Photo of the Day (03.27.10)

by Mike Barish on

Taking pictures of food has never been more popular. Nearly everyone I know creates their own “food porn.” Food has become an integral part of our travel stories and photographs. More often than not, we document the strange, extravagant and repulsive things that we ingest. Lost in those extremes are the images of the classics. What I love about this image by Flickr user Paul_Brady (whose tumblr blog is a must-read) is that it’s not showy. It’s not braggadocios. It’s just one man’s simple meal at New York City’s famous Gray’s Papaya (Upper West Side location).

We don’t have to constantly try to impress people with tales of fois gras and deep fried tarantulas. Sometimes, all it takes is a classic to make your friends’ mouths water.

Do you take food porn photos? Submit your images to Gadling’s Flickr group right now and we might use it for a future Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (03.20.10)

by Mike Barish on

This photo by Flickr user jwannie is entitled “How to build a salad tower.” The bright oranges and yellows caught my eye when I fist saw the thumbnail and that’s why I clicked on the image. As for what a salad tower is and why it’s so comical, I defer to the accompanying blog post on frites & fries for a full explanation.

I recently received an e-mail forward from my dad about the Chinese Pizza Hut salad bar from a Chinese colleague. The Pizza Huts there typically offers a salad bar but you can only fill it once in a small salad bowl – I think the salad is a free with purchase type of deal. To get their money’s worth, some people use their fantastic engineering skills to build salad towers.

I support this ingenuity 100%. You get way more food for your money and it’s salad, so it’s healthy. Way better than those Domino’s Pasta Bread Bowls.

Have a photo of some food that used for an impromptu game of Jenga? Submit your images to Gadling’s Flickr group right now and we might use it for a future Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (03.13.10)

by Mike Barish on

http://www.flickr.com/photos/borderfilms/sets/1575505/

Whimsy. People don’t talk about whimsy much when discussing travel. They talk about philosophy, introspection, packing lists and logistics. They talk about food and hotels and TSA horror stories and airport experiences. Lost in all of that is whimsy. Gadling loves all that other nonsense, but we also appreciate coy smiles, inside jokes and creativity. So, when I came across this photo by Flickr user borderfilms (Doug), I immediately knew that it deserved to be featured as our Photo of the Day.

I have no clue whether this is the result of a clever use of Photoshop or a cheeky photo op created by a sprightly packer, but I don’t really care (well, if it’s Photoshopped, I’ll be mildly disappointed). What’s important is that it’s not your traditional travel photo. It’s not a cliché road trip moment with a traveler giving a thumbs up in front of a sign. It’s original. It’s unique. It’s whimsical. And we need more whimsy in our lives.

Update: The picture is real. It’s part of a set by Doug Murray called Adventures of Hula Girl. Check it out here.

Are you part of the whimsical minority who finds (or creates) whimsy wherever you go? Submit your images to Gadling’s Flickr group right now and we might use it for a future Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day 3.10.10

by Melanie Nayer on

There’s more to Washington, DC, than politicians and lobbyists, although I’m sure Cazimiro captured some of them in this photo. This black and white moment captures the essence of our nation’s capitol on a typical night – cars and pedestrians share the street with the glow of democracy guiding their path home, or wherever they may be heading.

Have a photo that makes an impression? Submit your photo to Gadling’s Flickr Pool and it could be featured as our Photo of the Day!

Photo of the Day (03.06.10)

by Mike Barish on

I’m one of those people who believes that it’s OK to pee in the ocean. And in lakes. And pools. Basically, bodies of water bigger than my bathtub are fair game for urination. But, I’m always worried that pools will have that dye that activates when urine is introduced into the water. Can you imagine how embarrassing that would be? Anyway, I was reminded of how nice it is to just pee in the water when I saw this picture by Flickr user JasonBechtel. This sea lion is hidden so perfectly in the dark water. Even if that pee dye were activated, who would notice? Lucky sea lion.

Have a picture of some public urination? Or, even better, any great travel photos? Submit your images to Gadling’s Flickr group right now and we might use it for a future Photo of the Day.