PAVAN MICKEY

Incredibly Realistic Wooden Lobster Moves Like The Real Thing

This lobster looks so life-like that you’d hardly believe it’s made out of wood. The crustacean was crafted by Japanese sculptor Ryosuke Ohtake who completed it for a wooden sculpture exhibition at Tokyu Department Store in Tokyo this past April. It has finely-carved details like you’d see on the real thing, such the tiny crevices on its pincers and the intricate texture on its torso. Additionally, this incredible lobster was built to be fully animated with moveable limbs and joints.
Ohtake’s sculpture follows the Japanese tradition of jizai okimono, which is the art of carving realistic animals. The small-niche craft originated in the late Edo period (late 1700’s) by metalsmiths and armor makers who faced a decline in demand for their services and thus had the free time to produce these impressive works. Common subjects include birds, fishes, snakes, and insects, with the lobster being the considered the most challenging to reproduce. So, it’s no surprise that Ohtake caused quite a stir with his creation, especially since it was his first official jizai okimono.
Watch the video below to see the artist’s process and how realistically the wooden sculpture moves. It’s an awe-inspiring sight to see.

Breathtaking Photos of the Blue Forest in Belgium

If you love discovering extraordinary travel destinations off the beaten path, do we have a place for you. Though this may look like a scene straight out of a fairy-tale, this blue forest is, in fact, real. Just 30 minutes south of Brussels, in Belgium, is a forest called Hallerbos. During the spring, the forest's floor is covered in bluebell flowers which creates a carpet-like effect. Recently, photographer Kilian Schönberger went deep into the woods to capture these incredible shots.
When asked about the colors, he said, "The colors are really that blue, especially under the moist conditions of the morning fog. England is famous for its bluebell forests, too."
He continues, "There is not too much post processing done. The fog is natural. Forecasting foggy conditions is an essential part of my photography. Some contrast enhancement and color management in the darker parts of the image are all I've done."

Stylish New Yorkers Pose for Portraits with Their Bikes

New York is a bike-friendly place where anyone can hop on a 2-wheeled vehicle and zip right past the taxis and all around town. In a city where all kinds of people sport all kinds of bikes, photographer Sam Polcer decided to document the wide range of personalities across the five boroughs in his series, called Preferred Mode.
Each of his portraits stylishly portrays urban riders in their leather jackets, T-shirts, or business suits standing alongside their selected mode of transportation. His colorful collection conveys the unique and expressive individuality of each NYC resident and was recently published by Prestel publishing as a book titled New York Bike Style.
"I fell in love with biking here in New York City," explains Polcer. "Once you realize what biking in New York can do for you as a New Yorker - being able to explore places that you wouldn't normally explore, get places faster, see neighborhoods better, meet cool people, and do that without having to struggle on the subway, or taking buses, or taking cabs, or getting stuck in traffic - It opens the city to you in a way that nothing else can."

Hyperrealistic Computer Generated 3D Renderings Ever

What you see here are not photographs, but actually 3D renderings of human beings—all generated on a computer. Reddit user Republicrats recently shared these images as a part of a collection titled 3D Renderings of Humans on Imgur, generating strong buzz in the Reddit community. Everything about these images, from the expressive eyes to the scattering of light on skin to the intricately textured hair, is astonishingly lifelike, making it hard to believe that they were not captured directly by cameras. Realistic clothing, subtly rendered makeup, and even backgrounds blurred by shallow depth of field all add to the illusion of the images being taken straight from real life.
With the constant leaps and bounds of technology, people are only getting better at producing 3D images using programs like Lightwave and Sculptris. Uncanny valley—a phenomenon that says when a computer-generated figure that looks and moves almost, but not exactly, like human beings, it causes a sense of unease or revulsion in viewers—will soon be a thing of the past as rendering skill level improves to the point where CGI is nearly impossible to distinguish from living beings. With this technology, a whole new world of visual opportunities will open, allowing for stunning graphics in video games, the creation of films with digital actors, and other incredible feats in the future.
Above: CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW by ZhiHeng Tang

ABUELACO by Alex Huguet

PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG WOMAN by Khitan

DA NAO TIAN GONG by Wei Long Zhong

MURSI TRIBESMAN by Adam Skutt

THEN FLYING THE YOUTH by Shang-Peng Leng

HEATH LEDGER by Max Edwin Wahyudi

SELF PORTRAIT by Marco di Lucca

KID by Rakesh Sandhu

THE REVOLUTIONARY by Kris Kelly

HEYDAR ALIYEV by Oleg Koreyba

Lily Pad Coasters and Flowers are Beautifully Handmade

England-based artist Marieanne Cavaciuti of Damson Tree Pottery was recently given two major nods of approval. Not only did her water lily pad coasters land on the front page of Etsy, fellow artist Mister Finch featured her works on his Facebook page. The lily pad coasters are all handmade, so each piece is unique. Cavaciuti cuts the lily pad shapes freehand with her potter's pin, carves veins in the leaves, and then biscuit fires everything. She then glazes the leaves a beautifully realistic blue green color and fires them again. The lily pad flowers are made from actual daisy flowers which are pressed and curled into shaped, fired and then painted with a clear and yellow glaze. Together, the set is a beautiful and clever addition to any table. Want!

Homeless People and Their Dog Companions - Touching Portraits

In the heartwarming multi-media project Lifelines, photographer Norah Levine and audio producer Gabrielle Amster teamed up to document the stories of homeless people and their faithful animal companions. Many people who live without permanent shelter rely on pets for companionship, protection, and for their emotional and psychological well-being. Oftentimes, homeless pet owners use what little resources they have to care for their companions instead of buying material goods for themselves, prioritizing their animals' needs over their own out of love.
Levine's touching portraits portray the close bond between homeless people and their pets, as the subjects cuddle, smile, and hold each other close. While the homeless people and their pets may be living on the streets or in makeshift shelters, the animals all appear happy, well-fed, and neatly groomed, showing the selfless love and dedication of their owners. The photographer says, "It’s supposed to feel good when you look at my images. I’m a happy photographer. The subject matter of homelessness it not a happy one, but I wanted to find the joy that existed in the subject matter."
To learn more about the project and to listen to audio recordings of each subject, be sure to check out the Lifelines website. All profits from the project will benefit the Animal Trustees of Austin’s 4PAWS Program, which is dedicated to providing wellness care and spay/neuter surgeries to pets belonging to the homeless population of Central Texas and beyond.
Above: Lynn with Charlie