 |
|
COLLECTIONS:
Adventure
Animals & Wildlife
Concepts
Culture & Traditions
Destinations
Health & Science
Industry
Nature & Environment
New Arrivals
News & Events
Outdoor
People
Politics
Social Issues
Sports & Recreation
|
CULTURE & TRADITIONS:
 |
|
Various Aurora Photographers
Thailand is one of the biggest tourist destinations in southeast Asia. Aurora photographers capture the essence of this ancient kingdom's natural beauty and cultural attraction.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Matt Eich/Alexia Foundation/ Aurora Photos
Millions of toxic electronic parts are discarded every year in the U.S. Large amounts of used electronics end up being sent to developing countries where there are poor environmental standards.
Pushed to the fringes of American society are communities in Appalachia marginalized by poverty, which has forged their culture and lifestyle since the early 1900s. Aurora photographer Matt Eich documents the people in these communities.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Joanna B. Pinneo/ Aurora Photos
Each year, Sudan exports a quarter million camels to Egypt. Desert nomads depend on the profitable camel trade for their livelihood. To do so, they must travel one of the most treacherous of the ancient trading routes - Darb el-Arbein, the Forty Days Road, so named because of the length of time it takes to travel from central Sudan to southern Egypt.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Katja Heinemann / Aurora Photos
From outdoor films and concerts to the season's coolest events and installations, explore NYC's summer moments. Aurora photographer Katja Heinemann shares her glimpse of the NYC experience.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Natalie Behring / Aurora Photos
The National People’s Congress of China, which convenes annually every March, is China's greatest spectacle of communist tradition. The cavernous building is populated by countless manicured attendants ready to provide security to China's elusive leadership.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Christopher Herwig/ Aurora Photos
n 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed it tore down with it the infamous Iron Curtain revealing a world that was mostly unknown to the west for the better part of the century. The phenomenon of the road side bus stop shelter as works of art is a surprising revelation one may not have expected to discover in this land filled with functionality and coldness.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Various Aurora Photographers
This summer the eyes of the world will be focused on China. Aurora contributing photographers have been focusing their lenses on China. Here are some of their outstanding images.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Various Aurora Photographers
Valentine's Day is shrouded in mystery. Still, February is a month of romance containing both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Jean-Michel Clajot / Aurora
In Djougou, central Benin, scarifications pass from generation to generation, with a boy carrying the same marks as his father. The scarification ceremony itself is of great social importance, as it represents the passage into adulthood.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Kris Pannecoucke / Aurora Photos
Men, women and children bathe in the waters of Sangam in India during a cycle of pilgrimage known as the Kumbh Mela when millions of Hindus visit four cities on a 12-yearly cycle to expunge their sins by bathing in especially holy stretches of the Ganges and its tributaries in the belief that a ritual dip would wash away all sins. The biggest days of the Kumbh Mela festival are January 19 (Mauni Amavasya), when about 20-25 million are expected to converge for this spectacle of spirituality, devotion and stoicism.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Various Aurora Photographers
A densely populated and geographically low-lying country, about half of its surface area is less than 1 metre (3.3 ft) above sea level and much of it is actually below sea level, The Netherlands is popularly known for its windmills, cheese, wooden shoes, dikes, flowers, dunes, bicycles and social tolerance. Come explore a country most call Holland.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Frieder Blickle / Bilderberg / Aurora Photos
Castelluccio lentils are famous for their delicate taste and for their tiny size: around 2 mm. The Castelluccio plain, set against the backdrop of the mysterious Sibillini Mountains, takes on a fantastic appearance during late Spring. Thanks to the blossoming of the lentil fields the valley becomes an immense, shimmering display of color.
Lentils are believed to have originated in central Asia, having been consumed since prehistoric times. They are one of the first foods to have ever been cultivated. Lentil seeds dating back 8000 years have been found at archeological sites in the Middle East.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Frank Huster / Aurora Photos
The old Buddhist kingdom of Zanskar quietly sits in a remote valley in the Indian Himalaya, near the border of Pakistan. Only during summer does a dirt road connect Zanskar to the rest of the world. The remainder of the year, the region remains cut-off, but for a couple of winter months when the temperature drops enough for the Zanskar River to freeze and “Chadhar” to come to life. Chadhar is this vital section of the River that flows from Zanskar into the Indus River and allows walkers to rejoin the highway connecting Leh, the capital of Ladakh to Kargil and the West. The week-long journey remains a traditional route used by all who must travel during the winter months. The Indian army’s Border Roads Organization (BRO) is building a road in the Zanskar river gorge, which will quickly and safely link Zanskar’s capital Padum to Leh. While everybody in Zanskar wants the road, they also know it will change their culture and traditions forever.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Robb Kendrick / Aurora Photos
In the past few years, Robb Kendrick has traveled to 76 countries and all seven continents. Kendrick works for National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and Smithsonian. But Kendrick's true passion has become wet plate photography on tin, known as tintype.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Various ASA Photographers
Masks appear the world over in social and religious celebrations and rituals. They serve as storytelling aids and as portals to the spirits of animals, gods, and the dead. In Spain, masks are an especially vivid part of traditional culture. They appear in festivals and during carnival; often manifesting a combination of Christian and indigenous tradition. Aurora brings you exceptional images from Spain, representing the vibrancy and diversity of Spanish masks.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Various Aurora Photographers
Across the world, festivals - communal celebrations of harvests, history, culture, religion, and entertainment – bring us together in revelry and remembrance. They become events of human interaction punctuated by colorful clothing, lights, dance, food, and music. Aurora Photos has some of the best and most interesting images from festivals around the world. Take a look.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Anders Ryman
Anthropologist, photographer, and writer, Anders Ryman put them all together and focuses his camera on travel and traditional cultures around the world. His work shows a deep understanding and appreciation for people and cultures, whether he is photographing the Hait Haddidou in the High
Atlas of Morocco or Uru Murato Indians in Bolivia’s Altiplano. Based in Sweden, Anders consistently brings back compelling images and stories from all corners of the globe.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Axel M. Cipollini / Aurora
In Sicily, the tonnare, an ancient mattanza rite and traditional tuna-fishing technique, still exists. Every year at the end of springtime, huge tuna migrate from the Atlantic ocean to the warmer Mediterranean waters. These fish, which can weigh more than 850 pounds, are captured and loaded on oared boats with only the strength of the fishermens’ arms.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
David McLain / Aurora Photos
None of the centenarians smoke, but all of them eat a diet consisting mainly of fruit and vegetables, share a strong emphasis on the family, and are are deeply invested in their communities. Experts tell us it is possible to view the behaviors of the world's longest lived people as a kind of ala carte menu from which a person can choose their favorite habits from each culture and incorporate them into their lives accordingly. These mall habits and lifestyle choices can add or subtract a significant number of healthy years to one's life. The choice is up to you. Click "text" bellow on the thumbnail to read more...
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Jonathan Kingston / Aurora
High atop the Blue Ridge Mountains there is a place that transcends time and gathers old and young, to share in the harmony of music. Folks from around the world congregate in the Country Store in Floyd, Virginia to dance to the rhythm of bluegrass and old-time music that is borrowed from the surrounding hills and valleys.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Anders Ryman / Aurora
The Saami people living in Kautokeino, Norway celebrate weddings and other life cycle ceremonies at Easter time, after which the reindeer herders move with their herds to the Atlantic coast for summer pasture. The Saami currently live in Norway, Sweden, Russia and Finland.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Siegfried Martin / Bilderberg / Aurora
Bilderberg photographer Siegfried Martin traveled to the most remote areas of southwest China's, Sichuan (Four Rivers) Province, one of the largest and most inaccessible provinces in the nation. He returns with a textured and detailed impression of its people. To view all the images search 86179*
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Jose Azel / Aurora
Two and a half million people visit Holland each year - not the country across the ocean where the people wear wooden shoes, but the town (pop. 35,048) in Michigan that is home to six million tulips and an annual festival that celebrates the town's most beloved perennial.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Various Aurora Photographers
Few cultures are as food oriented as the Chinese. Variety is a cornerstone for many reasons, from China's size to famine. Having suffered from many poor harvests people would explore everything eatable to stay alive. Ingredients such as wood ears and lily buds were discovered this way. Scarcity also taught people how to avoid waste. Various fruit and vegetable peels and even shark fins turned out to be delicacies in Chinese food.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Didier Ruef / Pixsil / Aurora
Didier Ruef of the Swiss photo agency Pixsil, has documented many African countries and its people. The images here are a sample of what he has seen, a world of traditional, social and international juxapositions.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Dennis Drenner / Aurora
On the bottom rungs of Pakistan's social ladder, the eunuch-transvestites or "Hijras" scrape out a hard existence. Cultural descendants of the court eunuchs of the Mughal Empire (1526-1858), the Hijras now earn their living as beggars, dancers and prostitutes.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Robert Caputo / Aurora
Geographically and culturally more a part of Tibet than Nepal, Mustang contains a wild landscape of eroded cliffs and hidden caves. Little changed by twentieth century influences, the culture of the hardy Lobas people remains full of myth and legend. Mustang was founded in the 15th century by a Tibetan monarch who consolidated various small local chiefdoms into the Kingdom of Lo. Eventually Mustang was incorporated into Nepal but it has remained isolated, and rarely visited.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Steve Outram / Aurora
Tunisia's beautiful beaches and historical treasures attract
nearly 5 million each year. They come for the history, architecture and the 810 mile coastline. They sunbath, dive, and sail along the vast stretches of white sand beaches along the Mediterranean. The visit the Punic and Roman archaeological sites in Carthage and 2nd Century Roman temple in Dougga, the Phoenician port of Utica, and El Jem's Coliseum, which is second only to Rome. The Bardo Museum, near Tunis, boasts the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world. Masterpieces of Arab-Islamic architecture attract other visitors.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Listed on the World Human Heritage site, Oualata has resisted a hostile climate, the advance of the desert, absence of drinking water and remoteness. Yet, it is the most beautiful city of Mauritania, well known for the intricate, architectural ornamentation. The beautiful designs on walls and doors are mainly made from local gypsum and clay. In addition the traveler will find a world-famous Koranic school that positions the city as one of the most renowned centers of Islamic scholarship in the Sahara region. In contrast, with no surface roads and one airstrip,.Oualata is used for the internal exile of Mauritanian political prisoners.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Pascal Meunier/Cosmos/Aurora
When the conquering empire receded south, the architectual remains of the Greek and Roman baths and the balnea gave way to the bath houses, or hammams of Islam. However, not until Muhammed praised the use of sweat baths in the 5th Century did the Islamic hammam proliferate.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Peter McBride/Aurora
The cargo ship "Kura Ora" ("Good Morning") is the lifeline of the Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia's 3000 mile long archipelago. The rusty, 163-foot vessel travels to 21 of the 78 Tuamotu Islands, covering a distance of over 900 miles on its monthly run. The ship brings vital supplies to the islands, transporting everything from food, fuel, and lumber to beer, bikes and tractors--over 600 tons of supplies. Truly making it the lifeline of the islanders and one of the world's most unique cargo ships.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Russell Gordon/Aurora
Over the past 10 years, Russell Gordon has covered people, news and events in more than 30 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. In Afghanistan, Cambodia, Yugoslavia and the Bosnian Serb Republic, he has reported on civil war and ethnic. He has been published in many international publications such as Newsweek/Japan, Newsweek en Espanol, TIME Magazine, Business Week/Latin America, GEO Germany, Neue Revue, Lufthansa Magazine and more. Currently he is based and home in Mexico City.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Raul Montanos/ASA/Aurora
Last year the Buenavista Palace was restored and opened for the long anticipated Picasso Museum, in Picasso's home town of Malaga, Spain.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Russell Gordon/Aurora
Archeologists say the agave has been cultivated for at least 9000 years in the central, arid highlands of Mexico. "Honey water" as it's locally called, is distilled from the fermented juices of the Weber Blue Agave. But there's more....
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Meridith Davenport/Aurora
In the Nuba Mountains of Sudan the traditional way of life of it’s people a hard battle is being fought. Hunger and sickness have affected the physiques of the Nuba, yet they persever. Even though tens of thousands died and hundreds of thousands have been forced into government camps, more than a million survive. Meredith Davenport takes us into their world. More….
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Pascal Maitre/Cosmos/Aurora
The Malagasy proverb claims: "They who drink the water from the Manangareza river always come back to Madagascar". Read on…
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Serge Sibert / Cosmos / Aurora
Deep in the Mauritanian Desert the sand cities of Ouadane, Witness daily life in Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichit, and Oualata, all cities that date from the 10th Century and all named World Human Heritage sites by Unesco.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Tim Georgeson/Cosmos/Aurora
Vipassana, an ancient Buddhist meditation technique has been introduced to the Tihar Jail, the largest prison complex in India.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Katja Heinemann/Aurora
World War II takes place each year in Reading, Pennsylvania. There are bombed-out French villages constructed of plywood, vintage trucks, machine guns and jeeps, and lot's of GIs and German soldiers participating mock battles.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Nina Berman/Aurora
Photograp hs by Nina Berman
On March 23, 2003 Supporters of the Iraq war, turn out for a support President Bush and the troops demonstration in Times Square sponsored by the Christian Coalition, pro-Israeli groups, and conservative organizations.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Bridget Besaw Gorman/Aurora
A New York City establishment for 160 years soon to disappear - but for now still hustling and bustling with activity and tradition.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Peter Bialobrzeski/Laif/Aurora
First Place World Press Photo winner
Skyscrapers rise fast, whole districts change quickly, in Hong Kong,Bangkok, Shanghai...the city is re-invented.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Photographs by Ashley Gilbertson
An up to date in depth view of life in Kurdistan. A nation that does not technically exist yet manages to survive caught between religion, politics and geography.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Adrian Bailey/Aurora
Adrian Bailey and writer David Bristow attempt South Africa's largest range known as the Dragon's Mountain. Full Text Available For License.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
David Blumenfeld/Aurora
At the heart of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, these settlements stand at the edge between domestic calm and all out war.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Andoni Canela/Aurora
The passion for Soccer reaches even the most remote of places. Soccer fields dot the urban and rural landscape around the world much the way baseball fields do here in the USA.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Nina Berman/Aurora
In the wake of September 11 lives a small town in America; a place where there's prayer in school, football heroes are created, corn fields grow and people lead simple yet satisfying lives.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Nina Berman/Aurora
This is the story of Afghanistan as it was before the events of September 11th, at a time when the world's focus was not on this dry, Middle Eastern country and the Taliban reigned supreme.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Nina Berman/Aurora
It's been 30 years since the first email made its way through a computer room in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Now, billions of emails crisscross cyberspace every day. There are email addicts, hackers, and kidnappers send
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Scott S. Warren/Aurora
In Cuba politics and necessity have conspired to create a living snapshot of America's golden age of automobiles.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Chris Anderson/Aurora
The Sahara's Ténéré is a chunk of the planet gone dead, 154,000 square miles [398,860 square kilometers] of nothing-except for faith, war, salt, beer, speed … and an urgent sense of what it is to be alive.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Scott S. Warren/Aurora
The Khanty people of northwestern Siberia have lived there for thousands of years as fishermen, hunters and Reindeer herders. Having survived decades of Soviet oppression, the Khanty now face a newer, more ominous
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Todd Bigelow/Aurora
Whether in protest or celebration,in the heartland or along the border,Todd Bigelow catches glimpses intothe lives of everyday Americans-those who when knitted togetherdefine the fabric of America.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Robb Kendrick/Aurora
Founded in 1896, the Southwestern Exhibition and Livestock Show of Ft. Worth, Texas, features the world's original rodeo and more than 20,000 head of livestock from America's top herds.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Carl Walsh / Aurora Photos
The Seeds of Peace internationally recognized program aims at empowering young leaders from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence. The model begins at the International Camp in Maine and continues through follow-up programming with international youth conferences, regional workshops, educational and professional opportunities, and an adult educator program. This comprehensive system allows participants to develop empathy, respect, and confidence as well as leadership, communication and negotiation skills — all critical components that will facilitate peaceful coexistence for the next generation.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Chris Hamilton/Aurora
Join Aurora photographer Chris Hamilton as he documents the annual Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas - the largest Rattlesnake Roundup in the world.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
|
|
|
Robert Caputo/Aurora
Venture into a remote corner of Nepal where centuries-old Buddhist traditions lie preserved in the isolated mountain villages of a region called Mustang.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Photographs by Randy Olson and Melissa Farlow
Buscas algo un poco diferente? Visite una isla carribeana lleno de historia, musica y corazon.
Journey to Cuba!
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Andrew Lichtenstein / Aurora
The shamans of Amazonia have used Ayahuasca, Salvia divinorum, for thousands of years to heal physical, emotional, and psychological conditions. Today western tourists visit isolated regions of South America to experience the powerful hallucinogenic, as well as its therapeutic affects.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Lynn Johnson/Aurora
When illness strikes, millions of us turn to nature's medicine cabinet for relief. Join Lynn Johnson as she explores how healing plants, human touch, meditation and a holistic approach to health can maintain the body,
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Nina Berman/Aurora
In Manhattan's Meat Packing District, the theme changes every night but generally a mix of fetish, drag queens, and goth rockers take the streets and clubs.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
 |
|
Randy Olson/Aurora
The Protiva family escaped urban angst by moving to Peace Valley, Missouri and adopting a conservative Christian lifestyle.
View as Slide Show |
| View Images
| read on
|
|