The Boryeong Mud Festival in South Korea
Photos by Kim Hong-Ji
Every summer millions of tourists are attracted to a small beach town named Boryeong, in South Korea, and it's for the mud. Specifically, for the 2 week long Boryeong Mud Festival that began in 1988, now attracts 2.2 million visitors a year, and most famously for its final weekend, which usually falls on the second weekend in July. For all who missed it or never heard of it, notable Reuters South Korean Photographer Kim Hong-Ji, covered much of the excitement, quite different from much of his other work.
Although it does seem that mud festivals and mud runs have been increasingly popular across the western world in general, this one actually serves to be beneficial for your skin. In 1996 a range of cosmetics was produced using mud from this area in the world. Beneficially, the cosmetics were said to be full of minerals, bentonites, and germaniums, all of which occur naturally in this mud. In order to promote these cosmetics, the Boryeong Mud Festival was conceived, and offers plenty of mud massage programs set to remove impurities, to fun events such as mud wrestling, a mud fireworks fantasy, survival games, zipline rides, and a lot more. On the mudflat there is also the chance to participate in Marine style training.
Check out Hong-Ji' photos, and find more photos from the Festival here.
"Photographers from around the world need to do their best to capture what has not been captured before." - Kim Hong-Ji
[Via RUETERS]
Fantasy Art Photography by Margarita Kareva
Photos by Margarita Kareva
With the help of photoshop, beautiful models, and a creative imagination, Russian born photographer Margarita Kareva, specializes in fantasy art photography. What began as a hobby just 3 years ago, she says that she finds her inspiration through fantasy books and fairytales, thus transforming carefully selected models into witches and princesses. With adding surreal elements and the right location and she brings these fantasy worlds to real life in a very unique way.
In just 3 years of work, Kareva's portfolio is full of whimsical and vibrant portraits that stretch the imagination. Definitely keep tabs of more of her work here, as it continues to grow and evolve into very respected artwork, spreading around the world. Check out some of our favorites before, they may make you consider starting a new hobby of your own.
[Via BoredPanda]
Classy Looking Mugshots of Gangsters from the 1920s
It's hard to believe that the age of the roaring 20s was almost 100 years ago, and tons of changed since. Although the 1920s was full of vibrant culture and music, it was also full of high crime, much due to the prohibition era. But the criminals back then didn't look like the criminals of today... they wore suits, ties, top hats, and they even shined their shoes. Looking back at mugshots of these criminals exemplifies the change in times, when looking classy was just as important as being gangster.
Take a look back in time at these "classy" looking mugshots of gangsters from the 1920s, and maybe pass this along to those who need to up their wardrobe.
[Via Distractify]
Interesting Photographs of Drugs Under a Microscope by Sarah Schoenfeld
Photos by Sarah Schoenfeld
Have you ever thought of liquifying drugs and putting it under a microscope to create art?... Neither did we, but Berlin artist Sarah Schoenfeld did, and they make for some pretty interesting photographs. By mixing water and different kinds of drugs, both legal and illegal, and putting droplets directly onto exposed negative film, each drug interacted with the film differently, creating a chemical reaction that continued for variable amounts of time.
In what turned out to be both a science experiment and work of art, the complete collection has been published in a leather-bound book titled “All You Can Feel", and it's fascinating to see the different effects each drug had on film. It also provides a visual on what each can do to the human body. In a separate interview with VICE, Schoenfeld spoke further on how her inspiration, “But then I became more interested in how things look. Now I'm always looking for ways to make the internal, visual.”
Check out the following results/photographs to this experiment, and let us know which are your favorites. Click here to find more.
[Via IFLScience]
[RH Photos] Brisk Bodega Presents: Dj Mustard, Do Or Die and More at Double Door (7/12/2014)
Photos by AngieStar Photo
This summer, Brisk is partnering with Noisey, VICE’s music channel, to bring the Brisk Bodega, a live music party experience to 6 cities across the US. Just this past weekend, Brisk Bodega Chicago featured Dj Mustard, Do Or Die, Tree, and Dj Moondawg at Double Door, and the night was a hit. The venue was comfortably crowded, full with good vibes, and non-stop dancing or head bopping from start to finish. The complimentary Brisk cocktails made it even better.
In case you haven't heard of all the artists featured, you will definitely hear their names more in the near future. Headlining all Brisk Bodega shows is DJ Mustard, an LA native, who is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after producers in the music business. Some of the most recent songs he has produced include chart-topping hits like 2 Chainz ("I'm Different"), Young Jeezy ("R.I.P.") and Tyga ("Rack City"). Complex has also taken note, naming him one of their "25 New Producers To Watch Out For", sequentially, he signed with Roc Nation late last year. Mustard ended the night at Double Door, playing all his smash hits to date, and leaving everyone wanting more.
Amongst Chicago's exclusive featured artists for Brisk Bodega were Do Or Die, the west side rap trio, consisting of group members Belo Zero, N.A.R.D. and AK-47. The trio has sold more than 3 million albums worldwide, topping charts in the 1990's and the 2000's, and are set to release a new album by the end of the year. Performing tracks like "Po Pimp", "Playa Like Me and You", and "Do You", kept the crowd reminiscent and proud of their distinct home town sound.
One of the newer faces to perform that evening was Tree, a producer, rapper stemming from the city's notorious Cabrini Green projects. He brought to the stage Chris Crack and the New Deal Crew, partners in the Soul Trap movement, and kept the vibe live and energetic for the whole set. All members involved are rising to be major trendsetters for the Chicago Hip-Hop scene.
Lastly, we can't forget to mention Dj Moondawg, one of the country’s premier DJs, responsible for discovering, breaking, and supporting Chicago artists Chief Keef (Interscope), Lil Durk & Lil Reese (Def Jam), King Louie (Epic), and YP (Universal) on his radio show with WGCI. He kicked off the night's pulsing energy with non-stop bangers, and proved to be a key player to night's success.
I was able to get exclusive full media/ stage access, and got to experience each performer's great energy from beginning to end. Check out some of our favorite shots below and be sure to check out more here. Brisk Bodega is headed to hit New York City on July 18th. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and RSVP for NYC here.
"Be Masculine" Explores What Defines Gay Male Masculinity (NSFW)
Photos by Erik Carter
It's the 21st century and a lot has changed in terms of understanding gender roles in today's society. Specifically, many are still learning such roles in the LGBTQ community, and it's beautiful to see more people accepting others for who they are as individuals. With this, New York photography Erik Carter has a project in the works titled, "Be Masculine", which explores what defines gay male masculinity. Through portraits and interviews, he's seeking to push boundaries to start a larger conversation about what masculinity means today.
In an exclusive interview with the Huffington Post, Carter elaborates on the current and future ambition for the project as a whole. And all in all, he wants to reveal that masculinity is not as simple as it's standard definition, and can actually be defined differently from individual perspectives.
The photos below are the first set of the ongoing project, and consists of men who live in New York City who identify as gay. Each intimate portrait shows diversity, and definitely broadens the narrow view of what many consider to be "masculine". Take a look and let us know what you think, also find more on Carter's Tumblr and Instagram.
[Via HuffingtonPost]
Photos of Powerful Social And Environmental Advertisements
In such an age of capitalism, we're surrounded by advertisements where ever we go, and it can be quite obnoxious. Walk through Times Square, for example, and you're bombarded by these types of ads, or take a ride on a train, or drive down any highway, and they are just unavoidable. Although most are intended to grab the attention of the consumer to buy a product, there are actually those few that we run into that are thought-provoking. A good, well-thought out advertisement is designed to grab your attention, to remain in your memory long after you’ve left it behind, which is exactly what many of these social causes need. Even if many of these types of ads are, in fact, commercial ads, it's nice to see that they sometimes try to touch on important topics in the world.
Some of the photos below are some of the most powerful social and environmental ads out today. Although we may often glide right past them on a daily basis, it's important to give a few of these a second look. Check them out and let us know which you think are the most powerful or creative, and definitely look out for more here.
[Via Demilked]
[Video] 100 Years of Leica Photography
Leica has proven to stand the test of time, as this year marks it's 100th year of Leica Photography. This means that for the past century, some of the most famous photographers from around the world have been capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments with their Leica camera. Moments that trace history and time with quality.
Leica is celebrating this time stamp with the announcement of the release of their special edition of the Leica M model, that will be available for a short time only. The limited "Edition 100" model is truly unique, as it comes with the silver chrome and the black paint versions and is technically identical to the current model of the Leica M, but is engraved with the ‘100 years of Leica’ logo on the top plate. Equipped with a 24-megapixel full-frame Leica Max CMOS sensor, designed especially for use with M and R Lenses and with a multitude of features like Live View, full-HD video and additional focusing methods, the Leica M combines the capabilities of innovative, state-of-the-art digital technology with the latest developments from decades of expertise in rangefinder construction. Yet another model that sets the bar even higher for other camera brands.
This Leica M "Edition 100" model is strictly limited to 500 sets, so be sure to click here, where there are a few other notable "Edition 100" models to look at as well. With this, Leica also features a short clip of some of the most famous and iconic photos shot with Leica, and it's pretty incredible. Take a look at the video below, and find more of their iconic photos here.
[Via US Leica]
[vimeo id="92052812"]