Category: WOW

Caring for one housecat can be hard, but manageable. Ensuring enough exercise, scooping the litter each day, and patching up scratched furniture are just a few of the toils that come with a feline friend. Add 11 more cats…and you’ve got yourself a full-time job. Somehow, Michelle (aka @12CatsLady) makes caring for twelve fluffy Chinchilla Persians look like a piece of cake, as she reveals her life as a “full-time cat mom” on Instagram. In fact, when it comes to daily care, Michelle says the hardest part is not the litter box like one might think. Instead, she shared with Catster: “It’s very hard to keep their eyes clean.”

Michelle never intended to have a house full of cats. “It started when we met our first cat, Yuki…We took her home after rescuing her in the middle of the road where we found her dirty and freezing,” she said. Her compassionate heart continued to give second chances to cats in need, and so a few years later, she adopted two Chinchilla Persians online. The other nine are the Persians’ offspring. 

Today, all twelve of Michelle’s cats are spayed and neutered, “so there’s no chance of having kittens from them again.” Plus, she’s in a good place with her twelve fluffy furballs. Breaking all of the stereotypes that come with the phrase “cat lady,” Michelle describes herself as “happy, so it doesn’t really matter what other people think about me having this many cats.” She documents their lives together by taking as many pictures of them as possible. How does she possibly get twelve cats to stay still long enough for the photo? “I wave their favorite feather toy to get their attention and call the names of those who don’t look.”

You can see all of the 12CatLady’s adorable photos of her Persians on Instagram.

A day in the life of a Chinchilla Persian

1) Eat

2) Sleep

3) Play

4) Say Cheese!

12 Cats Lady: Facebook | Instagram
via [Bored Panda, Catster]

It’s not always easy to get pets to cooperate for hours of photo shoots, but somehow Mieps the Guinea Pig manages to pose long enough for her Netherlands-based human, Marloes van Antwerpen, to snap a great photo. The three-year-old guinea pig is the star of her own Instagram and for good reason—she is marvelously photogenic!

“I usually create these photos in my backyard or in my DIY studio,” van Antwerpen shares in a blog post. Besides Mieps’ natural shine and sparkle, van Antwerpen adds “a tiny bit of Photoshop magic” and POOF! Mieps is transformed into a model of epic proportions. Since she was a baby piggy, the mini model has become a witch wearing a tiny felt hat, a bespectacled bookworm amidst towering tomes, and a lucky adventurer riding in a small-scale hot air balloon.

The scenes created by van Antwerpen range from gothic and fantastical to sophisticated and simply beautiful. Every Sunday, the photographer searches thrift stores and flea markets for props to use in her next photo shoots. Some of her best finds are the Alice in Wonderland-inspired tea cups and stacks of antique Dutch literature, which give the photos of her beloved animal a unique and tailored look.

For those who want to begin photographing their animal companion, van Antwerpen offers up some advice: “Please be patient with them. Just go with the flow, they cannot possibly know what you want from him or her. Earn their trust, the result will be that they trust you. I hope that is what shines through in my photos.”

You can follow all of Mieps’ adventures on Instagram!

Mieps the Guinea Pig: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [Bored Panda]

All images via Marloeshi Photography.

The energy drink Red Bull that “gives you wings” also provides action and adventure sports photographers the opportunity to showcase their most compelling images. Through their annual competition called Red Bull Illume, they celebrate high-energy photographs that feature gorgeous settings as a stage for awe-inspiring feats. They’ve recently announced the 11 images (out of over 36,000) that are the 2016 Overall Winner and Category Winners.

This year, photographer Lorenz Holder was named the Overall Winner for his breathtaking shot of athlete Senad Grosic riding his BMX bike across a bridge in Germany. The pathway’s arch is mirrored into the water below and creates a nearly perfect circle—it looks as though Grosic is in two places at once, traveling in a never-ending loop. This image was also a Masterpiece by Yodobashi Category Winner, and Holder’s success doesn’t end there. He also captured Grosic traversing the switchbacks of a rusted viewing platform in Senftenberg, Germany, which took the top spot in the Playground category.

Each of the winning images—along with the top 55 submissions—are now displayed on illuminated lightboxes as part of the Red Bull Illume Exhibit Tour 2016. For the next two years, these pieces will travel to cultural hubs and hotspots around the world. They will only be shown between the hours of 6:30PM and 10:30PM, however, in order to showcase the photographs in a unique and unexpected way.

Above: Overall Winner and Category Winner: Masterpiece by Yodobashi
© Lorenz Holder / Red Bull Illume

Category Winner: New Creativity
© Ale Di Lullo / Red Bull Illume

Category Winner: Sequence by Sony
© Daniel Vojtěch / Red Bull Illume

Category Winner: Wings
© Micky Wiswedel / Red Bull Illume

Category Winner: Lifestyle
© Jody MacDonald / Red Bull Illume

Category Winner: Mobile
© Vegard Aasen / Red Bull Illume

Category Winner: Energy
© Luke Shadbolt / Red Bull Illume

Category Winner: Close Up
© Denis Klero / Red Bull Illume

Category Winner: Spirit
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Illume

Category: Winner Enhance
© Dean Treml / Red Bull Illume

Category Winner: Playground
© Lorenz Holder / Red Bull Illume

Red Bull Illume: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Red Bull Illume.

The conflict in Syria continues to force millions of refugees out of their homes. These victims of war are constantly torn from loved ones and must leave friends, family, and pets behind. In the ancient city of Aleppo—a UNESCO World Heritage site and the location of some of the worst destruction caused by the war—hundreds of stray household cats have been left by fleeing families to fend the war on their own. Fortunately, one man has made it his mission to protect the orphaned felines in his city.

Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel is an ambulance driver who began feeding and taking care of the cats in the abandoned neighborhood of Masakan Hanano in 2014. He bought $4 of meat everyday and fed it to the twenty cats who lived there at the time. Since then, the number of strays has increased into the hundreds, which encouraged Alaa to establish a non-profit sanctuary called Il Gattaro d’Aleppo. 

With so many precious lives at stake, Aljaleel has risked his life to stay in Syria and care for these cats. He’s even made a name for himself as “The Cat Man of Aleppo.” People come to him with their cats as they prepare to flee the country, trusting his ability to ensure the cat’s safety. In fact, a girl once gave him her kitten because she couldn’t take it with her. “She cried as she handed her to me,” Alaa told BBC, ”and they left the country. She said, ‘Please promise to return my cat back to me when we come back.’ ” Alaa nodded his head and even sent the girl photos of her safe and healthy kitten.

Many of Alaa’s friends have escaped the country. The cats are all that he has left. He calls them family. “I’ll stay with them no matter what happens,” he says. “Someone who has mercy in their heart for people, has mercy for every living thing.”

Alaa’s big-hearted humanity and selflessness has inspired a global community to support his candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize. You can support Alaa’s rescue efforts on the community’s Facebook page, Nobel Peace Prize to Alaa.

Nobel Peace Prize to Alaa: Facebook
via [The Dodo, Love Meow]

All images via Nobel Peace Prize to Alaa.

Filmmaker Brandon Li stumbled upon an unexpected capture when reviewing stills from a drone test. If great photography is a balance of skill, timing, and luck, Li certainly had a combination of all three.

“A friend and I were testing out a DJI Phantom 3 in the Wan Chai/Causeway bay area of Hong Kong, mostly trying to catch the sunset,” Brandon explains to PetaPixel. “But the battery was almost dead so we pointed the camera down to catch another angle and let the drone return to home.”

That decision to aim the camera down was the key to capturing this breathtaking still frame of newlyweds sprawled on a lawn atop the J Residence in Hong Kong. Li hadn’t even realized he’d gotten the image until looking at the footage on his computer. “[I have] no idea who they are, but I assume they were practicing a pose for a wedding photograph or something,” he shares. “Or maybe they were just making lawn angels.”

After a bit of color correction to make the couple stand out and cloning out “what appeared to be either some extra clothes or another person standing near their feet,” Li published the photo is hopes of discovering the identity of the mystery couple.

Have any guesses? Extra points if you also know who the man laying on a piece of furniture in the upper corner of the roof is.

Brandon Li: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
via [PetaPixel]

All images via Brandon Li.

Baby’s first Halloween is an undeniably exciting (and inevitably adorable) milestone for new parents. From picking out the perfect costume (you can’t go wrong with a cute cat or a plump pumpkin) to dressing up your little one for the big night, it’s a total treat—and, if you have triplets like Jeremy and Ali Hynek, it’s triply sweet.

Unable to pick just one set of costumes for 6-month-old Penelope, Ethan, and Alejandra, the first-time parents decided instead to showcase a creative compilation of getups. Affectionately called “PEA”—an acronym that combines the first letter of each baby’s name—the adorable bunch has been modeling homemade ensembles on Ali’s Instagram page.

The collection of costumes ranges from pop culture staples—a sweet homage to the late David Bowie, Gene Wilder, and Prince has proven to be a particularly popular post—and presidential candidates—yes, even the hair—to colorful flowers and sweet peas-in-pods. Ali creates the looks with help from Brittany Jepsen, owner of DIY craft website The House that Lars Built and a likeminded creative who, according to Ali, “basically made all my baby costume dreams come true.”

Incorporating everything from repurposed pajamas to hilarious wigs, the fun and festive creations are both doable and adorable.

Above image: Baby Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, and Hillary Clinton

Celebrity Tribute: David Bowie, Gene Wilder, and Prince

The Ghostbusters

Run-DMC

Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman

The Bachelor/ette

Team Coke

The Three Blind Mice

Blossoming Babies

Sweet PEAs in a Pod

Ali Hynek: Website | Instagram
Brittany Watson Jepsen: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Etsy
via [Huffington Post]

All images via Ali Hynek.

The dropping temperatures are the perfect time to add some whimsy to your wardrobe. Wearing more layers, after all, means that there are more opportunities to infuse a sense of fun into your everyday attire. We recently marveled over fingerless gloves that transform your hands into dragon scales, and crafter Lianka Azulay promises to do the same thing for your feet. Through her shop Bonita Patterns, she has created cozy “dragon slippers” that combine crochet with decorative scales that line your ankles.

Azulay specializes in creating the design/pattern while you craft the finished product. After selecting your own yarn colors, the crochet artist has photo instructions to follow. Though that might seem daunting, an intermediate-level crocheter or even dedicated beginner can master the “crocodile stitch” that comprises pattern. “This is a fun to work piece that will impress without stress,” Azulay assures fellow crafters.

Once you’re done, you’ve got booties that are the ideal companions for TV binge-watching—they’ll seem especially snuggly once the snow begins to fall. The fantastical footwear patterns, available for both kids and adults, are now in the Bonita Patterns Etsy shop.

Once you’ve mastered footwear, you can try making a pair of dragon mittens:

Bonita Patterns: Etsy
via [Bored Panda]

A connoisseur of the cute and cuddly, Warren Photographic specializes in commercial shots of nature and animals. The UK-based company boasts an extensive collection of for-print images, and the cuddly creatures they capture grace everything from pet care books and calendars to greeting cards and gifts. In addition to one-off shots and pet portraits, they produce adorable and thematic series, like the playfully-titled Identity Theft.

Taking the idea of “furry friends” quite literally, Identity Theft features pairs of pets who, despite dissimilar biological backgrounds, appear surprisingly alike thanks to their coordinated coats. A kitten hangs out with a hedgehog, a guinea pig meets two ducklings, and a badger nuzzles a border collie in the series that is best summarized as an animal lover’s dream come true. While some of the subjects appear comically confused and expectedly curious, many of them seem a bit more comfortable with their new companion—some even cuddle!

Mark Taylor, the photographer behind the series, got the idea from his mom, whose twinning seal-point Birman kitten and dwarf bunny served as the inspiration. By bringing unlikely animals together, Mark produces unique photographs that celebrate the interconnectedness of the animal kingdom—and, of course, its overwhelming cuteness.

Warren Photographic: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [Bored Panda]

All images via Warren Photographic.

An elegant exploration of movement, the NYC Dance Project photographically presents the beauty and grace of dance.

The stunning series began in 2014, when Ken Browar, an esteemed fashion photographer, and Deborah Ory, a lifelong dancer with a background in editorial photography, began shooting contemporary dancers for a personal project. Through word of mouth in the dance community and inspiring success on social media, their photography quickly proved popular, and the NYC Dance Project was born.   

In 2015, we interviewed Ken and Deborah to find out more about their artistic endeavor. Touching on everything from their initial inspirations to their theatrical techniques, the conversation offered an in-depth look at their still-new series. When asked about the long-term goals they hoped to accomplish through their project, they excitedly shared that they were “working on putting together a coffee table book of the images and interviews.” Now, just over one year later, that dream has become a reality, as their new book, The Art of Movement, launches in October.

With over 300 pages of content, the glossy hardback features glamorous photographs and intriguing interviews of more than 70 dazzling dancers from around the world—the American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, Alvin Ailey, Royal Danish Ballet, and the Royal Ballet are just some of the prestigious companies represented. Shot both in beaming colors and in brilliant black-and-white, the series spotlights the intrinsically artistic nature of dance. Expertly photographed and directed by Ken and Deborah, each subject appears to dance across the page, striking impossible poses with ease and showcasing the skill, strength, and poise that their passion demands. Beautifully portrayed and masterfully captured, the elegant spreads offer an intimate glimpse into the incredible lives of dancers.  

The Art of Movement hits the shelves on October 25. Pre-order the beautiful book here.

Above image: Charlotte Landreau, Soloist, Martha Graham Dance Company

James Whiteside, Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Daniil Simkin, Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Tiler Peck, Principal, New York City Ballet

Designer Stelios Mousarris has added to his Inception-inspired series of coffee and dining tables, Wave City, with a new, sleek black edition coffee table. We continue to marvel at the gravity-defying design, which elegantly curves a fictional cityscape upside down, interpreting one of the most iconic scenes from Christopher Nolan’s 2010 film.

Created from wood, steel, and 3D printing, the limited edition piece’s black matte finish lends a film-noir feel. It’s not difficult to imagine figures in dark trench coats and fedoras hustling through the dark, ominous streets, surrounded by endless rows of skyscrapers. The steel frame gives sturdy support to the dangling skyline. This limited edition table has an entirely different feel than its natural finish counterpart, with the continuous curve allowing light to filter through the cityscape, thus playing on the light/dark contrast inherent in the black design.

The table measures 40 inches (100 centimeters) long, 20 inches (50 centimeters) wide, and 18 inches (45 centimeters) high, leaving plenty of surface space for coffee table books and a game of cards. Mousarris’ entire line, including the black Wave City coffee table, is available via his website.

Stelios Mousarris: Website | Facebook
via [designboom]

All images via Stelios Mousarris.