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Shock and Awe: Top 10 Controversial Album Covers

sanela — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:21:33 +0000

For all you music addicts out there, we have made a list of top 10 most controversial album covers that stirred the public and raised few eyebrows (and sometimes ire).

1. Gun N’ Roses, GN’R Lies

THE YEAR: 1988

THE CONTROVERSY: Guns N’ Roses seemed to enjoy courting controversy — and that joy apparently extended to their album covers. Their astonishing first album, 1987’s Appetite for Destruction, used an image, drawn by underground cartoonist Robert Williams, depicting a raping robot — later versions used different art. The album cover to their sophomore effort, G N’ R Lies, was a collage of faux tabloid stories, which included two misogynistic headlines: “Wife-beating has been around for 10,000 years” and “Ladies, welcome to the dark ages”.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS: Responding to numerous complaints, new versions of the album utilized new headlines: “LIES LIES LIES” and “Elephant gives birth to midget”.

2. The Beatles, Yesterday and Today

THE YEAR: 1966

THE CONTROVERSY: The 11th album from the Beatles — released only in the U.S. and Canada — featured the grinning Fab Four wearing butchers smocks and draped with bloody pieces of meat and dismembered doll parts. The photos were first used in promotional campaigns in the U.K., including the release of their new single “Paperback Writer” — reportedly Paul McCartney suggested it be used as a cover image. When more than a few music critics and radio DJs who were sent advance copies of the album objected to the photo, the label knew they had a problem on their hands.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS: Roughly 750,000 albums were printed and assembled. The few that made it to stores were recalled. Some copies were taken to a landfill and buried; most, however, had a new cover — with a photo of the band posed around a steamer trunk — pasted on top of the offending art. In 2006, a pristine copy of the original album sold for $39,000

3. Nirvana, Nevermind

THE YEAR: 1991

THE CONTROVERSY: One score and one year ago, a rock trio from Aberdeen, Washington, released their first “official” album, Nevermind, collection of 12 — okay, 13 — songs that would come to be regarded as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. The now-iconic album cover featured a three-month old infant — the new son of the photographer’s friend — swimming towards a dollar bill hooked on some fishing line. The label was okay with the anti-capitalism message, but had concerns about the prominent display of baby genitalia.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS: According to band biographer Michael Azerrad (Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana), the label wanted to use a different image. Lead singer Kurt Cobain agreed to only one compromise: a strategically placed sticker that would read: “If you’re offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile.” The original album art went out untouched.

4. Aerosmith, Nine Lives

THE YEAR: 1997

THE CONTROVERSY: In 1991, Aerosmith, one of the biggest bands at that time, signed a $30 million contract with Columbia Records — a kind of deal unheard of today, but normal in that crazy coke-fueled era. The band still owed Geffen a few more albums, so they didn’t get around to their Columbia projects for another six years. Nine Lives was recorded during a time of dissent and upheaval in the band and the album’s art certainly didn’t do much to relieve their stress: the original art, drawn by Stefan Sagmeister, was based on Hindu imagery and shows Krishna dancing atop a snake demon — with Krishna’s head replaced with one of a cat (you know, Nine Lives?).

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS: The art offended some in the Hindu community and the band and label released a new cover that showed another cat-headed figure strapped to a circus knife-thrower’s wheel.

5. Vampire Weekend, Contra

THE YEAR: 2010

THE CONTROVERSY: The much-anticipated second album from indie darlings Vampire Weekend, Contra was a hit both commercially (debuting atop the Billboard Hot 200) and critically (eventually landing on many best-of-the-year lists). The album cover image was taken from a discarded Polaroid discovered by Vampire songwriter Rostam Batmanglij — the band was quite taken by the enigmatic look of the blonde-tressed subject. A few month after Contra’s release, the band was named in a $2 million lawsuit filed by the girl in the photo, Ann Kirsten Kennis.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS: The legal proceedings took a strange turn after Tod Brody, the individual who claimed he took the Polaroid in 1983 and sold the rights to Vampire Weekend for $5,000, disappeared when he, in turn, was sued by the band. In August 2011, Kennis dropped her suit after receiving an undisclosed settlement from the band and label. (Brody, whose whereabout were recently discovered, still faces legal action from all parties.)

6. The Strokes, Is This It

THE YEAR: 2001

THE CONTROVERSY: The dazzling debut album from the Strokes earned raves for its effervescent pop sensibility and its raw, seemingly unprocessed sound. The album cover featured a photo of a woman’s leather-glove-encased hand (a sly nod to Spinal Tap?) resting on her bare bottom. The photographer was Colin Lane and the model was his then-girlfriend, who had just emerged from a shower.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS: When early copies of the album appeared in the U.K., retailers grumbled but stocked them in shelves. Perhaps sensing a stronger backlash from retailers in the U.S., the band replaced the stylish derriere with a more abstract image that showed the spiraling trajectories of subatomic particle collisions.

7. Sufjan Stevens, Illinois

THE YEAR: 2005

THE CONTROVERSY: The fifth album from indie-folkie Sufjan Stevens, Illinois (not Illinoise, as the album text would suggest) was reportedly the second in a series of of 50 albums, each celebrating a different state in our union. The album’s 22 tracks reference the best and worst of the Prairie State (including Carl Sandburg, serial killer John Wayne Gacy and the Cubs), and the album cover does the same: Divya Srinivasan’s illustration includes likenesses of Al Capone, the Hancock Tower, and — strangely enough — a flying Superman.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS: It was widely reported that DC Comics — the holders of the copyright to the Man of Steel — sent a cease-and-desist letter to Stevens’ label, Asthmatic Kitty. In fact, the label’s own lawyers, when alerted to this infringement, contacted DC on their own and worked out a deal that allowed them to sell existing inventory and remove Superman in subsequent pressings. (Sadly, Stevens’ later admitted his 50-state project was just a gag.)

8. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Electric Ladyland [U.K. Version]

THE YEAR: 1968

THE CONTROVERSY: The double-disc Electric Ladyland — featuring such guitar-rock staples “Crosstown Traffic,” “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” and a searing cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” — was the third and last album from The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Jimi Hendrix himself had a definite concept of what he wanted on the cover: a picture of the band surrounded by children (taken by the future Linda McCartney, whose photos are featured inside). The labels had different ideas: Reprise, in the U.S., used a blurry picture of the rock star taken by Karl Ferris; Track, in the U.K., opted for a photo of 19 naked women sitting against a black backdrop.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS: The U.K. version, released a month after the album went on sale in the States, generated a bit of controversy, but never to the degree that caused the labels to recall or remove inventory. The Hendrix estate has stated that the U.S. album, with the Ferris pic, should be considered the “official” version.

9. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Street Survivors

THE YEAR: 1977

THE CONTROVERSY: The fifth album from the legendary Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd, Street Survivors, was, sadly, the last album recorded by founding members Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, as well as new guitarist Steve Gaines. On October 20, 1977, just three days after the album was released, a chartered plane carrying the three bandmates crashed in Louisiana, taking seven lives in all. The album cover featured a photograph — shot at Universal Studios — of the band engulfed in flames: an image that was hard to ignore as an unfortunate and macabre premonition of the tragedy that soon followed.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS: At the request of the band’s families, the fiery picture was moved to the back of the album, and a new photo from the same shoot — with the band placed against a black background — was used on the cover. A 30th-anniversary re-issue, released in 2007, restored the original image back on the front.

10. Prince, Lovesexy

THE YEAR: 1988

THE CONTROVERSY: In late 1987, Prince fans awaited the release of his widely talked-about and deliciously funk-heavy Black Album. Only a few records went out before the artist, in true Prince fashion, abandoned the project and recalled all the albums — with the circulating copies becoming much sought-after bootlegs. A few months later, Prince released Lovesexy, which features a nude picture of the Purple One (shot by fashion photographer/video director Jean-Baptiste Mondino) reclining on a floral arrangement — with a distinctly phallic stamen pointed at his chest.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS: More than a few retailers objected to the images and would only sell the album wrapped in — you guessed it — black. (The “real” Black Album got an official release in 1994.)

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The Most Terrifying Celebrity Faces of 2011

sanela — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:58:51 +0000

You would say that after so many pictures that paparazzi take of these celebrities every day, they would learn their best angles and how to pose and smile to look good in a picture and what face expression works best for them. But no! Meet the absolute champions of looking awful in pictures. Here are the most terrifying celebrity faces of this year. I hope you’ve already had your meal because these images below are really disgusting.

1. Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen is the king of failure in 2011! It all started with his notorious interview when he confessed he’s a genius alien capable of taking more drug than any human being. The rest is history.

2. Tyra Banks

I mistakenly believed that celebrities look good, because that is pretty much their job – to look hot and sexy and to make everyone else feel bad about himself. Tyra is really beautiful and attractive girl, but here she looks really ridiculous. I’m wondering if she actually bit that mic latter on.

3. Mel Gibson

Yeah, Mel Gibson also lost it this year, or was it last year? I’m not really sure, but they say he has some serious drinking issues that are caused with his lasting obsession with the Jews. He seems to be very preoccupied and anxious about this topic. The Masons are all around him!

4. Courtney Stodden

Help! Please, let someone help this unfortunate girl. She’s having a seizure! Oh, no, wait… she’s just trying to look sexy. Coutney, you’re doing it wrong!

5. Mickey Rourke

I’ve finally accepted that he doesn’t look good anymore, but this is simply too much! Mickey, you’re breaking my heart. Please, stop ruining my memories of you in the 9 and 1/2 weeks with these scary and gruesome pictures.

6. Michele Bachmann

This year will be remembered for Michele Bachmann and her crazy eyes and of course the vast amount of meme that exploded and literary ruled the internet in 2011.

7. Ali Lohan

Ali is going in her older sister’s footsteps, a beauty that turns into beast. There must be something that runs in the family.

8. Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson never breaks his character. He’s now only and exclusively Edward Cullen, the shinny vampire.

9. Sylvester Stallone

He looks so horrible in this picture, it’s like they’ve taken a picture of Rocky the moment he finished his fight, or is it Rambo the moment he just arrived from Vietnam.

10. Amy Winehouse

I know there are many fans of deceased artist that will probably feel insulted by this image, but we can’t close our eyes in front of the fact that she had really big drinking problem. It is so obvious, considering the fact that she died of alcohol poisoning. She looks really scary.

11. Axl Rose

Why did he ever in the God’s name come back? He should have simply enjoyed in his old fame, he would still be a legend and everyone would remember him as an awesome musician and great looking dude. But, now we have this image on our minds when someone says Axl Rose! Terrible!

12. Steven Tyler

Another run-down rock musician. It is really difficult for me to look at the people that used to be my childhood heroes and to see them now fallen so low and so fast.

13. Jo Calderon (aka Lady Gaga)

Just when we all thought Lady Gaga couldn’t possibly manage to make herself appear even uglier and less attractive, she surprises us all, by dressing up as a smelly redneck guy.

14. Lindsay Lohan

This image reminds me why I wasn’t interested in looking at her nude photos that she took for Playboy Magazine. Somehow, I’m scared of what I might see. If there is one celebrity that screams “Drugs are bad!” than that’s definitely Lindsay.

15. Gwyneth Paltrow (via “Contagion)

This Gwyneth Paltrow image is even scarier than the whole Sodherberg’s movie. They were probably counting of terrifying look of a not-so-gracious aging actress without any make-up on her drained face.

16. Richard Simmons’s alter ego that is part Black Swan, part Lady Gaga

This is too disturbing to comment.

17. Snooki

Like watching Jersey Shore wasn’t brain damaging enough and it didn’t produce enough life-scared teenagers that will never be normal again, this photo had to appear. The year of 2011 was really rough.

18. Carrot Top

Oh, the horror! Please, look away.

19. Russel Brand

This is the picture that really captures his personality. It’s screaming “I’m a doushebag!” And his loving sweetheart…

20. Katy Perry

Katy looks like she sat on something, or someone stuck something really sharp up her rear. Her eyes will pop out!

21. Deena from Jersey Shore

Here’s more nightmare material brought to us by Jersey Shore! Thanks…

22. Iggy Pop

Let’s be honest, no one looks at his best in a close up picture, but Iggy Pop looks really bad. This is deeply disturbing. I should probably label this article as featuring NSFW content. There might be quite a few traumatized children.
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32 Inexplicable Photos from Russia

euphoria — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:24:19 +0000

Russia, that vast and inexplicable country for most of the Americans and people from Western Europe, strikes again with its immense amount of weirdness and craziness. I have no idea what is going on in most of these images, but that makes them even better. If you have any sort of explanation, feel free to let us know.

This is probably the Russian way of giving the horse his treat, a sugar cube. She seems to be really into it.

Lenin proudly presents his successor. The day is near… Communism will rise again!

It’s always a good idea to play dumb when caught with your hand in the cookie jar. It’s a bit like playing dead when you see a bear in the woods – totally useless!

Just a regular Wednesday night in Russia. And then they get angry when we say Russians drink like mad, and call that a dumb stereotype. Apparently, the stereotypes are there with a reason.

I just can’t decide if it rules or it sucks being an old woman in Russia. Anyhow, the photo is taken at the absolutely best possible moment from an excellent angle.

The Russian falling Madonna with big boobies IRL.

A trip to the science museum. Is it just me, or is this kid a bit too excited for a person that is looking at dead babies in jars? Well, that’s another thing about Russia – nothing is too scary for the kids to see it. In the States, the Government would even ban the site (like this one) that features that kind of images, as site with explicit and inappropriate content.

A kid’s festival in Russian includes all the kids, even those with special needs.

Lady Russia.

Truly classy…

Another one goes by.. or is he just acting to be sick/dead in desperate need for attention. Don’t bother picking him up anyways.

I really don’t get this one. Is this what Russian cheerleaders look like? If yes, why are they dressed like that and what are they doing on the grass. And the players look like they are figuring a way how to get rid of them so they could finally start playing.

This is some sort of holiday that is celebrated also in Ukraine, Poland and Hungary, when passers by pour water on the young girls in the street. This ritual of ‘watering the girls‘ goes way back. It’s a fertility ritual that originates from the pre-Christian time. Apparently the wet t-shirt contests were popular since ever!

I would say this image is entitled ‘Falling in Love at a Creepy Art Show’.

Or at a costume ball.

Judging by the look on this girl’s face, they obviously don’t like short people in the Russia.

OMG! This is the winner of the Only in the Inexplicable Russia photo gallery.

Summer rain! Excellent photo.

Because of the Dostoyevsky which was an exceptional genius, they now must have at least three centuries of idiots.

I love the look on this girl’s face! There’s a quiet series killer growing inside of her.

She is wondering why are they torturing themselves that way.

A giant pigeon with a red guitar chasing elderly ladies in the street is apparently also something that happens quite often.

Passing out at a party is a regular thing in Russia.
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Hilarious Images of Animals with Their Heads Stuck

sanela — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 07:08:22 +0000

Check out these hilarious images of animals with their heads stuck inside of jars, boxes, shoes, etc. Sometimes curiosity shows it’s ugly face. Enjoy!

Some of the Most Extreme Russian Hipsters

sanela — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:57:33 +0000

Hipsters are taking over the whole world! For some time Russia was safe from this craze, but apparently, judging by the images below, it has reached this country as well. And, of course, as it often happens, everything is weirder, crazier, tougher and more extreme in Russia. Aside from fancy young people that clam to know it all and are the alternative to modern consumer society, despite the fact that they became mainstream long time ago, in Russia, everyone are hipsters, even the homeless people! It’s really hilarious.

Incredible Images You Won’t Believe Aren’t Photoshoped

sanela — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:55:16 +0000

It’s hard to be amazed by anything you see online, when you know any teenager with a computer and a pirated copy of Photoshop can cobble together a fake photograph in minutes. Unfortunately this means there’s a whole bunch of jaw-dropping yet real pics that the internet declared “FAKE!” the moment they appeared. Here goes a list of such amazing images that are all for real. You’ll never believe the photos in the list below weren’t photoshoped. Really amazing. Look for yourself and then you be the judge.

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Awkward Family Photos

sanela — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:21:56 +0000

Most of these hilariously inappropriate and shameful photos were found at the AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com. It is really amazing the amount of crazy ideas people get when faced with the challenge of taking family photos. Most of those ideas were bad to start with, while others simply turned weird despite that the original idea wasn’t so terrible. Have a look at some of the funniest, craziest and weirdest family photos ever. I guess, you have some embarrassing images in your family album that you’d rather not show to your friends.

We Live in a World of Incredible Beauty

sanela — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 11:54:24 +0000

We live in a world of incredible beauty, but somehow we seem to forget that. Well this photo gallery is made to remind you just how wonderful and amazing this planet of ours is. Honestly, I’m sick and the weirdos and freaks that have absolutely taken over the internet. This weekend, Artsy Spot is a place where you can relax and find fuel for your soul by enjoying amazing and breathtaking images of marvelous landscapes from all over the world. It’s amazing how beneficial a time spent in nature can be.And for those who can’t afford any spare time, here is this great gallery. Take some time and go through it, you’ll feel so much better after that. Enjoy!

Now, tell me how you feel. Do you think you can find some spare time after all? Just think how good it would be to spend some time outdoors, far away from noisy and busy city just to remember how wonderful this world actually is, how much beauty is in it that you simply ignore because of work.

Dog Vs. Bubble – The Ultimate Fight

sanela — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 07:58:28 +0000

The ultimate fight is on – ferocious dogs are storming right on the enemies, those unsteady and shifty bubbles that no one can count on. They well deserve what is coming upon them. Here are some of the most dangerous moments from this bloody struggle. I have to warn you, you’re scrolling on your own responsibility, the images are quite explicit and excessively cute.

Expectations Vs. Reality

sanela — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 10:17:43 +0000

Reality somehow always manages to disappoint us and fail in fulfilling our expectations. I don’t know why is that so, it’s not like there are some ridiculously high expectations, that are highly unlikely to happen. Yet, somehow, we always remain stuck between the expectations and reality. Here are a few very funny images that will simply show this problem. Enjoy!

Top 10 Hottest Images of Emma Watson

sanela — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:16:52 +0000

Lately with all that fuss about last part of Harry Potter movie, people once more started making a bit inappropriate comments about Emma Watson and how hot and attractive she looks and how much she grew since the first movie. Well, I’m not going to moralize about that if it is OK or not with her being under aged and everything, and I’ll simply assume you’re all OK with hot images of Emma Watson since you’ve came here to see them and the title alone says enough for itself. Without any further a due, here are the photos. Enjoy!

9 Classic Album Covers Harry Potterized

sanela — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:03:17 +0000

Anyone keen on the vast scope of fandom surrounding the “Harry Potter” series is no doubt familiar with Wizard Rock, an entire subgenre dedicated to the books-turned-movies. And anyone who considers themselves a true “Potter” fan no doubt looks upon its accomplished and endearing cast of players with rock star-like adulation. It’s with those thoughts in mind that we dreamt up these album covers redone with “Potter” stars, enlisting our old pal Old Red Jalopy for the task. Ron as David Bowie? Voldemort’s Army as The Ramones? Dobby in Queen? They’re no longer just in our dreams anymore.

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22 Actors Who Are Way Better Looking Than The Real Life Characters They Played

sanela — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:03:58 +0000

There is nothing strange in actors being prettier and more handsome than the real life people and people we meet everyday. Finally that is the main reason why the Hollywood actors are so over payed for the job they do. Aside from being ridiculously rich, their fans simply adore them and collect pictures of them, signatures, various items that the adored celebrity used at some point, etc. And all of this happens just because we like looking at beautiful people. Even when the movie is telling the biography and life story of a real person, we need to make them more pleasing to the eye, so we could connect and sympathize with the character. It’s like the ugly people have no emotions at all, or if they do, they are always the ‘bad guys’ in the story. Anyhow, here are some images of the actors who are way better looking than the real life characters they played.

1. Angelina Jolie as Christine Collins in ‘Changeling’

2. Russel Crowe as John Nash in ‘A Beautiful Mind’

3. Brad Pitt as Jesse James in ‘The Assassination of Jesse James’

4. Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich in ‘Erin Brockovich

5. Ray Liotta as Henry Hill in ‘Goodfellas’

6. Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in ‘Walk The Line’

7. Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale in ‘Catch Me If You Can’

8. Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo in ‘Frida’

9. The Rock as Sean Porter in ‘Gridiron Gang’

10. Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas in ‘American Gangster’

11. Julie Andrews as Marie Von Trapp in ‘The Sound Of Music’

12. Josh Brolin as George W Bush in ‘W’

13. Antonio Banderas as Pancho Villa in ‘And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself’

14. Mark Harmon as Ted Bundy in ‘The Deliberate Stranger’

15. Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra in ‘Cleopatra’

16. Johnny Depp as John Dillenger in ‘Public Enemies’

17. Johnny Depp as George Jung in ‘Blow’

18. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie and Clyde in ‘Bonnie And Clyde’

19. Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in ‘Monster’

20. Daniel Day Lewis as Gerry Conlon in ‘In the Name of the Father’

21. Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler in ‘Schindler’s List’

And the obvious one:
22. James Caviezel as Jesus in ‘The Passion Of The Christ’

Jesus is just so drab, you know?

The Breathtaking Scapes from the Roof of the World

sanela — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 07:42:03 +0000

We bring you amazing and breathtaking images of Tibet, the roof of the world. Enjoy!

Famous People of the Twentieth Century and Their Graves

sanela — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:04:28 +0000

Here’s one a bit odd topic – famous people of the twentieth century and the places where they were buried. It might be a little dark and twisted topic for the photo gallery, but I believe there are many people who will find this interesting. let’s see how the graves of the celebrities from the last century look like!

Federico Fellini

Marilyn Monroe

Audrey Hepburn

Coco Chanel

Marlene Dietrich

Henry Ford

Elvis Presley

Frank Sinatra

Charlie Chaplin

Freddie Mercury

John Lenon

The architect Le Corbusier

Isadora Duncan

Bruce Lee

Rudolf Nureyev,a ballet dancer

Marcello Mastroianni

Leon Trotsky

Louis Armstrong

Joe Dessin

Wolf Messing

Grace Kelly

Alexander Abdul

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill

Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone

Mother Teresa

Jim Morrison

Agatha Christie

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle

The Best Macro Photos Ever

sanela — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:31:33 +0000

Today we present you with the most beautiful macro photos, the work of Wolfgang Ulemann, the German photographer who says that photography was his passion since he was twelve years old. Here goes his story:

“I started doing this when I was twelve years old. My first experience I have gained in Frankenberg movie theater and various photo clubs, which I went to along with my father. When I was fourteen, my father stopped going to the club and entrusted me with all our equipment. In those years when I worked in the apiary, I learned to appreciate and love nature. My attention was always attracted to insects and flower buds, because the macro these objects provides a very beautiful and spectacular photos. I’d like to see my works have inspired people to know this amazing natural world that surrounds us. After all, we are often so preoccupied with our troubles, not to notice the beauty that is very close. “

Don’t Worry Be Happy

sanela — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:12:55 +0000

Laughter prolongs life, and produces positive emotions. We offer you some funny pictures and greeting cards, which are created by the artist from Israel Denis Zilber. The author casts stilled animations and illustrations, but his images can not be called childish, because they contain a bit of black humor, and some erotic elements, but still the overall impression is positive. I hope you’ll enjoy these images as much as I did.

Steamingly Attractive Vintage Women

euphoria — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 07:00:28 +0000

I’m not sure if it is just nostalgia or were things really better back in the old days. Just have a look at these insanely beautiful, feminine and attractive vintage women posters. They are so natural looking and if you ask me, there is no modern movie star or model that has such geat pictures, not even Angelina Jolie. What do you think, were women more beautiful in the past or did they simply had more style?

Oktoberfest in Munich 2010

sanela — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 13:50:28 +0000

This is sheer madness. The whole city is turned into “Gaudi” center (that’s no Barelonese architect, it is Bavarian for “fun”) and people go to work wearing national costumes – women in dresses with open breasts and men in leather shorts with suspenders, colorful shirts and shoes stylized in traditional way. Here go some of the best images from this year’s Oktoberfest for all those who didn’t manage to go to Munich to see how it all looked like and to catch some of it’s atmosphere and also for those who did visit Munich during these festival days to refresh their memories.

Cool tattoos

sanela — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 10:16:31 +0000

We’ve all seen a bunch of really bad tattoos lately, so it was high time there appeared some cool ones. Have a look at this great collection of photos below to see that there still are good tattoos as well. They are all done by a professional for starters and what is of even greater importance they didn’t allow the customer to put hundreds of different symbols in one tattoo. There are no images of dead puppies, high school sweet hearts, etc. That is why the result is obviously much better.

Once upon a time in Afghanistan

sanela — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:43:56 +0000

On a recent trip to Afghanistan, British Defense Secretary Liam Fox drew fire for calling it “a broken 13th-century country.” The most common objection was not that he was wrong, but that he was overly blunt. He’s hardly the first Westerner to label Afghanistan as medieval. Former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince recently described the country as inhabited by “barbarians” with “a 1200 A.D. mentality.” Many assume that’s all Afghanistan has ever been — an ungovernable land where chaos is carved into the hills. Given the images people see on TV and the headlines written about Afghanistan over the past three decades of war, many conclude the country never made it out of the Middle Ages.

But that is not the Afghanistan I remember. I grew up in Kabul in the 1950s and ’60s. When I was in middle school, I remember that on one visit to a city market, I bought a photobook about the country published by Afghanistan’s planning ministry. Most of the images dated from the 1950s. I had largely forgotten about that book until recently; I left Afghanistan in 1968 on a U.S.-funded scholarship to study at the American University of Beirut, and subsequently worked in the Middle East and now the United States. But recently, I decided to seek out another copy. Stirred by the fact that news portrayals of the country’s history didn’t mesh with my own memories, I wanted to discover the truth. Through a colleague, I received a copy of the book and recognized it as a time capsule of the Afghanistan I had once known — perhaps a little airbrushed by government officials, but a far more realistic picture of my homeland than one often sees today.

A half-century ago, Afghan women pursued careers in medicine; men and women mingled casually at movie theaters and university campuses in Kabul; factories in the suburbs churned out textiles and other goods. There was a tradition of law and order, and a government capable of undertaking large national infrastructure projects, like building hydropower stations and roads, albeit with outside help. Ordinary people had a sense of hope, a belief that education could open opportunities for all, a conviction that a bright future lay ahead. All that has been destroyed by three decades of war, but it was real.

I have since had the images in that book digitized. Remembering Afghanistan’s hopeful past only makes its present misery seem more tragic. Some captions in the book are difficult to read today: “Afghanistan’s racial diversity has little meaning except to an ethnologist. Ask any Afghan to identify a neighbor and he calls him only a brother.” “Skilled workers like these press operators are building new standards for themselves and their country.” “Hundreds of Afghan youngsters take active part in Scout programs.” But it is important to know that disorder, terrorism, and violence against schools that educate girls are not inevitable. I want to show Afghanistan’s youth of today how their parents and grandparents really lived.

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Romanticized images of Orient by John Soong

sanela — Sun, 16 May 2010 11:57:27 +0000

John Sonng is a great photographer and he is best known for his photos of birds that he takes from an artistic perspective. He began doing the bird photography in 2006 in his Taiwan and until now people from all around the world have seen and commented on his photos. These photos look very romantic and colorful and live up to our idealized expectations of the far East and Orient. By making these photos that will suit our taste Soong might have betrayed the true image of Taiwan. He made sure that his images will be well excepted without raising any questions, but the problem seems to be the fact that a true art has to be bold and if needed blunt and it has to raise as many questions as possible. It needs to make us think and ponder and have a critical look at the world. I’m sorry to say that these photos simply don’t have it in them, but nevertheless they are lovely and I would use them as a wallpaper.

Beautiful and realistic pencil drawings

sanela — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:55:11 +0000

Have a look at these amazing and inspiring pencil drawings. Some of them are so realistic I thought they are black and white photography. I hope you’ll like them as much as I did.

Mona Lisa around the world

sanela — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:05:00 +0000

Have a look what would Mona Lisa look a like if she lived in some other parts of the world. In some cases she looks even better, but in the others, it’s kind a hard to say, because you can’t really see her well because of all the facial hair! This is all made just for laughs, and I hope no one gets offended by these photos. Have fun!

Morocco

London

Teheran

Egypt

Dubai

Kuwait

Syria

Iraq

Palestina

Afghanistan

India or Utopia

sanela — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 09:24:40 +0000

Usually when we go on a trip or travel to some well know touristic destination, we all take somewhat the same photos. But it is the true artist who manages to see beyond the obvious and catch existing beauty that lies within. These photos of India look like they have been taken by the hand of an optimist, or simply someone who is able to look a bit deeper. I wish we could use photoshop in the real life to get rid of the poverty, illness, and all the problems that we have and that we live with today. But, it remains the privilege of a photographer.

Silkscreen print on wood, paper and cotton

sanela — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:19:39 +0000

Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate. A roller or squeegee is moved across the screen stencil, forcing or pumping ink past the threads of the woven mesh in the open areas.

Screen printing is also a stencil method of print making in which a design is imposed on a screen of silk or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance, and ink is forced through the mesh onto the printing surface. It is also known as silk screening or serigraphy.