National Geographic Traveler Magazine photo contest

Stingray Sandbar, Grand Cayman.   Ph. Thomas Pepper

It's been 25 years since the National Geographic Traveler magazine photo contest begun. I have always loved to see different ways of seeing and interpreting the world through the lens of the contestants, and this year is no exception... These are some of my favorite pictures for this years contest.

Han sido 25 años desde que el concurso de "National Geographic Traveler magazine" dio inicio. Siempre me a gustado ver las diferentes formas de ver e interpretar al mundo a través de los lentes de los concursantes, y este año no es la excepción... Aquí están algunas de mis fotografías favoritas para el concurso de este año. 

Moab, Utah.   Ph. Becky Abrisz    

Lake Baikal, Rusia.   Ph. Edward Graham

Maraine Lake, Alberta, Canada.   Ph. Angiolo Manetti

Goøafoss, Iceland.   Ph. Joshua Holko

Taiwan    Ph. Hsiao Chen-Hsuan

Yarger Lake, East Alaska, USA.   Ph. Pavel Mach

Utah, USA.   Ph. Max Siegal      

Mishima, Fukushima, Japan.   Ph. Hideyuki Katagiri

Santiago de Chile   Ph. Francisco Oportus

Cappadocia, Turkey.   Ph. Dody Chandra

Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfalls, Iceland.   Ph. Neloy Bandyopadhyay

Lake Baikal, Russia.   Ph. Edward Graham

Seaham, Durham, England.   Ph. Owen Humphreys

Daytona Beach, Florida.   Ph. Krasimir Vladimirov

Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil   Ph. Kedson Silveira

Ergaki, Krasnorak, Russia.   Ph. Alexander Nerozya

FACEBOOK ✈  TWITTER

The colors of Holi 2013

Ever since I posted about the Lathmar Holi of 2012 I knew I would for sure make another post for this year's festival.

The Lathmar Holi, also known as the festival of colors has been a traditional rite of the hindu festival of Holi that celebrates the coming of spring in India, Holi is marked by joyous participants throwing colored powder and water taking place before the actual Holi in the town of Barsana in the state of Uttar Pradesh. 

The festival also features a side of Hindu mythology. Legend has it that lord Krishna visited his beloved Radha's village(Nandgaon) to tease her and her friends having the women in the town chasing him away. It is also said that the darker-skinned Krishna was so jealous of the fair-skinned Radha that he believed he could change Radha's skin by sprinkling her with colors. Since then, thousands gather to witness women from Barsana "beat" the men of Nandgaon with bamboo sticks called "lathis" for singing provocative songs and throwing colored powder on them at the Radha Rani temple. Have a look at the 2013 colorful Lathmar Holi celebrations below...

Desde que publique sobre el Lathmar Holi del 2012 sabia que haria lo mismo para el festival de este año.

"Lathmar Holi"conocido también como el festival de los colores ha sido un rito tradicional del festival Hindu de "Holi" que celebra el inicio de la primavera en India. Las festividades previas a la celebracion de "Holi" en sí dan comienzo en el pueblo de Barsana en el estado de Uttar Pradesh por los jubilosos participantes cuando arrojan polvos de colores y agua.

También hay un lado mitológico Hindu detrás del festival, la leyenda cuenta que el señor Krishna un día visito la villa de su amada Radha asustandola a ella y sus amigas lo cual provoco que las mujeres del lugar lo persiguieran. También se dice que Krishna de piel obscura estaba tan celoso de la piel blanca de Radah que creía poder cambiar su tono de piel si la rociaba con colores. Desde entonces miles de personas se reúnen para ver a las mujeres de Barsana "golpear" a los hombres de Nandgaon con palos de bambú llamados "lathis" por cantar canciones provocativas y les lanzan polvos de colores en el templo de Radha Rani. Tengan un vistazo de las coloridas celebraciones de "Lathmar Holi" de este año...

Ph.[1,5,9,13]Altaf Qadril   Ph.[2]Arun Sankar K.   Ph.[3]Manish Swarup    Ph.[4]Adnan Abidi   Ph.[6]Ahmad Masood   Ph.[7,8,11,14]Kevin Frayer   Ph.[10]Vivek Prakash   Ph.[12]Manish Swarup

FACEBOOK ✈  TWITTER

Haute Spring

"What life can compare with this? Sitting quietly by the meadow, I watch the leaves fall and the flowers bloom as the seasons come and go". -Seccho

"We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true". -Woodrow Wilson

"All through the long winter, I dream of my garden. On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft heath. I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar". -Helen Hayes

"Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today:

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest; keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year". -Robert Frost

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome". -Anne Bradstreet

This is how I 'picture' spring, literally.

Ph. [1] Padsaworn Wannakarn,    Ph.[2,6,12,16,21,23,29] John Fish,    Ph.[3] Aspheric Lens,    Ph.[4] Photomatz,    Ph.[5]Trey Ratcliff,    Ph.[7]Ashley Vincent,    Ph.[8]Erasmus T,    Ph.[9]Marek Kiedrowski,    Ph.[10]Frederico,    Ph.[11]Nathan Willis,    Ph.[13]Mohamed Al Sayaghi,    Ph.[14]Krzysztof Browko,    Ph.[15]Peter Delaney,    Ph.[17]Florent Courty,    Ph.[18]Hudson Garcia,    Ph.[19]Tony Karumba,    Ph.[20]Ebram Harimurti,    Ph.[22]Michael Ostrowski,    Ph.[24]Felix Salazar,    Ph.[25]Oleg Gordienko,    Ph.[26]Sharpeye,    Ph.[27]Ales Komovec,    Ph.[28]Juan Carlos Ulate,    Ph.[30]Antony Spencer.

FACEBOOK ✈  TWITTER