Post-Apocalyptic Images of Japan The ruins and haikyo aficionado in me couldn’t resist making a post about Tokyo Genso‘s fabulous art depicting post-apocalyptic Japan. The illustrations have a breathtaking otherworldly quality that perfectly capture the sort of scenes I regularly come across while exploring ruins, albeit of course, on a much grander and majestic scale. Some of the scenes really aren’t stretching the truth that much either. Head into the backstreets of Japan and you’ll quickly find dilapidated old buildings and creeping plants reclaiming man-made structures for mother nature. Apply that to the iconic landmarks of central Tokyo and other areas of Japan, and you have some gorgeous concept art for what Tokyo could look like if man were wiped from the planet. Anyway, enough talk. Shinjuku Skyscapers Shibuya 109 Department Store Tokyo Big Sight Haneda Airport Rainbow Bridge Shibuya Sakuraya Hamamatsucho Station Shinjuku Station Osaka Streets Sofmap Akihabara Kabuki Theatre in Ginza Tokyo Skytree Tokyo Streets Ueno Hato Bus
Smithsonian Magazines Annual Photo Contest - In Focus - The Atlantic - StumbleUpon The editors of Smithsonian magazine have just announced the 50 finalists in their 9th annual photo contest. They've kindly allowed me to share several of the final contenders below, including some amazing images from each of the competition's five categories: Americana, The Natural World, People, Altered Images, and Travel. Be sure to visit the contest page at Smithsonian.com to see all the finalists and to vote for this year's Reader's Choice winner. [25 photos] Use j/k keys or ←/→ to navigate Choose: Three fishermen on Inle Lake by David Lazar from Brisbane, Australia, entered in the Travel category. Photographed January 2011, Inle Lake, Myanmar. 50 toes by Nimai Ghosh from Kolkata, India, entered in the People category. Blue Ice Cave by Jamie Scarrow, from Bruce, Canberra, Australia, entered in the Natural World category. An entry in the Altered Images category, this is "Where the soul meets the body" by Laura Diliberto from Wantagh, New York.
A Gallery of the Most Accurate Female Video Game Costumes | Alright, I’ve seen so many amazing examples of cosplay over the last year or two, I decided to put some of them into one master post. But as I don’t want an endlessly long gallery, I tried to restrict it with a few basic criteria: video game related and female. Any complaints? As you’ll see in my title, this is not the “Hottest Video Game Cosplayers” as has been done (probably by us), but the “Most Accurate.” As it so happens, the two often go hand in hand, as there are very few female characters in games that anyone would consider unattractive. Some of these we’ve featured here before with their own galleries, some are new finds I hadn’t see until today. Gallery begins below: Alice (American McGee’s Alice) Bayonetta (Bayonetta) Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) Cammy (Street Fighter) Chell (Portal) Ivy (Soul Calibur) Jill Valentine (Resident Evil) Kitana (Mortal Kombat) Mai (King of Fighters) Jack (Mass Effect) Miranda (Mass Effect) Faith (Mirror’s Edge) Morrigan (Darkstalkers) Raiden (Metal Gear Solid)
Dazzling Photos of Gold Fireflies in Japan - StumbleUpon Digital Photo Blog shot these beautiful long exposure photographs of gold fireflies in Japan during the June to July rainy season, when they come together to mate. You can find more of these photographs here. Image credits: Photographs by Digital Photo Blog