Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Photography.
Sunrise Above the Earth
As a kid, I was always fascinated by watching the sun rise. In summer, I would often wake up before even the birds to sit by the window and watch the sun awaken a sense of wonder in me. I would sit there until the last wisp of pink was gone from the horizon. The first time I flew on a plane was when I was 6, and the second I stepped on the plane, I felt truly alive, like it was my calling to be on that plane. I loved the sensation of being far above my troubles and feeling like I could touch the sky. Whenever I flew on a plane as a kid, I always rushed to the window seat and didn’t take my eyes off the sky for a second. Since then, I have traveled to many countries and seen countless sunrises, but none can compare to the sunrise I witnessed just a week ago on a plane to Florida. I was having a bad day, since I had to wait in line for hours at then airport, and I had not slept a wink the night before. But the second I stepped on the plane and looked out the window, I felt that all was right in the world. I saw deep purples unfurling around the sun and crescendoed into magical crimsons, with clouds gracefully dancing in the sky. I was in awe, and couldn’t tear my eyes away for a single second, in the fear that I would miss something. I pulled out my phone just seconds before the plane took off and it began to rain, fat drops rolling down the windows. After about a minute after taking off, I managed to take this incredible picture of the city lights beneath a majestic sunrise. It represents how the earth might seem quiet from below, but up above, there is a sort of magic displayed that is different than anything else on this world. I took dozens, if not hundreds of pictures in the small window of time that it took for the sunrise to turn into a brilliantly blue sky without a cloud in sight, but this one was the only one that truly made me think “wow”. The rain stopped, and I looked over my pictures. I came across this one, and I could not stop looking at it. It was so perfect, I did nothing to change it at all. I didn’t even edit it at all, despite the faint reflection of my phone in the window. The reflection shows how such a beautiful moment can always be captured with just a camera. It showed the magic of the sunrise combined with the gracefulness of flying. After looking through all of the photos stored on my phone (nearly 14,000 of them!), it was a no-brainer to go with this picture since it holds such a dear place in my heart. I have taken many photos in my life, and my obsession with photography started when I was just a toddler, but this is definitely my favorite and most cherished photograph. I have since tried to take pictures that compare to that work of art, but they fall short of the splendor that is displayed there. Hopefully my picture can help inspire young photographers to always have faith in their abilities and that a good picture is always where you least expect it. I hope that my picture is able to awaken the curiosity and playfulness that lives in every person, young or old. Thank you for taking my picture into consideration, and I apologize for any potential typos, as I am writing this on a cell phone (the same one that I took the picture on!).
By Catherine S6 years ago in Photography
Santiago Without Her Monument
On this particular Caribbean evening my thoughts were drifting me into a state of discontent. From a rooftop in Santiago de los Caballeros, I sat, as any introvert does at some point during a friendly gathering, alone. Alone in a corner of a rooftop without my well traveled notebook whom I usually talk to on nights like this one.
By Marah Grace6 years ago in Photography
Historic Beauty
As I walked through the pale white double doors leading to this beautiful dome, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and joy as I gazed up at this historic monument that I was witnessing before me. I struggled to take in all the wonderful beauty that was unfolding before my eyes. At first I wasn't sure how to capture this iconic ceiling. I walked around the perimeter of the room and just marveled at all the glorious beauty that was around me. Granite tile polished to a high gloss, illuminated each historic step. In the East wing, there were many depictions of impressionist artwork. Monet, Manet, Rockwell and Degas all lined the walls of the wing. Thin brush strokes combined with life like portraits lined the hall, each more beautiful and breath taking than the last. To the West was the hall of the more surrealist painters. Picasso, Dali, and Magritte all found a place here. As I gazed at each unique shape and misaligned figure, I began to realize that these were all great works of art and each worthy of appreciation but this still was not exactly what I was looking for on this very day. I took a stroll to the North wing which lead me to the more modern art section of the museum. Warhol, Lautrec, Munich and Metzinger all could be found here. For me it was a very interesting depiction of exactly what modern art meant for each generation. For earlier works of art, cubism and surrealism definitely played a part in framing exactly what the works of art would look like. After this I veered into the main hallway and had a look up at the incredible domed ceiling that was some 30 feet above my head. This is where I spent the rest of my time that afternoon. I went with a "panoramic" approach but that wasn't giving me the desired effect that I was after. I kind of gave up on the perfect shot for a little while instead focusing on the wonderful landmark that was right in front of my eyes. I stopped to wonder at everything that was around me, the history, the beauty, the incredible attention to detail and I was completely moved. My attention then wandered to the fact that many incredible historical figures stood right where I was standing and gazed up at this remarkable ceiling just as I am doing now. A certain feeling of solidarity came over me and I began to realize that we are all connected in this world, none of us are the same but we are all together in this incredible world and I then realized that I was such a part of something greater than myself, a part of something greater than I could ever imagine! I took a step back and surveyed the shot and looked long and hard at the ceiling. It was at this point that I decided to really get a good set shot, I tried the action shot with my camera but that didn't elicit the desired result for me. I fumbled through the settings once again to try portrait setting but that seemed to not give a true color to the shot. I finally settled on the pro setting and adjusted the color temperature down a little bit and adjusted the shutter speed slightly higher as it was a very well lit room with combination natural light and artificial LED lighting. The result is what you see here, this glorious shot of that magnificent ceiling with untold souls who stood, walked and admired the ceiling just as I had on this very day. I will never forget my visit to the Smithsonian museum of art in Washington D.C. The ceiling and setting were simply breathtaking and I am forever grateful that I took a trip there.
By Patrick Roberts6 years ago in Photography
"Mother Road" Memories
Heading West on a desolate stretch of aging Arizona asphalt, the famed Route 66 Museum known as Cool Spring's Station offers some unique sights and sounds for those who venture a visit, especially during the "golden hour", with this vintage American classic pickup standing proud against the brilliant kaleidoscope of colors from the Sun setting over the mountains in the background.
By JB Barger6 years ago in Photography
Paradise Divide
Pictured here are two of my closest friends sitting on a high-elevation mountain ridge between two peaks in Crested Butte, Colorado. When I took this picture, with us all sitting on a small boulder surrounded by low growing pine trees on a knife’s-edge trail at about thirteen thousand feet, I felt it described my friendship with these two wonderful young women perfectly. Looking out either side were two valleys with 360-degree views of formidable and breathtaking mountain peaks in the Gunnison National Forest. I had just introduced these two to one another that summer, and instantaneously we were all thick as thieves. In an Instagram caption, I had written, “when your two favorite TV shows do a mash-up.” It seemed like I got the best of both worlds in my friendship to each of them. We hadn’t planned to hike that much that day, all of us wearing just strap on sandals on our feet and swimsuits underneath our clothes, but we just kept moving, laughing and playing in the waterfalls and snow banks left from a heavy snow that winter. This would be the first of many huge hikes we would take that summer, sometimes trekking upwards of twenty miles in a day. Even though there were so many moments where I thought my lungs would explode right before we summited a mountain, there were even more moments where my sides were splitting from laughter as we danced on mountain tops. This moment is candid. Neither is wearing her best clothes or makeup. They are not trying to be anything, not trying to fulfill any role of what it means to be feminine or attractive, but in their own true selves illuminate what it means to be strong and reflective of their inward beauty. This photo is a wonderful reminder of one of the most fun summers of my life and a captured moment between me and my dear friends. At the end of the summer, Heather (pictured right), had told me, “Wow, we could’ve died so many times.” I hadn’t thought of it, and it struck me as odd that this extremity of living hadn’t seemed at all dangerous to me. Amongst cliff jumping into waterfall punchbowls, hauling ass in Bel’s (pictured left) Ford scout on narrow, rocky mining roads, boot skiing down summer snow banks lining steep valleys, climbing up mountain sides that almost felt as sharp as 90 degree angles, and walking down wet canyons in atmospheric thunderstorms, I hadn’t even felt for a second at risk of anything. Reflecting on our many adventures, I still don’t feel like I needed to worry about anything. We live in a very precautious world today, where danger and fear often loom around the word adventure. I think it is wise to be wary and to be smart about your situation, especially as a female, but in a sense I do not believe it is worth it to hesitate in order to lead a thrilling and full life. Things can go wrong, but more often than not, one can form some of the most meaningful and spiritually connected experiences they will ever have in their entire life. I feel like after the summer of 2017, I was far less afraid to take big leaps and to make room for fun in my life, especially when it can be shared with friends. Although my life now is radically different than when I lived in the mountains as a full time artist in New York City, and Heather and Bel now on their own adventures in Seattle and France, I still feel a bond lingering amongst us and an unspoken truce to live life defiantly, fully, and with maximal fun as the highest priority. There are so many chance moments in life, and like this photograph, I’m happy I’ve been there to take it.
By Kellie Kekich6 years ago in Photography
You Can't Go Home Again, and Maybe That's Okay
“You Have Stumbled on In Darkness, You Have Been Pulled in Different Directions” This is my childhood home located in rural North Carolina. As you can probably tell from the overgrown weeds and empty driveway, my family has not lived here for some time. To most this picture shows nothing more than an abandoned house, but for me this picture holds an unmatched hope.
By Yvonne Damon6 years ago in Photography
A plane to positivity
I took this picture on the last day of the last decade. 31.12.2019. I was flying home from Spain to London after spending Christmas with family. 2019 had not been a great year for me. I was struggling with a back injury that was not healing at a rate I was happy with. I had been feeling pretty negative about life and felt I was missing out on a lot including spending time with my children. I also felt a lot of guilt about how much extra my wife had to do as I was incapacitated.
By Kate Mackay6 years ago in Photography
Crosshairs. First Place in Mobile Moments Challenge.
Kareem peeks timidly around the archway, into the frame. The man drops his camera and smiles at the boy, who ducks back into the vestibule of his home. The man snaps a few more photos of his wife sitting, standing, strutting up the stairs. The man and his wife depart; two more take their place. Kareem peeks timidly around the archway, into the frame.
By Alex OT6 years ago in Photography
Lifeblood
During the summer of 2017 British Columbia, Canada. BC experienced some of the largest and most devastating forest fires in the history of this province. A state of emergency was declared as what started as several small fires quickly turned into a raging inferno that swept across 3 million acres of land, leaving in its wake a vast, eerie landscape of ash and dust. More than 65,000 people had to be evacuated and leave their homes across the province. Smoke became so thick one could barely breath, engulfing everything for several weeks and spreading across the entire country as a gigantic cloud so large it was clearly visible from space. Fire crews from around the nation and other countries were battling what seemed like a one sided war, reclaiming and protecting towns and cities only for the next storm and heatwave to fuel the fire once again, during a time of year where there was little hope for rain. Over 300 homes were damaged during the blaze and many more damaged. After what seemed like an eternity, some rain and change in weather did come but the fire had spread out to its own limits. Slowly the smoke started to clear, revealing the real aftermath of what is now known as the 2017 BC Fires. Where once tall and lush trees stood, only a haunting dark silhouette of a forest remains, so still and quiet, stripped of all colours and life yet mysteriously beautiful in so many ways.
By Jesaja Class6 years ago in Photography
peach margarita story
I don’t necessarily understand all art. I accept that I’m not meant to know or understand everything, and people laugh when I say that, but it’s true. Art that I do understand, is something I can touch or taste. I don’t get anything out of going to museums and looking at paintings or sculptures I can’t put my hands on. If I can’t actively engage with it in a way I like, I’m not interested.
By Alyson Lewis6 years ago in Photography
