Another ethereal shot by Victoria.

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Look Into My Eyes: B&W Photography

A stunning new portrait from Eliara.

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Birds and Fire Colors

I love the grace and energy of birds. I love "fire" colors: red, orange, yellow, blue, black. This lovely photo combines both and was taken by an eighteen-year-old Romanian photographer. I don't even know her name, but you can see more of her photos here.

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Self-Portrait: The Garden

Brand new loveliness from Elizabeth May.

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Humanity, in black and white: Part V

The fifth collection in a series of black and white photography found on Deviant Art. Enjoy.

View Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
(As always, click on the pictures for a better look.)

by =NuclearSeasons

by ~bubble-gum-heart

by =incredi

by ~frixin

by ~kartxila

by *YOSHIMETAL

by ~tyt2000

by ~bobalyka

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Humanity, in black and white: Part IV

The fourth collection in a series of black and white photography found on Deviant Art. Enjoy.

View Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
(As always, click on the pictures for a better look.)

by ~felixlu

by ~zort

by *unemo

by ~bittertaste

by ~mickryan

by ~Katosu

by `gilad

by *digitalgrace

by *SaschaHuettenhain

by *kittynn

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Humanity, in black and white: Part III

The third collection in a series of black and white photography found on Deviant Art. Enjoy.

View Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
(As always, click on the pictures for a better look.)

by *kalemkar

I love abstract photography--the photographer takes an everyday "mundane" object (here feet and a paves street) ad turns into something beautiful (a shining star).

by =incredi

From one of my favorite photographers of all time ... two adorable children.

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Lovely Lights: Red Lanterns on Flickr

by Renee Lawter

Red is a most marvelous color, don't you think? Flickr yielded these beauties to me this morning. Enjoy.

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Beautiful water photo manipulations

"Waterose" by Marcelo Fedrizzi of Platinum Studios

I'm not usually a fan of photo manipulations. Unless they're done really, really well, they look tacky. Guess it's just the traditional artist in me, but if you are going to go through all that trouble, why not just start from scratch and draw/paint/make everything exactly the way you want it?

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Humanity, in black and white: Part II

The second collection in a series of black and white photography found on Deviant Art. Enjoy.

View Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
(As always, click on the pictures for a better look.)

by *digimatte

I've been a Star Wars fan since I was about three, so of course this photo tickled me pink, shot on the streets of Hollywood, CA.

by ~janjaan

This brand new deviation has beautiful focus and composition.

by *Ciril

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"Green" vs. "Simple" Living and the Zen Habits blog

The "green" photos in this post were gleaned from my favorites on DeviantArt.com

I can't say I've really jumped on the "green" wagon. Don't get me wrong, I agree with the core ideal of the movement: treat the earth with respect. Nature is beautiful and we are to take care of it to the best of our ability. Yes, we should recycle, reuse and reduce, and I do. But isn't the issue deeper than that?

Leo Babauta of the Zen Habits Blog

Enter the Zen Habits blog, written by Leo Babauta, professional writer and father of six. Leo argues that protecting the earth goes deeper than mere "green habits." It's the simple life that truly brings health and happiness to us and our world. Recycling is good, but it won't soothe your soul unless it is part of a simplified life. Leo's posts are truly inspiring and informative, and I'd like to especially point out three recent articles he has written.

by *widjita

The Beginner’s Guide To Minimalist Travel is filled with not-so-common common-sense and unusual recommendations. Ever heard of Dr. Bronner's soaps? They are multi-purpose organic soaps that one can use to wash one's hair, face, dishes, even clothing! (Just dump your laundry in a LOKSAK bag, add a few drops of Dr. Bronner's soap, knead for 15 minutes, and behold, your laundry is clean!)

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As the Sun Dances on the Water: Herons at sunset on Flickr, with a poem

by Michael Oberman

by Java Cafe

I wrote this poem after hiking the Billy Goat Trail along the C&O Canal in Virginia, many years ago. Thanks to the amazing artists on Flickr for all the lovely photographs. :)


Nature I Have Seen
Have you ever seen the silver trees of winter ablaze with the fury of the evening sun?
I have.

Have you ever walked beside a river so still, that bird and rock and tree and moon cast their bold beauty upon it in perfect reflection?
I have.

Have you ever heard the water as it roars so silently over the stones and boulders that dare to oppose its passage?
I have.

Have you ever felt the icy water that now rests so quietly by the rocks, yet that once tumbled with spray and foam and wind over lofty waterfalls?
I have.

Have you ever seen the heron, so graceful in his flight, so splendid and majestic as he soars above the river water?
I have.

Have you ever sat in awe of nature's beauty so bold, and then in greater awe felt the presense of the One who spoke all this to life from nothing?
I have.
And He is beautiful.

by Alan Willis

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My printer's a-comin'!

by Michael Oberman

Ok, random photo from Flickr. Enjoy.

Our Kickstarter project money finally cleared, and I went and spent most of it today. Just got the email that my printer has now shipped. Whoopeee! So has the scanner and the extra ink. I'm excited. :)

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Star Wars, Edward, Spiderman, Joker, Snape, to name a few: Fan Art on Deviant Art

A young Severus Snape by ~love-squad

Snape and Lily by ~love-squad

I love fan art for the different perspective it brings on beloved characters. Take these photograph of a young Snape, lost in thought and love. Not what typically comes to mind when you think of him, no?

Or this delightful cartoon featuring the Nintendo character Princess Peach. Whenever PMS has got me down, I just remember Peach and her cake--it never fails to make me smile. :)

(As always, click on the pictures in this post for a better look.)

"Hello! My name is Peach!"
"No I don't WANT to go on an adventure!"
"Oh...was I yelling? I'm so sorry!"
"Who wants CAKE?!"
Super PMS Peach by ~Hail-NekoYasha

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Morning Stroll (a poem)

(I've tried to write a little poetry now and then even though I find the muse quite fretful.)

photo by ~edoaja

Hey there, may I help you?
I couldn't help but notice
That you're walking with a limp today.
Is everything alright?
Can I help you? Here, sit by me.
That's it, slowly now. Careful,
There you go, watch for splinters.
You know these old park benches.
Yeah, it really has gotten warm.
Crazy weather huh, for being
Yet so early in the spring?
I guess the birds like it.
Yeah, it's nice to hear them sing.
No, don't worry, it's fine.
I'm not in any rush.
You don't happen to have a lighter
On you, do you? No? Oh well.
Not sure where'd you'd keep one anyway, haha.
You gave it up, you say? Really now.
Nah, never considered it.
It's too good at calming my nerves.
No, not especially, more boredom
Than anything else. Yeah my job is
Boring as hell, 9 to 5, and
It makes me antsy. I want to see
The world, you know? Meet people,
Eat weird food, collect in a jar
A little dirt from every town I visit.
Why don't I? Well, you know people
Like me. Minimum wage job,
A few busy friends, a mom who calls every day.
I just don't think I have the guts.
Huh? Oh sorry, here, let's switch places
So the wind doesn't blow my smoke
In your face. Yeah, there we go.
Hey, you warmed the bench up nicely.
Yeah, too skinny for my own good.
Can't keep warm in the winter.
Should move to Florida or something.
Better yet my own Caribbean island.
Just can't afford it. Oh, it's not too bad
I spend my days crunching numbers
And my evenings letting my mind
Float wherever it fancies. Yeah,
Like my own flying carpet service.
Next stop, anywhere you'd like!
A fur coat? Well, not exactly my style.
Looks good on you though. Is it real?
My, my, must have cost a fortune.
Inherited it, eh? Well, if i were you
I'da sold it, put the money in stocks.
Yeah, I guess you can't really
Put a price on sentimental value.
Well listen, it's been nice catching up
but there's a game on. You interested
In coming back to my place
For a beer? Don't drink either, eh?
Well, kudos to you. Yeah, I'll catch you
Around sometime. Have a great--

Yo, Barney!

Yes, Officer? Good day to you!

And to you, Sir. Have you seen me
Old cat about? She's not touched
Her morning milk and that's unusual.

Sorry, Officer, I noticed she was
Limping and tried to cheer her up a little.
Here you go, she's all yours.
Yup, yup, nice day to you too.

~Emily Stevenson

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Humanity, in black and white: Part I

Just went through my account on DeviantArt.com and weeded out 50+ pages of my favorites. Phew! It's literally been years since my last purge.

It's interesting to see how my taste has changed over the years. One constant, though, is my love of black and white photography. I've always admired the work of Andrea Brito (which I earlier featured here), and there are so many other skilled photographers on Deviant Art, I decided to collect the best of the B&W (in my humble opinion) into a series of posts featuring strictly that genre. Here is the first collection. Enjoy.

View Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
(As always, click on the pictures for a better look.)

by ~KrzysztofKuczera

Even grass can contain a world of its own.

by *veftenie

Mom says, C'mon, time to go! One of the newer photos on DA.

CLICK HERE for the rest of the post

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Andrea Brito of *ABrito on Deviant Art

"no title 55"

Black and white is a hard medium to work with and it doesn't give you pretty colors to fall back on when your composition or values suck. On the bright side, this emphasis on composition and value can be your greatest ally when you're really good at it. Take Andrea Brito, for example. As a photographer he is a master of form and light and I have been following his work on Deviant Art for over a year now. This post contains my favorites from his DA portfolio.

Andrea Brito is based in Portugal.

"no title 07"

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Abstract Photography: Beata Czyzowska Young of =incredi on Deviant Art

"Last Tear ..."
Photograph by Beata Czyzowska Young [aka "incredi"] on DeviantArt.com

Wow.

I can't even describe her art, except that it's perfect.

Every picture has balanced composition and values, harmonious colors, and an ethereal feel that makes your mouth form a little "o" and breathe in. She has the ability to find shapes and colors in the most mundane of scenes and objects. I love her work, and hope you will too.

Beata Czyzowska Young is a digital photographer who hails from Australia. Purchase her artwork from her shops on deviantart.com and on redbubble.com, or you can merely browse her extensive portfolio.

Click on any of the photos in this post to enlarge them.

Painting With Light



The Suncatcher

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