Stunning Burlesque Style Twi'lek Cosplay
Photos by Marianna Orlova
Star Wars fans know that there are few things as graceful as a female Twi'lek... simply walking with a pair of lovely female Twi'lek's is a sign of influence and wealth. On top of that, the entire humanoid species is naturally quick and cunning, making them one of the most known races in the whole Star Wars universe.
Although Twi'lek characters come in all walks of life, one thing Star Wars fans haven't seen is an original burlesque style Twi'lek cosplay, and the following photo series is just that. The idea was devised by Russian cosplayer Valentina Leontyeva who collaborated with photographer Marianna Orlova, creating an alluring photo series full of soft color, draping in pearls and femininity. The idea for this humanoid is captured so amazingly well, I think George Lucas should take a look. What do you think?
[Via FashionablyGeek, DeviantArt]
Photographer Captures Beautiful Asian Landscapes and Rich Culture
Photos by Weerapong Chaipuck
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, stretched with abundant history and breathtaking scenery. And Bangkok-based Thai photographer Weerapong Chaipuck captures the beautiful Asian landscape, full of rich culture perfectly. What's even more impressive, is that he recently discovered his passion for photography after an early retirement from the medical profession. Now, Chaipuck spends his time traveling and snapping shots of all the beautiful landscapes and it's residents with breathtaking images, and eye-catching perspectives that are rich with color and texture.
Spanning from Thailand to China, Vietnam, Indonesia and India, Chaipuck delves deep into each country's rich culture rather than any type of tourist destination to document their real essence. Besides capturing some of the world's most captivating landscapes, he manages to turn even the most modest of homes, or the hard work of a local fisherman into a work of art.
Travel into the depths of Asia with the following images and be sure to see more here.
Photos of Romanticized Same-Sex Love Around the World by Braden Summers
Photos by Braden Summers
In the aftermath of Valentine's day, think of the majority of major advertisements you've seen about love... We see the same portrayals of romance solely of a man and woman. Whether it's in that loving gaze, at dinner, dancing in the rain, kissing gently or anything else that embraces that old fairy tale type love, it's rare to see any representation of romanticized same-sex love.
It is all too often that the LGBTQ community is misrepresented romantically in mainstream media, and more often portrayed in overly sexualized images. If not that, in foreign countries any gay, lesbian, transgender, or queer of any kind is hardly presented at all. With this in mind, New York-based photographer Braden Summers was inspired to create a series titled, All Love Is Equal, to illustrate his vision of a same-sex fairy tale love. What started with a fund through a Kickstarter campaign, Summers sought out subjects in Paris before traveling to England, India, Lebanon, South Africa, Brazil and the U.S. that shatters any misconceptions and stereotypes.
The project proved a success as the following images, through six different countries, prove that no matter where you are, love is equal. Check out more of his work here.
[Via Policy Mic]
Re-creations of Death Row's Final Meals by Henry Hargreaves
Photos by Henry Hargreaves
The Last Meal- A condemned prisoner's last meal is a customary part of his or her last day before execution.
Just a few years ago, prison officials in Texas decided to end the practice of allowing condemned inmates to choose their last meal. A decision not many argued with. New Zealand photographer Henry Hargreaves read an article about this that inspired him to create his most popular project titled, No Seconds. In this chilling photo series he re-creates the last meals of some of the country's most notorious, condemned criminals on death row, adding info on the prisoner, their crime, and the meal presented.
Looking through the series gives you an eery insight and sensory into the mind of the condemned. Hargreaves even notes that the experience personalized these people for him, and it even allowed him to identify with them through the common denominator of food.
While we scroll through our social media pages, we are often overwhelmed by filtered photos of what people eat on a daily basis and it's interesting to finally see a piece of chicken or a bowl of ice cream that makes us think just a bit further than what's presented on the plate. Check out the following photos and allow the stark perspective to float through your mind. What would be your last meal?
Be sure to check out more Henry's work here.
Protests Intensify in Venezuela
Photos by Rodrigo Abd/AP/Corbis
In recent days, nationwide protests have intensified in Venezuela leaving fatalities and many injured. While demands of demonstrators vary from economic to social, much of this news is kept from international popular media. As much of the world stands curious on what's going on, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Rodrigo Abd managed to cover gripping scenes as steady controversy ensues.
Here's quick summary of what's happening in Venezuela: While rampant crime, shortages in consumer goods, and threatened freedom of speech has increased, the current government opposition is protesting the Tuesday detainment of their leader Leopoldo Lopez, who was targeted for conspiracy in organizing most of these protests. While federal officials point the blame on the United States for supposedly plotting to destabilize the government, many blame Venezuela's government, led by President Nicolas Maduro, for these social and economic problems.
Although Venezuela has had various protests by those either supporting and opposing government leadership in the past decade, violence has reached it's peak in the last few days. Check out the following images captured by Rodrigo Abd, who seems to be right in the mix of all the feud, and be sure stay informed as opposition increases. Also, be sure to check out more of his work here.
[Via The Washington Post, The Guardian]
Colorful Portraits of Motorbike Girl Gangs in Morocco
Photos by Hassan Hajjaj
Morocco is an incredibly vibrant and complex place, and a photographer's dream location to shoot. However, in an age where photography is universal and sometimes intrusive, cities like Marrakech often distrust photographer's, seeing them as pervasive, and are questioned about the use of their captured images.
Knowing all of this makes the following photo series all the more intriguing. London-based, Moroccan photographer Hassan Hajjaj beautifully captured the bike culture of Marrakech in his latest series titled, Kesh Angels, on display now at the Taymour Grahne Gallery in New York until March 8. In this series, Hajjaj uses some female friends to represent "Moroccan girl bike gangs" to show something particular of Marrakech. In each image the girls are captured with strong, intimidating expressions to convey an edge, while sporting polka dot veils, Nike djellabah and even heart-shaped sunnies. To add even more color, he used products found in local markets to create a border for each picture.
Although there are no real bike gangs in Morocco, these girls are no joke. According to the photographer's recent interview with Vice, most of these girls speak up to five languages, and are full-time moms who work ten-hour days. What's even more interesting is that Marrakech is a true bike city, used by most of the locals as a source for transportation to work, and most of the bikes used for this shoot are their very own.
Check out the following photos and see more here.
[Via Vice]
When Words Fail: Surreal Photographic Series by Ben Zank
Photos by Ben Zank
Great art will inspire thought without a word needed to be said, and New York Photographer Ben Zank created a photo series based on this very notion, titled "When Words Fail". Through self-portraiture, he creates a set of surreal images that stretch the imagination, and expresses the vacancy one experiences when words fail. Each image is unique, creative, and very much thought provoking.
The young, self-taught photographer began taking photos just for fun, and in a recent interview, he shared that his passion in photography began only a year ago while going to school for journalism. In just a year full of work, his photography grabbed enough attention to land him a solo exhibition, on display now in Brooklyn.
Allow your mind to interpret the following images, and check out more of his work here.
[Via Demilked]
Photographer Duo Turns Annoying Potholes into Art
Photos by Photographer duo Davide Luciano and Claudia Ficca
Potholes are a driver's nightmare and with this Winter's cold wrath, it seems that they have multiplied in cities across the nation. While most of them go unfixed, Photographer duo Davide Luciano and Claudia Ficca managed to turn these annoying city potholes into works of art in their ironic photo series, “My Potholes".
The idea for this series was inspired from their individual experience after hitting a pothole in their own neighborhood in Montreal, an experience we city dwellers can all relate to. Eventually, the idea broadened into creating various imaginative scenes within the backdrops of New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto and Montreal, where street cracks and potholes play a major role in the everyday commute. Each scene directly engages the street and the city, transforming the bad into good, creating surreal scenery while adding perspective on how we are connected and affected by the environment around us. It's definitely an interest concept.
Check out the following photos and find more here.
[Via Demilked, MyPotholes]
