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by Editor Jane Lyons
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 16th of January 2024
‘N° 9’ by Ralph McConaghy
“You have to be odd, to be number one”--- Dr Seuss
Many artists have used numbers purely for their visual impact, recognizing their great compositional potential as a graphic device.
Artists such as Robert Indiana and Jasper Johns have employed numbers as a device to create perspective and structure.
They treat numbers as objects with layered meanings that extend beyond their function as a means of pure quantification.
Similarly, many photographers have used numbers as artistic props.
The graphic power and shape of numbers can create compositions that are intriguing and open to multiple interpretations.
‘1337’ by Roxana Labagnara
‘Puzzle.’ by Mikhail Potapov
‘Thoughts’ by Peter Wang
‘one’ by Roswitha Schleicher-Schwarz
‘muro arlecchino’ by paolo luxardo
untitled by Francesco Santini
‘Morning in Zurich’ by ATTILA SZABO
‘3’ by Holger Droste
‘choose me’ by Linda Wride
Numbers are art objects because they can be used as symbols with symbolic meaning.
Photographers use them for their formal and structural qualities.
They photograph them as graphic accents in saturated colour, in grids and overlays, and in oversized shapes that are treated like sculptures.
They add visual interest to a wide range of backgrounds and scenarios.
‘The Number 1’ by Roland Weber
‘Numbers’ by Steve Smith
‘Countup’ by Carlo Ferrara
‘Living at Number 4’ by Linda Wride
‘Maria’ by Holger Droste
‘Transience’ by Marco Beck
‘Seven o’clock’ by Alfonso Novillo
‘With Numbers’ by Emine Basa
Some photographers use numbers to explore themes such as time and representation.
Repetition and layering can transform numbers into shapes and patterns, creating new artistic expressions.
‘brain crush’ by Gabriela Pantu
“3/3’ by Ramiz Sahin
Untitled by Guido Maria Rustichini
‘blinds in abstract’ by Jois Domont (J.L.G.)
‘We Are Numbered’ by Hristo Yordanov
‘Old Time Memories’ by Jian Wang
‘numbering’ by HAN dong hee
untitled by Jian Wang
The concept of numbers evolved gradually in different cultures over thousands of years.
The earliest counting systems used tally marks, and the Sumerians created the first numerical system around 3400 BC.
The Hindu-Arabic system that we use today, with the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0, originated in India in the 6th or 7th century and was introduced to Europe in the 12th century.
by Jane Lyons ;-)
 | Write |
by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 14th of January 2026
'Decay'
Decay may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about photography. It offers a unique and intriguing opportunity to explore the passage of time, transformation, and profound beauty in the most unlikely places. Abandoned buildings, rusted cars and so many more. Each offers its unique story and aesthetic.
The winners with the most votes are:
1st place : Matthias Polakowsky
2nd place: DDiArte
3rd place : Thomas de Franzoni
Congratulations to the winners and honourable mentions.
Thanks to all the participants in the contest 'Decay'
The currently running theme is 'Cats'
Capturing cats on camera requires patience, a keen eye, and a touch of feline understanding. Cats aren’t exactly known for posing on command or following your carefully crafted shot list. No, they prefer to embrace their independent nature, keeping you on your toes as they pounce, play, or simply stare you down with a look that says, “Who are you to interrupt my nap?”
This contest will end on Sunday the 25th of January 2026 at midnight.
The sooner you upload your submission the more chance you have to gather the most votes.
If you haven't uploaded your photo yet, click here.
1st place by Matthias Polakowsky
2nd place by DDiArte
3rd place by Thomas de Franzoni
by Holger Goehler
by Saskia Dingemans
by Benny Pettersson
by Uschi Hermann
by Marek Lapa
by Rolf Lampert
You can see the names of the TOP 50 here.
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 | Fantastic selection of photos to depict the theme. Congratulations to all the featured photographers! 👏👏 |
 | Miro Susta CREW Wonderful photos, excellent photo subject, congratulations to all winners. |
 | Nice |
by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 12th of January 2026
This months' featured exhibition is titled 'The Abandoned Future' by Davide Barzaghi
I invite you to explore this strong conceptual exhibition where photography is self therapy capturing emotions, feelings, hope and fears.
This exhibition which will be exposed on our opening page / Gallery throughout January 2026.
Click here to see the entire exhibition: [166] The Abandoned Future by Davide Barzaghi
To trigger your curiousity, here is a short selection of images out of the different parts of this exhibition.
'Destination'
'Regret'
'Eclipse'
'Prejudice'
'On-line'
'Illusion' 
'Love Me'
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 | Davide Barzaghi CREW Honored Jane |
 | Jane Lyons CREW Thank you for sharing your work, Davide. Your gallery is remarkable with images I will remember for a long time. |
 | Eiji Yamamoto PRO Dear Davide, this is a very beautiful and emotional great exhibition! Congratulations! Dear Yvette, thank you so much for presenting this exhibition to us, it is very inspiring! |
| Davide Barzaghi CREW Thanks dear Eiji |
 | Yvette Depaepe CREW My hat off for your body of work, Davide. I really admire every single of your images translating your intense inner life, feelings and emotions. |
| Davide Barzaghi CREW Thanks for feel Yvette… to transfer my own emotions it’s my best satisfaction |
| | Davide Barzaghi CREW I remember when I started to photograph, 5 years ago… I never thought that it could become my work , but I remember your precious advices, your words that encouraged to go on my way… thanks for all have you done Liz, without you nothing would be the same. |
 | Elizabeth Allen CREW There is no need to thank me, Davide, but your words mean a great deal to me. |
| | Elizabeth Allen CREW Congratulations on your feature, Davide - I think you are the only photographer here who has been featured in this way three times, and that is so well deserved for your original and inspiring work. Thanks to Yvette for presenting this exhibition. |
| Yvette Depaepe CREW I'm so proud to present Davide's work in the magazine, Elizabeth. So strong and meaningful. |
by Editor Jane Lyons
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 9th of January 2026
“Raven” by Yuris Zaleskis
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were waiting for this moment to arise
~Lennon-McCartney~
Crows and ravens hold a place of mystery, superstition and great mythology in cultures around the world.
Crows and ravens belong to the genus Corvus. While they differ slightly in appearance (ravens are larger and have a different tail shape), both birds are intelligent, social and mysterious, and prone to loud vocalizations.
For centuries, artists have been compelled to depict these birds in drawings, carvings, sculptures, paintings and photographs, portraying them as rich, graphic motifs filled with folklore and symbolism, defined by the places they inhabit. These birds have achieved great distinction not only in the visual arts, but also in literature, song and film.
Their stark black plumage, iridescent sheen and complex nature have attracted artists exploring themes of light, shadow, shape, line and duality. In most cultures, the legend surrounding these birds is a symbol of change, intelligence and the mysteries of life and the afterlife.
“The Crow” by Holger Droste
“The Raven” by Mario Grobenski - psychodaddy
“Hermanos Coral” by Juanjo Del Alar
“My Best Friend Dust” by Carola Kayen-Mouthaan
“story about 2 lovers” by Piet Flour
“When I Miss You” by hardibudi
“Raven Dance” by Christophe Kiciak
“Story” by Ewa Cwikla
‘the visitor” by Holger Droste
SOME FACTS ABOUT CROWS AND RAVENS
Crows and ravens are among the smartest animals in the world. They are known for their problem-solving abilities, tool-making and use, and facial recognition.
Their intelligence is comparable to that of a young child or a great ape.
Both ravens and crows are highly social animals. They mate for life and live for an average of 20 years in the wild, and much longer in captivity.
A flock of crows is called a 'murder', while a flock of ravens is called an 'unkindness' or a 'conspiracy'.
Crows and ravens generally do not get along. Crows are usually the aggressors, and disputes are typically over food or territory.
Alfred Hitchcock used 3,200 trained birds in his film The Birds. He revealed that the crows and ravens were the most intelligent, while the seagulls were the most vicious.
“Wet” by Jane Lyons
“the kitchen is very good today” by Holger Droste
“The Sentinels” by Paulo Dias
“When the World Refuses Freedom for Me” by Charlaine Gerber
“The Raven” by Loulou Beavers
“memento mori” by Cristian Andreescu
“Trio" by Olga Rudchenko
“Jack-o\’Scarecrow” by Christophe Kiciak
Blackbirds feature in the mythologies of many different cultures. In some cultures, they are omens of death, while in others, they are messengers of the gods. They are generally considered to be tricksters, and their intelligence, ability to create tools, and capacity to recognize faces distinguish them from other animals and have given rise to a rich and fanciful body of folklore.
In ancient Greece, for example, the crow was a symbol of Apollo, the god of prophecy. Native American tribes viewed the crow/raven as a symbol of many things, including the creation of the world and the gift of sunlight to mankind. In all cultures, crows and ravens have different meanings and are associated with various superstitions.
For visual artists, the one thing that binds them together is their striking appearance: their black plumage, which provides a strong visual contrast against a wide range of environments. Their intelligence provides many opportunities to capture them in action in various scenarios, from international street photography and landscapes to seascapes and even the kitchen sink.
They can add a layer of mystery and transformation to most photographs. Life is more interesting when we let them in. They are a gift to the visual arts and to us photographers.
“It is My Collar” by Carola Kayen-Mouthaan
“The Raven’s Widow” by Peeters Jos
“Opportunities” by Lucinda Lu
“Palmen aus Plastik by Agnes
“Crows Morning” by Jose C. Labato
“The Crows” by Luc Vangindertael (laGrange)
“African Pied Crow Portrait” by Mathilde Guillemot
“The Scarecrow” by Baden Bowen
“Paris” by Mikko Lagerstedt
“crossflow” by Piet Flour
“Whisper” by Dismas Awang
“Crow’s Legs” by Jane Lyons
“Be like a Crow.
Collect shinny objects.
Hop happily down the street for no apparent reason and scream loudly when you see your friends”.
~anonymous~
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 | Like The crows need more detailing editing !
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| | As I always say, creativity has no boundaries. Fantastic collection of images involving crows and ravens that elevate their beauty. Congratulations to the contributors! 👏👏 |
| Jane Lyons CREW Thanks, Carolina |
 | Piet Flour PRO wonderful different and appealing approach of thematic photography |
| Jane Lyons CREW Thank you Piet! |
 | Great article and wonderful photo collection! Inspiring!! |
| Jane Lyons CREW Thanks very much, Christine. |
| | Miro Susta CREW I don't like crows, but I like the write up about them and I love the beautiful photos, you might be curious why I don't like the these black, maybe in larger group they are rather noisy, but because one late afternoon i parked my car under the trees near local outdoor market, next morning my car was covered by white.... Congratulations on excellent article and of centre great thanks as usually to our Yvette for publishing it. |
| Jane Lyons CREW Hi Miro, I totally understand.! Thanks for checking in! |
 | Great article and images, thanks for sharing! |
| Jane Lyons CREW Hi Patrick, thank you! |
 | Xiaoyang Sun PRO Very impressive work full of creativity! |
| Jane Lyons CREW Thank you, Xiaoyang |
| | Xiaoyang Sun PRO Very impressive work full of creativity! |
 | Susan Beausang PRO Very informative article with great visualization to accompany the article. |
| Jane Lyons CREW Thank you, Susan! |
 | Izabella Végh PRO Un articolo molto interessante con le fotografie altrettanto buone. grazie le informazioni. |
| Jane Lyons CREW Thank you, Isabella |
 | DonnaHom APA PRO Excellent collection of the crow and raven along with facts about them. Some of the creative editing are very artistic. Thank you. |
| Jane Lyons CREW Thank you Donna |
 | Ralf Stelander FOUNDER Excellent selection of images! |
| Jane Lyons CREW Thanks for checking in, Ralf |
 | Mi permetto di esprimere un mio modestissimo parere, riguardo la galleria Foto-Grafica. Direi di cancellare Foto e lasciare Grafica. Certamente Bellissima Grafica. Per amor del cielo, lasciamo in pace l’arte Fotografica. |
| Jane Lyons CREW Hola, Enzo. Gracias! |
 | Roland Weber PRO Cool... an amazing article.
Thanks for sharing the thoughts, facts and the nice photos which turn the article to a really good and interesting story. |
| Jane Lyons CREW Thanks very much Roland! |
 | Thanks a lot Jane for this beautiful article and for choosing one of my photo, it's an honor 😃 |
| Jane Lyons CREW Hi Mathilde, your photo is beautiful! Thank you! |
 | Colin Dixon CREW Wonderful Article and amazing photography !!!!! |
| Jane Lyons CREW Hi Colin, thank you! |
A tutorial led by editor Michel Romaggi in collaboration with author Yvette Depaepe.
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe on 7 January.
While looking lately through my archives, I found a photo of a piece of artwork that was installed on the beach in Bredene during the fourth edition of the Beaufort art event in 2012.
‘Guardians of rust and ruin…’
Beaufort is a triennial art event showcasing contemporary sculptures and installations along the Belgian coast every three years. It was first established in 2003. The event includes various artists from Belgium and abroad, with many temporary and permanent works placed along the coast, creating a unique open-air museum experience.
I had wanted to do something with it for a long time, adding a personal touch.
When it was published and awarded, it became controversial because many viewers thought it was an AI-generated image, which is not allowed on 1x. I even had to write a forum post and add the original image to show viewers that it was not AI-generated.
However, some members recognized the artwork, and long-standing members knew for certain that I would never use AI.
POST PROCESSING
The image was processed in Adobe Photoshop.
This is the original file taken the 31st of May 2012.
Settings: Canon EOS 5D MarkII . Canon 24-105mm . f/14 . 1/400sec . ISO400
As you can see, the car wrecks were surrounded by metallic dog sculptures.
1. The first thing I did was clone the dogs out.
2. Then I replaced the sky with a dramatic one from my own files.
3. I made the colours more vivid by using hue/saturation tool in Photoshop.
4. And finally, I added two street dogs from my own files and adjusted once more the colours.
I was pretty satisfied with the result but still doubting - as always - when uploading it.
TIPS
As always, when downloading the photos I took, I immediately delete the really bad ones.
But here's some good advice: keep the good ones, even if they're not particularly special.
Often, when I go through my archives, I find an image to process after years of learning and developing my photographic skills.
Of course, photographic techniques and Photoshop features have also improved a lot.
Here is the perfect example of that: I processed this image after 14 years. 😉
ABOUT ME
I'm not one for talking about myself. Many of you know me as the editor-in-chief of 1x Magazine.
Editor Michel Romaggi provides us with interesting tutorials throughout the year.
When he asked me to write something about my 'Guardians of Rust and Ruin', I accepted immediately.
It's a pleasure to share my workflow with you.
Keep posting, keep up the good work, and let your creativity explode in 2026!
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 | Marco Virgone PRO Woow |
| | DonnaHom APA PRO Nice and creative work. I love the mood and color tone. Congratulations. |
| Yvette Depaepe CREW Thank you, dear Donna ;-) |
 | Susi PRO Excellent and inspiring creative work! Thanks for sharing your work flow. |
| Yvette Depaepe CREW Thanks, Susi ! |
 | Kaisyakuji Yushi PRO Dear Yvette and dear Michel, It was truly rewarding to follow the creative production process and the photographer's thought process. I found it very inspiring. |
| Yvette Depaepe CREW Thanks for your appreciation, dear friend! |
 | Lucie Gagnon CREW I really like what you did with the original image Yvette! Love the transformation, the tones, the mood and the dog placement. I don’t throw out any photos unless they are out of focus or something like that. Thanks for sharing the process, dear Yvette! |
| Yvette Depaepe CREW You're right, Lucie ... thanks for your fine reaction ♥ |
 | X-FlyingKN PRO Dear Yvette, fantastic work and a pleasure to read. Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective so generously; it offers real inspiration beyond technique. And many thanks to Michael too ! |
| Yvette Depaepe CREW It gives so much satisfaction when one can inspire friends, Ken ... Thanks ... |
 | Wanghan Li PRO Thanks for the writing and the wonderful works! Learning. |
| Yvette Depaepe CREW My pleasure, Wanghan Li! |
 | Jacob (Jian) Xu CREW Dear Yvette, wonderful work and truly inspiring! Thank you for sharing your workflow and tips. While I may not be able to apply everything directly to my own photos, a seed has definitely been planted. And thank you to Michel as well for initiating this. |
| Yvette Depaepe CREW I'm so glad to hear that a little seed has been planted, dear Jian! Thank you, my friend! |
| | Eiji Yamamoto PRO Dear Yvette and dear Michel, thank you so much for your very informative article! It's very inspiring! |
| Yvette Depaepe CREW Thank you, dear Eiji! |
 | Optimum |
| Yvette Depaepe CREW ;-) thanks Roberto ... |
| | Miro Susta CREW Very good work with excellent result, before capturing the subject I would chase the dogs away, but understand I am a man you are lady, why take the unnecessary risk. Congratulations on wonderful work and thank very much for your explanation. Good choice Michael. |
| Yvette Depaepe CREW Thank you, Miro! |