Picture yourself here. Photo: nattu

Last month, when we announced the creation of the Matador Flickr pool (which, by the way, now has more than 80 members and more than 700 incredible photos!), we alluded to some big plans we’d soon be unveiling for photographers.

[Insert virtual drumroll here.]

Matador U, Matador’s travel writing school, will be expanding its course offerings in the first quarter of 2010 with the launch of a travel photography course.

Working in collaboration with some of the world’s best known travel photographers, the course has been developed by our in-house editors and professional travel photographers Lola Akinmade and Paul Sullivan. Between them, Lola and Paul have had their photography featured in Vogue, CITY Magazine, and Time Out and Hedonist’s guide book series, among others.

More details about the course will be announced here as the launch date nears. In the meantime, we invite you to download our FREE report, 15 Publications That Pay for Travel Photography to get you excited about the program.

Community Connection:

We’re always interested in featuring Matador members’ exceptional photos in our photo essays. If you’d like to see your photos published on Matador Trips, please contact Trips’ editors, Hal Amen and Carlo Alcos: hal@matadornetwork.com and carlo@matadornetwork.com.

Mongolian girl, Photo by Matador Trips co-editor, Carlo Alcos

But admittedly, photographers have gotten short shrift in our three years of existence.

That’s all about to change.

Matador Trips editors Hal Amen and Carlo Alcos have already taken the lead in highlighting Matador members’ photography by publishing stunning photo essays from Iceland, Brazil, and Papua New Guinea, to name just a few. Other Matador editors have followed their lead, featuring photo essays on Matador Sports and on Matador Change.

We’ll have some other exciting news to share with photographers over the next few weeks and months, but in the meantime, why not add your travel photos to Matador’s Flickr pool?

If you already have a Flickr account, all you need to do is join the group by following this link and clicking “Join This Group.” Then, you can add photos from your own photostream to the Matador pool, sharing your talent and your travels with the rest of us. The photos you add will carry the same license you’ve selected for them in your own photostream. Leave your photos licensed for Creative Commons and commercial use, and you may just see your work featured in a Matador article!

Interested in having your photography considered for a photo essay? E-mail me at julie@matadornetwork.com and I’ll direct your query to the appropriate editor.

Community Connection:

Would you like to WIN a beautiful photograph taken by professional travel photographer Peter Guttman? Check out our Twitter contest– details here.

Matador Trips co-editor Carlo Alcos.

Wend invites Matador members to submit photos on the theme of hiking or trekking in order to be entered into its September Friday Photo Contest.

September’s weekly prizes include Kaze stainless steel vacuum bottles. The grand prize is an Eco Ether sleeping pad from Pacific Outdoor.

Click on over to Wend for all the details.

Feature photo: dms_303

Photos by Lola Akinmade

Winning a National Geographic contest is a covetous title and once again, the Society has given budding travel photographers another opportunity to earn one. Its International Photography Contest 2009 aims to showcase the best pictures depicting people, places, and nature from around the globe.

Peruse its online galleries to view some stunning entries from past winners of the competition.

From National Geographic:

The international grand-prize winner in each category will receive a trip to National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., for himself or herself for five (5) days and four (4) nights, in early 2010, including round-trip coach-class air transportation to and from the major airport closest to winner’s home, hotel accommodations for four (4) nights, an awards ceremony, a U.S. $50 gift certificate to the National Geographic store, and U.S. $460 in spending money, and will have his or her photo published in all participating editions of National Geographic magazine.

In addition to competing for the grand prize, each first place winner in the three categories will receive a digital camera kit valued at $1,000.

Some more fine print:

* Entries should be submitted electronically to www.ngphotocontest.com.

* The contest began Wednesday, August 5, 2009 and ends Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time (ET).

* Photos can be black-and-white or color, shot with a digital camera or with conventional film, and must be submitted digitally.

* Each entry consists of an entry form, a single image and an entry fee.

* The entry fee is U.S. $12 per photo for entries received before 11:59 p.m. ET Oct. 15, 2009 and, $22 per photo for entries received between Oct. 16 and Oct. 31.

Head over to www.ngphotocontest.com for more details as well as official contest rules.

Good luck!

Photo: kretyen

Who doesn’t like a free trip?

Matador is giving away a paid trip for TWO people to Dominica and all YOU have to do is send us an amazing photo of you exploring the outdoors.

The contest, open to residents of the United States and Canada, kicks off today. Winners will be chosen at the end of October.

The two lucky winners will receive round trip airfare from the United States or Canada and lodging for four nights at one of Dominica’s premier hotels.

Full contest details are here.

Questions? E-mail ross@matadornetwork.com.

Community Connection:

Read up on Dominica by checking out this article from our archives: Caribbean Romance in the Shadow of Volcanoes, written by one of Matador’s Caribbean experts, Anna Brones.

Photo: ThisParticularGreg

This month, Wend’s Friday Photo Contest is all about cycling. Whatever you’re doing or wherever you’re going on two wheels, Wend wants to see your photos!

Check out the full contest details here.

This month’s prize? KEEN Cycling Shoes and the month’s grand prize: A KEEN Commuter Bag.

Community Connection:

Need some photographic inspiration? Check out Hal Amen’s photo essay about the 20 of the Freakiest Custom Bikes on the Road.

And along the same lines, Megan Hill rounds up 8 Quirky Bike Rides Across the US.

It could be you on that boat…. Photo: 23am.com

Antarctica is on many travelers’ dream destination list, but the logistics–not to mention the expense–of getting there are a bit daunting.

And then there’s the issue of the weather.

While World Nomads can’t help you with that last part, it’ll handle all the other details.

You just have to win their latest photography scholarship!

World Nomads, along with National Geographic Channel and Gap Adventures, will be awarding one exceptional photographer the opportunity to travel to Antarctica–all expenses paid–with award-winning photographer Jason Edwards.

In addition to winning the trip, the sponsors will set you up with a couple thousand dollars’ worth of gear from Pentax so you can fulfill the scholarship assignment: spending 11 days photographing the world’s most remote wilderness aboard Gap Adventure’s Antarctica Classic M/S Expedition, exploring the Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula.

Sound cool?

It is–and there’s lots more, too (like having your images published by National Geographic).

For full details, click on over to World Nomad’s announcement, which can be found here.

Community Connection:

Want to talk with an Antarctica expert before the trip (’cause YOU are going to win that scholarship!)? Be sure to get in touch with Matador’s man in Antarctica.

Graffiti reads: Get out, transnationals.

Grafitti reads: Mel [Zelaya's nickname], the people are with you until the end.”

Community Connection:

To learn more about the coup and events currently unfolding in Honduras, please visit Global Voices Online’s Honduras page.

One of my favorite waterways: New York’s Hudson River; Photo: Francisco Collazo

From our friends at Wend:

“For July’s Friday Photo theme we want the kind of pictures that are going to inspire activism, and since it’s summer, what better way than photos from your favorite water hangouts that are probably being severely affected by pollution? But we don’t want to be total downers (remember we’re all about inspiring change) so we’re looking for all kinds of photos that represent our waterways, both positive and negative. That means anything from plastic polluted beaches to river cleanups.”

For submission instructions, click here. Prizes include Klean Kanteen reusable water bottles.

Community Connection:

While water’s on your mind, check out these 40 shocking facts about water.

Photo via: misterarasmus

By now, she’s a household name.

Neda Agha-Soltan, who was killed by a sniper over the weekend, became a media sensation overnight, thanks, in part, to the circulation of the video which documented her death as it was occurring.

But for all the focus on Agha-Soltan–who was not actually participating in a protest–there are thousands more Iranian women who have taken to the streets, risking social, political, and religious condemnation, as well as their very lives.

Here are images of some of them:

Photo via: misterarasmus

Photo via: .faramarz

Photo via: .faramarz

Photo via: .faramarz

Photo: sun dazed

If you’re not afraid to get a little water on your camera, then Wend’s got a proposition for you.

Send in your favorite waterfall shots for their June Friday Photo contest for your chance to win a pair of Teva’s new water shoes.

You can find all the details here.

Community Connection:

Is Matador’s Goods blog among your RSS subscriptions? If not, it should be! We’re giving away lots of gear, books, and generally good stuff all summer! In fact, you’ve got until this Friday to submit your entry for the Sansa slotRadio Player!

Photo: garryknight

Whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer lugging your gear around on your travels, you’re probably interested in sharing your photos and getting recognized for memorable images.

If that’s the case, then this news is for you.

The 2009 international travel photographer of the year competition (TPOTY) is now open.

From the press release:

TPOTY 2009 winners will go to some highly photogenic locations, traveling to China, Costa Rica and Morocco with Intrepid Travel and to Slovakia’s Tatra Mountains with Mountain Paradise.

[E]quipment prizes… include a 26” NEC Spectra View monitor, an Apple MacBook Pro with Aperture 2 software, Wacom Cintiq 12WX interactive pen display and new Intuos4 pen tablets, Adobe CS4 Web Premium, Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom software, a total of £1,000 to spend with Jacobs Digital Photo & Video, Plastic Sandwich leather portfolio books, HARMAN PHOTO and ILFORD PHOTO paper, prints and darkroom products, LEE filters, Lexar CF cards and card readers, Photo Iconic photo courses, and £300 to spend with Linhof Studio.

This year, there are three entry categories: Homeland, Natural Wonders and People of the World, and “One Shot.” Submissions in this last category must be related to the theme Festival, Fiesta and Celebration.

You’ve got plenty of time to get your submission in; the deadline isn’t until September 22, 2009.

Complete entry details can be found on www.tpoty.com.

For information about last year’s winners, check out this article.

Behind them, the real Atlantic City is easy to spot. Rows of dilapidated houses and apartment blocks peek out from between the hotel towers, just a few steps away.”

So I wrote in the Matador community blog a few hours after arriving in Atlantic City, NJ.

I’ve since had the chance to explore that “real” side of things, and the city’s glitzy front, too.

The contrast between the two, the immense gap between the frivolous spending at the high rollers’ tables and the daily realities of most of the city’s residents, is stark.

See for yourself:

Welcome to Atlantic City…

Home of the Donald, and his Trump Taj Mahal.

Almost 24% of Atlantic City’s population lives below the poverty line.

“It’s gotten a lot better around here,” a woman in the hotel elevator told me…

“since they knocked all them projects down.”

McMansions along the boardwalk, north east of the casino-hotel strip.

I guess these guys won big?

All photos by Eva Holland

Check out this really unusual “video” — it’s 1400 still images from a day at Quebec City’s winter carnival, spliced together to form a moving picture, without the use of any video capture technology!

Besides being a very cool medium, it also gives a great sense of the city and its world-famous festival.

To learn more about the photographer behind this clip, check out Scott Achs Photography.

Feature photo by A Well Dressed Bullet (Creative Commons)

‘Tis the season for lots of snow-filled photos. Oh, and for winter jackets, too.

Conveniently enough, our friends over at Wend have decided to combine the two!

All this month, anyone who submits a “snow day” photo to the Friday Photo Contest has a shot at winning either a Burton Green Mountain Project Women’s Traction Jacket or an Outdoor Research Men’s Elusive Jacket.

Slick!

The photo parameters are broad.

Says Wend: “Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, hell, we’ll even take snow angel photos!”

So go ahead, get outside and snap away.

Then submit your finest shots to win a pretty new jacket. Full details here.

Photo by Marco Adams (Creative Commons)

Yup, you read that right. The Digital Photography School has teamed up with Lenovo to offer a $50,000 prize in the Name Your Dream Assignment competition.

Here’s how it works: submit an idea for your dream, never-done-before photo shoot; there’ll be a voting phase to narow things down, and then a panel of judges will select the eventual winners.

In addition to the $50,000 grand prize, there’s a slew of addition stuff up for grabs: camera goodies, a Lenovo Thinkpad (optimized for photographers), and more.

The contest opens March 3rd — which leaves lots of time to think up your dream assignment. Go ahead, get brainstorming!

Photo by Pear Biter (Creative Commons)

But beyond the formal celebrations, Americans across the country were paying tribute in their own way, too.

Here are a few photos from yesterday’s festivities that, hopefully, you haven’t seen yet:

Washington, D.C. prepares for the inauguration.

Photo by AnyaLogic (Creative Commons)

In San Francisco, pranksters change the sign marking the end of Bush Street to “Begin Obama”.

Photo by candiedwomanire (Creative Commons)

Inauguration cupcakes on sale in New York City.

Photo by calculat0r (Creative Commons)

D.C. was prepared for vast crowds — and everything that comes with them.

Photo by AnyaLogic (Creative Commons)

Every precaution was taken.

Photo by victoriapeckham (Creative Commons)

A moving portrait from Times Square, where crowds turned out to watch the ceremony.

Photo by tristanbrand (Creative Commons)

Captain America celebrates on the streets of Los Angeles.

Photo by Al Pavangkanan (Creative Commons)

Back in D.C., a musician makes the most of the day.

Photo by ktylerconk (Creative Commons)

Welcome to the new President and First Lady. It’s been a long time coming!

Photo by Army.mil (Creative Commons)

Tens of thousands took to the streets last Saturday in an unprecedented showing of support of the LGBT community and their right to the freedom of marriage.

From Los Angeles to Boston, Prop 8 protesters made it apparent that the fight for gay civil liberties is anything but a closed discussion. It also proved to be a tipping point in the public conscious.

For the demonstrations weren’t instigated by the usual gay advocacy organizations, but by a bottom-to-top effort from individuals on the internet, spurred by a website that called for a national day of protest, Join the Impact.

A 26-year old blogger in Seattle, outraged over the results of the election, created the site during her lunch break on Nov 7th.

The site quickly became a catalyst for person-to-person rallying, receiving more than 10,000 hits in the first few hours alone.

Facebook pages went up; people twittered, blogged, used their IM status messages, and made sure the message was passed along in perhaps one of the most inspiringly altruistic uses of social networking media.

The sense of community fostered on the web continued into the peaceful protests on November 15th as leaders from diverse religions, creeds, ethnicities, and sexual orientations declaimed to the crowds that the struggle over same-sex marriage is not an a question of traditional values but of tolerance.

The road to equality will only be won by reaching across the aisle, so to speak.

Reverend Amos Brown’s speech at the San Francisco rally illustrated the narrowing gap as he spoke frankly about the intersection of his faith and his ethics: “Though I’m a Baptist, I refuse to be a bigot.”

In the face of the struggles humanity has overcome and the struggles humanity has yet to surmount, the reactionaries’ last stand in the culture war seems so unbelievably petty and mean-spirited. Out of all the tribulations to address, they chose to fritter away tens of millions of dollars to strip away the rights of a distinct segment of the American population.

To reference Keith Olbermann, why does it matter who loves whom in an increasingly uncertain world?

If Barack Obama’s election proves anything, it’s that the impetus of the world is moving towards cooperation – like the unity of the grass roots organizations that pulled together for these historical protests across the nation.

If humanity is going to solve the crises that beset our survival as a civil and peaceful species, drawing battle lines over the definition of love doesn’t even begin to make sense.

Join The Impact isn’t done yet: they’re calling for supporters to “call in gay” on December 10th.

Photos by Robyn Johnson

To refresh your memory: On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918, the end of the Great War – not yet known as the First World War, since at the time no one knew there’d be a Second – was declared.

Today marks the 90th anniversary of the war’s conclusion, and the events this year seem to have a special urgency and power.

The number of First World War veterans remaining worldwide has dwindled to a handful – there will most likely be none left to mark the centenary in 2018.

There are monuments to the Great War all around the world. Here are shots of a few:

India Gate, New Delhi’s monument to the Indian fallen of World War One

(Photo by Shashwat_Nagpal)

Graves for a few of the 1.5 million soldiers killed during the Battle of the Somme

(Photo via Wikipedia)

London’s Cenotaph

(Photo by Steve Cadman)

A detail from the Canadian Memorial at Vimy Ridge, France

(Photo via Wikipedia)

The Turkish memorial at Gallipoli. There are also monuments for Australia and New Zealand here.

(Photo by QuartierLatin1968)

The Menin Gate at Ypres, Belgium

(Photo via Wikipedia)

A German cemetery in Belgium

(Photo by FaceMePLS)

[Via Joe Jet]

No American political campaign in my lifetime has stirred up as much passion as Barack Obama’s race for the White House.

From Hollywood celebrities to anonymous bloggers or callers on phone-in talk shows, it seems that everyone is looking to share their views, change some minds, make a statement.

America’s artists are no exception.

Whether using digital photo editing techniques or a plain old can of spray paint, they’ve been making their voices heard – or rather, their images seen.

Here are a few stand-out selections from across the country:

Yes We Can: Bushwick, Brooklyn

Photo by EricaJoy

We are the people we’ve been waiting for.

Photo by springhill2008

08′AMA in Charlottesville, Virginia

Photo by cornexo

Suburban yard art: Whoever said Obama can’t connect with Middle America?

Photo by bradthedesigner

Obama has a posse in Los Angeles, CA.

Photo by Lord Jim

Simple yet powerful.

Photo by nakano.photography

Spotted in Los Angeles: Abraham Obama

Photo by Lord Jim

Barack Obama is speaking to America. Get it?

Photo by whorange

Even the arts’n'crafty types on Etsy are feeling the change.

Photo by whorange

Hope in Houston.

Photo by jetheriot

Obama fans take to the streets in Mission Dolores, San Francisco.

Photo by benchun

Top photo by [nati]

Hundreds of Alaskans rallied in Anchorage this week – but not, as you might think, to support their Governor in her Vice-Presidential bid.

Instead, participants in what was reportedly the largest protest gathering in Alaskan history took aim at McCain/Palin, and made it clear their governor does NOT speak for them.

Take a look:

Great to see “Hockey Mama For Obama” representin’ for the greatest (ahem) sport on Earth!

Amen, sister.

Polar bear moms speak out.

Up with community organizers and down with Exxon justice!

Now there’s an image for you…

Does the fact that this even needs to be pointed out scare anyone besides me?

I always love a good “bare/bear” pun.

McTrue.

Vote Issues, Not Gender.

‘Nuff said.

Alaska’s been on my lifelong must-see list since long before the state took center stage in the current Presidential election.

Here are just a few reasons why:

5. Jaw-dropping, snow-capped scenery.

Photo by Unhindered by Talent (Creative Commons)

4. Haunting coastline.

Photo by Steve Deger (Creative Commons)

3. Cedar-planked wild salmon. ‘Nuff said.

Photo by woodleywonderworks (Creative Commons)

2. Killer wildlife.

Photo by Paul Resh (Creative Commons)

1. The Northern Lights, of course!

Photo by zhengxu (Creative Commons)

Clearly, the state packs a powerful punch in terms of travel appeal.

So what could possibly throw me off?

Just one crazy lady: Sarah Palin.

As far as I can tell, the new Vice-Presidential candidate stands for guns, abstinence-only education (how’s that goin’ for ya?), overturning Roe v. Wade, hockey (okay, I’m with her on that one), drilling for oil in Alaska’s wilderness refuges – and, of course, being pretty.

Give that ex-beauty queen a new tiara and a sash: she takes the prize for Scariest Up-and-Coming Politician on the scene in ‘08.

Note: The above pic is photoshopped and is not legit.

But I’d bet it’s how “2nd Amendment Barbie” pictures herself in her dreams…

There’s a holiday for every interest, I suppose, but did you know that September 27 is World Tourism Day?

Organized by the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization in 2007, World Tourism Day is intended to “raise awareness on the constructive social role of tourism.” Each year, the World Tourism Day is hosted by a particular country– this year, it’s Peru–and each year is focused on a particular theme–the 2008 theme is tourism and climate change.

While you may not be planning a trip to Peru to celebrate, you can still participate in the day’s events. The WTO is hosting a photography competition; guidelines can be found here. Consistent with this year’s theme, winning photos will “showcase climate solutions in tourism.”

Did I hear you say “prizes”?

Well, those haven’t been announced just yet, but stay tuned to the World Tourism Day website, where the prizes will be posted soon.

Feature Photo & Photo: John LeGear (creative commons)

But does it still beat the life of the cubicle jockey?

I’m betting the answer is: Yes!

Sick of the office life? Want more adrenalin (with or without polar bears) in your day?

Be sure to check out the Traveler’s Notebook series on Travel and Adventure Jobs, and how to get ‘em.

Photo: Augapfel (creative commons)

Photo: Shamam (creative commons)

Photo: Stardog Champion (creative commons)

Photo: xiaming (creative commons)

Photo: sproing (creative commons)

Photo: jj look (creative commons)

Photo: jgalvan (creative commons)

Photo: xiaming (creative commons)

Feature photo: xiaming (creative commons)

Love those images on the cover of Lonely Planet guides?

Fancy yourself a great photographer?

Then check out the details of this contest:

Lonely Planet, and Pikeo
(http://www.pikeo.com), a new photo-sharing website, are inviting travellers to submit their most unique and inspiring pictures of London, Paris, Barcelona and Istanbul.

The four winners–one for each city– will have their picture preserved for posterity on the cover of a Lonely Planet city guide. They’ll also get some great exposure at a London gallery exhibit.

And, oh, by the way: they’ll win a free trip to one of four destinations: India, Russia, Morocco or Kenya.

The competition is open to photographers from the UK, France, Spain, the USA and Canada, and the deadline is September 8.

Feature Photo: Blacknell (creative commons)
Photo: Jaboney (creative commons)

Phuket Vegetarian Festival, Sept. 28-Oct. 7, 2008

Beyond celebrating all things veggie and practicing purification, this festival is full of sights like this one. Men compete to see who can take the most extreme pain. Be sure to emphasize that you’re just a spectator!

If this festival isn’t enough for you, check out Weirdomatic’s list of Weird Annual Festivals or Eccentric America’s guide to all things weird and wacky in the U.S.

All photos by Electrostatico (creative commons)

Pull out your camera, review Lola Akinmade’s photography tips, and getting shooting… it’s contest time and the prizes are worth the effort!

National Geographic Traveler has teamed up with Photo District News to sponsor the World in Focus photography contest.

Open to amateurs and pros alike, the World in Focus contest is soliciting submissions for the following categories: travel portraits, outdoor scenes, sense of place, spontaneous moment, and photo essay.

The deadline is August 21, 2008, though photogs who don’t work well on a deadline can pay $10 to extend the deadline to September 8.

What’s in it for the winners? Check out the prize list:

Pro Prizes:

GRAND PRIZE: Free tuition for a 6-day professional photography workshop for one in Santa Fe, New Mexico; one Nikon D-80 Digital SLR (body only) or equivalent; Expedition Carbon Fiber Tripod NGET2; Expedition Hydrostatic Head NGEH1; Large Backpack NG5737; and a PDN PhotoServe portfolio.

EACH CATEGORY WINNER: One D-60 Kit (including 18-55mm VR lens); Tundra Photo/Video Tripod NGTT2; Med Shoulder Bag NG2475; PDN PhotoPlus Expo Gold Pass.

BONUS AWARD: Winning images will be featured in a special winners’ gallery in PDN’s February 2009 issue, as well as published online at www.pdnonline.com. Select winners will also be displayed at the World In Focus Gallery at PDN PhotoPlus Expo.

Amateur Prizes:

GRAND PRIZE: 15-day trip for two to Antarctica aboard the National Geographic Endeavour.

FIRST PRIZE: 5-day trip for two to The Cliffs Preserve in Patagonia, Chile.

SECOND PRIZE: 6-day cruise for two on a Maine Windjammer Schooner. Contributed by The Schooners American Eagle and Heritage.

THIRD PRIZE: 7-day Photography Workshop for one in Oaxaca, Mexico.

SEVEN MERIT PRIZES: Nikon Coolpix P60 Camera and a Bogen Prize Package, including a National Geographic Tundra Monopod, a National Geographic Tundra Tripod with 3-way head, and an Earth Explorer Medium Shoulder Bag.

BONUS AWARDS: Winning images will be featured in the January/February 2009 edition of National Geographic Traveler, and displayed at the World in Focus Gallery Exhibit at PhotoPlus Expo, to be held October 23-25, 2008 in New York. All winning images will also be featured on the World in Focus Contest website, and the National Geographic Traveler website. In addition, winners will receive a one-year subscription to Photo District News.

For more info and to enter online, visit: http://www.worldinfocuscontest.com/

Feature Photo: Leah (creative commons)
Photo: HckySo (creative commons)

Many analysts here and abroad agree it was a smart political move for the U.S. presidential nominee, but some argue it was just a drop in a substantial bucket of goodwill needed to improve international relations with America.

As President George W. Bush nears the end of a mostly disastrous eight-year term, he too should be given credit for public appearances overseas.

Traveling by air — er, compressed air, that is — and landing on everything from brick walls to telephone poles to the doors of trash chutes, Bush boasts a presence in just about every last nook in the world.

Curitiba, Brazil

Unlike Bush’s approval rating, attendance at Disney theme parks doesn’t seem to have taken a hit in America’s worsening economy.

Photo by mlbor

Granada, Spain

Bush’s Starbucks-colored tank creeps toward a McDonald’s logo.

Photo by juanti

Lisbon, Portugal

Photo by Graffiti Land

London, England

Painted on a wall facing East London’s members-only Shoreditch House is this poignant portrait.

Photo by nickburcher

Sofia, Bulgaria

Faded from foot traffic, the sidewalk mugshot reads: Wanted Dead: George W. Bush, for crimes against humanity and the planet.

Photo by kiki

Berlin, Germany

Bush faces off with Osama bin Laden outside a record store in Berlin. War is terror, the caption reads.

Senator Obama’s tour included a stop in Berlin, where he gave a speech to a crowd of more than 200,000. American blogger Fred Wilson responds: “This kind of worldwide popularity is something we need in the US right now.”

Photo by shawnbot

Colonia, Uruguay

This makeshift banner welcomed Bush to Uruguay in March of 2007, when Bush met with President Tabaré Vasquez.

Translated, the greeting reads: Your dead, hungry, unemployed, disappeared [illegally imprisoned], lying cronies salute you.

Photo by MichaelO’B

Durango, Mexico

Photo by OliverAlex

Wellington, New Zealand

Give Bush an inch, and he’ll bomb a country, one stencil remarks.

Bush’s critics argue he never should have sent troops to battle without Congressional approval. Legally, the power to declare war lies in the hands of the Congress, not the President.

Photo by glutnix

Gullbringusysla, Iceland

Flanked by missiles, could Bush be folding his hands in prayer?

Photo by choufiphone

San José, Costa Rica

Translation: Mentally ill in service of capital.

Photo by C-Monster

Rome, Italy

Photo by tracymadaj

Melbourne, Australia

Photo by Toots Fontaine

Rosario, Argentina

Joyfully riding a missile — gut protruding, cowboy hat waving — Bush’s embodiment of Texan stereotypes is as much the subject of this artist’s mockery as the President’s flippant attitude toward explosives.

Photo by pablodf

Mito, Japan

Prolific graffiti artist Og Akim shares his rich political artwork at the X-Color exhibit in Japan.

Photo by nattynattyboom

Johannesburg, South Africa

A donkey-eared Bush and his toy tank ponder their next move.

Photo by banter

Israel

Bush is pictured here with Ariel Sharon, Israeli Prime Minister when this photo was taken in 2006.

Photo by greenwonderland

Bangkok, Thailand

Photo by G4Glenno

Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine

Bush, a United Methodist, tries on some Devil horns in the city of Jesus’ birth.

On June 10, 2000, the President declared Jesus Day in Texas.

Photo by hazy jenius

Riga, Latvia

Photo by Patient Dinosaur

Victoria, BC, Canada

On a brick wall in Victoria, British Columbia, Bush discusses world domination with Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper. (The dialogue references a mid-90s animated television show, Animaniacs, which began airing in Canada late last year.)

What are we going to do tonight, George?
What we do every night, Steve. Try to take over the world.

Photo by ngawangchodron

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Lyrics to the United States national anthem take on a less hopeful meaning.

Photo by Jamie Rushell

Wrocław, Poland

Photo by ChrisJ.

Styria, Austria

Photo by newsrepublic

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Bush mzushi, loosely translated: Bush is a rumormonger.