Claudia Gray's Photo Blog

One time a coffeehouse I was in had a chalkboard up asking people to write the names of their heroes. To my surprise, I wrote Eartha Kitt. But why not? She was an awesome woman, someone completely and totally self-made. She taught herself languages so she could sing in them fluently (listen to her singing in French sometime), totally defied the era’s attempts to stereotype and diminish black women, was an outspoken political activist, and once was called, by Orson Welles, “the most exciting woman in the world.” (Keep in mind that Orson Welles had been married to Rita Hayworth and knew whereof he spoke.)  She played Catwoman to Adam West’s Batman with so much badassery she might as well have been opposite Christian Bale. She played Yzma in “The Emperor’s New Groove.”  She sang the only version of “Santa Baby” I can stand, because Eartha Kitt alone had the right to make such demands. 

Behold pure awesome. 

slay-z:

tphollywood76:

Eartha Kitt

my queen

(via giggleangel)

Most awesome holiday ever, Y/N?

Y!

jazziebabycakes:

unsolnosilumina:

Holi, the Hindu festival of colour. (x)

One day I will be in India for Holi, it is on my bucket list. 

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Futuristic steampunk fairy balllerina — I think. Whatever she is, she is PURE AWESOME. 

dduane:

roxannawalitzki:

Firebird

Headdress & Winged Harness: Rob Goodwin

Costume Design: David Bamber

Photographer: Diego Indraccolo

Ballerina: Ksenia Ovsyanick

Holy WOW.

(via slightwind)

sciencesoup:

Northern Lights over an Erupting Volcano

In April 2010, the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull spewed great ash clouds into the sky and caused enormous disruptions to air travel in Europe. The eruptions are best remembered for this inconvenience, but photographer James Appleton managed to capture the event in a different way. In the weeks before the disturbances, a vulcanologist friend of his alerted him to the unfolding volcanic drama, and Appleton travelled straight to the Icelandic mountain before it was closed off. Risking his life to battle extreme cold, high winds, and seismic activity, Appleton captured a rare but gorgeous scene: the glowing lava from an Eyjafjallajökull fissure with the Northern Lights—Aurora Borealis—overhead. These are two very different light sources, so “the photograph needed parts of the scene selectively blocked for sections of the exposure to balance the contrast,” Appleton recalls. “A Mars bar wrapper came in handy for this!”

(via insert-something-awesome-here)

Source:

mydarkenedeyes:

Japan’s Spectacular Tunnels of Light.

If you happen to be in Japan from now until March 31st, 2013, be sure to check out one of Japan’s most stunning displays of light called Winter Illuminations at Nabana no Sato, a botanical garden turned light theme park on the island of Nagashima in Kuwana. Opened just yesterday, it’s already been called one of the best winter light shows in all of Japan. The park really outdoes itself by using millions of sparkling LED’s all over the vast grounds including on the water and in the gardens. This years theme is ‘nature’ and it promises gorgeous scenes including a beautiful sunrise inspired by Mt. Fuji at dawn, a rainbow across the sky, and even an aurora. The stars of the show are the famous walk-through tunnels of light that completely envelop the viewer, making it seem as if they’re walking through bright, magical portals.

Via My Modern Met.

(via cieria)

One night about a year ago, I went onto Netflix to find a movie to watch, just to try to distract myself. I was incredibly stressed and depressed, just having a really rough time. For no reason I could name then or now, chose the 1970s movie “The Turning Point.” This is about ballet dancers past their prime, accepting their life choices, and as a film, you know, it’s fine. On its own, it would just have been some images moving on a screen to distract me a little.

But “The Turning Point” features the young Baryshnikov dancing, and at several points just stops to film him at work. It was so spectacularly beautiful — in a way that was hardly even earthly — and it lifted me out of my sadness so completely that I’ll never, ever forget it. 

uberkase:

Baryshnikov by Max Waldman

rj-anderson:

beatonna:

Forget that No Doubt video ever existed, watch world champ hoop dancer Nakotah Larance in Geronimo (The Knocks and Fred Falke).  Then read Adrienne K. talk about Nelly Furtado’s Big Hoops over at Native Appropriations, which is a really good blog.

The skill and complexity of this dance is jaw-dropping. Gorgeous. Wow.

Poetry in motion: Gabrielle Douglas. 

lebronsjames:

U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas performs on the balance beam during the Artistic Gymnastic women’s team final at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 31, 2012, in London

anthagio:

(via itsalongwaytothegay)