Suko

Between one and two percent of the world's population are redheads, according to BBC News. While gingers are usually thought to be white, pale, and of Celtic-Germanic descent, the reality is that there are millions of people of color around the world who have freckles and fiery locks of hair. French-born, London-based photographer Michelle Marshall explores the stunning diversity of redheads in her portrait series MC1R, named after the gene known as "melanocortin 1 receptor" that causes red hair.

Marshall was originally interested in documenting manifestations of freckles for her visual census. Eventually, after meeting a freckled little girl who was of mixed race, the photographer decided to focus on incidents of the MC1R gene variant among Afro-Caribbean people. She found her subjects, who are primarily black or mixed race individuals, through social media, word of mouth, or random encounters on the street.

"I want to stir the perception that most of us have of a 'ginger' as a white caucasian individual, potentially of Celtic descent," Marshall told Huffington Post. "As we struggle with issues of immigration, discrimination and racial prejudice, Mother Nature, meanwhile, follows its own course, embracing society's plurality and, in the process, shaking up our perceptions about origins, ethnicity and identity."

Michelle Marshall: Website | Instagram
via [Huffington Post, Mashable]

All around the world, there are fashion designers who are constantly seeking inspiration for their next project. Whether it's for their next line of runway garments, an all-encompassing outfit, or even a basic textile design, there's always a source of stimulation that sparks a burst of creativity, resulting in wearable artistry. For many of these fashion forward creatives, nature is the key. Though the seasons may change, and trends come and go, nature is a constant, cyclical muse.

Fashion enthusiast Liliya Hudyakova has been following fashion for years, tracking down each runway garment's visual inspiration. In her photo series, aptly referred to as Fashion & Nature, Hudyakova places images from the runway side-by-side with photographs of nature, drawing an irrefutable likeness between the two. Ultimately, what we deem fashionable is a reflection of the beautiful world that surrounds us.

Top photo: LEFT: Elie Saab S/S 2014; RIGHT: Punk sunset.

Left: Elie Saab S/S 2012; RIGHT: Crystals.

LEFT: Jean Louis Sabaji S/S 2013; RIGHT: Grey smoke.

LEFT: Jason Wu S/S 2013; RIGHT: Starry night. (Photo by Harry Finder)

LEFT: Yiqing Yin F/W 2012/13; RIGHT: Sea surface.

LEFT: Elie Saab Haute Cuture S/S 2014; RIGHT: Crystals.

LEFT: Naeem Khan S/S 2009; RIGHT: Volcanic eruption in 2010 at Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland.

LEFT: Bianka Matragi S/S 2012; RIGHT: Wave sea by Christian Westphalen.

LEFT: Georges Chakra Haute Couture F/W 2012/13; RIGHT: Purple moon night.

LEFT: Ralph & Russo S/S 2015; RIGHT: Rose. (Photo by Jennie Marie Schell)

LEFT: Naeem Khan S/S 2013; RIGHT: Wave. (Photo (detail) by Daniel Montero)

LEFT: Gucci Fall 2004; RIGHT: Journey to the fierce storm by Sona Buchetova.

LEFT: Stephane Rolland S/S 2013; RIGHT: White gardenia. (Photo by Nancy Chow)

LEFT: Chanel S/S 2015; RIGHT: Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany. (Photo by Luis Pires)

LEFT: Delpozo S/S 2015; RIGHT: Autumn Leaves (infrared photography)

LEFT: Manish Arora F/W 2010/11; RIGHT: Terraced Rice Field of Yunnan, China. (Photo by Thierry Bornier)

Liliya Hudyakova: Instagram | Tumblr

For the past 70 years, nature has been gradually reclaiming an abandoned warehouse in the Taiwanese city of Tainan. Overgrown with a massive, sprawling banyan tree that has swallowed the walls and roof of the building, the eerily beautiful Anping Tree House is an example of the pervasive power of the earth.

The large, brick building originally served as a warehouse for Tait & Co., one of the first foreign trading companies in Taiwan. During the Japanese occupation, the Salt Association of Japan took over the property, followed by the Taiwan Salt Company after the Japanese were expelled. After World War II, the salt industry declined, leading to the warehouse's abandonment and fall into disrepair. From then on, the roots and branches of the banyan tree began to spread until the entire building became one with nature.

According to Taiwanese folklore, banyan aerial roots represent negative energy, so the tree house used to be regarded by locals as a gloomy, haunted place. Since 2004, however, the site has been known as a tourist attraction. For around $1.50 ($50NT), visitors can explore the nearby Old Tait & Co. Merchant House (now a museum) as well as the fascinating Anping Tree House.

Above photo source: Neil Wade

Photo source: 伊森


Photo source: terago


Photo source: Alexander Synaptic


Photo source: achicoda


Photo source: ErhuFish


Photo source: Philip_44


Photo source: Duncan Chen


Photo source: Rical Hsieh


Photo source: Terminal_City


Photo source: Rical Hsieh


Photo source: Cindy Lee


Photo source: riNux

Artist Jirka Väätäinen has provided us with the opportunity to see what beloved Disney princes would look like in real life. To add to his already impressive portfolio of lifelike Disney characters, the incredible creator decided to give these iconic male characters a Pinocchio-like transformation. While staying true to his subject's original traits, Väätäinen took inspiration from actual photos, combined various elements on Photoshop, and then finished off his reproductions with a touch of digital painting. As a whole, this makes for a shockingly realistic result.

Väätäinen decided to begin this series in 2011 when he casually wondered what The Little Mermaid's Ursula would look like in our own world. "Having grown up with a lot of these characters, the sense of nostalgia made it such a fascinating and fun personal project to explore and carry on with," he told Cosmopolitan. This same sense of nostalgia is what makes these creations just as interesting for us viewers. Aside from visually admiring the artist's work, we can also take a moment to reminisce upon the childhood memories that have made us who we are today.

Above: Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid 

Prince Charming from Cinderella


Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty


Hercules from Hercules


Tarzan from Tarzan


John Smith from Pocahontas 


Prince Adam from Beauty and the Beast


Aladdin from Aladdin

Jirka Väätäinen: Website 
via [Cosmopolitan]

Six years ago, one man purchased a box of old negatives and sparked an online hunt that would eventually shed light on former nanny Vivian Maier, one of the greatest street photographers of the century. Now, a similar search is unfolding, thanks to a series of mysterious negatives recently discovered in a thrift store.

While thrift shopping in Richmond, Virginia a few weeks ago, photographer Meagan Abell came across four sets of medium-format negatives encased in plastic sleeves and sitting in a box of old vintage photographs. Curious about the images, Abell bought the negatives, took them home, and scanned them. The stunning results, which she posted on Facebook yesterday, show two young women standing on a seashore, bathed in the dreamy, rosy light of the setting sun.

The owner of the Hull St. thrift store that Abell found the negatives in has no idea where they came from, so the Richmond resident has requested the help of the internet to find the subjects of the images as well as the photographer. Judging from the style of dress, Abell is guessing that the photos were taken in the 1940s or 1950s, and it's possible that the two women took turns photographing each other. The film is most likely 60mm, and may be Kodachrome. Beyond that, there's no other known information.

Internet sleuths are already taking a crack at identifying the location of the photos. A common conjecture is that they were shot somewhere along the coast in California. One commenter, Louann Walker, said, "This definitely looks like the California coast! Just a guess but it's possible this was after the war near one of the bases where a soldier was stationed. That could be an explanation for it later ending up on the East coast." Others chimed in with suggestions of San Diego, Baja California, and the coast around Ventura and Santa Barbara.

Abell encourages supportive netizens to share the photos using the hashtag #‎FindTheGirlsOnTheNegatives‬. Hopefully, the viral hunt will reveal information on the origins of the beautiful images. If you have any information, please leave it in the comments.

While the negatives would ordinarily reveal the film stock, these negatives were trimmed and have no identifying markings.

Meagan Abell's post on Facebook

Fitness-photographer Michael Stokes showcases wounded veterans in a whole new light with his collection of provocative images. The portraits feature young men and women who have suffered amputations and are often aided with a prosthetic arm or leg. Though they are missing a limb (or limbs), Stokes’ subjects don’t let their disabilities get the best of them. Instead, they use it as an opportunity to thrive in their new-found physique, appearing as strong and capable as those who are able-bodied.

The inspiration for Stokes’ series came about two years ago, after an interaction with a veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan. "I met this veteran, Alex Minsky, and talked to him about different approaches to a portrait session," Stokes told The Huffington Post. "I had already studied as many amputee photos that I could find. I noticed that most of them emphasized the lost limb, and that the mood was often sorrowful. That was not the vibe I was getting from him, so I decided to simply photograph him as if he were not an amputee, photograph him exactly the same way I would any of my fitness models."

This simple shift in attitude blossomed into a new passion for Stokes, and he began photographing more amputees. Now, he’s currently raising funds on Kickstarter for his book Always Loyal, which will feature photos of 14 U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps veterans of the Iraq War, Gulf War, and War in Afghanistan.

In his images, Stokes harnesses mankind’s incredible ability to adapt and overcome adverse situations. "Some people will say to me ’Oh, this is really helpful to [the veterans'] self-esteem,’ or, ’You’re making them feel like men again,'” Stokes explained to MTV. “...The response I have to that is that these guys have come to me very healed and ready to take the world on. I’m not giving them back their confidence. They already have it."

Michael Stokes: Website | Facebook | Kickstarter
via [Huffington Post]

Artist Guy Laramee has made a name for himself through his incredible ability to transform encyclopedias, dictionaries, and secondhand novels into extraordinary mountain landscapes. Drawing inspiration from places that he's visited, the artist carves away at printed materials that have been replaced by technology. Upon the pages of wide-ranging publications, Laramee reveals every tree, curve, canyon, and crack in the Earth's surface. This erosion is a key motif in the carver's work, since it represents the changes that ultimately occur as time goes by.

During the sculptor's most recent trip to southern Brazil, he was enchanted not only by the terrain, but he was also captivated by the birds that live there. These beautiful creatures encouraged Laramee to add another feature to his sculptures. Rather than simply transforming the inside of his books, the artist decided to utilize their covers for his latest project. In painting elaborate portraits of Brazilian birds on the outside of his novels, Laramee intends to show viewers that both nature and literature are not one-sided.

"We live in books. We live in our heads. The birds live in the ever-freshness of the moment – and nothing else needs to be said about this," the artist stated. "That’s it - they live in the place where nothing else needs to be said. And yet they sing. Maybe where they live is where we should live. In the solitude of virgin landscapes, we might rediscover our intimate relationship to the world. In this intimacy we may see that we were never cut from what we call nature, even when we transform it. We are not in the world, the world is in us – an Indian wise man once said. We are Nature."

Guy Laramee: Website
via [Beautiful Decay]

101-year-old Doris Long just beat her own record as the world's oldest abseiler when she descended 100 meters (328 feet) down the side of Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower in the UK this past Sunday. The great-great-grandmother, who started abseiling at the age of 85, first took on this challenge at Portsmouth on her 100th birthday last May. She pulled it off again this year despite the wind and the rain, all to raise money for Rowans Hospice in Waterlooville.

"I don't feel afraid and never have, I just have a placid nature," Long told BBC. She added, "It was very hard work, much harder than last year. It was so windy I swung about a bit, but oh yes, I enjoyed it, I feel it's well worth it."

The daring senior, who has raised more than £11,000 for the hospice through abseiling feats, says she hopes to take on the tower again next year when she turns 102.

Above photo source: Justin Morris Photography

via [IJReview, BBC]

All photos via Justin Morris Photography

How do we add green space to our ever-growing cities? That’s one of the questions that the New York City Lowline is trying to answer, as the world's first underground park. Using solar technology, they want to transform a historic trolley terminal - untouched since 1948 - into a beautiful public gathering area that's complete with live plants and trees. It’s conceptually similar to the city’s popular High Line, which also repurposed railroad tracks and turned them into a park. As the name might suggest, the High Line is elevated.

To illuminate the underground space, Lowline plans to collect sunlight on the surrounding rooftops and use efficient mirrors to reflect the light down to street-level. The collection will then be directed underground via a series of tubes. Lowline anticipates a lot of sunlight accumulation, so there’ll be many different types of plant species living underground in the middle of a crowded Manhattan.

Since we first wrote about the Lowline in 2011, they’ve taken strides towards making the project a reality. There was a 2012 Imagining the Lowline exhibit, which installed a solar collection system in a warehouse and gave people an idea of how the space would look and feel. Additionally, the Lowline team conducted more technology research, set up as a non-profit organization, and started the Young Designers Program to get local kids excited about science and technology.

Now, the organization is making another push for more funding using Kickstarter. Their next endeavor is the construction of a Lowline Lab. It’s a long-term solar device laboratory and public exhibition that'll test and display their technology and vision. In it, they hope to create a dynamic prototype for the future Lowline.

At the time of writing, the crowdfunding campaign has six days to go and not yet met its goal. There’s still time to donate and score Lowline-themed rewards, including adopting a plant at their Lab.

Imagining the Lowline Exhibition in 2012


Imagining the Lowline Exhibition in 2012


Imagining the Lowline Exhibition in 2012

Imagining the Lowline Exhibition in 2012


Rendering of the Lowline Lab


Rendering of the Lowline Lab


Abandoned Terminal in 2013





Lowline: Website | Kickstarter

In his ongoing project called Shopped Tattoos, artist Cheyenne Randall reimagines celebrities and other public figures as if they’re covered from head-to-toe in ink. We first shared his handiwork last year, and since that time, he’s been busy adding more tattoos onto pop culture icons. Movie stars, musicians, and even public figures all sport his digital adornments, and Randall has a knack for making the photo manipulations look incredibly realistic.

The artist has thoughtfully added tattoos that are specific to his subject—Muhammad Ali, a famous boxer, has the competitive phrase “bragging rights” on his hand, and musician Johnny Cash’s knuckles spell out “June” (which refers to his beloved wife, June Carter Cash).

Though it's hard to imagine many of Randall’s subjects as people who would ever get tattoos (e.g. Prince William and Princess Kate), there are those like Edward Norton and Brad Pitt whose public personas, coupled with Randall's Photoshop skills, make it seem like a very likely possibility. (We could realistically see them with full sleeves!) It’s this amusing yet thought-provoking visualization that makes Shopped Tattoos a fantastic series to follow.

Cheyenne Randall: Website | Instagram | Tumblr

By venturing into the 30-million-year-old limestone caves on New Zealand's North Island, photographer Joseph Michael was able to capture magical images of the glowworms that call this place home. Against the natural backdrop that the cave provides, it looks as though there are hundreds of miniature, blue-tinted stars, but this is actually the work of glowworms known as Arachnocampa luminosa. Using a long-exposure method, the photographer was able to capture the glowworm larvae and their enchanting light in a way that makes the limestone formation look as though it's an indoor, starry sky.

In the close-up photos, you may notice that something is hanging from the bioluminescent gnat larvae. These are the twinkling larvae's nests, which are composed of up to 70 silk threads that contain droplets of mucus. In order to attract prey into these threads, the larvae glow bright, but not all continue to do so once they become adults. Male glowworms will stop glowing a few days after emerging from the nest, while the females' glow will increase in order to attract a mate. With this in mind, it seems that the photographer caught the glowworms at the perfect time for his Luminosity series.

Joseph Michael: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [Colossal, An Encyclopedia of New Zealand]

An Oklahoma-based girls softball team, called Freeze, is teaching everyone what it really means to play like a girl. The team might be comprised of 4- and 5-year-old girls, but their group photo proves they're just as tough as any other athletes, which is exactly what photographer Betsy Gregory was going for.

Gregory, who is a professional photographer and also the mother of the team's catcher, was determined to get creative when it came to capturing the girls' team photo. She came up with the fun idea of having the little girls dress up as Queen Elsa from Frozen, a movie all of them were obsessed with—in fact, the girls initially wanted to name their team the "Sparkling Elsas."

With all of the girls dressed as their favorite ice queen, Gregory made sure to guide them, asking each girl to make a tough face for the picture. After the snapshot was taken, the artist posted the picture online and, from there, it went viral.

Aside from gaining a significant amount of attention, the softball team's photograph has become a positive message for girls everywhere. "It's empowering, really, for little girls... 'I can dress up but I can still be tough,'" Gregory told BuzzFeed Sports.

Betsy Gregory: Website | Facebook
via [BuzzFeed]

Elegant, powerful, beautiful, graceful – so many adjectives could be used to describe the dancers featured in the NYC Dance Project.  With a combined background of dance and photography, Ken Browar and Deborah Ory capture the exact moments when dancers are at their best, shining the spotlight on an art form that takes many years of determination to perfect.  New York City, the modern metropolis, is their stage, and the flowing movement they masterfully create is their artwork.  

We got in contact with Ken and Deborah to ask them a few questions about the series.  Read our interview with them, below. 

Above: Miriam Miller, New York City Ballet

Ashley Ellis, Principal with Boston Ballet

Who are the artists behind NYC Dance Project?

NYC Dance Project was created by Ken Browar and Deborah Ory, who live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (with two teenage ballet students). We have created this site to showcase the world of dance and dancers, based in New York City. Ken’s passion for dance began when he lived in Paris and photographed dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet. His fashion work has appeared in Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire and many other European fashion magazines. Deborah has been a dancer since age 7, and her passion for this art is evident in her photography. She began her photography career while injured as a dancer; photographing the rehearsals she could not be in due to her injury. After moving to New York City, working as a photo editor at magazines such as House & Garden, Mirabella and others, she began shooting editorial work for Self, Health, Martha Stewart Living and Real Simple.

How did the NYC Dance Project begin?

The inspiration for the project came from decorating our 13-year-old daughter Sarah’s room. Sarah is an aspiring ballerina and wanted her room filled with dance photographs. We made extensive searches at bookstores, on the Internet (Amazon, EBay and others) and galleries. We purchased books, calendars and other photos and to our disappointment were not able to find images of the current dancers that Sarah admired. There were beautiful images of famous dancers from past generations - such as Baryshnikov or Markova, taken more than 40 years ago - but nothing of the current stars. We decided we needed to photograph these dancers ourselves. We are fans of Daniil Simkin, a Principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and sent him an email asking him if he would like to work with us. He agreed and after a successful photo shoot, he arranged for other Principal dancers to work with us and before long NYC Dance Project was officially launched. Word spread in the dance community and dancers from all over approached us to collaborate. The project quickly evolved and, one year later, we have photographed many of the world’s most celebrated dancers, choreographers and artistic directors.

What makes you most excited about the project?

We have both been really excited to work with such talented artists. It’s been such a pleasure working with people who move so well and are great performers. Dancers are generally determined people and won’t be satisfied until the image looks just right. They will work with us until the images are perfect.

Jacqueline Green, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre

James Whiteside, Principal with American Ballet Theatre

Calvin Royal III, American Ballet Theatre

How do you find your dance subjects to photograph?

It’s been a combination of using some of our favorite dancers from the companies we have seen perform, as well as dancers referring us to others they think would be interesting for our project. Many of the dancers have seen our work and contacted us directly to work with us. We also are constantly researching and looking for upcoming talent and artists we think would be a good fit for our project.

You capture some amazing poses. Do you ask your models to pose or does the action happen more naturally?

The images are always a collaboration between both of us and the dancers. We discuss what type of emotion we are trying to capture in the images and work with movement that expresses this feeling. As the dancer moves, we pick specific moments to work on and refine those.

As a photographer, what kind of moments are you trying to capture?

The images capture the simple moments such as the breath the dancer takes before a jump. The project is a celebration of bodies and movement. Dancers must simultaneously be artists and athletes; both qualities are highlighted in our photographs. We also try to capture the personality of the dancer – we think of these images as portraits of the artist.

Stella Abrera, Soloist with American Ballet Theatre

Tiler Peck, Principal with New York City Ballet

Artem Ovcharenko, Principal with the Bolshoi Ballet

What is something about dancers that most people wouldn't know?

How much these dancers eat! It’s a myth that most dancers don’t eat, they just exercise so much they burn off the calories and constantly need to refuel. What most people really don’t know or understand is how difficult it is to be a dancer, the hardships they face, the hours they put in each day and the years it takes to learn this art form. We can testify to this working with them on our shoots and getting to know them each personally.

You conduct thorough interviews in each NYC Dance story. How do they impact the overall story?

We both come from an editorial background and wanted to share more than the photos with our readers. We wanted to share more of an insight as to who these dancers are outside of the dance studio. As we have asked each dancer similar questions, our readers can really learn about their personalities by their differing responses. Some of our dancers are featured not only because of the quality of their dancing, but because of their personal stories. Jenelle and Samantha Figgins are twins who trained together growing up and went their separate ways – with one in a ballet company and one in a modern dance company. Their interview focuses on how they have supported each other and what it is like to have a twin in the same very competitive field. Julian MacKay went to Russia to study at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy at age 11 and stayed there for 6 years. We talked to him about growing up in Russia and being immersed in a completely different lifestyle as a child. Misty Copeland talked with us about being the first black dancer to perform “Swan Lake” with American Ballet Theatre.

Long term, what you are you looking to accomplish with your project?

We are working on putting together a coffee table book of the images and interviews. We also would love to have an exhibition of images and a gallery (we are constantly getting requests to purchase images). We are also starting to get more involved in the dance world, not only photographically. We just helped to produce a performance with one of the first dancers we photographed, Lloyd Knight, a Principal with the Martha Graham Dance Company. It’s a benefit performance to raise money and awareness for the victims of the Nepal earthquake. We’ve been working closely with Daniil Simkin on his “Intensio” performances that will at the Joyce Theatre, Jacob’s Pillow and will tour worldwide.

Sebastian Vinet, Ballet di Santiago

Peter Boal and Carla Körbes, Artistic Director of Pacific Northwest Ballet and Principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet

All images courtesy of the New York Dance Project

NYC Dance Project website