January 18, 2013

In Focus: President Obama’s First 4 Years

On Monday, January 21, U.S. President Barack Obama will be sworn in for his second term during an inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C. As Obama and his team prepare for another four years, it seems appropriate to look back on his first term. White House photographers have captured thousands of images, including world tours, congressional battles, national tragedies, ceremonies, and many personal moments. Collected here are 50 images of Obama’s first four years, from the intimate to the iconic.

See more. [Images: AP, Reuters, Getty]

2:07pm
(Notes: 206)
  
Filed under: Photography Politics Obama President Inauguration 
January 17, 2013

In Focus: The 2013 Dakar Rally

Racers in the 34th annual Dakar Rally are nearing the finish line in Santiago, Chile. The winners are set to arrive on Sunday, January 20, after racing more than 8,500 km (5,280 mi) in 14 stages, across unforgiving territory in Peru, Argentina, and Chile. More than 450 teams are taking part, pitting themselves against the elements, driving specialized off-road cars, trucks, motorcycles, and quadbikes. Below, I’ve gathered some of the best images I could find of this year’s race so far, and some of the challenges brought by recent heavy rainfall.

See more. [Images: AP, Reuters, Getty]

1:54pm
(Notes: 120)
  
Filed under: Dakar Photography Extreme Sports Sports Chile 
January 17, 2013

Ideas for Keeping Street Cats Warm This Winter

“Based on our research, we found that cats distinguish between the low- to mid-light wave spectrum — meaning purple, blue, yellow, and green, with blue and green being the strongest colors they see,” says Hutton. The architects beta-tested their design with their own cats, he adds: “They weren’t too fond of the power tools, but as soon as the assembly started they were all over the outdoor carpet we used for the interior insulation and began climbing in and out of the boxes.”

Read more. [Images: I HAVE CAT]

11:45am
(Notes: 170)
  
Filed under: Cats Animals Urban Cities Environment Protection Photography Shelter 
January 17, 2013

Why We Shouldn’t Mock the Idea of an Eiffel Tower in Hangzhou

Architects and critics within and beyond China have treated these derivative designs with scorn, as shameless kitsch or simply trash. Others cite China’s larger knock-off culture, from handbags to housing, as evidence of the innovation gap between China and the United States. For a larger audience on the Internet, they are merely a punchline, another example of China’s endlessly entertaining wackiness.

In short, the majority of Chinese architectural imitation, oozing with historical romanticism, is not taken seriously.

But perhaps it ought to be.

See more. [Images: Bianca Bosker]

10:44am
(Notes: 93)
  
Filed under: Europe China Architecture Photography Culture 
January 16, 2013

In Focus: Hurricane Sandy: 80 Days Later

Two and a half months after Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey, the U.S. Congress appears to be close to approving a relief package of tens of billions of dollars. Government workers, contractors, and volunteers on the ground are still in the midst of an extensive cleanup phase and welcome the much-needed funds as they rebuild homes, businesses, and infrastructure. While some of the estimated 230,000 cars damaged by Sandy’s saltwater surge will soon be going up for auction, many are simply headed for the crusher. Gathered below are images of the ongoing cleanup efforts and those still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. 

See more. [Images: AP, Getty, Reuters]

3:44pm
(Notes: 108)
  
Filed under: Hurricane sandy Weather Photography Politics Global warming 
January 15, 2013

This Is What It Looks Like When Syria Bombs a University

Two explosions rocked Syria’s Aleppo University on Tuesday, the very first day of the school’s exams, and it looks like it was carried out by way of a jet loyal to Bashar al-Assad. 

[Images: SANA/ AP]

1:54pm
(Notes: 148)
  
Filed under: Photography Syria Politics Global Violence Civil War 
January 15, 2013

NASA Satellite Image Shows Beijing Drowning in a Lake of Smog

How bad is it? The U.S. considers air with miniscule particles above 100 micrograms per cubic meter as “unsafe.” This weekend, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing logged concentrations almost as high as 900 micrograms. As many as 33 cities had “hazardous” air during the weekend, according to Chinese media, leading to crushes of people seeking medical help for breathing problems and a booming market for face masks.

Chinese officials’ response to the air-pollution crisis has been quick and decisive. Stay indoors! they say. Dozens of construction sites have shut down to help diminish the foul cloud. So far, the situation has not approached the direness of the weather-related smogmageddon of October 2010. An ocean of cottony air reduced visibility to as little as 330 feet in places, leading to a rash of traffic accidents that wound up killing at least 32 people.

Read more. [Images: Jason Lee, Reuters]

12:52pm
(Notes: 323)
  
Filed under: NASA Beijing China Pollution Photography 
January 14, 2013

Kumbh Mela: The Largest Gathering on Earth

Tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims are now descending on Allahabad, India, joining an estimated 8 million already there for the Maha Kumbh Mela. Held every 12 years at one of four places in India, the Kumbh Mela lasts nearly two months and is considered to be an especially auspicious time to bathe in the holy river for purification from sin. In 2001, the last time the festival took place, more than 40 million people gathered in an area smaller than 20 sq km (7.7 sq mi). This year, the predicted number of visitors tops 100 million. Collected here are images from the preparation and first days of the Maha Kumbh Mela, with possibly more to come in the next few weeks.

Read more. [Images: AP, Getty, Reuters]

3:33pm
(Notes: 427)
  
Filed under: India Religion Photography 
January 11, 2013
Rare Photo of the Mushroom Cloud Over Hiroshima Discovered in a Japanese Elementary School The picture is a rare glimpse of the bomb’s immediate aftermath, showing the distinct two-tiered cloud as it was seen from Kaitaichi, part of present-day Kaita, six miles east of Hiroshima’s center. […]  The person who took this photo would have been among the first to look out there and realize that this wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill bomb. It wasn’t the air raid that the citizens of Hiroshima had been anticipating for months. This was the beginning of a new world. Read more. [Image: Honkawa Elementary School]

Rare Photo of the Mushroom Cloud Over Hiroshima Discovered in a Japanese Elementary School

The picture is a rare glimpse of the bomb’s immediate aftermath, showing the distinct two-tiered cloud as it was seen from Kaitaichi, part of present-day Kaita, six miles east of Hiroshima’s center. […] 

The person who took this photo would have been among the first to look out there and realize that this wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill bomb. It wasn’t the air raid that the citizens of Hiroshima had been anticipating for months. This was the beginning of a new world.

Read more. [Image: Honkawa Elementary School]

9:16am
(Notes: 766)
  
Filed under: History World War II WWII Hiroshima Photography War Atomic bomb 
January 10, 2013

In Focus: Wintry Weather: Middle East Edition

Following up on yesterday’s essay Wintry Weather, I was struck by photographs of the unusually heavy winter storm that just blanketed many Middle Eastern countries in snow. I discovered a wide range of unique images, from Saudis tossing snowballs to Israelis on sleds to the newly white roofs of Istanbul. Gathered here are a handful of those images, showing that, despite the harshness of the storm, some were able to find a moment of joy in the rare snowfall.

See more. [Images: AP, Reuters, Getty]

3:54pm
(Notes: 133)
  
Filed under: Winter Photography Syria Palestine Jordan Israel Turkey 
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