~

~

“FLOWERS … and WEDDINGS …

Banquet in honor of the illustrious guest - frescoes painted in the first decades of the 16th century to recall the 1474 visit of the King of Denmark Christian 1st, represent a formidable testimony of the life at the court of the warlord Bartolomeo Colleoni .

Il Castello di Malpaga è certamente una delle costruzioni più tipiche della Lombardia, per l'interesse architettonico, per le vicende storiche che vi si collegano e per i richiami dell'antica vita di corte che evocano una grande figura del quattrocento: il condottiero bergamasco Bartolomeo Colleoni.

Nel 1456 Bartolomeo Colleoni acquista il Castello di Malpaga dal Comune di Bergamo per 100 ducati d'oro. Ma il Castello, con l'invenzione della polvere da sparo non è più difendibile.

Da qui nasce il grande impegno profuso dal Colleoni per renderlo difendibile con una serie di interventi quali l'innalzamento delle mura, la costruzione di alloggi per le truppe e di un secondo fossato. Il castello viene circondato con abitazioni per i suoi armigeri, scuderie e porte fortificate, rendendo il complesso una cittadella altamente inaccessibile.

The Castle of Malpaga is certainly one of Lombardy's most typical buildings, for architectural interest, for historical events linked to it, and for the recalls of the ancient court life that evoke a great figure of the fourteenth century: the bergamasco warlord Bartolomeo Colleoni.

In 1456 Bartolomeo Colleoni bought the Castle of Malpaga from the City of Bergamo for 100 golden ducats. But Castle, with the invention of gunpowder, is no longer defensible.

Hence, the Colleoni's great commitment is born to make it defensible with a series of interventions such as raising the walls, building housing for troops and a second moat. The castle is surrounded by houses for its armed forces, stables and fortified gates, making the complex a highly inaccessible citadel.

One from my Winter trip to Iceland. My attempt at a non-cliched shot of Jokulsarlon beach on a dull day. I imagine it was entertaining to watch!

© Copyright - brendan ó - 2011 | All rights reserved.

Please do not use, copy or edit any of my materials without my written permission. If you want to use this or any other image, please contact me first.

１５年前に買ったMTB。3ヶ月かけて自分でレストアしました。

今はもう手作りしていない貴重なバイクです。

He is the one who makes me happy

When everything else turns to gray

He is also the one who makes me so angry

But makes up for it eventually ;)

He is my best friend, my soul mate, my hubby

Listening to this :)

Photo: Stefanos Papazapraidis - Fine Art Photography 2024

Model: Anna katsoulieri

Non-permanent Art, what a commitment.

Taken downtown TO.

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"commitment: when your girlfriend says it's me or the videogame, then you say we'll talk about it after this level."

Shot with my Fuji X100's using a Cokin soft filter.

This is my last picture for my weekly theme 'Commit' and my 365 group.

I'm commited to take a picture for each day of the year =)

No treatment, but not sooc, due a tiny crop.

Revueflex SC-I

Zeiss Flektogon 2.4/35

expired Fuji Superia 100

Sealed with the exchange of a black-oil sunflower seed (no diamond required).

Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Time and family commitments stopping me getting out so I'm playing with Silver Efex Pro.

This is the Isle of Skye, and shows Gesto Bay with the Cuillin Mountains behind. An archive shot from 2013

--------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------

© Copyright 2014 Philip Hunter, All Rights Reserved.

You do NOT have the right to copy, reproduced, download, or exploit any of my images without my permission.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------

www.vividvista.co.uk

tea sellers vienna

A rework of an older shot, i always loved the energy but wasn't a great fan of the noise levels, cleaned up a little bit in PS.

Enjoying more evening cuddles! Day 1

Day 5 of #inktober - prompt: binoculars

The binoculars help me to bring closer what is far away and which I cannot get closer to. A landscape, a mountain, but especially birds or wild animals.

The inktober challenge is very simple. Just draw the prompt of the day in ink and publish it using the inktober hashtags. After a few years where I passed my turn, I am trying this 2024 edition even though it will be a month full of activities and commitments. I chose the free-style of the continuous line to represent the prompt, without fuss or colors.

I hope you like it!

#inktober2024 #sketchnotes #visualthinking #binoculars

When I immigrated to Canada at the age of 17 I went through a culture shock. The most differences between the Canadian society and the Iraqi society are the lack of commitment, and how lightly love is treated here. I first came to realize that commitment is not highly valued here at my first summer job: people simply didn't care about the company, the products they were producing, their co-workers, or the owners—they only wanted their pay checks. I don't even want to start talking about love here, because I don't know where to start and where to end! I just want to make one comment about love:

Love is not only a feeling, if it was our Lord Jesus Christ wouldn't command us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Because when was the last time you felt love towards your enemy? So love is also a commitment: while a feeling is something you can't control, a commitment you certainly can. It is after you make the commitment to pray and do good to your enemies that the feeling of love may come.

I remember while I was new in Canada I watched on a Judge Judy show a woman suing her common-law husband who is 25 years old because he does not work or help her around the house because he only plays video games with his friends, while she takes care of their 2 children. I had to laugh when I heard that, as I was new to this concept of a 25 years old man who does nothing with his life but play video games! Then around that time I heard in the morning news that a man was wanted in a drive-by shooting related to gang wars, and they said he was 35 years old! I was very shocked to find out that a 35 years old man is still in a gang and he goes around shooting people! It took me few years to figure out what is going on to a high percentage of people here: people (both males and females, but it seems males have a higher percentage) seem to go through infancy, childhood, adolescence, but have such a hard time passing into adulthood. Let me give you an example:

Boys in Iraq when they grow up they are constantly reminded that one day they are going to be men. For example, when my brother-in-law (who is from Egypt) goes to do a business deal he takes my 6 years old nephew with him because he wants his son to see that life is not all playing and that it requires seriousness and responsibility. And we are also told to keep our word—that is if we say something we stick by it. Because Iraq is a cultural society a man's worth is valued by how he values his own words. Let's say a man promises his neighbour to help him fix his car in the evening. If evening comes and the man doesn't show up then he cannot be trusted, if he cannot be trusted then he is not dependable, which mean his services will not be required, and if you are not needed in the society then you are not important. This idea here is almost non-existing. At university for example students are constantly being formed into groups of about 5 people and have to work as a group to get a project done. It is almost always that one group member or more either doesn't show up to a meeting, or is late, or has not done his or her part. Many have no feelings of responsibility or commitment. Yet, those same students are expected to graduate in a year or so and become leaders of families and our society!

The problem lies in that most people live here by preference rather than convictions. Their thoughts pattern usually goes like this: I feel like it therefore I will do it, or I don't feel like it therefore I won't do it. People live by preferences when they are selfish and self centred. But living by convictions and commitments requires selflessness and sacrifice. And as Christians it is essential that we keep our words and promises. Because if we desire to be like our Lord then we have to be trustworthy, faithful, selfless, and committed like Him. It is essential that we live by convictions.

Imagine marriage run by feelings alone? Who feels like taking the garbage out? Who feels like changing diapers? Who feels like waking up 3 times a night to a crying child? Who feels like paying the mortgage? Who feels in love the same with their spouse after 30 years?

Another problem people face here is that at such a young age they engage in sexual immorality, and associate love with it, and experience rejection. If a person has had multiple sex partners by the time they are 20 years old, what value does marriage, love, or commitment have to them anymore? That's why it is so important that Christians raise their children on Biblical principles and enforce those principles.

I am not saying that in Iraq people don't break their promises, and people in Canada are not trustworthy, all I am saying is that the percentage of people who are untrustworthy, take love easily, and don't value commitment is much higher here. And I am not saying that if you promise something you have to always keep it. If you promise in your anger to commit a sin then don't do it. Or if you promise doesn't fit God's will then don't do it. And I am also not saying you should become like a machine living without feelings but by commands alone. The goal here is not to be become a perfectionist or ignore your humanity; the goal here is to be trustworthy, dependable, and not disappoint God and people as long as it depends on you. The idea here is to be a adult (responsible) man or woman.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Few months ago I read in the February 2009 InTouch magazine a story of a Christian man's divorce that really touched me. I cried when I read it because the emotions he expressed were so true of a rejected, fooled, deceived, mistreated, and disesteemed person. The story reminded me of a movie that was based on a true story of a man committing adultery with his secretary, and then divorcing his completely unsuspecting wife to marry his mistress. The sad part of the story is that he only felt guilty for a while, while she had to live with the feelings of being rejected, unloved, unimportant, deceived, and had to deal with disappointment, shame and labels (because of society), and having no support in raising their sons for many years. On top of that, when holidays came her sons went to spend time with their dad while she stayed home alone. It is amazing how the actions of one person can harm another so greatly. Sometimes we think that the person who does the wrongdoings reaps the consequences for his or her actions immediately, but often times this is not the case and that the victim suffers for much longer. At least that's sometimes true here on earth, but in heaven everything is fair and no time is longer than an eternity in hell.

Sometimes people say that it takes two people to ruin a marriage. I don't believe in that: I think it needs only one person to ruin a marriage (of course, it can also take two people). You only need one hand to be missing for you not to be able to clap. Few years ago at work a woman discovered her husband was committing adultery with a co-worker who was 20 years his junior. The wife was very crushed. Then a co-worker told me that her sons say that she doesn't even cook at home. I answered her, "That's non-sense, if he was that hungry he should cook himself, order food, or take them out for dinner. How is food connected to adultery?" It seems that we humans love to blame the victim for the crime, but this doesn't please God.

I also know a very godly Iraqi man who loved a girl with all of his heart for 3 years. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her as long as it made her happy and it wasn't a sin. Then one day she told him that she couldn't marry him because he was a construction worker, and even though he made good money he was worth nothing because he doesn't have a degree. He was shocked when he heard her say that to him, because he wanted to marry her! After all those years, money spent and efforts from his part, and all that love, that's what she thought of him? Few months later he heard that she got married to a doctor. Six months later she sent him an e-mail apologizing, asking his forgiveness saying that she still loves him. He wrote her back with the supervision of his pastor and addressing her as "sister" saying that what happened has happened, and he prays for her and her husband, wishes them the best, and that he doesn't want her to contact him anymore because she is a married woman now. Since then I wondered: Why make a mess of your life? Why not value someone who you know in your heart that this person genuinely loves you? And we all know how difficult it is to find someone who loves you unconditionally and is committed to you. Why marry someone for the wrong reasons and regret it later? I want to say this to the ladies reading this:

There is nothing more attractive in a woman than knowing she is wise, and have a strong character. (That's why so many men find girls who wear glasses attractive!) It is a beautiful thing in a woman to have an independent character. And by independent I don't mean rebellious or that she doesn't respect other people's thoughts, but I mean to be dependent on God's Word and to know who she is in Him and what His will is and to live a godly life—that she is not easily persuaded to do things. I am saying this because in the Middle Eastern culture and even among many Christians, women seem to be so easily influenced by whatever a man says. When I get married, if it is God's will, I want my wife to have her own character, her own thoughts and to ask, "Is what my husband saying correct? Is it supported Biblically?" And if it is not then I would love for her to correct me. Just as I am supposed to be the man of the house, she is supposed to be my helper, and how can she helps me when she just duplicates my thoughts, and doesn't question my decisions?! Interestingly, the most independent in her thinking godly woman I know is also the best wife I know. The Bible says in Proverbs 31:

"{10} A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

{11} Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value."

[How can a husband have full confidence in his wife if he knows she is easily influenced?]

"{13} She selects…. {14} She bringing…. {15} She gets up…she provides…. {16} She considers… she plants…. {17} She sets about her work…. {18} She sees that her trading is profitable…. {19} She holds…. {20} She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy…. {21} She has no fear…. {22} She makes…. {25} She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. {26} She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue."

[This is a woman has an independent mind and a strong character, works hard, and make profitable deals, she is confident and makes wise decisions, and her husband has confidence in her and is respected—that's a godly woman.]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So for few months now I have decided to take a photo to illustrate the pain a man or a woman go through when the wife or the husband commit adultery. And yesterday at university with the help of few classmates I was able to take that photo. The photo is dedicated to William Ryder (whose story is posted below), and all wronged persons out there whose only crime is that they loved so purely that they didn't see evil coming.

I hope you like the photo and the writing :)

PS: The one thing I don't understand about adultery is how come it is not against the law! I mean, marriage is a contract and both parties agree on its terms and sign it, right? Then how come the breach of this contract is not against the law? I mean, if you do it in business you get sued and have to pay for it. So why is destroying a family, and the lives of the wife or husband, and the children is not punishable by law?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This (unexpected) Life

Surviving the pain of labels and “good intentions”

by William Ryder

I will always remember that night with crystal clarity. We had just moved to a new city eleven days earlier to enable Amy, my wife of three years, to begin a Master’s program. Having graduated from seminary ten weeks prior, I was working a retail job while I searched for a church ministry position. Weary from a ten-hour workday framed by a one-hour commute, I slowly climbed the steps to our new apartment.

Inside, I sank gleefully into my favorite chair and turned my attention to Amy, who was sitting at the edge of the couch beside me. She nervously cleared her throat and said, “We need to talk.” I was not prepared for what came next. In what seemed like a single breath she said, “Well, I have not been very happy lately. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out why, and I think I’ve finally realized the truth. I don’t love you. I don’t have the feelings for you that I think a wife should have for her husband. I think marrying you was a mistake, and I don’t want to be married anymore.”

Wow. There was simply no response in my mind to what she had said. I was numb. I stood up and paced the floor as I desperately strove to work through this information. I understand that in most divorces, both parties usually see it coming; however, there is occasionally that hapless idiot who’s caught completely off guard. That was me, catching butterflies in left field while my wife decided she no longer loved me.

Almost immediately, Amy moved out of our apartment to stay with a friend. She would speak to me only through e-mails and, soon after, her attorney. I stayed there alone for several weeks, pleading with her to change her mind. However, two months after the initial bombshell, Amy had divorce papers drawn up, and I realized that our marriage was truly over. Knowing her decision was final, and because I had no job or friends in the new city, I agreed to leave town.

I remember walking through the apartment, trying to separate “my” things from “her” things. It was impossible—like reaching inside of a baked cake, trying to pull out the individual ingredients. No longer was there a unity of belongings, but rather a collection of two people’s possessions thrown together. Looking over all our stuff, I was no longer able to see any gray; everything was either black or white, hers or mine, staying or going.

As I made the last inspection after packing all of my things into a U-Haul, my attention paused at a framed wedding picture on the kitchen table. For a moment, I stopped breathing. Picking it up, I looked into the eyes of that beautiful bride, and I trembled. Returning the photograph to the table, I became painfully aware of the now-defunct piece of gold on my left hand. I slowly pulled the wedding band off my finger, gently kissed it, and sat it on the table beside the portrait. Then I turned, walked outside, and locked the door behind me. At that moment, in every way, I was a man with no home.

Weeks later, I suffered the tremendous indignity of piecing together the abhorrent truth behind Amy’s departure. Her “rational, adult decision” to leave our marriage was a sham; she’d actually been embroiled in an affair with another man for almost a year—one third of our marriage. This was the “friend” with whom she was staying while I pled for her to return. With this insight, my last hopes were destroyed, and I signed the divorce papers . . . two days before Thanksgiving.

This is my story. Tragic? Absolutely. Pitiful? Without a doubt. The real question, though, is, Why should you care about all of this? Why did I have to invite you into the darkest part of my private nightmares? The answer, sadly, is that if you do not have such a painful story yourself, you can be certain that you know someone who does. Roughly half of all marriages in America end in divorce; for born-again Christians, the percentage is, surprisingly, higher. Despite all of these “newly single” people populating American churches, the church in general has no idea how to react, relate, or respond to the needs of this heartbroken crowd.

I believe the first obstacle that must be conquered is a matter of identity. Let me explain: In the past few years, I have become painfully aware of how, when, and where the word “divorce” is used. It often appears in a checklist under the heading “Marital Status,” which gives people four options: single, married, widowed, or divorced. I’ve seen this in the most unexpected places, from a church visitor information card to an application for health insurance.

The issue is that people have grown accustomed to categorizing others according to certain “pegs” in their social life. The problem with this, however, is that there is no such thing as a “divorced person.” Divorce is an event, not a condition. My divorce was something that happened to me, a tragedy in my past. However, that misfortune should not characterize my whole life from now on.

The church can go a long way toward ministering to the expansive population of “new singles” by simply striking the word “divorced” from its vocabulary. Using the term as an adjective simply identifies an individual by a horrible event in his life. In this, saying, “Will is a divorced person” is tantamount to saying, “Frank is a pancreatic cancer person.” No one would be insensitive enough to say the latter, so why should it be acceptable to commonly say the former?

The most shocking and hurtful appearance of the “divorce check-box” that I have seen was actually church-related. I had taken myself out of the ministry search for almost a year while I worked through my divorce. Then, as I began to test the waters, I wrote to local denominational associations, asking for help in finding possible positions in their areas. One group mailed back a Personal Inventory Checklist to be stapled to my résumé. The checklist contained a brief list of yes/no questions that inquired about any involvement in child abuse, spousal abuse, and other indiscretions. There, wedged neatly between “Obscene/Harassment Phone Calls” and “Do you use illegal drugs?” was the question, “Have you been divorced?” It was then I realized that, in many people’s opinions, my new peer group consisted of wife beaters and child molesters. I completed the form, but obviously never heard from any church in that area.

Another problem is the “civilian’s” inability to understand what divorce does to a person. Unfortunately, many well-meaning people attempt to help their hurting friends by uttering the five most potentially destructive words imaginable: “Get on with your life.” This encouragement is built on the premise that their friend’s life is still there, but he has just removed himself from it. This is a mistake. Even though he may still be breathing, your friend’s life, for all intents and purposes, was terminated by his divorce.

Let me demonstrate this point from my own experience. For eight long, continuous years I worked hard in school, held a full-time job, took on various church leadership roles, got married, and began making long-term career and family plans. However, my wife’s actions effectively ended that life. In a real sense, my divorce murdered the man and the minister that I was becoming. I will simply never be that man again.

The miracle is that God has raised a new life from the ashes. I now have a new career and ministry that I adore. I honestly cannot imagine being happier doing anything else. Does this mean that my current life will always be second-string to what “might have been”? I don’t think so; however, I do know that this life came about only through time, patience, and the determined work of God. Do not be quick to urge the newly single person to “get on with his life”; he may actually be stuck between the old life and the new. Only the Holy Spirit and a hearty amount of patience will truly enable him to get on with his new life.

When my ordeal first began in August of 2000, I met with a trusted mentor—a minister who had been through a similar situation. He said something to me that I’ll never forget: “William, nothing I say can make this less painful. But I do know that if you get through a major crisis like divorce with your faith intact, you will understand some things about God that a lot of people never realize.” Now, looking back, I see that he was right. I have never been more aware of the enduring presence of the Holy Spirit than I have these past few years. I have never before known the complete joy and release of casting everything at the foot of the cross and coming to God with a broken heart and empty hands. Mostly, though, I never expected to actually like my new life, but God was more gracious than I ever imagined.

If you are standing where I have been, or if you love someone who is going through the whirlwind of divorce, do no expect any trite words of comfort and solace here. However, if you are a hurting individual who is crying out to God for the strength to endure, be encouraged by His response through the apostle Peter: “[Cast] all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you . . . And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (1 Peter 5:7, 10). Even if the present seems insurmountable, you can trust that the future is wide open for your success, love, and happiness. How do I know? Because God said so, and because He has done it for me.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: InTouch Magazine, February 2009

(Toronto, ON; fall 2009.)

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We were watching this pair of Great Horned Owls in Fish Creek Park yesterday morning. Before seeing these owls, we had just been watching another pair of the same species ("my" owls) a few minutes away. I'm pretty sure that the female is on the left and the smaller, darker male is on the right. They think that this species mates for life.

Biography: Lena Edwards had a tireless commitment to her profession as a physician and to her community. A daughter of Marie Coakley and Thomas W. Edwards, a dentist who taught at Howard University, and younger sister of another project interviewee, May Edwards Hill, she was born and educated in Washington, D.C. She attended Howard University, where she earned her B.A. and M.D. degrees. After an internship at Freedmen's Hospital, she became the first Black Woman to complete a residency in obstetrics at Margaret Hague Hospital in New Jersey. After many years of medical practice in New Jersey, at the same time that she was raising six children, in 1954 Dr. Edwards joined the faculty of Howard University where she taught obstetrics and gynecology. A devoted teacher, she sought to convey her ideas on the humanity of medicine and importance of treating the patient as an integral whole. She left Howard in 1960 to live and work for five years in a migrant labor camp in Hereford, Tex., where she established a maternity clinic and used her own savings to open a health clinic serving 5,000 laborers and their families. In recognition of her work, she was presented with the Presidential Freedom Award in 1964. A devout Catholic, Dr. Edwards was a pioneer in advocating natural childbirth and throughout her career has been instrumental in setting up programs for unwed mothers, for alcoholics, and for the poor and aged. She was a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and of the International College of Surgeons; other memberships included the American Medical Association, American Medical Women's Association, and Delta Sigma Theta. After retirement, she continued to be active in community medicine in New Jersey.

Description: The Black Women Oral History Project interviewed 72 African American women between 1976 and 1981. With support from the Schlesinger Library, the project recorded a cross section of women who had made significant contributions to American society during the first half of the 20th century. Photograph taken by Judith Sedwick

Repository: Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America.

Collection: Black Women Oral History Project

Research Guide: guides.library.harvard.edu/schlesinger_bwohp

Questions? Ask a Schlesinger Librarian

承諾 Commitment~Shoot by smart phone SONY Z3 Compact.

Jordan & Aubree

Serendipity Weddings

norajulian photography

(unknown models)

Love locks, commemorating couples' commitment to each other, at the Bell Tower, Barrack Square in Perth, Western Australia, 5th July 2024. Shot on film using a Canon EOS 300X with Kodak ColorPlus 200.

TC-JSU, Airbus A321-231 (CN 6709) 'Kalecik' of THY Turkish Airlines departs Edinburgh Airport on a return leg to Istanbul. The aircraft which was delivered in 2015 wears a special 'bio fuel' livery. Having made one flight partly fuelled by SAF, the aircraft apparently signals THY Turkish's commitment to sustainable aviation. So, no meaningful action then.

A challenging time of day to shoot, with the light straight down runway 24.

Hello my Friends todays painting is called (Involuntary Commitment) A Involuntary commitment is the practice of using legal means or forms as part of a mental health law to commit a person to a mental hospital, insane asylum or psychiatric ward against their will and/or over their protests, Involuntary Commitment takes place when a person is ordered to be admitted to a hospital or treatment facility in order to prevent harm to that individual or others. The purpose of involuntary commitment is to help a person receive necessary and appropriate mental health and/or substance abuse treatment. In order to be hospitalized against an individual's wishes, the person must be mentally ill or under the influence of drugs or alcohol and dangerous to self or others. A person may act very strangely. displaying abnormal behavior but not be committable. An individual is considered dangerous to self if the person exhibits the following behaviors:

is unable to exercise self-control. judgment and discretion in conducting responsibilities of daily life without care/supervision. or

is unable to satisfy need for nourishment. personal care, medical care. shelter. protection and safety and there is a "reasonable probability" of serious physical debilitation unless adequate treatment is given, or

has attempted or threatened suicide and there is "reasonable probability" of suicide unless treatment is given. or

has mutilated or attempted to mutilate self and there is "reasonable probability" that the person will seriously mutilate self again unless treatment is given,steve

This loveseat was positioned to perfectly view the sunrise coming over the Salton Sea. The sunrises over the sea can be incredibly stunning. It's an eerie feeling to be hit by intense pinks and blues bouncing off the mountains and into the water as trailers very slowly decay next to you. It kind of makes it more perfect for me. In nature's reclamation, we must have decay. It defines beauty and rebirth. All those moments happen simultaneously here.

-western shore, Salton Sea, CA

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Because weather and other commitments have conspired against me getting aout with my camera recently, I have been continuing to dive through old RAW files and re-process them using my new workflow that is centred around ON1 Photo RAW 2020.

It is a great shame that Aachen Cathedral does not allow the use of tripods. This image is a stitch of four frames, each of which was shot using a Sony A7 and a vintage Vivitar 24mm prime with a Fotodiox Cannon FD to NEX adapter. Because light was low and I did not want to push ISO above 800, the images were taken with an aperture f/2.8 yielding an exposure of 1/125s. In an ideal world, I would have used a much smaller aperture with a longer exposure on a tripod as these images are a little soft. Wit my current full frame camera I would comfortably be able to shoot this hand held thanks to the excellent LUMIX IBIS system. I hope I can do that so that I can get a better capture of this magnificent interior.

For this image, I used DxO PhotoLab 3 just for noise reduction of each frame. I then performed a panoramic merge of the four frames and performed all other processing in ON1 Photo RAW 2020.

Copyright © Dave Sexton. All Rights Reserved.

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An A-10C Thunderbolt II, from the 163rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, takes off during Operation Atlantic Resolve at Sliač Air Base, Slovakia, July 19, 2016. Airmen of the 163rd EFS have been taking part in OAR to conduct training and familiarization events alongside the Slovak armed forces, a NATO ally. The U.S. presence in Europe and the relationships built over the past 70 years provide strategic access critical to meet the nation’s NATO commitment to respond to threats against our allies and partners. (U.S. Air National Guard photo/Staff Sgt. William Hopper)

My friend hosted a surprise party for her parents 62nd wedding anniversary. Her and her three sisters were able to arrange family and friends to be at her house for the big day. I am so honored to have been asked to photograph it for her.

Honor, Courage & Commitment. US NAVY. This is done in honor of my husband who retired from the US Navy in August '06 after 24 years of service.