Wildlife - South Africa

Wildlife, landscape, and travel photographer Mario Moreno was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. When he was 12, his family moved away but in 2006, he moved back, and he now spends his time exploring the African continent on a creative visual journey. In this vibrant series, entitled Silhouettes, a variety of wild animals are featured in their natural habitats.

The series is unique because we don't see the details that are typical of animal photography. Rather, Moreno documents the magnificent creatures against a bright and dynamic sky. The results are these expressive silhouettes that are set within a unique and breathtaking landscape. The selection of animals ranges from more familiar ones like giraffes to creatures specific to the area, like a kudus and a blue wildebeest. Moreno says he is always searching for that 'perfect moment' when "everything comes together..light, timing and emotions that create a memorable and forever lasting scene!"

Wildlife, landscape, and travel photographer Mario Moreno was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. When he was 12, his family moved away but in 2006, he moved back, and he now spends his time exploring the African continent on a creative visual journey. In this vibrant series, entitled Silhouettes, a variety of wild animals are featured in their natural habitats.

The series is unique because we don't see the details that are typical of animal photography. Rather, Moreno documents the magnificent creatures against a bright and dynamic sky. The results are these expressive silhouettes that are set within a unique and breathtaking landscape. The selection of animals ranges from more familiar ones like giraffes to creatures specific to the area, like a kudus and a blue wildebeest. Moreno says he is always searching for that 'perfect moment' when "everything comes together..light, timing and emotions that create a memorable and forever lasting scene!"

Mysterious Spirits Already in Trees

Sculptor Keith Jennings carves wise faces into trees, revealing each wooden tower's inner spirit. Jennings first embarked on hisTree Spirits project back in 1982 when he decided to creatively manipulate a tree in his backyard with a few hand tools. Starting out as a way to kill time on a budget, the artist wound up honing his craft. Jennings was later commissioned to apply his wood sculpting skills on a series of trees throughout St. Simons Island, located right off the coast of the state of Georgia.

Jennings took two to four days to sculpt each serene face throughout the forest, allowing them to intriguingly blend into their surroundings. (Of course, once they're spotted, it's hard not to notice their faces.) Each sculptural portrait emerges from its wooden post like a haunting sage, ready to impart some knowledge. The artist says that each face he carves into the wood is created entirely according to the tree. He insists, "I don’t have that much to do with it. The wood speaks to you, ya know?”

Jennings' Tree Spirits project is on display throughout St. Simons Island (along private and public property) and the artist has conveniently tracked each one on Google Maps.

Various Collections Organized In Shocking Abundance

Photographing scissors is interesting, but collecting dozens of pairs, arranging them in organized patterns, and capturing that on camera is another story. Portland photographer Jim Golden is fascinated with objects and the people who own them. His latest project involves gathering specific themes together, working with stylist Kristin Lane to arrange the composition, and producing these organized still lifes filled with excessive gadgets, tools, and junk.

Each image is titled according to the featured goods. For Beachcomber Collection, Golden wanted to document the things he came across along the beach. So he and his team, including his daughter, combed the beach and gathered items that were eventually arranged into the rainbow gradient of color seen below. For Camera Collection, 20 different photographers provided equipment for the shoot, including 190 camera lenses and accessories. It took Golden and Lane 10 hours to organize and document the collection and the final results are extraordinary.

According to his project statement, Golden "brings to light the objects we might tuck away in boxes, are unable to relieve ourselves of, or items we place in our homes at the expense of square footage or counter space." Through the project, he redefines each single object by featuring it in excess and creating a visual documentation of a new and collective whole. If you are interested in this type of arranged still life photography, you may also enjoy Fruits of Labor by Alexis Clements.

Beautiful and Aching Photos About Finding Yourself

Alexandra Benetel has many fond memories of traveling with her family at a very young age. She remembers picking up a disposable camera at a local store and shooting all the scenes around her. Her real passion for photography, however, didn't fully develop until she enrolled in a visual design course in high school. As she tells us, "During that time, I learned about pinhole photography, was introduced to the site Flickr and, ultimately, absolutely fell in love with photography."

If the last name Benetel sounds familiar, you may remember it from a recent post we wrote about her brother Christian. When asked to describe how their styles differ, Alexandra told us this, "I think Christian puts a lot of himself in his concepts. I'm more focused with becoming someone else and taking on the role as a character. In saying that, I make sure that I'm able to relate to that character in some way so that there's a little piece of me in my photographs as well. I definitely think that we edit quite differently and I've found that our ideas aren't as similar as what they may have been in the past."

To us, both are highly talented at drawing out an emotion, of making us feel a sense of vulnerability right along with her subjects. "I aim to create beautiful photographs that capture mysterious yet dream-like worlds, filled with oddities that encompass aspects of reality," she says. "I want people to be transported to a different world, escape their life for just a little while and experience something fantastical. At the same time, I want people to relate to and feel something when viewing my work."