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Greetings mate! I love voyaging forth to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park to contemplate poetry, physics, the golden ratio, and the Tao te Ching! What's your favorite epic poetry reflecting epic landscapes? I recently finished a book titled Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photographers:
www.facebook.com/Epic-Poetry-for-Epic-Landscape-Photograp...
Did you know that John Muir, Thoreau, and Emerson all loved epic poetry and poets including Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, and Robert Burns?
I recently finished my fourth book on Light Time Dimension Theory, much of which was inspired by an autumn trip to Zion!
www.facebook.com/lightimedimensiontheory/
Via its simple principle of a ofurth expanding dimension, LTD Theory provides a unifying, foundational *physical* model underlying relativity, quantum mechanics, time and all its arrows and asymmetries, and the second law of thermodynamics. The detailed diagrams demonstrate that the great mysteries of quantum mechanical nonlocality, entanglement, and probability naturally arise from the very same principle that fosters relativity alongside light's constant velocity, the equivalence of mass and energy, and time dilation.
Follow me on intsagram!
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
Fresh snow! More on my golden ratio musings: The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography facebook.com/goldennumberratio
Best wishes on your epic hero's odyssey!:)
Bryce Canyon National Park Autumn Colors & Winter Snow Fine Art Photography 45EPIC Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape and Nature Photography: Nikon D810
Love shooting with both the sony A7RII and the Nikon D810! :)
Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (Male)
The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In Britain, where no other kestrel species occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".
This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America.
Kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the common kestrel is called a "windhover" in some areas.
Unusual for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.
Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.
The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.
Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes a considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until the first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years.
Population:
UK breeding:
46,000 pairs
Best viewed Original size.
A fascinating picture of an unidentified Gloucester Class 128 gangwayed DMPV (Diag 643, Lot 30551 - one of W55991 to W55996) carrying what appears to be non-standard blue livery with white cab roofs and seemingly without yellow warning panels (although the reality is the van has a central yellow painted corridor connection). The DMPV is working with an unidentified green liveried Derby Class 116 DMBS, the pair pulling a BR(SR) green liveried CCT at Twyford and is thought to be heading east - c.1968.
There is photographic evidence of W55991 carrying this early livery, so the probability is that this is the DMPV pictured.
Please do not share or post elsewhere without the permission of the copyright owner(s).
© 2017 - 53A Models of Hull Collection. Scanned from the original 35mm colour transparency; photographed by John Senior.
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Greetings mate! I love voyaging forth to Zion National Park to contemplate poetry, physics, the golden ratio, and the Tao te Ching! What's your favorite epic poetry reflecting epic landscapes? I recently finished a book titled Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photographers:
www.facebook.com/Epic-Poetry-for-Epic-Landscape-Photograp...
Did you know that John Muir, Thoreau, and Emerson all loved epic poetry and poets including Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, and Robert Burns?
How inspiring the grandeur of Zion is! It reminds us of those entities greater than ourselves, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Light Time Dimension Theory!
I recently finished my fourth book on Light Time Dimension Theory, much of which was inspired by an autumn trip to Zion!
www.facebook.com/lightimedimensiontheory/
Via its simple principle of a fourth expanding dimension, LTD Theory provides a unifying, foundational *physical* model underlying relativity, quantum mechanics, time and all its arrows and asymmetries, and the second law of thermodynamics. The detailed diagrams demonstrate that the great mysteries of quantum mechanical nonlocality, entanglement, and probability naturally arise from the very same principle that fosters relativity alongside light's constant velocity, the equivalence of mass and energy, and time dilation.
Follow me on intsagram!
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
Fresh snow! More on my golden ratio musings: The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography facebook.com/goldennumberratio
Best wishes on your epic hero's odyssey!:)
Zion National Park Winter Fine Art Photography 45EPIC Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape and Nature Photography
They say you end up chasing your first time. Which, of course, you can never catch. Because life and fate and whatever forces conspired to put us here on Earth compel us to keep moving forward, and that first time can only keep retreating farther and farther behind us.
And yet. That same dumb, unfightable, unending sleepwalk into the future is made more bearable – desireable, even – by its psychological twin. Hope. Which springs from uncertainty and lets us believe that… hey, you just never know what’ll happen.
On one level that’s true. We cannot foresee the future in detail.
And sometimes that allows us to ignore the fact that we can make general assumptions about it… based on our experience.
If your first time is A1, and the second A2, and so on… and you get to A77,001… and each experience is somewhat less enjoyable than the first… logic dictates that, in all probability, A77,002 will be less enjoyable still.
And yet. Some part of us wants to believe that the universe is entirely random; that anything can happen at any time for any (or no) particular reason; and therefore, it is possible that, at some point, the diminishing-enjoyment trend will turn on its head.
And so we keep hope alive.
La abadía cisterciense del monasterio de Santa María la Real de la Oliva, a veces llamado también de Nuestra Señora de la Oliva, es un gran conjunto de arquitectura monacal románica y destacado ejemplo de arte cisterciense navarro, situada en la localidad de la Navarra meridional de Carcastillo (España) y colindante con la vecina Aragón sobre la cual también ejerció su influencia. Es considerado el monasterio más antiguo de España. La Abadía fue fundada, con bastante probabilidad, el año 1145 por el rey de Pamplona García Ramírez llamado el Restaurador. Obtuvo el favor y apoyo del papado, la nobleza y monarquía, (tanto navarra como aragonesa, primero, y española, después), llegando a ser, a mitades del siglo XII, uno de los centros monásticos más poderosos e influyentes de Navarra gracias a su extenso patrimonio y su gran biblioteca. Más adelante llegaron los problemas políticos y la desamortización de 1835 sumió al monasterio en la ruina y el abandono. Fue declarado Monumento histórico nacional el 24 de abril de 1880. Hasta 1927 no volvió a ser habitado y reconstruido.
La majestuosa fachada principal nos abre las puertas a un lugar mágico. La iglesia de Santa María, con una parte gótica y otra románica, fue sufragada por Sancho VI el Sabio y su hijo Sancho VII el Fuerte. Fue construida en piedra sillar entre los siglos XII y XIII. Consta de tres naves. La austeridad cisterciense se aprecia en la sencilla decoración del templo, que apenas se ciñe a motivos vegetales, animales y fantásticos y algunas claves en las bóvedas. Cuenta con una sala capitular que integraba el primitivo claustro del siglo XII y que es una bonita expresión de obra progótica. Desde la iglesia, podemos acceder a un hermoso claustro gótico del siglo XIV.
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monasterio_de_Santa_María_la_Real_...
The Cistercian abbey of the monastery of Santa María la Real de la Oliva, sometimes also called Nuestra Señora de la Oliva, is a large ensemble of Romanesque monastic architecture and an outstanding example of Cistercian Navarrese art, located in the southern Navarra town of Carcastillo (Spain) and adjacent to neighboring Aragon on which it also exerted its influence. It is considered the oldest monastery in Spain. The Abbey was founded, with enough probability, in the year 1145 by the King of Pamplona García Ramírez called the Restaurador. It obtained the favor and support of the papacy, the nobility and monarchy, (both Navarre and Aragonese, first, and Spanish, later), becoming, in the mid-12th century, one of the most powerful and influential monastic centers in Navarre thanks to its extensive heritage and its great library. Later came the political problems and the confiscation of 1835 plunged the monastery into ruin and abandonment. It was declared a National Historic Monument on April 24, 1880. It was not inhabited and rebuilt until 1927.
The majestic main facade opens the doors to a magical place. The church of Santa María, with a Gothic and Romanesque part, was paid for by Sancho VI the Wise and his son Sancho VII the Strong. It was built in ashlar stone between the 12th and 13th centuries. It consists of three naves. Cistercian austerity can be seen in the simple decoration of the temple, which barely adheres to plant, animal and fantastic motifs and some keys in the vaults. It has a chapter house that was part of the primitive 12th century cloister and is a beautiful expression of pro-Gothic work. From the church, we can access a beautiful 14th century Gothic cloister.
Was aimlessly scrolling youtube video thumbnails back in mid-January. That's what it's come to for me lately. An attention span too short to even watch a ten minute video, I'm reduced to scrolling the thumbnails of recommended videos. Often that's as edifying as watching the actual clip. Every once in a while I stumble upon a thumbnail tantalizing enough to open. One that caught my eye was a horoscope video for Capricorn (my birth sign). These are normally glib and way over-promise specific (generally wonderful) outcomes. But this one was not that. Quite the opposite it cautioned of an imminent and drastic change in my life. It seemed Pluto was closely conjoined with my birth sign at the time of the new moon. Pluto can often bring about a feeling of purging; sort of a creative destruction, hopefully leading to a regeneration. Great in theory but rooted in an underlying ordeal. I tried to take this with a grain of salt. But my apprehension began to grow as the date of the new moon drew near. I remember being very cautious that day trying hard not to be careless or inattentive lest I cause my own hardship. The day passed without incident and I felt relieved.
Two more care-free days and by then I had pretty much forgotten the video. But disaster struck on the third day. I was processing a photo when I noticed a dramatic slowdown in my computer. Didn't think much of it until I began hearing a clicking sound emanating from inside the machine. The hard drive had corrupted! Panic began to set in as I realized my entire photo archive was in jeopardy. I took stock of my file backup situation and it was virtually nonexistent. Some files existed in the cloud, and some on a backup computer. But I had become complacent on routine backup, and had procrastinated setting up a safety net. I'd been skating on thin ice for years and it finally caught up with me. I rebuilt the system and was able to restore a few thousand images from SD cards, and thousands more from iPhone. Yet tens of thousands of images had simply vanished. There is some hope that files from the old hard drive can be recovered. But I've resigned myself to the probability that they will not. This acceptance did not come overnight. The archives was vast and there was just no way to absorb the extent of the loss all at once. Every few hours I would recall another shoot that was lost, and these pangs kept hitting me like a series of waves, one after another. They're still coming, but less frequently. I assume this all happened for good reason. Much the way the universe guided me to take the photos in the first place, perhaps this was its way of telling me it was time to let go and head in a new direction. That's fine, I put my faith in the universe. But I now also have a 2Tb external drive backing up every pixel I create, just in case the universe decides I need another intervention.
In the midst of getting my system running again (also a huge ordeal that could have been avoided with a proper backup), I inadvertently smashed this antique doll. Something in my hatchback fell onto a box full of dolls and I heard a pop as if a lightbulb had shattered. I couldn't imagine what had caused the sound because the dolls were all cloth and plastic. But when I looked into the box I found one doll's head was made of porcelain and of course that's the one that shattered. Remarkably the face was largely intact. I carefully gathered all the fragments in hopes of gluing them back together. But much like my photo archives, I realized that neither would ever be the same.
Az. has been in a several year drought and this summer we are getting some teases and weather models are indicating good probabilities of a better than normal monsoon season. We even had some virga off to the east .
Look hard, there’s a De Lorean in there somewhere...or maybe it popped into 1985. 😃
Yes folks, this is the result of mega Photoshopery plus Snapseed pixel pummelling when under the affluence of incahol...it looked so much better last night ;)
Anyway, underneath all that it’s a multiple exposure of an Alicante street, inverted twice and alternately darkened and lightened plus various glows and other tweaks which in all probability I’ll never be able to (or want to) repeat.
New book! Epic Landscape Photography: The Principles of Fine Art Nature Photography!
www.facebook.com/epiclandscapephotography/
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
facebook.com/mcgucken
Working on a couple photography books! 45EPIC GODDESS PHOTOGRAPHY: A classic guide to exalting the archetypal woman. And 45EPIC Fine Art Landscape Photography!
More on my golden ratio musings: facebook.com/goldennumberratio
instagram.com/goldennumberratio
Greetings all! I have been busy finishing a few books on photography, while traveling all over--to Zion and the Sierras--shooting fall colors. Please see some here: facebook.com/mcgucken
Let me know in the comments if you would like a free review copy of one of my photography books! :)
Titles include:
The Tao of Epic Landscape Photography: Exalt Fine Art with the Yin-Yang Wisdom of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching!
The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography
facebook.com/goldennumberratio
And I am also working on a book on photographing the goddesses! :) More goddesses soon!
Best wishes on your epic hero's odyssey!:)
I love voyaging forth into nature to contemplate poetry, physics, the golden ratio, and the Tao te Ching! What's your favorite epic poetry reflecting epic landscapes? I recently finished a book titled Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photographers:
www.facebook.com/Epic-Poetry-for-Epic-Landscape-Photograp...
Did you know that John Muir, Thoreau, and Emerson all loved epic poetry and poets including Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, and Robert Burns?
I recently finished my fourth book on Light Time Dimension Theory, much of which was inspired by an autumn trip to Zion!
www.facebook.com/lightimedimensiontheory/
Via its simple principle of a fourth expanding dimension, LTD Theory provides a unifying, foundational *physical* model underlying relativity, quantum mechanics, time and all its arrows and asymmetries, and the second law of thermodynamics. The detailed diagrams demonstrate that the great mysteries of quantum mechanical nonlocality, entanglement, and probability naturally arise from the very same principle that fosters relativity alongside light's constant velocity, the equivalence of mass and energy, and time dilation.
Follow me on instagram!
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
When David Columbo said that his first stop on his trip through the Southwest was going to be at Horseshoe Bend just outside of Page, I winced. The clouds were looking much better down South over the Grand Canyon and there were sure to be multitudes of people milling around that rim that we would have to fight through since it was a Saturday in late Summer. Add to that the fact that I had just listened to a podcast where the guest pro landscape photographer scoffed at the idea of taking any more shots of the horseshoe. "I don't shoot icons" he said. "Way too crowded" he said. "Everyone shoots there" he said.
Having left the house early that morning, I had now arrived at the crossroads at Freedonia and I had to pick a direction. Sighing heavily, I bailed on the North Rim and turned left, heading instead to the heavily crowded icon with a high probability of no clouds.
Sure enough, when I pulled in to the parking area just outside of Page, it was a circus. Hordes of people were pouring up the trail, cars circling looking for a space, tour buses unloading guests, people selling water...it was like a rock concert. David and I followed the masses down to the rim and luckily I snuck into a center spot just as someone else was leaving. As I set up my tripod, I began to notice for the first time that the sky was actually looking pretty nice.
And as I started shooting, I suddenly didn't care that I was sharing this incredible view with 400 new friends, some of which were now taking selfies balanced precariously on rock outcroppings, or singing songs, or simply holding hands staring out over the edge. Over the course of the next hour I took hundreds of frames in different light using different lenses and I was suddenly glad I had let David talk me into making the trip up.
Over the past year or so, I have probably heard at least 10 different pro landscape photographers express their disdain for "icons." Some of them have sworn off of Yosemite, Zion, Bryce, Arches, and of course, Horseshoe Bend. While part of me can certainly understand where they are coming from, I guess it makes me grateful that I'm not a pro....if that's what happens when you turn pro. While I am not a big fan of shooting in crowds, there is something about the "icons" that makes them iconic. This was only my third time shooting Horseshoe Bend, and since I don’t live in Northern Arizona, it really takes quite a bit of effort to get out there. So you can BET I’ll be stopping by Page to shoot Antelope Canyon, or Lake Powell or even Horseshoe Bend whenever I am out that way….if it looks like a decent sky.
This is not to say that ALL I shoot is icons. The next morning, David and I got up at 4 AM and drove to a very remote location in his 4 wheel drive to catch the sun coming up over Lake Powell. The sky was amazing and we were the only two people there.
All of this to say…If you are a newer photographer and you hear some of the professionals talking smack about the “icons” I hope you don’t base your decision on where to shoot on their opinion. Crowds or no crowds….follow the light. Shoot what YOU want to shoot, especially if you haven't been there before. And when these “icons” give you an evening that you won't soon forget, smile to yourself and be glad that you aren't a "pro."
--------------
Thank you so much for your views and comments! If you have specific questions or need to get in touch with me, please be sure to send me a message via flickr mail, or feel free to contact me via one of the following:
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Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus (M)
(Double click)
The common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In Britain, where no other kestrel species occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".
This species occurs over a large range. It is widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as occasionally reaching the east coast of North America.
Kestrels can hover in still air, even indoors in barns. Because they face towards any slight wind when hovering, the common kestrel is called a "windhover" in some areas.
Unusual for falcons, plumage often differs between male and female, although as is usual with monogamous raptors the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads. Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.
Their plumage is mainly light chestnut brown with blackish spots on the upperside and buff with narrow blackish streaks on the underside; the remiges are also blackish. Unlike most raptors, they display sexual colour dimorphism with the male having fewer black spots and streaks, as well as a blue-grey cap and tail. The tail is brown with black bars in females, and has a black tip with a narrow white rim in both sexes. All common kestrels have a prominent black malar stripe like their closest relatives.
The cere, feet, and a narrow ring around the eye are bright yellow; the toenails, bill and iris are dark. Juveniles look like adult females, but the underside streaks are wider; the yellow of their bare parts is paler. Hatchlings are covered in white down feathers, changing to a buff-grey second down coat before they grow their first true plumage.
Data from Britain shows nesting pairs bringing up about 2–3 chicks on average, though this includes a considerable rate of total brood failures; actually, few pairs that do manage to fledge offspring raise less than 3 or 4. Compared to their siblings, first-hatched chicks have greater survival and recruitment probability, thought to be due to the first-hatched chicks obtaining a higher body condition when in the nest. Population cycles of prey, particularly voles, have a considerable influence on breeding success. Most common kestrels die before they reach 2 years of age; mortality up until the first birthday may be as high as 70%. At least females generally breed at one year of age; possibly, some males take a year longer to maturity as they do in related species. The biological lifespan to death from senescence can be 16 years or more, however; one was recorded to have lived almost 24 years.
Population:
UK breeding:
46,000 pairs
This colorful southwestern species is found mainly in NM, but also in abutting portions of TX and AZ. When trying to ID an unknown lizard, I usually look to the mapped areas to minimize the probabilities. This guy poses special problems because the color and patterns are highly variable. (I hope I have this one right... if not, please comment. I welcome corrections and/or confirmations from pros.)
IMG_6640; Southwestern Fence Lizard
Zion National Park Fall Colors & Winter Snow! Utah Winter Landscape Photography! Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape and Nature Photography!
Enjoy my new fine art landscapes & ballet video!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3b1df46oKw
Let me know what you think! :)
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
facebook.com/mcgucken
Working on a couple photography books! 45EPIC GODDESS PHOTOGRAPHY: A classic guide to exalting the archetypal woman. And 45EPIC Fine Art Landscape Photography!
Fresh snow! More on my golden ratio musings: facebook.com/goldennumberratio
instagram.com/goldennumberratio
Greetings all! I have been busy finishing a few books on photography, while traveling all over--to Zion and the Sierras--shooting fall colors. Please see some here: facebook.com/mcgucken
Let me know in the comments if you would like a free review copy of one of my photography books! :)
Titles include:
The Tao of Epic Landscape Photography: Exalt Fine Art with the Yin-Yang Wisdom of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching!
The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography
facebook.com/goldennumberratio
And I am also working on a book on photographing the goddesses! :) More goddesses soon!
Best wishes on your epic hero's odyssey!:)
I love voyaging forth into nature to contemplate poetry, physics, the golden ratio, and the Tao te Ching! What's your favorite epic poetry reflecting epic landscapes? I recently finished a book titled Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photographers:
www.facebook.com/Epic-Poetry-for-Epic-Landscape-Photograp...
Did you know that John Muir, Thoreau, and Emerson all loved epic poetry and poets including Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, and Robert Burns?
I recently finished my fourth book on Light Time Dimension Theory, much of which was inspired by an autumn trip to Zion!
www.facebook.com/lightimedimensiontheory/
Via its simple principle of a fourth expanding dimension, LTD Theory provides a unifying, foundational *physical* model underlying relativity, quantum mechanics, time and all its arrows and asymmetries, and the second law of thermodynamics. The detailed diagrams demonstrate that the great mysteries of quantum mechanical nonlocality, entanglement, and probability naturally arise from the very same principle that fosters relativity alongside light's constant velocity, the equivalence of mass and energy, and time dilation.
Follow me on instagram!
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
Enjoy my new fine art landscapes & ballet video!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3b1df46oKw
Let me know what you think! :)
Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape and Nature Photography
New book! Epic Landscape Photography: The Principles of Fine Art Nature Photography!
www.facebook.com/epiclandscapephotography/
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
facebook.com/mcgucken
Working on a couple photography books! 45EPIC GODDESS PHOTOGRAPHY: A classic guide to exalting the archetypal woman. And 45EPIC Fine Art Landscape Photography!
More on my golden ratio musings: facebook.com/goldennumberratio
instagram.com/goldennumberratio
Greetings all! I have been busy finishing a few books on photography, while traveling all over--to Zion and the Sierras--shooting fall colors. Please see some here: facebook.com/mcgucken
Let me know in the comments if you would like a free review copy of one of my photography books! :)
Titles include:
The Tao of Epic Landscape Photography: Exalt Fine Art with the Yin-Yang Wisdom of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching!
The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography
facebook.com/goldennumberratio
And I am also working on a book on photographing the goddesses! :) More goddesses soon!
Best wishes on your epic hero's odyssey!:)
I love voyaging forth into nature to contemplate poetry, physics, the golden ratio, and the Tao te Ching! What's your favorite epic poetry reflecting epic landscapes? I recently finished a book titled Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photographers:
www.facebook.com/Epic-Poetry-for-Epic-Landscape-Photograp...
Did you know that John Muir, Thoreau, and Emerson all loved epic poetry and poets including Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, and Robert Burns?
I recently finished my fourth book on Light Time Dimension Theory, much of which was inspired by an autumn trip to Zion!
www.facebook.com/lightimedimensiontheory/
Via its simple principle of a fourth expanding dimension, LTD Theory provides a unifying, foundational *physical* model underlying relativity, quantum mechanics, time and all its arrows and asymmetries, and the second law of thermodynamics. The detailed diagrams demonstrate that the great mysteries of quantum mechanical nonlocality, entanglement, and probability naturally arise from the very same principle that fosters relativity alongside light's constant velocity, the equivalence of mass and energy, and time dilation.
Follow me on instagram!
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
L'UCCELLO CHE QUANDO VUOLE, RUOTA
Uno degli uccelli più maestosi e affascinanti della natura è senza dubbio il Pavone. Con le sue piume iridescenti e la sua elegante postura, il pavone è un simbolo di bellezza e grazia da secoli. Originario del Sud Asia, il pavone è noto per il suo magnifico piumaggio a ventaglio, composto da lunghe piume colorate che si aprono in un brillante spettacolo.
Il pavone fa la ruota, conosciuta anche come "display" o "parata nuziale", per attirare l'attenzione delle femmine e affermare la sua dominanza verso gli altri maschi. È un comportamento spettacolare e impressionante.
Quando il pavone maschio vuole attirare una femmina, dispiega le sue lunghe piume caudali a ventaglio. Queste piume mostrano motivi complessi e colorati. Maggiormente sono grandi, colorate e simmetriche, maggiore è la probabilità di attirare femmine.
Note tratte dal sito:
www.zoomalia.it/blog/article/tutto-sapere-su-bel-uccello-...
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THE BIRD THAT WHEN IT WANTS, IT SPREADS
One of the most majestic and fascinating birds in nature is undoubtedly the Peacock. With its iridescent feathers and elegant posture, the peacock has been a symbol of beauty and grace for centuries. Native to South Asia, the peacock is known for its magnificent fan-shaped plumage, composed of long, colorful feathers that open in a brilliant show.
The peacock does a fan-shaped display, also known as a "display" or "nuptial parade", to attract the attention of females and assert its dominance over other males. It is a spectacular and impressive behavior.
When the male peacock wants to attract a female, he unfolds his long, fan-shaped tail feathers. These feathers display complex and colorful patterns. The larger, more colorful and symmetrical they are, the greater the probability of attracting females.
In EXPLORE il 28/08/2025 al n. 398 (The Color Blue theme)
CANON EOS 6D Mark II con ob. CANON EF 24-85 f./3,5-4,5 USM
How to identify
Sparrowhawks are small birds of prey. They're adapted for hunting birds in confined spaces like dense woodland, so gardens are ideal hunting grounds for them. Adult male Sparrowhawks have a bluish-grey back and wings and orangey-brown stripes on their chest and belly. Females and young birds have brown back and wings, and brown stripes underneath. Sparrowhawks have bright yellow or orangey eyes, yellow legs and talons. Females are larger than males, as with all birds of prey.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred underparts; females and juveniles are brown above with brown barring below. The female is up to 25% larger than the male – one of the greatest size differences between the sexes in any bird species. Though it is a predator which specialises in catching woodland birds, the Eurasian sparrowhawk can be found in any habitat and often hunts garden birds in towns and cities. Males tend to take smaller birds, including tits, finches, and sparrows; females catch primarily thrushes and starlings, but are capable of killing birds weighing 500 g (18 oz) or more.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk is found throughout the temperate and subtropical parts of the Old World; while birds from the northern parts of the range migrate south for winter, their southern counterparts remain resident or make dispersive movements. Eurasian sparrowhawks breed in suitable woodland of any type, with the nest, measuring up to 60 cm (24 in) across, built using twigs in a tree. Four or five pale blue, brown-spotted eggs are laid; the success of the breeding attempt is dependent on the female maintaining a high weight while the male brings her food. The chicks hatch after 33 days and fledge after 24 to 28 days.
The probability of a juvenile surviving its first year is 34%, with 69% of adults surviving from one year to the next. Mortality in young males is greater than that of young females and the typical lifespan is four years. This species is now one of the most common birds of prey in Europe, although the population crashed after the Second World War. Organochlorine insecticides used to treat seeds before sowing built up in the bird population, and the concentrations in Eurasian sparrowhawks were enough to kill some outright and incapacitate others; affected birds laid eggs with fragile shells which broke during incubation. However, its population recovered after the chemicals were banned, and it is now relatively common, classified as being of least concern by BirdLife International.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk's hunting behaviour has brought it into conflict with humans for hundreds of years, particularly racing pigeon owners and people rearing poultry and gamebirds. It has also been blamed for decreases in passerine populations. Studies of racing pigeon deaths found that Eurasian sparrowhawks were responsible for less than 1%. Falconers have utilised the Eurasian sparrowhawk since at least the 16th century; although the species has a reputation for being difficult to train, it is also praised for its courage. The species features in Teutonic mythology and is mentioned in works by writers including William Shakespeare, Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Ted Hughes.
Made with the Bing Image Creator, powered by DALL-E 3.
I think that AI image generation is similar in many ways to photography. The camera itself handles all the fine details, but the photographer is in charge of curating the types of images that will be created.
Ultimately, it is all about maximizing the probability that something good will be created.
This is very similar to AI image generation, in terms of the skills involved and what the human does vs. what the machine does.
You can't compare AI image generation to the process of actually making these images from scratch with 3D software or paint/pencils, where the human controls every detail.
However, I think the process really is very similar to that of photography, as I made the case for above.
- Josh
Male Downy Woodpecker making a possible nesting cavity. Both male and female visited this site. Usually, it is incorrect to label this as a nesting cavity because woodpeckers roost in holes. In this case, however, with both working on it, the probability is high that they are nesting here. Mystic Bike Trail, Nevada County, California on 10 May 2017.
Skogafoss, Iceland, eraly summer 2015.
♪<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8BLS_g88z8">DJ Krush</a>♪
Zion National Park Autumn Colors & Fall Foliage Fine Art Photography 45EPIC Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape and Nature Photography: Sony A7RII and Nikon D810!
www.facebook.com/Epic-Poetry-for-Epic-Landscape-Photograp...
Did you know that John Muir, Thoreau, and Emerson all loved epic poetry and poets including Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, and Robert Burns?
How inspiring the grandeur of Zion is! It reminds us of those entities greater than ourselves, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Light Time Dimension Theory!
I recently finished my fourth book on Light Time Dimension Theory, much of which was inspired by an autumn trip to Zion!
www.facebook.com/lightimedimensiontheory/
Via its simple principle of a fourth expanding dimension, LTD Theory provides a unifying, foundational *physical* model underlying relativity, quantum mechanics, time and all its arrows and asymmetries, and the second law of thermodynamics. The detailed diagrams demonstrate that the great mysteries of quantum mechanical nonlocality, entanglement, and probability naturally arise from the very same principle that fosters relativity alongside light's constant velocity, the equivalence of mass and energy, and time dilation.
Follow me on intsagram!
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
Fresh snow! More on my golden ratio musings: The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography facebook.com/goldennumberratio
Best wishes on your epic hero's odyssey!:)
Zion National Park Winter Fine Art Photography 45EPIC Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape and Nature Photography
Loved hiking the Zion Narrows and visiting the Zion Subway!
See my albums list for some of my best work: www.flickr.com/photos/200044612@N04/albums/
See my main account for my photography, videos, fractal images and more here: www.flickr.com/photos/josh-rokman/
Made with Image Creator from Microsoft Designer, formerly known as the Bing Image Creator. Powered by DALL·E 3.
I think that AI image generation is similar in many ways to photography. The camera itself handles all the fine details, but the photographer is in charge of curating the types of images that will be created.
Ultimately, it is all about maximizing the probability that something good will be created.
This is very similar to AI image generation, in terms of the skills involved and what the human does vs. what the machine does.
You can't compare AI image generation to the process of actually making these images from scratch with 3D software or paint/pencils, where the human controls every detail.
However, I think the process really is very similar to that of photography, as I made the case for above. I think that DALL-E 3 is by far the most powerful AI image generation tool currently available.
- Josh
The weather app Viewfindr predicted a 99% probability of the sky being red at sunset. Since the app has been wrong a lot lately and the cloud pattern didn't look particularly promising, I chose a nearby foreground that I could reach without much effort. I had to wait until ten minutes after sunset, then the show began...
New book! Epic Landscape Photography: The Principles of Fine Art Nature Photography!
www.facebook.com/epiclandscapephotography/
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
facebook.com/mcgucken
Working on a couple photography books! 45EPIC GODDESS PHOTOGRAPHY: A classic guide to exalting the archetypal woman. And 45EPIC Fine Art Landscape Photography!
More on my golden ratio musings: facebook.com/goldennumberratio
instagram.com/goldennumberratio
Greetings all! I have been busy finishing a few books on photography, while traveling all over--to Zion and the Sierras--shooting fall colors. Please see some here: facebook.com/mcgucken
Let me know in the comments if you would like a free review copy of one of my photography books! :)
Titles include:
The Tao of Epic Landscape Photography: Exalt Fine Art with the Yin-Yang Wisdom of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching!
The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography
facebook.com/goldennumberratio
And I am also working on a book on photographing the goddesses! :) More goddesses soon!
Best wishes on your epic hero's odyssey!:)
I love voyaging forth into nature to contemplate poetry, physics, the golden ratio, and the Tao te Ching! What's your favorite epic poetry reflecting epic landscapes? I recently finished a book titled Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photographers:
www.facebook.com/Epic-Poetry-for-Epic-Landscape-Photograp...
Did you know that John Muir, Thoreau, and Emerson all loved epic poetry and poets including Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, and Robert Burns?
I recently finished my fourth book on Light Time Dimension Theory, much of which was inspired by an autumn trip to Zion!
www.facebook.com/lightimedimensiontheory/
Via its simple principle of a fourth expanding dimension, LTD Theory provides a unifying, foundational *physical* model underlying relativity, quantum mechanics, time and all its arrows and asymmetries, and the second law of thermodynamics. The detailed diagrams demonstrate that the great mysteries of quantum mechanical nonlocality, entanglement, and probability naturally arise from the very same principle that fosters relativity alongside light's constant velocity, the equivalence of mass and energy, and time dilation.
Follow me on instagram!
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
Am "Tag der Arbeit" sparte ich mir das lange Ausschlafen und machte mich auf den Weg zur Krimpenbach Alm in den Stubaier Alpen. Wegen des Föhns erhoffte ich mir einen Sonnenaufgang mit schönen Farben und interessanten Wolken. Daraus ist leider nichts geworden, weil es zu bewölkt war. Erst nach einer guten Stunde zeigte sich die Sonne, dann dafür aber in goldigem Licht. Schön wars!
------------------------
At Labour Day I didn't take the chance to sleep long, instead I walked up to "Krimpenbach Alp" in the Stubai Alps before sunrise. With the warm wind - we call it "Föhn" here in Austira - there is a high probability for interesting clouds and nice colors in the morning. But on that day it wasn't. The sun showed up an hour later, but then with a very appealing golden light.
I think this little shed is still in use, but there is a much newer and larger steel building just to the right and so it might be just left to its own devices.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Naples, December 7, 1598 - Rome, November 28, 1680) - self-portrait in mature age (1630-35) - oil on canvas 53x43 cm - Galleria Borghese, Rome
Il dipinto costituisce, con ogni probabilità, la metà sinistra di un Autoritratto doppio con Costanza Bonarelli, documentato come già diviso alla morte dell’artista. Tra il 1620 e il 1640 circa, Bernini si dedicò alla pittura, realizzando centocinquanta opere secondo Filippo Baldinucci (1682), duecento se si presta fede alla biografia scritta dal figlio Domenico (1713). L’Autoritratto (utillizzato nelle vecchie 50.000 lire), appartiene alla fase matura in cui non sono più riconoscibili le suggestioni provenienti da Guercino, Lanfranco, Velázquez, che si evincono invece nei ritratti dei primi anni venti, tra i quali l’Autoritratto giovanile e il Ritratto di fanciullo, sempre in collezione Borghese. Il taglio e l’orientamento della figura risultano decisamente innovativi rispetto alle soluzioni precedenti. L’opera del resto, si colloca al livello dei più strepitosi risultati raggiunti da Bernini nella ritrattistica scultorea, come nei coevi busti di Scipione Borghese e di Costanza Bonarelli conservato al Museo del Bargello di Firenze.
The painting constitutes, in all probability, the left half of a double Self-portrait with Costanza Bonarelli, documented as already divided at the artist's death. Between about 1620 and 1640, Bernini devoted himself to painting, producing one hundred and fifty works according to Filippo Baldinucci (1682), two hundred if we believe the biography written by his son Domenico (1713). The Self-portrait (used in the old 50,000 lire), belongs to the mature phase in which are no longer recognizable suggestions from Guercino, Lanfranco, Velázquez, which are instead evident in the portraits of the early twenties, including the Youth Self-portrait and the Portrait of a Child, also in the Borghese collection. The cut and the orientation of the figure are decidedly innovative compared to previous solutions. The work, moreover, is at the level of the most amazing results achieved by Bernini in sculptural portraiture, as in the contemporary busts of Scipione Borghese and Costanza Bonarelli conserved in the Bargello Museum in Florence.
New book! Epic Landscape Photography: The Principles of Fine Art Nature Photography!
www.facebook.com/epiclandscapephotography/
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
facebook.com/mcgucken
Working on a couple photography books! 45EPIC GODDESS PHOTOGRAPHY: A classic guide to exalting the archetypal woman. And 45EPIC Fine Art Landscape Photography!
More on my golden ratio musings: facebook.com/goldennumberratio
instagram.com/goldennumberratio
Greetings all! I have been busy finishing a few books on photography, while traveling all over--to Zion and the Sierras--shooting fall colors. Please see some here: facebook.com/mcgucken
Let me know in the comments if you would like a free review copy of one of my photography books! :)
Titles include:
The Tao of Epic Landscape Photography: Exalt Fine Art with the Yin-Yang Wisdom of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching!
The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography
facebook.com/goldennumberratio
And I am also working on a book on photographing the goddesses! :) More goddesses soon!
Best wishes on your epic hero's odyssey!:)
I love voyaging forth into nature to contemplate poetry, physics, the golden ratio, and the Tao te Ching! What's your favorite epic poetry reflecting epic landscapes? I recently finished a book titled Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photographers:
www.facebook.com/Epic-Poetry-for-Epic-Landscape-Photograp...
Did you know that John Muir, Thoreau, and Emerson all loved epic poetry and poets including Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, and Robert Burns?
I recently finished my fourth book on Light Time Dimension Theory, much of which was inspired by an autumn trip to Zion!
www.facebook.com/lightimedimensiontheory/
Via its simple principle of a fourth expanding dimension, LTD Theory provides a unifying, foundational *physical* model underlying relativity, quantum mechanics, time and all its arrows and asymmetries, and the second law of thermodynamics. The detailed diagrams demonstrate that the great mysteries of quantum mechanical nonlocality, entanglement, and probability naturally arise from the very same principle that fosters relativity alongside light's constant velocity, the equivalence of mass and energy, and time dilation.
Follow me on instagram!
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
Sparrowhawk ~ My Garden ~ Catford ~ London ~ England ~ Sunday June 21st 2015.
Click here to see My most interesting images
Purchase some of my images here ~ www.saatchionline.com/art/view/artist/24360/art/1259239 ~ Should you so desire...go on, make me rich..lol...Oh...and if you see any of the images in my stream that you would like and are not there, then let me know and I'll add them to the site for you..:))
You can also buy my WWT cards here (The Otter and the Sunset images) or in the shop at the Wetland Centre in Barnes ~ London ~ www.wwt.org.uk/shop/shop/wwt-greeting-cards/sunset-at-the...
Well, for those keeping up with my mussing's lol...Having said I needed to sort out my ever increasing rat problem, what should happen yesterday morning???...Well, I was just about to go and chase some squirrels away from my bird feeder when I looked out of the window 1st....only to almost have a heart Attack when I saw this Sparrowhawk sitting on top of the feeder!! I've NEVER seen a sparrowhawk before, never in my wildest dreams did I expect to ever see one in my garden!!
All I have to do now is train it to leave the sparrows alone and catch all my rodents including the squirrels lol..:)
Have a wonderful Monday Ya'll..:)
Eurasian sparrowhawk ~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~ The Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred underparts; females and juveniles are brown above with brown barring below. The female is up to 25% larger than the male – one of the largest differences between the sexes in any bird species. Though it is a predator which specialises in catching woodland birds, the Eurasian sparrowhawk can be found in any habitat and often hunts garden birds in towns and cities. Males tend to take smaller birds, including tits, finches, and sparrows; females catch primarily thrushes and starlings, but are capable of killing birds weighing 500 g (18 oz) or more.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk is found throughout the temperate and subtropical parts of the Old World; while birds from the northern parts of the range migrate south for winter, their southern counterparts remain resident or make dispersive movements. Eurasian sparrowhawks breed in suitable woodland of any type, with the nest, measuring up to 60 cm (2.0 ft) across, built using twigs in a tree. Four or five pale blue, brown-spotted eggs are laid; the success of the breeding attempt is dependent on the female maintaining a high weight while the male brings her food. The chicks hatch after 33 days and fledge after 24 to 28 days.
The probability of a juvenile surviving its first year is 34%, with 69% of adults surviving from one year to the next. Mortality in young males is greater than that of young females and the typical lifespan is four years. This species is now one of the commonest birds of prey in Europe, although the population crashed after the Second World War. Organochlorine insecticides used to treat seeds before sowing built up in the bird population and the concentrations in Eurasian sparrowhawks were enough to kill some outright and incapacitate others; affected birds laid eggs with fragile shells which broke during incubation. However, its population recovered after the chemicals were banned, and it is now relatively common, classified as being of Least Concern by BirdLife International.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk's hunting behaviour has brought it into conflict with humans for hundreds of years, particularly racing pigeon owners and people rearing poultry and gamebirds. It has also been blamed for decreases in passerine populations; scientific research has found no link between increased numbers of Eurasian sparrowhawks and declines in some farmland and woodland birds after World War II. Studies of racing pigeon deaths found that Eurasian sparrowhawks were responsible for less than 1%. Falconers have utilised the Eurasian sparrowhawk since at least the 16th century; although the species has a reputation for being difficult to train, it is also praised for its courage. The species features in Teutonic mythology and is mentioned in works by writers including William Shakespeare, Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Ted Hughes.
About a month or two ago I watched a video in which the youtuber Tom Scott played a replica of an ancient board game known as the Royal Game of Ur with the Curator of the British Museum, Irving Finkel. I quite enjoyed the video and have since picked up a little bit of proficiency in playing the game online against AI opponents, but I also wanted to replicate the game in Lego in what would be a playable format. The triangular prism dice of the original just aren't possible at the scale here, so I've replaced them with lego dice that have equivalent probability. All things considered, I'm quite happy with how the board came out, despite having to sacrifice some detail on the sides for the sake of stability.
If you're interested in learning more about the game, here is the wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Game_of_Ur
Mecabricks Model: mecabricks.com/en/models/eVaPRrqzjzB
Instagram: @umbramanis
New book! Epic Landscape Photography: The Principles of Fine Art Nature Photography!
www.facebook.com/epiclandscapephotography/
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
facebook.com/mcgucken
Working on a couple photography books! 45EPIC GODDESS PHOTOGRAPHY: A classic guide to exalting the archetypal woman. And 45EPIC Fine Art Landscape Photography!
More on my golden ratio musings: facebook.com/goldennumberratio
instagram.com/goldennumberratio
Greetings all! I have been busy finishing a few books on photography, while traveling all over--to Zion and the Sierras--shooting fall colors. Please see some here: facebook.com/mcgucken
Let me know in the comments if you would like a free review copy of one of my photography books! :)
Titles include:
The Tao of Epic Landscape Photography: Exalt Fine Art with the Yin-Yang Wisdom of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching!
The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography
facebook.com/goldennumberratio
And I am also working on a book on photographing the goddesses! :) More goddesses soon!
Best wishes on your epic hero's odyssey!:)
I love voyaging forth into nature to contemplate poetry, physics, the golden ratio, and the Tao te Ching! What's your favorite epic poetry reflecting epic landscapes? I recently finished a book titled Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photographers:
www.facebook.com/Epic-Poetry-for-Epic-Landscape-Photograp...
Did you know that John Muir, Thoreau, and Emerson all loved epic poetry and poets including Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, and Robert Burns?
I recently finished my fourth book on Light Time Dimension Theory, much of which was inspired by an autumn trip to Zion!
www.facebook.com/lightimedimensiontheory/
Via its simple principle of a fourth expanding dimension, LTD Theory provides a unifying, foundational *physical* model underlying relativity, quantum mechanics, time and all its arrows and asymmetries, and the second law of thermodynamics. The detailed diagrams demonstrate that the great mysteries of quantum mechanical nonlocality, entanglement, and probability naturally arise from the very same principle that fosters relativity alongside light's constant velocity, the equivalence of mass and energy, and time dilation.
Follow me on instagram!
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
This colorful southwestern species is found mainly in NM, but also in abutting portions of TX and AZ. When trying to ID an unknown lizard, I usually look to the mapped areas to minimize the probabilities. This guy poses special problems because the color and patterns are highly variable. (I hope I got this one right... if not, please comment. I welcome corrections and/or confirmations from pros.
IMG_6642; Southwestern Fence Lizard
Trick or Treat?
Play with our Witch's Kitchen Gacha and enjoy a special 25% off promo price* and 50% more chance to win RARE prizes!**
Only @ LiViD mainstore :
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sanguinus%20Keep/192/71/52...
*75L$ instead of 100L$
** 15% of probability instead of 10%
Giraffes have high adult survival probability, and an unusually long lifespan up to 38 years. Because of their size, eyesight and powerful kicks, adult giraffes are mostly safe from predation,with lions being their only major threat.
... feeding on a Lemon Mint Flower in a Wild Garden in West Wales
It's just a fly you may think - but one of medical importance since 1826
It has shown promise in three separate clinical approaches:
1) larvae have the potential to debride wounds with extremely low probability of myiasis upon clinical application
2) larval secretions can help in tissue regeneration.
3) bacteremia levels could be lowered in patients infected with MRSA
Basically, L. sericata larvae can be used as biosurgery agents in cases where antibiotics and surgery are impractical (Wikipedia)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200
ƒ/4.0
4.5 mm
1/500
ISO 100
[Dedicated to C.F. (ILYWAMHASAM) ]
I spotted this little white-tailed deer fawn in the park behind our house on Saturday. It was a day of intermittent showers, hence the wet look. With its mother nowhere in sight, and the fawn all alone for hours, my wife and I wondered if it had been abandoned. But a quick bit of research revealed the following on a National Wildlife Federation blog:
"There is a strong probability that you did not find an abandoned fawn. Female deer hide their newborn fawns in tall grass or brush and move some distance away to feed to avoid drawing predators to their offspring. With the proliferation of deer in suburban areas, sometimes this happens right in our own yards. The fawn simply waits in hiding until its mother returns. Soon, the fawns will be strong enough to follow the does and run from predators, and they no longer need to spend hours alone in hiding."
Well, even though this spot wasn't exactly "in tall grass or brush," the fawn did spend most of its time lying still, though it did get up and walk around occasionally. And while we didn't see it happen, we think that the mother must have come and retrieved her baby; when we looked outside shortly before nightfall, the fawn had disappeared.
Another photo taken while enjoying the company of a talented Pinoy flickrite, southlarena (a.k.a. Joey). An EB and photowalk at the same time.
That particular night , the wind was unusually strong along the open bay that making a decent shot was almost of thin probability. Was just a little lucky that the tripod I brought was the heavy, sturdy and reliable Manfrotto 190CX-PRO4 that made the jitters minimal.
Taken in Leicestershire, I was visiting because a ♂ Common Scoter was seen the day before, I knew it was a longshot has Scoters migrate at night so the probability of it still being there was quite small, but there was a long stay bird that I could spend my time with.
We didn't find the Scoter but the Ring-necked duck was very obliging and the closest that I had seen it.
The light was very variable as you can tell by the differences in the water colour, but a very enjoyable couple of hours.
Лада Иксрэй в редком цвете (Марс?) - с большой вероятностью служебная машина АВТОВАЗа
LADA XRAY in rare color (Mars?)- with high probability it's company car of AVTOVAZ
The small town of Coldstream in Scotland lies on the north bank of the River Tweed in Berwickshire, while Northumberland (and England) lies on the south bank. In all probability very few would have heard of this town were it not the home of the Coldstream Guards, which dates back to 1650 when it was founded by General George Monck. It is the oldest regiment in continuous active service in Britain's Regular Army. This is the main road in the town centre. It leads to the bridge over the River Tweed.
For further details see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coldstream_Guards
Wat chedi Luang is a Buddhist Stupa or a tower located in Chiang Mai, the cultural centre of Thailand located near the border of Burma. It was the highest structure in the royal kingdom of Thailand and it was built around the 14th to 15th century AD. One fine day around 1544 by one account it collapsed for reasons unknown or let us say, reasons that the Thai kingdom did not want to talk about. So in all probability it must be a structural design problem that laid the grand stupa to crumble around. Another version has the chedi destroyed during cannon fire around the 18th century in a recapture by the Thai rulers from the Burmese occupiers.
That is history.
In its present day avatar the remains of the ruined brick chedi rise to about 60 feet in height and its base is about 144 feet in a square disposition. From this it is easy to envision how grand the stupa must have been and how much reverence would have been bestowed by the genteel Buddhist followers to the Kings and the priests and the religion.
Each of the 4 sides has a grand stairway leading to nowhere now and the railings are huge nagas( serpentine cobras ) as is to be seen in many grand temples in Thailand. Midway on the base there are five elephants and like the nagas , 4 of these are restored by funds received from UNESCO and the Japanese benefactors. Only one of the elephants is from the original ruins. The restoration work is kind of patchy as no one has any records whatsoever and that is intriguing and points to the fact that thr records have been suppressed.
Be that as it may, you can see the UNESCO brick work and English alphabets on a closer scrutiny. No the Buddhist builders did not have the English alphabet in 1391-1445. I have marked the area on the image.
_DSC3556 nef ver 2
New book! Epic Landscape Photography: The Principles of Fine Art Nature Photography!
www.facebook.com/epiclandscapephotography/
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
facebook.com/mcgucken
Working on a couple photography books! 45EPIC GODDESS PHOTOGRAPHY: A classic guide to exalting the archetypal woman. And 45EPIC Fine Art Landscape Photography!
More on my golden ratio musings: facebook.com/goldennumberratio
instagram.com/goldennumberratio
Greetings all! I have been busy finishing a few books on photography, while traveling all over--to Zion and the Sierras--shooting fall colors. Please see some here: facebook.com/mcgucken
Let me know in the comments if you would like a free review copy of one of my photography books! :)
Titles include:
The Tao of Epic Landscape Photography: Exalt Fine Art with the Yin-Yang Wisdom of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching!
The Golden Number Ratio Principle: Why the Fibonacci Numbers Exalt Beauty and How to Create PHI Compositions in Art, Design, & Photography
facebook.com/goldennumberratio
And I am also working on a book on photographing the goddesses! :) More goddesses soon!
Best wishes on your epic hero's odyssey!:)
I love voyaging forth into nature to contemplate poetry, physics, the golden ratio, and the Tao te Ching! What's your favorite epic poetry reflecting epic landscapes? I recently finished a book titled Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photographers:
www.facebook.com/Epic-Poetry-for-Epic-Landscape-Photograp...
Did you know that John Muir, Thoreau, and Emerson all loved epic poetry and poets including Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, and Robert Burns?
I recently finished my fourth book on Light Time Dimension Theory, much of which was inspired by an autumn trip to Zion!
www.facebook.com/lightimedimensiontheory/
Via its simple principle of a fourth expanding dimension, LTD Theory provides a unifying, foundational *physical* model underlying relativity, quantum mechanics, time and all its arrows and asymmetries, and the second law of thermodynamics. The detailed diagrams demonstrate that the great mysteries of quantum mechanical nonlocality, entanglement, and probability naturally arise from the very same principle that fosters relativity alongside light's constant velocity, the equivalence of mass and energy, and time dilation.
Follow me on instagram!
Join my new 45EPIC fine art landscapes page on facebook!
M31, apart from the dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way, is the closest galaxy to us. It is 2.5 million light-years away from Earth, with a diameter of 220,000 light-years (twice the size of the Milky Way). The Andromeda Galaxy is approaching us at a speed of 110 kilometers per second, so it will collide with our galaxy in about 2–3 billion years.
It is a common misconception that when two galaxies collide, their stars also collide with each other—BOOM! In reality, the stars are so tiny compared to the vast empty space between them that the probability of any collision is negligible. The two galaxies essentially “flow” through each other, and over the course of billions of years, they slowly merge into one enormous elliptical galaxy.
The two largest companions of the Milky Way, which unfortunately cannot be seen from Hungary, are the dwarf galaxies known as the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud. Similar companions can also be found around the Andromeda Galaxy: in the image, the bright white patch just below the galaxy is M32, while the elongated patch above the galaxy is the M110 dwarf galaxy.
The photo was taken with a ZWO Seestar S50 camera.
1227 x 20 sec
A wolverine (Gulo gulo) hunts for small mammals in a high elevation meadow, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Montana.
My hiking partner and I stood on a small granite knob to the side of the valley, resting for a moment in the afternoon light and taking off the packs for a minute. We arrived at this point after having been off-trail in the mountain wilderness for 15 miles. Our route led over several passes, up and down drainages that were first choked with downed logs in the forest, and were then transformed by elevation into rock-strewn, twisted heights. Prior to this point, we saw zero mammalian wildlife save the regal Least Chipmunk and the scolding Chickaree Squirrel. There were plenty of deer, elk, and moose tracks and lots of fresh scat, and we also noticed several places in which elk had bedded down the previous night. We must appear oblivious to them, since they were all able to avoid us for many days.
As we stood plotting a route across the stream and consulting the map once more to re-affirm the path we wanted out of the meadow, this thrilling animal moved with singular purpose into view. It pounced into hollows near the stream looking for rodents to eat, and it dug furiously into one of the stream banks. It was unclear whether the effort resulted in a meal due to the angle of observation. It then crossed the meadow, and as it did, it would sometimes leap into the air and pounce with its front paws, similar to what I have seen coyotes and dogs do when hunting rodents. It ultimately leapt across the stream, hunted along another bank, and then it climbed up a granite shelf and disappeared from view amongst the rocks and low vegetation. We stood for awhile just gibbering about the probability and luck involved in us being there to watch and photograph. The wolverine didn't bother to look at us once, though I have no doubt it knew we were there and immediately pegged us as doofuses.
This photo is an extreme crop due to a stripped-down camera setup for backpacking, and I admit is of poor quality. However, I never thought I would see this species in the wild, let alone photograph it, so I decided to post it anyway. The essence of wilderness cannot be more absolutely defined than by the presence of the wolverine.
Una mañana, a pesar de un retraso en la llegada al lugar, y junto a un amigo. Amanecía la isla de Ibiza con una explosión de color, a pesar de que el tiempo esos días era de fuerte viento y lluvias constantes durante el mes de febrero.
Los amaneceres y atardeceres, antes y después, de un tormenta tienen una alta probabilidad de mostrarte una gama de colores prácticamente inimaginables.
One morning, despite a delay in arriving at the place, and with a friend. The island of Ibiza dawned with a burst of color, even though the weather during those days was a strong wind and constant rains during the month of February.
The sunrises and sunsets, before and after, of a storm have a high probability of showing you an almost unimaginable range of colors.
Levante is called to the area where the sun rises.
Anima Series 6
Lismore NSW Australia 2025
HUMANITY 101
When we communicate with someone through a social network, we’re already disconnected from them physically.
We’re not in each other’s physical presence to experience the tone of their voice, their body language and gestures, their personal energy – but at least there’s ‘someone’ on the other end of the line.
Yet when the other person uses an AI to communicate, there’s a double layer of disconnect.
No longer are we indirectly sharing with or responding to another human being, but instead we’re indirectly talking to their program!
And here’s the rub -
Once we normalize communicating via AI, the last vestige of human contact disappears altogether and is replaced by an automated proxy.
It’s not thoughts and feelings typed directly by hand into a keyboard we’re dealing with, but a language model that mimics human behaviour through a probability distribution algorithm that predicts a likely human response.
There’s no beating heart at the other end of the phone line, no lived history, no physical encounter of the world – just a set of mathematical instructions.
Speaking for myself, I’d rather communicate with a real person.
I’d rather invest my valuable time and energy with a fellow biology rather than with a soulless machine – however clever.
Why?
Because I value humanity. I value our physical existence and the opportunity to share that experience with likeminded souls.
It’s what being human is all about – reaching out to someone, not some ‘thing’.