View allAll Photos Tagged Hapless
It seems whenever some douche-nozzle gets kersplatted by a train around here, the press refers to the hapless victim as a pedestrian rather than the proper term "trespasser".
Anyway, a loving thoughtful father and his offspring were walking south in the gauge as UP's M-PRPR rolled around the bend.
Jumping out of the path of the "speeding train", the trio stood by and watched the train pass without so much of a glance back towards where a northbound would be rolling mere minutes from then.
Brains. Some people don't have enough to muster a fart.
This 'model' had her photos taken by a friend photographer. These days everybody is a model and everybody is a photographer. While many Thai girls have grace as they move, this 'Nong' had none of it. In fact she was so wooden and hapless, that it caught my attention. Taken at Museum of Digital Art (MODA) near Chao Praya River.
Nong is a common name in Thailand. It means younger sister in Thai and also commonly used to call waitress or just younger girl. Something like : 'Hey you' or 'Hey sister'.
137. TMR Thailand 2020- March-17, P1390019; (2020 March, art); Uploaded 03. May 2020. Lmx -ZS100.
Okay, I distorted things a bit with my camera positioning, but it is quite a mirror they installed on a blind curve on the Schuylkill River sports walk in an attempt to cut down on the number of instances of cyclists running over hapless joggers. Those two-wheeled crazies come careening around a tight turn with no regard for what might be on the other side - child in stroller, dog, duck, etc., etc. I retook this for weeks trying to get something self-explanatory. Zoomed in, zoomed out. Then, finally today with a fixed macro lens, I got it. Zooming with your feet isn't such a bad idea after all.
In 1937, financier Edward Ball took his idea of quiet elegance and placed it gently in the most serene place he’d found on his international travels, Wakulla Springs. He imported marble and tile, hired artisans in iron and stone, and introduced to the world a most unique retreat.
To explore the history of this grand hotel is to take a voyage back in time to Florida’s “land boom”—those glorious days when people and money flowed into the Sunshine State, braving swamps and mud slides with an eye to the future. It started during the 1920s, when Ball was touring Florida’s panhandle looking for land to purchase to grow pulpwood. He found love at first sight at Wakulla Springs. “I knew then that the area had to be preserved,” Ball said, “but I didn’t know exactly how at the time.”
In 1931 Ball bought the Springs and Lodge site from the Christy brothers, who had a small restaurant where the present boat dock stands. He personally handled all facets of the design and construction of Wakulla Springs Lodge, outlining the floor plan, choosing the architects and materials, and insisting on meticulous attention to every detail. Construction of the two-story hotel began in 1935.
The original roof was of wood with steel superstructure. It was replaced after a fire, started unfortunately by a hapless trainee during the Lodge’s use as a military training facility during World War II. The new roof was reinforced with slate and metal on steel to render it totally fireproof.
Ball’s eye to quality and durability can also be seen through his lavish use of Tennessee marble throughout the Lodge on floors, baseboards, thresholds, counters, stairwells, desk tops and table tops in the gift shop, lobby, and veranda. The marble is fitted so meticulously no grout can be seen.
The world’s longest known marble bar, at 70 feet 3 inches, is in the Soda Fountain/Gift Shop. This marble is “face matched.” Eight pieces were cut from one block of marble. This process is known as quarter-sawing: a block of marble is cut in half, cut in half again, and each quarter is again cut in half to get eight panels, thereby producing a matching grain pattern.
The use of “heart” cypress can also be seen throughout the Lodge. Heart cypress is the very interior of the tree. All of the cypress logs used in the Lodge were obtained locally as “dead heads”—cypress that had fallen into water and been immersed for 50 years or longer, making it impervious to rot. The Great Lobby itself heads the list with use of this wood. Although this room is great in size, the height of the ceiling is about 16 feet, a huge expanse of hand-hewn cypress panels is still visible. The expansive transverse “beams” are actually steel girders faced with cypress planks.
The lobby ceiling gets the most attention for its decorative painting of local wildlife scenes. Close examination shows it to be a combination of European folk art, intricate Arabic scroll work, and Native American influences.
Two special features grace the rim of the lobby. The marble and iron staircase and the original elevator are both Art Deco masterpieces. The interior of the elevator walls are walnut, with quarter sewn, face matched grain and marquetry panels—an inlay using varied colored woods. This is the only known surviving period Art Deco elevator still in use.
The staircase’s three landings are massive marble panels with face-matched grain that were cut from one block. The risers and treads also are matched panel of marble and granite. The wrought iron railing was made on site and illustrates wildlife from the river. The limpkins and herons in the balustrade are true to life in outline and size.
True to Ball’s word to preserve the area and to create a serene and peaceful retreat, the Lodge at Wakulla Springs is an example of precise craftsmanship and offers visitors a timeless glimpse into Florida’s pristine and elegant past.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakulla_Springs
thelodgeatwakullasprings.com/history-2/
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
One of the pioneers of the plague mask, Von Hershel gained notoriety for his bitter
remonstrations against the sins of the hapless plague victims he claimed to be able
to heal. His apparel is thought to have unwittingly prevented his own infection
although he is not believed to have ever brought about a cure.
In later life he refused to remove his herb filled mask as a, ‘a meafure to puryfy myfelf
ov the uvel syns ov the worlde.’ He died in 1668 of syphilis.
Available as a single archival print. Email studio@lwinram.com
or purchase my artwork here www.artfinder.com/winram
No shortage of advice for the hapless driver. Pretty ironic that this car should have got stuck in the sand considering its licence plate.
Shot on Portra 800 using the Olympus OM1. c41 processed.
A mammal who is an omnivore. It lives a dozen or so years. The nine-banded armadillo's hapless propensity for being run over by cars has earned it the nickname "Hillbilly Speed Bump".
Unfortunately, I do see many killed on the roads in Florida.
In bitterly cold and windy conditions and just before dusk on 26th November 1999, QJs 6388 and 7009 get underway from the ShangDian summit loop with a mixed freight for Daban, two hapless labourers standing on a ballast wagon depositing ballast where required on the trackside as the train progressed! With no prospect of any golden glint for this train on this occasion, the Agfa Scala transparency film was the film of choice.
© Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission
In 1937, financier Edward Ball took his idea of quiet elegance and placed it gently in the most serene place he’d found on his international travels, Wakulla Springs. He imported marble and tile, hired artisans in iron and stone, and introduced to the world a most unique retreat.
To explore the history of this grand hotel is to take a voyage back in time to Florida’s “land boom”—those glorious days when people and money flowed into the Sunshine State, braving swamps and mud slides with an eye to the future. It started during the 1920s, when Ball was touring Florida’s panhandle looking for land to purchase to grow pulpwood. He found love at first sight at Wakulla Springs. “I knew then that the area had to be preserved,” Ball said, “but I didn’t know exactly how at the time.”
In 1931 Ball bought the Springs and Lodge site from the Christy brothers, who had a small restaurant where the present boat dock stands. He personally handled all facets of the design and construction of Wakulla Springs Lodge, outlining the floor plan, choosing the architects and materials, and insisting on meticulous attention to every detail. Construction of the two-story hotel began in 1935.
The original roof was of wood with steel superstructure. It was replaced after a fire, started unfortunately by a hapless trainee during the Lodge’s use as a military training facility during World War II. The new roof was reinforced with slate and metal on steel to render it totally fireproof.
Ball’s eye to quality and durability can also be seen through his lavish use of Tennessee marble throughout the Lodge on floors, baseboards, thresholds, counters, stairwells, desk tops and table tops in the gift shop, lobby, and veranda. The marble is fitted so meticulously no grout can be seen.
The world’s longest known marble bar, at 70 feet 3 inches, is in the Soda Fountain/Gift Shop. This marble is “face matched.” Eight pieces were cut from one block of marble. This process is known as quarter-sawing: a block of marble is cut in half, cut in half again, and each quarter is again cut in half to get eight panels, thereby producing a matching grain pattern.
The use of “heart” cypress can also be seen throughout the Lodge. Heart cypress is the very interior of the tree. All of the cypress logs used in the Lodge were obtained locally as “dead heads”—cypress that had fallen into water and been immersed for 50 years or longer, making it impervious to rot. The Great Lobby itself heads the list with use of this wood. Although this room is great in size, the height of the ceiling is about 16 feet, a huge expanse of hand-hewn cypress panels is still visible. The expansive transverse “beams” are actually steel girders faced with cypress planks.
The lobby ceiling gets the most attention for its decorative painting of local wildlife scenes. Close examination shows it to be a combination of European folk art, intricate Arabic scroll work, and Native American influences.
Two special features grace the rim of the lobby. The marble and iron staircase and the original elevator are both Art Deco masterpieces. The interior of the elevator walls are walnut, with quarter sewn, face matched grain and marquetry panels—an inlay using varied colored woods. This is the only known surviving period Art Deco elevator still in use.
The staircase’s three landings are massive marble panels with face-matched grain that were cut from one block. The risers and treads also are matched panel of marble and granite. The wrought iron railing was made on site and illustrates wildlife from the river. The limpkins and herons in the balustrade are true to life in outline and size.
True to Ball’s word to preserve the area and to create a serene and peaceful retreat, the Lodge at Wakulla Springs is an example of precise craftsmanship and offers visitors a timeless glimpse into Florida’s pristine and elegant past.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakulla_Springs
thelodgeatwakullasprings.com/history-2/
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
The sun set over Josh. A large, hapless bat maneuvered vacuuming insects too small for me to see. The stars came out. I haven't looked at the aeronautical enroute charts lately but lots of anti-collision lights were headed for Los Angeles.
A short distance away, an adult fox sniffed the roadway looking for a meal. About five miles down the road a skinny fox youngster looked like it would've appreciated a tuna and swiss on rye. It was also nose-down looking for a meal. It was my first time seeing a fox in the park and there were two in one night.
Americans spend $29.2 billion to observe, feed, and photograph wildlife in the United States according to the report ‘1996 National and State Economic Impacts of Wildlife Watching’. If wildlife watching were a Fortune 500 company in 1996, it would have ranked 23rd.
— US Fish and Wildlife Service
Journalism grade image.
Source: 3,200x2,400 8-bit JPeG file.
Please do not copy this image for any purpose.
Overlooking Arles’ Place de la République, Saint Trophime’s 12th-century portal is acclaimed as one of the finest achievements of southern Romanesque architecture and was classified a UNESCO World heritage Site in 1981. The theme of the portal is the Last Judgement. The tympanum depicts Christ in his Majesty surrounded by the symbols of the four Evangelists; the angel of St. Matthew, the lion of St. Mark, the ox of St Luke, and the eagle of St. John. The twelve Apostles are seated below him on the lintel above the main entry. To the left the righteous are proceeding to heaven while on the right a procession of hapless sinners, chained and bound, shuffle through the flames of Hell to their ultimate dome. In medieval times when the overwhelming majority of the populace was illiterate, the sculptures served as a billboard on the city Square, offering solace to the saints and admonition to sinners.
On the lower level, separated by columns and pilasters of dark stone, are statues of saints connected to the history of Arles; on the left are St. Bartholomew, St. James the Great, and St. Trophemus. John and Peter are on the inner left corner next to the door, while Paul and Andrew are on the inner right. The three sculptures on the far right depict the martyrdom of St. Stephen, St. James the Just, and St. Philip.
© Irwin Reynolds, all rights reserved. If you are interested in using one of my images or would like a high quality fine art print, please send me an email (irwinreynolds@me.com)
Days have never been so quiet
so intensely dead
since when I have chosen you
between me and my chaos
between my sanity and madness
Days have never been so hapless
ruined within the blanket
so cold and numb
muffled within the commotion
as you couldn't have heard yourself
Days have never been so stuck
between the time ticking within
like a lost passerby
wounded and void inside
only within the shadows of despair
Days have never been so quiet
so intensely dead (08.11.2011)
Recording Wednesday's unexpected local snow flurries as the first of the '25/'26 winter, SWR's Class 444 emus 444038/33 arrive at Godalming 08.31 Portsmouth Harbour-London Waterloo service running to time.
Some services incurred delays this day including as a result of a level crossing malfunction at Liss.
Only two days later brought another more serious crossing issue this time at Milford. Hapless rail customers then had to contend with stopping points being cut back to a variety of patterns. My personal journey made destination at the fourth attempt most annoyingly with trains 'running fast' announced suddenly at the last minute.
19th November 2025
'SY' Class 2-8-2 No.1498 appears through the smog working the Hegang Coal Railway passenger diagram No.2, from Jun Li to Ji Pei pits, passing Da Lu mine. This was shortly before 8.00am on 6th January 2002 and the conditions were dire. I was lucky enough to escape from this 'hell hole" of a place a couple of days later with severe sinus and respiratory issues; the hapless local inhabitants had to endure the long and severely cold winters for months on end, year after year.
© Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission
Don’t let her sweet face fool you, Elsie Grace O’Dowd is more than capable of defending herself. As a barmaid in The Hapless Galleon, a tavern frequented by various nautical types, Elsie’s swift hand across the cheek has sobered many a sea dog. Elsie hears all the news from the high seas from the patrons as she flits among the tables & to her friends she’s a valuable resource of knowledge.
Hapless fish gets its last look at the world just before being devoured by this hungry Reddish Egret.
Red-throated Loon (Red-throated Diver). Photographed in Ramsgate harbour, Kent, UK on 9 December 2018. I was happy to see this bird at such close range in the inner harbour this morning. However, when processing the photos it was obvious that this hapless bird had fishing line wrapped around its bill - with maybe a hook somewhere unseen? Too bad, but there's usually a reason such birds end up here...
Just back from a few days in Bangladesh trying to capture the overcrowded trains - this was perhaps the most crowded taken at Tongi Junction - goodness knows how anybody got on at the next station!!
I love the hapless candy floss seller and the guy with the loud hailer trying to tell people not to climb on the loco!!!
The 51st Light Hussar Brigade takes the field, in the midst of smoke and fire and blood. Long may the Empire of Blenheim advance victoriously in the fields of battle!
Here we have, from left to right -
Radio-communicator/ensign Pip Fitzgard
Doc. H. McGuire, General Tilney's doctor and surgeon to the corps
General Henry Tilney
Private William Jenkins
Private Rob Ferrars
Hapless Henry Bingley
Ever since uploading this I've been wanting to work on improving the pics a bit (thanks to General Werewolff and the rest for their advice!), and now I've finally got around to doing it and snapping some more pics of these guys as well! A&B coming soon, hopefully!
C&C welcome as always!
Have you ever thought what an unusual or maybe outdated name this is? Well that wouldn't be surprising as the name for this butterfly first appeared in print in English in 1699, and has barely changed since. James Petiver called it the Lesser or common Tortoise-shell Butterfly, to distinguish it from the Greater (ie Large) Tortoise-shell. But the name dates back to a time before plastics had been invented, when everyday products such as combs and hair clips really did used to be made from carved and polished shells of hapless tortoises. The name of Tortoiseshell cats have the same origin, because of their marbled pattern of blacks, browns and orange, like polished tortoise shell. I think the underside of the butterfly looks more like the tortoise product but maybe Petiver thought the upperwing did?
Its scientific name Aglais urticae is perhaps more appropriate. Aglais (coined in 1816 by a chap called Dalman. It was Nymphalis before that and there is a move to shift it back there) simply means beautiful, and I cannot argue with that. Urticae was given by Linnaeus in 1758, who correctly identified Nettle (Urtica dioica) as its larval foodplant. I photographed this one recently nectaring on Blackthorn blossom. Like Peacocks and Commas, they hibernate as adult butterflies so are eager for nectar when they emerge in spring as they will not have "eaten" (ie drank) since last October. You can see its straw-like proboscis probbing into the flower to reach the nectar.
This once common butterfly is common no-more. This is from the short version of Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count report for 2018: "The Small Tortoiseshell suffered its worst summer in the history of the Big Butterfly Count with sightings falling by 32% compared to last year. Just 23,000 Small Tortoiseshell were counted by participants across the UK during the three-week recording period which coincided with the joint hottest summer on record.
The population of the once common and widespread Small Tortoiseshell has collapsed by 75% since the 1970s and there are now growing concerns amongst scientists for the butterfly’s long-term future. Reasons for the ongoing decline are being investigated with climate change, pollution and parasites all possible culprits"
A rare shot of Exeter Cathedral without anyone in the photograph. It might be due to the massive rain storm about to hit. The rain that this hapless 365er is ignoring to get the 'shot of the day'.
This is a triple exposure HDR image. I then processed it with Topaz Adjust to make it even moodier (yes I admit it was perfectly ok to start with, but I get bored easily).
...and much better viewed large.
Good morning. For "Hug a Bug Day" I thought I would post a series on a rather large Argiope Spider (Argiope aurantia) I came across when in a field recently while in search of butterflies and dragonflies. This spider also known as a Black & Yellow Garden Spider, Writing Spider, Banana Spider or Corn Spider was truly huge with the abdomen being as big as the end of my thumb. Biggest damn spider I've ever seen. Photos in the comment section will give you a good feel for how large it was by a better view of it with its hapless victim. A Red-Legged Grasshopper, which is typically a good one inch (2.5 cm) in length.
Fortunately, like other members of Argiope these are considered harmless to humans, although I'd hate to think how I'd react if I found one of these crawling up my leg. I hope you enjoy this series on this beautiful spider and find the text in the comment section infomative.
Thank you for visiting...and wishing you a truly great day.
Lacey
ISO400, aperture f/11, exposure .006 seconds (1/180) focal length 220mm
In 1937, financier Edward Ball took his idea of quiet elegance and placed it gently in the most serene place he’d found on his international travels, Wakulla Springs. He imported marble and tile, hired artisans in iron and stone, and introduced to the world a most unique retreat.
To explore the history of this grand hotel is to take a voyage back in time to Florida’s “land boom”—those glorious days when people and money flowed into the Sunshine State, braving swamps and mud slides with an eye to the future. It started during the 1920s, when Ball was touring Florida’s panhandle looking for land to purchase to grow pulpwood. He found love at first sight at Wakulla Springs. “I knew then that the area had to be preserved,” Ball said, “but I didn’t know exactly how at the time.”
In 1931 Ball bought the Springs and Lodge site from the Christy brothers, who had a small restaurant where the present boat dock stands. He personally handled all facets of the design and construction of Wakulla Springs Lodge, outlining the floor plan, choosing the architects and materials, and insisting on meticulous attention to every detail. Construction of the two-story hotel began in 1935.
The original roof was of wood with steel superstructure. It was replaced after a fire, started unfortunately by a hapless trainee during the Lodge’s use as a military training facility during World War II. The new roof was reinforced with slate and metal on steel to render it totally fireproof.
Ball’s eye to quality and durability can also be seen through his lavish use of Tennessee marble throughout the Lodge on floors, baseboards, thresholds, counters, stairwells, desk tops and table tops in the gift shop, lobby, and veranda. The marble is fitted so meticulously no grout can be seen.
The world’s longest known marble bar, at 70 feet 3 inches, is in the Soda Fountain/Gift Shop. This marble is “face matched.” Eight pieces were cut from one block of marble. This process is known as quarter-sawing: a block of marble is cut in half, cut in half again, and each quarter is again cut in half to get eight panels, thereby producing a matching grain pattern.
The use of “heart” cypress can also be seen throughout the Lodge. Heart cypress is the very interior of the tree. All of the cypress logs used in the Lodge were obtained locally as “dead heads”—cypress that had fallen into water and been immersed for 50 years or longer, making it impervious to rot. The Great Lobby itself heads the list with use of this wood. Although this room is great in size, the height of the ceiling is about 16 feet, a huge expanse of hand-hewn cypress panels is still visible. The expansive transverse “beams” are actually steel girders faced with cypress planks.
The lobby ceiling gets the most attention for its decorative painting of local wildlife scenes. Close examination shows it to be a combination of European folk art, intricate Arabic scroll work, and Native American influences.
Two special features grace the rim of the lobby. The marble and iron staircase and the original elevator are both Art Deco masterpieces. The interior of the elevator walls are walnut, with quarter sewn, face matched grain and marquetry panels—an inlay using varied colored woods. This is the only known surviving period Art Deco elevator still in use.
The staircase’s three landings are massive marble panels with face-matched grain that were cut from one block. The risers and treads also are matched panel of marble and granite. The wrought iron railing was made on site and illustrates wildlife from the river. The limpkins and herons in the balustrade are true to life in outline and size.
True to Ball’s word to preserve the area and to create a serene and peaceful retreat, the Lodge at Wakulla Springs is an example of precise craftsmanship and offers visitors a timeless glimpse into Florida’s pristine and elegant past.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakulla_Springs
thelodgeatwakullasprings.com/history-2/
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Sarracenia Purpurea - Pitcher Plant.
Sarracenia Purpurea, where an insect falls into a vase like modified leaf.
Downward pointing hairs on the slipperey walls prevent the insect from crawling out.
The hapless victim ultimately drowns in a pool of digestive enzymes at the bottom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for all your support on my work in Photography. Gaston (aka Gasssman).
This summer there were several Burrowing Owl nests within shooting distance from park roads. Best season for these little charmers since 2016. Here, two juveniles try to make sense of the rolling red Toyota blind. After a while, a third sibling joined them, and from time to time one would make a brief foray to hunt down some hapless grasshopper. Meanwhile, one of the parent birds kept watch at a distance; their job was almost done.
I've seen Burrowing Owls hang around into September, and one year photographed a family in October... perhaps it was a late brood. This year all of these owls were southbound and gone by late August. It's kind of sad to say goodbye to all the migratory birds until next spring, but so it goes. Nature's cycles continue, and we have to learn to embrace change, the one true constant.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2024 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
This little guy is a Hawaiian monk seal! He and his buddies love to snooze on some of the more crowded beaches. They groan at one another from time to time, but for the most part, they are peaceful and very pleasant company. Unfortunately, some people (exclusively outta towners) forget they're wild animals, so the lifeguards put out signs and rope off some bed-room for these cuddly beach bears.
Shortly after this photo, l decided to put away my camera and take in some people-watching.
An older lady in a pink floral print kimono caught my attention for one reason or another and the longer my eyes traveled down the beach with her, the more apparent it became that she had her mind elsewhere.
She ambled aimlessly up and down the beach; all the while, carelessly, haplessly strolling right toward the area with the sleeping seal. She lazily made her way to the water’s edge. She funambled [sic] along the swash line, and slipped in just below the warnings.
She was gathering quite an audience with each step! The whole beach, the ocean itself, seemed to hold its breath as the woman stopped and turned to admire the horizon. At which point, she was side by side with her new friend and just as unaware as ever!
I was certain this adventure ended with the poor woman turning to walk again only to drunkenly skip-trip all over that unsuspecting animal!
But alas (and thankfully;) a closer-by do-gooder, stepped in and guided the woman by the arm to safety. From across the beach you could see the Samaritan explain the situation. When he gestured to the place in the sand right next to her, the women finally noticed the still-snoring seal. Her reaction was marvelous! Everyone on the beach turned incredulously to whomever was nearest!
It was all so entertaining…and quite dramatic. Thoroughly exhausted by the whole affair, I took a short nap and had a float in the Pacific.
The hapless Brush Type 2 No. 31425 after the fire had been extinguished. Beeston Castle & Tarporley, 9th September 1990.
309'11596
Another quadruped looks skyward for guidance after encountering me along Old Port Isabel Road near Brownsville, Texas. The apparent response this time was to just back away, secure in the knowledge that the hapless biped would not attempt to jump the intervening barbwire fence.
Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients (but not energy) from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods.
where an insect falls into a vase-like modified leaf. Downward-pointing hairs on the slippery walls prevent the insect from crawling out, and the hapless victim ultimately drowns in a pool of digestive enzymes at the bottom.
Taken yesterday at the Pacific Orchid Exposition in San Francisco. The Pacific Orchid Exposition boasts over 150,000 beautiful orchids from around the world and is the largest orchid show in the United States.
At this spot, where Trout Creek joins the Yellowstone River in Hayden Valley, great blue herons will stand in the shallow water until a hapless fish swims by within beak's reach. I've often seen them there, but never when the length of the river was shrouded in fog as on this otherwise blue-sky summer day when the air was still colder than the water. The atmosphere was magical!
This is a color photo that accurately presents what it was like that morning.
Yellowstone National Park
A Snowy Owl with its hapless victim under its talons. It was so cold early this morning at Jones Beach, I could barely feel my fingers!
A poor hapless grasshopper faces impending doom in the shape of a Bearded Lizard. This was part of the London Tropical Zoo's animal encounter sessions. Not the easiest place to get to unless you're familiar with the bus routes but well worth the trip down to Hounslow all the same.
Explore #42
And he didn't miss. This big boar commanded one of the prime spots on the Falls, and we counted some 23 bears there at one time. Several other boars actually seemed to be bigger than him and they looked his way often, but no one questioned his spot. He exerted as little energy as possible as he fished, just standing like this, nabbing fish that came to him at the last second. For smaller fish, he ate them without moving off his spot. With bigger fish he backed away and dined in shallow water, usually only eating part of the fish -- much to the joy of the sub-adults who hung around. Meanwhile, if some hapless bear had taken his prize spot, they scooted off as soon as he lumbered up.
With lunch - a hapless ant. It happened really fast and I was lucky he (white labrum means male) turned to face me. Glad it's less than 1 inch long - more like 2 cm - look at that maw!
A harrier a split second away from successfully stealing a vole from a hapless short-eared owl. 5 shot series @ thisbirdhasflown.net. Nikon D500/600 mmf/4 + 1.4 TC. Sacramento, CA.
The subject of this Picture of the Week, a spiral galaxy named NGC 1589, was once the scene of a violent bout of cosmic hunger pangs; as astronomers looked on, a poor, hapless star was torn apart and devoured by the ravenous supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy.
The astronomers are now using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to test this interpretation. Hubble has observed such events before so the scientists are confident that Hubble will be able to provide smoking gun evidence in the form of stellar debris that was ejected during the disruption event.
Credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA; CC BY 4.0
Phillip Mould:
This image, and those generated around it, represent one of the most successful sovereign statements of English history. It was painted under the aegis of the Queen’s own official Serjeant painter, George Gower, in the late 1580s, the decade in which she finally defeated the Spanish threat, and assured her place as one of England’s most successful and popular monarchs. The portrait was owned by Edward Drewe MP, one of Elizabeth’s ablest lawyers, and has remained in his family ever since. A family legend suggests that the portrait was the gift of Elizabeth herself. It is in part through such portraits that the mystique and power of Elizabeth I was conveyed in her day. As such it is not merely a portrait of a monarch, but a symbolic statement of national supremacy.
George Gower was Elizabeth’s Serjeant Painter from 1581 until his death in 1596. He was also a ‘gentleman’, being the grandson of Sir John Gower of Stettenham, Yorkshire. This was not only unusual for the time (hitherto, artists were effectively ranked as servants), but reveals the increasing status – and importance – of portraiture in sixteenth century England. There is little documentary evidence on Gower’s career, but there is no doubt that he was one of the leading English artists of his generation. His documented portraits, such as those of Sir Thomas and Lady Kytson (1573 Tate Gallery, London) show that he commanded the patronage of the important and wealthy from an early age, while his self-portrait (1579, the first known example by an English artist on such a scale) gives a clear indication of the bold characterization with which he depicted his subjects.
Gower’s technique and style is distinct, and perfectly suited to the display of power, and conspicuous monarchical grandeur seen here. His use of strong light on the head enables his subject’s face to stand out from the rest of the painting, and was perfectly suited to Elizabeth’s personal wish to avoid any shadows across her face. His reluctance to rely too heavily on drawing is made up by strong flesh tones and subtle shadows, so that the face is rendered with precision and power, aided by bold features such as the well-delineated eyes. The unmistakably warm and dry palette has the happy effect of seeming to depict the Queen in the heavy make-up on which she increasingly came to rely. In this example, the overall effect is one of power rather than beauty – but such is Gower’s skill that our focus is held unmistakably by Elizabeth’s face and strong gaze, despite the rich and bright details of her luxurious costume.
There are elsewhere in the portrait signs of a master’s touch. The subtle but noticeable pink tones in the ruff under Elizabeth’s chin skillfully illustrates the reflection of her face in the white lace, giving the ruff a three-dimensional effect so often lacking in sixteenth century portraiture. The deft modeling (with even the hint of veins) in the long and elegant hands of which Elizabeth was so proud is superb, while the folds and lace on the golden silk of her sleeves is redolent of Holbein’s supreme skill in depicting the rich quality of Royal costumes.
As with all portraits of the Queen, there comes the question of the level of her personal involvement. Of course, she did not sit for the many contemporary portraits of her that survive. Instead, artists would have followed patterns of her face, and then either have imagined her costume, or in some cases have painted the actual garment itself. The patterns would have been widely-circulated, and the Queen’s likeness then either traced onto a panel or drawn freehand. Surviving examples of patterns are rare, but those of Bishop John Fisher and Sir Henry Sidney can be found in the National Portrait Gallery, as can one previously believed to show Elizabeth herself.
Which ‘pattern’, therefore, is the Drewe portrait based on? Sir Roy Strong’s catalogue of 1963, Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, and subsequent Gloriana, The Portraits of Elizabeth I were vital works in dating and attributing the many (invariably unsigned) portraits. According to Strong’s categorization, the Drewe portrait is based on the ‘Darnley’ face pattern, after a painting dated c. 1575 once owned by the Earls of Darnley, and now in the National Portrait Gallery attributed to Federico Zuccaro, an Italian landscape and religious painter to whom the Queen sat for a drawing in May 1575.[1] The Darnley pattern, Strong points out, does not change until the ‘Armada pattern’ is developed, apparently by Gower, c.1588.
And yet, such categorization carries with it the disappointing notion that all portraits of the Queen between c.1575 and 1588 are derivatives, completed at a distance from Elizabeth herself. This clearly cannot be the case with the Drewe portrait. Though Elizabeth is shown in a similar (if reversed) profile, she is unquestionably a different woman to that in the Darnley portrait: noticeably hierarchical, sepulchral in characterization, perhaps reflecting the progression of her historical achievements. It seems implausible that Gower, the Queen’s Serjeant Painter, would have been content to follow a pattern. Rather, he may instead have felt constrained by the dictates of Royal iconography to follow an approved pose – just as Henry VIII was invariably portrayed full-face.
It is to the Queen herself that we should seek an explanation for the repetitive nature of her portraits. From the note of her conversation with Nicholas Hilliard in c.1572 it seems she resolved that her portraits should have no “shadowe at all”[2]. After all, Royal portraits were primarily symbols of power combined with obsequious flattery, not simple likenesses. Considerations of deference (and by the 1580s her fading beauty) further forbade any attempt at realism. And artist’s had to operate within an accepted Royal iconography that began in the fifteenth century. It is certain, however, that Gower’s official position, and the fact that he was a gentleman by birth, would have guaranteed him access to the Queen. The Drewe portrait, with its delicately observed facial contours and expressive, piercing eyes, is a world away from the pallid and formulaic pattern portraits of Elizabeth, reflecting an authority derived from one who had access to the royal presence.
The provenance of this portrait is of interest, and helps confirm the attribution to George Gower. It has traditionally hung in the Grange, the Devon seat of the Drewe family, since its construction by Edward Drewe in the 1590s. Drewe was one of the ablest lawyers of the 16th Century. After a spell at Oxford (while apparently a teenager) he began to practice law at the Inner Temple in 1560. He was called to the Bar in 1574. From then he rose rapidly through the legal ranks; a Justice of the Peace in 1579, and a Member of Parliament (for Lyme Regis) in 1584. He must then have been well-known to the Queen and Privy Council, for in 1588 he was amongst those sharp legal minds, along with Francis Bacon, called to draft Government legislation. The letter makes flattering reading;
“Her Majestie… hath made especiall choice of you, upon knowledge of your sinceritie and sufficiencie in that behalfe, to proceede to the consideracion what statutes in your opinion were requisite to be either established or perfected for the better…
We bid you very hertely farewll.”[3]
In 1589 he was appointed a Serjeant-at-law, and became more familiar to the key members of Elizabeth’s Government. Perhaps his most powerful ally was Francis Russell, the second Earl of Bedford. He corresponded regularly with William Cecil, Lord Burghley. And in 1593 he is recorded as making a speech before the Queen when introducing the Lord Mayor of London to Court. Drewe’s correspondence with the Privy Council typically revolved around interrogations of suspects such as Jesuit spies, often in the Tower of London, and he became an important part of the security apparatus first set-up by Francis Walsingham. One case involved the hapless Yorke and Williams, who, “when confronted together, Yorke swore that they took the sacrament to kill the Queen, and that Williams had wished his sword in her belly.”[4] By 1593 Drewe held the prestigious parliamentary seat of the City of London, and in 1596 he was made a Queen’s Serjeant, and a judge on the Northern circuit. He died suddenly, of ‘gaol fever’, in 1598.
Drewe’s central role in the legal apparatus of the Government helps confirm an attribution to George Gower as the artist of this portrait. Gower had been appointed, in 1581, as the Queen’s Serjeant Painter. In 1584 an attempt was made to make Gower solely responsible for portraits of the Queen, a move that reinforced the government’s wish to maintain control of the Queen’s image. Some twenty years earlier, the Privy Council, at the Queen’s behest, had also attempted a similar measure in reaction to the increasing number of debased images of Elizabeth in circulation. And in 1596, the Privy Council ordered that public officers should aid Gower in seeking out and destroying those unofficial images which caused the Queen “great offence”[5].
The Council’s failure, and that of Gower in the 1580s, is belied by the profusion of awkward and unsatisfactory images of the Queen which survive to this day. Nevertheless, a man of Drewe’s public position would have been the most unlikely person to either commission or own in the 1580s and 90s a portrait of the Queen that did not come from the Serjeant Painter’s ‘official’ workshop. Furthermore, in 1593 Drewe made a speech in Parliament against foreign workers in London, advocating support for “our countrymen” over charity to “strangers”, which sentiments would appear to rule out his patronage of any Flemish or Italian artist.[6] Finally, it may also be worth noting the connection between Drewe and the Bedford family, who commissioned the Armada portrait from Gower in 1588.
The Queen’s jewelry is worth noting here, and may assist in the precise dating of this portrait. Here, the jewelry worn by the Queen (aside from that embroidered into her costume) is surprisingly simple – only a double row of pearls. This is identical to the jewelry worn in the Darnley portrait dated c.1575, as is the chain of pearls and jewels around her waist. And such a combination can again be found in other portraits by Gower of the 1580s, Cornelius Ketel’s ‘Sieve’ portrait c.1580-3, and Marcus Gheerearts the Elder’s c.1585 full length. Furthermore, the lack of certain jewelry again suggests a date in the 1580s, for when Leicester died in 1588 he bequeathed to his 2most dear and gracious Sovereign whose creature under God I have been”[7] an extraordinarily large and elaborate jewel of emeralds, with a rope of 600 pearls. Elizabeth, who locked herself in her room on hearing Leicester’s demise, is shown wearing his gift in the Armada portraits of post c.1588, and other later variants – but not here.
Notes;
[1] Zuccaro had traveled to England apparently at the behest of Lord Leicester. Though some have assumed his purpose was to paint the Queen, it is possible that he had been summoned by Leicester to decorate the interior of Kenilworth Castle (now ruined), before the Queen was due to stay there in July 1575. The exquisite chalk and pencil drawing of the Queen by Zuccaro survives (British Museum), along with a pendant of Leicester. However, there seems little connection between the drawing, either in likeness or style, to the ‘Darnley’ portrait in the NPG.
[2] Strong, loc.cit., p16
[3] Letter from Privy Council to Drewe 27th December 1588, in Acts of the Privy Council of England 1588. Official Publications 1897 Vol XVI
[4] Calendar of State Papers (Domestic) Elizabeth I, 1591-94, August 28th 1594
[5] Strong, loc.cit., p14
[6] Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, citing House of Commons Journal
[7] In Public and Private, Elizabeth I and her world, Susan Watkins, London 1998
The hapless passengers on this charter didn't have too much to rejoice about on their scenic journey over the Settle-Carlisle line, certainly at this point, in terms of escaping steam from a malfunctioning injector and the generally murky conditions of the day. 46233 rounds the curve from Helm tunnel at Breaks Hall heading the return 1Z87 14:42 Carlisle to London Euston 'Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express' on Saturday 7 February 2015.
© Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission
In the United States the standard long haul trucking rig is the 18-wheel semi-trailer. In the Australian outback the standard rig is the one you are looking at—a triple that is 50-plus metres long riding on anywhere from 62 to 70 wheels mounted on 16 to 18 axles. These road trains are as much a part of life in the outback as the kangaroos, red dust and wide horizons.
Needless to say, manoeuvrability is not one of their key virtues. When you see one coming toward you on a narrow stretch of road, you slow down, move over and give it plenty of room. And when a stray cow, kangaroo or emu wanders in front of one, the hapless animal gets clobbered---hard. And that’s where the wedge-tailed eagle comes in. The wedge-tails along with the ever present flocks of wheeling black kites are the clean up crews that patrol the roads and take care of the trail of road kill left in the wake of the road trains. Between them, the trucks and the birds own the road.
* Photographed at a rest area on the Barkly Highway in the Northern Territory.
© Irwin Reynolds, all rights reserved. If you are interested in using one of my images or would like a high quality fine art print, please send me an email (irwinreynolds@me.com).
For me, this image sums up why Jeff Clow insists on taking hapless tourists down a rutted, bone-rattling road to Schwabacher's Landing on his Dirt Cheap Photo Tour in the Grand Tetons. Much like when Alice popped into the rabbit hole, the way down is dusty and jarring, but then you emerge into wonderland.
'It is hard work to be a living entity'
Oil and work on canvas
2021
This has probably been the longest-in-production painting of mine ever. It's been on the easel for years. And although I don't think of it as one of my best, I am really quite ok with it, after years of trying to clarify it.
And I have realised it is a very similar theme to a painting I did three decades ago when I was 24, 'Happy Worker'.
Both images express a kind of hapless, ignorant happiness with a task, despite the task being either brutal, or as in this work, self defeating.
A long time ago, I watched my then girlfriend jumping up and down with excitement, talking to a friend of hers. I looked down, and saw she was unknowingly crushing hundreds of ants as she so happily jumped. That moment has never left me, and probably never will.