ISLA DEL SOL, BOLIVIA

Photograph by LOUIS BIRKS

 

If you look closely, you’ll notice a tiny fishing hut at the bottom right. The hut is located on Isla Del Sol on Lake Titicaca in Bolivia.

Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is an island in the southern part of Lake Titicaca. Geographically, the terrain is harsh; it is a rocky, hilly island with many eucalyptus trees. There are no motor vehicles or paved roads on the island. The main economic activity of the approximately 800 families on the island is farming, with fishing and tourism augmenting the subsistence economy.

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LET THERE BE LIGHT

Photograph by LIN TUN/Leopard Photography

In this gorgeous capture by Lin Tun, we see a lone monk basking in the sunlight at a Buddhist cave temple in Myanmar. According to PhotoBotos.com, this is Datdawtaung Cave near the town to Kyaukse which is in the Mandalay region of Myanmar.

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THE WATER VORTEX

In this striking sunrise photograph by Manuel M. Almedia we see the Bufadero de la Garita in Telde, Gran Canaria in Spain’s Canary Islands. According to VisitCanaryIslands.org, the phenomenon comes from a ‘complex of basalt prismatic figures that have an underwater hollowness made by a volcanic tube which successively expels the water trapped inside, reaching a considerable height’.

This is the final shot of three pictures taken by Almeida showing this fascinating location. In the other photos you can see both the water rushing in and the water being expelled as outlined above. Although I’m unsure how deep this chasm actually is, the sight of ocean water gushing in to fill a large hole is truly a spectacle that would be exciting to experience and photograph!

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Photograph by MIKE PALMER

Taken from a helicopter, we see a breathtaking view of downtown Toronto through the lens of photographer Mike Palmer. The aerial photo is part of a project entitled Born & Raised. Palmer gives himself a single day, from sunrise to sunset, to capture the streets, vibe, and culture of his (and the Sifter’s!) hometown of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
From the fruit markets of Chinatown to vantage points high above the city, Mike gives the audience an intimate view of Toronto, combining still photography and motion picture.

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SKYLINE SILHOUETTE OF CHICAGO

 Photograph by Tom Gill

In this beautiful capture by Tom Gill, we see a silhouette of the Chicago skyline as seen from the top of a tall dune at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

The national lakeshore runs for nearly 25 miles (40 km) along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, from Griffith, Indiana, on the west to Michigan City, Indiana on the east. The park contains approximately 15,000 acres (6,100 ha).

Chicago, a city in the U.S. state of Illinois, is the third most populous city in the United States.

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VANCOUVER FROM ABOVE

Photograph by Evan Leeson 

In this breathtaking aerial photograph by Evan Leeson, we see the beautiful city of Vancouver, Canada as viewed from a helicopter going from Victoria to Vancouver.
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. The metropolitan area, with more than 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country and the most populous in Western Canada. With 5,249 people per square kilometre (13,590 per square mile), the City of Vancouver is the most densely populated Canadian municipality among those with 5,000 residents or more.
Vancouver is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada; 52% of its residents do not speak English as their first language. For more than a decade, business magazine assessments have ranked Vancouver as one of the most liveable cities worldwide, and the Economist Intelligence Unit acknowledged it as the first city to rank among the top-ten of the world’s most livable cities for five consecutive years.
Overlooking Vancouver are the North Shore Mountains. Their southernmost peaks are visible from most areas in Vancouver and form a distinctive backdrop for the city.

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SUNSET IN LA PAZ

Photograph by PEDRO SZEKELY

In this photograph by Pedro Szekely we see the city of La Paz, the second largest city in Bolivia after Santa Cruz. It is located in the western part of the country at an elevation of roughly 3,650 m (11,975 ft) above sea level, making it the world’s highest de facto capital city, or administrative capital, with Quito, Ecuador, being the highest legal capital.

Overlooking the city is the triple-peaked Illimani moutain, which is always snow-covered and can be seen from several spots of the city. 

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WINDMILLS IN THE NETHERLANDS

Photograph by Jose Antonio Lopez Bajo

In this serene capture by Jose Antonio Lopez Bajo, we see the beautiful Dutch countryside complete with cyclist and windmills.

The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying country, with about 20% of its area and 21% of its population located below sea level, and 50% of its land lying less than one meter above sea level. This distinct feature contributes to the country’s name: in Dutch (Nederland), English, and in many other European languages, its name literally means “(The) Low Countries” or “Low Country”. 

According to windmillworld.com there are over 1,150 workable windmills in the Netherlands today. While you can find them all over the country, holland.com highly recommends the windmills at Kinderdijk, Zaanse Schans and Schiedam.

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A BOWL OF RAIN

In this brilliantly timed photograph by Eurico Zimbres, we see a perfectly aligned rain cloud seeming to fill the large bowl at the National Congress of Brazil building in Brasilia. The National Congress of Brazil is the legislative body of Brazil’s federal government.

As with most of the city’s government buildings, the National Congress building was designed by world-renowned Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer in the modern Brazilian style. The semi-sphere on the left is the seat of the Senate, and the semi-sphere on the right is the seat of the Chamber of the Deputies. Between them are two vertical office towers. 

The building is located in the middle of the Monumental Axis, main street of Brasília. In front of it there is a large lawn where demonstrations take place. On December 6, 2007, the Institute of Historic and Artistic National Heritage declared the building of the National Congress a historical heritage of the Brazilian people.
The building is also among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as part of Brasilia’s original urban buildings, since 1987. 

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AIRPLANE VIEW OF

ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER

In this outstanding capture by James Kastner, we see the famous Manhattan skyline, with the now-completed One World Trade Center towering over everything. The photograph was taken from an airplane window as James traveled from Newark to Miami. The image was posted by Kastner to Reddit where it has been viewed almost 175,000 times.
The photo is also part of Kastner’s ongoing photo series entitled Life After 10,000, a daily photo project Kastner began after reaching 10,000 days of age (or 27.38 years). This photo was day 10,602 (he’s current on day 10,615).
At 1,776 feet tall, the 104-story One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth tallest skyscraper in the world by pinnacle height. The symbolic 1,776 ft height is in reference to the year of the United States Declaration of Independence. In the foreground you can also see New Jersey’s skyline, which is still impressive despite being dwarfed by New York’s.

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NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE

Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace (i.e., a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture) on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. 

The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner. Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune and by means of extensive borrowing, not with Bavarian public funds. The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. 

Since then over 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. 

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Photographer by ZeroOne 

In this fantastic capture by ZeroOne, we see a pigeon atop the Empire State Building, overlooking New York City below. Perhaps the pigeon is on the lookout for its next meal, or simply contemplating who will feel his wrath as he relieves himself mid-flight. Most likely, he’s just enjoying the beautiful view of one of the world’s great cities.

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A BUILDING WITH A VIEW

Somewhere in the Chilean Patagonia of Torres del Paine National Park, is this building (perhaps a cabin or refuge?) with a view that needs no description. If anyone knows more about the exact location and purpose of the building, please do share!
The Torres del Paine are the peaks of the mountain range, Cerro Paine. They extend 3,050 meters above sea level, and are joined by the Cuernos del Paine. The area also boasts valleys, rivers such as the Paine, lakes, and glaciers. The well-known lakes include Grey, Pehoé, Nordenskjold, and Sarmiento. [Source]
The national park measured approximately 242,242 hectares in 2006 and is one of the largest and most visited parks in Chile. It is a popular hiking destination with clearly marked paths and many refugios that provide shelter and basic services. Hikers can opt for a day trip to see the towers, walk the popular “W” route in about five days, or trek the full circle in 8 to 9 days. [Source]
Visiting the park is recommended between late December and late February, during the southern summer. Not only is the weather more hospitable, but daylight hours are very long given the extreme southern latitude.

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The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials. It was generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BC. Since then, the Great Wall has been rebuilt, maintained, and enhanced; with the majority of the existing wall reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).

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The Dancing House or Fred and Ginger is the nickname given to the Nationale-Nederlanden building in Prague, Czech Republic. It was designed by the Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić in co-operation with the renowned Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. The building was designed in 1992 and completed in 1996.
The very non-traditional design was controversial at the time because the house stands out among the Baroque, Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings for which Prague is famous. Gehry originally named the house Fred and Ginger (after the famous dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers – the house resembles a pair of dancers) but this nickname is now rarely used; moreover, Gehry himself was later “afraid to import American Hollywood kitsch to Prague”, so refuted his own idea.
The “Dancing House” is set on a property of great historical significance. Its site was the location of a house destroyed by the U.S. bombing of Prague in 1945. The plot and structure lay decrepit until 1960 when the area was cleared.
The style is known as deconstructivist (“new-baroque” to the designers) architecture due to its unusual shape. The “dancing” shape is supported by 99 concrete panels, each a different shape and dimension. On the top of the building is a large twisted structure of metal nicknamed Medusa.

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BACKYARD GARDEN IN JAPAN

In this photo by Wi Bing Tan, we see a gorgeous Japanese garden at the back of a shop in Miyajima Island, Japan. From the cherry blossoms to the Koi fish and bonsai tree, it’s like a microcosm of Japanese tradition and culture.
According to comments on Reddit, the garden is located behind a small cookie factory. For those who may be in the area, check out this Google Maps link for an approximate location.
Miyajima is a small island less than an hour outside the city of Hiroshima. It is most famous for its giant torii gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan’s three best views.
While officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly referred to as Miyajima, Japanese for “shrine island”. This is because the island is so closely related to its key shrine, Itsukushima Shrine. Like the torii gate, the shrine’s main buildings are built over water.

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FIFE CABIN, ZION NATIONAL PARK

In another fantastic capture by John Fowler, we see Fife Cabin at Taylor Creek in the Kolob Canyon Section of Zion National Park in Utah.

According to the Washington County Historical Society and zionnational-park.com: Arthur R. Fife, a Professor of Geology at Branch Agricultural College (now Southern Utah University), built this cabin in 1930. When not teaching at the college he lived in the cabin and raised goats. Fife cabin rests in a grove of maple, oak and fir trees. The trail (Taylor Creek) bends to the right after the Fife cabin.

The Middle Fork Taylor Creek route is a 5.4 mile (8.7 km) hike with a 450′ ascent that leads to a double arch alcove. Rattlesnakes are a known problem so be careful. Along the way you will come across two cabins; Fife Cabin shown above and Larson Cabin also built in 1930 by Gustav Larson.

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HONG KONG AT NIGHT

Seen here is the breathtaking Hong Kong skyline at night. The photo was taken from a lookout point on Victoria Peak. Victoria Peak is a mountain in the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. With an altitude of 552 m (1,811 ft), it is the highest mountain on the island, but Tai Mo Shan is the highest point in all of Hong Kong. With some seven million visitors every year, the Peak is a major Hong Kong tourist attraction.

With a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. According to Emporis, there are 1,223 skyscrapers in Hong Kong, which puts the city at the top of world rankings. It also has more buildings higher than 500 ft (or 150m) than any other city in the world.

The photograph was taken by Spreng Ben and posted to Flickr. As per the photo description: post processing was done from a single Raw file. Photomatix -> Photoshop -> some magic and the Nik Color Efex for the dark tones and the saturated reds. F/2.8 – 1 second – ISO 200 – 17mm Crop 1.5

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BEAUTIFUL BERN FROM ABOVE

The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt (federal city, de facto capital) of Switzerland, and, with (as of December 2010) a population of 133,920, the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000. Bern is also the capital of the Canton of Bern, the second most populous of Switzerland’s cantons.

The official language of Bern is German, but the main spoken language is the Alemannic dialect called Bernese German.

In 1983 the historic old town in the centre of Bern became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Bern is ranked among the world’s top ten cities for the best quality of life (2010).

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SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT FROM ABOVE

In this fantastic aerial photograph by Todd Lappin, we see the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) as it looked in 2006. In the foreground is the original mid-1950′s terminal building and control tower. It was later used as the International Terminal and then went unused for a period of time. In 2008 it underwent a $383 million renovation and the terminal reopened (as Terminal 2) on April 14, 2011, with Virgin America and American Airlines sharing the new 14-gate facility.

SFO is the second busiest in California after LAX and is located 13 miles (21km) south of downtown San Francisco. The airport first opened on May 7, 1927.
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