Exceptional artwork
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This shot has been in my mind for such a long time, I just needed the correct conditions,
The Old Bridge at Atcham over the River Severn in some great light, with near normal water levels and some exceptional reflections.
"The Syndics," also known as "The Sampling Officials," is a renowned painting created by the Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn in 1662. It is an exceptional example of group portraiture from the Dutch Golden Age, depicting five men gathered around a table, engaged in their duties as syndics (officers) of the Amsterdam Drapers' Guild.
The painting is notable for its meticulous attention to detail and Rembrandt's skillful use of light and shadow. The figures are positioned in a semi-circle around the table, with their faces illuminated by a strong light source from the left. This dramatic lighting technique creates a sense of depth and dimensionality, drawing the viewer's attention to the individual expressions and gestures of the syndics.
Each syndic is portrayed with distinctive characteristics, capturing their roles and personalities within the guild. Rembrandt expertly renders their varied facial features, clothing, and accessories, demonstrating his mastery in capturing human likeness and conveying individuality. The syndics are shown examining fabric samples, which symbolize their responsibility for regulating quality and standards within the textile industry.
"The Syndics" is regarded as one of Rembrandt's most celebrated works and is highly regarded for its technical brilliance and psychological depth. The painting exemplifies his ability to infuse ordinary subjects with dignity and introspection, elevating them beyond mere representation. It also reflects the artist's deep understanding of human nature, emphasizing the individuality and humanity of each syndic.
Today, "The Syndics" is housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it continues to captivate visitors with its remarkable craftsmanship and profound insight into the human condition. It stands as a testament to Rembrandt's enduring legacy as one of the greatest painters in Western art history.
Central Montana
An exceptionally beautiful sparrow that breeds on the short grass prairie in the north central US and south central Canada. It spends its winters in the southwestern US and northern Mexico. Like most of the Ammodramus sparrows, the Baird's Sparrow has suffered a steep population decline through habitat degradation and loss.
Oostkerke is a village belonging to Damme, close to Bruges in Flanders.
From the 10th century on there was some structure built for defence in this place: probably first a wooden keep (tower), later a brick one. The gate building with its two round towers (better seen in my previous photo) dates from the 14th century and some 18th-century parts survived World War I and II as well. However, the castle suffered severely during these wars, so it was restored in the 1950s, in renaissance style. In that period the Dutch landscape gardener Mien Ruys constructed the gardens, which are a valuable part of the castle. Some years ago I had the opportunity to visit them on a day when they were exceptionally open to the public. Although the gardens of Oostkerke Castle are small to English standards, they are varied and intimate, and they contain historical elements such as remains of circular walls, moats and the stone part ('the body') of one of the windmills of Oostkerke. Behind the gate in my photo there is a wooden bridge over the moat.
At least 6 different families owned the castle through its existence. Baron Jozef van der Elst bought the castle in 1937 and financed its restoration - as far as I know, he still owns Oostkerke Castle.
Situated at the end of a magnificent fjord in the far north of the country, Siglufjörður is an active fishing port, but has now largely converted to tourism thanks to its museums, outdoor activities and pretty houses, all set in exceptional natural surroundings!
Portal Falls is located at Mt Whitney the highest peak in the Sierra Nevada range as well as the contiguous United states at 14,505 feet. Whitney portal Road that takes adventures up the mountain dead ends at a campground, picnic area, two waterfalls, and trails that traverse Mt. Whitney. The area is a beautiful place and was exceptionally cooler than the temperatures at lower elevations, we are experiencing triple digit weather right now. Wish I could have stayed there instead of heading for home.
De retour dans l'eau après des mois d'eau froide et de houle... et, je dois l'avouer, de paresse de ma part.
La soirée d'hier dans le bassin qui se trouve près de chez moi a été exceptionnelle avec au moins 15 espèces de nudibranches dont quelques-une que je n'avais pas vu de puis des années. Donc je suis désolé mais il va falloir vous attendre à voir pas mal de photos de nudibranches dans les prochains jours.
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Back in the water after months of cold waters and swell... and of laziness on my part, I have to admit.
Last night in the rockpool next to my house was exceptional with at least 15 species of nudibranchs, some of which I hadn't seen for years. So I'm sorry but you can expect more photos of nudibranchs in the near future.
There are sometimes special moments (...) in the course of the world where it turns out that all things and beings, up to the most distant stars, interact in a unique way, so that something can happen that would never be possible before or after , Unfortunately, people generally do not understand how to use them, and so the great moments often pass unnoticed. But if there is someone who recognizes them, then great things happen. "
Reference: beruhmte-zitate.de/zitate/132045-michael-ende-es-gibt-man...
Macro Mondays theme Liquid Droplets
Well done to everyone who managed to capture some awesome droplets! This was an exceptionally tough theme. It was all trial and error, mostly error... From hundreds of images taken there were only a handful of vaguely passable options and even of those all had issues. I would have had better results if I had used off camera flash but didn't have the time or energy to set it all up and I don't have a clamp to hold a water dropper which would have made things a lot easier (and my dropper was a rudimentary meat baster 😄).
Anyway I quite like the minimalism of this one.
Thank you for your views and comments, they are much appreciated.
Happy Macro Monday! 😊
C-GXNR, a Boeing 737-2S2C, on approach to runway 23 at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario. It was arriving as RAG200 (Glencore Canada Corporation) from Montreal, Quebec. The combi supplies the Raglan nickel mine at Kattiniq, Quebec - 1,270 miles north of Toronto.
The sun set 30 minutes later, hence the glow on the white fuselage.
A review of that flight department can be read here:
Various plants in the arboretum in Rogów. It's nice to walk there among this greenery :)
The Rogów Arboretum, established in 1925, is the Station of Protection and Shaping of Forest Ecosystems. It covers an area of 54 ha and is of an exceptional character as compared with other centers of the type in Poland or Europe, because it has been built from the very beginning as a research – didactic object and, moreover, it was located in the forest and has been tightly connected with the forest experimental study from the moment of its origin. The Arboretum consists of three basic parts: the dendrological collections (about 22 ha), the forest experimental plots (about 18 ha) and the alpine garden (1.5 ha).
The dendrological collections that is tree and shrub individuals planted either separately or in groups or small area forms, are mainly concentrated in the central and southern part of the Arboretum, covering a total of 2350 species and varieties. The Arboretum’s specialty is its collection of maples and shrubs from China. This segment is managed naturally, having the look of more a forest park than a typical botanical garden. The trees give the shelter and the proper microclimate for the introduced trees and shrubs.
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Bujna roślinność w arboretum w Rogowie. Miło tak spacerować tam wśród zieleni :)
Arboretum w Rogowie – należy do grupy najcenniejszych, najbogatszych w gatunki i odmiany drzew i krzewów tego typu ogrodów w Europie. Położony jest w dawnym siedlisku leśym i ma charakter parku leśnego. Od początku istnienia (1925 r.) podlega pod Wydział Leśny SGGW. Na jego obszarze znajdują się jedne z najbogatszych i najciekawszych kolekcji drzew i krzewów Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej. Najchetniej odwiedzanym miejscem w ogrodzie jest alpinarium. Oprócz wyniesionych na 2 m ponad poziom gruntu skalniaków, założono tu ciąg strumyków, kilka oczek wodnych i 5-arowy staw z wyspą. W rogowskim alpinarium można obejrzeć ponad 400 gatunków i odmian roślin, pochodzących z gór całego świata. W większości są to byliny, ale nie tylko. Rosną tu także krzewy i drzewa terenów górzystych, np. majestatyczne świerki serbskie, kształtne limby czy srebrzyste jodły kalifornijskie.
Regno Unito, Londra, Woolwich, Inverno 2014
La “Thames Barrier”, operativa dal 1982, impedisce di Londra di essere allagata da maree di portata eccezionale e mareggiate provenienti dal Mare del Nord. La barriera è stata aperta ufficialmente l'8 maggio 1984 dalla regina Elisabetta II. Il costo di costruzione totale è stato di circa £ 534.000.000. Costruita in tratto di fiume largo ben 520 metri, la barriera divide il fiume in quattro segmenti navigabili da 61 metri e due di circa 30 metro. Il costo complessivo per chiudere le barriere è di circa 16.000 sterline.
The Thames Barrier, operational since 1982, prevents London from being flooded by exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the North Sea. The barrier was officially opened on 8 May 1984 by Queen Elizabeth II. Total construction cost was around £534 million. Built across a 520-metre wide stretch of the river, the barrier divides the river into four 61-metre and two, approximately 30 metre navigable spans. It costs £16,000 to close the Thames Barrier.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I took this exceptional picture at Tárnok about this colourful agribulk train which was pulled by two TransMontanas of MMV Zrt.
My best to the dispatchers and the drivers!
Nikon D5300 + Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD
ISO-320; 1/1250sec; F-stop f/9; WB:~5300K; EV:+0.3; 105mm (70mm)
Cornish, Maine.
Up on Hessian Hill in Cornish late this afternoon there is still a lot of foliage color, although most of the maple trees have lost there leaves there are still some that have not.
The oak trees have now replaced the maples with shades of burnt orange and they are looking exceptional this year.
Tram 28 Lisbon. Classic yellow trams retaining original 1930s features like brass dials & polished wood interiors
The number 28 tram in Lisbon connects Martim Moniz with Campo Ourique, and passes through the popular tourist districts of Graca, Alfama, Baixa and Estrela.
For visitors, this is the classic Lisbon tram journey, riding in a quaint yellow tram as it rattles and screeches through the narrow streets of the city.
Along the E28 route, delightful Remodelado trams trundle, and these retain many of their original 1930s features, including polished wood interiors, brass dials and cheery yellow paintwork. In any other city, these trams would be housed in a museum, but in Lisbon, they are an integral part of the public transport network.
These historic trams are still in use, as the number 28 tram route is completely unsuitable for modern trams, due to its numerous tight turns, narrow streets and steep gradients. The E28 tram follows a very scenic route, passing through many of Lisbon’s historic districts, and provides one of the best tours of the city.
The ride on the number 28 tram is one of the highlights of Lisbon, but its popularity means it frequently suffers from over-tourism. There are some very simple tips to get the most from the experience.
• Ride the tram early (or late) in the day, to avoid the mid-day crowds.
• Board the tram at Martim Moniz (or Campo Ourique), as there is a better chance of getting a seat.
• Always be wary of pickpockets
• Purchase the 24-hour public transport ticket from any metro station. This removes the hassle of buying a ticket on board and is exceptional value for money
• Ride the entire route, as there is so much to see.
• If standing, hold on tight, as the brakes are very sharp!
I am launching a new series on Illinois agricultural landscapes, which I have taken with my drone.
The visual impression of Illinois’ agricultural landscapes is one of expansive openness, where the sky meets the earth in an unbroken line, punctuated only by the occasional farmhouse, silo, or grove of trees along waterways.
It is a landscape dominated by monoculture crops, primarily corn and soybeans, which stretch across the horizon in neat, orderly rows. The area is predominantly flat with gently rolling hills, and the soil is exceptionally rich, thanks to thousands of years of organic matter accumulation from deep-rooted prairie plants. This has made Illinois one of the most productive agricultural states in the United States.
A boat trip to Staffa promised so much: minke whales, dolphins, basking sharks, orca, sea eagles and Fingal's Cave, the famous inspiration for Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture. There was the faint hope of seeing a few puffin stragglers too.
But the weather was against us. Not hugely rough, but enough waves and swell to prevent our skipper putting us ashore to explore Fingal's Cave. We saw plenty seals, gannets and cormorants but little else. No dolphins, whales or orca. But there were beautiful views of the Mull coastline and deserted Treshnish Isles. Scotland has over 900 islands, though the exact number can vary slightly depending on how you define an island (some small tidal islets may or may not be counted). Of these 90-100 are inhabited
Located on the small Hebridean island of Staffa, Fingal's Cave is one of the country's most spectacular natural wonders. Formed entirely out of enormous hexagonal basalt columns, this sea cave is the backdrop of a fascinating legend.
When you visit Staffa, you can’t fail but be awestruck by nature’s creative forces. Impossibly dramatic and romantic, Staffa is best known for its basalt columns and spectacular sea caves. The most famous of these is Fingal’s Cave, also known in Gaelic as An Uamh Binn or the Cave of Music, immortalised by Mendelssohn in his Hebrides Overture. This name reflects the cave's exceptional acoustics and the sounds created by the crashing waves within.
Staffa is a volcanic island and the basalt columns formed when a single lava flow cooled around 60 million years ago. As the molten rock solidified, it also shrank, allowing gaps to form, which created the hexagonal-shaped columns seen today, similar to those found at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.
In addition to the cave, the columns form a dramatic cliff face which appears as colonnades or, as the Vikings saw them, the poles or staves (stafr in Old Norse) used in their buildings, hence the name Staffa. The columns are canted over at an angle of four degrees and it was this tilting that happened after they were formed, which allowed the sea to exploit natural fissures in the rock, hollowing out the cave over the millennia. Other caves on the island formed in a different way, when a softer layer of ash under the basalt columns was eroded by the sea.
Funnily enough, it wasn't Fingal who lived in this cave but his rival Scottish nemesis, Benandonner! Fionn MacCumhaill’s was a hero in Irish mythology and although a big lad, not a true giant. Separated by the Irish sea, however, Fingal felt brave enough to hurl insults over the sea to his rival, the giant Benandonner...
When the fight escalated, Fionn built the causeway across the sea to confront Benandonner. But when Fionn saw how enormous Benandonner was, he fled back to Ireland, destroying the causeway behind him. The remnants became the Giant’s Causeway and Fingal’s Cave, which is said to have been named after Fionn’s Scottish alias, Fingal, meaning ‘white stranger’.
It was the famous botanist, Joseph Banks, who, in 1772, first brought the feature to popular attention. Since then, a steady stream of visitors, including a list of famous names from the arts, have made a sort of pilgrimage to this ‘cathedral of the sea’.
Among those great artists was a young Felix Mendelssohn, who visited the cave in 1829. Duly inspired, Mendelssohn wrote the concert overture Die Hebriden, also known simply as Fingal’s Cave, which he finished in 1832. Coincidentally, JMW Turner’s painting “Staffa” was also first exhibited in the spring of the same year. Today, Mendelssohn on Mull, a Scottish chamber music festival, continues to draw inspiration from Staffa. The event brings together young musicians for a week of musical exploration and concerts inspired by the wild beauty of Staffa, Mull and Iona.
The Château de La Hulpe wonderland , is composed by a vast happy woodland and prairies , of some 220 hectares, with some beautiful natural water features here and there in forms of picturesque little lakes and streams, adding softness, brilliance, color, water life, and variety to this exceptional landscape; where many famous giant trees thrive for centuries…
Somewhere in the middle of all this Nature Beauty the Château itself reigns, the Castle, an imposing manor house of the early 19th century , having a lovely, small French style garden in front of it. All of this estate belongs to the municipality of La Hulpe, in the Walloon Brabant of Belgium, where I live. And have the big chance to visit it quite often, since it is about 15’ driving from my home. The entrance is free to the public. I call it my Open Cathedral!! Because this wonderland ushers me to unbelievably deep mystical and uplifting emotions and sensations, the moment I step in !!
C-FITW, a Boeing 777-333ER, on approach to runway 24R at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario.
It was arriving as ACA7311 (Air Canada) from Frankfurt, Germany.
Looning north just before sunset, on an exceptionally clear afternoon. Beyond the large white condo (a vacation rental) is San Simeon Point, then Point Piedras Blancas, and in the far distance the Santa Lucia range meets the sea, where Big Sur 'officially' begins.
In the foreground are Ice Age unconsolidated sands, from great dunes that spread inland during the low sea-stand when much of the ocean water was frozen into ice-sheets a mile or more thick, over Canada, New England, and much of northern Eurasia. Dry land extended to the Farallones off future San Francisco! The last Great Warming ended only about 9,000 years ago. Of course, the Earth's climate continues to warm, as does a lively debate over how much of the warming is due to humans, and how much is natural. You won't read much about the actual scientific debate, sadly, in the popular press, as this has become an item of faith among True Believers. But, geologically speaking, we're at risk of a return of the Ice -- and human CO2 emissions may help to keep that at bay. A respectable (but controversial) hypothesis.
After visiting the Škocjan Caves we continued our walking along the Big Collapse Doline and visited smaller caves. It was very interesting too. On the photo you can see the trail on the rock :)
Škocjan Caves is a cave system located in Slovenia. It's an underground phenomenon in the Karst region and Slovenia. The explored length of the caves is 6,200 meters. The caves have formed in a 300-meter-thick layer of Cretaceous and Paleocene limestone. Along with the underground stream of the Reka River, it forms one of the longest karst underground wetlands in Europe. The protected area of 413 ha conserves an exceptional limestone cave system which comprises one of the world's largest known underground river canyons. Škocjan Caves was included on UNESCO’s list of natural and cultural World Heritage Sites in 1986. The trail for visitors is about 3 km long. The route inside the cave runs along the narrow walkway, which is situated on a vertical rock and ends with a bridge suspended at a height of about 50 m above the river. After leaving the caves, you can also visit nearby viewpoints on the sinkholes, walk along the Big Collapse Doline (Velika dolina), which is one of the largest collapse dolines in Slovenia and the Reka River valley, as well as smaller caves located nearby.
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Po wyjściu z Jaskiń Szkocjańskich kontynuowaliśmy nasz spacer szlakiem wzdłuż Wielkiego Zapadliska, odwiedzając po drodze mniejsze jaskinie. Też było tam pięknie. Na fotce widać ścieżkę biegnącą po skale :)
Jaskinie Szkocjańskie – zespół jaskiń krasowych w Słowenii. Sumaryczna długość jaskiń wynosi ok. 6,2 km. Jaskinie charakteryzują się dużą wysokością komór i korytarzy oraz płynącą przez nie podziemną rzeką o nazwie Reka, która wyżłobiła w skałach największy w Europie podziemny kanion. Jaskinie Szkocjańskie znajdują się pod ochroną jako park krajobrazowy oraz obszar ochrony biosfery. Zostały częściowo udostępnione do zwiedzania i stanowią jedną z najciekawszych atrakcji turystycznych Słowenii. W roku 1986 Jaskinie Szkocjańskie zostały wpisane na listę światowego dziedzictwa kulturalnego i przyrodniczego UNESCO. Szlak dla zwiedzających ma długość ok. 3 km. Trasa wewnątrz jaskini biegnie wąskim chodnikiem poprowadzonym na pionowej skale i kończy się przejściem przez most zawieszony na wysokości ok. 50m nad rzeką. Po wyjściu z jaskiń można jeszcze odwiedzić pobliskie punkty widokowe na zapadliska krasowe, przejść wzdłuż Wielkiego Zapadliska (Velika dolina), które jest jednym z największych zapadlisk w Słowenii i dolinę rzeki Reka oraz znajdujące się obok mniejsze jaskinie.
Una vista del borgo di Orta San Giulio sul Lago D'orta (Piemonte), ripreso dall'eccezionale punto panoramico di Madonna del Sasso, sulla sponda opposta del lago.
Vecchie case colorate si affacciano sulla Piazza Mario Motta, dove si trova l’imbarcadero per l’isola di San Giulio, a poche centinaia di metri dalla riva.
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A view of the village of Orta San Giulio on Lake Orta (Italy), taken from the exceptional panoramic point of Madonna del Sasso, on the opposite shore of the lake.
Old colorful houses overlook Piazza Mario Motta, where the pier for the island of San Giulio is located, a few hundred meters from the shore.
The little alpine garden in Rogów. It's a popular place in the arboretum :)
The Rogów Arboretum, established in 1925, is the Station of Protection and Shaping of Forest Ecosystems. It covers an area of 54 ha and is of an exceptional character as compared with other centers of the type in Poland or Europe, because it has been built from the very beginning as a research – didactic object and, moreover, it was located in the forest and has been tightly connected with the forest experimental study from the moment of its origin. The Arboretum consists of three basic parts: the dendrological collections (about 22 ha), the forest experimental plots (about 18 ha) and the alpine garden (1.5 ha), which is the most popular for visitors. In addition to the rock garden, which rises 2m above ground level, streams have been created to run through the garden and several smaller ponds have been built, along with a larger one, which contains an island. The alpinarium offers a display of over 400 species and infraspecific taxa of plants, originating from mountainous regions all over the world.
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Ścieżki w alpinarium. Jest to popularne miejsce w rogowskim arboretum :)
Arboretum w Rogowie – należy do grupy najcenniejszych, najbogatszych w gatunki i odmiany drzew i krzewów tego typu ogrodów w Europie. Położony jest w dawnym siedlisku leśnym i ma charakter parku leśnego. Od początku istnienia (1925 r.) podlega pod Wydział Leśny SGGW. Na jego obszarze znajdują się jedne z najbogatszych i najciekawszych kolekcji drzew i krzewów Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej. Najchetniej odwiedzanym miejscem w ogrodzie jest alpinarium. Oprócz wyniesionych na 2 m ponad poziom gruntu skalniaków, założono tu ciąg strumyków, kilka oczek wodnych i 5-arowy staw z wyspą. W rogowskim alpinarium można obejrzeć ponad 400 gatunków i odmian roślin, pochodzących z gór całego świata. W większości są to byliny, ale nie tylko. Rosną tu także krzewy i drzewa terenów górzystych, np. majestatyczne świerki serbskie, kształtne limby czy srebrzyste jodły kalifornijskie.
Thank you so very much for the honour of setting my photo as a group cover
Groups:
Wonderful SL World - www.flickr.com/groups/14766243@N20/
The Institute of Exceptional Beauty SL - www.flickr.com/groups/14776345@N20/
(For English see below) Het Dinkeldal is een van de weinige (semi)natuurlijke en sterk meanderende beeklopen in Nederland. Het grootste deel van het dal is nog bijzonder gaaf. Samen met de gaafheid en de zeldzaamheid zorgen de vele geomorfologische verschijnselen ervoor dat het een aardkundig zeer waardevol gebied is.
Tiny river De Dinkel and it’s streamvalley. The Dinkel Valley is one of the few (semi-)natural and highly meandering streams in the Netherlands. Most of the valley is still exceptionally intact. Combined with its pristine condition and rarity, the numerous geomorphological features make it a highly valuable geological area.
CL-215 bouncing off the waves scooping up water for its next water drop, (5,300Ltr), seen at the Festa de Cel Barcelona 2011, a great seaside airshow held every year at Barcelona. If you like aviation its a great day out, if you like the beach yet again a really good day out with much flying entertainment.
SSElite Cover photo flickr
Racing ahead three miles we again see eastbound South Shore Freight job AF3 in another 400mm telecompressed view cresting the hump at MP 65.3 as they cross over the IHB's double track Kankakee Line and Kennedy Ave on their double track RofW beside the Indiana Toll Road / I90. Thanks to a 10 MPH slow order through the East Chicago station and some exceptional foam driving by my gf we were able to make this happen!
Original CSSB GP38-2s 2003 and 2000 from the ten unit order delivered by EMD during the Chessie System ownership era have a healthy train from Burnham Yard in tow, most of which will be set out at Bailey before they continue on through the streets to the Michigan City shops with a dozen or so cars.
Hammond, Indiana
Monday July 5, 2021