Grüner See

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Grüner See, the “Green Lake”, is located in Sryria, Austria. Based at the foot of snow capped mountains, the lake is only 1-2 meters deep during winter, and the surrounding area is used as a county park that is a favourite site for hikers. But during spring, the temperatures rise and the ice and snow from the mountains melt into the basin below, flooding the park area; during summer, the lake can reach depths of 12 meters. The green grass and flowers of the meadow can be seen in full bloom underwater, tinting the lake a distinct green colour, while the ice-cold water provides crystal clear views. Check out the gallery above to see these unique scenes of underwater benches, bridges and walking trails.

Charging Bear

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This incredible photo of a charging bear, and the other photos in this gallery, were taken by photographer Charles Glatzer, who is a world renowned wildlife photographic instructor/ speaker. His work has received over 40 international awards, and he is the owner of the website Shoot the Light, which we encourage you to check out.

He currently shoots with a Canon 1DX but is well experienced with a range of equipment. Here’s a little bit of info. about the equipment he’s used, from his site:

Charles is well versed in both Nikon and Canon film and digital bodies. His equipment and experience includes Horseman 4×5, Hasselblad 6X6, Nikon and Canon 35mm film and digital formats. His leap into the digital domain started with PhotoShop 3 and LS 2000 film scanners. Charles uses Pocket Wizard MultiMax and Flex TT5 radio slaves for firing off-camera lighting and motor drives, Quantum Turbo battery and additional accessories, Gitzo CF tripods with RRS ballheads and L-brackets, Wimberley products (gimbal head, sidekick, flash brackets, and lens plates), Apex beanbags and products. Sekonic L358/558 incident meters are used for incident and flash exposure. All equipment is carried in F-Stop, Think Tank and Gura Gear bags, with lenses protected by Lens-Coat products. His digital capture medium of choice is Hoodman RAW 675X and Sandisk Extreme Pro. CS6, LR4, C1 Pro 6, are the postproduction softwares of choice, with NIK plug-ins used to further enhance imagery.

Current camera equipment includes; multiple Canon digital 1DX bodies, 16-35, 24-70, 70-200 f/2.8IS II, 100-400, 180 macro, 300 f/2.8IS, 500IS, 600IS, EF III converters, extension tubes, 600EX-RT flashes.

More than Human

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This photo is part of the “More than Human” project, by photographer Tim Flach, who has created a collection of animal portraits that reveal the complex emotions of their animal subjects, as shown in the gallery above. The project is on exhibit between Dec. 5-22 at the Osborne Samuel Gallery in London. Below is an excerpt about the project (source).

 The new work reflects Tim’s current preoccupation with the contemporary relationship between humans and non-human animals, focusing on how we engage with them within the contexts of history, culture, politics and science. This will all come together in the new book, More than Human, due for publication in October 2012 with a launch and exhibition at the gallery. Through Tim’s unique vision and ability to challenge the viewer, he has created a series of images which encompass not only his personal beliefs, but the concepts common in modern and historical religious and cultural symbolism, the human obsession with ‘cuteness’, cross-breeding, the blurred line between human and animal genetic modification, conservation, morphology and plasticity. Tim brings the viewer into an unnatural proximity to his subjects, encouraging discussion on the human-animal boundary and attitudes towards non-human animals and the changing relationships, both literally and allegorically, between man and animal.

Tim Flach studied Communications Design at the North East London Polytechnic (1977–1980) and then Photography and Painted Structures at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (1982–1983). On graduation he briefly assisted Brian Worth, but soon began to attract commissions and was working independently from 1983.

Bringing the viewer into close-up proximity with their animal subjects, paintstakingly lit, carefully cropped for maximum graphic impact and animated by telling gestures, Flach’s photographs place us in an intimate relationship with their protagonists. They are far removed from wildlife photography’s documentary images of animals observed in their natural habitat. In fact, the treatment accorded to these particular creatures is not dissimilar from the close encounters with individuals that are the stuff of human portraiture.

Camel Thorn Trees in Namibia

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Photoshop? Despite what you may think, this is actually a real photo.
Taken by Frans Lanting, a photographer for National Geographic, a soaring dune is tinted orange by the morning sun, and is the backdrop for these camel thorn trees in Nimibia-Naukluft Park. You can read more about the story of Nimibia’s coastal parks here and check out more photos in this series from Frans in the gallery above. If you’re interested in acquiring this photo as a fine art print, email gallery@lanting.com

The elephant and the giraffe

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Today we wanted to highlight these incredible nature and wildlife photos from Susan McConnell. We encourage you to check out her website for more great photos.

About Susan (from her website):

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been interested in animal behavior. Like many girls who eventually became scientists, I wanted to be Jane Goodall (or someone like her) when I grew up. However, rather than studying animal behavior in the field, I now study brain development in the lab. As a Professor of Biology at Stanford University in Stanford, California, I am trying to understand how neural circuits get built with exquisite precision during fetal development. In addition to my research, I teach courses on brain development and conservation photography to undergraduate students.

I feel that wildlife photography has an important purpose: powerful images help connect people with our natural heritage and stimulate a commitment to conservation. Our planet is an amazing place, and we need to preserve its wonders for future generations. My images have appeared in Smithsonian magazine,Nature’s Best PhotographyOutdoor PhotographerExpressionsCurrents, and the American Kennel Club Gazette. My photographs of elephants in Namibia were featured as the cover story of the November 2010 issue of Smithsonian magazine, and one of these is on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.