psychotria elata is called Hookers Lips or the Hot Lips Plants. The plant has apparently evolved into its current shape to attract pollinators including hummingbirds and butterflies.