Best Fall Foliage

The first thing Serena noticed during the drive from the airport were the trees. It had been

some time since she’d seen oak and maple and pine touched with fall. It was barely

September, but the feel of autumn was in the air, with all its strength and colour.

Playing The Odds

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By muffinn from Worcester, UK - Chattahoochee Nature Center - 

fall light through the trees, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32292280

Leaf peeping season is finally here! 

And there are plenty of postcard-worthy destinations to see the most colorful and scenic vistas across the country, from New England to the Oregon coast. 

Here are 7 of the best from sea to shining sea. 

PEOPLE

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Autumn had taken over New England,

with its exceptional style. Trees roared with color, and as they passed their peak, the air took on a snap that hinted slyly of winter.

Julia @ The MacGregor Brides

winter's coming

The amusement parks opened for business on weekends in the spring and fall. In the three summer months they worked seven days a week. The summer kept the town alive; it drew tourists, and tourists meant business. For one-fourth of the year, the town swelled from a population of thirteen or fourteen thousand to three hundred thousand. The bulk of those three hundred thousand people had come to the small coastal town to have fun.



Less of a Stranger 

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By Eric Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13147919

photos of amusement parks in the winter

September is quickly approaching, which can only mean one thing - summer is over. And with summer ending, it's the perfect time to get in all those last-minute warm weather activities you'll miss, like heading to your favorite amusement park.

If you really need a push, look no further than these sad photos of amusement parks during their off-season. They'll have you grabbing your friends and your car keys in no time - no one wants to admit that winter is right around the corner.

MSN

Truth Behind the “Perfect” Shot

“We’re going to do even better. Let’s try a few in that same pose.”

Warming up now, Mac noted as she chatted Rosa up along with Emma. She tossed in quick directions. Tilt your head to the right, shift your shoulders. Halfway through she handed Rosa one of Emma’s long-stems, tried shots with the flower as a prop.

Vision in White

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By Cary Tse - Imported from 500px (archived version) by the 

Archive Team. (detail page), CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71783389

Brazilian photographer Gilmar Silva put his career on a whole new level when he pulled back the curtain and let the public in on how professional photographers get the shots they're after. His series LUGARxFOTO is an ongoing look at how Silva makes magic right on site, using assistants and simple props to help him deliver the highest quality portrait to his clients.

MY MODERN MET

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“What did she think?”

“She cried. In a good way. Must be a hormone thing. Tears just started rolling down her cheeks and scared the shit out of me. Then she said the best thing.” Mac paused, letting the memory glow inside her. “She said she was never going to think of herself as big and clumsy because she was magnificent.”

“Oh.”

“I know. I got teary myself. She wanted to order right then and there. I had to put her off until I tweak a little.”

Vision in White

Behind the Scars

His thumb brushed gently over her scar. "You had a lot of pain."

"Yes." She kept watching the butterflies, the cheerful, colorful mobile. "A lot of pain."

"You mentioned phantom pain."

"I feel it sometimes, during a nightmare or just after one. During a panic attack. I know it's not real."

"But it feels real."

"Very real." 

Angels Fall

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By The original uploader was Tirin at English Wikipedia. [GFDL 

(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

Beautiful photo series documents people’s scars and the stories behind them

METRO

___________________

“You can take a nap in my bed if you want,” she invited, then pressed a curious

finger on the edge of the scar she saw beneath his hitched-up T-shirt. “You have a

hurt on your back.”

“Uh-huh.”

Alex was already scrambling to look. “Can I see?”

Holt tensed automatically, then forced himself to relax. “Sure.”

As Alex pushed up the shirt, both children's eyes widened. It wasn't like the neat

little scar they had both admired on his leg. This was long and jagged and mean,

slashing from the waist so high up on his back they couldn't push the shirt up

enough to see the end of it.

“Gee,” was all Alex could think to say. He swallowed, then gamely touched a finger

to the scar. “Did you get in a big fight?”

“Not exactly.” He remembered the pain, the incredible flash of white heat. “One of

the bad guys got me,” he said, and hoped it would satisfy. When he felt Jenny's little

mouth lower to his back, he went very still.

“Does it feel better now?” she asked.

“Yeah.” He had to let out a long breath to steady his voice. “Thanks.”

Suzanna's Surrender

🌸 Happy Mother's Day

Cal had let out his first shocked cry in the delivery room of Washington County Hospital
while his mother panted and his father wept. 

Fox had shoved his way into the world and into his laughing father’s 
waiting hands in the bedroom of the odd little farmhouse 
while Bob Dylan sang “Lay, Lady, Lay” 
on the record player, and lavender-scented candles burned. 

And Gage had struggled out of his terrified mother in an ambulance
racing up Maryland Route 65.

Blood Brothers

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From silent births to delivering in a lobby, these are the most dramatic celebrity birth stories

Keep reading to find about the most unusual celebrity childbirth stories.

INSIDER

By Serge Melki from Indianapolis, USA - To all the Mothers, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24321824

The most amazing birth photos we've ever seen

Leilani Rogers is a birth photographer who loves what she does - and she has been kind enough to share some of her favourite images with us. Be prepared to have your breath taken away.

More info at http://www.photosbylei.com/

BIRTH

Winter Bird Photos

A movement caught her eye, and as she turned to follow it she saw the cardinal take its perch on the snow-covered branch of a maple. It sat, a single spot of vivid red, and sang. Mac crouched, zoomed in rather than risk going closer and losing the shot. Was it the same bird who’d smacked into her kitchen window? she wondered. If so, he certainly seemed undamaged and unruffled as he sat like a single flame on the white-laced branch. She caught the moment then, taking three shots in rapid succession, slight changes in angles that coated her jeans with snow as she inched left. Then the bird took wing, swooped over the frozen sea, through the bright light, and was gone. Emmaline, beautiful Emmaline in her old navy coat, white cap and scarf trudged toward her through the snow. 

“I wondered how long I’d have to stand there until you finished or the damn bird took off. It’s cold out here.”

Vision in White 

_____________________

As temperatures dip, look no further than your backyard 

to see how full of life this blustery season truly is.

BIRDS & BLOOMS

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He opened it carefully, peeling up the tape and flapped ends. And took out the photograph matted in a simple black frame. Against the black and white of snow and winter trees, the cardinal sat like a living flame. 

“It’s wonderful.” 

“It’s nice.” She studied it with him. “One of those lucky breaks. I took it early yesterday morning. It’s no bellycrested whopado, but it’s our bird, after all.” 

Vision in White

Gold and Silver- Images and illusions of the gold rush

There had been nights, many nights, when Sarah had cried herself to sleep from missing him. Then, as the years had passed, she’d had to take out the faded daguerreotype to remember his face. 

Lawless

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Through captivating and largely unedited images ranging from scenes of California’s rivers to the snow-capped peaks of Yukon, this exhibition follows the hopes, dreams and illusions of an entire generation of prospectors who took to the road in search of gold. It also tells the story of two major developments in the history of photography: single images on metal and multiple images on glass and paper.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA

Stunning Photos

Maybe happy ever after was bull, but she knew she wanted 
to take more pictures of moments that were happy. 
Because then they were ever after.


Vision in White

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Unforgettable Wedding Moments From Around the World

Many weddings are steeped in long-standing traditions, but yet each nuptial remains unique to the couple getting married. The best wedding photographers capture  these idiosyncrasies and new memories through a combination of documentation and artistry.

When this happens, the images transcend the genre and become

works of fine art photography.

MY MODERN MET

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The bride looked up. 
Surprise turned to amused delight, and to Mac’s pleasure, 
Alison threw up both arms, tossed back her head, and laughed. 
And there, Mac thought as she caught the moment, 
was the beginning of the journey.


Vision in White 

cats and dogs

"Okay. Is that a stuffed bear in his bed?"
"Dogs are pack animals."
"Uh-huh, and a stuffed teddy bear is Bert's pack?"
"It comforts him"


The Witness

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cutest cats and dogs who just can’t be parted from their childhood toys

Many of us had a favourite soft toy when we were kids which we just couldn’t bare to part with wherever we went and whatever we did. Well, it seems that in some cases, the same mindset develops among our beloved pets — give them a toy when they’re still very young, and they’ll love it with all their heart for innumerable years into the future.

BRIGHT SIDE

eye-catching portraits you just can’t stop gazing at

He didn't always see life as others did. At times it was harsher, colder than the naked eye

could see—or wanted to. 

Other times it was softer, more lovely than the busy world imagined. 

Shade observed it, grouped the elements, manipulated time and shape, then recorded it his way. 

Always his way.

One Summer

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Creating a great portrait photo is one of the most difficult and challenging tasks for a photographer. In order to take a really eye-catching and natural photo, a photographer has to take a deep look inside a model’s inner world to reveal a secret within the person and transform all the things we saw and learned into one single picture.

BRIGHT SIDE

__________________

He couldn't deny that her portraits of the rich, famous and beautiful were well done—
even excellent ones of their kind. 
There was compassion in her photographs, humor and a
smooth sensuality. 
He wouldn't even deny that there was a place for her kind of work in
the field. It just wasn't his angle. 
She reflected culture, he went straight for life.

One Summer

Beautiful Photos That Show What It's Really Like to Be a Ballerina

Smiling, Lindsay let herself remember the music, the movement, the magic and the times she had felt her body was without bounds, fluid and free. 

Reality had come afterward, with unspeakable cramping, bleeding feet, strained muscles. 

How had it been possible, again and again, to contort her body into the unnatural lines that made up the dance? But she had done it, and she had pushed herself to the limits of ability and endurance. 

She had given herself over, sacrificing her body and the years. 

There had been only the dance. 

Reflections

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 By Lambtron - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6353701

Darian Volkova is a professional ballerina and photographer who captures what goes into practicing ballet. Volkova says her perspective is unique because she can "feel, see and shoot the dance like only [a] dancer can."

While traveling with her company, Volkova photographs ballet dancers from around the world, and the results are stunning. See 15 of her photos below:

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

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She wondered how much truth had been in his angry words. Bursting through the front door of the building, she headed straight for her dressing room.

Once inside, she closed her door and leaned back against it. She was shaking from head to foot. A few short remarks from Donald had dehumanized her. 

Ruth moved slowly to her mirror and switched on all the lights. 

With hard, searching eyes, she studied her face.

Had her love and devotion for dancing made her selfish and one dimensional?

Was she really unable to feel deeply for a man, to make a positive commitment?

Ruth pressed her hands to her cheeks. The skin was soft, smooth, the scent on her hands was feminine.

But was she? Ruth could read the panic in her eyes. 

Where did the dancer end and the woman begin?

She shook her head and turned away from her own image.

Too many mirrors, she thought suddenly. 

There were too many mirrors in her life, and she was no longer certain what they reflected. 

What would she be in a decade, when the dancer faced the twilight of her career? 

Would memories and clippings be all she had?

Dance of Dreams

What’s in your fridge?

But what was she doing with her head in his refrigerator?
"What are you doing?"
"Fixing you breakfast. You have one egg. How would you like it?"
"Cooked." He drained the cup and hobbled back for another dose.
"Your bologna's green, and there's something in here that might be
alive." She took out the egg, a hunk of cheese, and a heel of bread.
"I've never seen things move in a refrigerator before. Got a skillet?"

Public Secrets

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Photographer Mark Menjivar wants to know. The 33-year-old San Antonio, Texas, native has spent the past four years snapping the insides of people’s refrigerators for “You Are What You Eat,” a photo series that recently inspired his first book, simply titled "Refrigerators," to be published in December.

“I was hoping to learn about people through their food — refrigerators are a private space — but more importantly to shine light on how people take care of their bodies and our food supply,”

 

SHINE

_________________

 “Me too. Then what do you say we flip to see who cooks dinner?”
“Buzzing up sissy frozen dinners isn’t worthy of a flip.”
“I was thinking of the steaks we have in the meat drawer of the fridge.”
“We have steaks?” The day got brighter. “We have a meat drawer?” She smiled and got to her feet.
“Yes, we do.”
“Okay, the meat drawer probably came with the fridge. How did we get steaks? Do you have a magic cow somewhere?”
“No, I have a fairy stepmother, who delivers. I asked Syl if she’d pick us up a couple steaks, Idahos, some staples I needed. She dropped them off today, including a bunch of fresh vegetables and fruit because she thinks we need those, too. That’s why there are fresh vegetables in the crisper. And yes, we have a crisper.”
He decided there was no point in telling her he’d looked in the fridge and seen none of those things.
There’d just be some variation of his mother’s standard crack about Male Refrigerator Blindness
Syndrome.

 The Search

adolescents in their corners

Phillip settled down in his room with his laptop and his files.
It was the same room he'd been given when Ray and Stella Quinn had brought him home. The walls had been a pale green then. Sometime during his sixteenth year he'd gotten a wild hair and painted them magenta. God knew why. He remembered that his mother—for Stella had become his mother by then—had taken one look and warned him he'd have terminal indigestion.
He thought it was sexy. For about three months. Then he'd gone with a stark white for a while, accented
with moody black-framed, black-and-white photographs.
Always looking for ambience, Phillip thought now, amused at himself. 

Inner Harbor

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Stefano Giogli photographs teens from Tiber Valley in their intimate haven


Who can forget the hours of adolescence in own bedroom? Generations change, but some ways don't.

How many secrets does the bedroom of those kids, that are no longer children but not yet adults, hold ... Each room, a world.

 EL MUNDO

google translation (English)

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 They'd kept his room. It had changed over the years, different paint for the walls, a new rug for the
floor. But the bed was the same one he'd slept in, dreamed in, waked in.
The same bed he'd sneaked Foolish into when he'd been a child.
And the one he'd sneaked Alice Albert into when he'd thought he was a man.
He figured Cam knew about Foolish, and had often wondered if he'd known about Alice.

Chesapeake Blue