Master of cuteness Mark Taylor's images are in demand all over the world for the purr-fect way they capture a softer side to our best-loved animals.

His photographs are a legacy from his late mother Jane Burton who pioneered the style so familiar on calendars in offices and maths teacher classrooms everywhere.

Fosset the kitten with a yellow gosling: Photographer Mark Taylor is famous around the world for his cute shots of animals in unusual poses

Fosset cuddles up to his gosling friend: Mr Taylor's photographs are a legacy from his late mother Jane Burton who pioneered the style

 

Stanley the kitten with a duckling: Despite the menacing look in Stanley's eyes, Mr Taylor has never had any incidents where one subject ate another

Using a simple clean white background and some unusual animal pairings Mr Taylor's style has seen him make the cover of prestigious wildlife magazine National Geographic.

In this set of heart-warming images Mr Taylor shows why he's one of the best in his field tapping into that desire in us all to see something fluffy.

 

More...

• Women cat owners are 'more likely to kill themselves' due to higher chance of infection with parasite found in feline faeces

 

From ducklings with puppies, to dogs with kittens and even rabbits Mark captures them all on camera as if they were the best and friends.

And thankfully so far he's had no case of any of them eating each other.

Hear me roar: Kittens Stanley and Fosset have a cuddle

 

Guess who! Stanley holds his paws over Fosset's face as they play

 

King of the castle: Stanley climbs on top of Fosset

 

Not just for Christmas: Stanley and Fosset pose inside a gift box

Touch on that: Stanley offers his paw for a fist bump. Right, he poses with a bright red flower

 

Oh you! Stanley gestures towards the camera as he lies in a hammock

 

Time for a cat nap: Stanley and Fosset enjoy a snooze

Keeping it in the family: Mr Taylor's daughter Siena, pictured with Stanley, helps to pose the animals for her father's photo shoots

Mr Taylor, 47, creates his images all at his home studio Warren Photographic, in Guildford, Surrey.

His father Kim is a world-renowned wildlife photographer. His mother Jane, who died in 2007 after a brave battle against cancer, was one of the first to use a unique style now so well adopted by her son.

Mr Taylor, a father of one, said: 'There have been a few close shaves when we have put the different animals together, but we often "introduce" the animals to a rabbit in a cage first to gauge the reaction.

'If the dog starts licking its lips we know it might not work out well, and for example it's best not to put a Jack Russell next to a rabbit.

'I have helpers in the studio and some of the animals extras we have here, for example we have six rabbits, but others we have to bring in.

'The key to the photograph is making sure the animals are not doing anything they don't want to do because I think you can tell if they are not enjoying themselves.

'My mother was a pioneer if you like of this idea of using the clean white backgrounds and I like to think I am carrying on her legacy.'

You wanna start something? Stanley goes nose to nose with a Bichon Fris

 

My big mate: Stanley nuzzles up with Great Dane pup Tia

 

Where u go? Stanley and Tia have a play

Keeping it in the family Mr Taylor's daughter Siena, 10, is also on hand to pose up with the animals in the pictures.

Mr Taylor, who uses a Cannon 1DS Mark III camera, said that he felt his photographs were so popular because they tap into an desire in us all to relate to animals.

He said: 'I think the fascinating aspect of this type of photography is that it taps into something in us all that sees ourselves and human emotions in our pets and other animals.'

While marketing and mainstream communications campaigns have derived branding inspiration in the comic-like cartoon style of street art, and the values attached to its culture—freedom, community, transgression—the paradox still exists to see it framed and sold through traditional art channels.

We caught up with street artist Rafael Suriani at his recent show, "Collages Urbains", at Cabinet d'amateur gallery in Paris, where he told us more about street art and his relationship with the medium.

Suriani's mark features animals, surviving and thriving in the streets for its powerful and highly recognizable aesthetic. In his half-human-half-animal figures, the animal faces act as liberating masks, allowing the artist to express social criticism in an elegant way. The vibrant, seemingly playful creatures refrain from getting too serious and maintain a suggestive tone that avoids the obvious.

 

The stickers are the result of a double-binding process that first assembles man and animal, then adheres the resulting figure to the wall. In the past, Suriani has drawn from his Latin-American heritage, playing with shamanic mythology figures such as toucan or jaguar. In his recent series, on the other hand, he is more interested in urban domestic animals such as cats and dogs—according to the artist, the convention that they tend to resemble their owners offers a metaphoric way to talk about us people. Recently Suriani made a series of French "Bulldogs" as a special dedication on London walls, using this breed to cartoon and make fun of some French characteristics. Each dog expresses a different state of mind—humor, spirituality, criticism or beauty.

 

Suriani uses the rare technique of hand-painting every poster he sticks on the streets. Making each sticker is the result of a process involving selecting photos from the Internet, cutting them in Photoshop, then screening and painting before cutting the final product. Such repetition lies at the heart of street art practice, which is often based on plastering as many spots as possible, invasion-style.

When considering the ephemeral fate of the piece of work destined for degradation of the elements, police destruction or theft from passers-by, the time and effort for such little reward seems remarkable. Suriani explains, however, that the fleeting nature of his work is freeing and allows him to be audacious with both subject and technique. To him, because there is no pressure or constraint, that achievement is rarely a failure.

In the end, the piece of art is not the only sticker by itself, it is the sticker in its context, seen as a whole on the wall with the daylight shining on it, the motorbikes parked against it or the branch of a tree creeping across. Rarely is the work's time spent on the wall its only life, after all, with the rise of dedicated photographers immortalizing the scenes for the Internet.

Suriani claims his intention to step into the city's landscape by bringing much-needed beauty comes with a positive message. Rather than being aggressive or controversial, Suriani takes pleasure in having people on the street enjoy his figures. His work is bound to the city—physically, geographically and socially—compelling the public to refresh their view of their surroundings and drawing their eyes to the places that typically go unnoticed. As an architect, Suriani has found a way to unveil the city and change people's perception of the scenes they see everyday without truly seeing them. The choice of venue is very important, based on aesthetic consideration with attention to the context and surroundings like the location.

Euro 2012 recently began and, for those of you who don’t know, it’s the European football championship. European football is what we Americans call soccer, and it has slowly gained steam over the years, although still not as popular as American football…  Whether you’re into the championship or not (or even sports in general), you’ll probably love these simple, modern posters David Watson ofTrebleseven designed for it.

 

Each poster represents a particular country that’s playing, and the colors of their flag are incorporated into one of the various circular designs. I love the typographic twist these posters have and how they don’t have blatant sports references in them.

'AWARE2' gigapixel camera by duke university
above: 3 increasing zoom levels of footage taken by the camera

 
engineers at duke university have developed a camera able to take photos with up to one billion pixels of resolution. 
the 'AWARE2' gigapixel camera uses 98 sensors each at 14 megapixels, capable of detecting detail from as far as 1 kilometer away.
the current model weighs in at approximately 100 pounds, and only shoots in black and white.

explore more of the super high-resolution photos on duke's site with these zoomable examples of a lake scene, building atrium and riverside town.

 

original image shot at .96 gigapixels; explore the full zoomable image here



the 'AWARE2' camera


camera processor render



making of 'AWARE2' gigapixel camera 

Here's a list of tips, advice, rules and just things to know about photography from Eric Kim, a street photographer who also holds photography workshop classes. I think the gist of it is to keep taking pictures always. Here's the full list: 1. Just because someone has an expensive camera doesn't mean that they're a good photographer. 2. Always shoot in RAW. Always. 3. Prime lenses help you learn to be a better photographer. 4. Photo editing is an art in itself 5. The rule of thirds works 99% of the time. 6. Macro photography isn't for everybody. 7. UV filters work just as well as lens caps. 8. Go outside & shoot photos rather than spending hours a day on photography forums. 9. Capture the beauty in the mundane and you have a winning photograph. 10. Film isn't better than digital. 11. Digital isn't better than film. 12. There is no "magic" camera or lens. 13. Better lenses don't give you better photos. 14. Spend less time looking at other people's work and more time shooting your own. 15. Don't take your DSLR to parties. 16. Girls dig photographers. 17. Making your photos b/w doesn't automatically make them "artsy" 18. People will always discredit your work if you tell them you "photoshop" your images. Rather, tell them that you process them in the "digital darkroom". 19. You don't need to take a photo of everything. 20. Have at least 2 backups of all your images. Like they say in war, two is one, one is none. 21. Ditch the neck strap and get a handstrap. 22. Get closer when taking your photos, they often turn out better. 23. Be a part of a scene while taking a photo; not a voyeur. 24. Taking a photo crouched often make your photos look more interesting. 25. Worry less about technical aspects and focus more on compositional aspects of photography. 26. Tape up any logos on your camera with black gaffers tape- it brings a lot less attention to you. 27. Always underexpose by 2/3rds of a stop when shooting in broad daylight. 28. The more photos you take, the better you get. 29. Don't be afraid to take several photos of the same scene at different exposures, angles, or apertures. 30. Only show your best photos. 31. A point-and-shoot is still a camera. 32. Join an online photography forum. 33. Critique the works of others. 34. Think before you shoot. 35. A good photo shouldn't require explanation (although background information often adds to an image). * 36. Alcohol and photography do not mix well. 37. Draw inspiration from other photographers but never worship them. 38. Grain is beautiful. 39. Ditch the photo backpack and get a messenger bag. It makes getting your lenses and camera a whole lot easier. 40. Simplicity is key. 41. The definition of photography is: "painting with light." Use light in your favor. 42. Find your style of photography and stick with it. 43. Having a second monitor is the best thing ever for photo processing. 44. Silver EFEX pro is the best b/w converter. 45. Carry your camera with you everywhere. Everywhere. 46. Never let photography get in the way of enjoying life. 47. Don't pamper your camera. Use and abuse it. 48. Take straight photos. 49. Shoot with confidence. 50. Photography and juxtaposition are best friends. 51. Print out your photos big. They will make you happy. 52. Give your photos to friends. 53. Give them to strangers. 54. Don't forget to frame them. 55. Costco prints are cheap and look great. 56. Go out and take photos with (a) friend(s). 57. Join a photo club or start one for yourself. 58. Photos make great presents. 59. Taking photos of strangers is thrilling. 60. Candid>Posed. 61. Natural light is the best light. 62. 35mm (on full frame) is the best "walk-around" focal length. 63. Don't be afraid to bump up your ISO when necessary. 64. You don't need to always bring a tripod with you everywhere you go (hell, I don't even own one). 65. It is always better to underexpose than overexpose. 66. Shooting photos of homeless people in an attempt to be "artsy" is exploitation. 67. You will find the best photo opportunities in the least likely situations. 68. Photos are always more interesting with the human element included. 69. You can't "photoshop" bad images into good ones. 70. Nowadays everybody is a photographer. 71. You don't need to fly to Paris to get good photos; the best photo opportunities are in your backyard. 72. People with DSLRS who shoot portraits with their grip pointed downwards look like morons. 73. Cameras as tools, not toys. 74. In terms of composition, photography and painting aren't much different. 75. Photography isn't a hobby- it's a lifestyle. 76. Make photos, not excuses. 77. Be original in your photography. Don't try to copy the style of others. 78. The best photographs tell stories that begs the viewer for more. 79. Any cameras but black ones draw too much attention. 80. The more gear you carry around with you the less you will enjoy photography. 81. Good self-portraits are harder to take than they seem. 82. Laughter always draws out peoples' true character in a photograph. 83. Don't look suspicious when taking photos- blend in with the environment. 84. Landscape photography can become dull after a while. 85. Have fun while taking photos. 86. Never delete any of your photos. 87. Be respectful when taking photos of people or places. 88. When taking candid photos of people in the street, it is easier to use a wide-angle than a telephoto lens. 89. Travel and photography are the perfect pair. 90. Learn how to read a histogram. 91. A noisy photo is better than a blurry one. 92. Don't be afraid to take photos in the rain. 93. Learn how to enjoy the moment, rather than relentlessly trying to capture the perfect picture of it. 94. Never take photos on an empty stomach. 95. You will discover a lot about yourself through your photography. 96. Never hoard your photographic insight- share it with the world. 97. Never stop taking photos 98. Photography is more than simply taking photos, it is a philosophy of life 99. Capture the decisive moment 100. Write your own list.

 

Forget friending. A new Facebook app allows users of the social network to identify and share people, places and things as “enemies” for all to see. The app, called EnemyGraph, lets you list anything with a Facebook presence — ranging from “friends,” to foods, to products, movies or books — as an enemy. Since the app launched March 15, it’s seemed to appeal especially to users with a liberal bent. Some of its most-selected nemeses so far include Rick Santorum, Westboro Baptist Church and Fox News. The app was developed by a professor and two students at the University of Texas at Dallas. Dean Terry, who directs the school’s emerging media program, helped conceptualize the project, while graduate student Bradley Griffith and undergraduate Harrison Massey built the app. Griffith said EnemyGraph has so far accumulated some 400 users. But more importantly, its creators say, press coverage has helped meet the team’s goal of sparking a larger conversation about the nature of social media and Facebook in particular. “One thing that has always struck me is the enforced niceness culture,” Terry told Mashable. “We wanted to give people a chance to express dissonance as well. We’re using the word enemy about as accurately as Facebook uses the word friend.” But the app has utility beyond simply sparking a philosophical debate, Terry adds. Researchers and marketers have long gathered information on social media users based on what they support, but at the expense of possibly overlooking another valuable data source. “You can actually learn a lot about people by what they’re upset about and what they don’t like,” Terry says. “And the second thing is that if you and I both don’t like something, that actually creates a social bond that hasn’t been explored in social media at all, except with Kony and some big examples like that.” Terry and Griffith teamed up last year to create Undetweetable, a service allowing Twitter users’ deleted tweets to be uncovered posthumously. That project gained some attention as well but Twitter quickly forced it to shut down. Terry wouldn’t be surprised if EnemyGraph meets a similar fate from Facebook. “My guess is it goes against their social philosophy and purpose,” he says. “It is a critique of their social philosophy for sure.” Do you like the EnemyGraph idea? Let us know in the comments.