Born in Los Angeles in 1980 to an engineer and an artist, Mac has been creating and studying art independently since childhood. He was inspired at a young age by classic European painters such as Caravaggio, and Vermeer and Art Nouveau symbolists such as Klimt and Mucha. This was mixed with the more contemporary influences of graffiti and photorealism, as well as as the Chicano & Mexican culture he grew up around.

Alexandra Crockett, a musician and jewelry designer, has been present and active in the metal community since the age of 15 and is currently a doctoral student in the Bay Area. Beginning her idea for the book by doing promotional photos for bands and friends she would cat-sit for, she found an interesting dynamic between men in the metal scene and their cats. The idea for the book formed around giving accolades to local musicians and artists in the metal scene, while also bringing to light no-kill shelters and their importance for animal rights.

Chinese-born street artist DALeast, whose work is recognizable for its unique style anywhere he paints, has left a trail of stunning 3D graffiti spanning several continents. Based in South Africa with his wife, the 29-year-old artist spends around half a year traveling around the world and painting his graffiti artworks in different cities. Each piece of his street art looks as it’s made out of thousands of metal shards, which all come together beautifully to shape different animals, birds or humans in action.

“Award-winning photographer Camille Seaman, best known for her earlier work depicting massive polar icebergs, recently turned her lens on another incredible natural phenomenon - storm clouds above the American Midwest. She partnered with experienced storm chasers and began to stalk a particular type of storm cloud – the supercell. On June 22, 2012, in western Nebraska, she encountered an enormous supercell and captured its many faces”. (Photo by Camille Seaman via TheAtlantic)

Residents wearing masks to protect from the coronavirus cross a junction in Beijing on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. (Photo by Ng Han Guan/AP Photo)

Rick Kelly, owner of Carmine Street Guitars, poses for a picture at his shop in New York City, U.S., July 21, 2016. Kelly builds custom guitars from the “bones of New York”, using reclaimed lumber from historic New York buildings. (Photo by Joe Penney/Reuters)

Siberian Huskies pull a contestant during the “Kara-Dag 2016” open amateur dog sled and skijoring race near the village of Yelovoye in Taiga district, outside Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russia, February 21, 2016. Dogs and their owners from various regions of Siberia took part in an annual race. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)