View allAll Photos Tagged Refinement
A young lady sits with her dogs taking time for a portrait
Prompt: Create an ultra-realistic digital fine art painting in vertical aspect ratio, inspired by classical oil portraiture with museum-quality lighting and texture.
Depict a young African American woman seated beside a white west highland terrier and a salt and pepper Schnauzer dog in a calm, dignified indoor setting. The woman wears a long, elegant white lace dress with delicate embroidery and a high neckline, evoking 19th-century fashion. She sits gracefully, holding a bouquet of flowers in her lap, her expression serene and introspective. Her posture is upright and composed, exuding quiet strength and refinement.
Beside her, the dogs have a calm, intelligent demeanor and sit attentively, its gaze directed forward.
Behind them stands a large, dark iron industrial boiler door embossed with engraved lettering, adding depth and contrast to the otherwise soft and painterly environment. The textured metal surface contrasts beautifully with the woman’s white dress and the floral tones of her bouquet.
The lighting is natural yet subdued, softly illuminating the woman’s face and the dog’s coat while casting gentle shadows across the floor and background.
The style should emulate realistic skin tones and fabric rendering. Capture the emotional stillness and quiet nobility of the scene, timeless, contemplative, and painterly.
Style: Digital fine art painting
Mood: Serene, dignified, introspective
Lighting: Soft diffused studio light, natural tonal balance
Quality: Ultra-realistic, no noise, no grain, museum-quality detail
This digital fine art was created using OpenAI Sora AI and Photoshop
better than any other spring flower; they are the embodiment of alert cheerfulness and tidy grace. “Their faint, delicate scent is refinement itself; and is there anything in the world more charming than the sprightly way they hold up their little faces to the sun? ~ Unknown
Pentacon 1.8/50
Camera: ONDU MultiFormat Mk I pinhole camera @ 6x12
Red Adox filter
Pinhole: f/160
"Focal length": 40mm
Exposure: 21 secs
Film: Foma Fomapan 400 Action developed in Kodak Xtol Replenished
Bought a barely used Ondu Multiformat Mk I. I think the previous owner had given up on it, as it is a pain to wind the film on. This has been solved by Ondu on later models (Mark II & III).
The camera has a very nice design and finish, and I am confident that I can make it work better. Later models have more refinements, but the photographic results will be the same (except for the rise function).
Relayed message to Lord [redacted]. Message will self-destruct after playback.
It is as your eminence predicted. The Hutts are in disarray, having been unable to stabilize their economy after Jakku. The New Republic is continuously pushing sanctions against systems in Hutt Space, condemning slave trade and illicit drug production. Hutt interest in Oba Diah is increasing, since they started to prosper, aided by [redacted], a recent benefactor.
We have arranged meetings with the Besadii on Sleheyron. I am confident that we will be able to take over their tibanna refineries in exchange for saving their slave trade. We are working with the garrison on Mogoshyn, and they have agreed to support this operation with equipment, and ancillary specialists to get the refineries back to peak production.
If the deal goes through, I estimate that we will be looking at several thousand slaves. We will need to do a work-ready assessment in transit. I need confirmation for the location [redacted] of the first slave shipments.
I will report back once the deal is done.
- Lord Siv Korho
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Exploring the ideas around a less known Hutt system like Sleheyron has been interesting. There's not a lot of story material on Sleheyron, but it is a prominent world with enough interesting details (Slave trade, Tibanna refinement etc.). I imagine Sleheyron is a more run-down and gritty version of Nar Shaddaa. This also shows the less "Imperial" side of the SCS. Clandestine dealings in order to keep the wheels turning.
See more at SW Factions: swfactions.net/community/main-forum/a-slaves-fate-rebuild...
Thanks for watching!
[26 of 52]
This week was all about having a new hair cut and a new vision and new goals. And all of it feels so good and I can't wait to live this life right now. I can't even remember the last time I felt so comfortable with who I am and what I do and what I want.
Today I read the most amazing words by Nirrimi Firebrace (on cutting her hair) which were: “I didn’t have to be beautiful. At least not in the way society convinces me I should be." and these words so much reflect my thoughts when I cut my hair. My new hair cut is not beautiful. It is fresh and recognizable. And these facts make it so much more beautiful to me than what is said to be beautiful by the majorities.
Haha this is probably the most positiv description on one of my flickr photos ever :)
Hope everybody feels just as well.
(I finally created a twitter account which is updated regularly.)
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Bonsai (Japanese: 盆栽, lit. 'tray planting', pronounced [boɰ̃sai] is the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in containers, developed from the traditional Chinese art form of penjing (盆景). Penjing and bonsai differ in that the former attempts to display "wilder," more naturalistic scenes, often representing landscapes, including elements such as water, rocks, or figurines; on the other hand, bonsai typically focuses on a single tree or a group of trees of the same species, with a higher level of aesthetic refinement. Similar versions of the art exist in other cultures, including the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese Hòn non bộ. During the Tang dynasty, when penjing was at its height, the art was first introduced in China.
The loanword bonsai has become an umbrella term in English, attached to many forms of diminutive potted plants, and also on occasion to other living and non-living things. According to Stephen Orr in The New York Times, the term should be reserved for plants that are grown in shallow containers following the precise tenets of bonsai pruning and training, resulting in an artful miniature replica of a full-grown tree in nature. In the most restrictive sense, bonsai refers to miniaturized, container-grown trees adhering to Japanese tradition and principles.
Purposes of bonsai are primarily contemplation for the viewer, and the pleasant exercise of effort and ingenuity for the grower. In contrast to other plant cultivation practices, bonsai are not grown for the production of food or for medicine.
A bonsai is created beginning with a specimen of source material. This may be a cutting, seedling, a tree from the wild (known as Yamadori) or small tree of a species suitable for bonsai development. Bonsai can be created from nearly any perennial woody-stemmed tree or shrub species that produces true branches and can be cultivated to remain small through pot confinement with crown and root pruning. Some species are popular as bonsai material because they have characteristics, such as small leaves or needles, that make them appropriate for the compact visual scope of bonsai.
The source specimen is shaped to be relatively small and to meet the aesthetic standards of bonsai, which emphasizes not the entirety of grand sceneries but rather, only the tree itself. When the candidate bonsai nears its planned final size, it is planted in a display pot, usually one designed for bonsai display in one of a few accepted shapes and proportions. From that point forward, its growth is restricted by the pot environment. Throughout the year, the bonsai is shaped to limit growth, redistribute foliar vigor to areas requiring further development, and meet the artist's detailed design.
The practice of bonsai is sometimes confused with dwarfing, but dwarfing generally refers to research, discovery, or creation of plants that are permanent, genetic miniatures of existing species. Plant dwarfing often uses selective breeding or genetic engineering to create dwarf cultivars. Bonsai does not require genetically-dwarfed trees but rather, depends on growing small trees from regular stock and seeds. Bonsai uses cultivation techniques like pruning, root reduction, potting, defoliation, and grafting to produce small trees that mimic the shape and style of mature, full-size trees.
The National Arboretum Canberra is a mosaic of living forests and gardens offering breathtaking views, unique experiences, and a world-class entertainment and events hub including the award-winning Margaret Whitlam Pavilion and the popular Village Centre. With over 44,000 rare and endangered trees across a 250-hectare site, the Arboretum is a place of beauty, conservation, science research, education, tourism and recreation. 57529
Of course so inspired by the Truman Show.
You can see what everybody else creates here.
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From the Austria Flickr Meetup. This is the beautiful Theresa Gruber who is the perfect Emma Watson doubleganger! I am actually her biggest fan.. can everybody please encourage her to start modeling as a job :)
More photos from the meetup: HERE
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Le quai Président-Wilson est un ancien quai industriel sur la Loire, d’une longueur totale de 1,5 km, situé au sud-ouest de l’île de Nantes, le long d'un des bras de la Loire baptisé « bras de Pirmil », de part et d’autre du pont des 3 Continents. Construit pendant la « Grande guerre » sur la rive sud de l'ancienne île Sainte-Anne puis agrandi pendant les années 1920 pour atteindre une longueur d'un kilomètre, il est considéré comme un des plus grands quais de France à l'époque. Les ouvrages ont été construits à des périodes différentes s’étalant sur la première moitié du XXème siècle, et certains ont subi des dommages importants au cours de la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale, ayant entraîné une reconstruction partielle de la partie sur voûtes ainsi qu’une reconstruction totale de la partie massive sur pieux. Il était utilisé pour la circulation de grues roulantes et de convois de marchandises. Jusqu'à l'arrêt définitif de son activité en 2007, il permet d'importer les matières premières approvisionnant les industries implantées sur place, à savoir du sucre de canne brut destiné à être raffiné dans l'usine de Béghin-Say, des engrais chimiques Timac), du fer-blanc destiné à la fabrication d'ustensiles de cuisine et de boîtes de conserves et d'exporter de la ferraille. Avec l’arrêt des activités portuaires du quai, au début des années 2000, les cinq grues Mofag, de 158 tonnes chacune, qui s'y trouvaient ont été déménagé vers d'autres sites du grand port maritime de Nantes-Saint-Nazaire.
The President-Wilson quay is a former industrial quay on the Loire, with a total length of 1.5 km, located to the south-west of the Ile de Nantes, along one of the arms of the Loire called "arms de Pirmil ”, on either side of the 3 Continents Bridge. Built during the “Great War” on the south shore of the former Île Sainte-Anne then enlarged during the 1920s to reach a length of one kilometer, it was considered to be one of the largest docks in France at the time. The structures were built at different times spanning the first half of the twentieth century, and some suffered significant damage during World War II, leading to a partial reconstruction of the vaulted part as well as a reconstruction. total of the massive part on piles. It was used for the movement of rolling cranes and freight convoys. Until the final cessation of its activity in 2007, it allows the import of raw materials supplying industries established on site, namely raw cane sugar intended for refinement in the Béghin-Say plant, fertilizers Timac chemicals), tinplate for the manufacture of kitchen utensils and cans and for the export of scrap metal. With the cessation of port activities at the quay in the early 2000s, the five Mofag cranes, each weighing 158 tonnes, were moved to other sites in the large seaport of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire.
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Forget chasing - Be the magnet.
" In the pursuit of excellence, remember: Quality doesn't chase after, it's attracted!
The good stuff finds you when you focus on you. Let your energy do the talking. The most captivating people are those who 'don't try' 💕"
_______ Scarlett Saphira
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. . . Don't chase, Radiate . . .
To chase means pursuing what you know well you don't really deserve, then being what you deserve so you don't need to chase.
In the pursuit of our desires lies the essence of our being. Yet, before reaching out, we must first cultivate the intrinsic qualities within ourselves. It is in the nurturing of our confidence and the refinement of our character that we lay the foundation for what we seek.
For true fulfillment does not merely come from chasing after what we want, but from embodying the very essence of what we deserve.
" Let your confidence be your compass and your quality your currency, guiding you towards the abundance that awaits... 💕"
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Sponsor: Belle Epoque - Maggie (Fatpack) / Exclusive @ Anthem Event
This Bald Eagle was photographed at a bird of prey flying display. It was a great way to spend the afternoon seeing all the vultures, eagles, owls and kestrels taking to the air. The consensus was that the vultures’ landing strategy was in need of refinement – a few blasphemies were heard as audience members returned to an upright position grateful to still be intact.
All the birds were highly motivated by food – Labradors with feathers as someone put it (EM121538)
In 1720 Floriano Francesconi called his coffee house “Alla Venezia Trionfante / To the triumphant Venice”. But the Venetians prefered to call it with the name of its owner, simply “Floriàn”.
Originally only two rooms, over the centuries five more were added, now all richly decorated after the restoration occurred in the mid-800.
Between the 17th and 18th centuries, in Venice, hundreds of new places were opened, called “coffee shops” or “water shops” – they served lemonade, zabaglione, chocolate and the dark drink, which arrived from Constantinople at the end of the 16th century, coffee! So fashionable that Goldoni wrote:
“Everyone tries to do what everyone else does. Where acquavite flowed, now coffee is fashionable.”
Marble tables, chairs and red velvet sofas, waiters in elegant white jackets.
A sense of calm and refinement is all around this place.
Works of artists of the last three hundred years hang on the walls. Many end up all over the world, on loan to international art museums. A curiosity: for more than 30 years, the Florian, in contemporary with the Venice Biennale, every year has asked an artist to re-invent the Florian space, acquiring the artwork at the end of the exhibition and adding it to its proliferous collection.
This is the end, my only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes, again
the Doors
1950 Ford Deluxe Business Coupe, Flathead V8 Power
When Ford introduced its new model for 1949, the car represented the Blue Oval's first clean-sheet design since World War II. In fact, it was the first postwar sheet metal shown by any of the Big Three. Everything about the 1949 Ford was new, except for the wheelbase and the powertrain.
For the new car, Ford utilized a ladder-type frame and front independent suspension via coil springs and A-arms, and a Hotchkiss rear end with live axle and leaf springs. Power came from two tried and true engines: the 226-c.i. L-head straight-six or the 239-c.i. Flathead V-8, which produced 100 hp. All cars carried three-speed manual transmissions with optional overdrive, as Ford lacked an automatic of its own.
Two trim levels were offered: Standard and Custom. Both were offered with the L-head or optionally with the V-8. Six-cylinder Standards included Tudor and Fordor sedans, along with business and club coupes, while Customs eliminated the business coupe but added a two-door convertible, as well as a two-door wood-bodied wagon.
From a styling standpoint, the new Ford’s adopted slab sides, wrap-around bumpers, minimal trim, and bullet-adorned grille set it apart from most other cars on the road.
Despite a relatively hastened period of design and development, along with teething issues associated with such an abbreviated process, the new Fords were a hit, with 1.1 million units sold.
For 1950, Ford worked out many of the noise and handling issues found in the first-year cars. Trims were renamed Deluxe and Custom Deluxe. The club coupe was dropped from the Deluxe series, and the convertible was now offered only in V-8 Custom Deluxe spec. New to the lineup was the Crestliner, a Custom Deluxe Tudor that added special elements above and beyond the regular model, including two-tone paint and a unique canvas-covered roof.
The cars received a slight restyle in 1951, including a new grille, as well as revised dashboards. The two-door wagon was renamed the Country Squire, and a hardtop coupe joined the lineup as the Custom Deluxe Victoria. Perhaps most importantly, Ford offered its first automatic transmission—the three-speed Ford-O-Matic.
By 1952, Ford gave its cars a more squared off look, along with an ever-increasing list of refinements. But the first new batch of postwar cars, known as “shoebox Fords,” did an excellent job to keep the company at the top of the sales charts alongside Chevrolet, and today remain iconic classics.
Elegante batente de porta em forma de mão, feito de latão dourado polido, instalado numa porta de madeira escura em Ciudad Rodrigo, Espanha. Este tipo de aldrava, comum na arquitetura tradicional ibérica desde o século XVIII, representa a "mão de Fátima" ou "hamsa", um símbolo com raízes no Norte de África, adotado nas tradições muçulmana, judaica e cristã na Península Ibérica. Ciudad Rodrigo, uma cidade histórica fortificada na província de Salamanca, conserva muitos desses elementos decorativos que refletem a influência multicultural da região. Além da sua função prática, estes batentes eram também símbolos de estatuto social e proteção espiritual para as casas, em que a mão frequentemente simboliza a figura feminina como guardiã do lar. Modelos semelhantes continuam a ser procurados para portas restauradas e edifícios históricos, evocando práticas e estéticas de outros tempos.
A sleek, hand-shaped door knocker, crafted from polished golden brass, graces a dark wooden door in Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain, exuding a sense of elegance and refinement. This intricate door knocker, a staple in traditional Iberian architecture since the 18th century, embodies the 'Hand of Fatima' or 'Hamsa', a symbol with deep roots in North Africa, embraced by Muslim, Jewish, and Christian traditions in the Iberian Peninsula. Ciudad Rodrigo, a historic fortified city nestled in the heart of Salamanca province, boasts a treasure trove of decorative elements that embody the region's rich multicultural tapestry. Beyond their practical purpose, these knockers were also symbols of social status and spiritual protection for homes, where the hand often embodies the female figure as a guardian of the hearth. Similar designs continue to be sought after for restored doors and historic buildings, evoking the charm of bygone eras and the beauty of time-honored craftsmanship.
Looking to the medieval arcades that surround the market place.
It seems such an odd alignment of buildings, the way they just touch on their corners, but it does allow an unimpeded route around to the left, the junction of two of the town's main thoroughfares.
The gap between the buildings where the gentleman with the red polo top is approaching, is perhaps a later refinement in this perfectly planned town. It is mirrored by a similar gap across the square. The theory is that this was to enable armed horsemen to enter and exit the square at speed, without having to dismount - or lower their lances. Very useful at times of civil unrest if it were necessary to clear the area.
Thank you to the excellent and wonderfully detailed web-site by Michael Delahaye; well worth a look.
OOAK Sooty Buckskin Tobiano
🔥 This exclusive asymmetrical texture pack brings the look of a proven champion to your Teegle horse. With a bold sooty buckskin coat accented by crisp tobiano markings, this horse embodies power, presence, and refinement.
Included in this OOAK Package:
🐴 OOAK Asymmetrical 2048px Coat Texture
✨ Mane & Tail Textures
️ Eye & Eyelash Textures
🐾 Hoof Texture & Polish Options
🎨 Matching Materials
💎 Exclusivity: This is a true one-of-one texture pack—crafted for realism and designed to capture the presence of a champion. Once sold, it will never be recreated.
🎤 Bidding open September 1 – September 24—secure your chance to own this unique Sooty Buckskin Tobiano. Elevate your stable, your show string, and your collection with a champion who commands attention.
www.teeglepet.com/dog-and-pony-show
Story:
This Sooty Buckskin Tobiano is more than just a striking coat—this horse is the image of a proven competitor. With a deep, rich sooty buckskin base marked by bold tobiano white, the look is as commanding as the presence in the show ring. Judges remember this horse not just for movement, but for consistency: a competitor who delivers every time.
From early on, this horse stood out among peers for balance, drive, and willingness to work. In the show arena, excellence came through in versatility classes, demonstrating athleticism across both English and Western events. An uphill build and expressive trot earned ribbons in hunter under saddle, while strong hindquarters and responsiveness brought points in reining and trail.
More than the achievements, this is the horse that turns heads at every event. Striking, steady, and proven—a champion who sets the standard in any program.
"The word of the Muad'Dib will penetrate deep within their hearts... one way or another..."
Built for the Burgomeister "R&D Lab" category of DA4, supporting General Farok. The embedded image in the comments meets the A&B criteria of designing LEGO inspired box art.
The research and development lab staff include:
- Master Administrator (main floor); oversees the overall running of the research institute, as well as the data analytics.
- Master of Chemistry (top floor); leads research in spice production, refinement, and weaponized usages. Controls the refining column that rises through the building.
- Master of Resources (in vehicle); procures all resources needed by the lab. Also the primary driver of the desert track ATV stored in the bottom level. The grand staircase in front of the building lifts up for the vehicle to pass through.
- Master of Arms (bottom level); tests all weapons for combat worthiness.
- Master of Communications (bottom level with headset); researches sonic weapons, specifically attuned to the "weirding way".
I am home again for a while and will catch up when I can. Thank you all very much for your wonderful comments. It was so lovely in Akaroa it was hard to come back to the city again.
I meet up with a wonderful flickr and we had a wonderful time getting blown and rained on while looking around the city. It was great to meet up with her. Pity the weather wasn't kinder!
September 19, 2015 Christchurch, New Zealand.
It got so wet and cold we spent some time looking around the inside of the Heritage Hotel.
A Write up About the Heritage Hotel.
Christchurch is a long way from the Mediterranean – nevertheless, the opulence of an Italian High Renaissance Palazzo awaits you at the Heritage Christchurch. Designed by Joseph Clark Maddison and opened in 1913, the hotel is listed as a category one building on the Historic Places Trust Register, reflecting its status as a building of national significance. The hotel’s grand design is fitting: after all, Christchurch is regarded as the Garden City, and is regarded internationally for its culture and refinement.
For more Info and photos:http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/city-centre/9191247/Heritage-Hotel-reopens-on-birthday
[also from the Austria meet-up]
This is Esther. She is David's sister and just as amazing as he is :)
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This eye-catching roadside tableau in Ocean Park, Washington, features three beautifully restored Ford Model A automobiles—an iconic presence on American roads from 1928 to 1931, and still beloved by vintage car enthusiasts nearly a century later.
Left: 1928 Ford Model A Coupe
Identifiable by its straight windshield and simple fender design, the coupe body style (with rumble seat) was a popular choice for personal transportation in the late 1920s. With a 40-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine, the Model A was a major step up from the venerable Model T in terms of speed, comfort, and style.
Center & Right: 1929–31 Ford Model A Tudor Sedans
These closed two-door sedans offered practicality for families and middle-class buyers, with slightly more enclosed comfort and a backseat trunk or luggage rack for longer trips. The center car shows stylish two-tone paint and rear luggage, a nod to period touring. The rightmost Model A may be a 1930 or 1931 judging by the wheel design and subtle refinements in fenders and body lines.
🚗 Historical Context:
The Ford Model A, introduced in December 1927 as a successor to the Model T, marked a turning point in American automotive history. It offered a modernized driving experience with innovations like a standard clutch and brake pedal layout, safety glass, and improved suspension. Priced accessibly for the middle class, it sold nearly 5 million units in just four years, making it one of the most successful cars of its era.
This was a period of explosive growth in car ownership. With paved roads expanding and the first national highway systems forming, Americans began to embrace the idea of personal mobility, weekend drives, and auto tourism. Vehicles like these Fords helped weave rural towns and urban centers together, reshaping not just transportation—but American life.
This text is a collaboration with Chat GPT.
Big Boy 4014 is making its break-in run after a year long hiatus in 2020 with UP Train PCYDV 08. They're headed to Denver on the UP Greeley Sub. Thunderstorms are firing all over the area coming off the Rockies, one of them backlit over the train creating some dynamic light as the train passes the Agfinity Elevator and code poles at Henderson.
With over a year since the 4-8-8-4's most recent run in 2019, the UP Steam Crew has made numerous refinements to the locomotive, and this particular trip was to test those, along with LEAP PTC, which uses a unique system utilizing the trailing diesel locomotive as mother unit to operate the Wabtec I-ETMS on the steam locomotive leader.
This in preparation for "The Big Boy 2021 Tour", departing Cheyenne on August 5 for New Orleans, LA and arriving back on September 7. Included in that excursion is a fundraiser trip in Louisiana benefiting the Union Pacific Museum.
4014 was built by ALCO in November 1941 with a builder number 69585. The engine last ran on July 21, 1959 and was the second to last Big Boy to operate. It then spent 1962-2014 on public display at the Los Angeles Fairplex in Pomona, CA. It was removed from the RailGiants Train Museum in 2014. After a 5 year restoration in Cheyenne, WY at the UP Steam Shop, 4014 made its first runs in 2019, its first in 59 years.
Locomotives: UP 4014, UP 4015
7-8-21
Henderson, CO
Because the "spaceship-go-up" molecule must come from somewhere.
Also, holy crap this is the first single day build I have completed in a long time
[29 of 52]
Taken for a competition. This was only the first round of 8 :) Thank you so much to everyone who voted!
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The Zorki 3 on the left, made in 1954, was the first model with a full range of slow speeds, using a front mounted slow speed dial like a Leica of the same period. A year later, the full range of speeds was combined into the single top-mounted speed dial in the 3M. The final triumph of the Soviet Evolution was the addition of flash sync and a self timer on the Zorki 4; this example is from 1963.
With the Zorki 4, perfection had apparently been achieved, and it remained in production nearly forever. The only further refinement was the addition of a rapid wind lever in the 1970s to create the final iteration, the Zorki 4K.
[11 of 52]
(getting better: more than a month since the last self-portrait close up.)
I've always been a lone wolf and actually I quite like it. Being alone does not mean being lonely.
And how amazing is it that the english word contains 'wolf'..... which are besides ravens my favorite animals.
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Excerpt from www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=9727:
Sited in a landscaped garden amongst mature trees in a residential Gravenhurst neighbourhood, Bethune House is an attractive L-shaped, timber structure. Its gable roof is steeply pitched, while the clapboard exterior features bay windows, ornamental verge boards and a verandah. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Bethune House is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
Bethune House is very closely associated with the early life of Dr. Norman Bethune in Canada. His birthplace acts as a memorial to his career and is a monument to social justice and human welfare, convictions held by Dr Norman Bethune. An internationally renowned figure, he became a strenuous advocate of socialized, easily available medical care. His achievements include several developments in the treatment of tuberculosis and in thoracic surgery, refinements in medical instruments, and the first practical use of a mobile blood transfusion unit.
Bethune House is a good example of a typical middle-class residence found throughout Canada in the late 19th century. The influence of the picturesque is seen in the steeply pitched roof, the vertical emphasis of the massing and its asymmetrical plan. It exhibits good functional design and craftsmanship.
Bethune House is compatible with the present character of its residential setting and is familiar to those visiting the region.
The character-defining elements of Bethune House should be respected.
Its good quality materials and craftsmanship, as evidenced in:
- the two-storey, asymmetrical, L-shaped plan;
- the steeply-pitched gable roof, the ornamental verge-boards and the brick chimneys;
- the clapboard exterior walls, the symmetrical arrangement of the windows, the bay windows and the verandah;
- the centre hall plan with informal layout of rooms and the interior details.
The manner in which Bethune House is compatible with the present character of the residential setting and is a familiar local landmark, as evidenced by:
- its overall picturesque appearance which complements the landscaped grounds and harmonizes with the residential structures on John Street;
- its role as an interpretive memorial that make it familiar to the community.
Macro Mondays - Eye theme
Cyborg eyes. With enough refinement, this could lead to implants that restore eyesight while preserving the natural look
The west iwan (rectangular hall opening onto a courtyard) at Jameh Mosque, a virtual museum of Islamic architecture over a period of 800 years. The style ranges from the understated elegance of Seljuks, through the Mongol period and on the the refinements of the more baroque Safavid style. At 20,000 sqm, It is also the largest mosque in Iran.
✨ Available Sept 28: OOAK Laced Palomino Roan Tobiano – Elegance in Detail ✨
🔥 This asymmetrical texture pack brings together a rare and refined combination of traits: a radiant palomino base, intricate lace roaning, minimal tobiano leg markings, and a unique irregular face stripe. Each element complements the next, creating a complete, harmonious package that sets this horse apart as a true one-of-a-kind.
Included in this OOAK Package:
🐴 Hand-painted 2048px Coat Texture
✨ Custom Mane & Tail Textures
️ Eye & Eyelash Textures
🐾 Hoof Texture & Polish Options
🎨 Matching Materials
💎 Exclusivity: This is a true one-of-one creation. Its elegance and balance make it instantly memorable—a champion in both the ring and the stable. Once sold, it will never be repeated.
🎤 Available exclusively for live auction at The Dog & Pony Show 2025, starting September 28th at 12 PM SLT.
View the live demo & full information here:
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elysian%20Veil/184/13/34
The story behind this lot:
This Laced Palomino Roan Tobiano is a horse defined by refinement, individuality, and balance. The golden palomino coat carries a luminous sheen, enriched by intricate lace roaning along the topline that catches the eye under any light. Minimal tobiano markings are restricted to the legs, adding contrast without overwhelming the base coat, while the irregular stripe down the face adds character and distinction.
Together, these details create a horse that is more than the sum of its parts—an athlete whose presence is instantly recognizable and impossible to forget. This horse’s proven success in competition comes not only from movement and athleticism, but also from a striking, harmonious appearance that leaves a lasting impression in every arena.
The Laced Palomino Roan Tobiano is not just a competitor, but a complete package: elegance, individuality, and championship quality refined into one unforgettable horse.
Secure the Laced Palomino Roan Tobiano, a complete package of refinement, individuality, and championship presence.
Another street shot taken with my Sony RX100. I liked the pose of the moment with the serious intent of the stare and the body language of the aerobics trainer toward the little girl on her three-wheeled plastic scooter (which almost every little kid has in Beijing). The trainer appears to be saying: "Get right back in there, missy!". Meanwhile the little girl seems to be willfully and blissfully ignoring her command, as she makes a get-away on on her little pink scooter.
I liked the mix of colours, the triangle of composition with the headshot of the model in the background, as well as the accentuation of size difference between the girl and the trainer, as the trainer is closer up while the girl is further away in the scene. Some of the English in the ad is also a bit stilted and comical as well.
Although the image is cropped in pretty tightly, so as to cut out some distratcting background elements, the crop also seems to further enhance the sense of how tall the trainer is in contrast to the girl on the right.
The headhsot of the model in the middle appears in a multiple exposure image just a few images farther down in my photostream (taken with my Nikon D500).
Post work was done mainly in Capture One, along with some HDR effects in Photomatix. A few refinements in tone, colouring and contrast were made in PS and I corrected for a tiny bit of barrel distortion from the lens in Lr. I also cleaned up some noise from the HDR processing in Photomatix and later in Topaz Denoise. The HDR rendering in Photomatix added some nice highlights to the gym outfit and brought out some of the muscle tone in the trainer.
There are different accounts of how the British got their hands on Looty and a handful of other Pekingese. Looty was one of five lapdogs brought back to England after the raid. Two went to the Duchess of Wellington, two to the Duchess of Richmond and Looty was presented to Queen Victoria in April 1861 by the then 26-year-old Captain Hart Dunne. Perhaps not surprisingly, Looty preferred boiled rice with chicken and gravy to the food given to the Queen’s other dogs. The Queen had a portrait of the dog painted by Friedrich Keyl at Windsor in 1861. A facsimile was released to newspapers and magazines fuelling a national interest in the little dog. Looty also enjoyed interest in the States with Harper’s Weekly reporting that the other royal dogs took exception to her ‘oriental habits’. Looty and her friend destroyed the rose’s garden of Buckingam Palast, Victoria decided to give them the opportunity to help the Yorkshire minor…The Yorkshire Terrier was a byproduct of the Industrial Revolution in England, and for dogs in those days, it was “earn your keep,” or else. Yorkies were originally bred for hunting rats in mines by blue collar miners, and while those dogs were a slightly larger than they are now, it wasn’t by much.
Early Yorkies were kept by hard bitten men who relied on the tough little buggers to control vermin in the mines and textile mills in which they worked. We think we can imagine what life was like in those days, but honestly, we really can’t. The men who had left behind farm life to earn a living in towns and cities for the first time in their lives were met with a setting that was crowded and smelly, in large part because there was no sewage, garbage collection, or running water. And then there were the rats. These creatures infected food, chewed on goods (or your toes), and created a stink. The men needed help, and it came in the form of an easy-to-carry and cheap-to-feed dog, the Yorkie’s ancestor. Not to diss cats, but a good ratting dog in that environment was faster than a cat and had more drive for the work.
Up until 1861, the fact that Yorkies had been kept and bred by miners was a bit of a secret because it didn’t fit the narrative of a breed that appeared in its first dog show that same year. Thanks to the breed’s quick wit and appeal, it moved easily from rat dog to lady’s pet during the Victorian era. The breed’s environment may have changed from gritty mine to pretty parlor, but it never lost its tough terrier roots.
nationalpurebreddogday.com/the-tough-yorkie-never-underes...
"The story is that in the palace there were found these little dogs that nobody really saw before because they were a very secret, personal part of the emperor's empresses and the eunuchs of the palace and so on," design historian Sarah Cheang says
Dr Cheang is fascinated by why to this day, stately homes in Britain are filled with Chinese things. Buckingham Palace’s 39-acre garden fulfils many roles. Described as ‘a walled oasis in the middle of London’, the garden is the largest private garden in the capital and boasts 325 wild-plant species, 30 species of breeding birds, and over 1,000 trees, including 98 plane trees and 85 different species of oak. Like the initial garden in Beijing, Victoria designed a paradise in the meddle of London, administrative "Forbidden City is man-made, it's rigid, formal, symmetrical. The Old Summer Palace was much, much richer and more beautiful." When said in the language of Fengshui, movement of air and water… Today it is a self-regulating eco-system fed from the Buckingham Palace bore hole. A ‘long-grass policy’ has encouraged the natural lakeside environment to flourish, and the area is now a favourite nesting site for a variety of water birds. The garden provides a habitat for native birds rarely seen in London, including the common sandpiper, sedge warbler and lesser whitethroat.
She says there's a strong myth that Pekingese are 'special palace dogs'.
"They become imperial loot. They become these treasures that formerly belonged to the emperor. Hence the decision to call this one dog that's gifted to Queen Victoria, Looty," she says.
"It says a lot about how acceptable it was to loot. This was normal. The British had this God-given right to go out into the world and take stuff."
Hilary Du Crow has been breeding Pekingese dogs around the world since she was 10.
She says the Queen having the dog was a big endorsement.
"The fact that the Queen had one is clearly an influence on why it became such a big deal," she says.
In the decades that followed other Pekingese were brought over.
"The dogs that you have today were descended from ones that came out later, like about 15 years later," she says.
By 1901 a breeding population was established, and the dogs became very fashionable and very popular. Queen Victoria very knew about the Chinese culture and of his numerous refinement. The gardens of the Victorian era are a copy of the Chinese gardens and the art of Feng Shui.During the destruction of the Summer Palace after the Boxer rebellion (other name of dog which the Queen baptized),a lot of extraordinary animals were sent to Buckingam Palace.Small in size but big in personality, comes from China, it was removed by the Summer Palace and given to queen Victoria. His turbulent character destroyed the rosebushes of Buckingam Palace.e queen offered a couple of these dogs-lions to miners of Yorkshire. Dr Cheang says the popularity of the Pekingese reveals a lot about how the British feel about an imagined Far East.
"I think that the connection to the exotic is part of its appeal," she says.
"They are supposed to be like little miniature Chinese emperors sitting on cushions.
"The breeders are trying to breed them to look a certain way and create what they see as a Chinese object."
An attempt to forge a connection with a palace that was razed to the ground.
"It's an important dynamic within imperialism that you have a constant nostalgia for the thing that you're in the act of destroying," Dr Cheang says.
"At the same time as you disrupt local cultures and seek to destroy them, often in order to dominate, you are mourning the loss of those cultures and trying to act in ways to preserve them. "It's important to not just to laugh at these dogs, but to take seriously what was done in terms of violence, in terms of finding yet another way in which to assert ideas about British superiority," she says.
"These dogs were actually important tools of British imperialism.
"It's not all a laughing matter."
The Old Summer Palace has other names these days — "China's national ruin", its "ground zero".
Hear how Beijing's rulers have ensured its story has become intertwined with China's national identity on Stuff the British Stole. You can listen now on ABC Listen, or wherever you get podcasts.
www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-11/pekingese-dog-looty-from-b...
The legend could be born in shelters of the light and the real history.A Shih Tzu (English: /ˈʃiːtsuː/; Chinese: 西施犬; pinyin: xīshī quǎn), also known as the Chrysanthemum Dog, is a toy dog breed, weighing 10–19 pounds (4.5–8.6kg) when fully grown. The exact origins of the breed are unknown, but it is thought to have originated in Tibet and then been developed in China.The name comes from the Chinese language word for "lion" because this kind of dog was bred to resemble "the lion as depicted in traditional oriental art." (The Pekingese breed is also called "lion dog" in Chinese.) "Shih Tzu" is the Wade-Giles romanization of the Chinese characters 獅子, meaning lion; Wade-Giles romanization was in use when the breed was first introduced in America; but, in modern times, Pinyin romanization is used, rendering it shīzi. The Mandarin Chinese pronunciation is approximately shirr-dzə. The Shih Tzu is also known as the "Xi Shi dog" because Xi Shi was regarded as one of the most beautiful women of ancient China.[9] Shih Tzu were nicknamed the Chrysanthemum Dog in England in the 1930s..The dog may also be called the Tibetan Lion Dog; but whether the breed should be referred to as "Tibetan" or "Chinese" is a source of argument, the absolute answer to which "may never be known"DNA analysis placed the ancestors of today's Shih Tzu breed in the group of "ancient" breeds indicating "close genetic relationship to wolves".Another branch coming down from the "Kitchen Midden Dog" gave rise to the Papillon and Long-haired Chihuahua and yet another "Kitchen Midden Dog" branch to the Pug and Shih Tzu. It is also said that the breed originated in China, hence the name "Lion Dog", in 800 B.C. There are various theories of the origins of today's breed. Theories relate that it stemmed from a cross between Pekingese and a Tibetan dog called the Lhasa Apso. Dogs during ancient times were selectively bred and seen in Chinese paintings. The dogs were favorites of the Chinese royals and so prized that, for years, the Chinese refused to sell, trade, or give any away. The first dogs of the breed were imported into Europe (England and Norway) in 1930 and were classified by the Kennel Club as "Apsos". The first European standard for the breed was written in England in 1935 by the Shih Tzu Club,and the dogs were recategorised as Shih Tzu. The breed spread throughout Europe, and was brought to the United States after World War II, when returning members of the U.S. military brought back dogs from Europe, in the mid 1950s. The Shih Tzu was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1969 in the Toy Group.The breed is now recognized by all of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world.[1] It is also recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale for international competition in Companion and Toy Dog Group, Section 5, Tibetan breeds. In the United States, the Shih Tzu ranked the 15th most popular breed in 2013, falling slightly in popularity since 2012, when it was placed in 11th position.A couple of days after the first assault on the palace, the foreign hostages' deaths were announced, at which point the burning of the summer palace was ordered in retribution. The destruction was dressed up as an act of rough justice, but an awful lot of soldiers and officers simply helped themselves to the astonishing treasures that lay before them. A Pekinese dog was among the haul: presented later to Queen Victoria, it was re-named "Looty", in honour of the manner in which it reached British shores.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shih_Tzu
Yorkshire terrier, also called Yorkie, breed of toy dog developed about the mid-1800s in ... black-masked face with short muzzle, considered sacred in ancient China .... Lions, for instance, have sharp teeth and claws and are good at chasing
global.britannica.com/animal/Yorkshire-terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog breed of terrier type, developed during the 19th century in Yorkshire, England, to catch rats in clothing mills..The defining feature of the breed is its maximum size of 7 pounds (3.2 kg), although some may exceed this and grow up to 15 pounds (6.8 kg). It is placed in the Toy Terrier section of the Terrier Group by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale and in the Toy Group or Companion Group by other kennel clubs, including the American Kennel Club. A popular companion dog, the Yorkshire Terrier has also been part of the development of other breeds, such as the Australian Silky Terrier. It has a grey, black, and tan coat, and the breed's nickname is Yorkie.The Yorkshire Terrier (also called a "Yorkie") originated in Yorkshire (and adjoining Lancashire), a county in northern England.In the mid-19th century, workers from Scotland came to Yorkshire in search of work and brought with them several different varieties of small terriers. Breeding of the Yorkshire Terrier was "principally accomplished by the people—mostly operatives in cotton and woolen mills—in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire." Details are scarce. Mrs. A. Foster is quoted as saying in 1886, "If we consider that the mill operatives who originated the breed...were nearly all ignorant men, unaccustomed to imparting information for public use, we may see some reason why reliable facts have not been easily attained.The breed sprang from three different dogs, a male named Old Crab and a female named Kitty, and another female whose name is not known.[8] The Paisley Terrier, a smaller version of the Skye Terrier that was bred for a beautiful long silky coat, also figured into the early dogs. Some authorities believed that the Maltese was used as well.[9] "They were all originally bred from Scotch Terriers (note: meaning dogs from Scotland, not today's Scottish Terrier) and shown as such...the name Yorkshire Terrier was given to them on account of their being improved so much Yorkshire."Yorkshire Terriers were shown in a dog show category (class) at the time called "Rough and Broken-coated, Broken-haired Scotch and Yorkshire Terriers". Hugh Dalziel, writing in 1878, says that "the classification of these dogs at shows and in the Kennel Club Stud Book is confusing and absurd" in lumping together these different types.In the early days of the breed, "almost anything in the shape of a Terrier having a long coat with blue on the body and fawn or silver coloured head and legs, with tail docked and ears trimmed, was received and admired as a Yorkshire Terrier". But in the late 1860s, a popular Paisley type Yorkshire Terrier show dog named Huddersfield Ben, owned by a woman living in Yorkshire, Mary Ann Foster, was seen at dog shows throughout Great Britain, and defined the breed type for the Yorkshire Terrier.
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I had an amazing time meeting Jonas Hafner this weekend. It was the first time I managed taking selfportraits with some staying with me and watching it. At first it was really hard but then it got better and in the end it nearly felt naturel. Probably only because Jonas was so patient and helpful and never laughed at me :) Thank you so much Jonas! Click here we had fun:)
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The west iwan (rectangular hall opening onto a courtyard) at Jameh Mosque. It was originally built by the Seljuks but later decorated by the Safavids. It has mosaics that are more geometric than those of the southern hall.
Jameh Mosque is a virtual museum of Islamic architecture over a period of 800 years. The style ranges from the understated elegance of Seljuks, through the Mongol period and on the refinements of the more baroque Safavid style. At 20,000 sqm, It is also the largest mosque in Iran.
Panorama of Devils Cornfield, an arrowweed forest, at Death Valley National Park. I'm standing on the doorsill of the Toyota FJ Cruiser to take this. It's about the right height to look out across the top of them to get a feeling of depth. Stitching by PanoramaStitcher and numerous refinements by Affinity Photo 2.
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new dress = new photo :)
behind-the-scenes video: yay!
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