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The magnificient temple complex is one of the finest monuments built by the Hoysalas and is regarded as the most exquisite shrine of the South. Its construction was initiated in 1117 A.D., at the instance of King Vishnuvardhana and was completed by his son Narasimha I and grandson, Veera Ballala II. According to historical records, it took about 103 Years to complete this profusely sculpted masterpiece of Hoysala architecture. The temple is said to be built to commemorate the victory of Hoysalas over the Cholas in the great battle of Talakkad. Some also believe that it was constructed when Vishnuvardhana adopted Vaishnavism under the influence of the great Guru Sri Ramanujacharya. The ornamental temple was built in chloritic Schist, a light green soapstone, ideal for carving which acquires granite like harness after getting exposed to the atmosphere.
TEMPLE COMPLEX:
The huge temple complex enclosed by a high wall has a large paved courtyard with a main temple surrounded by subsidiary shrines, colonnades and other structures. There are two gateways, but only the main eastern gateway is crowned by a gopuram, which was built in 1397, by gunda, a general of Vijayanagara King Harihara II, after the original Mahadwara was burnt down by Ganga Salaer, a officer of Tughalaks during the invasion and seize of the shrine. The Vijayanagara kings alos considered the presiding deity as their Kuldevta of patron courtyard is dedicated to Lord Vijayanarayan or Keshava, one of the twenty four forms of Lord Vishnu. The presiding deity is popularly known as Chenna Keshava or the 'handsome' Keshava. The Chenna Keshava temple facing Channigraya. Some other important temples here are of Narasimha, Anjeaneya etc. The courtyard has an idol of Praying Garuda sthambha or pillar erected during the Vijayanagara era and a Deepa sthamba built by the Hoysalas.
TEMPLE PLAN:
The temple is built in charecteristic stellate plan of the Hoysalas and looks like a carved casket made of wood and polished to perfection. It is larger in size as compared with other Hoysalas temples and is about 443 ft. long and 396 ft broad. The main temple set on a raised platform (Jagati) is 178 ft. long from east to west and 156 ft broad from North to South. The platform is also star shaped,similar to the temple built upon it. It is an example of ekakuta vimana or single shrine design. The temple comprises of a garbha griha (Sanctum sanctorium), a large sukhanasi (vestibule) connecting the navaranga mandapa (pillared hall) and garbha griha. The navaranga mandapa noted for its lathe turned pillars and capital was originally an open one, with only parapets. Later on , the space between parapet and the roof was covered by beautiful filigreed panels or pierced window screens depicting puranic themes and geometrical designs, while the base of the temple is decorated with eight levels of horizontal friezes.The unusual Vimana (tower) of the sanctum, made of brick and mortar was supported by wood work and plated with gold glided copper sheets. Unfortunately, the crumbling vimana had to be dismantled in 1879, to protect the main sanctum. The tower was built in bhumija style and not in the regular star shape. The curvelinear outline with a central verticle band and four coulmns of miniature nagar nikharas per side makes it a type of nagara (North India) tower. This type towers can be seen on the miniature shrines.
In a strikingly specific instance of mimicry, the patterns on the wings of this moth (Macrocilix maia) appear to resemble two flies feeding at a glistening bird dropping. This, coupled with a pungent odor that the moth emits, may be enough to dissuade a predator from considering a meal. Although flies are certainly edible, they nevertheless sometimes serve as models for mimicry because they are so quick and agile that most birds won't bother pursuing them. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
Many believed that trees possessed a unique energy, a life force that could be transferred to humans through physical contact. In Native American cultures, for instance, the act of hugging trees was seen as a way to connect with the wisdom of nature and to heal both body and soul
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digital draw and paint
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For instance Google Maps does not acknowledge that the summer cottage area in Kivinokka actually has street names. The long main road in front here continuing to the far left is called Puistotie (Park road) and the one leading further back is Tammitie (Oak road). Other streets to be found are Pihlajatie, Kuusitie, Rajatie and Supipolku.
Around local midnight time on April 8, 2015, astronauts aboard the International Space Station took this photograph of Paris, often referred to as the “City of Light.”
The pattern of the street grid dominates at night, providing a completely different set of visual features from those visible during the day. For instance, the winding Seine River is a main visual cue by day, but here the thin black line of the river is hard to detect until you focus on the strong meanders and the street lights on both banks.
The brightest boulevard in the dense network of streets is the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the historical axis of the city, as designed in the 17th century. Every year on Bastille Day (July 14), the largest military parade in Europe processes down the Champs Élysées, reviewed by the President of the Republic. This grand avenue joins the royal Palace of the Tuileries—whose gardens appear as a dark rectangle on the river—to the star-like meeting place of eleven major boulevards at the Arc de Triomphe.
The many forested parks of Paris stand out as black polygons—such as the Bois de Boulogne and Vincennes. Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports are distinguished by their very bright lights next to the dark areas of runways and surrounding open land. Paris’s great ring road, the Boulevard Périphérique, encloses the city center.
Astronaut photograph ISS043-E-93480 was acquired on April 8, 2015, with a Nikon D4 digital camera using a 400 millimeter lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center.
For information and annotated images, click here.
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These official NASA photographs are being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photographs. The photographs may not be used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement by NASA. All Images used must be credited. For information on usage rights, click here.
A Juvenile Northern Flicker and I named this one for his obvious outcropping of white feathers. His two siblings have no such markings...He is sunning and preening in this instance....
For tonight's post, this is Beachy Head lighthouse - revisited. I don't often process monochrome imagery. The reason is I simply love colour! However due to a special request I have revisited this one to convert to black and white.
I have to say I do really enjoy the tones and the feel - by changing your processing routine you can really bring out a whole different feel to the scene.
What do you guys think? Do you prefer my colour posts or in this instance does black and white work?
Summer skies remembered - in this instance a surreal sky that was in fact frightening - it was spitting lightning - but I had to run out and make this shot! The long aeolian piano was an installation left by a dance troupe at the Convent Country Inn in Val Marie, Saskatchewan, in 2004, following a performance in Grasslands National Park. Long wires were attached to its back and linked to a nearby pole, so that the wind would vibrate them and the sound would resonate through the piano itself. Very unusual. After several winters the piano finally crumbled to pieces, but the "vibes" remain.
Photographed in Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission © 2006 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Recently I made a couple of photo book, using pictures taken during our stay in Valparaiso. I used this photo as the cover on one of them.
Unfortunately, the hand of man is present in this shot. However, some of the nature competitions have relaxed that stipulation for entries into some nature competitions.
From what we saw, it's evident that this is part of the birds' daily routine when the fishermen are cleaning fish.
Whilst I'm at it, the roof was sloping so this photo is straight!
I think, most of all, I love the differences in their feather patterns. The colours are so different from those seen on our local pelicans and that drew me to them in the first instance.
I used to teach kindergarten and collected buttons to teach sorting and patterns. The bottom row of black buttons for instance could be sorted by color, shape or how many button holes the button has. In the middle row I found buttons that resembled a bow. I'm retired from teaching but never did get rid of my button collection. I probably have over 500. I knew there would come a time when I could use them again.
Via Instagram:
There are many things I may never learn, even about photography. There is either no room in my brain, or it’s been too long and the window of opportunity passed me by a long time ago. For instance, I have almost no idea how to “direct” models. I’ve had new people shoot with me, anxiety showing on their faces as they ask me what they should do or how to pose. And hopefully it disarms them when I say I don’t know, because a lot of them forget after we’ve wandered and talked for a while and suddenly photos have appeared. Apparently it wasn’t important enough for me to learn, and at some point the moment passed. I may have also missed my chance at making movies or short films. I feel like being able to direct is vital for that as well, but then pile on all of the other new skills you need and the ability to collaborate with an actor, and I’ve got a large wall in front of me. Gabriella can do all of those things, and that is something I marvel at. This was my first photo shoot where I got to watch a person’s short film on my phone while I waited for them to arrive, and that is a unique experience. I may not be able to learn how to make short films, but I can still share Gabriella’s. Head to instagram.com/gabrielladreannefilm if you’d like to watch her anxiety themed, award winning short “Coping: don’t let it consume you”. (I think I got all of that right)
Autumn Polaroid Week 2022, Day 3
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Validation is a wonderful thing. In fact, I would argue that all of us need validation in the things that we do. It’s a vital part of what keeps us going. If you’ve ever received a compliment on one of your photographs, or even something like an award, then you know the sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with it—and the renewed vigor with which you go out to create new, even better photographs than the ones that earned you those accolades in the first place.
All of this is a natural, normal phenomenon that is quite healthy and perhaps even vital to keep us going. But there is a dark side to validation, too. There are times, I think, when the need for validation is so extremely deep that it just goes too far.
It is, I think, imperative that we all occasionally take a moment for self-reflection into this matter. I have seen instances in which the drive for validation was so overwhelming that it ultimately not only soured an individual’s taste for their passion, but even led to estrangement among former friends all sharing that same passion.
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And so when I speak of this idea that we need to sometimes introspect on our own need for validation, what I would say is this: The first thing we must do is we must search within ourselves and learn why it is that we feel driven to create photographs. This means digging deep into our own psyches to ferret out the true reasons for doing it.
Truth be told, there can be so many reasons to get into photography. The need to be recognized for a talent can be one of them, but perhaps you also feel compelled to learn about the subjects you are photographing. Maybe you have a scientific interest in photography and painting with light. Perhaps there is just something about manipulating color, light, or geometry that appeals to you and leaves you feeling satisfied on a deep level.
Any number of these things can be reasons, or you could have reasons of your own—and in fact, you could find that there is not one singular reason to create, but a variety of them. I suspect that variety is the answer for most people. Photography is art, science, and constant learning all wrapped into one, which means it will scratch a great many of our itches at once.
As I’ve said, you will probably also find that the need for validation is one of the reasons why you create photographs. This is where things get tricky because, on the surface, there is absolutely nothing wrong with pursuing validation and recognition for your efforts. Of course those of us who are passionate about our art will want to show it to people. We’re excited for what we’ve created, we hope others will like it, too, and when they do, that validates us and our excitement.
If we put the need for validation on a spectrum, then this is the healthy end of the spectrum. Now, what lies at the unhealthy end of the spectrum?
On the unhealthy side, things start to distort. Here, you will find validation is king. All other things come secondary to that need. Creating photographs is no longer about a passion for colors or geometry. It’s no longer about learning about your subject material. It’s no longer focused on a person’s fascination for the science behind the art.
In a nutshell, when the need for validation takes over and becomes an unhealthy thing, the victim’s photography is no longer about producing a quality, meaningful product. Rather, it becomes a mass-produced thing in which the victim seeks to create as many “good” photographs as rapidly as they can so that once the buzz dies down from their last project, they have something to show to get that buzz going again.
And this is where the validation turns into a vicious cycle—or perhaps more accurately, a downward spiral into not only bitterness, but also the opposite of the intended goal, which is the lack of validation.
You see, when this goes far enough, people will excitedly throw their mass-produced work out into the world—perhaps on social media or elsewhere. Except, this work was produced only with validation in mind, which leads to work that carries no real meaning or interest for most people. Thus, the work gains no attention, and the artist remains unvalidated. But the need to get that validation is so great that after the work flops, they hastily toss something new out, hoping it will capture what the previous work did not.
It’s a sad cycle—and worse, the people trapped in it are often so focused on this need to get that validation that they stop listening to their peers. It’s almost like an addiction. The goal is to get the fix, and everything else is drowned out by this need. While the world may be telling someone stuck in this cycle to slow down, to put meaning and personal growth ahead of the praise, they just can’t. And I’m sure you can see where this would create conflict, not only of the internal kind, but among groups of peers, too. So what is the lesson here? It’s that all things are best when in balance. Of course, we all want validation—and we all need and deserve it, too. But when validation becomes the primary objective, it can become a dangerous beast.
Now go and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation through your lens.
Learn more: WillMoneymaker.com
Aegna, a small island that from its shores has always observed the Estonian capital Tallinn. It
hosted few settlements of fishermen in its golden days, a soviet base in the darkest ones, and
nowadays abandoned constructions along with wild nature. Now the population is accounted to be
of six people, who are not to be found despite any effort; mainland dwellers fleeing the city for a
greener place are instead the only humans that can be spotted. Exploring the island I've indeed
found a summer centre for Buddhist meditation and a couple of monks in spiritual retire, but then
only ran-down or even crumbling facilities of the soviet era, new built estates with the typical traits
of the Scandinavian architecture, spiritual spots for offerings to unknown deities, as well as many
other puzzling and inapprehensible things, like feathers scattered on a pathway for an instance. Not
the actual inhabitants though, except the ones buried in the local cemetery, which counts dozens of
tombstones on a musky field adorned by lichens. Here the people are at the best just an ephemeral
phenomenon, solely consistence of the residuals of their past existence.
That's the snow-covered summit of Mauna Kea in the distance.
Yes, this here Hawai'i place can be quite scenically beautiful on most days. And it's a pretty nice place to live, up until you're forced with interact with some of its customer service-type inhabitants.
Take for instance the conversation I had just moments ago, right after I decided to finally get help for an ear infection I've had in both ears for the past month and a half, or so...
(I've redacted the name of the health clinic and the doctor for fear of them seeing this before they see me.)
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"_____ Health Center, how can I help you?"
Hi. I'd like to make an appointment with Dr. ________.
"Okay. What is your name?"
Bill Adams
"Bale? B-A-L-E?"
Yes, Bale A-D-A-M-S.
"And, Bale, what type of problem are you having?"
I'm having a hard time hearing out of both ears.
"I'm sorry, I can't hear you."
Right. I can't hear you.
"Oh. Okay. What's the best time for you, Bale, morning or afternoon?"
As soon as is possible, please.
"Okay, how about 2:45 on Thursday?"
Is that the soonest appointment available?
"Well, I also have 2:45 tomorrow, would that work?"
Is that sooner than Thursday?
"Yes."
Okay. I'll take that one, then.
"Okay, Bale. We'll see you tomorrow at 3:00."
3:00? I thought you said 2:45?
"Yes, we need you here at 2:45 for your 3 o'clock appointment."
Oh. I get it. Thank you.
{sigh}
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I wanna go home, wherever that is...
In another life, I could see myself as a botanist or an arborist. I am endlessly amazed by forests and what grows in them.
Take byrophytes, or moss, for instance. These small, non vascular plants live along with other plants, providing water and essential nutrients. In the temperate Pacific Northwest we are no strangers to moss. There are whole forests draped in the thick fuzzy plant; every shade of green.
I was surprised to see moss growing in the winter down near Lake Tahoe CA. Apparently not only surviving, but thriving. While most plants grow within the range between 65-85 degrees F, byrophytes can grow in sub zero temps. In fact, they produce their own brand of "anti-freeze" which allows them to withstand the frigid cold. Who knew? ....probably botanists and arborists I guess.......
All I know, is on this snowshoe excursion, these two trees and their bright yellow/green byrophyte brethren caught my eye and the lens of my Hasselblad.
Image with my Hasselblad 500cm.
Another image from last Wednesday at Hatch Hill. I was looking for butterflies with Paul Redman when we noticed this male Chalk Hill Blue taking in the morning sun - by carefully making our way around the butterfly I was able to get this front on shot. In this instance the chalkie was very vertical in it's position allowing a fair bit of detail in the wings.
Go Large
There are instances when I have duplicates of a doll or when two dolls have the same face screening, I will rebody the other one with an older style body so she can wear older fashions.
Mae Castell y Gwrych yn un o dai bonedd castellog hynotaf y 19eg ganrif. Fe’i crewyd gan Lloyd Hesketh Bamford, gŵr yr oedd ei dad wedi priodi etifeddes teulu Lloyd o’r Gwrych. Daeth yn berchen ar y stad yn 1816.
’Roedd cynllun i’r adeilad newydd wedi cael ei baratoi iddo yn 1814 gan C A Busby, ond yn 1816 trodd at Thomas Rickman, gan ofyn iddo, yn y lle cyntaf, i gynllunio ffenestri Gothig. ’Roedd Hesketh eisoes wedi bod yn gweithio ar y cynlluniau a chwblhawyd y rheini iddo gan Rickman yn 1817.
Gosodwyd y maen sylfaen yn 1819 ac ymddengys fod y brif ran wedi ei gorffen erbyn 1822. Gwnaed newidiadau yn ddiweddarach, ac ychwanegwyd rhannau eraill.
O 1946 ymalen, câi Castell y Gwrych ei defnyddio fel lle i hamddena ac i ddifyrru.
Cofiaf ymweld â’r Castell yn y 70au, gyda’m mam. ’Roeddem yn synnu bod cyn lleied o bethau o werth y tu mewn, a bod golwg go flêr ar y lle. ’Roedd y grisiau mawr urddasol yn ein gwahodd, fodd bynnag, i weld y llawr nesaf. Wedi cyrraedd y landin, cawsom nad oedd ond drws mawr ar gael inni fentro drwyddo, ac yn lle mynd â ni i ystafell arall, ’roedd yn agor allan i'r allt. Profiad difyr yn hytrach nag un siomedig, er hynny.
Dim ond cragen yr adeilad a erys heddiw, ond wedi degawdau o gael ei esgeuluso, mae ymdrechion yn awr i achub yr adeiladau ac i adfer rhai ohonynt: www.gwrychcastle.co.uk/
Mae bron y cwbl o fframiau’r ffenestri wedi eu gwneud o haearn bwrw, i batrymau safonol gan Rickman. Fe’u gwnaed yn y Mersey Iron Foundry yn Lerpwl.
Ffrances oedd hen nain Emrys ap Iwan (Robert Ambrose Jones) ac roedd hithau’n byw yn Hen Wrych sydd tua thri chwarter milltir ar hyd ffordd Llandulas. Gweithiai fel cydymaith i wraig fonheddig yno. Cofir am Emrys ap Iwan fel pregethwr, fel gramadegydd ac yn anad dim fel un o’r ymgyrchwyr pwysicaf dros y Gymraeg yn y 19eg ganrif.
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Kastell y Gwrych zo unan eus souezhusañ tiez bras an XIXvet kantved, savet ma’z eo e doare ur c’hastell. Gant Lloyd Hesketh Bamford, an hini a oa bet heritet an douaroù gantañ, e voe krouet. Skoazellet e oa bet gant adeiladourien a-vicher, ha dreist-holl gant C. A. Busby ha Thomas Rickman.
Kentañ maen ar savadur a voe lakaet e 1819, ha war a seblant e oa peurechu ar savadur-kreiz a-benn 1822. Diwezhatoc’h e voe graet kemmoù d’ar vatimant hag ouzhpennet savadurioù all.
Diwar 1946 e veze implijet evit ul lec'h d'en em ziduellañ.
Soñj am eus e oan aet, gant ma mamm, da welet ar c’hastell-se e bloavezhioù 70. Paeet hor boa evit mont e-barzh. Nebeut a arrebeuri hag a ginkladurioù brav a oa er salioù en traoñ avat. An diri koulskoued a oa meurdezus, ha ni ha sevel ganto gant ar spi da zizoleiñ teñzorioù e krec’h. Ur wech en em gavet eno e oamp disouezhet rak ne oa hogos netra da welet, war-bouez un nor vras na gase ket d’ur sal all met kentoc'h a zigore war an diribin gwezennek. Fentus ha dedennus hor boa kavet an droiad evelato.
Bremañ, siwazh, nemet krogenn ar c’hastell ne chom, met krog eur da virout ar savadur ha da adsevel lodennoù zo:https://www.gwrychcastle.co.uk/
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Is é Caisleán Gwrych ceann de na caisleáin is suntasaí a tógadh san 19ú haois. Ba é Lloyd Hesketh Bamford a chruthaigh é. Bhí athair an fhir sin pósta le hoidhre an teaghlaigh Lloyd de Gwrych agus fuair sé an t-eastát i 1816. Bhí plean tí chaisealaigh aige cheana féin, plean a d'ullmhaigh C A Busby dó sa bhliain 1814, ach i 1816 chas sé ar Thomas Rickman, ag iarraidh air, ar an gcéad dul síos, fuinneoga Gotacha a dhearadh. Bhí Hesketh ag obair ar na moltaí don fhoirgneamh, ach ba é Rickman a dhréachtaigh an plean iomlán i 1817.
Leagadh an chloch bhunaidh i 1819 agus is cosúil go raibh an phríomhchuid den chaisleán críochnaithe faoi 1822. Bhí athruithe agus breiseanna níos déanaí ann.
Ó 1946 i leith baineadh úsáid as Caisleán Gwrych mar áit fóillíochta agus siamsaíochta.
Is cuimhin liom cuairt a thabhairt ar an gCaisleán sna 70idí, in éineacht le mo mháthair. Bhí ionadh orainn nach raibh troscáin agus maisiúcháin ar ardchaighdeán laistigh. Chuamar suas an staighre maorga go dtí an chéad urlár, ach ansin thuigeamar nach raibh an doras mór a raibh romhainn ag oscailt isteach i seomra eile ach in a ionad sin ar an gcnoc coillteach. Ní raibh mórán le feiceáil san fhoirgneamh, ach bhí sé spéisiúil, agus greannmhar, in ainneoin sin.
Nuair a thógas an grianghraf seo ní raibh ach blaosc fós ann, ach le gairid athchóiriodh cuid de na foirgnimh: www.gwrychcastle.co.uk/
Déanadh beagnach gach fráma fuinneoige ag Rickman, as iarann teilgthe. Tháinig siad ó Theilgcheárta Iarainn Mersey i Learpholl.
Bhí mhór-sheanmháthair Emrys ap Iwan (Robert Ambrose Jones) ina cónaí in Hen Wrych, trí cheathrú míle ar feadh bhóthar Llandulas. Cuimhnítear ar Emrys ap Iwan, as Abergele ó dhúchas, mar sheanmóirí, mar ghramadaí agus mar an breathnóir ní ba threise ar staid na Breatnaise sa 19ú haois.
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Gwrych Castle (Castell y Gwrych) is one of the most remarkable castellated mansions of the 19th century. It was created by Lloyd Hesketh Bamford, whose father had married the heiress of the Lloyd family of Gwrych. He inherited the estate in 1816. He had a castellated plan prepared for him in 1814 by C A Busby, but in 1816 he turned to Thomas Rickman, asking him, in the first instance, to design Gothic windows. Hesketh had been working on the proposals for the building itself and the full plan by drawn up by Rickman in 1817.
The foundation stone was laid in 1819 and it appears that the main part had been completed by 1822. There were later changes and additions.
From 1946 onwards, Castell y Gwrych was used as a place of leisure and popular entertainiment.
I remember visiting the Castle in the 70s, with my mother. We were surprised that there wasn’t much in the way of quality furniture and decorations inside. The large stately staircase invited us up to the next floor, but once there we found a large door opening not into another room but on to the wooded hillside. There was very little to see in the building, but it was quite an amusing experience.
Only a shell remains now, unfortunately, but recently work has been undertaken to preserve and restore some of the buildings: www.gwrychcastle.co.uk/
Almost all of the window frames are made of cast iron, to standard patterns by Rickman. They came from the Mersey Iron Foundry in Liverpool.
Emrys ap Iwan’s (Robert Ambrose Jones) great grandmother was a Frenchwoman who lived at Old Gwrych, three quarters of a mile along the Llandulas road. She was a companion to a lady there. Emrys ap Iwan, a native of Abergele, is remembered as a preacher, a grammarian and the most penetrating observer of the situation of the Welsh language in the 19th century .
Rouen, a city on the River Seine in the north of France. It is the capital of the region of Normandy. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy during the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th centuries. The population of the metropolitan area (French: agglomération) at the 2011 census was 655,013, with the city proper having an estimated population of 111,557. People from Rouen are known as Rouennais. Rouen was founded by the Gaulish tribe of the Veliocasses, who controlled a large area in the lower Seine valley. They called it Ratumacos; the Romans called it Rotomagus. It was considered the second city of Gallia Lugdunensis after Lugdunum (Lyon) itself. Under the reorganization of Diocletian, Rouen was the chief city of the divided province Gallia Lugdunensis II and reached the apogee of its Roman development, with an amphitheatre and thermae of which foundations remain. In the 5th century, it became the seat of a bishopric and later a capital of Merovingian Neustria. From their first incursion into the lower valley of the Seine in 841, the Normans overran Rouen. From 912, Rouen was the capital of the Duchy of Normandy and residence of the local dukes, until William the Conqueror moved his residence to Caen. In 1150, Rouen received its founding charter which permitted self-government. During the 12th century, Rouen was the site of a yeshiva. At that time, about 6,000 Jews lived in the town, comprising about 20% of the population. On June 24, 1204, King Philip II Augustus of France entered Rouen and definitively annexed Normandy to the French Kingdom. He demolished the Norman castle and replaced it with his own, the Château Bouvreuil, built on the site of the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre. A textile industry developed based on wool imported from England, for which the cities of Flanders and Brabant were constantly competitors, and finding its market in the Champagne fairs. Rouen also depended for its prosperity on the river traffic of the Seine, on which it enjoyed a monopoly that reached as far upstream as Paris. In the 14th century urban strife threatened the city: in 1291, the mayor was assassinated and noble residences in the city were pillaged. Philip IV reimposed order and suppressed the city's charter and the lucrative monopoly on river traffic, but he was quite willing to allow the Rouennais to repurchase their old liberties in 1294. In 1306, he decided to expel the Jewish community of Rouen, then numbering some five or six thousand. In 1389, another urban revolt of the underclass occurred, the Harelle. It was suppressed with the withdrawal of Rouen's charter and river-traffic privileges once more. During the Hundred Years' War, on January 19, 1419, Rouen surrendered to Henry V of England, who annexed Normandy once again to the Plantagenet domains. But Rouen did not go quietly: Alain Blanchard hung English prisoners from the walls, for which he was summarily executed; Canon and Vicar General of Rouen Robert de Livet became a hero for excommunicating the English king, resulting in de Livet's imprisonment for five years in England. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen on May 30, 1431 in this city, where most inhabitants supported the duke of Burgundy, Joan of Arc's king enemy. The king of France Charles VII recaptured the town in 1449. During the German occupation, the Kriegsmarine had its headquarters located in a chateau on what is now the Rouen Business School. The city was heavily damaged during World War II on D-day and its famed cathedral was almost destroyed by Allied bombs. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rouen
In an instance the ship vanished beyond the sea.
I have gotten into a slump. because my wife is a disease.
In one of those divine instances that a family so graciously welcomed me into their home, I was able to marvel at her up-close. This beautiful piece of sculpture, with [by my personal preference] the unmatched visage of a grieving mother -with the right age, unlike very youthful looking Dolorosas- is a gem of Philippine Ecclesiastical Art.
She is enshrined in her urna, assembled on a separate bust, wearing her pre-war faded cobalt blue ensemble -the sequins made of actual pressed metal plates, not synthetic...
another instance of Seville's impressive giant structure called Metropol Parasol, or as the Spanish call it: las cetas (the mushrooms)
"To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment." - Jane Austen | At this instance, looking upon the verdure and the calm sea is the most perfect refreshment. | Calaguas, Philippines
Acqua alta is the term used in Veneto, Italy for the exceptional tide peaks that occur periodically in the northern Adriatic Sea. The peaks reach their maximum in the Venetian Lagoon, where they cause partial flooding of Venice and Chioggia; flooding also occurs elsewhere around the northern Adriatic, for instance at Grado and Trieste, but much less often and to a lesser degree.
The phenomenon occurs mainly between autumn and spring, when the astronomical tides are reinforced by the prevailing seasonal winds that hamper the usual reflux. The main winds involved are the sirocco, which blows northbound along the Adriatic Sea, and the bora, which has a specific local effect due to the shape and location of the Venetian Lagoon.
Precise scientific parameters define the phenomenon called acqua alta, the most significant of which (i.e., the deviation in amplitude from a base measurement of "standard" tides) is measured by the hydrographic station located nearby the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. Supernormal tidal events can be categorized as:
intense when the measured sea level is between 80 cm and 109 cm above the standard sea level (which was defined by averaging the measurements of sea level during the year 1897);
very intense when the measured sea level is between 110 cm and 139 cm above the standard;
exceptional high waters when the measured sea level reaches or exceeds 140 cm above the standard.
Generally speaking, tide levels largely depend on three contributing factors:
An astronomical component, which results from the movement and alignment of celestial bodies, principally the Moon, secondarily the Sun, and marginally other planets (with effects decreasing in relation to their distance from the Earth); this component is dependent upon the laws of the astronomical mechanics and can be computed and accurately predicted for the long run (even years or decades)
A geophysical component, primarily dependent upon the geometric shape of the basin, which amplifies or reduces the astronomical component and, because it is dependent upon the laws of the physical mechanics, can be also computed and accurately predicted for the long run (even years or decades);
A meteorological component, linked to a large set of variables, such as the direction and strength of winds, the location of barometric pressure fields and their gradients, precipitation, etc. Because of their complex interrelations and quasi-stochastic behavior, these variables cannot be accurately modeled in statistical terms. Consequently, this component can only be forecast for the very short run and is the principal determinant of acqua alta emergencies that catch Venetians unprepared.
Two further contributing natural factors are the subsidence, i.e. the natural sinking of the soil level, to which the lagoon is subject, and eustasy, i.e. the progressive rise of sea levels. While these phenomena would occur independently of human activity, their effects have increased because of inhabitation: the use of lagoonal water by the industries in Porto Marghera (now ceased) sped up subsidence, while global warming has been linked to increased eustasy. Venice's "Tide Monitoring and Forecast Center" evaluates that the city has lost 23 cm in its elevation since 1897, the year of reference, 12 of which are attributable to natural causes (9 because of eustasy, 3 because of subsidence), 13 are due to the additional subsidence caused by human activity, while the "elastic recovery" of the soil has allowed the city to "gain back" 2 cm.
Geophysical determinants linked to the Adriatic Sea
The long and narrow rectangular shape of the Adriatic Sea is the source of an oscillating water motion (called seiche) along the basin's minor axis.
The principal oscillation, which has a period of 21 hours and 30 minutes and an amplitude around 0.5 meters at the axis' extremities, supplements the natural tidal cycle, so that the Adriatic Sea has much more extreme tidal events than the rest of the Mediterranean. A secondary oscillation is also present, with an average period of 12 hours and 11 minutes.
Because the timeframe of both oscillations is comparable to naturally occurring (yet independent) astronomical tides, the two effects overlap and reinforce each other. The combined effects are more significant at the perigees, which correspond to new moons, full moons and equinoxes.
Should meteorological conditions (such as a strong scirocco wind blowing north along the major axis of the Adriatic basin) hamper the natural outflow of excess tidal water, high waters of greater magnitude can be expected in Venice.
The particular shape of the Venetian lagoon, the subsidence which has been affecting the soil in the coastal area, and the peculiar urban configuration all magnify the impact of the high waters on city dwellers and on the buildings.
Furthermore, the northbound winds called bora and sirocco often blow directly towards the harbors that connect the lagoon to the Adriatic Sea, significantly slowing down (and, at times, completing blocking) the outflow of water from the lagoon toward the sea. When this occurs, the ebb is prevented inside the lagoon, so that the following high tide overlaps with the previous one, in a perverse self-supporting cycle.
The creation of the industrial area of Porto Marghera, which lies immediately behind Venice, amplified the effects of high waters for two reasons: first, the land upon which the area is built was created by filling large parts of the lagoon where smaller islands just above sea level previously lay. These islands, called barene, acted as natural sponges (or "expansion tanks") when high tides occurred, absorbing a significant portion of the excess water.
Second, a navigable channel was carved through the lagoon to allow oil tankers to reach the piers. This "Oil Channel" physically linked the sea to the coastal line, running through the harbor in Malamocco and crossing the lagoon for its entire width. This direct connection to the sea, which was obviously non-existent at the time of Venice's foundation, has subjected the city to more severe high tides.
Porto Marghera and its facilities are not the only human-made contributors to higher tides. Rather, the municipality of Venice has published a study that suggests the following initiatives may have had an irreversible and catastrophic impact on the city's capacity to withstand acque alte in the future:
the building of the Railroad Bridge (1841/1846) connecting Venice to the land, because its supporting pillars modify the natural motion of lagoonal water;
the diversion of the river Brenta outside the Chioggia basin, which drained the 2,63 hectares of the river's delta that functioned as expansion tanks, absorbing extra lagoonal water during high tides;
the building of offshore dammed piers (Porto di Malamocco, 1820/72; Porto di S. Nicolò, 884/97; Porto di Chioggia, 1911/33), which obviously restrict the natural movement of water;
the building of the Ponte della Libertà (1931/33), which connects Venice to the land;
the building of the Riva dei Sette Martiri (1936/41), an extension to the Riva degli Schiavoni;
the building of the artificial island Tronchetto used as a car and bus terminal (17 hectares, 1957/61):
the doubling of the Railroad Bridge (1977).
MATING SYSTEM: MONOGAMY As the flamingo's most stable social organization is the pair bond (SEE SOCIAL SYSTEM), it should be no surprise that the bird's mating system is monogamy. Even though the term of a pair bond varies considerably, in all instances, flamingos have been found to be purely monogamous. Why has this the system that has developed over time and why is it been maintained so rigidly? All of the flamingo's adaptions to its environment have contributed to this monogamous stability: (1) A flamingo's feeding site is in the water but must lay its egg on muddy land . That egg must be incubated for 27 days and because of colonial living where others want to steal the nesting territory and predation, that egg must be protected at all times . A flamingo eats food by way of a filter-feeding mechanism, but as a result must spend most of its day eating to consume enough nutrients . Therefore, a female can not do the work by herself. Instead, she needs the male to help, and together they take shifts. As one protects the egg and maintains the nest, the other is at the feeding site.
Cameras are powerful tools. They don't just create images, they create perceptions... or even perhaps realities. Reality for us is how we see it, right? If our eyes and brains had evolved in such a way that down looked like up and vice versa (not such a far-fetched theory, really) then we would invariably think of the reality of down and up in such reversed roles.
Generally speaking, we use cameras to reflect our reality...or more specifically or perception of reality (not that they are really all that different in a fashion). But cameras can be used to introduce new perceptions, can't they? Look at the popularity of extreme wide angle lenses? Why do photographers like them so much? Because they show us a perception of a familiar world in a way we cannot normally see it in. It's exciting. I sometimes like taking it a step further. After all, there is a difference between stretching your perceptions of reality through wide angle lenses and completely re-arranging them. When you start to the see the world as re-arrangible building blocks, you start to think of the reality you so take for granted a bit differently too. See, that is what I mean by powerful tools. Cameras not only have the ability to show us the world in a different fashion, they have the ability to make us think about a different world, or even on occasion, believe in it. Crazy stuff.
Or maybe I have just had too much juice to drink.
In the rare instances an afternoon eastbound during the summer on the Central of Georgia actually has something worth shooting these days, it's pretty much a mission to find the least-backlit locations. Given the light angles available, was pretty pleased with how this scene turned out as the S&A unit ducks under old US 280 outside of Alexander City. Hard to get more Deep South feeling than the combination of the piney-woods, kudzu, and a tuxedo.
The whole NS road power roster is looking pretty shabby these days, but the poor 1065 might just be one of the dirtiest of them all.
Yesterday I completed the restoration of a 1936 Kodak Retina No. 126, so I had to test it to see how it performs. In this instance, I used a roll of Svema MZ-3 I had from last year, which is a very slow (3 ASA!), fine grained orthochromatic film. I have no idea what the original application for this film was, but I suspect its some sort of microfilm emulsion.
Shot at 3ASA and bracketed, film processed in Rodinal 1:50 for 7 minutes, which gave a very reasonable contrast curve.
After cleaning the lens groups of this camera (interior surfaces were fogged with oil film) it was a very nice clear lens, but with some scarring of the front element due to aggressive cleaning over its 83 years of life. In spite of this, it performs beautifully. This photo was made at f5.6, which is only two stops down from wide open, and yet everything is quite sharp and rendered very nicely! These early Schneider lenses were no slouches. But then this was considered a premium quality "miniature" camera in 1936, costing (approximately) $57, which would be over $1000 in 2019 currency!
Collection of some of my sailing shots. I don't want to bore everyone with all my photos so I am just making a selection of shots from various trips and photo opportunities public. For instance out of this set of 32 photos only 3 are public.
There are a few instances in life when you would want to remember that moment for years to brag about how you were there to witness something truly beautiful. This is how I feel about an evening in Elgol. The way the light was painting itself from across Elgol over the Cuillins range was truly spectacular.
The weather in the Cuillins is very erratic with the light changing almost every minute. When I had got there, there were absolutely no clouds. But they appeared from nowhere and began to move south eastwards owing to pretty strong winds.
The drive to Elgol itself is a bit adventurous and the gradients in a lot of places are quite scary if you have a really underpowered car. Mostly the roads are very narrow and the drive from Broadford to Elgol is truly magical with some beautiful and quaint towns enroute to a beautiful beach.
EXIF - 30 sec f/10 ISO 50 24mm
Thanks for viewing and have a nice weekend!
This is the way I do it, not necessarily the best way – but it works for me. I use the Tetenal Colortec C-41 set; mix the chemicals to the specifications provided in the set you use and adapt the following to suit your needs (if, for instance, your C-41 set uses separate bleach and fix).
Oh, by the way: the image above has lots of notes, so make sure to check them out if you're interested too.
I set up all my equipment as you see it, using the kitchen sink. I load the film the way I usually do (I'll not get into that now, but 500 ml chemicals will submerge one 120/220 roll or two 135 rolls).
1. Fill the kitchen sink with water approx. 42-45 degrees C. Place the bottles on the bottom. Leave them be for approx. five minutes (this will warm the chemicals to the same temperature as the waterbath surrounding it).
2. Hold the Paterson tank in the waterbath while you wait so as to warm it up a bit, making sure no water enters the tank of course. You don't want cold plastic to cool of the chemicals too rapidly once you get going.
3. Watch the thermometer and prepare to start the process when it reaches 39 degrees C (ideal temperature is 38,5 degrees C for C-41 – at least the Tetenal I use – but there is half a degree latitude and the extra half degree makes no earthly difference.)
4. Once the thermometer hits 38,5–39 degrees C, start pouring the developer into the tank at the same time as you start your timer. It might take you fifteen seconds to pour all the developer in, but never mind that – this time is included in the overall time for development.
5. Developer stays in for 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Inverse the tank immediately four times and repeat this every 30 seconds, and do by all means submerge the tank in the water while you're resting your wrists – it'll help keep the temperature even.
6. At 3 minutes and 10 seconds, drain the developer into the measuring jug marked for the purpose (you will reuse the chemicals for at least 8 rolls, so it's sound financial advice to take good care of the chemicals: as soon as you can, use the funnel to pour them back into the bottles and seal them up again).
7. Pour the bleach fix into the tank. From now on the temperature is not as important; the bleach fix has greater latitude and you don't have to keep this at 38,5 degrees C – anywhere between 30 and 39 will do (I usually remove the bleach fix and stabilizer bottles from the waterbath as soon as I've started developing and just place them to one side; it gives me more room to manouver when I inverse the tank).
8. Inverse the tank every 30 seconds for 4 minutes (if you're on the combined timer, you should do this until it hits 7 minutes and 15 seconds).
9. Drain the bleach fix into the measuring jug marked for the purpose. Don't inhale. It's quite a foul smell and obviously not healthy.
10. Place the tank below the faucet and start the water rinse – fill the tank with running water (approx. 20 degrees C, anywhere around there will do just fine) and empty it every 30 seconds or so. Continue doing this for 3 minutes, until the combined timer reaches 10 minutes and 15 seconds (don't worry if you rinse for longer than that, but three minutes should do it).
11. Pour the stabilizer into the tank. Don't inverse – I find that this makes for more foam, which is difficult to get rid of and leaves bad stains on your negatives that shows up in scans. Just splosh the liquid around for a minute or so, making sure that the film is submerged (which it should be, as you're using the prescribed 500 ml solution for one roll of 120/220 film or two rolls of 135 film). Let it interact with the film for approx. a minute.
12. Drain the stabilizer into the measuring jug marked for the purpose. This chemical is very foul indeed, and quite possibly toxic – note to self: get a face mask and avoid the fumes.
13. Remove the screw-on pouring-top of the tank (if you have a Paterson tank, you know the part I mean) and plonk it in the sink for later rinsing.
14. Remove yourself with the tank and the film still on the loading reel to wherever you plan on hanging the film to dry.
15. Take your gloves off and remove the film from the reel. Don't worry about the foam you see (but make sure to wash your hands straight away after), and hang the film the way you normally would hang a film to dry.
16. Go back to the kitchen and rinse all your gear straight away. Put away the glass bottles with the chemicals for reuse at a later date.
17. Once you're done in the kitchen cleaning up, go back to where your film is hanging. Notice any stains on the slowly drying film? Weird splotches of a liquid type? This is the stabilizer. Here is where it gets a bit tricky, and the following is probably not the best way to deal with it. But these stains will not dry off completely, and unless you like the negatives this way I have only found one way to deal with the problem. I spray tapwater on the hanging negatives – gently, and not much – so that the stains/marks/splotches wash off. This might reduce the effect of the stabilizer – in fact I would be surprised if it didn't – but my hope is that the film has absorbed enough stabilizer in the tank and while I was cleaning up in the kitchen that the film will at least survive in decent shape for some years to come.
18. Dry, then press the negatives on a flat surface using heavy books. Scan. Flickr them.
That's more or less the whole process …
Now how many rolls of film can you squeeze out of 500 ml chemicals? The instructions for my Tetenal says approx. 6–8, but I'm on my 10th now with this batch and don't expect to need to mix a new batch quite yet. The trick is to not let the liquid go too much below 500 ml (you will lose liquid as you develop); simply make up the difference with tapwater and add a few extra seconds for developing. For roll nine I developed for 3 minutes and 20 seconds, having diluted the developer probably some 50–100 mls over the past three rolls. An added five seconds seems to work so far [*** EDIT: check the comments and see that this wasn't quite true, longer time was probably needed ***] … but your mileage may vary, and of course sooner or later the chemicals will simply refuse to yield any images. Experiment to your heart's content.
Côte Sauvage Presqu'île de Quiberon
Projection: Cylindrical (1)
FOV: 134 x 89
Ev: -0,33
20230422_131404_064-20230422_132525_075_v2_K+
NEW JERSEY 2017 BALD EAGLE PROJECT REPORT
ANOTHER PRODUCTIVE YEAR FOR NJ’S EAGLES
by Larissa Smith, CWF Wildlife Biologist
The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ in partnership with the NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Program has released the 2017 NJ Bald Eagle Project Report. In 2017, 178 eagle nests were monitored during the nesting season. Of these nests 153 were active (with eggs) and 25 were territorial or housekeeping pairs. One hundred and ninety young were fledged.
In 2017 the number of active nests was three more than in 2016, but the number young fledged decreased by 27 from a record high of 216 fledged in 2016. The productivity rate this season of 1.25 young/active nest is still above the required range of 0.0 to 1.1 for population maintenance. Productivity could be lower this season for many reasons including weather, predation and disturbance to the nesting area. In 2017 nest monitors reported several instances of “intruder” eagles at nests which did disrupt the nesting attempts of several pairs. One of these “eagle dramas” unfolded at the Duke Farms eagle cam watched by millions of people. An intruder female attempted to replace the current female. This harassment interrupted the pairs bonding and copulation and no eggs were laid.
This year’s report includes a section on Resightings of banded eagles. Resightings of NJ (green) banded eagles have increased over the years, as well as eagles seen in NJ that were banded in other states. These resightings are important, as they help us to understand eagle movements during the years between fledging and settling into a territory, as well as adult birds at a nest site.
For more info: www.conservewildlifenj.org/blog/2017/12/06/new-jersey-201...
New Jersey Bald Eagle Project Report | 2017 may be downloaded here: www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/eglrpt17.pdf
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
Write, for instance: "The night is full of stars,
and the stars, blue, shiver in the distance."
The night wind whirls in the sky and sings.
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
On nights like this, I held her in my arms.
I kissed her so many times under the infinite sky.
She loved me, sometimes I loved her.
How could I not have loved her large, still eyes?
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
To think I don't have her. To feel that I've lost her.
To hear the immense night, more immense without her.
And the poem falls to the soul as dew to grass.
What does it matter that my love couldn't keep her.
The night is full of stars and she is not with me.
That's all. Far away, someone sings. Far away.
My soul is lost without her.
As if to bring her near, my eyes search for her.
My heart searches for her and she is not with me.
The same night that whitens the same trees.
We, we who were, we are the same no longer.
I no longer love her, true, but how much I loved her.
My voice searched the wind to touch her ear.
Someone else's. She will be someone else's. As she once
belonged to my kisses.
Her voice, her light body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, true, but perhaps I love her.
Love is so short and oblivion so long.
Because on nights like this I held her in my arms,
my soul is lost without her.
Although this may be the last pain she causes me,
and this may be the last poem I write for her.
Pablo Neruda
Great to have a bit of First back on the scene in Devon and in this instance Plymouth one of their old stomping grounds, 37014 looking exceptional too.
This was the DC7 Duchy college working this morning heading up towards Stoke village, in the further distance is a mock style Tudor building which is the Britannia pub owned by Wetherspoons.
The Birte Selmer, a bulk ship registered in Majuro (where is that I hear you say) taking on a cargo of grain like product (perhaps chick peas or soya bean for instance) at the former bulk sugar terminal at suburban Colmslie on the Brisbane River, Queensland. In the background can be seen the two massive Gateway (or more correctly Sir Leo Hielscher) Bridges. You may notice that even though this location is a fair way up the river from the mouth, there is a small beach which is adjacent to a large park. There are several of these "beaches" on either side of the river along this reach but not used for swimming as such. The river is far cleaner these days but it does harbour rather nasty bull sharks which tend to be reasonably aggressive with big teeth!
The ship is loading by its own cranes rather than the conveyor/crane system which was designed for raw sugar and partly dismantled I believe. Imagine evacuating on that life boat at the stern of the ship!!
Now...where is Majuro? Well, I can tell you that it's on a tiny atoll like island in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific....definitely a place and flag of convenience. So firstly, a little bit about Majuro then after that, a bit about the ship.
Majuro (/ˈmædʒəroʊ/; Marshallese: Mājro [mʲæzʲ(e)rˠo] is the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. It is also a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district of the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll has a land area of 9.7 square kilometres (3.7 sq mi) and encloses a lagoon of 295 square kilometres (114 sq mi). As with other atolls in the Marshall Islands, Majuro consists of narrow land masses. It has a tropical trade wind climate, with an average temperature of 27 °C (81 °F). You can read more on Wikipedia. It may be a beautiful place but it is definitely no ship base as such!
Now the ship!
The Birte Selmer was built in 2011 as a bulk ship and is registered in the Marshall Islands (see above). It arrived in Brisbane on 27 January 2021.
Gross Tonnage23432
Summer Deadweight (t)33660
More can be found on the internet ship tracking sites.
My inspiration song for this pictur:
SCHAMANISCHES Tribal Drum Journey
Message for you:
Even when the wolf sometimes disappears deep into the forest, he always finds his way back home. May the power animal Wolf guide and lead you because in the last instance we will always follow the call of our soul.
Together we go our Soul Path the Queen of Swords and the Wolf as companions you will meet again and again and strengthen each other's backs because that is the deal and the goal.
Botschaft für dich:
Auch wenn der Wolf manchmal tief im Wald verschwindet findet er immer wieder den Weg nach Hause zurück. Möge das Krafttier Wolf dich leiten und führen, denn in letzter Instanz werden wir immer dem Ruf unserer Seele folgen.
Gemeinsam gehen wir unseren Seelenweg, die Königin der Schwerter und der Wolf als Gefährten werden sie sich immer wieder begegnen und sich gegenseitig den Rücken stärken denn das ist der Deal und das Ziel.
How we see echother:
Ich und Du - Anna Depenbusch & Mark Forster
Egzod & Maestro Chives - Royalty
Sam Tinnesz - Leading The Pack
Valley Of Wolves - Take It All
Soul Mates enter your life some stay for just one page others for a whole chapter and then there are those who are there for the whole story.♥
Since we have met each other I have always seen us as very polarizing and as strong personalities, two alphas who respect each other even if we sometimes snarl at each other.
Like the Bremerstadt musicians we couldn't be more different but we are connected from cradle to grave by a strong bond.
We are there for each other come what may and YES come what may.
We are never alone on the path we each take. I was allowed to grow on and with you and that is incredibly valuable to me. ♥
We know each other for what feels like an eternity now and I am incredibly grateful that you are a part of my life. You make my life more colorful and even more worth living.♥
Thank you for being exactly the way you are because in my eyes you shine in all your facets and it is pure joy to be able to experience this. Friends like us are very rare and I appreciate this gift very much.♥ Together we accompany each other on our way and Yes I am proud to have a friend like you at my side!
I am glad that you wash my head from time to time ^^ and still let me be who I am. ♥
You strengthen me and give me the courage to handle everything because you simply believe in me, thank you for that. ♥♥♥♥♥
Thank you for all the emotional and wonderful moments I was able to experience with you, whether good or bad, both are part of it. ♥
I have found my best friend in you because you are friend and girlfriend in one what could I wish for more ^^
Love you my BBF Friends for Ever SL & RL ♥
Seelen Gefährten treten in dein Leben einige bleiben für nur eine Seite andere für ein ganzes Kapitel und dann gibt es noch die die während der ganzen Geschichte dabei sind.♥
Seit wir uns getroffen haben, habe ich uns immer als sehr polarisierende und starke Persönlichkeiten gesehen zwei Alphas die sich gegenseitig respektieren, auch wenn wir uns manchmal anknurren.
Wie die Bremerstadtmusikannten könnten wir unterschielicher nicht sein und dennoch verbindet uns ein starkes Band denn von der Wiege bis zur Bare sind wir alle miteinander verbunden.
Wir sind für einander da komme was wolle und JA wolle was da komme.
Überwegs auf dem jeweiligen Weg den jeder einschlägt sind wir nie alleine. Ich durfte an und mit dir wachsen und das ist mir wahnsinnig viel wert.♥
Wir kennen uns nun schon eine gefühlte Ewichkeit und ich bin unglaublich dankbar das du ein Teil meines Lebens bist. Du machst mein Leben bunter und noch lebenswerter.♥
Danke das du genau so bist wie du bist den den in meinen Augen strahlst du in all deinen Facetten und es ist die Pure Freude das miterleben zu dürfen. Freunde wie wir es sind sind sehr selten und ich weiss dieses Geschenk sehr zu schätzen.♥ Gemeinsam begleiten wir uns auf unserem Weg und Yes ich bin stoltz einen Freund wie dich an meiner Siete zu haben!
Ich bin froh das du mir ab und an den Kopf wäschst ^^ und mich dennoch so sein lässt wie ich bin. ♥
Du stärkst mich und gibst mir den Mut alles in Agriff zu nehmen weil du einfach an mich Glaubst danke dafür. ♥♥♥♥♥
Danke für all die Emotionalen und wundervollen Momente die ich mit dir erleben durfte ob nun gut oder schlecht beides gehört dazu. ♥
Ich habe in dir meinen besten Freund gefunden denn du bist Freund und Freundin in einem was will man mehr ^^
Love you mein Bester Friends for Ever SL & RL ♥
As a photographer, I enjoy using my camera to capture and share the beauty and peace I find while getting out in nature. But every now and then I come across something unusual, something that seemingly defies the laws of nature. Here's an image of just such an instance. The odd flame above the refinery really caught my eye this day, and I stopped to snap a shot. When I noticed the creepy guy standing menacingly between me and the refinery, I knew it was time to pack it in. Something strange was going on here, but to this day I still haven't found out what it was.
The difficulty with sharing these photos is that they are part of a series, with a theme - the idea of ‘reading’ a region through its signs, its architecture, its culture and aesthetic. Posting photos sequentially doesn’t really translate the same way - the casual viewer who stumbles across this image, for instance, probably sees simply another travel photo of an interesting church or building - which it is, of course, but in the context of the series it has other meanings too, which too easily are overlooked or lost.
Still, in the spirit of signs and themes, here is a frontal view of the Benedictine Arch-Abbey of Kloster Beuron, in the upper Danube Valley in Baden Wurttemberg. I hope you enjoy it.
To listen Carla Bruni "Quelqu'un m'a dit" youtu.be/XvyMG0z0FZY
It's only when you're flying above it that you realize how incredible the Earth really is.
Philippe Perrin.
Ultralight aircraft.
Ultralights are very light weight single seat aircraft used for sport and recreation. They fly “low and slow” during the day and good weather conditions.
Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1 or 2 seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional 3-axis control aircraft with ailerons, elevator and rudder, calling the former "microlight" and the latter "ultralight".
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, mostly stimulated by the hang gliding movement, many people sought affordable powered flight. As a result, many aviation authorities set up definitions of lightweight, slow-flying aeroplanes that could be subject to minimum regulations. The resulting aeroplanes are commonly called "ultralight aircraft" or "microlights", although the weight and speed limits differ from country to country. In Europe the sporting (FAI) definition limits the maximum take-off weight to 450 kg (992 lb) (472.5 kg (1,042 lb) if a ballistic parachute is installed) and a maximum stalling speed of 65 km/h (40 mph). The definition means that the aircraft has a slow landing speed and short landing roll in the event of an engine failure.
In most affluent countries, microlights or ultralight aircraft now account for a significant percentage of the global civilian-owned aircraft. For instance in Canada in October 2010, the ultralight aircraft fleet made up to 19% of the total civilian aircraft registered. In other countries that do not register ultralight aircraft, like the United States, it is unknown what proportion of the total fleet they make up. In countries where there is no specific extra regulation, ultralights are considered regular aircraft and subject to certification requirements for both aircraft and pilot.
Oxnard. California.
3 consecutive shots (while shooting continuously) merged, but I somewhat altered the position of the 2 instances on the right side.
Thanks to everyone for your visiting, favs & comments :).
This is another instance of persistence paying off. On my last night at the badlands I went out and had a bunch of problems with my intervalometer failing which resulted in a lot of wasted time. I finally got things going right before sunrise.
Image is a composite of about 50 photos to produce the trails. That resulted in some strange artifacts in the sunrise portion of the sky so the image was then blended with one towards the end of the series.
Carrying my 10kg camera rucksack, with tripod, water, spare layers, food and maps; the people who I am with (in this instance my girlfriend) always comment on how do I do it, or why do I bother. My response is always the same - You have to be in it to win it :)
This photograph proves my point. We hiked to the summit of Scafell Pike, it was hot and steep and although I was constantly greeted with stunning scenery, the light was poor so I didn't bother getting out my camera. It wasn't until the last 15 minutes of the 4hr walk that the elements came together, producing just 30 seconds of stunning light. I had just enough time to set up, frame, focus, shoot. The light went as fast as it came and the effort of labouring up the mountain with my kit was more than worth it. I would also like to add that this hasn't been Photoshopped or played with much... the light was just that good.
My Photography Kit List
Kit I use for YouTube
My Lightweight & Comfortable Camping/Hiking Gear
The Most Comfortable Camping Pillow
A Few Good Photography Books I Read
Firstly, I wish to thank my good flickr friend, Wade Gurney ( www.flickr.com/photos/wadegurney/ ) for graciously sending me his high-res pictures of this retro gas station. I have included a link to Wade’s photostream and invite everyone to visit his site and view his wonderful gallery. As far as I see, Wade has not published his original version picture of this gas station but you can view another excellent view here - flic.kr/p/2isdeoa
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The picture of this fine looking 1956 Chevy Bel Air 2-door “post” sedan was taken by yours truly at the 2019 Annual North-West Suburban cruise night event held at Stratford Mall. I had met and chatted with the owner, the gentleman driving, at several other “cruise night” events around our area. As I recall, the car is powered with a 350 ci Chevy and incorporates several high-performance components……… I know it sounds good even at idle.
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Somewhat unfortunately, the 56’ Chevy was sort of the “step child” of the mid fifties Chevys, being sandwiched between the iconic 1955 Chevy and the much sought after 57’ Chevy which debuted the more powerful 283 ci V-8. However, never to be lost in automotive history, more and more street rodders are restoring more of the 56' Chevy.
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……… a few words about my creation of this scene (if anyone really cares). As in most instances, my initial efforts were to find, in my archives, a suitable match with “a” car and the subject background ……. referring to angle, perspective and attitude. Finding a decent picture of a car (appropriate year and model) required a bit of time largely because I am neglectful in taking pictures from basically the side view - most of the time, I’m taking a three-quarter front view. Finally finding a suitable car, then came the challenge of matching the ambient lighting conditions between the car and the gas station. This did not require much attention although as might be expected, the position of the light source (the sun) and the resultant shadows were slightly different in the two pictures - but close enough that with a little finessing I believe I “pulled off” a believable setting.
Actually the real challenge became the car windows and attempting to simulate glass within the window frames. Take special note of the left (closest) and right (furthest) area of the car where the windshield wraps around in a substantial bend. As observed in my original shot, this area of glass creates a significant distortion of any object showing through from the far side. Ummm, a challenge to simulate, I mussed but through the wonders of photoshop and a little research, I “re-discovered” the Wave filter Wave. Then it became, how, exactly does this goofy Wave filter work? It’s interface is a bit confusing - with an array of sliders and buttons and options. I don’t believe I had ever used the Wave filter before. After finding a very good video tutorial on YouTube Using the Wave filter I was enlightened.
Other things like shadows (both the relative perspective and opacity) also needed to be addressed. In viewing the sample images of the original pictures (below) you will see that I added a few nic nacks (signs and posters). These items required just a matter of a little time and patience.
Okay, I’m sure everyone is bored out of their minds by now. I’ll stop. Maybe all this “babbling” narrative has served to distract some people’s minds from his or her troubling concern over the coronavirus epidemic and crashing stock prices………..then again, maybe not!
Hope you’all enjoy……………Stay safe my friends.
There were a few instances when I began to wonder if this particular box needed an air traffic controller !
There were so many birds around it that getting several in the shot at one time was not too difficult especially if I backed off on the telephoto a bit. But getting them in the same focal plane was tricky and most often when it occurred it was pure luck.