Animals
August 5, 2019

Perfectly Timed Photo Shows Singing Blackbird Creating Vortex Rings with His Breath

This year, amateur bird photographer Kathrin Swoboda achieved a career-changing shot. Like many photographs of birds, her portrait of a blackbird stars a perched, singing subject. What sets this photograph apart from others, however, is that viewers can actually see his song—an element expertly captured by the strategic photographer. Early on March 17, 2019, Swoboda set out toward Huntley Meadows Park, an island in Virginia favored by nature photographers for its  wildlife-friendly wetlands.

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Photography
August 2, 2019

Traveling Photographer Captures a Pastel World Straight Out of a Wes Anderson Film

Viewing the world through the eyes of Lisbon-based photographer Teresa Freitas is like stepping into a candy-colored wonderland. With soft pastel hues and imaginative compositions, her ever-growing portfolio of travel photography captures the magic of each location she visits. Freitas’ interest in photography and creative editing began when she was a sophomore student.

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Art History
August 1, 2019

The Unique History and Exquisite Aesthetic of Japan’s Ethereal Woodblock Prints

Subject Matter   Women Like western art, one subject that repeatedly appears in Japanese works is the classically beautiful female. Particularly present in woodblock prints, Japanese women—ranging from geishas and courtesans to ordinary individuals—appear to have fascinated artists with their stoic expressions, elaborate garments, and graceful demeanors. Utamaro was particularly known for these female-centric depictions. Aptly called bijin ōkubi-e (“large-headed pictures of beautiful women”), his distinctive portraits often featured close-up views of women's faces and upper bodies, emphasizing their effortless beauty.

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Photography
August 1, 2019

Photographer Turns His Tricycle into a Portable Wet Plate Photography Darkroom

French photographer Michaël Tirat has created a clever method to bring his love of wet plate photography on the road. By creating his own portable darkroom, he's able to travel, shoot, and print in a manner that harkens back to the itinerant photographers of the mid- to late-19th century. Tirat calls his traveling darkroom L'Atelier de l'Alchimiste (The Alchemist's Workshop) in a nod toward the magical chemistry that occurs when creating wet collodion photography.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.