source::::: murugan.org
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Photography
Leonardo da Vinci….A Great Anatomist Too!!!….Look At His Sketches of Human Body !!!
He may be renowned for masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, but Leonardo da Vinci is also one of the greatest anatomists the world has seen.
- Da Vinci began researching the human body to ensure his artworks were as accurate as possible
- Between 1507 and 1513 he dissected more than 30 human corpses
- His sketches of the human body are now being displayed against 21st Century imagery – with da Vinci’s work proving remarkably accurate
His intricate knowledge of the human body, which was years ahead of his time, is demonstrated in a collection of notebooks which he filled with detailed studies of organs, bones, vessels and muscles using new illustrative techniques.
The collection of notebooks, which date between 1452 and 1519, and chart much of the Italian renaissance artist’s groundbreaking studies of the human body.
Almost 500 years after his death, the drawings in his anatomical notebooks are being displayed at an exhibition in Ediburgh alongside 21st-century pictures of the same body parts – with da Vinci’s sketches proving startlingly accurate.
Curators say his work foreshadows modern techniques like MRI scans and 3D computer modelling ‘to an astonishing degree’.
Da Vinci began researching the human body to ensure his paintings were as true to nature as possible. Between 1507 and 1513 he dissected more than 30 human corpses, including that of a 100-year-old man.
Detailed: Da Vinci’s sketches of muscles and skeletons foreshadow modern techniques, such as MRI scans and 3D computer modelling, to ‘an astonishing degree’
Comparison: Leonardo da Vinci’s anatomical drawing of a hand is remarkably similar to modern medical scans and models which show just how true to life the artist’s work was
The polymath was able to use his skills in art, architecture and engineering to produce images of the body never seen before.
Exhibition curator Martin Clayton, of Royal Collection Trust, said: ‘This is the first time that Leonardo da Vinci’s anatomical drawings have been displayed alongside their modern-day counterparts.
‘It’s incredibly exciting to discover how Leonardo’s investigations 500 years ago foreshadowed the work of today’s leading anatomists to an astonishing degree.’
Dedicated: Da Vinci dissected more than 30 human corpses to learn about the human anatomy so his paintings and sculptures would be as realistic and accurate as possible
He also recorded the muscles of the shoulder and arm in eight different views, rotating the body through 180 degrees.
Peter Abrahams, professor of clinical anatomy at Warwick Medical School, who helped the show’s curators, said: ‘In many ways Leonardo predicted the 20th-century revolution in various medical imaging techniques.
‘His use of cross sections and slices to show deep internal structures within the body foreshadowed the modern techniques of CT and MRI scanning.
‘The anatomical accuracy of Leonardo’s drawings has rarely ever been surpassed, and I still use them to teach surgeons and medical students today.’
The muscles of the shoulder, arm and the bones of the foot, c.1510-11: A 3D film of a dissected shoulder will show the incredible accuracy of the many drawings of the bones, muscles, nerves and tendons of the joint.
Master of the arts: Many professors of anatomy say they still use da Vinci’s drawings to teach medical students as the accuracy of his work has rarely been surpassed.
source:::::mailonline.com UK
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Award Winning &Best Travel Photos from National Geographic !!!
National Geographic Traveler Magazine has announced the winners of its 2013 photo contest, featuring breathtaking images that celebrate the earth’s incredible diversity.
This year, more than 15,500 professional and amateur photographers from around the globe entered their works in the prestigious competition.
Photographer Wagner Araujo won the winner of the 2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, now in its 25th year, and was awarded a 10-day Galápagos Expedition with National Geographic Expeditions for himself and a guest.
The winning entry featured the Brazilian Aquathlon championship in Manaus, Brazil, in which the participants had to swim and run in the Rio Negro, or Black River, so named due to the dark color of its waters.
‘I photographed it from the water and my lens got completely wet, but there was so energy in this boys that I just didn’t worry about that,’ Araujo wrote in his submission.
Besides the exciting trip, Araujo’s prized photo will be published in the Dec. 2013/Jan. 2014 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine, and he will also receive a one-year subscription to the publication.
The range of entries is inspiring and shows just how diverse the world is, from an owl hiding in a tree to traditional Taiwanese performers painting their faces in preparation for a show.
‘Every year the task of judging the contest gets tougher,’ Keith Bellows, National Geographic Traveler magazine’s editor in chief, said in a press release. ‘The quality of photos increasingly gets better — and the range of imagery more diverse. It’s exciting to see the emergence of such huge numbers of imaginative photographers.’
The second prize – a seven-day National Geographic Photography Workshop in Santa Fe – was awarded this year to Max Seigal, who hiked out to Canyonlands National Park, Utah, at night hoping to photograph ruins with the milky way in the backdrop, but instead captured a dramatic thunderstorm.
Yahai Bonneh became the lucky recipient of the third prize – a six-day cruise for two from Schooner American Eagle and Heritage – for his photo of cheetahs jumping on a jeep in Masai Mara National Park, Kenya.
The contest features images divided into four categories: Travel Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place and Spontaneous Moments. Judges review the submissions over two rounds, choosing the top three images along with seven merit choices. Another photo is selected by readers.
Money shot: The top prize went to photographer Wagner Araujo, who captured this incredible image while attending the Brazilian Aquathlon (swimming and running) championship in Manaus
Mystic haze: Max Seigal hiked out to these ruins at Canyonlands National Park at night hoping to photograph them with the milky way, but instead a thunderstorm rolled through creating this dramatic image
Wild things: Cheetahs jumped on the vehicle of tourists in Masai Mara National Park, Kenya, and Yanai Bonneh was in the right place to capture the big cats in action
Merit prize: Marcelo Salvador captured this poetic image of a woman drawing water from a river near Bagan, Myanmar
What a hoot: The Eastern Screech Owl is seen here doing what they do best: blending into their surroundings
Little helper: Mikael Ande, a child of Sami reindeer herders, takes a break indoors after a long, cold day of rounding up the animals for vaccinations and slaughter.
Timeless: Hideyuki Katagiri captured the blossoming of cherry trees, or Sakura, in Japan
Inside man: Gergely Lantai-Csont was allowed to photograph women of the secretive Tatahonda in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as they prepared for a religious ceremony
Moment of peace: Queenstown, New Zealand, known as ‘The Adventure Capital of The World,’ draws adrenaline junkies who spend their days skydiving and and zip-lining, one of whom decided to take a break from all the action by playing a doleful tune
True colors: Guanjiang Shou troupes are one of Taiwan most popular activities that may be seen all over the country at traditional folk religion gatherings. With their fiercely painted faces, fangs and choreographed performances, they are easily recognized
As old as time: A fisherman is seen casting a net at Bira Beach, Indonesia, like generations of his ancestors
source:::::mailonline.com uk
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2383160/The-best-world-Winners-National-Geographics-2013-Traveler-Photo-Contest-celebrate-natural-beauty-human-diversity-stunning-pictures.html#ixzz2aoS
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Meet the 18 Year old Lion Tamer Shandor !!!
While most teenagers are playing computer games, Shandor Larenty likes to indulge in a different pastime – taming lions.
The 18-year-old has built up an unbreakable rapport with 250kg Zavu – stroking, hugging and playing together at home in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The pair are now so comfortable with each other Shandor is even able to give the huge cat a foot rub.
The teenager has built up an unbreakable rapport with the 250kg lion
The teenager, who is originally from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, said: ‘I’ve grown up doing this – it is something I love.
‘My friends think I’m a little bit crazy going in with a fully grown lion.’
Third-generation lion tamer Shandor showed early signs of carrying on the family tradition – interacting with elephants aged just 13-months-old.
His first big cat encounter was with a cheetah aged 11 and he has never looked back.
‘A lot of the lions that I work with were born when I started learning, so I’ve grown up with them,’ Shandor said.
‘Zavu is a special lion because he absolutely loves me and we are best friends.
Bold: The teenager’s father Alex Larenty was pictured in 2010 giving Jamu the lion a massage
Talented: Shandor’s father Alex relocated to South Africa in 1999 from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire and he has been passing on his unique skills to his son
Family affair: The father and son play with Zavu the lion
‘He loves to be cuddled and be centre of attention. One of his favourite things though is the foot massage.’
The move mimics a technique his wildlife expert father, Alex, 54, perfected with fellow male lion Jamu.
Alex, who relocated to South Africa in 1999 from Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, has been passing on his lion taming skills to Shandor so he can continue the family’s business of supplying big cats for TV shows and movies.
Shandor, speaking from the family’s dedicated South African Lion park in Johannesburg, added: ‘My dad has always encouraged me to go into the wildlife field since I was a toddler.
‘He is my mentor. Everything I’ve learnt about working with these animals has come from him.’
Despite the risks involved Shandor doesn’t fear working with one of nature’s most dangerous hunters – and uses just a feeble stick for protection should things go wrong.
Cute: Shandor cuddles up to a lion cub in Johannesburg
He said: ‘Lions are extremely powerful. A male can weigh up to 250kg and have a jaw pressure of one tonne per square inch. Those teeth are very long and could do a lot of damage.
‘An animal could turn on me and I would end up dead, but with my dad’s experience it is very unlikely that would happen.
‘I’m pretty confident going in with the lions now. The key is to show you aren’t scared because they will take advantage of it if you are.
‘When you go in with them you have to make sure you can stand your ground.’
Proud father Alex added: ‘You never know if your kids are going to follow in our footsteps, but I think it is great that he has. He’s now doing virtually what I am doing.
‘I do fear for his safety sometimes but then that’s why I’m there. You train these lions to do all sorts of things, but you can’t train them not to eat you.
‘He’s still learning his trade, but for someone his age he is doing extremely well. I’ve got to watch my job, he’s after it.’
Photos Created to Make you Think and Laugh !!!!
They have been created to make you think and laugh.
From a young boy appearing to control an aeroplane from the ground, to a man using a running machine in a wide, open park, these quirky pictures certainly bring a smile to your face.
The conceptual photographs are the work of New York-based photographer Zack Seckler.
This image shows a young boy about to fill up his tiny jeep with petrol.
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This man runs on a jogging machine in the middle of an empty, wide open park
Some of the photographs show ridiculous situations while others are a play on words. Some are just completely random and surreal.
The pictures show a variety of different scenarios. One has a group of people looking out of a safari jeep while a gorilla sits perched on top.
Another has a young boy reaching for a petrol pump for his tiny child-like jeep.
Other pictures just appear to be completely surreal and quirky.
Light-hearted: A couple pose for a picture, as a plastic carrier bag with a smiley face blows across them
Humorous: A group of people on safari eagerly look for wild animals, completely unaware that a gorilla is sat perched on their vehicle
Random: A lion sits in wait below a road sign warning about crossing antelope
One shows a young boy lying on a large, empty beach with a shark fin attached to his back.
In another image, a woman is taken aback by the power of her tiny hairdryer, which completely blows her hair to one side.
Writing on his website, the photographer described how he approaches his work.
‘
Fun: Mr Seckler says that photography is his expression of things he loves in life, including ‘wonderful moments’ and ‘things that make me laugh
‘
Odd: The upper body of a man appears perched over a fence, with a pair of shoes appearing as though they belong to him below’
Unique: This man appears to wrestle a bear onto his living room wall
The photographer explains that he loves pouring himself into his projects, and adds that the ‘act of creating is intoxicating’.
His website features four different subjects under which his work features.
As well as the ‘humour’ section, which these photographs feature under, there is also ‘lifestyle’, ‘landscape’ and ‘personal’.
Different: This young boy sits on a beach looking out to the ocean, with a shark fin seemingly on his back
Bizarre: A monkey sits in a barren tree in the middle of a desert
Mr Seckler has won numerous awards for his work dating back to 2007.
He has also worked for some of the world’s biggest companies, including Bank of America, Procter & Gamble and Gap.
On his website, he says ‘working with great people and creating excellent images’ is what ‘ it’s all about’.
Surprised: This tiny hairdryer appears much more powerful than the woman expected
source::::mailonline.comUK
NATARAJAN
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2381780/Quirky-photographer-Zack-Seckler-wants-make-people-smile-takes-surreal-look-life.html#ixzz2adrw7EzW
” It is All Fishy !!!….Hear the Other side of The Story Before You Conclude !!! “
It’s a photo that never fails to shock new visitors to an Australian pub.
A man swallowed by a shark has managed to force his arm through the creature’s gills and is desperately stabbing it.
Presumably still alive inside the shark’s stomach, he is able to plunge the knife into the its head in a desperate fight for survival.
Desperate fight for survival? A picture appears to show a man swallowed whole by a shark frantically trying to release himself by forcing his arm through the creature’s gills and stabbing it in the head
In fact the photo has proved to be quite stomach-churning for all who see it for the first time when they walk into the Metung Hotel, in the Gippsland region of Victoria.
But all is not as it seems.
The unnamed fisherman did catch the shark and he did end up in its stomach.
But first he made sure the shark was very dead before he gutted it and then crawled inside its body to prepare for a prank photo that would be taken by one of his friends.
The dramatic part came when he then pushed his tattooed arm out through the shark’s gills and pretended to be fighting for his life by stabbing the killer fish in the head.
Locals, said radio host John Burns of Melbourne’s 3AW, who was sent a copy of the photo, refer to the fisherman as the Shark Slayer.
‘This fellow has decided as a jape to climb inside the shark with a knife, put his hand through the gills of the shark and pretended to stab it between the eyes,’ Mr Burns told his listeners today.
He then went on to describe the reaction of one pair of visitors.
‘An American couple have turned up at the Metung Hotel to see this photo (on the wall) and their immediate response from the wife was “Did he survive?”,’ said Mr Burns.
The fisherman happened to be standing behind the couple at the time.
Although his response is not known, the Americans might have had the shock of their lives if he’d said: ‘Yes, I did!’
source::::::mailonline.com UK
NATARAJAN
Animal Photos of The Week !!!
Photographer Tony Flashman took this photo of a kingfisher swooping down from its waterside perch to snare a spot of lunch. It then sped back to the branch to gobble down the tasty fish. Mr Flashman, from Deal, in Kent, said: Sometimes you can sit by the stream and a kingfisher will appear in 10 minutes, at others it can take four hours.
A sleepy snow leopard lets out a big yawn in Madrid Zoo.
Bactrian camels walk on the dunes of Xiangshawan Desert, also called Sounding Sand Desert, in Ordos of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.Picture: FENG LI/GETTY IMAGES
A tree frog in Jember, Indonesia, shelters from the rain under a leaf. The amphibian reportedly held the leaf for 30 minutes before the storm passed.Picture: PENKDIK PALME/NEWSTEAM
A female dog feeds a 10-day-old tiger cub and her puppy at a zoo in Hefei, Anhui province, China. The tigress, who is a first time mother, was deemed incapable of feeding her young because of insufficient milk.Picture: JIANAN YU/REUTERS
Eight-month-old male polar bear cub Nanuk has taken to wearing a plastic traffic cone as a hat to protect him from the sun in his enclosure at Brno Zoo in Brno, Czech Republic.
A white tiger cools off at Ouwehand Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands, as temperatures soared to 32 degrees centigrade.
A rare baby black rhino with its mother at Krefeld Zoo in Krefeld, Germany. The baby black rhino – one of the most endangered species on the planet – was born prematurely at the zoo. The little rhino, whose ribs are clearly visible, arrived a month earlier than anticipated. The youngster is the fourth baby to be born to Nane, a 22-year-old female. The species have been hunted to near extinction and the newborn rhino will play a part in the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme.
Newly-hatched leatherback turtles scurry their way across South Africa’s eastern coastline after emerging from the sand under moonlight.
A pair of Indian parrot hatchlings embrace in Dimapur after being caught by a local hunter and offered for sale in the north-eastern Indian state of Nagaland. Wildlife of all types is frequently hunted either for consumption or for sale to residents in this area of India. Despite a ban since 1990-91 on trade in all Indian bird species, hundreds of parrots are collected and traded annually. They are taken from the wild and smuggled within the country and further afield. The bulk of the trade is in three to four week old chicks.
A pair of baby cygnets hatched in an incubator have their first swimming lesson at the Birdland animal park in Bourton-on-the-Water. Unlike in the wild, these chicks had never seen water before and keeper Chris Abbey had to coax them in to a special pool using a decoy soft toy to replicate their parents.
Chincoteague Ponies swim across Assateague Channel in a heavy downpour during the 88th Annual Chincoteague Pony Swim in Virginia, USA. The swim is part of a week of events on Chincoteague and Assateague desinged to thin out the herd of wild ponies in the area. It culminates in an auction of foals, which number around 50 this year.
A weary-looking baboon finds a shady spot in its enclosure at Berlin Zoo.
A giraffe sticks out its tongue inside its enclosure at the Madrid Zoo.
Snooty, 65, the world’s oldest living manatee in captivity, celebrated his birthday at the weekend with a party attended by more than 5,000 guests. Born in Miami in 1948, Snooty’s secret for longevity is his diet of 80lbs of lettuce a day.
A new-born panda cub gives the Prince of Cambridge a run for his money by waving to the cameras at Taipei Zoo, Taiwan.
A cat peers out of a hole at the Stichts Asylum for Animals in Utrecht, The Netherlands, after being sropped off by its owners whilst they go on holiday.
Ready for your close up? A fox turns the tables on photographer Michaela Walch after she left her equipment unattended on a camp site in northern Canada.
source:::::The Telegraph UK
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Photos of The Day From National Geographic …
Sparring Foxes, Alaska
Photograph by Robert Dreeszen, National Geographic Your Shot.
Jameson’s Mamba, Cameroon
Photograph by Mattias Klum, National Geographic
Jameson’s mambas, like the one here in Cameroon, have hollow fangs that deliver toxins that can lead to respiratory paralysis—and a person’s death within hours. But scientists are working to unlock the medical potential of venom, and soon the toxins from snakes like the mamba may combat heart disease or other ailments.
Hyena, India
Photograph by Yashodhan Bhatia, National Geographic Your Shot
Photographer Yashodhan Bhatia, a member of National Geographic’s Your Shot community, was visiting Velavadar National Park (also known as Blackbuck National Park) in Gujarat state when he came upon this hyena. “The trip was on the verge of absolute failure because of the scorching summer heat,” he writes. “Coincidentally, some luck prevailed the last evening.”
Salmon and Trout, Alaska
This Month in Photo of the Day: Animal Pictures
In summer, millions of fish disperse up Bristol Bay’s watershed to rivers and lakes that are breeding grounds for five species of salmon. A proposed gold mine would transform the region, possibly jeopardizing the fishery. Far upstream in unprotected Upper Talarik Creek, near the mine site, researchers found these young salmon and trout.
Cheetahs, Kalahari Desert
Photograph by Gus Mills
Cheetah siblings rest on a dune in the Kalahari Desert, which covers much of southern Africa, including parts of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. National Geographic Big Cats Explorer Gus Mills is examining Kalahari cheetahs using trackers, radios, and DNA analyses. This data helps park managers ensure the continued existence of the cheetahs and future monitoring.
Nesting Egrets, Myrtle Beach
Photograph by Oskar Neuhold, National Geographic Your shot.
Spring is nesting season for egrets along South Carolina’s waterways. The area’s wetlands also attract ospreys, white ibises, wood storks, and other birds.
Fallow Deer, England
Photograph by Mark Bridger, National Geographic Your Shot
In England, a fallow deer fawn stays close to a buck. Dama dama isn’t native to the U.K.; the species is thought to have been introduced to Britain by the Normans in the 11th century. Today it’s widespread in England and Wales.
Porcelain Crab
Photograph by Jean Wimmerlin, National Geographic Your Shot
A red-spotted porcelain crab clings to an anemone in this underwater photo from a member of our Your Shot community. The tiny crustaceans often tuck themselves away under stones, among sponges, amid mussels, and in other hiding spots.
source:::::National Geographic
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” A Flight To Moon ” !!!
Astonishing photographs taken by a French photograph have created the illusion that a cargo of air passengers are off to a very exotic location… the Moon.
Photographer Sebastien Lebrigand, 38, took the striking shots as he walked alone under the night sky.
Mr Lebrigand, a father-of-two, said the aeroplanes looked ‘so close’ to the Moon as the Airberlin and Condor planes flew from the Balearic Islands, in Spain, to Germany.
Mr Lebrigand, an electrician’s mate, said: ‘It was a still night and the Moon was rising, almost full.
‘I find it fascinating that the planes appear so close to the Moon, but yet so far – much like we are on earth, in relation to the rest of the Universe.
‘To me, pictures are beautiful when they are unusual, and these are no different.’
He captured the images near his home in Crepy-en-Valois, near Paris in France, using a special lens designed for astrophotography.
He said: ‘What I’ve managed to capture is more or less what one would see with a telescope.’
He used a Canon EOS 500D and an i-Nova EDTF 102 Triplet optical instrument.
Mr Lebrigand added: ‘These photos are unusual and difficult to make but I enjoy it as I am a devoted observer of the sky.
‘It fascinates me. As I watched the planes, I thought about all the different people on board, flying all those miles above earth.’
source:::::mailonline.com UK
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Wonder Cats Perform Martial Arts Moves !!!
Two leaping lions gave a safari tour group something to remember by letting off steam in a spectacular show of kung fu play fighting.
The big cats were fast as lightning during the airborne tussle at the Madikwe game reserve in South Africa.
One executed a kung fu kick while the other slashed at the air before they tumbled to the ground.
Gavin Tonkinson, 35, a manager at the Tuningi Safari Lodge, caught the encounter on camera as he led a group of tourists around the reserve.
Mr Tonkinson said: ‘They were in a really playful mood that particular morning and definitely in the mood for some aerial acrobatics.
‘Only the guests and I got to witness their amazing strength and we were all mesmerised at their jumping powers.
‘They do this to hone their hunting skills as well as build their eye muscle co-ordination for the real deal some day.
‘Lions are my favourite animal to photograph on safaris especially when they are in this type of mood. They must have jumped around two metres into the air.
‘I have never seen them jump so high before and I have been living in the bush for the last 13 years.’
source:::HELEN LAWSON:: in mailonline.com UK….Photographer Gavin Tonkinson
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