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Taken near the gardens area/walkway at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India on a beautiful and warm November morning. By the way, the spires are built so that if there is an earth quake they will fall away from the Taj Mahal.
shot by KHWD
want to see more images or read the blog?
www.holiday2017.co.uk/victoria
Flinders Street Station: Melbourne’s Beating Heart
Flinders Street Station isn’t just a transport hub—it’s a cultural icon, architectural marvel, and a beloved meeting place that pulses with Melbourne’s rhythm. Let’s take a deep dive into its story:
📜 Historical Origins
- Opened in 1854, originally named Melbourne Terminus, it was the first railway station in any Australian city.
- The current building was completed in 1910, based on a design by James Fawcett and H.P.C. Ashworth, who won a public competition in 1899.
- By the 1920s, it became the busiest passenger station in the world, handling over 200,000 commuters in a single day.
🏰 Architectural Grandeur
- The station showcases Edwardian Baroque and French Renaissance styles, with its green copper dome, yellow façade, and arched windows.
- It spans two city blocks and features 13 platforms, including Platform 1, which is the longest in Australia at 708 metres.
- Above the main entrance is the famous row of 13 clocks, a classic rendezvous point for Melburnians—“Meet me under the clocks” is practically a local proverb.
🎭 Cultural Significance
- The station is deeply woven into Melbourne’s identity, appearing in films, music videos, and artworks.
- It houses a hidden ballroom on the third floor, once a vibrant venue for dances and concerts, now closed but still whispered about in urban legends.
- There’s even a ghost story—a spectral figure named George is said to haunt Platform 10, gazing toward the Yarra River.
🚉 Modern Role & Legacy
- Today, it serves over 100,000 passengers daily, connecting Melbourne’s suburbs and regional lines.
- It’s a heritage-listed site, with ongoing restoration efforts to preserve its structure and enhance accessibility.
- The station has inspired international design competitions, including proposals from Zaha Hadid and Herzog & de Meuron to reimagine its future
see more in my doubles album, the same images in both COLOUR & B&W / Monochrome
www.flickr.com/photos/keefhwebdesigns/albums/721777203247...
John Lennon statue in Matthew Street, Liverpool. Clearly influenced by the photo on the cover of his 1975 Rock 'n' Roll album.
If you zoom in you can make out the names of some of the very many bands that have performed at the Cavern Club over the years.
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
Captured in June 2018, the 1st Duke of Wellington is adorned with 11 traffic cones - the most I have ever seen! *with a bonus cone for the horse.
The Duke is always adorned with a traffic cone, at least since the 1980s, and despite a couple of council efforts to stop the practice, public support for the cone won out.
The sculpture was erected in 1844 and is a Category-A listed monument. The tradition of the traffic cone has made Wellington one of Glasgow's most iconic landmark. It is certainly Glasgow's most photographed landmark which is a good reason why I generally avoid photographing it - though there is an occasional exception, as here.
The cones, although thought to represent the local humour, sometimes take a political tone.
On 'Brexit Day' in 2020 the cone was painted like an EU flag and, more recently, a Ukrainian Flag coloured cone has appeared.
I have no idea why it was sporting 11 cones on this day but I hope that you enjoy the shot and my write-up here. I decided to upload the shot to give my 'Glasgow' Album a new cover image. Enjoy!
The mighty, the sacred, the eternally mysterious - central to the identity of Japan and her people.
For me, a pilgrimage of sorts; to finally stand before this most beautiful of natural wonders, a deeply moving 24 hours in my life. Fuji-san leaves one breathless and bewildered. Parting earth and sky with remarkable symmetry, its beauty beyond description in text or letter, no poem powerful enough to create the emotion in one's heart and mind upon seeing for the first time, in person and close at hand.
I arose the second morning at 5am to witness first light falling on the sleeping giant, and the sunrise upon Lake Kawaguchiko before me.
Link to dawn image: www.flickr.com/photos/112623317@N03/49582116291/in/photol...
This shot here is a little while later - this wonderful view was enjoyed from our balcony with its own private onsen, at the Hotel Kukuna. Highly recommended.
Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano and the tallest mountain in Japan, standing at 3,776 meters (12,380 feet).
Link to twilight shot the previous evening: www.flickr.com/photos/112623317@N03/51868021747/in/photol...
© All rights reserved.
Still Life with HP Sauce. A piquant cultural icon, taken in my kitchen in Cumbria. All you need to know about Brown Sauce is in my article, which can be seen here:
www.winealchemy.co.uk/brown-sauce-exploring-a-piquant-cul...
WAT ARUN THE TEMPLE OF DAWN
WAT ARUN IS ONE OF WORLD'S RENOWN ICONIC LANDMARKS.
THE TEMPLE DERIVES ITS NAME FROM THE HINDU GOD ARUNA. EMBODIED AS THE RADIATIONS OF THE RISING SUN. THE FIRST GLIMMERS OF MORNING LIGHT REFLECT AGAINST THE TEMPLES PEARLY IRIDESCENCE GIVING IT A MAJESTIC APPEAL.
A BUDDHIST TEMPLE HAS EXISTED AT THIS SITE SINCE
THE AYUTTHAYA KINGDOM. 1351–1767 AD.
It's one of the most spectacular and recognizable Thai landmarks. Idyllically situated amongst picturesque river scenes, capturing the stunning contrast with the surrounding modern cityscape.
Elle était bien là,la gigantesque Tour Effeil...
Pourtant je ne suis pas montée sur la plateforme d'observation...j'ai préféré demeurer en-bas pour l'admirer...J'en avais tellement entendu parler...
*******
Vous lire est un plaisir.Merci de vos commentaires,votre visite,vos invitations et favoris!
To read your comments is a pleasure.Thank you for your visit,comments,invitations and faves!
www.flickr.com/groups/2389839@N23/
Awake! for Morning's tender light does gleam,
Within the Bowl of Night, a radiant dream.
The Stone is flung, stars scatter far and wide,
As daylight breaks, the celestial tide.
Behold the Hunter of the Eastern skies,
His nimble fingers weave the dawn's surprise.
The Sultan's Turret, ensnared in threads of gold,
A Noose of Light, the tale of morn is told.
The canvas of the heavens, a masterpiece,
Where cosmic wonders never seem to cease.
In dawn's embrace, the world begins to stir,
A symphony of light, a subtle whisper.
The East, a realm where darkness takes its flight,
And morning's magic bathes the world in light.
A dance of shadows, painted on the sky,
As daylight reigns, the Sultan's Turret high.
Oh, let us rise and greet the newborn day,
With open hearts, as dreams in daylight sway.
The Hunter's triumph in the eastern dome,
A celestial spectacle, calling us home.
Captured at the iconic Griffith Observatory, this image features the statue of James Dean with the Hollywood Sign rising in the background - two symbols eternally linked by cinema history. Dean’s unforgettable role in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) was filmed on location here, turning the observatory into a backdrop for one of the most poignant portrayals of youthful rebellion in American film. The statue commemorates not just his performance, but his enduring legacy as a symbol of raw emotion and misunderstood youth.
photo rights reserved by Ben
The setting of the statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali in Sno is as impressive as the statue itself. This statue is an important symbolic representation of Georgian history and culture. Vakhtang Gorgasali was a legendary king from the 5th century, famous for his military victories and his contribution to the expansion of the Georgian kingdom. He is also often associated with Christianity in Georgia, as he introduced Christianity to the kingdom. The statue shows a proud king, reflecting his leadership and courage. It is a symbol of Georgian pride and the significance of Vakhtang Gorgasali in the history of the country. The statue is not only a tribute to the king, but also a commemoration of the struggle and the cultural influence he had on Georgia. Sno is known for its beautiful location and historical significance, and the statue adds an extra layer of historical and cultural value to this region. The statue also bears a miniature of the church named after him, the Church of Vakhtang Gorgasali. This church, located right next to the statue, is an important religious monument in Georgia and symbolizes the royal and religious importance of Vakhtang Gorgasali to the country. The miniature on the statue is a tribute to his contributions to both the Georgian state and Christianity.
The statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali is located in the town of Sno in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of Georgia. It symbolizes the historical significance of the king, who introduced Christianity to Georgia and expanded the kingdom. The statue shows a proud standing king, a tribute to his leadership and courage. The statue also carries a miniature of the church named after him, the Church of Vakhtang Gorgasali, located nearby.
De omgeving van het standbeeld van koning Vakhtang Gorgasali in Sno is net zo indrukwekkend als het standbeeld zelf. Dit standbeeld is een belangrijke symbolische representatie van de Georgische geschiedenis en cultuur. Vakhtang Gorgasali was een legendarische koning uit de 5e eeuw, beroemd om zijn militaire overwinningen en zijn bijdrage aan de uitbreiding van het Georgische koninkrijk. Hij wordt ook vaak geassocieerd met het christendom in Georgië, omdat hij het koninkrijk het christendom binnenbracht. Het standbeeld toont een fier staande koning, wat zijn leiderschap en moed weerspiegelt. Het is een symbool van de Georgische trots en de betekenis van Vakhtang Gorgasali in de geschiedenis van het land. Het standbeeld is niet alleen een eerbetoon aan de koning, maar ook een herdenking van de strijd en de culturele invloed die hij had voor Georgië. Sno staat bekend om zijn mooie ligging en historische betekenis, en het standbeeld voegt een extra laag van historische en culturele waarde toe aan deze regio. Het standbeeld draagt tevens een miniatuur van de kerk die naar hem is vernoemd, de Kerk van Vakhtang Gorgasali. Deze kerk, gelegen vlak naast het standbeeld, is een belangrijk religieus monument in Georgië en symboliseert de koninklijke en religieuze betekenis van Vakhtang Gorgasali voor het land. De miniatuur op het standbeeld is een eerbetoon aan zijn bijdragen aan zowel de Georgische staat als het christendom.
Mt Fuji emerges from a layer of clouds as hundreds of tourists all over the world wait with bated breath. They want their chance as they don't have much time and they have come from all over the world to see the 3776 metre icon of Japan. This perspective is from Fujikawaguchiko with the outskirts of the town in the foreground.
"Godzilla? It's the name of a monster that lives in the sea. It will come from the ocean to feed on humankind to survive."
('Godzilla' by NECA)
Diorama by RK
Abbey Road moves from London NW8 to HA5, with Lisa Harrison, Bart McCartney, Marge Starkey & Homer Lennon.
"I happened to come along in the music business when there was no trend."
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977)
('Elvis' / '68 Comeback Special by McFarlane Toys)
Bela Bartok's (1881-1945) statue stands on a traffic island outside South Kensington undergraound station.
It was commissioned by the peter Warlock Society from the Hungarian sculptor Imre Varga and unveiled in Oct. 2004. English composer Peter Warlock (1894-1930) was inspired by Bartok's use of traditional folk music and brought Bartok to England in 1922. On that and subsequent visits he stayed at 7 Sydney Place nearby.
Pinocchio has become a cultural icon. He is one of the most reimagined characters in children's literature!
Thanks to a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan village who created a wooden puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy. Pinocchio is notably characterized for his frequent tendency to lie, which causes his nose to grow...
Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel in the Gothic style, within the medieval Palais de la Cité, the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century, on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris, France.
Begun some time after 1238 and consecrated on 26 April 1248, the Sainte-Chapelle is considered among the highest achievements of the Rayonnant period of Gothic architecture. It was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ's Crown of Thorns—one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom.
Along with the Conciergerie, the Sainte-Chapelle is one of the earliest surviving buildings of the Capetian royal palace on the Île de la Cité. Although damaged during the French Revolution, and restored in the 19th century, it has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained glass collections anywhere in the world.
"Civilization crumbles as its death rays blast a city of 6 million from the face of the earth!"
('Godzilla' by NECA)
Diorama by RK
The Sydney Opera House is the busiest performing arts centre in the world. Since its opening in 1973, it has brought countless hours of entertainment to millions of people and has continued to attract the best in world class talent year after year. Many visitors are surprised to find that the Sydney Opera House is really a complex of theatres and halls all linked together beneath its famous shells.
In an average year, the Sydney Opera House presents theatre, musicals, opera, contemporary dance, ballet, every form of music from symphony concerts to jazz as well as exhibitions and films. It averages around 3,000 events each year with audiences totaling up to two million. In addition, approximately 200,000 people take a guided tour of the complex each year.
The form of the opera house was a result of an international competition organised for the design of a performing arts complex, and although this was well known. 233 different design entries were submitted from all over the world. The winner of the competition, announced in January 1957, was the Danish architect Jorn Utzon (born in 1918). It was originally envisaged that it would take four years to build the Opera House. Construction of the building commenced in March 1959 and proceeded in slow stages over the next fourteen years.
The original design was so boldly conceived that it proved structurally impossible to build. After four years of research Utzon altered his design and gave the roof vaults a defined spherical geometry. This enabled the roofs to be constructed in a pre-cast fashion, greatly reducing both time and cost.
The first performance in the complex, in the Opera Theatre on 28 September 1973, was The Australian Opera's production of War and Peace by Prokofiev. The Sydney Opera House was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973.
The Eiffel Tower—or as the French call it, La Tour Eiffel—is one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks. The tower was designed as the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair in Paris and was meant to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution and show off France’s modern mechanical prowess on a world stage.
Mission: accomplished. The tower was built by Gustave Eiffel’s civil engineering firm in two years, two months, and five days, using 7,500 tons of iron and 2.5 million rivets. The end result of Eiffel’s hard work dominates the Parisian skyline and its stark silhouette has been emulated around the world in China, Las Vegas, Greece, and, of course, Paris, Texas.
This is a series of pictures taken from the Empire State Building in NYC midtown Manhattan in December 2014 during a business trip. The cityscape from the top floor of the skyscraper at 373 m from the street is absolutely stunning, especially at night when one can appreciate the majesty of New York city street lighting.
Completed in 1931 with 443.2 m including the antenna the building was the world tallest skyscraper for several decades.
© All rights reserved. You need my permission to use any photo.
Prints | FB | Soundcloud | Insta | Twitter | G+ | Blog | © Ben Heine
Prints, canvases and posters of this artwork can be found HERE.
Please also check out this video showing the making of.
This is my circlist portrait of Elvis Presley. I've always admired him. I wanted to make something unusual and give him the aspect of a solid and invincible robot... but not a real "terminator" because he was especially a romantic man with one of the most beautiful voices ever...
Please enlarge to see how it's done. I've only used circles of different sizes and colors on a black background. The whole portrait took me several days of intense work. There is no trick, those circles aren't placed automatically, I've positioned each circle one by one. I'm now going to make a circlist portrait of Freddie Mercury...
For more info about my projects, contact: info@benheine.com
---------------
Love Me
A poem by Peter S. Quinn
Love me tender
Love me now
Our I’ll return to sender
Your love somehow
Love me for ever
And don’t let me go
Don’t be too cleaver
For me to know
Every your way
Is loves to take
You are my day
For each my heartache
Every your love
Be good or ill
Like clouds here above
Drift or rain spill
Love is in the air
This singing spring
Beauty is all around here
In that these times bring
Bouquet’s beautiful rose
How dear you are now
Fragrance sweet and close
Is summer days endow
Love me tender
Love me still
Every day is a splendor
With you to fulfill
"Godzilla absorbed massive amounts of atomic radiation and yet it still survived! What do you think could kill it?"
('Godzilla' by NECA)
Diorama by RK
A Catedral de Pamplona, localizada em Navarra, Espanha, ostenta uma fachada neoclássica que substituiu a antiga fachada românica. Projetada por Ventura Rodríguez e concluída entre 1783 e 1792, a fachada exibe influências da arquitetura clássica greco-romana, caracterizada por simetria, proporções equilibradas e o uso de colunas clássicas.
Pilastras coríntias sustentam um frontão triangular, elemento típico do neoclassicismo, e a ornamentação inclui esculturas e relevos de figuras religiosas e simbólicas, realçando o significado espiritual da catedral.
A catedral, originalmente construída em estilo românico no século XII, passou por várias reformas, culminando na sua fachada neoclássica. Esta transição reflete um movimento europeu que visava reviver os princípios clássicos em resposta ao excesso barroco. A consagração da catedral em 1880 marcou um momento crucial na história religiosa de Pamplona.
Curiosamente, a fachada neoclássica foi alvo de críticas por parte do escritor Ernest Hemingway, que a descreveu como "feia" na sua obra "O Sol Também Nasce/Fiesta". Apesar desta opinião subjetiva, a fachada é considerada uma das obras mais puras e representativas do neoclassicismo na Península Ibérica.
People often ask, is going to the top of the Eiffel tower really worth it?
If you are a doctoral student in art history, or something like that, and you only have a few days in Paris there might be better ways for you to spend your time. For most of the rest of us, unless you are totally jaded, I would say that going to the top of the Eiffel Tower is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things that's hard to justify except for the fact that you will never know what you might have missed if you don't do it. I'm so happy that we went to the top.
Vancouver’s "Girl in a Wetsuit"—a familiar sight that often gets compared to Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid. But unlike the famous mermaid, this one isn’t mythical—she’s a real-world diver, complete with a wetsuit, mask, and fins.
Created by Elek Imredy in 1972, she was meant to reflect Vancouver’s connection to the ocean and outdoor life. Whether or not she was inspired by Copenhagen, she’s definitely made her mark as one of Stanley Park’s most recognizable landmarks.
The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, symbolic of US 1950s cultural power and styling excess. Wonderful!
[Reposting .... and best on black!]
Here and there and everywhere in Venice as one walks through the ancient streets of this fascinating cultural treasure - now a World Heritage Site - one sees these little shrines. Amid cell phones ringing, appointments to make, responsibilities to take care of, daily challenges, the fast pace and extraordinary complexity of modern life...these precious shrines are like little oases of peace.
While making ones way through the complex maze that is Venice one comes around a corner and in a split second one is invited to enter another dimension: a gentle vast realm speaking silently to us through the ages in a symbolic language soaked with meaning. These special gestures that invoke the human heart of healing across time and space.....so nourishing!
[Note on the photo: I added a layer from Borealnz to the photo. It had been taken early on a winter morning. The Madonna was on a north wall, in the shade, so the light was slightly blue. I decided to add a layer with a soft glow and make the scene more true to how I felt looking at her. See the original shot below.]
Self Portrait.
Watch the video explaining how this photo became a cultural icon around the world.
Buy this photo on Getty Images
All rights reserved ⓒ Noam Galai
A sculpture of Allison 'Big Chief Tootie' Montana at Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans, LA. Montana was a cultural icon who acted as the Mardi Gras Indian "chief of chiefs" for over 50 years.
Developed with Darktable 3.6.0.
James Dean was born on this day (Feb. 8) in 1931; the image was shot outside the Griffith Observatory (Los Angeles) where the memorial is located; I just angled the camera to capture the view of both the bust and the Hollywood Sign in the same frame
Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel in the Gothic style, within the medieval Palais de la Cité, the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century, on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris, France.
Begun some time after 1238 and consecrated on 26 April 1248, the Sainte-Chapelle is considered among the highest achievements of the Rayonnant period of Gothic architecture. It was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ's Crown of Thorns—one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom.
Along with the Conciergerie, the Sainte-Chapelle is one of the earliest surviving buildings of the Capetian royal palace on the Île de la Cité. Although damaged during the French Revolution, and restored in the 19th century, it has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained glass collections anywhere in the world.
Yesterday in Ghent, a crowd of 7,000 people gathered at the bustling Vrijdagmarkt to sing along to the iconic Flemish song Mia by Gorki. The event was a heartfelt tribute to Luc De Vos, the frontman of Gorki, who passed away 10 years ago. In Flanders, Luc De Vos is remembered not only for his music but as a cultural icon and artist. Known as a poet, a lively entertainer (or, as he liked to call himself, a "party animal"), he was admired for his creativity, his philosophy, and his warm, generous spirit.
The singalong moment, accompanied by Gorki’s musicians and vocalist Filip Kowlier, created an unforgettable atmosphere, bringing goosebumps to everyone present. Held at 5:30 PM, the event was broadcast on all major national platforms, including TV, radio, and online channels.
"Luc was an icon and always will be," echoed the sentiment among the crowd. For many in Flanders, this collective tribute was not only about remembering a musician but celebrating a voice and a spirit that defined a generation.