JAPANESE TEA PLANTATION NEAR MOUNT FUJI Photograph via 94svtcobra on Reddit Unfortunately I am short on information about this lovely picture that shows a tea plantation in Shizuoka, Japan as Mount Fuji looms in the background. I tried a reverse image search on Google and Tineye but it did not lead to…
THE MOUTH OF THE MANTA RAY Photograph by Michael Valos for National Geographic In this incredible photograph by Michael Valos, we see a giant manta ray feeding in Hanifaru Bay, Maldives. I saw this on National Geographic’s Facebook page, which led me to the ‘Your Shot: Weekly Wrapper (August 2011, week 2)‘…
THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE IN CHINA Photograph via Mind_Virus on Reddit Qiandao Lake (Thousand Island Lake) is a man-made lake located in Chun’an County, Zhejiang, China. It was formed after the completion of the Xin’an River hydroelectric station. 1,078 large islands dot the lake and a few thousand smaller ones are scattered across…
Currently on-board the International Space Station, NASA astronaut and Expedition 31 Flight Engineer Don Pettit, recently uploaded an incredible gallery of star trails to NASA’s Johnson Space Center Flickr page. Speaking about the star trails that result from taking long exposure images (i.e., a photo taken with a slow shutter speed), Petit relayed some…
ROOTED IN THE CONCRETE JUNGLE Photograph via Mind_Virus on Reddit Although the Sifter has already featured ‘adaptive roots growing into concrete‘, I couldn’t resist sharing this awesome example as well. Unfortunately a reverse image search on Google and Tineye did not reveal any additional information as to the photographer or where this…
MOUNT RAINIER CASTING A SHADOW ON CLOUDS Photograph by Nick Lippert (via Komo News) This rare and remarkable phenomenon only happens when the sun rises farther to the south as Winter solstice approaches. At the right place and time, Mount Rainier blocks rays of morning sunlight, casting a shadow like you see…
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at temperatures from 700 to 1,200 °C (1,292 to 2,192 °F). Up to 100,000 times as viscous as water, lava can flow…
FIRST CONTACT Photograph by CMGW Photography on Flickr In this wonderful photograph by Chirstoper @ CMGW Photography, we are witness to an amazing encounter between a little girl and a manatee. You can really feel the wonderment this little girl must be experiencing. The contrasting size and age between these two really…
THE MILFORD SOUND FJORD IN NEW ZEALAND Photograph by Trey Ratcliff on Facebook In this incredible photograph by Trey Ratcliff @ Stuck in Customs, we see the dramatic entrance to the world famous Milford Sound Fjord in the south west of New Zealand’s South Island. Located within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi (Milford…
CLIFF CAMPING IN NORWAY Photograph by Peter Przybille on Flickr In this stunning evening photograph, we see a group of hikers camping out on the famous cliff of Preikestolen in Norway. In English this place may be known as Preacher’s Pulpit or Pulpit Rock, or by the old local name, Hyvlatonna (“the…