Majestic old building which can tell a story…
 © Vignesh Babu - Thirumalai Nayak Mahal VikzPhotography |  © Vignesh Babu - Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple VikzPhotography |
 © Stefano Pedroni - Wat Chaiwatthanaram |  © Capturing Light - Bayon Temple Capturing Light |
 © Reimagining Photography - The Acropolis, Athens/Greece Reimagining Photography |  © The Land Slide Photography - Zhibaozhai Temple The Landslide Photography |
 © Lyn Sneddon - Prague / Czech Republic |  © Stoqn Nikolov - Insight to the Colosseo / Rome |
 © Snjolaug Maria Wium Jonsdottir - Old farmhouse / Iceland Snjóa's photographs |  © Snjolaug Maria Wium Jonsdottir - Old house / Iceland Snjóa's photographs |
This are the winner of the “Favorite Holiday Destination Photo Contest”. Be inspired!
 © Snjolaug Maria Wium Jonsdottir - Dalvík, Eyjafjordur in Iceland Snjóa's photographs |  © Todd Pacheco - Holland in the Spring |
 © Jason Rogers, december1975.com - Countryside december1975 |  © Sebastièn Petri - Tongariro Alpine Crossing |
 © Julz Custom Designs, Julie Boardman Rorden - Bryce Canyon Julz Custom Designs |  © Gautam Medhi - Clearwater Beach FL |
 © Mark Marlow - Another sunset from St Ives Cornwall |
I am very proud to announces that my first Apple App for iphone, ipad and ipod touch was released in the Apple Store / itunes today.
The App is called “Galapagos/The Galapagos Project” and contains 32 selected amazing wildlife and nature photos of the enchanted islands and 11 different backgrounds. You can send them or your own photos or snapshots as customized ecards to your friends. You can combine the different pictures and backgrounds in various ways. From each sale I will spent a percentage for charity to help and for raising awareness for the animals of Galapagos.
Enjoy the photos and help and please leave a great comment. Thank you!
The winning photos of the “Wildlife Photo Contest”. Enjoy!
 © Victor Wolansky Photography - Sea Gull Victor Wolansky Photography |  © Christian Palaypayon - Giraffes |
 © • I love PhotographY • - Baboon |  © Earth 'Scape Photographics, Graeme Hosking - Australian Pelican Earth 'Scape Photographics |
 © Vignesh Babu - Rhesus Monkey VikzPhotography |  © Bishoy Adel Zakaria - Crested Gecko Lizard |
 © Blue Lion Photos - Eastern Screech Owl Blue Lion Photos |  © Victor Wolansky - Bee Victor Wolansky Photography |
 © Yagoda Ruzic - Thirsty elephant |  © Mark Marlow - Red Robin |
 © Christa Roehricht - Zebra Masai Mara/Kenya |  © Juleen Dsouza - Indian Tiger |
 © Christa Roehricht - Leopard |
One of my winning photos became the cover of the Galapagos News Spring/Summer 2011 of the GCT Galapagos Conservation Trust.
Download the magazine as pdf here: www.galapagos.org.nz/download/16/
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Leon Dormido - Sleeping sea lion at Lion Rock
Please check out the gallery at http://www.whitewall.com/photogravity
Two new book cover I designed for J.R. Rain and Aiden James.
‘Arthur’ and ‘Plague of Coins’.
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Please check out the gallery at http://www.whitewall.com/photogravity
After being refused at the Big Cat Rescue in the Tampa area where the stuff welcomed us very unfriendly I decided not to waste my money for their “zoo“! The friend of mine and I gave the cats another try and decided to check out the Big Cat Habitat. Just so we could get a couple of nice shot with the big cats. We saw them – yes. But the whole spectacle seems to be more of a circus show for the big predators which private people once owned… I was surprised how many cats must have been in private households… People even had crossed lions with tigers to get a liger… The cats and bears are in a few cages which are very small but I guess they can leave when there is no public visiting. And since that place is open only at the weekends there might be quite a few options. I was glad getting a glimpse on how majestic the white tiger were looking. Even though the photos I made were not high class. There was just no real nice possibility. Everywhere people stressing and the cats seemed all far from happy about that. Later we watched the show they make which reminded on a circus show. The tricks were funny but nothing extraordinary. I still wonder if big cats are happy like that and if there is no alternative than a life like that even though there are rescued… And why is it allowed in Florida to own big animals like that? Do you need to cross a tiger with a lion?
White Tiger
Lion + Tiger = Liger?
Show
Please check out the gallery at http://www.whitewall.com/photogravity
Have you ever snorkeled with Manatees? Mostly it is actually forbidden. When I visited Australia I had done a cruise at Monkey Mia and seen them from above. Then of course in the aquarium in Sarasota and in Blue Springs where you can watch them from the shore. But in Crystal River you can actually go and snorkel with them. There are hundred and hundreds of manatees in that area migrating over winter time and even in summer a few stay all year around. There big but gentle. Some recently hurt manatees carry a special sensor buoy with them so the park ranger can follow their healing progress and their migration. The water is nice but still chilly and one is officially not allowed to dive down. Behind a designate area the manatees can relax and snorkelers are not allowed to enter. But the manatees don’t leave their designate protected area when to many people are around and especially when they move around like hippos barely are able to hold themselves in a horizontal position on the water. I have to admit that this is difficult since the water is fresh water and the current is kind of strong. It was amazing to see these beautiful animals but so annoying to bump all the time in others which snorkel or kayak. I still can recommend that place if you wish to have a once in a lifetime experience. Who knows how long it will be possible to be that close to these gentle giants.People already discussing to stop the contact with the animals via snorkeling since there every now and then still people who abuse the manatees and separate calves from their mothers. Believe it or not, the place with the spring where the manatee migrate had belonged to a private person which wanted to fill the river and spring up with sand to build condos! Ridiculous it is such a magical place and thanks god the town and private investors bought it to save its beauty as one of the unique places on earth.
For visiting the Ringling Museum Complex one needs definitely a day. The area is wide and contains the Ringling Art Museum, the Ringling Circus Museum and last but not least the Ringling Mansion.
All in all is wonderful but especially the Circus Museum was great since it might be the only one on the world. It is great to see how the whole circus and freak show business worked back then when this was the greatest entertainment one could wish for.
The Ringling Brothers Circus was a circus founded in the United States in 1884 by five of the seven Ringling Brothers which were originally from Germany. In 1919 it merged and became the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus and promoted as The Greatest Show on Earth. The circus was so successful that they could afford a luxurious mansion at the sea and a big art collection with old master pieces.
The art gallery reminds very much on the Getty Villa which was built like an ancient roman villa. The rooms are divided in epochs and countries and contain paintings, sculptures and furniture or accessories like fans. I was very impressed of the seize of that collection which contains a lot of remarkable pieces like the over dimensional Rubens paintings or the one of the last portraits of queen Marie Antoinette of France before she was executed.
The Mansion was build in 1924/25 and reflects the splendor and romance of Italy which the Ringlins admired very much. All the 56 rooms contain finest original furniture and art. It is inside as beautiful as it is from the outside – a real luxurious palace.
Berlin
23°
Galapago...
25°
