Incredible Astrophotography Pictures

The night sky above us has an unimaginable beauty stretching light years into the universe. Although it’s a place in which we may never experience, we can still document a fraction of that beauty through a camera. Here are the incredible astrophotography pictures to gaze in wonder at.

The Emu at Miramar by Luis Argerich
 

Fantastic Hay Bale Pictures

Next time you’re driving somewhere with people in the car and you pass a field of hay bales, yell “hay!” and point excitedly towards them. Some will get it right away, others will not and keep asking you what are you pointing at. Some will think it’s funny, others will call you immature. All will think you’re awesome if you get your camera and take some fantastic hay bale pictures like these.


hay bale by Mike Haufe
 

Terrific Hallway Pictures

Hallways, corridors, an enclosed passageway…all are perfect settings for taking great pictures. The symmetry and depth provide an endless array of opportunities from hall to hall. So even though most may use the same “rules” of composition, the perspective of each hallway takes on a character of it’s own. Here are the terrific hallway pictures.

Winter Walkway by Nate Kay
 

Refreshing and Fun Swimming Photos

ith the temperatures hitting the 90′s on a normal basis, swimming becomes a much more refreshing and fun activity. Taking your camera along on those trips to the pool or pond is a must to have the chance to capture something great like each of these photographers did. Just remember to get an underwater casing if you plan on taking your camera for a dip too!

Dive into the sky by Alex Dram
 

Windy Pictures That Will Blow You Away

Wind is a powerful force of nature. It’s feared among hurricanes and tornados and adored by windmills and kites. It is also a perfect addition to capturing that amazing photo. Here are 18 windy pictures that will blow you away with inspiration.



Sunflowers kissed the wind... by Claudio.Ar
 

Fuzzy Teddy Bear Pictures

I’ve owned one teddy bear my whole life. My grandma had made it for me right before I was born and it is one of the few things that has always been with me since. It’s been long since the bear has been on my bed and it now rests peacefully on a storage shelf in my closet. But despite the stuffing coming out, an eye hanging, and it looking a bit ragged, I can’t bear to throw him away. I like to think that it’s the sentimental feelings connected to my grandma and her gift to me…or maybe I’m holding on to it to give to one of my kids someday…or maybe I’m just a sucker for teddy bears. Well if you are too, here are the fuzzy teddy bear pictures that you’ll love.



We're all made of Allstars. by Rita M.

Fun Amusement Park Pictures

The weather is warm, the sun sets late, and the kids are out of school, it’s perfect opportunity to go to the amusement park and scream on all the rides until you get to a point of sickness that you promise yourself you’ll never go on a roller-coaster again. Then again, with how much some of these parks charge, that might not be a hard thing to do.

If you haven’t gone to the amusement park yet this summer, time to make some plans! Even if you don’t like the rides, there are plenty of great photo opportunities. Here are the amusement park pictures to inspire you to go and have some fun with your camera.


Santa Monica Pier, California by David Smith

Joanna St Photography

Coming from Poland, Joanna St has been shooting photos for around 3 years. At only 17 years old, she’s already become quite the photographer. Joanna continues to work at improving her techniques and photographs and hopes to become more successful someday.

Texture Gallery: Food

These photos have been created by Smashing Magazine readeres in our Smashing Texture Contest. What can you do with them? You can use all textures for both private and commercial projects for free, without any restrictions whatsoever. However, you are not allowed to offer these files for download; please respect the interestes of over 300 participants of our contest. Please also consider the license information attached to the .zip-archives you download from our server. When it comes to usage of textures, different photographers may have different opinions and intentions.

Marie Wong

Amazing Color Photos From the 1930′s and 1940′s

Today we are spoiled with digital photography, social media, and an advancing technology that literally let’s us create some fantastic color or black and white photos from just about anywhere in the world and share them with anybody. In the 1930′s and 1940′s, black and white was the standard depiction of photos and cameras weren’t exactly widely used by everyone. Being able to find some great old photos is always very interesting, especially if they are in color.

Photographers working for the United States Farm Security Administration (FSA) and later the Office of War Information (OWI) took these color pictures during the Great Depression and World War II. The photos depict life in the rural areas of the United States as well as aspects of World War II mobilization such as women working, aviation training, railroads, and factories.


Operating a hand drill at Vultee-Nashville, woman is working on a "Vengeance" dive bomber, Tennessee (LOC)

Texture Gallery: Glass

These photos have been created by Smashing Magazine readeres in our Smashing Texture Contest. What can you do with them? You can use all textures for both private and commercial projects for free, without any restrictions whatsoever. However, you are not allowed to offer these files for download; please respect the interestes of over 300 participants of our contest. Please also consider the license information attached to the .zip-archives you download from our server. When it comes to usage of textures, different photographers may have different opinions and intentions.


Tibor Szakaly

Exceptional Splash Photos

Splash photos can be difficult to take, but the results are exceptional.


Tumbling by Ian Grainger

Texture Gallery: Paper

These photos have been created by Smashing Magazine readers in our Smashing Texture Contest. What can you do with them? You can use all textures for both private and commercial projects for free, without any restrictions whatsoever. However, you are not allowed to offer these files for download; please respect the interests of over 300 participants of our contest. Please also consider the license information attached to the .zip-archives you download from our server. When it comes to usage of textures, different photographers may have different opinions and intentions.


Paul Mosig

Texture Gallery: Fabric

These photos have been created by Smashing Magazine readeres in our Smashing Texture Contest. What can you do with them? You can use all textures for both private and commercial projects for free, without any restrictions whatsoever. However, you are not allowed to offer these files for download; please respect the interestes of over 300 participants of our contest. Please also consider the license information attached to the .zip-archives you download from our server. When it comes to usage of textures, different photographers may have different opinions and intentions.


Bjorn Roetman

Texture Gallery: Sand, Earth

These photos have been created by Smashing Magazine readeres in our Smashing Texture Contest. What can you do with them? You can use all textures for both private and commercial projects for free, without any restrictions whatsoever. However, you are not allowed to offer these files for download; please respect the interestes of over 300 participants of our contest. Please also consider the license information attached to the .zip-archives you download from our server. When it comes to usage of textures, different photographers may have different opinions and intentions.

Magnificent Vaulted Ceiling Pictures

A ceiling isn’t usually the first thing you look at when you walk into a place. It will be though if you walk into a room that features a ceiling like the ones shown in these magnificent vaulted ceiling pictures.

Chapter House Ceiling - York Minster by Nick Garrod

7 High Five Pictures For You Because You’re Awesome

Have I told you lately that you’re awesome? I think you deserve a high five…7 of them.



Little Bob Loves To High Five... by Matt Smith

Fantastic Pictures of Birds Flying

Nature is never an old subject when it comes to photography. It’s constantly changing, moving, and it’s hard to duplicate it’s natural beauty in the manmade world. Birds in particular are very beautiful, especially inflight. Usually it takes a fast shutter speed, telephoto lens, and some great focusing techniques to catch them just right. Then again, sometimes it just takes pointing whatever you have in your hands and hoping it turns out. Here are the fantastic pictures of birds flying that turned out great.

Redtailed Hawk by Jack Wolf

Nifty Car Side View Mirror Pictures

Driving is boring for some. Especially if you’re the one sitting in the passenger seat with no rights to what kind of music you can listen too. Good thing you always have your camera on you and can take some nifty side view mirror pictures like these ones.

Make sure you keep the camera steady and adjust for a lower shutter speed to get that sweet blur from the moving background.

Addo Elephant Park, South Africa by Brian Snelson

Beautiful Beach Pictures by Bree Madden

Photographer Bree Madden currently lives in San Diego, CA, but her experience with beaches also includes five years of living in Hawaii. Her beach photos will either make you wish you lived near a warm coastline, or remind you to get outside and enjoy the beach for the rest of us.


Sea Shell

Texture Gallery: Water, Ice, Drops, Liquids

These photos have been created by Smashing Magazine readeres in our Smashing Texture Contest. What can you do with them? You can use all textures for both private and commercial projects for free, without any restrictions whatsoever. However, you are not allowed to offer these files for download; please respect the interestes of over 300 participants of our contest. Please also consider the license information attached to the .zip-archives you download from our server. When it comes to usage of textures, different photographers may have different opinions and intentions.

Texture Gallery: Metal, Rust, Industrial

These photos have been created by Smashing Magazine readeres in our Smashing Texture Contest. What can you do with them? You can use all textures for both private and commercial projects for free, without any restrictions whatsoever. However, you are not allowed to offer these files for download; please respect the interestes of over 300 participants of our contest. Please also consider the license information attached to the .zip-archives you download from our server. When it comes to usage of textures, different photographers may have different opinions and intentions.

Texture Gallery: Stone, Walls, Brick

These photos have been created by Smashing Magazine readers in our Smashing Texture Contest. What can you do with them? You can use all textures for both private and commercial projects for free, without any restrictions whatsoever. However, you are not allowed to offer these files for download; please respect the interests of over 300 participants of our contest. Please also consider the license information attached to the .zip-archives you download from our server. When it comes to usage of textures, different photographers may have different opinions and intentions.

Texture Gallery: Fire, Ashes

These photos have been created by Smashing Magazine readeres in our Smashing Texture Contest. What can you do with them? You can use all textures for both private and commercial projects for free, without any restrictions whatsoever. However, you are not allowed to offer these files for download; please respect the interestes of over 300 participants of our contest. Please also consider the license information attached to the .zip-archives you download from our server. When it comes to usage of textures, different photographers may have different opinions and intentions.

New Beautiful Black and White Photography

If you’ve been following Smashing Magazine for a while, you know that almost all posts from the Monday Inspiration series are pretty colorful and eye-catching. This post is an exception. Compared to colorful designs where catchy colors help the design to stand out, in black-and-white designs the ability to stand out depends only on its ability to communicate rather than on its appealing visual presentation.
Indeed, beautiful black and white photography doesn’t attract with its play of colors. Here close attention to composition, lighting, perspective and the context it is shot in are important. Hence, before considering the photos presented below please prepare some patience and time. This post presents some truly excellent examples of beautiful black-and-white photography.

Toni Frissell

Cool Black and White Motorcycle Pictures

With the end of summer approaching, some of you that live where there is a winter season may shed a tear or two when it’s time to put the motorcycle in the garage for a few months. Still, there is plenty of open road riding weather to do until the cold, wet, snowy weather kicks in. Then again, maybe some of you are hardcore enough to ride in anything that gets thrown at you. While you’re braving the elements, others will sit around dreaming of sunny skies or possibly looking at cool (black and white) motorcycle pictures like these.


A break on a long road. by Alistair Bangera

Low Flying Crop Duster Pictures

I love the Palouse and the constantly changing beauty it has throughout the year. There is something about the rolling hills, shadows, different shades of color, and the whole scene that it portrays. Check out the Palouse pictures post that was published a while back to see the amazingness I’m talking about.

I also love aviation and being out in the fields always reminds me of the crop dusters working. If you can find one buzzing around, they’re a hoot to watch. The usually yellow airplanes also provide a great opportunity to get some great pictures, like these low flying ones.



crop duster by Rob Sentz

Chilling Pictures of Tarantulas

The tarantula is an arachnid who is usually considered not dangerous to humans. But with over 900 species identified, I’m sure one of them might have a scary bite. Then again, for some, just the looks of a tarantula may creep you out. On the flip side, these creatures make some awesome subjects for photography. So if you’re able to get close enough without freaking out, have a friend who’s ‘brave’ enough to handle one, and/or just plain think tarantulas are cool, then these chilling pictures are for you. For the rest of us, just seeing a picture of these hairy beasts may give you nightmares tonight.


tarantula by matt knoth

Photography by Lauren Marek

A Visual Arts major attending the University of Texas at Dallas, Lauren Marek credits her small town upbringing as a strong influence on her photography style. Currently shooting with a Nikon D40 (soon to be D300s) that is usually paired with a Sigma 30mm, Lauren captures memories in a unique way by attempting to blur the line between documentary and portrait photography. Her ever growing fan base on Flickr is a testament to how well liked and appreciated her pictures are among others.

The Quest for Inspiration – Landscape Photography by Alexandre Deschaumes

Alexandre is one of the most inspirational photographers I’ve come to know, and is another who prompted me to follow my own path in landscape photography. Based in the French Alps, he describes his work and how he creates in a beautiful way:

It’s not only the visible reality that inspires me. Among other things, it is the atmosphere that guides me, always. In my view, nature is the ultimate source that the best creative inspiration comes from, and is the ornament of the soul.

The reasons that brought me to start photography in 2003 are still abstract. This seems like the natural way…without meaning to. I wanted to express some form of beauty, experimenting and learning, but only in my way. However, I had no tangible goal, nor any ambition; it was, I believe, kind of fun, selfish, and lonely. It was an ‘inner calling’ that I had to follow…

This is the same sensation I had when I picked up a guitar a few years before, and gradually moved to play 6 hours a day as a composer.

I tend to benefit from nature, especially the tendency to capture melancholy atmospheres – ones that are wildly romantic. This kind of sadness is only beautiful when it is tinged with hope. In my photographs, natural light has a very important role; this light is the hope. Photography is the quest for light, and I think this quest is the same for life in general.

Inspiration must remain the primary thing…this beauty allows for the elevation of mind, and gives you the ability to reach the ethereal spheres.

Lonely Tree Pictures

Being alone isn’t usually considered something desirable or pretty. But after taking a glance at these 27 lonely tree pictures, I think there are some instances where it is pretty awesome.

lonely tree in the snow by santo rizzuto

Sweet Pictures of Elk

Elk are one of those creatures that are a treat to get a sweet picture of. If you aren’t in a location where elk are likely to frequent, then head to a national park like Yellowstone to get your fair chance at the subject. But, while you are planning your photo journey, check out these sweet elk pictures for some inspiration.


elk in the river by Rachel Sapp

Really Awesome Pictures of Quilting

Since I work at a fabric store, I get to see tons of quilts in the making. Something that I have learned is that each handmade quilt is a journey and process that the creator has thought long and hard about. I have also had many people bring in their finished quilts, and the end product is always something amazing that ends up being cherished forever. Check out these really awesome pictures of quilting.

176/365 never neverland by Gibson Regester

Interesting Black & White Seascape Photos

Black and white photography can be very interesting with the right subjects; like these seascape photos.


"Sacrifice" by Luke Peterson

Elegant Headscarf Pictures

It is fascinating to see how many different types of headscarves you can find around the world. In photography, the headscarf can add a mysterious and stylish quality to portraits.

Let There Be Light: Light Paintings and Sculptures

Although light is considered to be rather a practical than an artistic tool, it has some properties which designers can effectively explore in their works. Indeed, light can also be considered as a medium for more powerful and more vivid artistic expression. In fact, many artists and crews make use of it creating quite impressive works of art.
In this episode of our Monday Inspiration series we present several beautiful examples of light art — paintings, sculptures, drawings and graffitts which were created using light. At the bottom of this post you will find references to related Flickr pools which contain thousands of further examples of what can be achieved out of creative experiments with light.

Beautiful Motion Blur Photos

Photos taken with a camera do not represent a single moment of time. Due to technological constraints these shots stand for some scene over a brief period of time. This time frame depends on the camera’s shutter speed. In motion blur, any object moving with respect to the camera will look blurred or smeared along the direction of relative motion.
Motion blur is frequently used to show a sense of speed. You can achieve this effect in a usual scene using slow shutter speeds. You may want to take a look at resources provided in the end of the article — they show how one can add the motion blur effect in photos.

Beautiful Examples Of Rain Photography

Most photographers do not feel comfortable in taking photographs in bad weather. Yet bad weather sometimes presents the perfect opportunity to get most out of our skills. In particular, in the beginning of autumn rain can provide the perfect opportunity to capture wonderful photos.
Shooting in rain produces dramatic atmosphere and soft romantic scenes. Whether you are after lightning strikes or water drops, alone the incredible cloud formations can produce quite exciting and impressive photos. Reflections can occasionally produce mirrors or blurs of dancing colors, making the photography in rain beautiful and unpredictable.

Marcel Germain

Tribute To Graffiti: Beautiful Graffiti Artworks

Street culture and graffiti are well-known for being provocative, appealing, bold and uncompromising. Originally used by gangs to mark their territory in some urban area, graffitis have now become a rich medium for unrestricted expression of ideas and statements. In fact, creative designers and artists across the globe use this form of art to deliver their message and showcase their work.
Probably the most prominent graffiti artist is Banksy, a famous pseudo-anonymous British artist whose works focus on topics such as politics, culture, and ethics. His art has appeared in cities around the world; it’s worth mentioning that Banksy does not sell photos of street graffiti or mount exhibitions of screenprints in commercial galleries. You can explore Banksy’s works in the Time’s slideshow The World According To Banksy. However, many different artists explore graffiti in a variety of ways.


Michael.jh

Beautiful Macro Photography Shots

Macro photography is the art of taking close-up pictures that reveal details which can’t be seen with the naked eye. For example, while we can see the fly on the wall, our eyes aren’t equipped to make out the fine details of the hairs on it’s face. This is where macro photography comes in. It gives us a glimpse into the world of the very small, which goes largely unnoticed by us as we hurriedly shuffle through our day.
In this edition of our Monday Inspiration series we present several beautiful examples of macro photography. A round-up of some truly revealing and inspiring macro photographs which are sure to have you marveling at the world around you. You may check out the links at the bottom of this post for further resources on the subject of macro photography.

Smoke Photography and Smoke Art

Photography is constantly reminding us how wondrous and beautiful the world we live in truly is. It often urges us to take another look at the ordinary things around us in a new light, revealing a quiet beauty in even the most mundane of objects. More specifically, smoke photography, with its alluring images of ghostly wisps of smoke, shows us that we don’t have to look very far to find this beauty.
In this edition of our Monday Inspiration series, we present examples of beautiful smoke photography and smoke art: a round-up of some of the best examples of photos and artworks where smoke dominates. At the bottom of this post are some links to tutorials on creating your own smoke photographs, as well as other resources on the subject.

Powerful Children Portraits

Today is the Blog Action Day. Today bloggers all across the globe are uniting and publishing posts related to poverty. We want to raise awareness, start a global discussion and add momentum to an important cause. Smashing Magazine strongly believes that together we can make a difference by informing people about the problem and donating money to charitable organizations.
We considered various options for this post: we could showcase designs or posters related to poverty, or we could scour the Web for poverty-related icons and wallpapers. But we decided to do something different. We decided to prove that each of us can help make poverty history.

Stunning Underwater Photos

Of all the different types of photography showcased on Smashing Magazine, underwater photography is probably one of the most difficult to practice. It requires a very specialized equipment and the knowledge of some advanced techniques to get a perfect picture. You need to get the correct exposure, accurate focus, controlled movement of your subject and a pleasing color balance; you also have to deal with low light. Underwater photos offen suffer from loss of color and contrast when taken at a significant depth. Such photos are always adjusted with color balance to help offset the blueish tint of the water.
Because underwater photography is a specialized art, relatively few photographers attempt it. But it offers many exciting and rare photographic opportunities for fresh and truly different vivid images. Most often, photographers use a traditional film or digital camera covered in a watertight casing. Professionals prefer to use special underwater cameras.

Victor Amor

Celebration Of High-Speed Photography

A digital camera, some fast-moving subject, and a bit of knowledge about how to take the best pictures of moving subjects will launch you on the road to some of the most interesting photographs you’ve ever taken. Although some blurring can be effective in communicating a sense of high-speed motion, some photographers want the subject to be frozen in time to get some pretty special photographic effects.
Below we present over beautiful examples of high-speed photography, which are supposed to provide you with some inspiration of what can be done with high-speed photography. We also showcase some truly stunning slow-motion videos. All the examples are linked to their sources. You can also explore further works of the photographers we’ve featured below.


Jeroen Rouwkema

Beautiful Examples Of Night Photography

Low light levels make night photography a challenging yet rewarding subject. The best results require specialized equipment, like SLR cameras, tripods, cable releases and flashguns. After sunset, the everyday world is magically transformed, and city buildings, fireworks, thunderstorms and the northern lights all become popular subjects.
We present amazing examples of night photography, photos, created by some hard-working and dedicated photographers. Take a look at their websites and portfolios, and you’ll find some links to how-to articles about night photography at the bottom of the post.

Bob West

Exploding Water Balloon Pictures

Photography is cool. But what’s cooler is when you combine taking pictures and breaking things. Water balloons are cheap and easy to clean up which makes them an easy choice for a photo session of destruction. Plus an exploding water balloon creates a pretty sweet image.


Prick by Sean Rogers

Interesting Beard Portraits

There are many ways to make portraits interesting. Having a cool beard is one of them. Let we see these amazing beard pictures below.


Alexei by Ricardo Liberato

Precious Pictures of Baby Feet

Babies grow up fast. Their feet seem to grow even faster. Here are the precious pictures of baby feet that will remind parents that their children don’t stay small for long.

I love kids feet by Nina Matthews

Assorted Knot Pictures

I spent a number of years in the Boy Scouts and learned many cool things about leadership, the outdoors, and other useful skills that I continue to build upon today. One of the first awards I earned was in knot tying which unfortunately, my knowledge of accomplishing an amazing knot has diminished. I’m probably better at taking pictures of knots than tying them. If you are too, then you’ll appreciate these 12 assorted knot pictures.


Nodo - Ruppui by Porfirio

Beautiful Butterfly Pictures

Butterflies are excellent subjects for photography. During the right season on a no wind day with some good early evening light, head down to your local park or favorite outdoor spot that has a lot of flowers and leaves which make great landing spots for butterflies. This is the perfect setting to take beautiful butterfly pictures like one of these pictures below.


Ignite Main Booster and Prepare for Liftoff by Ken Bosma