iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Photos of the Week: Mermaid Dance, Medieval Village, Alpaca Café - The world’s tallest wind turbine in Germany, scenes from Moscow Fashion Week, a procession of judges in London, yodeling in an underground garage in Austria, and much more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A model wears a fanciful house as a full-head adornment, their face visible through the front door. (Pavel Bednyakov / AP)

A drone view of high waves caused by a hurricane battering a small island with houses (Christian Ruano / Reuters)

A model, wearing a long veil and dress, seen in silhouette, while waiting backstage (Pavel Bednyakov / AP)

Two people, seen in silhouette, in front of the full moon (Emrah Gurel / AP)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Scenes From the 2026 Asian Games - More than 10,000 athletes from 46 countries are now gathered in Japan, competing in 469 events across 43 different sports, during the 20th edition of the Asian Games. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

An athlete, seen in mid-air, upside-down, during a leaping kick, with a ball flying toward an opponent (Toru Hanai / Getty)

An athlete poses while making a fierce face during a martial-arts competition. (Long Lei / Xinhua / Getty)

A weightlifter celebrates after a lift, their barbell bouncing in front of them. (Mark Baker / AP)

A runner starts a race, seen in silhouette on a rainy day. (Katsura Tanioka / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Selections From the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards Top 100 - Organizers of this year’s Audubon Photography Awards shared some of their top-100 selections—featuring a rainbow-bearded thornbill, a northern pygmy-owl, Andean condors, and more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A black bird with white wingtip feathers spreads its wings wide while flying above a bush. (Veronica Donoso / 2026 Audubon Photography Awards)

A very small owl perches on a tiny branch, close to a large tree trunk, in a forest. (Fei Cheng / 2026 Audubon Photography Awards)

A small yellow bird hops near a swarm of flies on a beach. (Cody Cianfrance / 2026 Audubon Photography Awards)

A dense flock of blackbirds taking wing fills the image. (Dotty Doherty / 2026 Audubon Photography Awards)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Photos of the Week: Human Tower, Pumpkin Pyramid, Monster Town - Scenes from the Asian Games in Japan, livestock in the Swiss Alps, the European Tram Driver Championship in Warsaw, a cycling race in Montreal, and much more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A crowd of people at Oktoberfest smile and raise mugs of beer toward the camera. (Felix Hörhager / DPA / Getty)

A basketball player reacts, their mouth wide open, as an out-of-focus basketball passes in front of the camera. (Lindsey Wasson / AP)

Police officers in dress uniforms march in a parade, carrying puppies in hi-viz-colored pouches. (Raul Bravo / AFP / Getty)

Two people wearing traditional clothing each carry an alpaca on a pathway. (Fabrice Coffrini / AFP / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Yes indeed. Get the flannel out, people, it's time. 🍂

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Winners of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 - A selection of some of the winning entries from this year’s bird-photography contest. Competition organizers were kind enough to share some of the winners & runners-up, chosen from over 24,000 entries. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A small bird flies up, chasing an insect. (© Paula Czaeczine / Bird Photographer of the Year)

A puffin rests on a bluff, backdropped by out-of-focus reflections of sunlight on the distant ocean. (© Volker Widmann / Bird Photographer of the Year)

A seabird shoots through the water, shaped like a torpedo, after diving in search of food. (© Henley Spiers / Bird Photographer of the Year)

A young frogmouth, perched beside two siblings on a branch, holds one wing over the others' heads on a rainy day. (© Donald Chin / Bird Photographer of the Year)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Photos: Wildflowers Bloom in the Atacama Desert - Javier Torres, a photojournalist with AFP, recently visited the Atacama Desert in Chile, capturing images of a desert in bloom after a spell of unusually wet weather. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

An aerial view of patches of blooming wildflowers in a desert, with small mountains in the background (Javier Torres / AFP / Getty)

A close view of purple wildflowers in bloom (Javier Torres / AFP / Getty)

An aerial view of a car driving through a flower-covered area of a desert (Javier Torres / AFP / Getty)

A dark sunset, under a cloudy sky, above a field of blue-and-white wildflowers (Javier Torres / AFP / Getty)

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Reposted by Alan Taylor

Count Trashula @trashmobminis.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

What you need to understand is nothing we built was “off the shelf.” Store-bought environmental assets for stop-motion features do not exist. We were given concept art and told “make it look like this.” Everything you see here, down to the dirt and moss, was meticulously designed and crafted.

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Farm kid storytime: Even though our farm was fairly big (400 acres), we happened to live close to a couple of other farms that just happened to have boys my same age. We'd roam the fields and forests playing until sunset, when our parents would call us home using dinner bells (way before cellphones)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Asteroids was the first arcade game I had access to, and it was the most mind-blowing at the time. It seems so simple these days, but back then, in 1980, it was unlike anything I'd ever played before. It was the only game in a nearby taco shop, and I spent a whole summer there, one quarter at a time

A screenshot of an old vector-based video game, Asteroids, showing one triangular ship near center, and many irregularly-shaped asteroids across the screen.

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I was tinkering in my garage today when I saw a small shape moving & thought 'Oh no, one of the cats got out', but then I saw it was just our resident bunny paying me a visit. It seemed curious about the space and me, sniffing everything for a while, then gave me one last look-over and hopped off.

Two photos of a wild rabbit in a garage workshop, one closer than the other.

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Photos of the Week: Misty Morning, Haunted House, Light Festival - More than 100 go-kart racers in England, swimming pigs on a Greek island, military training in Syria, a scene from Beijing Fashion Week, and much more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

People stand on a track alongside a jet-powered dragster as it prepares for a race, blasting flames and smoke behind it. (Oli Scarff / AFP / Getty)

A model walks a runway, wearing a spiky metal headdress that circles their face. (Lintao Zhang / Getty)

Riot police officers line up, backdropped by a tall statue of a giraffe. (Vadim Ghirda / AP)

A small pig swims in clear ocean water, close to a rocky beach. (Aris Messinis / AFP / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Photos: Fighting Against Desertification in China - For decades, residents & workers in northern and western China have been battling growing deserts using multiple methods, including “straw checkerboards,” to slow the shifting sands & boost fertility. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A drone photo of a road passing through sand dunes in a desert, the left side of the photo shows most dunes covered by a criss-cross pattern of straw windbreaks. (Chen Shuo / Xinhua / Getty)

A person works on windbreaks made from straw planted in sand dunes in a crisscross pattern. (Gao Hongshan / Xinhua / Getty)

People water a small shrub in a desert, using a hose attached to a small tanker truck. (Lian Zhen / Xinhua News Agency / Getty)

An aerial view of a green belt—parallel rows of planted trees running alongside a highway through a desert. (Ding Lei / Xinhua News Agency / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Last night, I switched on the bathroom light to discover Marigold had found a new nest. I ended up having to brush my teeth using the bathtub faucet.

A young gray tabby cat, curled up in a bathroom sink, all snoozy-like.

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Reposted by Alan Taylor

Brett "Solidarity 2026" Banditelli @banditelli.org · 15/09/2026

Given all the *flails hands* you all deserve one of the most adorable pictures I took of Baby Bird Season 2026. A snowy ploverlet peeking through a little sand shrub. Perhaps a once in a lifetime shot. 🪶 🐣

a tiny snowy plover chick, about 2 inches tall, looks through a shrub as if theyr hiding, on a beach

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Photos of the Week: Night Harvest, Heavy Surf, Pumpkin Kong - A dog fashion show in the Philippines, the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn, an ice cave in the French Alps, a traditional rodeo in Mexico City, and much more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A person wearing a wingsuit flies overhead, with trees in the background. (Wang He / Getty)

A person wears a giant butterfly costume during a parade. (Adam Gray / Getty)

A praying mantis perches on the stem of a heather plant. (Frank Hammerschmidt / DPA / Getty)

Two basketball players from opposing teams talk on a court. One looks up at their much-taller opponent. (Ebrahim Noroozi / AP)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Photos: 9/11 Memorials - Images from this morning’s ceremonies, as well as preparations from the days leading up to this somber anniversary. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

Two people take pictures as a drone light show depicting the twin towers appears alongside the New York City skyline. (Jeremy Weine / Getty)

A person adjusts an American flag among a display of several thousand flags arranged on a grassy slope. (Mario Tama / Getty)

People watch as about 20 artists draw chalk portraits of the passengers and crew of Flight 93, alongside a pathway. (Matthew Hatcher / AFP / Getty)

A man holds his young daughter, standing beside a memorial adorned with flowers and American flags. (Jeenah Moon / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Winners of Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 - Images from this year’s Ocean Photographer of the Year competition, featuring some of the best coastal, drone, and underwater photographs selected from more than 15,000 entries. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A crocodile, seen underwater, swimming just beneath the surface, near mangrove roots and seagrass (© Jenny Stock / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

Three surfers on a very tall wave—two are standing, holding a camera between them, looking toward the third, who has fallen from their board and is tumbling upside-down just in front of the wave. (© Marc Lenfant / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

A black-and-white image of an adult seahorse beside two much smaller ones. (© Julien Anton / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

Many snorkelers and scuba divers swim around a large whale shark. (© James Ferrara / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Photos of the Week: Nomad Games, Pushkin Puppet, Lunar Simulation - A 90-year-old bodybuilding champion in Japan, a memorial for King Harald V of Norway, a kite festival in Indonesia, a marching-band performance in Atlanta, and much more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A person in a samurai costume, wielding two swords, seen in silhouette against a yellowish full moon (Ahsan Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed / Anadolu / Getty)

A small airplane leaves a winding trail of smoke during an aerobatic performance. (Vadim Ghirda / AP)

Five police officers and one dog dangle on a long cable, hanging beneath a helicopter. (Andreea Alexandru / AP)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

The 2026 Audubon Photography Awards - Winners and honorable mentions from the Audubon Society’s 17th annual competition featuring some of the best images of bird life from around the world. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A merganser flies over water with a fish in its beak. (Gail Bisson / 2026 Audubon Photography Awards)

Two raptors stand on the ground near a lake, with dramatic rocky mountains standing in the background. (Timothy Dhalleine / 2026 Audubon Photography Awards)

A colorful hummingbird hovers near flowers. (Camilo Sanabria Grajales / 2026 Audubon Photography Awards)

A spoonbill with pink feathers splashes around in shallow water. (Jacqueline Burke / 2026 Audubon Photography Awards)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Photos: The Aftermath of Nepal’s Devastating Flash Floods - Images from hard-hit mountain villages where rescue and recovery efforts continue. More than 900 deaths have been confirmed, while nearly 4,000 remain missing, following the August 26 floods. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A group of rescue workers in a narrow mountain river valley look up toward a large drone carrying supplies on a long cable. (Jiang Fan / Xinhua / Getty)

A drone view of rescue workers inspecting damaged and mud-covered structures (Rajesh Kumar Singh / AP)

A drone view of a bridge toppled and damaged by flooding, still resting in a river (Rajesh Kumar Singh / AP)

A person lights a funeral pyre beside a river. (Athit Perawongmetha / Reuters)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Photos of the Week: Death Dive, Cool Breeze, Castle Pull - A sheep-crossing-water contest in Turkey, a pilgrimage festival in Portugal, a devastating flood in Nepal, robot racing in China, a tomato-fight fiesta in Spain, and much more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

Two young children run inside an exhibit space with walls illuminated by bright striped projections. (Juni Kriswanto / AFP / Getty)

An aerial view shows houses lying deluged in sludge alongside a river, after a powerful flash flood. (Prabin Ranabhat / AFP / Getty)

People run down a road, in front of a giant rolling ball, as onlookers watch from barriers on either side. (Rafael Bastante / Europa Press / Getty)

A person takes a photograph of a large mural of Dolly Parton. (Justin Sullivan / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Dolly Parton: Photos from an Extraordinary Life and Career - Parton, the singer, songwriter, actor, and philanthropist, died today at the age of 80. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

Dolly Parton performs onstage, singing, in 1977. (Paul Natkin / Getty)

Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner perform onstage in 1967. (Michael Ochs Archives / Getty)

Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Jane Fonda, in costume on the set of the 1980 movie '9 to 5' (WENN / Reuters)

Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus perform together. (Kevin Winter / Getty for The Recording Academy)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Scenes From the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games - More than 600 teams brought 2,000 robots to Beijing for the second edition of this annual competition, where humanoid robots compete in a wide variety of events, including athletics and household tasks. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A humanoid robot riding on a four-legged robotic vehicle waves a flag during an opening ceremony. (Lintao Zhang / Getty)

Dozens of robots parade on an indoor track. (Pedro Pardo / AFP / Getty)

A low-angle view of a humanoid robot in midair during a long jump competition (Tingshu Wang / Reuters)

Staff members douse a burning robot with fire extinguishers. (Lintao Zhang / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Photos of the Week: Robot Training, Straw Chickens, Blessed Dogs - Harvest festivals in Germany, a solar-energy base in a Chinese desert, high-diving in Slovenia, hurricane damage in Hawaii, a traveling circus in France, and much more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

Several children float in a swimming pool during a training session. (Omar Ashtawy / Getty)

A woman is silhouetted against the setting sun while holding up her phone. (Lindsey Wasson / AP)

A lion, its mouth open wide, in a zoo enclosure (Tobias Schwarz / AFP / Getty)

A red panda cub, with its tongue sticking out (Alex Martin / AFP / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Photos: Releasing Animals Back Into Their Habitats - Recent images of the moment of release—when animals were reintroduced to their natural habitats after rehabilitation, or as part of repopulation efforts, or to help grow an ecosystem. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A tiger leaps out of a container in a truck bed, after being released. (Kazakh Ministry of Environment / Anadolu / Getty)

A person holds a small bat in their gloved hand before it is released. (Maria Derhachova / Global Images Ukraine / Getty)

Several wild horses run through a field of brush after being released. (Henning Kaiser / DPA / Getty)

A griffon vulture flies into the sky after being released from the back of a pickup truck. (Özkan Bilgin / Anadolu / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Photos: Drone Attacks on Russia’s Wildberries Warehouses - Over the past month, Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia have targeted the online-retail giant, destroying massive warehouses. Ukraine accuses Wildberries of supporting Russia’s military. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A man stands on a roadside, looking at at thick black smoke rising from a burning warehouse. (SOPA Images / Reuters)

Two tall plumes of dark smoke rise from burning warehouses, seen beyond a church and other buildings. (Reuters)

The vast interior of an online retailer's warehouse, filled with tall stacks of shelves and goods. (Andrey Rudakov / Bloomberg / Getty)

A pair of satellite images showing a warehouse before and after it burned down (Maxar / DigitalGlobe / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

We've had our kittens at home for 100 days now. How it started (May): ---------> How it's going (Aug):

Two curious tabby kittens climbing under an easel.

Two young tabby cats being held together by a young man.

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Photos of the Week: Mudflat Trot, Waterfall Jump, Pole Vault - A pig-squealing championship in France, the annual City2Surf fun run in Australia, a total solar eclipse over Spain, and much more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A wakeboarder holds onto a tow rope as they take a jump, kicking up a spray of water. (Lintao Zhang / Getty)

A long-exposure photo of wildfires burning across a mountainous area at night (Noah Berger / AP)

A man stares into the camera while wearing costume pig's ears and a false pig nose. (Valentine Chapuis / AFP / Getty)

A search-and-rescue dog stands, leaning against its handler, looking up and asking for affection. (Raquel Cunha / Reuters)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 Finalists - The finalist selections for this year’s competition were just announced by organizers at Oceanographic Magazine, featuring coastal, drone, and underwater photographs chosen from thousands of submissions. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A freediver is surrounded by a vast school of sardines, seen from below. (© Benjamín Yávar / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

An aerial view of waves crashing on a beach, with clear green water behind them. (© Daniela Tommasi / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

A translucent shrimp shelters inside a larger marine creature. (© Maryline Renault / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

A dramatic view of a large crashing wave (© Ben Thouard / Ocean Photographer of the Year)

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Reposted by Alan Taylor

852dude @852dude.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Bro. People are cool as fuck.

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Photos: The Total Solar Eclipse of 2026 - In western Europe, millions of people looked into the sky, hoping to witness today’s total solar eclipse as the moon’s shadow swept over them, briefly turning day into night. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A total solar eclipse, seen in the sky above a large cutout sign depicting a bull (Ander Gillenea / AFP / Getty)

Many people sit on a hill in a park, under a sunny sky. (Felix Hörhager / DPA / Getty)

A view of a total eclipse, the sun completely covered by the moon, with bright, white rays from the corona radiating out into space (Owen Humphreys / PA Images / Getty)

People stand on a hilltop, with a partial eclipse in the background. (Christian Hartmann / Reuters)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Photos: European Rivers Fall to Record Lows - While Europe braces for yet another heat wave, prolonged drought conditions have dropped inland waterways to record-setting low levels, exposing long-submerged shipwrecks and affecting navigation. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A small historic toll castle sits in the middle of a river, which is at very low level during a drought. (Michael Probst / AP)

A marina with grounded houseboats, surrounded by exposed riverbed (Fadel Dawod / Getty)

A drone view shows people swimming near a sunken WW2-era German warship in a low river. (Djordje Kojadinovic / Reuters)

A view of the Cologne Cathedral, seen from a dry riverbed nearby (Oliver Berg / DPA / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

I can't wait for Flying Debris Hazard Park to reopen. (Our town is dismantling an aging dam across the Charles River, lots of jack-hammering. From here: www.natickreport.com/2026/08/flyi... )

A sign appears on a temporary barrier at a small riverside park with construction equipment visible. The sign reads "Flying Debris Hazard Park Closed" with a stick-figure person being pelted with several small bits of debris.

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Photos of the Week: Fuego Volcano, Underwater Explosion, Pig Diver - Scenes from the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Scotland, wildfires in Southern Europe, the European Aquatics Championships in Paris, a mass-wedding ceremony in the Netherlands & much more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A girl rides a horse in the water, seen both above and under the water. (Antonio Bronić / Reuters)

A drone view shows a church surrounded by parched grassland. (Toby Melville / Reuters)

A model wearing a large floral arrangement on their head walks on a runway. (Matt Jelonek / Getty)

A deer, licking its lips, pops its head out of a wheat field. (Jens Büttner / DPA / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Photos: The Dogs That Surf - Recent images of canine competitors riding the waves in dog-surfing competitions, many them fundraising events for animal and environmental nonprofit groups. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A dog barks as it is pushed through breakers on a surfboard. (Eakin Howard / AP)

A dog, wearing sunglasses, falls from a surfboard in a wave. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty)

A dog rides a surfboard out of a crashing wave with a very focused look on its face. (Mindy Schauer / Orange County Register / MediaNews Group / Getty)

A person and their dog share a kiss on a surfboard on calm water. (Andrew Matthews / PA Images / Reuters)

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Reposted by Alan Taylor

Don Davis @ddavisspaceart.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

51 years ago I painted a trio of Viking related works for NASA HQ including the widely reproduced one of the landing on Mars. I have reimagined the Landing portrayal in updated form using digital methods of visualization and painting. I chose the same angle but with reality replacing anticipation.

This oil painting portrays the Viking 1 landing on Mars, which appeared in countless publications. The story of this work is relayed in an earlier post and is shown here for comparison with the new portrayal of this very view, showing the event as it would have appeared.
This 1975 anticipatory painting was done with oils on a gesso smoothed 16 X 20 canvas panel, using traditional art methods including a tracing paper guide featured earlier.
This work shows in retrospect my ideal of the 'spirit of space art', showing something of a summary of what is known of the subject while conveying what it is about the subject's known or theorized attributes that I find visually compelling. The new digital painting updates that visual impression with one based on our current knowledge. The new digital work was also done at the same size as this one was for possible printing purposes, 16 by 20 inches at 300 DPI.
#Sciart

In 1976 the pair of Viking spacecraft orbiter/lander combos were sent to Mars. Before Viking, Mars was still largely a place of our imaginations, an unknown that we wrote stories about then studied from Earth and space. The dominance of cratered terrain on the portions of Mars photographed by Mariners 4, 6 and 7 gave an initially Lunar impression of that world, which changed during the development of the Viking lander after Mariner 9 revealed the planet.
The first landing was aimed for a flat flood plain, judged as a decent place to search for life. The landing date was July 4, however the intended site appeared too rough for comfort in the high quality orbiter photos, causing the landing to wisely be delayed. A smoother site further 'down stream' was found using photo and radar data.
The landing proceeded quite nominally, a magnificent achievement that apparently accounted for what it had to and made it the first time.

The first photo from the surface was a look at a footpad to see how solid the 'footing' appeared. Then a moderate resolution panorama of the surroundings was obtained, first showing the rocks, hills, dunes-and bright sky. The latter was my biggest surprise as a space artist.

The adjustments to the color balance of the later photos were gradually narrowed down. The ubiquitous dust is planet wide, suspended in the air and coloring the sky a luminous tan ochre.

This digital painting shows the view a meter above the surface seeing the lander briefly kicking up dust less than a second before touchdown with the footpads 1.4 meters high. The landing rockets were designed with many nozzles to disturb the surroundings as little as possible. The nearby disturbed dust resembles in color that of the sky. We are 6 meters away from the center of the lander. field of view is 60 degrees, we are looking Northwest with the Sun and Earth off the frame to the left.

This is a digital art update of the pre mission oil painting I did for NASA HQ 1n 1975.

#Sciart

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Photos: Wildfires Burn Through Spokane Neighborhoods - Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to flee as fast-moving fires burned through forests and residential areas in Spokane, Washington, over the weekend. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

People watch from a bluff above a river as massive plumes of smoke rise from a wildfire. (Tyler Vanwert / Reuters)

A woman stands in front of the rubble of a burned house. (David Ryder / Reuters)

An elevated view of a neighborhood, seen under heavy wildfire smoke (David Ryder / Reuters)

A relatively unscathed Virgin Mary statue stands in a burned-out neighborhood. (Erick Doxey / AFP / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Yesterday I realized that the terrifying Cyclops in Nolan's The Odyssey was portrayed by Mr. Noodle (Bill Irwin).

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Reposted by Alan Taylor

jessamyn @librarian.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I work at a public library. People who want to use AI seem to have no trouble doing so. People who don't want to use AI have a harder time. I crowdsourced and then finalized this document "How to disable or avoid intrusive AI" and then gave it a short URL: notoai.org Please pass along if it's useful

An aircraft passenger oxygen mask: a drop down passenger mask with air bag and yellow plastic mouth and nose cover, oxygen tube has been cut; Demonstration model used by flight attendant crew for passenger instruction. Has text on the side indicating that it's non-functional.

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Photos of the Week: Heat Wave, Buck Moon, Alphorn Ensemble - An Alpine ascent at the the Tour de France, “The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever” dance event in England, World Fencing Championships in Hong Kong, a mud festival in South Korea & much more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

Three firefighters walk on a road beside a burning forest at night. (Noah Berger / AP)

Peru’s President Keiko Fujimori walks down a cobblestone street, surrounded by soldiers, bodyguards, and other government officials. (Angela Ponce / Reuters)

Smoke rises in the background, beyond a beach resort area, featuring a life-sized dinosaur statue. (Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos / Getty)

A polar bear cools off, lying on a pile of ice cubes. (Michal Čížek / AFP / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Photos: Kayaking in the Los Angeles River - Justin Sullivan, a photojournalist with Getty Images, recently spent time paddling on the Los Angeles River on a guided tour with George Wolfe, an advocate for the river and founder of LA River Expeditions. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

An aerial view of a kayaker paddling along a narrow channel among bushes on either side of an urban river channel (Justin Sullivan / Getty)

A tour guide points at greenery along a riverbank, as several other kayakers listen. (Justin Sullivan / Getty)

An aerial view of kayakers in a narrow channel of an urban river, passing many trees and bushes, hemmed in by sloping concrete walls. (Justin Sullivan / Getty)

An egret flies past two cormorants on the banks of a river. (Justin Sullivan / Getty)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Photos: Wildfires Rage Across France and Spain - Hundreds of thousands of residents have evacuated from regions of France and Spain as fire crews battle dozens of wildfires—with extreme heat predicted in coming days, threatening more potential fires. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

Two people sit in beach chairs beneath an umbrella on a lake beach, looking across the water toward thick plumes of smoke rising from a wildfire. (Maximilien Lamy / AFP / Getty)

A house goes up in flames during a wildfire. (Clement Viala / Infobassin.com / ABACA / Reuters)

A person sleeps on a cot, with a small dog curled up beside their head, resting on their chin. (Juan Carlos Lucas / ZUMA Press Wire / Reuters)

An aerial view of a wildfire spreading toward a city, sending huge plumes of smoke into the sky (Valentin Lefebvre / First Eye / ABACA / Reuters)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Photos of the Week: Alpine Swing, Disaster Simulation, Lumberjack Championship A medieval full-contact-combat exhibition in France, celebrations in Spain after its World Cup win, scenes from the ongoing Tour de France cycling race, and much more. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

Members of the press photograph a dead mouse caught by Larry the cat, who sits nearby. (Stefan Rousseau / PA Images / Reuters)

A firefighting aircraft flies above a wildfire in a forest. (Thibaud Moritz / AFP / Getty)

Spain’s national soccer team celebrates their World Cup win on a stage, as President Trump appears to be ushered off stage by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. (Dan Mullan / Getty)

A man jumps into a river on a hot day, leaping from a small rock outcropping with a tiny house-shaped building on it. (Djordje Kojadinovic / Reuters)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Photos: 50 Years Since Viking 1 Landed on Mars - On July 20, 1976, Viking 1—the first successful Mars lander in history—landed on the red planet. NASA’s Viking Program sent two pairs of orbiters & landers to Mars, gathering data from 1976 til 1982. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A panoramic view of the surface of Mars, seen from a Mars lander, with some instruments visible in the foreground. (NASA)

A man sets up a model of the Mars Viking spacecraft in what appears to be a sound-dampening room with conical baffles behind him. (Lowell Georgia / Corbis / Getty)

A rocket launch, with bright exhaust flames seen past palm trees (NASA)

Rocks lie strewn about on the sandy surface of Mars. (NASA)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Photos: Wildfire Smoke Blankets Parts of North America - Large wildfires have been sending plumes of smoke into the atmosphere, turning the sky shades of yellow or orange from the Midwest to the East Coast, and prompting countless air-quality alerts. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

People walk in downtown Toronto, beneath an orange smoky sky. (Cole Burston / AFP / Getty)

A very orange-colored sun, setting in a smoky sky (Stephen Maturen / Getty)

The sun rises behind the skyline of midtown Manhattan on a smoky day. (Gary Hershorn / Getty)

People wear masks on a hazy day at an art fair. (Ryan Garza / USA Today / Reuters)

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Alan Taylor @kokogiak.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Photos of the Week: Tall Ships, Cool Catacombs, Bastille Day - T-Rex racing in Washington State, wildfires in the U.S. and Canada, electric-speedboat racing in Monaco, celebrations of Mozart’s birthday in Austria, and much more Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...

A person swims in calm water, with the Toronto skyline barely visible in the background, obscured by a thick orange haze of smoke. (Steve Russell / Toronto Star / Getty)

A soccer player carries a taxidermy raccoon as he gets off a plane. (Jan Langhaug / NTB / AFP / Getty)

Runners wearing dinosaur costumes race on a horse-racing track. (Lindsey Wasson / AP)

An aerial view of people riding in a small boat in a flooded forest. (Meng Delong / VCG / Getty)

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Reposted by Alan Taylor

Andy Baio @andy.baio.net · 16/07/2026

whoops

Hand-lettered sign on a garage door in SE Portland reading "Private Sign – Do Not Read"

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Reposted by Alan Taylor

Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 15/07/2026

These photos of FNs community members fleeing their homes by boat are genuinely apocalyptic (Photo via Wayne Wastaken of Collins, Ontario, who says his “hometown is gone”) www.facebook.com/share/r/1ArN...

Photo via Wayne Wastaken

Fire clouds over Collins, Ontario as community members flee their homes by boat

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