Showing posts with label photo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photo. Show all posts

Funny Pictures of Dogs Shaking off Water

Dogs make hilarious subjects for photographs. Unlike humans, they are unhindered by shyness, modesty or fear of embarrassment. Dogs enjoy life from moment to moment, turning every activity into a fun pastime. One thing that dogs love to do is have a good shake, to rid their coat of water or simply to loosen up their fur and skin. The pictures below show what happens when a photographer captures a single moment of a dog's shake.

Davidson's Dogs Do the Shake

Carli Davidson is an award-winning photographer who creates artistic images of wild and domestic animals. Her pet photography is among the most appealing in the world, as her images perfectly capture an animal's ability to live in the moment. Some of her most popular art works are photographs of dogs shaking off water.
Davidson has worked with animals for years in animal shelters, zoos and nature reserves. Her experience with all sorts of animals, from chimpanzees to rats, allows her to communicate with the animals that she uses as subjects in her photographs. Davidson says that she spends large amounts of time rolling around on the floor with the animals, encouraging them to "open up" to the camera. As a result of this interaction, the pictures show animals who look relaxed and comfortable, able to simply be cats and dogs doing what comes naturally to them.
Carli Davidson's pictures of dogs shaking off water have a humorous appeal to them. Dogs can be quite goofy and silly at times, and these pictures capture this doggy essence perfectly. Davidson uses a variety of dog breeds as subjects. Dogs with long hair such as border collies and Labradors shake off water in a way that creates a spiraling spray of water droplets. Dogs with short hair but loose skin such as bull dogs and bloodhounds create less spray but the skin on their faces twist into funny expressions, perfect subject matter for funny dog pictures.


Above: A funny picture of a border collie shaking, by photographer Carli Davidson. The sheep dog's long hair creates a wonderful swirl around the centre of the picture, drawing the viewer's eye to the focal point; the dog's eyes. [source]

Above: This funny picture shows a bloodhound shaking off water. The dog's loose skin flops and flaps, creating a series of hilarious facial expressions for Carli Davidson to photograph. [source]

Above: A boxer dog shakes off water, sending his lips and ears flying to create a hilarious pet portrait. Perhaps dogs need to degauss too. [source]


A Comedy of Dogs and Water
Most dogs love water. They love to jump in and out of waves at the beach, swim in lakes and dams and run through rivers. And after all that running and jumping, dogs love to shake off the water. When viewed by the naked human eye, a dog's shaking seems to be a blur of movement concealed by a spray of water droplets. With the help of a high-speed camera, we can see exactly what's going on underneath all that spray; a funny comedy combo of dog and water.

Above: A golden Labrador retriever shakes off water after a swim in a river. The directions of the water droplets show how the dog shakes its head from side to side. [source]

Above: Pulling faces, blowing raspberries and shaking off water. This funny border collie is a multitasking sheep dog. [source]

Above: A beagle shakes off water after a bath, stretching one side of her face and squashing the other. Beagles are often used in comedy shots of animals because they have a lighthearted and fun personality. [source]



10 Exquisite Photographs of Wild Animals

Nature holds a wealth of beauty and wonder that every once in a while, a photographer manages to capture in a single frame. Wild animals are a source of fascination for human beings - their lives may be harsher in some ways, but in many ways they embody a sense of freedom that people crave.


Wildlife photography can be a hobby or a career

Wildlife photography is a hobby for some, but for others, it can be a career. Photos of wild animals can be used in magazines, newspapers and even research materials such as textbooks. But there are so many people in the world who enjoy looking at pictures of animals in their natural habitat that photography books that show only wildlife photos are incredibly popular. These books can provide inspiration for artists, writers, musicians and photographers, and they can also be used to educate people about the diversity of the natural world.

Some photographers, whether they are professionals or amateur hobbyists, offer their photos for sale online, through websites like Deviant Art. The site allows shoppers to buy art prints and photography prints online, with or without a frame and on canvas or paper. Many of the following nature photographs are all available to buy online through their creators' Deviant Art accounts, and there are thousands more wildlife photos to choose from.

"Zen Fox" by thrumyeye. Such a peaceful moment is rare for wild animals, who are generally alert and wary of danger. The features of the fox's face are sharper than the background areas; a photography technique that draws the eye to the focal point of this photo - the fox's sweet face. [source]
Flamingos sleep while standing, tucking their head under a wing for protection from the elements. In the nature photograph above, the photographer has captured the sleeping flamingo beautifully.  By emphasizing the yin yang nature of the pose, the photographer has added a sense of balance and peace to the picture. [source]
This photograph can be bought online as a print on paper or canvas through the photographer Chris Esla's DeviantArt account, Toribio
  
This photographer has caught this tiger in an almost human pose, as though the tiger is pulling a funny face, not just simply licking his paw. By personifying the animal subject, the photographer Tonya encourages empathy in the viewer. This tiger photo is called "Oh So Bored" and is available to buy from the photographer through her DeviantArt account: TICphotography730

This white lion is rare, but it isn't a true albino. Most big cat species have a genetic strain that once in a while produces a pure white animal with even the irises of the eyes being white. If this lion was a true albino; its eyes would be pink. You can buy a pre-framed art print of this beautiful wildlife photograph online through Woxys' DeviantArt account.

Photographers are often so focused on their animals subjects that they ignore the animal's natural habitat. This photographer has chosen to exhibit the polar bear as part of its environment. The unusual shape of the ice combined with the beautiful colors of the water and the sky add to the natural beauty of the polar bear.
Antoine Beyeler sells this wintery wonderland photo as an art print through his DeviantArt account abey79. He's called this picture "The Kitchest Bear"

Cameras and photography equipment are heavy!

Wildlife photographers try to use lightweight cameras and camera equipment such as tripods, because in order to find the animals to take pictures of, the photographers sometimes need to hike into the wilderness for many miles, carrying all of their camera equipment with them. And, because they work outdoors, the photographers need to be prepared to protect their equipment from rainy weather or from getting splashed with water while crossing streams.

Sometimes wildlife photographers need a lot of equipment to get the perfect shot, and sometimes they need to get up really early, or stay up really late to have the time to set up their camera gear and snap the perfect picture of an animal at night or in the twilight of dusk and dawn. But most serious wildlife photographers are so passionate about their work that they don't mind losing a bit of sleep if it means that they can get that one, brilliant photo.


This photographer, Ryan, is aware of the value of space within an image, giving the cute squirrel plenty of room to own this photograph. [source]
Buy this cute animal picture online from Canadian Ry through his DeviantArt account.

This is an octopus in it natural environment; the ocean, lit by rays of sunlight that shine through the water. The semi-translucent nature of the octopus's tentacles add to the idea that the octopus is glowing. Detail24 is the photographer of this beautiful underwater image. You can buy this photographic masterpiece, called "Catch the stars" on DeviantArt
Sometimes nature photography reveals an animal's feelings about being photographed. In the photo above, the swans are angry to discover the photographer in their territory. The photographer has expressed fear of the swans by capturing them from below their eye level, which makes the birds seem larger and more fearsome than they actually are. Louis Cipher, going under the name Grim-Jester on DeviantArt, has called this powerful nature photo, "I don't like the swans", a sentimant that is apparent in this photograph. [source]

Young elephants are very playful, often running about while waving their tails and trunks in the air. The photograph is an example of personification. The photographer has taken a picture of the baby elephant's open mouth from an angle that makes it appear as though the elephant is smiling. [source]

This is one of nature's rarities, the glass-winged butterfly. This beautiful creature is stunning when set in contrast to colorful flowers, as in the photograph above. We can see the bright yellow and red flowers through the butterfly's wings, which is a rare and special sight indeed. [source]


Antique Lolcats Photographs make Kitteh Historeh

The word 'lolcat' is created from the abbreviation 'lol' and 'cat', and is used as a label for any funny photograph of a cat. Often the photo is captioned with 'lolspeak', a misspelled language that was formed during the rise in popularity of lolcat pictures.

A Kitteh Historeh of lolcats
In the 1870s a British photographer called Harry Pointer created a series of photographs of cats. To add to the humor of the cat pictures Pointer would often add a funny caption, and thus the first lolcat pictures were born. Soon other photographers were using cats and other animals as subjects in photographs, often dressing the animals in human clothing and personifying them by posing them in human situations. Harry Whittier Frees is another notable antique lolcat photographer who created dozens of animal pictures that were a parody of human life.


Above: Antique lolcat photograph by Harry Pointer, with the caption "Bring up the dinner Betsy" [source]

Above: An antique lolcat postcard from 1905. The photograph was taken by Harry Whittier Frees, who added the caption "What's delaying my dinner?" In modern lolspeak, the caption would probably be along the lines of the classic; "I can has cheezburger?" [source]

Postcards of pets in costumes with captions were a novel concept in the early 20th century and became a popular way to communicate with loved ones who lived far away, as postcards included a picture and were cheaper to send than letters. Often the lolcat postcards were sent in place of birthday cards, to the delight of the children who received them. Even a century ago, lolcats were a popular form of humor.

Makin da Kittehs seem Hooman
Anthropomorphism is the act of giving animals or objects human characteristics and personalities. Harry Whittier Frees was a master of anthropomorphism who didn't just pose his animal subjects in human situations, but waited for a seemingly human expression to pass across the animals' faces before he took a photograph. Often the facial expressions were ones of resignation or exhaustion as it must have been tiring for the animals to sit for the camera in uncomfortable positions for what could be hours. 

Above: A Frees photograph of a feline teacher and her pupils. Lolspeak hadn't yet been invented, so antique lolcat photographs often implied that cats were as intelligent as humans. If this were a modern lolcat picture, the alphabet would probably be jumbled and the title of the teachers book would be something along the lines of "spalling book". [source]

Above: Another of Harry Whittier Frees's antique lolcat pictures. Part of the appeal of Frees's images was the fact that props had to be made to size. At the time doll collecting was becoming a popular hobby which meant the doll-like effect of these antique lolcat pictures was well-received by the public.


Lolcats as an Antique Art Form
Before the art of photography was created, humorous pictures were either painted or illustrated. A notable cat illustrator of the late 19th century was Louis Wain. Wain's drawings of cats in human situations captured the imaginations of the people at the time and were published in newspapers as a form of entertainment. 

Above: Like the lolcat photographers of the time, Wain chose to pose his feline subjects in human situations, personifying them with human emotions such as humor, frustration and surprise. [source]

Above: Louis Wain's cat characters were often cartoonish in nature, sporting caricature facial expressions that made them seem more human. [source]

Although websites like lolcats.com and icanhascheezburger.com are modern inventions, the art of funny cat pictures has existed for over a century. Over time lolcats have been given their own language and their own attitude toward life.



Funny Photoshop Head Swaps

Digital artists can use Photoshop to give people a makeover, or in extreme cases, to replace the entire head. Here's what happens when digital artists have fun swapping heads around.

Photoshop Head Swaps Bridge the Generation Gap
According to knowyourmeme.com, head swaps were were first thought up by Something Awful's user Ryan Adams when he started a thread called "Swap Grandparents and Babies Heads!" The thread spawned dozens of Photoshop head swapped images, most notably of fathers and their babies. These later became known as "manbabies".

Above: This image gives a new meaning the the slang term "baby daddy". Photoshop artists need to get the lighting just right to give the finished art work a convincing feel. [source]

Above: The Rowan Atkinson baby, born in Photoshop. You can call him Toby. [source]

Above: Photoshop artists need to be careful when swapping heads - outlines from cutting tools are a dead give away. [source]

Above: Photoshop can age a child in a matter of hours. That's one hairy manbaby! [source]

Above: Another funny Photoshop manbaby image. [source]

Walk a Mile in My Shoes with a Photoshop Head Swap
Photoshop head swaps aren't reserved only for babies and their parents - any two people or animals can undergo the digital surgery. Head swaps can also be used create man animal hybrids, or to create hybrid animals in which two species are combined. 

Above: Hulk Hogan gets a Photoshop head swap. Lovely nails, Hulk! [source]

Above: Hollywood's hottest couple, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt get the Photoshop head swap surgery. [source]

Above: A kid and his pet cat swap heads for an afternoon, creating a terrible toddler duo complete with sharp teeth and claws. [source]

Above: This Photoshop head swap picture is a visual definition of the phrase "pig-headed". [source]

Head swaps are one of the most popular forms of Photoshop humor art works. Although some don't quite hit the funny bone, most are bound to win a couple of giggles.



Funny Underwater Photographs of Dogs Swimming

Using a combination of technology and swimming skills, these photographers have captured high quality, funny images of dogs swimming. The moment where a dog dives into water is not often seen beneath the splashing water, making these photos a rare treat.

Man's Best Friend Underwater
Some dog breeds are notorious for their swimming skills, whereas others tend to shy away from water. These pictures capture the reactions of the dogs as they plunge suddenly into cold, clear water, often in the act of chasing a ball.





Funny Dog Photos
Humans tend to personify dogs, attributing them with feeling the same emotions and having the same attitudes as humans. At times, dogs can have almost-human facial expressions. Because of this, dogs are a favorite household pet, as people feel that they can empathize and connect with dogs.
Dogs lack the inhibitions of people, and will run, jump and play without feeling embarrassed or ashamed of their actions. Photos of dogs caught in a funny moment are popular online, leading to the advent of sites such as icanhascheezburger.com







The Best Photorealistic Drawings

Photorealism is an art form in which artists create drawings or paintings that look like photos. However photorealistic a drawing may be; the artist's personality will leak into the art work, giving the finished result a unique essence of its own.

Fantastic Photorealistic Drawings
Truly fantastic photo realistic drawings use a combination of perspective, proportion and lighting to create a realistic effect. If any of these design elements are not adhered to, the finished work will not withstand close scrutiny. Shading and highlights are especially important, as they define the 3D realism of the drawing. If the shading is not smooth, the drawing looks less like a photo and more like an art work.

Above: Jono Dry is a young artist from South Africa who draws photo realistic drawings based on his own photos. With no artistic training, Jono is an example of true raw talent and artistic passion. [source]

Above: Another example of Jono Dry's photorealistic pencil drawings. Both of the above art works are from a series of nudes celebrating the beauty of the female form. Dry's realistic figures stand in stark contrast to their black backgrounds, a style that emphasizes the effect of light on skin. [source]


Photorealistic Drawings as Home Decor
Photo realistic art works are quickly becoming popular media online, and as a result, many prints of photorealistic drawings are finding their way onto online shopping sites like Etsy.com. These interesting pictures of photographs are fast replacing actual photographs as home decor, as a photorealistic drawing of a portrait or favorite photograph is visually more interesting than the actual photograph.

Above: Linda Huber's photorealistic pencil drawing of Michelangelo's famous sculpture, David. The art work includes the imperfections in the weathered sculpture, such as nicks and scratches. [source]

Above: Another photorealistic pencil drawing from Linda Huber, this time of a lightbulb. Glass is difficult to draw realistically, because it is both translucent and reflective. Huber is an expert at manipulating the eye into believing that what it is actually seeing is a photograph. [source]

Above: A beautiful photorealistic animal portrait of a cat, drawn in pencil and graphite. Fur is extremely difficult to draw photo realistically, yet artist Paul Lung seems to have discovered the secret of drawing convincing hair. [source]

Above: Another photorealistic animal portrait by Paul Lung. The use of highlights and shadows creates an image that seems almost 3D, with a clarity usually only found in high quality photos. [source]


Incredible Tattoo Designs

The art of tattoos has become increasingly popular over the last two decades, with about 36% of 18-25 year olds sporting at least one tattoo. While many tattoo artists simply use designs from books and portfolios, some tattoo artists go above and beyond, creating distinctive artistic styles that result in incredible tattoo designs.

Amazing Tattoo Designs
The difference between a mediocre tattoo and an incredible tattoo is in the quality of the design and the level of the tattoo artist's skill. Great tattoos have clear lines, smooth shading and correct proportions. When these three design elements are in balance, the result is a pleasing piece of body art. The best tattoo designs don't necessarily need to be photo realistic or filled with color; even a linear tattoo design in black ink can be pleasing to the eye. The composition of the design, the position of the tattoo on the body and the balance of the design elements all contribute to whether a tattoo is a work of art or not.

Above: An incredible photo realistic tattoo of a woman's eye. Italian tattoo artist Alex De Pase uses beautiful shading techniques to achieve the effect of photo realism, and has included flower petals to give the finished tattoo design a surrealist effect. The pink shades of the flower petals can be seen in the pink of the woman's eye shadow. This creates a feeling of balance in the design. [source]

Above: This tattoo artist has inked an owl into the skin in such a way that it looks like an oil painting. The effect is tricky to achieve, as the brushstrokes in the tattoo design have to be created with the vibrating needle of the tattoo gun. The result is a dramatic art work inked into the skin. [source]

Above: This tribal tattoo design uses symmetry and clear outlines to create balance. The design is based on birds' wings and works with the shape of the woman's arms and wrists. Even though the tattoo design is fairly simple, the clear, smooth outlines, near-perfect shading and symmetry make this an amazing tattoo design. [source]

Above: A cute cartoon tattoo by Jesse Smith that uses clear outlines and contrasting colors to create depth and visual interest. The tattoo artist edited the design to make it appear that the worm to the left of the image is about to eat the guy's nipple. [source] See a funny Photoshop caricature of tattoo artist Jesse Smith.

Tattoo Art as a Symbol of Freedom
Tattoo art has limitations that are not found in many other art forms. The smaller the design, the less detail there can be in the tattoo design, because over time, the ink will spread under the skin, slowly turning the art work into a mess of color. Tattoo designs can be distorted by the shape of a body part, and the movement of the human canvas. So even though tattoos have become a symbol of personal freedom and choice, the art form itself is fairly limited.

Above: A tattoo of this size is incredibly difficult to create, especially on an area made of cartilage, like the ear. The skull tattoo in this woman's ear is an exceptional art work because of the amount of detail achieved at this size. The artist has used white tattoo ink to highlight parts of the skull. [source]

Above: This full back tattoo of the Indian God Ganesh is colorful and attractive. The tattoo design incorporates the busy, almost animated nature of Indian art works while still keeping the subject of the design recognizable. [source]

Above: Another truly amazing tattoo design by Alex de Pase. The tattoo artist has combined photo realism with paisley and other decorative elements, finishing off the art work with splashes of color that are reminiscent of a watercolor painting. This portrait tattoo is reminscent of the sugar skull designs used in Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican celebration known in English as Day of the Dead. [source]
  
Above: This incredible tattoo design uses the shape of the hand in the design, especially in the knuckle area. The effect is a sci-fi styled art work with a fantasy flavor. [source]