Thursday, April 7, 2011

World Press Photo Winners 2011

World Press Photo Winners 2011

World Press Photo is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Founded in 1955 the organization is known for holding the world's largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest. The awards ceremony is held in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam. After the contest, the prizewinning photographs are assembled into a traveling exhibition that is visited by over a million people in 40 countries. A yearbook presenting all prizewinning entries is published annually in six languages.
The World Press Photo jury announced their choices for the best press photos published in 2010. A record number of 108,059 images was submitted to the contest, and the number of participating photographers was 5,847, representing 125 different nationalities.

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Friday, April 1, 2011

Popular Tattoo Designs - Top 5 Most Popular Tattoos

Tattoos are the ultimate in self expression. They make a statement about who you are and what you are about. Different tattoo designs have different meanings. Adaptations of various designs can add your own stamp to the body art so you can make your own statement. If you are trying to decide what sort of tat design you want, here are the most popular ones last year with an overview of what they mean.

1. Tribal Tattoos

Tribal-Tattoos

Symbolizes belonging. The Tribal designs were by far the most popular, coming in with approximately one third of requests. In the past, tribal body art identified different tribes and were very important to the identity of the tribe and the individual. Today, tribal body art is an appealing fashion statement, that allow people to show off their individuality combined with a bit of mystery. These tats use aggressive dark lines in jagged symmetrical shapes and are most common in black and skin tones but can also be infused with color to brighten the overall look.

2. Stars

A symbol of protection and guidance. They are popular because they can go anywhere on the body and can be any size you want. They are also popular because they are timeless. Compass and nautical stars were very popular amongst sailors as they relied on stars to guide them on their journeys, so they used the tattoos as luck. These days, the meaning of stars depends on the number of points it has. The most popular places for the star designs are around the shoulder, ankles and navel.

3. Angels

Symbol of devotion, spirituality and faith. Angels are popular because they are very symbolic, representing many values such as peace, spirituality, and protection. Some of the more popular tattoo designs relate to Religion and Spirituality (due to angels being seen as the link between heaven and earth), Love, and the Struggle between good and evil.

4. Crosses

Strong religious symbolism. Popular as a symbol of faith, belief and hope. Crosses are popular because they can be effectively combined with other designs. The cross tattoo is very versatile because they look good most places on the body and small or big.

5. Wings

Symbol of spirituality and freedom. Wings are associated with angels, representing protection and guidance from above. Wings are also associated with butterflies, birds, dragons, fairies and a host of other animals. Wings represent freedom for many people and rising above problems. Some wing designs spread right across the back, which look very impressive. A popular place for women to get a wing tattoo design is on the lower back.

Where to get good designs

So, these were the most popular tattoo designs last year. The next step is to look at some pictures or flash to get ideas to work from. The easiest, cheapest source to start is the internet. Get ideas here, but remember that most of these are low quality and lots of people also have access to these pictures, so they are not very unique. You don't want to see someone else with the same tat design as yours!

A cost effective option is to download a package of thousands of popular designs off the internet which are good quality and relatively unique. Then add your own touches to your favorite one for the artist to incorporate. That way you get top quality body art that is totally original for a fraction of the price it would cost for a tattoo design to be drawn up from scratch.