Category: Photos

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The photos of Part 2 of “The Voice of Beasts”

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The photographers of Unsplash.com provided me with a great collection of photos for Part 2 of Frasier Armitage’s “The Voice of Beasts,” a Sci Fi story set on the planet called the Globe.

Insect Legs

The belly and rear wheels of a jet airplane.
It loomed from the ground like a mountain in itself, its landing gear propping it on insect legs. Photo by Lynn Kintziger.

Lynn Kintziger shot this great photo of the belly of an airplane. She does not share the details of the photo or the airplane. I’m guessing it’s a jet airplane and probably a large passenger or freight plane because of the number of tires. I’ve wondered if this airplane is right off the assembly line because its tires are so new. If you look closely, you can see the vent spews, the tiny rubber “hairs” on the tires, that show a tire is brand new.

To prepare this photo for use in Part 2 of “The Voice of Beasts,” I cropped off the tires to strengthen the impression that Capt. Ward’s landing craft sits on “insect legs,” as described by Frasier in his story.

Lynn, who hails from Diekirch in Luxembourg, likes to take travel, nature, landscape and architecture photos. You can find more of her photos at unsplash.com/@lkintziger.

Dune

A tall, tan sand dune with a sinuous front curve reaches high into a blue sky.
Lorenzo scampered down the dune. Photo by Fernando Paredes Murillo.

Fernando Paredes Murillo shot this immaculate image of a climbing sand dune under a brilliant, blue sky. He shot the image in Erg Chebbi, Merzouga, Morocco. Fernando, who hails from London in the United Kingdom, loves taking mountain, sky, and outdoor photographs. You can find more of his work at unsplash.com/@ferparmur.

Furnace

A gout of yellow flame emerging from a furnace
Belmont is a furnace, Ros. Photo by DDP.

The  photographer who simply goes by DDP shot this photo of a flame shooting from a furnace in Murat, Cantal, France. DDP lives in Murat and shoots most of their photos in that area. DDP loves taking photos of forests, winter, skies, and hiking. You can find more of DDP’s photography at unsplash.com/@moino007.

Rave

Silhouettes of people standing in a dark room lit partially by beams of purple light.
Whitehall was alive with expectation, a city brought to life by whispers of what might lie beyond its walls. Photo by Alexander Popov.

Alexander Popov captured this fun rave in Moscow, Russia. Alexander shoots Moscow street photography and loves urban, club, and night photography. You can see more of his work at unsplash.com/@5tep5.

Table

An elegant table setting with shining glass goblets.
She tilted her head towards the cacophony of voices ringing from the table behind her. Photo by Nils Stahl.

Nils Stahl captured this elegant table setting, which set the scene for Lorenzo and Ros’s dinner in Whitehall. Nils is a young photographer who hails from Stuttgart, Germany. Nils loves nature and outdoors photography featuring plants and water. You can find more of Nils’s photos at unsplash.com/@nilsjakob.

Blast

Image of man in dark clothing and wearing a belt holster cocking an oddly shaped pistol.
People who started shouting their mouth off might find themselves catching a blast. Photo by Daniel Stuben.

Daniel Stuben shot this intriguing image of a man cocking a pistol. (See what I did there with “shot”?) Although this figure seems menacing, he is actually a softari player in Teplá, Czech Republic. Daniel hails from Bavaria, Germany and enjoys nature, Airsoft and cycling photography. You can find more of his photography at unsplash.com/@dxstub.

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The photos of Part 2 of “The Voice of Beasts”

  By

The photographers of Unsplash.com provided me with a great collection of photos for Part 2 of Frasier Armitage’s “The Voice of Beasts,” a Sci Fi story set on the planet called the Globe.

Insect Legs

The belly and rear wheels of a jet airplane.
It loomed from the ground like a mountain in itself, its landing gear propping it on insect legs. Photo by Lynn Kintziger.

Lynn Kintziger shot this great photo of the belly of an airplane. She does not share the details of the photo or the airplane. I’m guessing it’s a jet airplane and probably a large passenger or freight plane because of the number of tires. I’ve wondered if this airplane is right off the assembly line because its tires are so new. If you look closely, you can see the vent spews, the tiny rubber “hairs” on the tires, that show a tire is brand new.

To prepare this photo for use in Part 2 of “The Voice of Beasts,” I cropped off the tires to strengthen the impression that Capt. Ward’s landing craft sits on “insect legs,” as described by Frasier in his story.

Lynn, who hails from Diekirch in Luxembourg, likes to take travel, nature, landscape and architecture photos. You can find more of her photos at unsplash.com/@lkintziger.

Dune

A tall, tan sand dune with a sinuous front curve reaches high into a blue sky.
Lorenzo scampered down the dune. Photo by Fernando Paredes Murillo.

Fernando Paredes Murillo shot this immaculate image of a climbing sand dune under a brilliant, blue sky. He shot the image in Erg Chebbi, Merzouga, Morocco. Fernando, who hails from London in the United Kingdom, loves taking mountain, sky, and outdoor photographs. You can find more of his work at unsplash.com/@ferparmur.

Furnace

A gout of yellow flame emerging from a furnace
Belmont is a furnace, Ros. Photo by DDP.

The  photographer who simply goes by DDP shot this photo of a flame shooting from a furnace in Murat, Cantal, France. DDP lives in Murat and shoots most of their photos in that area. DDP loves taking photos of forests, winter, skies, and hiking. You can find more of DDP’s photography at unsplash.com/@moino007.

Rave

Silhouettes of people standing in a dark room lit partially by beams of purple light.
Whitehall was alive with expectation, a city brought to life by whispers of what might lie beyond its walls. Photo by Alexander Popov.

Alexander Popov captured this fun rave in Moscow, Russia. Alexander shoots Moscow street photography and loves urban, club, and night photography. You can see more of his work at unsplash.com/@5tep5.

Table

An elegant table setting with shining glass goblets.
She tilted her head towards the cacophony of voices ringing from the table behind her. Photo by Nils Stahl.

Nils Stahl captured this elegant table setting, which set the scene for Lorenzo and Ros’s dinner in Whitehall. Nils is a young photographer who hails from Stuttgart, Germany. Nils loves nature and outdoors photography featuring plants and water. You can find more of Nils’s photos at unsplash.com/@nilsjakob.

Blast

Image of man in dark clothing and wearing a belt holster cocking an oddly shaped pistol.
People who started shouting their mouth off might find themselves catching a blast. Photo by Daniel Stuben.

Daniel Stuben shot this intriguing image of a man cocking a pistol. (See what I did there with “shot”?) Although this figure seems menacing, he is actually a softari player in Teplá, Czech Republic. Daniel hails from Bavaria, Germany and enjoys nature, Airsoft and cycling photography. You can find more of his photography at unsplash.com/@dxstub.

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The photos of “The Voice of Beasts–Part 1”

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The photographers of Unsplash.com provided me with a great collection of photos for the very first story in Nights of Revelation, “The Voice of Beasts” by Frasier Armitage.

(If you’ve not read the story, you’ll want to read it first, as this post contains some spoilers.)

Superimposed image of figure wearing a hood standing on a mountaintop.

Coming Down the Mountain

Tom Robertson shot this moody, dreamy mountain-top shot in Skye in the United Kingdom. I assume it’s a multiple exposure because you can see through the person in this photo. It makes a beautiful image.

Tom also shoots some beautiful black and white images and artistic, moody and sometimes spooky photos. Make sure to check out his collection on Unsplash.com.

Tree’s Shade

Nathan Dumlao shot this desert view, which proved to be perfect for the Mirrim scene in “The Voice of Beasts.” Nathan takes mountain, urban, and travel photos. Find more of his work at Unsplash.com/@Nate_Dumlao.

Goggles

In the original photo, you can see the steampunk goggles are wrapped around a black bowler sitting atop an internally lit hat block. A very fun image! I love the subject of this photo and I love steampunk motifs. I can still recall the feeling of awe I had when I first saw steampunk costumes all those years ago at DragonCon in Atlanta.

Johnny Briggs, who hails from Scotland, shot this image. He loves taking photographs of “beautiful vintage and retro items, places, nature, and architecture.” Find more of his photography at Unsplash.com/@johnnyboylee.

Barge on the River

Erik Mclean shot this great photo of a rusting hulk sunk in the water. I don’t have any details on the photo, but it makes a mood shot for our trip down the Elizabeth River in our story. Erik likes urban, automotive and sky photography. He also has some very nice landscape and outdoors photos at Unsplash.com/@introspectivedsgn.

Savagelands

Zach Woolwine shot this sinuous dunes photo during a trip to Merzouga, Morocco. It provided a great image for the savagelands between Belmont and Whitehall on the Globe. Zack likes to take photos of cats, streets, food and San Francisco. Find more of his photos at Unsplash.com/@onebackpackphotography.

Be stellar!

Matthew Cross

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The photos and photographers of Fools

Aside

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The photographers of Unsplash.com provided me with a great collection of photos for my April Contest story “Fools,” a Sci Fi heist story set.

(If you’ve not read the story, you’ll want to read it first, as this post contains some spoilers.)

Dark Surf

Jeremy Bishop shot this beautiful, mesmerizing, night-time beach photo. Notice all the detail he captures in this vertical photo.

I used this photo for the main title image for “Fools.” Because I need horizontal images for the title images to play well on Twitter, I had to crop it viciously into a horizontal shot, focusing on the white waves. But even cropped so much, it makes a beautiful, haunting image. And, of course, I added the text.

Jeremy hails from California. His passions are the ocean and water photography. He says he is “striving to make an impact to save our oceans and reefs.” You can see more of Jeremy’s excellent water-related photos at unsplash.com/@jeremybishop and jeremybishopphotography.com.

Private Beach

I can see the private beach and the softly glowing surf. Photo by Jordan Steranka.

Jordan Steranka shot this beautiful sunset over palm trees. You can still see the rosy tones of sunset at the bottom of the photo but also a starry sky above. The story “Fools” occurs at night, probably long after sunset, but this photo was so beautiful, I thought I could get away with using it.

Jordan is an industrial designer in Seattle, Washington. He loves soccer, the outdoors, and exploration. You can see more of his work at unsplash.com/@jordansteranka and instagram.com/jordansteranka.

Resi Tower

This is the offseason for the beach, so the family is away. Photo by Tobias Rademacher.

Tobias Rademacher, who goes by Toby, is a hobby photographer with interests in architecture, landscape, and travel images. He hails from Cologne, Germany, and he shoots some stunning architectural images. You can see more of his photos at https://unsplash.com/@tobbes_rd.

Lavalier

I figured M. Lasone really wanted to protect his wife’s lavalier. Photo by Patricia Zavala.

Patricia Zavala shot this “shiny” photo of what she describes as a “blue, heart-shaped necklace.” Patricia is a designer, photographer, and creative, who hails from Seattle, Washington. Her landscape and nature images can be found at unsplash.com/@pattyzc and pattyzc.com.

Cat Mask

I also have a cat mask. A little inside joke. Photo by Soroush Golpoor.

Soroush Golpoor, who hails from Iran, shot this really cool photo of a giant cat mask. This photo is part of a series of photos Soroush shot with this mask, and the whole collection is amazing. I’ve never seen anything quite like these photos. I love the mask, but Soroush’s photos, settings, and models take it to a new level. See more of Soroush’s photos at unsplash.com/@soroushgolpoor.

Slider Tube

I glide down the brightly lit tube for 16 floors. Photo by Joe Ciciarelli.

Joe Ciciarelli shot this intriguing photo of a tunnel. I’m not actually sure what kind of tunnel it is or what it’s used for, but it’s eyecatching. See more of Joe’s travel and adventure photos at unsplash.com/@claritycontrol and instagram.com/@claritycontrol.

Be stellar!

Matthew Cross

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The photos and photographers of Kite Night

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The photographers of Unsplash.com provided me with a great collection of photos for my story “Kite Night,” a Sci Fi story set on the planet called the Globe. (If you’ve not read the story, you’ll want to read it first, as this post contains some spoilers.)

Firework

Photo by Snowy Vin.

Snowy Vin took this perfect photo of a single firework explosion against a dark night sky. She shot it at Lake Kawaguchi at Fujikawaguchiko, Japan and titled the photo “Firework.”

I used this photo for the story’s main title image. Because the original photo cropping is very square, I had to “extend” the black night sky through photo image magic to make it fit into my regular title image rectangle. And, of course, I added the text.

You can see more of Snowy’s adventure, mountain, and animal images at unsplash.com/@sowny_vin.

Preparedness

Ward calmed the butterflies in her stomach and laid the last of the fine silver. Photo by Siniz Kim.

Siniz Kim shot this beautiful place setting. She titled it “Preparedness,” which is a great title. When I saw it, I knew it was perfect for the table Capt. Ward was setting in the officer’s mess. Siniz is the principal and founder at Zigzag GmbH in Stuttgart, Germany. You can find more of his street and outdoor images at unsplash.com/@siniz.

Orbs of the Multiverse

She watched the slowly spinning blue orb. Photo by Daniel Olah.

If you have read any of the previous Tales of the Globe, then you recognize this gorgeous photo as the first image for each story.

If I understand this correctly, Daniel created this beautiful image by mixing soap and oil. I’m sure it’s more complicated than that, but I’m no artist. This piece, Orbs of the Multiverse, is from his new Soap & Oil Planet series. To my eyes, it looks exactly like a planet floating in space, and I love his title for the piece. So I chose this image to represent the beautiful, blue planet of the Globe.

Daniel is a freelance photographer. You can find his nature and landscape images at unsplash.com/@danesduet. You can also find his work at www.behance.net/danielolah and instagram.com/danesduet.

Moonrise

The Swearing Moon rose and skirted the horizon. Photo by Kym MacKinnon.

Kym MacKinnon took this shot, titled “Moonrise over Grotto Mountain,” in Canmore, Canada. Kym hails from Alberta, Canada. You can find more of her photos at unsplash.com/@vixenly and instagram.com/vixenly.

Pleasant Picnic

They had a surprisingly pleasant and civilized lunch. Photo by Marianela O.M.

Marianela O.M shot this very pleasant picnic shot, which she titled “Picnic and wine on the grass.” You can see more of her wine, hygge, and animal images at unsplash.com/@marianelahygge and instagram.com/marianela.maruu and at her website, www.mividahygge.com.

Metal Mallet

The metal mallet was small but sturdy and covered in runes. Photo by Raul Barrios.

Raul Barrios shot this great image of a blacksmith forming a crowbar on an anvil with his blacksmith’s hammer at the ready. Raul shot this at the Blacktown City Medieval Fayre in Blacktown, Australia.

This photographed hammer or mallet is not covered in runes, but it is a blacksmith’s hammer, which the mysterious Vernon is carrying. Because he is from Belmont, Vernon knows blacksmithing and has tools of the trade. I think you’ll learn more about the mysterious Vernon of Belmont in stories to come.

You can see more of Raul’s flower, animal, and architecture images at unsplash.com/@lookscanshoot.

Glowing Orange

Glowing orange, they whizzed about madly overhead. Photo by Melanie Magdalena.

Melanie Magdalena shot this mesmerizing photo, titled “Lift Off at Lantern Fest 2015,” at Sandia Speedway in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the United States. As the photo’s title indicates, this is a photo of floating paper lanterns, not mechanical grav-tech drones. To hide the fact that these are paper lanterns, I cropped the photo and rotated it 90 degrees. I think the altered image does manage to convey floating, orange shapes in a night sky that might be futuristic drones, if you don’t look too closely. But I’m also glad to be able to share Melanie’s beautiful, original image here.

Melanie hails from Austin, Texas, in the United States. You can find more of Melanie’s astronomy and nature images at unsplash.com/@m2creates and melaniemagdalena.com.

In case you missed them, here are the first five tales in the Globe Folio.

Be stellar!

Matthew Cross