Plastic Fantastic

When he was a photography student in LA, Anoush Abrar shot this remarkable series of sex dolls cleverly depicted in alarmingly realistic human poses. These are Real Dolls, the creme de la creme of sex dolls, made to every customer's specification in the US and costing around USD 7000. Each doll has a skeleton and is coated in silicon which becomes more skin-like over time (apparently you can even control the body temperature of these dolls by putting them in a bath or covering them with electric blankets).  The creator of these dolls, Matt McMullin, went to art school and trained as a sculptor.  Real Dolls came into being when he made a tiny lifelike-looking woman; he posted a picture online and was then inundated with queries. The degree of craftsmanship that goes into each doll is extraordinary; each one is a unique work of art and it takes 18 weeks to acquire one from order to delivery.  Anoush has found something so human and almost vulnerable in these dolls.  It feels like the futuristic world of replicants in Blade Runner isn't so far-fetched after all.... See more here: Anoush Abrar

What Kate Saw

Shoe Tree

Bear

Plane

Television

Two Men on a Wall

Happy Birthday

Some things you just couldn't make up... Doesn't matter if you're in the Mid West in the US, suburban England or Mumbai.  That's the overarching thinking behind much of Kate Peters's wonderful work. Based in London, she assisted Nadav Kander for several years before becoming an accomplished photographer in her own right.  She also shoots beautiful portraits. See more here: Kate Peters

Your Big Day

Wedding season is nearly upon us...  In this series, Canadian-born photographer Jen Osborne scrutinises the industry behind the Big Day and how its carefully constructed stagecraft entirely overshadows its incipient romance.  Each pose is choreographed for the photographers and film-makers; the bride's outfit, bouquet, hair & make-up made camera-ready and perfected and tweaked to the last detail with the bevy of bridesmaids in matching dresses.  You don't get a sense that this is a happy occasion from these pictures; more that it's a necessary and expensive rite of passage.  See more of Jen's work here: Jen Osborne

Pyongyang

During a random search earlier today, I came across Charlie Crane's beautiful shots of Pyongyang which he shot a few years ago before Kim Jong Un came to power (Chris Boot published them in the most exquisitely designed book).  As North Korea's threats to the US of nuclear warfare escalate, I find these pictures have taken on a particularly haunting resonance.  Despite it taking a year for Charlie to gain permission to enter the country with his camera and him and his producer being accompanied at all times by two guides, he spoke about how surprisingly easy it was to photograph one of the most secretive places in the world; he didn't try to look beneath the surface as the surface itself was intriguing enough.  I fear for the people depicted in his shots and wonder if they can possibly know how precarious their future will be should the situation become critical... The book is called Welcome to Pyongyang. Charlie is a very successful director these days but for more of his wonderful photography and more in this series, go here: Charlie Crane

Hitchin' a ride

Came across this fascinating project by Alejandro Cartagena on Lost At E Minor.  Car pooling is a common means for manual labourers to get around in Mexico.  I love how revelatory this series is about the way of life of these hardworking guys; the overhead perspective from the bridge or structure where these shots were taken adds a satisfying voyeuristic dimension.  Alejandro deservedly won the 2012 International Street Photography Award and this series has also been exhibited in Miami.  Alejandro Cartagena

The joys of long haul

Who hasn't been bored on a long-haul flight?  Berlin-based illustrator Christoph Niemann found plenty to inspire him on a recent flight between NY and Berlin. I spotted this lovely series on Lost At E Minor but you can see more of his charming visual journal here on Christoph Niemann's NY Times blog or on twitter @abstractsunday.  Drawing live is just one of the many talents Christoph has (check out his drawings from the Venice Biennale, the Olympics last year and even from the NY marathon... in which he was running at the same time!) but his portfolio shows a breathtaking range of work done over the years for people like The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine and Time.  Christoph Niemann

Kumbh Mela!

Award-winning London-based photographer Dario Mitidieri was lucky enough to be at Sangam, the sacred spot where the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Saraswati rivers converge for the Hindu Kumbh Mela festival.  It happens every 12 years but this year in 2013, the festival was a Maha Kumbh Mela which is a once in a lifetime occurrence,  falling every 144 years.  It is estimated that a staggering 40million people bathed in the rivers on the 10th February to wash away their sins making this the largest ever gathering of people on one single day.  Despite the awesome crowds, Dario managed to capture the joy and exuberance of the pilgrims as well as documenting the sheer scale of the festival.  Dario Mitidieri