Picture of the Day: Looking Up To Liberty

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LOOKING UP TO LIBERTY Photograph by Stefan Georgi Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Seen here is a unique view looking…

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Seen here is a unique view looking up the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886, was a gift to the United States from the people of France.

The statue is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and atabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence. A broken chain lies at her feet.

For those interested, the Sifter recently published a post showcasing rare photos of the Statue of Liberty being built in 1883.

Picture of the Day: Lightning-Works

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LIGHTNING-WORKS Photograph by AJ192 on Reddit In this perfectly timed photograph by Redditor AJ192, we see lightning strike at the exact moment a firework lights up the night sky. The photograph was taken at a firework show at the Rio Rancho High School in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States. The image…In this perfectly timed photograph by Redditor AJ192, we see lightning strike at the exact moment a firework lights up the night sky.

The photograph was taken at a firework show at the Rio Rancho High School in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States. The image was captured last night during the fourth of July celebrations (Independence Day in the United States). It wasposted to Reddit earlier today and reached the top spot on the front page for a period of time.

The Sifter has previously featured a photo that captured both lightning and fireworks at the same time, but it was not perfectly aligned like the image above.

What the Night Sky Would Look Like if Cities Went Dark

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Thierry Cohen began his professional career in 1985 and is seen as one of the pioneers of digital photography. Cohen currently lives and works in Paris. Since 2010 he has devoted himself to a single project – “Villes Enteintes” (Darkened Cities) – which depicts the major cities of the world as they would appear…

Thierry Cohen began his professional career in 1985 and is seen as one of the pioneers of digital photography. Cohen currently lives and works in Paris. Since 2010 he has devoted himself to a single project – “Villes Enteintes” (Darkened Cities) – which depicts the major cities of the world as they would appear at night without light pollution, or how they would look if we could see the stars.

According to the Danziger Gallery, which represents Cohen in the United States:

Cohen’s method is original and precise…he photographs the world’s major cities, seeking out views that resonate for him and noting the precise time, angle, and latitude and longitude of his exposure. As the world rotates around its axis the stars that would have been visible above a particular city move to deserts, plains, and other places free of light pollution.By noting the precise latitude and angle of his cityscape, Cohen is able to track the earth’s rotation to places of atmospheric clarity like the Mojave, the Sahara, and the Atacama desert. There he sets up his camera to record what is lost to modern urban dwellers.

Compositing the two images, Cohen creates a single new image full of resonance and nuance. The work is both political and spiritual questioning not only what we are doing to the planet but drawing unexpected connections between disparate locations. Equally importantly it asks: what do we miss by obscuring the visibility of stars? As the world’s population becomes increasingly urban, there is a disjunction with the natural world which both Cohen and science posit causes both physical and psychological harm. Cities that never sleep are made up of millions of individuals breaking natural cycles of work and repose. Cohen’s photographs attempt to restore our vision, and in beautifully crafted prints and images offer the viewer a possibility – to re-connect us to the infinite energy of the stars.

Thierry Cohen is represented by Galerie Esther Woerdehoff in Europe and the Danziger Gallery in the United States. You can find more from the Darkened CitIES series on his official website along with other projects.

1. Shanghai

Shanghai darkened cities by thierry cohen

2. Rio de Janeiro

3. San Francisco

San_Francisco_darkened cities by thierry cohen

4. Paris

5. Tokyo

6. Shanghai

7. Sao Paulo

Sao_Paulo_darkened cities by thierry cohen

8. New York

New_York_darkened cities by thierry cohen

9. Los Angeles

Los_Angeles_darkened cities by thierry cohen

10. Hong Kong

Hong_Kong_darkened cities by thierry cohen

Photograph by THIERRY COHEN

Family Finds Grandfather’s Adorable Love Letter Envelopes to Wife

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Redditor jennymaecry recently shared a series of love letter envelopes from her grandfather to her grandmother. Both have since passed away and she says they discovered the letters after going through some of his stuff. All of the letters were date stamped in 1946 and sent to Ruth Roy’s home in Chisholm, Maine which…

Redditor jennymaecry recently shared a series of love letter envelopes from her grandfather to her grandmother.

Both have since passed away and she says they discovered the letters after going through some of his stuff. All of the letters were date stamped in 1946 and sent to Ruth Roy’s home in Chisholm, Maine which is now known as Jay, Maine.

In the comments on Reddit, jennymaecry states that there are many more illustrated envelopes but that her cousin and Mom have the rest. She says they were sent while her grandfather was serving in the army and also when he was on the road as a travelling salesman.

Warms the heart :)

[via jennymaecry]

Family Finds Grandfathers Adorable Love Letter Envelopes to Wife (3)

Family Finds Grandfathers Adorable Love Letter Envelopes to Wife (1)

Family Finds Grandfathers Adorable Love Letter Envelopes to Wife (6)

Family Finds Grandfathers Adorable Love Letter Envelopes to Wife (2)

Family Finds Grandfathers Adorable Love Letter Envelopes to Wife (5)

Family Finds Grandfathers Adorable Love Letter Envelopes to Wife (4)

Photograph by jennymaecry on Reddit | Album on Imgur

The Top 50 ‘Pictures of the Day’ for 2013

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At the end of every quarter the Sifter will highlight the top 25 ‘Pictures of the Day‘, culminating in an epic Top 100 at the end of the year (check out the ‘Top 100 POTDs for 2012‘). It’s hard to believe we’re already half way through 2013. Below you will find the second installment…

At the end of every quarter the Sifter will highlight the top 25 ‘Pictures of the Day‘, culminating in an epic Top 100 at the end of the year (check out the ‘Top 100 POTDs for 2012‘).

It’s hard to believe we’re already half way through 2013. Below you will find the second installment of this quarterly compilation. All credit goes to the individual photographers and their inspiring visions of our beautiful planet.

*Please note the photographs themselves were not necessarily taken in 2013, they just happened to be featured as a POTD on TwistedSifter. The pictures are also listed in reverse chronological order. There is no ranking amongst the photos :)

50. SAN FRANCISCO FOG