View allAll Photos Tagged Summarized
Ok, This is my contribution to #WorldPhotographyDay
It's an oldie, not that great of a photo and the processing is, errm, adventurous!
It does however perfectly summarize the place which helped me finally pursue a keen interest in photography, descover a whole new hobby and community and find I was not the only weirdo with a fascination for derelict buildings!
I also have found many awesome people and made some great, lifelong friends and finally it has helped me through one of the darkest times I am ever to experience in my life. For all that I think it's a worthy contender!
It is far from my 'best photo' but I will leave you with a quote from Imogen Cunningham- “Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow
This summarizes my Christmas break this year. Drinking (too much) lovely wine, eating (too quickly) beautiful macaroons, receiving (too perfect) lingerie from Agent Provacteur and a (too cute) bunny ring.
Oh and please do check out my microblog (inherwar.tumblr.com)
Old soldier of the Republic Army (Spanish Civil War 1936-1939). Sportsman (winner of Spanish Championship of Ski). Mountain lover (He made me to love it). Jewelry maker and painter. Summarizing, an artist. My uncle.
photo of the things I love summarized on a canvas, Rio de Janeiro, museum, art exhibition and photography.
the 12 days and nights after the Winter Solstice are said to predict the 12 months of the year ahead. I summarized each of my 12 magical days with a painted sketch.
Für jede Rauhnacht ein Bild. Inzwischen das vierte Mal, das ich das mache.
Colonia Hogar Ricardo Gutierrez
En Historias de Irregularidades y abandono, la autora Diana Rossi hace referencia a cómo surgió la modalidad de las Colonias como lugar para chicos judicializados. Con la ley 10.903, por primera vez se incorporaba el concepto de “protección integral del menor”. En su momento, el entonces senador J.A. Roca, único que interviniera en la sesión de la Cámara de Senadores que trató la ley, resaltaba el objeto perseguido por el Proyecto Agote (luego ley 10.903): “corregir los males que dimanan de la infancia, y de la infancia criminal, en todo el territorio de la Nación y, especialmente, en el de la Capital Federal.” Algunos hechos puntuales –la huelga de inquilinos de 1907 y los sucesos de 1919 en la fábrica de Pedro Vasena– favorecieron el tratamiento y aprobación de su proyecto legislativo. Por aquella época, los defensores de menores estaban encargados del destino de los niños y niñas calificados de vagos o delincuentes. La cárcel compartida con los adultos era el derrotero habitual, hasta que se les encontraba colocación en alguna familia. “En 1897 fueron colocadas por órdenes judiciales 767 jóvenes mujeres junto a criminales considerados culpables”, detalla la autora.
Las colonias-escuelas y las colonias-reformatorios ubicadas cerca de las ciudades o en pleno campo serán el tipo preferido de estas casas de prevención y reforma de los menores.
La colonia Marcos Paz, que devendrá a posteriori instituto “Gutiérrez”, resume en sus características las del modelo previsto en la legislación. Si bien ya existían los institutos correccionales cuando se creó en 1904, se adoptó para él el modelo de colonia agrícola tan difundido durante el siglo anterior en Estados Unidos.
El predio en el que se situó la Colonia había pertenecido al general Francisco Bosch, cuya viuda, Laura Sáenz Valiente, vendió al ministerio de Menores. El decreto que aprueba la compra en noviembre de 1903 dispone en su art. 1º: “que la propiedad de que se trata reúne las condiciones necesarias para implantar en ella un instituto destinado a la instrucción práctica de la ganadería, agricultura y de la industria, en el cual puedan instruirse los menores que por falta de padre y de hogar o por sus malas inclinaciones necesitan de la protección del Gobierno o de una dirección especial que les inculque hábitos de trabajo y corrija su deficiencia…”
Extracto de la Revista "Furias"
TRASLATOR
Colonia Hogar Ricardo Gutierrez
In Histories of Irregularities and abandonment, the author Diana Rossi makes reference to how the modality of the Colonies arose as a place for judicialized children. With Law 10,903, the concept of "integral protection of the minor" was incorporated for the first time. At the time, the then senator J.A. Roca, the only one to intervene in the session of the Senate that dealt with the law, highlighted the object pursued by the Agote Project (later law 10,903): "correct the evils that arise from childhood, and from criminal childhood, in all the territory of the Nation and, especially, that of the Federal Capital. "Some specific events - the strike of tenants of 1907 and the events of 1919 in the factory of Pedro Vasena - favored the treatment and approval of their legislative project. At that time, the defenders of minors were in charge of the destiny of the boys and girls described as lazy or delinquent. The jail shared with the adults was the usual course, until they were placed in a family. "In 1897, 767 young women were placed by judicial orders together with criminals considered guilty," says the author.
The colonies-schools and the colonies-reformatories located near the cities or in the countryside will be the preferred type of these houses of prevention and reform of minors.
The Marcos Paz colony, which will become a posteriori "Gutiérrez" institute, summarizes in its characteristics those of the model foreseen in the legislation. Although the correctional institutes already existed when it was created in 1904, the model of agricultural colony so widespread during the previous century in the United States was adopted for him.
The estate in which the Colony was located belonged to General Francisco Bosch, whose widow, Laura Saenz Valiente, sold to the Ministry of Minors. The decree approving the purchase in November 1903 provides in its art. 1º: "that the property in question meets the necessary conditions to establish in it an institute for the practical instruction of livestock, agriculture and industry, in which minors can be instructed because of lack of father and home or because of their bad inclinations they need the protection of the Government or of a special direction that inculcates work habits and corrects their deficiency ... "
I snapped this picture last week while lying in bed feeling miserable. The picture looks like it's in B&W but you can see from the bit of brick in the unit across the street that it's actually in color. It pretty much summarizes the week.
Comments disabled
Maple Ridge, BC
Jerry Sulina Park is actually an off-leash dog park which is situated along the Trans Canada Trail.
The park itself consists of a fenced area enclosing a small pond and marsh area with a short series of trails. The pond and surrounding habitat is apparently home to many animals including turtles, cranes and several species of waterfowl.
The Trans Canada Trail system that runs through Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge is one of a kind. In total the portion of the TCT that runs through our communities is over 21 km. It winds its way along the dykes and through city streets. There are many places to access the TCT trail system, Jerry Sulina Park is just one of them.
The sections of the TCT which are along the Alouette and Pitt rivers are absolutely stunning. The waterways and blueberry fields with the Golden Ears mountains as a backdrop summarize the beauty of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows perfectly.
This image is best viewed in Large screen.
Thank-you for your visit, and please know that any faves or comments are always greatly appreciated!
Sonja
Je Suis Vivant, Ce n'est donc pas Envisageable.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Summarize His Existence to Decisions Dictated by Reason, It is To Renounce Life and Its Delightful Pleasures ..."
I Am Alive, So It Is Not Possible
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtJogxTNa1o
Nikon F801s
50mm 1,8 AFD
FP4+
Scan Epson V370
Reproduction Interdite
Tous Droits Réservés
(C)
4-30-18 Macro Monday - Plugs and Jacks
For all you strobist readers out there, here's how the shot was set up.
When I saw the theme for this week, I tossed some ideas around in my head and finally settled on doing a connector of some sort and wanted a dark blue vignetted background. Scrounging around in my desk I found this Audio-Technica Mini 4 pin lav microphone jack and decided it would make the perfect subject.
I set this all up on my desktop, so I didn't have a lot of room to work with. I wanted to get the background working first, so I set up one Godox TT600 pointed right at the camera through a sheet of diffusion. My first shot was way too bright even at F16 and using HSS at 1/2000. I stuck a CTB on the flash and still too bright. Barely getting any blue. I found a really dark blue gel and stuck in on with the CTB and still just a light blue. I wanted dark blue. Not having any ND gels, I just stuck a sheet of printer paper over the flash head and voila, almost there. One more sheet of printer paper and I had the background exactly where I wanted it. On to the subject....
I positioned the jack with my handy Panavise Junior....they're good for more than just soldering. Took a test shot with just the background flash and got no light spill, just a black shadow in the shape of my connector. Perfect. Now to light the connector. I wanted a softish light so I stuck a mini soft box onto my second TT600 and took another test shot. Very nice soft light, but my background went from a nice dark saturated blue to baby blue. That wasn't going to do it. Took off the soft box and threw on a 1/4" MOVO grid. I positioned the flash as close as possible to get an as soft as possible light with essentially a "bare" flash. The flash was literally resting on the lens directly over the subject. Keep in mind that this connector is maybe 1cm wide, so a bare speedlight is large compared to it. Flash was set at 1/8 power. I liked the exposure and the way this was headed, but the bottom of the connector was pitch black. I wanted it to be shadow, but I wanted a little detail to come out down there as well. I stuck a 3x5 white index card on the desktop directly opposite the flash and.....Bingo. Just that little bit of fill and I liked the way it looked.
So, to summarize. Background TT600 pointed at camera with 2 blue gels shot through 2 sheets of copy paper set at 1/128. Key TT600 with 1/4" grid set at 1/8 power directly above lens shooting back at about 45 degrees with fill card below. Flashes triggered with Godox X1T-N.
Happy Macro Monday everyone.
How should we live?
What and how do we need to think when we face a problem?
Where do we come from?
Where or what is our final destination?
There is a source where all information is collected and is summarized.
In reality, this source is always the same. It is called in different names in different beliefs. Unfortunately the script of the source faced interferences and was degenerated. But one script among them remian untouched, unmodified, uninterpreted.
For the ones who think on it are able to find sequels at multiple levels of depth of information from it.
Where must we learn from?
...from televisions, smart phones, tablets, computers?
Where are we headed to?
We need to think about it seriously. But our attention is heavly distracted. We are lost under a heavy heap of distractions.
When we think, our conscious awakens.
When our conscious awakens, we begin to see.
Are we conscious?
... really?
Do you think so?
... hoping that you are among the ones who can see.
Thessaloniki (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη, often referred to internationally as Thessalonica or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia, the administrative region of Central Macedonia and the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace.[3][4] Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévousa), literally "co-capital",[5] and stands as a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Symvasilévousa) or "co-reigning" city of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, alongside Constantinople.[6]
According to the preliminary results of the 2011 census, the municipality of Thessaloniki today has a population of 322,240,[1] while the Thessaloniki Urban Area (the contiguous built up area forming the "City of Thessaloniki") has a population of 790,824.[1] Furthermore, the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area extends over an area of 1,455.62 km2 (562.02 sq mi) and its population in 2011 reached a total of 1,104,460 inhabitants.[1]
Thessaloniki is Greece's second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe;[7] its commercial port is also of great importance for Greece and the southeastern European hinterland.[7] The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general,[8] and is considered to be Greece's cultural capital.[8] Events such as the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi-annual meeting of the Greek diaspora.[9] Thessaloniki is the 2014 European Youth Capital.[10]
Founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon, Thessaloniki's history spans some 2,300 years. An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire. Thessaloniki is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as several Roman, Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. The city's main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and the Balkans.[11]
Thessaloniki is a popular tourist destination in Greece. In 2010, Lonely Planet ranked Thessaloniki as the world's fifth-best party city worldwide, comparable to other cities such as Dubai and Montreal.[12] For 2013 National Geographic Magazine included Thessaloniki in its top tourist destinations worldwide,[13] while in 2014 Financial Times FDI magazine (Foreign Direct Investments) declared Thessaloniki as the best mid-sized European city of the future for human capital and lifestyle.
Etymology
All variations of the city's name derive from the original (and current) appellation in Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη (from Θεσσαλός, Thessalos, and Νίκη, Nike), literally translating to "Thessalian Victory". The name of the city came from the name of a princess, Thessalonike of Macedon, half sister of Alexander the Great, so named because of her birth on the day of the Macedonian victory at the Battle of Crocus Field (353/352 BCE).[16]
The alternative name Salonica (or Salonika) derives from the variant form Σαλονίκη (Saloníki) in popular Greek speech, and has given rise to the form of the city's name in several languages. Names in other languages prominent in the city's history include Солѹнь (Solun) in Old Church Slavonic, סלוניקה (Salonika) in Ladino, Selanik (also Selânik) in Turkish (سلانیك in Ottoman Turkish), Solun (also written as Солун) in the local and neighboring South Slavic languages, Салоники (Saloníki) in Russian, and Sãrunã in Aromanian. In local speech, the city's name is typically pronounced with a dark and deep L characteristic of Macedonian Greek accent.[17][18]
The name often appears in writing in the abbreviated form Θεσ/νίκη
History
From antiquity to the Roman Empire
The city was founded around 315 BC by the King Cassander of Macedon, on or near the site of the ancient town of Therma and 26 other local villages.[20] He named it after his wife Thessalonike,[21] a half-sister of Alexander the Great and princess of Macedon as daughter of Philip II. Under the kingdom of Macedon the city retained its own autonomy and parliament[22] and evolved to become the most important city in Macedon.[21]
After the fall of the kingdom of Macedon in 168 BC, Thessalonica became a free city of the Roman Republic under Mark Antony in 41 BC.[21][23] It grew to be an important trade-hub located on the Via Egnatia,[24] the road connecting Dyrrhachium with Byzantium,[25] which facilitated trade between Thessaloniki and great centers of commerce such as Rome and Byzantium.[26] Thessaloniki also lay at the southern end of the main north-south route through the Balkans along the valleys of the Morava and Axios river valleys, thereby linking the Balkans with the rest of Greece.[27] The city later became the capital of one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia.[24] Later it became the capital of all the Greek provinces of the Roman Empire due to the city's importance in the Balkan peninsula. When the Roman Empire was divided into the tetrarchy, Thessaloniki became the administrative capital of one of the four portions of the Empire under Galerius Maximianus Caesar,[28][29] where Galerius commissioned an imperial palace, a new hippodrome, a triumphal arch and a mausoleum among others.[29][30][31]
In 379 when the Roman Prefecture of Illyricum was divided between the East and West Roman Empires, Thessaloniki became the capital of the new Prefecture of Illyricum.[24] In 390 Gothic troops under the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, led a massacre against the inhabitants of Thessalonica, who had risen in revolt against the Germanic soldiers. With the Fall of Rome in 476, Thessaloniki became the second-largest city of the Eastern Roman Empire.[26] Around the time of the Roman Empire Thessaloniki was also an important center for the spread of Christianity; some scholars hold that the First Epistle to the Thessalonians written by Paul the Apostle is the first written book of the New Testament.
Byzantine era and Middle Ages
From the first years of the Byzantine Empire, Thessaloniki was considered the second city in the Empire after Constantinople,[33][34][35] both in terms of wealth and size.[33] with an population of 150,000 in the mid 1100s.[36] The city held this status until it was transferred to Venice in 1423. In the 14th century the city's population exceeded 100,000 to 150,000,[37][38][39] making it larger than London at the time.[40]
During the 6th and 7th centuries the area around Thessaloniki was invaded by Avars and Slavs, who unsuccessfully laid siege to the city several times.[41] Traditional historiography stipulates that many Slavs settled in the hinterland of Thessaloniki,[42] however, this migration was allegedly on a much smaller scale than previously thought.[42][42][43] In the 9th century, the Byzantine Greek missionaries Cyril and Methodius, both natives of the city, created the first literary language of the Slavs, the Glagolic alphabet, most likely based on the Slavic dialect used in the hinterland of their hometown.[44][45][46][47][48]
An Arab naval attack in 904 resulted in the sack of the city.[49] The economic expansion of the city continued through the 12th century as the rule of the Komnenoi emperors expanded Byzantine control to the north. Thessaloniki passed out of Byzantine hands in 1204,[50] when Constantinople was captured by the forces of the Fourth Crusade and incorporated the city and its surrounding territories in the Kingdom of Thessalonica[51] — which then became the largest vassal of the Latin Empire. In 1224, the Kingdom of Thessalonica was overrun by the Despotate of Epirus, a remnant of the former Byzantine Empire, under Theodore Komnenos Doukas who crowned himself Emperor,[52] and the city became the Despotat's capital.[52][53] This era of the Despotate of Epirus is also known as the Empire of Thessalonica.[52][54][55] Following his defeat at Klokotnitsa however in 1230,[52][54] the Empire of Thessalonica became a vassal state of the Second Bulgarian Empire until it was recovered again in 1246, this time by the Nicaean Empire.[52] In 1342,[56] the city saw the rise of the Commune of the Zealots, an anti-aristocratic party formed of sailors and the poor,[57] which is nowadays described as social-revolutionary.[56] The city was practically independent of the rest of the Empire,[56][57][58] as it had its own government, a form of republic.[56] The zealot movement was overthrown in 1350 and the city was reunited with the rest of the Empire.[56]
In 1423, Despot Andronicus, who was in charge of the city, ceded it to the Republic of Venice with the hope that it could be protected from the Ottomans who were besieging the city (there is no evidence to support the oft-repeated story that he sold the city to them). The Venetians held Thessaloniki until it was captured by the Ottoman Sultan Murad II on 29 March 1430.
Ottoman period
When Sultan Murad II captured Thessaloniki and sacked it in 1430, contemporary reports estimated that about one-fifth of the city's population was enslaved.[60] Upon the conquest of Thessaloniki, some of its inhabitants escaped,[61] including intellectuals such as Theodorus Gaza "Thessalonicensis" and Andronicus Callistus.[62] However, the change of sovereignty from the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman one did not affect the city's prestige as a major imperial city and trading hub.[63][64] Thessaloniki and Smyrna, although smaller in size than Constantinople, were the Ottoman Empire's most important trading hubs.[63] Thessaloniki's importance was mostly in the field of shipping,[63] but also in manufacturing,[64] while most of the city's trade was controlled by ethnic Greeks.[63]
During the Ottoman period, the city's population of mainly Greek Jews and Ottoman Muslims (including those of Turkish and Albanian, as well as Bulgarian Muslim and Greek Muslim convert origin) grew substantially. By 1478 Selânik (سلانیك), as the city came to be known in Ottoman Turkish, had a population of 4,320 Muslims, 6,094 Greek Orthodox and some Catholics, but no Jews. Soon after the turn of the 15th to 16th century, nearly 20,000 Sephardic Jews had immigrated to Greece from Spain following their expulsion by the 1492 Alhambra Decree.[65] By c. 1500, the numbers had grown to 7,986 Greeks, 8,575 Muslims, and 3,770 Jews. By 1519, Sephardic Jews numbered 15,715, 54% of the city's population. Some historians consider the Ottoman regime's invitation to Jewish settlement was a strategy to prevent the ethnic Greek population (Eastern Orthodox Christians) from dominating the city.[38]
Thessaloniki was the capital of the Sanjak of Selanik within the wider Rumeli Eyalet (Balkans)[66] until 1826, and subsequently the capital of Selanik Eyalet (after 1867, the Selanik Vilayet).[67][68] This consisted of the sanjaks of Selanik, Serres and Drama between 1826 and 1912.[69] Thessaloniki was also a Janissary stronghold where novice Janissaries were trained. In June 1826, regular Ottoman soldiers attacked and destroyed the Janissary base in Thessaloniki while also killing over 10,000 Janissaries, an event known as The Auspicious Incident in Ottoman history.[70] From 1870, driven by economic growth, the city's population expanded by 70%, reaching 135,000 in 1917.[71]
The last few decades of Ottoman control over the city were an era of revival, particularly in terms of the city's infrastructure. It was at that time that the Ottoman administration of the city acquired an "official" face with the creation of the Command Post[72] while a number of new public buildings were built in the eclectic style in order to project the European face both of Thessaloniki and the Ottoman Empire.[72][73] The city walls were torn down between 1869 and 1889,[74] efforts for a planned expansion of the city are evident as early as 1879,[75] the first tram service started in 1888[76] and the city streets were illuminated with electric lamp posts in 1908.[77] In 1888 Thessaloniki was connected to Central Europe via rail through Belgrade, Monastir in 1893 and Constantinople in 1896.
Since the 20th century
In the early 20th century, Thessaloniki was in the center of radical activities by various groups; the Bulgarian Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, founded in 1897,[78] and the Greek Macedonian Committee, founded in 1903.[79] In 1903 an anarchist group known as the Boatmen of Thessaloniki planted bombs in several buildings in Thessaloniki, including the Ottoman Bank, with some assistance from the IMRO. The Greek consulate in Ottoman Thessaloniki (now the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle) served as the center of operations for the Greek guerillas. In 1908 the Young Turks movement broke out in the city, sparking the Young Turk Revolution.[80]
The Ottoman Feth-i Bülend being sunk in Thessaloniki in 1912 by a Greek ship during the First Balkan War.
Constantine I of Greece with George I of Greece and the Greek army enter the city.
As the First Balkan War broke out, Greece declared war on the Ottoman Empire and expanded its borders. When Eleftherios Venizelos, Prime Minister at the time, was asked if the Greek army should move towards Thessaloniki or Monastir (now Bitola, Republic of Macedonia), Venizelos replied "Salonique à tout prix!" (Thessaloniki, at all costs!).[81] As both Greece and Bulgaria wanted Thessaloniki, the Ottoman garrison of the city entered negotiations with both armies.[82] On 8 November 1912 (26 October Old Style), the feast day of the city's patron saint, Saint Demetrius, the Greek Army accepted the surrender of the Ottoman garrison at Thessaloniki.[83] The Bulgarian army arrived one day after the surrender of the city to Greece and Tahsin Pasha, ruler of the city, told the Bulgarian officials that "I have only one Thessaloniki, which I have surrendered".[82] After the Second Balkan War, Thessaloniki and the rest of the Greek portion of Macedonia were officially annexed to Greece by the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913.[84] On 18 March 1913 George I of Greece was assassinated in the city by Alexandros Schinas.[85]
In 1915, during World War I, a large Allied expeditionary force established a base at Thessaloniki for operations against pro-German Bulgaria.[86] This culminated in the establishment of the Macedonian Front, also known as the Salonika Front.[87][88] In 1916, pro-Venizelist Greek army officers and civilians, with the support of the Allies, launched an uprising,[89] creating a pro-Allied[90] temporary government by the name of the "Provisional Government of National Defence"[89][91] that controlled the "New Lands" (lands that were gained by Greece in the Balkan Wars, most of Northern Greece including Greek Macedonia, the North Aegean as well as the island of Crete);[89][91] the official government of the King in Athens, the "State of Athens",[89] controlled "Old Greece"[89][91] which were traditionally monarchist. The State of Thessaloniki was disestablished with the unification of the two opposing Greek governments under Venizelos, following the abdication of King Constantine in 1917.[86][91]
The 1st Battalion of the National Defence army marches on its way to the front.
Aerial picture of the Great Fire of 1917.
Most of the old center of the city was destroyed by the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, which started accidentally by an unattended kitchen fire on 18 August 1917.[92] The fire swept through the centre of the city, leaving 72,000 people homeless; according to the Pallis Report, most of them were Jewish (50,000). Many businesses were destroyed, as a result, 70% of the population were unemployed.[92] Also a number of religious structures of the three major faiths were lost. Nearly one-quarter of the total population of approximately 271,157 became homeless.[92] Following the fire the government prohibited quick rebuilding, so it could implement the new redesign of the city according to the European-style urban plan[6] prepared by a group of architects, including the Briton Thomas Mawson, and headed by French architect Ernest Hébrard.[92] Property values fell from 6.5 million Greek drachmas to 750,000.[93]
After the defeat of Greece in the Greco-Turkish War and during the break-up of the Ottoman Empire, a population exchange took place between Greece and Turkey.[90] Over 160,000 ethnic Greeks deported from the former Ottoman Empire were resettled in the city,[90] changing its demographics. Additionally many of the city's Muslims were deported to Turkey, ranging at about 20,000 people.[94]
During World War II Thessaloniki was heavily bombarded by Fascist Italy (with 232 people dead, 871 wounded and over 800 buildings damaged or destroyed in November 1940 alone),[95] and, the Italians having failed to succeed in their invasion of Greece, it fell to the forces of Nazi Germany on 8 April 1941[96] and remained under German occupation until 30 October 1944 when it was liberated by the Greek People's Liberation Army.[97] The Nazis soon forced the Jewish residents into a ghetto near the railroads and on 15 March 1943 began the deportation process of the city's 56,000 Jews to its concentration camps.[98][99] They deported over 43,000 of the city's Jews in concentration camps,[98] where most were killed in the gas chambers. The Germans also deported 11,000 Jews to forced labor camps, where most perished.[100] Only 1,200 Jews live in the city today.
Part of Eleftherias Square during the Axis occupation.
The importance of Thessaloniki to Nazi Germany can be demonstrated by the fact that, initially, Hitler had planned to incorporate it directly in the Third Reich[101] (that is, make it part of Germany) and not have it controlled by a puppet state such as the Hellenic State or an ally of Germany (Thessaloniki had been promised to Yugoslavia as a reward for joining the Axis on 25 March 1941).[102] Having been the first major city in Greece to fall to the occupying forces just two days after the German invasion, it was in Thessaloniki that the first Greek resistance group was formed (under the name «Ελευθερία», Eleftheria, "Freedom")[103] as well as the first anti-Nazi newspaper in an occupied territory anywhere in Europe,[104] also by the name Eleftheria. Thessaloniki was also home to a military camp-converted-concentration camp, known in German as "Konzentrationslager Pavlo Mela" (Pavlos Melas Concentration Camp),[105] where members of the resistance and other non-favourable people towards the German occupation from all over Greece[105] were held either to be killed or sent to concentration camps elsewhere in Europe.[105] In the 1946 monarchy referendum, the majority of the locals voted in favour of a republic, contrary to the rest of Greece.[106]
After the war, Thessaloniki was rebuilt with large-scale development of new infrastructure and industry throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Many of its architectural treasures still remain, adding value to the city as a tourist destination, while several early Christian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1988.[107] In 1997, Thessaloniki was celebrated as the European Capital of Culture,[108] sponsoring events across the city and the region. Agency established to oversee the cultural activities of that year 1997 was still in existence by 2010.[109] In 2004 the city hosted a number of the football events as part of the 2004 Summer Olympics.[110]
Today Thessaloniki has become one of the most important trade and business hubs in Southeastern Europe, with its port, the Port of Thessaloniki being one of the largest in the Aegean and facilitating trade throughout the Balkan hinterland.[7] On 26 October 2012 the city celebrated its centennial since its incorporation into Greece.[111] The city also forms one of the largest student centres in Southeastern Europe, is host to the largest student population in Greece and will be the European Youth Capital in 2014
Geography
Geology
Thessaloniki lies on the northern fringe of the Thermaic Gulf on its eastern coast and is bound by Mount Chortiatis on its southeast. Its proximity to imposing mountain ranges, hills and fault lines, especially towards its southeast have historically made the city prone to geological changes.
Since medieval times, Thessaloniki was hit by strong earthquakes, notably in 1759, 1902, 1978 and 1995.[113] On 19–20 June 1978, the city suffered a series of powerful earthquakes, registering 5.5 and 6.5 on the Richter scale.[114][115] The tremors caused considerable damage to a number of buildings and ancient monuments,[114] but the city withstood the catastrophe without any major problems.[115] One apartment building in central Thessaloniki collapsed during the second earthquake, killing many, raising the final death toll to 51.[114][115]
Climate
Thessaloniki's climate is directly affected by the sea it is situated on.[116] The city lies in a transitional climatic zone, so its climate displays characteristics of several climates. According to the Köppen climate classification, it is a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) that borders on a semi-arid climate (BSk), with annual average precipitation of 450 millimetres (18 in) due to the Pindus rain shadow drying the westerly winds. However, the city has a summer precipitation between 20 to 30 millimetres (0.79 to 1.18 in), which borders it close to a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa).
Winters are relatively dry, with common morning frost. Snowfalls are sporadic, but οccur more or less every winter, but the snow cover does not last for more than a few days. Fog is common, with an average of 193 foggy days in a year.[117] During the coldest winters, temperatures can drop to −10 °C (14 °F).[117] The record minimum temperature in Thessaloniki was −14 °C (7 °F).[118] On average, Thessaloniki experiences frost (sub-zero temperature) 32 days a year.[117] The coldest month of the year in the city is January, with an average 24-hour temperature of 6 °C (43 °F).[119] Wind is also usual in the winter months, with December and January having an average wind speed of 26 km/h (16 mph).[117]
Thessaloniki's summers are hot with rather humid nights.[117] Maximum temperatures usually rise above 30 °C (86 °F),[117] but rarely go over 40 °C (104 °F);[117] the average number of days the temperature is above 32 °C (90 °F) is 32.[117] The maximum recorded temperature in the city was 42 °C (108 °F).[117][118] Rain seldom falls in summer, mainly during thunderstorms. In the summer months Thessaloniki also experiences strong heat waves.[120] The hottest month of the year in the city is July, with an average 24-hour temperature of 26 °C (79 °F).[119] The average wind speed for June and July in Thessaloniki is 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph)
Government
According to the Kallikratis reform, as of 1 January 2011 the Thessaloniki Urban Area (Greek: Πολεοδομικό Συγκρότημα Θεσσαλονίκης) which makes up the "City of Thessaloniki", is made up of six self-governing municipalities (Greek: Δήμοι) and one municipal unit (Greek: Δημοτική ενότητα). The municipalities that are included in the Thessaloniki Urban Area are those of Thessaloniki (the city center and largest in population size), Kalamaria, Neapoli-Sykies, Pavlos Melas, Kordelio-Evosmos, Ampelokipoi-Menemeni, and the municipal unit of Pylaia, part of the municipality of Pylaia-Chortiatis. Prior to the Kallikratis reform, the Thessaloniki Urban Area was made up of twice as many municipalities, considerably smaller in size, which created bureaucratic problems.[123]
Thessaloniki Municipality
The municipality of Thessaloniki (Greek: Δήμος Θεσαλονίκης) is the second most populous in Greece, after Athens, with a population of 322,240[1] people (in 2011) and an area of 17.832 km2 (7 sq mi). The municipality forms the core of the Thessaloniki Urban Area, with its central district (the city center), referred to as the Kentro, meaning 'center' or 'downtown'.
The institution of mayor of Thessaloniki was inaugurated under the Ottoman Empire, in 1912. The first mayor of Thessaloniki was Osman Sait Bey, while the current mayor of the municipality of Thessaloniki is Yiannis Boutaris. In 2011, the municipality of Thessaloniki had a budget of €464.33 million[124] while the budget of 2012 stands at €409.00 million.[125]
According to an article in The New York Times, the way in which the present mayor of Thessaloniki is treating the city's debt and oversized administration problems could be used as an example by Greece's central government for a successful strategy in dealing with these problems.[126]
Other
Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece. It is an influential city for the northern parts of the country and is the capital of the region of Central Macedonia and the Thessaloniki regional unit. The Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace is also based in Thessaloniki, being that the city is the de facto capital of the Greek region of Macedonia.
It is customary every year for the Prime Minister of Greece to announce his administration's policies on a number of issues, such as the economy, at the opening night of the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair. In 2010, during the first months of the 2010 Greek debt crisis, the entire cabinet of Greece met in Thessaloniki to discuss the country's future.[127]
In the Hellenic Parliament, the Thessaloniki urban area constitutes a 16-seat constituency. As of the national elections of 17 June 2012 the largest party in Thessaloniki is New Democracy with 27.8%, followed by the Coalition of the Radical Left (27.0%) and the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (10.2%).[128] The table below summarizes the results of the latest elections.
Cityscape
Architecture
Architecture in Thessaloniki is the direct result of the city's position at the centre of all historical developments in the Balkans. Aside from its commercial importance, Thessaloniki was also for many centuries the military and administrative hub of the region, and beyond this the transportation link between Europe and the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel / Palestine). Merchants, traders and refugees from all over Europe settled in the city. The need for commercial and public buildings in this new era of prosperity led to the construction of large edifices in the city center. During this time, the city saw the building of banks, large hotels, theatres, warehouses, and factories. Architects who designed some of the most notable buildings of the city, in the late 19th and early 20th century, include Vitaliano Poselli, Pietro Arrigoni, Xenophon Paionidis, Eli Modiano, Moshé Jacques, Jean Joseph Pleyber, Frederic Charnot, Ernst Ziller, Roubens Max, Levi Ernst, Angelos Siagas and others, using mainly the styles of Eclecticism and Art Nouveau.
The city layout changed after 1870, when the seaside fortifications gave way to extensive piers, and many of the oldest walls of the city were demolished, including those surrounding the White Tower, which today stands as the main landmark of the city. As parts of the early Byzantine walls were demolished, this allowed the city to expand east and west along the coast.[129]
The expansion of Eleftherias Square towards the sea completed the new commercial hub of the city and at the time was considered one of the most vibrant squares of the city. As the city grew, workers moved to the western districts, due to their proximity to factories and industrial activities; while the middle and upper classes gradually moved from the city-center to the eastern suburbs, leaving mainly businesses. In 1917, a devastating fire swept through the city and burned uncontrollably for 32 hours.[71] It destroyed the city's historic center and a large part of its architectural heritage, but paved the way for modern development and allowed Thessaloniki the development of a proper European city center, featuring wider diagonal avenues and monumental squares; which the city initially lacked – much of what was considered to be 'essential' in European architecture.
City Center
After the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, a team of architects and urban planners including Thomas Mawson and Ernest Hebrard, a French architect, chose the Byzantine era as the basis of their (re)building designs for Thessaloniki's city center. The new city plan included axes, diagonal streets and monumental squares, with a street grid that would channel traffic smoothly. The plan of 1917 included provisions for future population expansions and a street and road network that would be, and still is sufficient today.[71] It contained sites for public buildings and provided for the restoration of Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques.
The Metropolitan Church of Saint Gregory Palamas, designed by Ernst Ziller.
Today the city center of Thessaloniki includes the features designed as part of the plan and forms the point in the city where most of the public buildings, historical sites, entertainment venues and stores are located. The center is characterized by its many historical buildings, arcades, laneways and distinct architectural styles such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which can be seen on many of its buildings.
Also called the historic center, it is divided into several districts, of which include Ladadika (where many entertainment venues and tavernas are located), Kapani (were the city's central city market is located), Diagonios, Navarinou, Rotonta, Agia Sofia and Ippodromio (white tower), which are all located around Thessaloniki's most central point, Aristotelous Square.
The west point of the city center is home to Thessaloniki's law courts, its central international railway station and the port, while on its eastern side stands the city's two universities, the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Center, the city's main stadium, its archaeological and Byzantine museums, the new city hall and its central parklands and gardens, namely those of the ΧΑΝΘ/Palios Zoologikos Kipos and Pedio tou Areos. The central road arteries that pass through the city center, designed in the Ernest Hebrard plan, include those of Tsimiski, Egnatia, Nikis, Mitropoleos, Venizelou and St. Demetrius avenues.
Ano Poli
Ano Poli (also called Old Town and literally the Upper Town) is the heritage listed district north of Thessaloniki's city center that was not engulfed by the great fire of 1917 and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site by ministerial actions of Melina Merkouri, during the 1980s. It consists of Thessaloniki's most traditional part of the city, still featuring small stone paved streets, old squares and homes featuring old Greek and Ottoman architecture.
Ano Poli also, is the highest point in Thessaloniki and as such, is the location of the city's acropolis, its Byzantine fort, the Heptapyrgion, a large portion of the city's remaining walls, and with many of its additional Ottoman and Byzantine structures still standing. The area provides access to the Seich Sou Forest National Park[131] and features amphitheatric views of the whole city and the Thermaic Gulf. On clear days Mount Olympus, at about 100 km (62 mi) away across the gulf, can also be seen towering the horizon.
Southeastern Thessaloniki up until the 1920s was home to the city's most affluent residents and formed the outermost suburbs of the city at the time, with the area close to the Thermaic Gulf coast called Exoches, from the 19th century holiday villas which defined the area. Today southeastern Thessaloniki has in some way become a natural extension of the city center, with the avenues of Megalou Alexandrou, Georgiou Papandreou (Antheon), Vasilissis Olgas Avenue, Delfon, Konstantinou Karamanli (Nea Egnatia) and Papanastasiou passing through it, enclosing an area traditionally called Dépôt (Ντεπώ), from the name of the old tram station, owned by a French company. The area extends to Kalamaria and Pylaia, about 9 km (5.59 mi) from the White Tower in the city centre.
Some of the most notable mansions and villas of the old-era of the city remain along Vasilissis Olgas Avenue. Built for the most wealthy residents and designed by well known architects they are used today as museums, art galleries or remain as private properties. Some of them include Villa Bianca, Villa Ahmet Kapanci, Villa Modiano, Villa Mordoch, Villa Mehmet Kapanci, Hatzilazarou Mansion, Chateau Mon Bonheur (often called red tower) and others.
Most of southeastern Thessaloniki is characterized by its modern architecture and apartment buildings, home to the middle-class and more than half of the municipality of Thessaloniki population. Today this area of the city is also home to 3 of the city's main football stadiums, the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the Posidonio aquatic and athletic complex, the Naval Command post of Northern Greece and the old royal palace (called Palataki), located on the most westerly point of Karabournaki cape. The municipality of Kalamaria is also located in southeastern Thessaloniki and has become this part of the city's most sought after areas, with many open spaces and home to high end bars, cafés and entertainment venues, most notably on Plastira street, along the coast
Northwestern Thessaloniki had always been associated with industry and the working class because as the city grew during the 1920s, many workers had moved there, due to its proximity near factories and industrial activities. Today many factories and industries have been moved further out west and the area is experiencing rapid growth as does the southeast. Many factories in this area have been converted to cultural centres, while past military grounds that are being surrounded by densely built neighborhoods are awaiting transformation into parklands.
Northwest Thessaloniki forms the main entry point into the city of Thessaloniki with the avenues of Monastiriou, Lagkada and 26is Octovriou passing through it, as well as the extension of the A1 motorway, feeding into Thessaloniki's city center. The area is home to the Macedonia InterCity Bus Terminal (KTEL), the Zeitenlik Allied memorial military cemetery and to large entertainment venues of the city, such as Milos, Fix, Vilka (which are housed in converted old factories). Northwestern Thessaloniki is also home to Moni Lazariston, located in Stavroupoli, which today forms one of the most important cultural centers for the city.
To read more please click :-
Explored #39!
I guess that's how you can summarize me ending up with this as my self-portrait for today (didn't really have an idea, but I did have a frame...) Infinite loops are fun! I would recommend viewing this full-size :)
And seeing as how this is my second 365 to feature multiple Joeys lined up in a particular order, I suppose making them more often wouldn't be so bad. It's kinda fun working on it.
All this photoshop work is making me miss my Nicolas Cage Movie Poster Remake Series. It's too bad I already used up all the good posters. =\
Happy September, too! Holy cow, this year is going by fast. Well, the quicker the next couple months go, the quicker my birthday will get here...
This is the last photo I took in Iceland before my camera ended up at the bottom of a waterfall. Read the amazing story below from my point of view.
What happened to your camera?
That has been the question I have been asked most frequently since returning. Everyone wanted to know and they all had their assumptions; wind, I bumped it, land gave way, or I dropped it. All are valid assumptions and cover the gambit of scenarios that could happen but unfortunately, none of those are the reason I don't have my gear anymore. I set up my tripod in a somewhat precarious position next to the waterfall so I could get a beautiful vertical panorama of the falls and Kirkjufell mountain in the background.
My friend Kate said "Ryan, smile!", I looked at her and smiled. A few seconds later I saw her face drop and I heard a loud "CRACK" as if two rocks had just collided. I looked toward the waterfall and I saw my tripod go over the edge of the waterfall. I hadn't bumped it with my backpack, I hadn't pushed it or anything else. No gusts of wind, no earthquakes, nothing. It had simply fallen over.
After more than 20 minutes of searching, jumping in the water, swimming, and walking up/down the stream, we gave up our search because we couldn't get close enough to the falls underwater without endangering ourselves. One of my friends on the trip got hypothermic due to the amount of time she spent in the glacial creek.
One month later.
When my camera when into the water at Kirkjufellsfoss, I was standing by the edge of the river in disbelief and without saying a word, she wrapped her arm around mine and leaned against my shoulder. I knew then that I hadn't "lost it all".
Fast forward a couple of days and we're together and talking about her making a trip out to Boulder to visit. As the days go by, she starts teasing a surprise that she had for me. I couldn't even fathom a guess so I was thinking along the lines of a nice cast-iron skillet or heck, maybe a cat. I thought that she might even try to buy a camera for me but she knew that I would be getting insurance money back so that wouldn't be practical. With her visit nearing ever closer, she even said that the surprise would be the surprises to end all surprises. I was excited but in a weird way, I wasn't because I had no idea what the surprise could be so it was hard to be "excited" per se.
During her visit, we had an incredible time and I wouldn't want to spend the weekend doing anything different. She is the sweetest person that I have ever met, she's fun to be around, she thinks critically and I love seeing her smile. We agreed that the surprise would come after lunch on Sunday, which we had prepared for her older sister and her brother-in-law.
We get done eating a delicious meal complete with an Icelandic-style skyr cake and she asks if we can look through some of her photos from the trip. She has 30 photos loaded onto her SD card so we start going through her photos and there is a photo of her and her younger sister, Kate, while in Iceland. She is even holding her camera in the photo. I was confused by the photo but at the same time, we had three other photographers on the trip and it wouldn't be surprising that she would have a photo of her and Kate. We look through the rest of the photos and the last one is a pretty good photo of Kirkjufellsfoss where I lost my camera. I tell her that I was impressed with the photo and that she did really well capturing that beautiful scene. She tells me that she didn't take the photo because she didn't have a wide-angle lens. While the photo was taken with a wide-angle lens, I tell her that nonetheless it's a good photo. She then says that she didn't take that photo. I ask "who did?".
She says "you did".
I laugh and tell her that I didn't use her camera that day, that I was busy looking for my own camera at the bottom of the waterfall. She pulls out a 64GB CF card that was similar to the one that I had in my camera when it took it's faithful trip. I stare blankly at the CF card but cannot comprehend what is going on because it's impossible to retrieve my camera so surely that CF is brand new.
I look over at her older sister and she pulls out a Canon 5D Mk. III with a 16-35mm f/4 lens attached to it with a 10x ND filter screwed onto the lens. My exact setup when I last saw my camera going over the waterfall. Then I realize, that IS my camera. That IS my CF card. But they were in Iceland at the bottom of a waterfall, right?
My sweet girlfriend then starts spilling the beans which can be summarized like this; she contracted a scuba diver to retrieve my camera from the waterfall, then coordinated with one of my friends who was visiting Iceland to pick up the gear while there. Oh. My. God.
On Explore - February 15, 2025 - Thanks to all my Flickr friends!
The Guardian newspaper featured my snowdrop photo from Abbey Park on its ‘Readers’ Best Photographs’ page. Capturing the beauty of nature is always special, but having it shared on such a platform makes it even more meaningful! 🌿📷 www.theguardian.com/community/gallery/2025/mar/26/slate-f...
Snowdrops: The First Whisper of Spring - As a nature photography enthusiast in Britain, the weather becomes a crucial factor—when the sky is covered in gray clouds and rain, nature photographers are often forced to stay indoors. On cloudy and overcast days, light is more diffused than direct sunlight, which affects shutter speed—a key concern for us. However, modern technological advancements allow mirrorless cameras to capture grain-free images even at high ISO settings without adequate sunlight.
Rain is best captured when shot against the light and a dark background. Despite the challenges, shooting in bad weather—whether on a rainy or windy day—can create striking photographic opportunities. The emergence of pure white snowdrops after a long spell of harsh winter weather in early February is sure to bring joy to all of us. Sometimes, no matter the conditions, there is nothing better than being out in the field with your camera. You never know what opportunities nature might present. Just remember: extreme weather often results in extraordinary photos.
To summarize in a single sentence—what I love most about winter conditions in photography is the unique angles we can achieve with backlit morning and evening sunlight reflections. Meanwhile, photographs from around the world remind us that global warming is not a distant threat. Wildlife photographers, in particular, face increasing challenges due to environmental changes. The loss of natural habitats has become more apparent in recent years. We simply observe, document, and try to showcase what we see.
Despite witnessing the negative effects of the climate crisis, we eagerly anticipate the arrival of spring and the blooming beauty in gardens. The first signs of spring are snowdrops, followed by colorful crocuses. These are not rare or difficult subjects for photographers to find. If you don’t grow them in your own small backyard, check roadside areas, local parks, or woodland paths—you are bound to find some.
Flower photography requires getting close to the subject. Given that the ground is still cold and muddy, I always carry knee pads and a small yoga mat to get lower to the ground. For macro photography, I rely on my Nikon 105mm f/2.8 lens, which I upgraded last year. However, I always insist on bringing my long-time favorite, the Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D ED lens, which produces stunning bokeh and colors. Older, heavy glass lenses come with their own challenges, but the effort is always worth it. A short minimum focusing distance of about six inches provides the ideal depth of field I seek. Every lens reflects and refracts light uniquely, and I strategically use this effect to create artistic bokeh compositions in my flower photography. For capturing snowdrops and crocuses, the best approach is to get as low as possible, which is why my tripod makes the job much easier.
This morning, when I saw the sky turning blue during breakfast, my wife and I quickly finished our meal and headed to Leicester Abbey Park. Compared to last year, snowdrops and crocuses seem to be blooming a few weeks earlier. I noticed the same trend last week near Bradgate Park. However, since the snowdrops were not fully open and the sun was absent, I had to settle for just a few shots. By the end of the month, if daffodils start blooming as well, I may need to make another round.
As I briefly outlined above, sunlight transforms a photograph in unique ways. I am sharing a small selection of my images—hope you like them! Wishing you all a great evening.
Snowdrops and Climate Change
Over the past few decades, snowdrops in the UK have been blooming earlier due to warmer winters, disrupting their traditional flowering cycle. However, this year, many areas have seen a slight delay in their appearance, possibly due to fluctuating temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns. These subtle changes in nature reflect the ongoing impact of climate change on seasonal cycles.
Whether found in ancient woodlands, historic gardens, or even roadside verges, snowdrops remain a cherished symbol of resilience and renewal in the UK’s natural landscape.
"Snowdrops and Climate Change: A Silent Warning of Shifting Seasons"
Snowdrops, typically the first herald of spring, have started blooming earlier in recent years, but this year, they seem to be delayed by about two to three weeks. This delay is a subtle indicator of the shifts in our environment caused by climate change. While these delicate flowers have always been associated with the end of winter, their appearance is now being influenced by increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and warmer-than-usual winters.
In the past, snowdrops would typically bloom by the end of February or the beginning of March, but now they’re emerging as early as mid-January. The milder winters, fluctuating rainfall patterns, and shifting seasonal cycles disrupt natural rhythms. This isn’t just affecting flowers—it’s impacting everything from pollinators to migratory birds, as ecosystems struggle to adapt.
The early blooms of snowdrops may seem like a beautiful sign of spring, but they are, in fact, a silent reminder that something is amiss. Climate change is affecting our natural world in ways that we may not fully comprehend yet. Snowdrops, with their delayed appearance, may be showing us how the natural world is responding to the dramatic changes happening around us. Nature is speaking. Are we listening!
Snowdrops in the UK: A Brief Guide
Snowdrops (Galanthus) are among the first flowers to bloom in late winter and early spring, often pushing through frost and snow to signal the changing seasons. The UK is home to several species and cultivated varieties of snowdrops, each with its own unique characteristics.
Common Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)
The most widespread species in the UK, Galanthus nivalis is a small, delicate flower with pure white, nodding petals and a distinctive green marking on the inner tepals. It thrives in woodlands, gardens, and along riverbanks, often forming beautiful white carpets in early spring.
Giant Snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii)
Larger than the common snowdrop, Galanthus elwesii has broader leaves and bigger flowers with more prominent green markings. It is known for its ability to bloom slightly earlier in the season, sometimes as early as late December.
Double Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Pleno')
This cultivated variety of Galanthus nivalis has multiple layers of petals, giving it a fuller, more intricate appearance. It is popular in gardens due to its striking look and resilience in cold weather.
I've captured some unforgettable moments with my camera, and I hope you feel the same joy viewing these images as I did while shooting them.
Thank you so much for visiting my gallery, whether you leave a comment, add it to your favorites, or simply take a moment to look around. Your support means a lot to me, and I wish you good luck and beautiful light in all your endeavors.
© All rights belong to R.Ertuğ. Please refrain from using these images without my express written permission. If you are interested in purchasing or using them, feel free to contact me via Flickr mail.
Your comments and criticism are very valuable.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and explore :)
PHOTO FOR INSIDE OF BACK COVER
"I'm working on a novel about the 60s that should sell millions of copies if and when it is published. But who among us who enjoys writing aren't working on the 'great American novel'."
__________________________________________________________________________
My dad's dad, my grandfather, was nine years old when President Lincoln died.
Most people think I am speaking of my GREAT GRANDFATHER. NO, I am referring to my dad's father, my paternal Grandfather, Robert Levi Huffstutter, born in 1856.
What does this information have to do with my profile? It might help the reader understand that I have a sense of being much older than I am in that only one generation seperates me from President Lincoln. Sometimes, I feel this short time span has some historical significance in the way I respond to history; it has created a mindset that I consider a grass-roots advantage
Perhaps this is the reason I value certain truths, standards and idealogies of older Americans, the men who were the soldiers and sailors I saw when I was a small boy.
A BRIEF AND UNEDITED ESSAY ON WISDOM AS I UNDERSTAND IT ONE DAY AT A TIME, NEVER CLOSING MY MIND TO NEW IDEAS, NEW IDEOLOGIES AND NEW PHILOSOPHY, BUT ALWAYS WISHING THAT THIS LIFE COULD BE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR A NEW BEGINNING WHEN THIS LIFE ENDS....
Amusement is one of the joys of life. Now, about life: you have yours and I have mine. This is true of each individual in the world. It is my personal belief that with this life is a freedom to choose; we can choose to be yoked to bondange through organized religion, political affiliations or the forces of evil which are most definitely as real as the astroids that zip about. Oh, and there is the force of goodness.
If you have studied science, you realize that almost every action has a reaction; every positive has a negative. That is, until our minds and spirits mature to the point where we can control these forces, harness this energy for goodness or evil. As children, we flitter about doing good and evil; as adults, we do much the same. It is only with the use of our minds do we manage to make decisions that will identify us as positive or negative. There should be no debate over the values or standards involved in goodness and evil.
Evil is that which hates and destroys; goodness is that which constructs and loves. Surely, this is a knowledge that must have been instilled in our minds by whoever or whatever created this vast universe and holds the secret of life. This, of course, is only my opinion. If yours is different, no problem; this world is large enough for both of us, even if you or I decide to move to an island where there is no dialogue or media to try and stir up world wars. Again, an opinion.
I have opted to join what I deem the legions of goodness and love, though it has taken some time to overcome the superficial thorns that will constantly pierce me and cause conflict in my mind and heart.
About patriotism; I am a patriotic American. I have served in the military under three Commanders-in-Chief, Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. It was my good fortune to have seen all three of these Presidents while serving in the U.S. Navy. What's more, I had a face-to-face or one-on-one moment with President Truman shortly after entering civilian life and returning to college. While it was only a brief moment in time, it was a moment in time I will always remember; it was a most surreal moment. There is more about this meeting in my photostream.
If you continue reading my work in my various journals you will note that I have complex views, simple views and sometimes no view whatsoever, especially about sports and opera. If you follow my journals you have probably already realized that I am sometimes quick to judge. If I have offended you in any way, I apologize.
Sometimes I display more ignorance than wisdom in my attempt to be humorous. And yes, I have an impulsive and emotional strain that will grab my arm and cause me to vent on issues I am not qualified to comment on, but want to anyway.
I am probably what some might call an "old soul", only a generaton away from President Lincoln.
My grandfather was born in 1856 and was nine years old when President Lincoln died; my father was born in 1912 and I was born in the very early 40s. Do you understand my comment about the "old soul" issue and that sometimes, because of this generational nearness, it causes me to look at life in a different perspective.
About my country: I love America and enjoyed growing up in the USA in the 1960s. Do I believe the USA has made some big errors? Yes, the biggest one was beginning a nation while slavery was permitted. I cannot believe that this happened. Thus, I understand many of the problems that exist in this world.
I also realize that much of Europe dealt in slavery long before America was discovered. Do I feel that there should be reparations for those enslaved prior to the Civil War? Perhaps, but in my mind, the price was paid by those who fought to rid this nation of slavery; the issue was sealed in blood on the battlefields such as Gettysburg.
Do I believe that America is still the land of opportunity? I believe that the election of President Obama has proven that America is-- now--the land of opportunity.
Because each President has the right to introduce plans and changes that he believes are best for the nation, I have no issues with the programs he is introducing so far. If he does not do the job America elected him to do, there will be another election in 2012. In the interim, I shall support him and honor his office. Personally, I think he is a sincere American, a good father, and has the interest of the USA in his heart and mind.
About religion: I believe it is best kept within the minds of each individual and services should be private, taking place within the heart, mind and soul of each person. However, I believe in the right for assembly, religious assembly and all peaceful assembly.
I do believe that no laws should be made about religion unless they are made for the protection of the populace. To present an example of religion freedom that should be regulated by law:
human sacrifice should be against the law; corporal punishment for what might be termed as "religious sins" by some religious groups should not be tolerated and should be against the law. Laws about religion must be considered only when religion breaks the law.
About world peace: there will be no world peace until the mothers of this world love their own children more than they hate the children of those whose religions and ethnic origins are different than their own.
Women must bear some of the fault for the tragedy of war for not teaching their children about loving others. The men who wage these wars are instruments of ignorant leaders who are selfish and without love or wisdom.
To summarize: If I could create a perfect world, I would. However, we would most likely be robots, following orders to do good, thus it would not be genuine. There are times when I feel we have been created for the amusement of some distant enity or creator And then I look at the beauty and miracles of Springtime. It is my belief that mankind will never find all of the answers sought, that some wisdom will never be discovered. It is my belief that there is a Creator with wisdom and knowledge that is beyond our ability to comprehend.
Like many people throughout the world, I am hoping there will be a joyful and serene experience waiting for us at the end of this lifetime, that a new life will begin in some way, shape or form that we can comprehend.
Although I am older than most of the American and world population, my mind still has the ability to learn; I can still change my views if I see the wisdom. At the present time, my opinion of political events and the entire political arena in the United States, no matter what the party affiliation might be, is less than enthusiastic. During the past ten years, America has lost much respect and credibility throughout the world. Hopefully, this is changing.
Robert L. Huffstutter
YOU ARE INVITED TO VIEW MY PERSONAL BLOG, FULL OF PHOTOS, ART AND ESSAYS:
robertlhuffstutterblog.blogspot.com/
My interest in Japan is featured in my extensive online and non-commercial blog about Japan. It is full of personal experiences, photos from Flickr members who have given permission for use in my blog, essays about experiences, and much of my art. You are invited to browse my blog about Japan:
blogaboutjapan.blogspot.com/
- FINALE -
結婚して下さい。
"Will you marry me?"
The final and last piece of the series. With this, its done. A last photo to summarize the whole reason I did this series. Rin is love, and will always be..
Thank you ~
PS : 34,35,36,37 will be photobook exclusive
Facebook / Instagram / Twitter : @wndrenvy
(more details later, as time permits)
*********************************
As I have noted in several earlier Flickr albums, as long as I continue going to the same NYC dentist, you can count on two or three sets of photos of Bryant Park each year. The reason is simple: my dentist is located in mid-town Manhattan, about a block from the park — and when I'm done, I'm always tempted to walk over and see how the park looks. Consequently, I've collected almost a dozen separate sets of Bryant Park photos, which you can see summarized here on Flickr. (At least one or two of those other sets will provide you with the historical details of the park; or you can look it up here on Wikipedia.)
In mid-June of 2015, I took another stroll through the park, not having been there for almost two years. I wandered mostly around the periphery of the park, looking for interesting scenes to capture with the Sony RX-1R camera whose results I'm showing in this album, and also a Sony RX-10 camera whose results you'll see in a separate album in a couple days. I locked the camera into a wide-angle setting and a fixed f/8 aperture, and I just pointed the camera in the general direction of an interesting scene, and pushed the shutter button. Of the several hundred shots that I took during these strolls, there were a handful that seemed worthy of uploading; that's what you'll be seeing in this set and the next one. All of this took roughly an hour, at the end of which I put away my camera, and headed back uptown, content that my teeth would survive for another several months...
The mosque-cathedral's hypostyle hall dates from the original mosque construction and originally served as its main prayer space for Muslims. The main hall of the mosque was used for a variety of purposes. It served as a central prayer hall for personal devotion, for the five daily Muslim prayers and the special Friday prayers accompanied by a sermon. It also would have served as a hall for teaching and for Sharia law cases during the rule of Abd al-Rahman and his successors.
The hall was large and flat, with timber ceilings held up by rows of double-tiered arches (arcades) resting on columns. These rows of arches divided the original building into 11 aisles or "naves" running from north to south, later increased to 19 by Al-Mansur's expansion, while in turn forming perpendicular aisles running east–west between the columns. The approximately 850 columns were made of jasper, onyx, marble, granite and porphyry. In the original mosque, all of the columns and capitals were reused from earlier Roman and Visigothic buildings, but subsequent expansions (starting with Abd al-Rahman II) saw the incorporation of new Moorish-made capitals that evolved from earlier Roman models. The nave that leads to the mihrab – which was originally the central nave of the mosque until Al-Mansur's lateral expansion of the building altered its symmetry – is slightly wider than the other naves, demonstrating a subtle hierarchy in the mosque's floor plan. The double-tiered arches were an innovation that permitted higher ceilings than would otherwise be possible with relatively low columns. They consist of a lower tier of horseshoe arches and an upper tier of semi-circular arches. The voussoirs of the arches alternate between red brick and white stone. Colour alternations like this were common in Umayyad architecture in the Levant and in pre-Islamic architecture on the Iberian Peninsula. According to Anwar G. Chejne, the arches were inspired by those in the Dome of the Rock. Horseshoe arches were known in the Iberian Peninsula in the Visigothic period (e.g. the 7th-century Church of San Juan de Baños), and to a lesser extent in Byzantine and Umayyad regions of the Middle East; however, the traditional "Moorish" arch developed into its own distinctive and slightly more sophisticated version.
The mosque's architectural system of repeating double-tiered arches, with otherwise little surface decoration, is considered one of its most innovative characteristics and has been the subject of much commentary. The hypostyle hall has been variously described as resembling a "forest of columns" and having an effect similar to a "hall of mirrors". Scholar Jerrilynn Dodds has further summarized the visual effect of the hypostyle hall with the following:
Interest in the mosque's interior is created, then, not by the application of a skin of decoration to a separately conceived building but by the transformation of the morphemes of the architecture itself: the arches and voussoirs. Because we share the belief that architectural components must by definition behave logically, their conversion into agents of chaos fuels a basic subversion of our expectations concerning the nature of architecture. The tensions that grow from these subverted expectations create an intellectual dialogue between building and viewer that will characterize the evolving design of the Great Mosque of Cordoba for over two hundred years.
The mosque's original flat wooden ceiling was made of wooden planks and beams with carved and painted decoration. Preserved fragments of the original ceiling – some of which are now on display in the Courtyard of the Oranges – were discovered in the 19th century and have allowed modern restorers to reconstruct the ceilings of some of the western sections of the mosque according to their original style. The eastern naves of the hall (in al-Mansur's expansion), by contrast, are now covered by high Gothic vaults which were added in the 16th century by Hernan Ruiz I. On the exterior, the building has gabled roofs covered in tiles.
Maple Ridge, BC Canada
The Golden Ears Mountains ‘peak’ through the smoke, mist and a ribbon of cloud...
Jerry Sulina Park is actually an off-leash dog park which is situated along the Trans Canada Trail.
The park itself consists of a fenced area enclosing a small pond and marsh area with a short series of trails. The pond and surrounding habitat is apparently home to many animals including turtles, cranes and several species of waterfowl.
The Trans Canada Trail system that runs through Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge is one of a kind. In total the portion of the TCT that runs through our communities is over 21 km. It winds its way along the dykes and through city streets. There are many places to access the TCT trail system, Jerry Sulina Park is just one of them.
The sections of the TCT which are along the Alouette and Pitt rivers are absolutely stunning. The waterways and blueberry fields with the Golden Ears mountains as a backdrop summarize the beauty of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows perfectly.
This image is best viewed in Large screen.
Thank-you for your visit, and any faves or comments are always sincerely appreciated.
Sonja
The Major cloister - Certosa di San Martino Naples
Nel 1325 sulla sommità del colle di Sant'Erasmo, Carlo d'Angiò duca di Calabria, primogenito di Roberto d'Angiò, fece erigere il monastero dell'ordine dei certosini, il preferito della casa reale francese.
Per la realizzazione della Certosa di San Martino fu chiamato l’architetto e scultore senese Tino di Camaino, già famoso per il Duomo di Pisa, e capomaestro della corte angioina.
L’aspetto attuale della Certosa si deve al lavoro di tre architetti: Giovanni Antonio Dosio (1581) che ammorbidì la rigida immagine gotica conferendole un elegante stile rinascimentale, Cosimo Fanzago (1623) artefice della pregiata veste barocca e Nicola Tagliacozzi (1723) che riuscì a sintetizzare nel suo lavoro l’architettura, la pittura e la scultura distintiva del gusto roccocò. Nel corso del tempo lavorarono per i monaci certosini artisti molto rinomati: tra i pittori vi furono Ribera, Battistello Caracciolo, Lanfranco, Luca Giordano, tra gli scultori invece, Giuseppe Sanmartino e Domenico Vaccaro.
In 1325 on the top of the hill of Sant'Erasmo, Carlo d'Angiò, Duke of Calabria, the firstborn of Roberto d'Angiò, had the monastery of the Carthusian order erected, the favorite of the French royal house.
The Sienese architect and sculptor Tino di Camaino, already famous for the Cathedral of Pisa, and master builder of the Angevin court was called for the construction of the Certosa di San Martino.
The current aspect of the Certosa is due to the work of three architects: Giovanni Antonio Dosio (1581) who softened the rigid Gothic image giving it an elegant Renaissance style, Cosimo Fanzago (1623) who created the precious baroque vestment and Nicola Tagliacozzi (1723) who succeeded to summarize in his work the architecture, the painting and the distinctive sculpture of the Rococo taste. Over time very renowned artists worked for the Carthusian monks: among the painters there were Ribera, Battistello Caracciolo, Lanfranco, Luca Giordano, among the sculptors instead, Giuseppe Sanmartino and Domenico Vaccaro.
The Major cloister - Certosa di San Martino Naples
Nel 1325 sulla sommità del colle di Sant'Erasmo, Carlo d'Angiò duca di Calabria, primogenito di Roberto d'Angiò, fece erigere il monastero dell'ordine dei certosini, il preferito della casa reale francese.
Per la realizzazione della Certosa di San Martino fu chiamato l’architetto e scultore senese Tino di Camaino, già famoso per il Duomo di Pisa, e capomaestro della corte angioina.
L’aspetto attuale della Certosa si deve al lavoro di tre architetti: Giovanni Antonio Dosio (1581) che ammorbidì la rigida immagine gotica conferendole un elegante stile rinascimentale, Cosimo Fanzago (1623) artefice della pregiata veste barocca e Nicola Tagliacozzi (1723) che riuscì a sintetizzare nel suo lavoro l’architettura, la pittura e la scultura distintiva del gusto roccocò. Nel corso del tempo lavorarono per i monaci certosini artisti molto rinomati: tra i pittori vi furono Ribera, Battistello Caracciolo, Lanfranco, Luca Giordano, tra gli scultori invece, Giuseppe Sanmartino e Domenico Vaccaro.
In 1325 on the top of the hill of Sant'Erasmo, Carlo d'Angiò, Duke of Calabria, the firstborn of Roberto d'Angiò, had the monastery of the Carthusian order erected, the favorite of the French royal house.
The Sienese architect and sculptor Tino di Camaino, already famous for the Cathedral of Pisa, and master builder of the Angevin court was called for the construction of the Certosa di San Martino.
The current aspect of the Certosa is due to the work of three architects: Giovanni Antonio Dosio (1581) who softened the rigid Gothic image giving it an elegant Renaissance style, Cosimo Fanzago (1623) who created the precious baroque vestment and Nicola Tagliacozzi (1723) who succeeded to summarize in his work the architecture, the painting and the distinctive sculpture of the Rococo taste. Over time very renowned artists worked for the Carthusian monks: among the painters there were Ribera, Battistello Caracciolo, Lanfranco, Luca Giordano, among the sculptors instead, Giuseppe Sanmartino and Domenico Vaccaro.
Macht - Kapital - Sex
I wanted to summarize where power, capital and sex are represented in our world
4 seconds, f5.6, 200mm, ISO 100, 0/6 EV.
Esplanade, Singapore
2007
| Arjun Purkayastha • travel & fine art photography • | Facebook page |
Under Hospitals in Berlin-Buch several hospitals and homes in the Berlin district Berlin-Buch are summarized, which originated between 1898 and 1930 under the direction of the Berlin architect and city architect Ludwig Hoffmann
Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at the Berlin-Buch location. Since 1977, the entire system is under ensemble protection. In addition, most buildings are protected as individual monuments and centrally located green areas as a garden monument.
The hospital is a T-shaped building with three wings, which should be modeled on a neo-baroque castle. The front faces south. At the back of the highlighted middle section is a narrow tract, which was planned as a kitchen wing. The main building is long stretched, with the sickrooms in the back of several loungers were preceded. The central part as well as the side buildings on both sides are a bit out of the overall building. In addition to the optics, this also serves above all to improve the distribution of sunlight and fresh air, since here, too, lying areas were planned. The Mittelrisalit is slightly higher built and equipped with a mansard whale roof.
========================
Unter Heilanstalten in Berlin-Buch sind mehrere Krankenhäuser und Heime im Berliner Ortsteil Berlin-Buch zusammengefasst, die zwischen 1898 und 1930 unter der Leitung des Berliner Architekten und Stadtbaurates Ludwig Hoffmann entstanden
Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie am Standort Berlin-Buch. Seit 1977 steht die gesamte Anlage unter Ensembleschutz. Darüber hinaus sind die meisten Gebäude als Einzeldenkmale geschützt sowie zentral gelegene Gründflächen als Gartendenkmal.
Beim Krankenhaus handelt es sich um einen T-förmigen Bau mit drei Gebäudeflügeln, der einem neobarocken Schloss nachempfunden werden sollte. Die Vorderseite weist dabei nach Süden. An der Rückseite des hervorgehobenen Mittelbaus schließt sich ein schmaler Trakt an, der als Küchentrakt geplant wurde. Der Hauptbau ist lang gestreckt, wobei den Krankenzimmern im hinteren Teil mehrere Liegehallen vorgelagert wurden. Der zentrale Teil sowie beidseitig die Seitenbauten treten ein wenig aus dem Gesamtgebäude hervor. Dies dient neben der Optik vor allem auch der besseren Verteilung des Sonnenlichts und der Frischluft, da auch hier Liegehallen eingeplant waren. Der Mittelrisalit ist leicht höher gebaut und mit einem Mansardenwalmdach ausgestattet.
20250612 NjiviceJezero_126 11565 FaVretenca
www.inaturalist.org/observations/288987689
The Southern Darter (Sympetrum meridionale) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae, found primarily in southern and central Europe, as well as parts of North Africa and western Asia. Below are its main characteristics:
Taxonomy
Family: Libellulidae
Genus: Sympetrum
Species: S. meridionale
Common Name: Southern Darter
🔍 Identification
Size
Body length: ~33–38 mm
Wingspan: ~50–60 mm
Male Characteristics
Color: Mostly yellowish-red to reddish, including the face (unlike some similar species).
Thorax: Often has a yellowish-brown tone without dark side markings.
Abdomen: Slim and slightly club-shaped at the end, red or reddish-orange.
Legs: Yellow, which helps distinguish it from other Sympetrum species that have black or partly black legs.
Female Characteristics
Color: Yellowish or ochre, becoming more reddish with age.
Similar markings to males, but generally duller in color.
Eyes
Bicolored: reddish above, greenish or blue-gray below.
🌍 Habitat
Prefers warm, sunny, lowland areas.
Found near still or slow-moving water bodies like ponds, lakes, and canals.
Tolerates temporary and brackish waters.
📅 Flight Period
June to October, peaking in late summer.
🔎 Similar Species
Sympetrum sanguineum (Ruddy Darter): has black legs.
Sympetrum vulgatum (Vagrant Darter): darker thoracic markings and different face coloration.
📌 Key Identification Tips
Yellow legs (important for separation from many other Sympetrum species).
Unmarked thorax sides.
Reddish face in males.
ChatGPT je rekao:
The explanation I provided about the Southern Darter (Sympetrum meridionale) is synthesized from reliable entomological field guides, scientific literature, and naturalist databases. Specifically, the main sources of such information typically include:
📚 Primary Sources Used in Summarization
Field Guides & Identification Books
Dijkstra, K.-D.B. & Lewington, R. Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe → One of the most authoritative European guides, includes detailed species descriptions, distribution, and identification keys.
Scientific Journals and Taxonomic References
Research articles in journals like Odonatologica and International Journal of Odonatology, which provide morphological and ecological details of European dragonflies.
Online Biodiversity Databases
Fauna Europaea: Taxonomic database of European terrestrial and freshwater animals.
iNaturalist & GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Citizen science and species occurrence records.
British Dragonfly Society (BDS) and European Odonata websites: Offer identification aids, species profiles, and photographic comparisons.
Specialist Odonata Websites
DragonflyPix.com
Odonata Central
Sympetrum.info (focused specifically on the genus)
Seen from my balcony
.
.
.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrYR1v2-_TI Listen to the fat Moog Drone at 3:21 and forward (a repetitive synth bass tone that pretty much summarizes the classic Moog synth characteristics)
4/6
A friend of mine knowing I was to visit Istanbul asked me to pray for him at Hagia Sophia. Just after I entered the 1,600 years old basilica I started looking for Sophia. It wasn't an easy task as the place was flooded with too many tourists. But after a while I met her. I was positively staggered with her ageless and peaceful look. This was a very brief but inspiring encounter.
I can summarize what I understood Sophia told me as "wisdom lies in permanent discovery".
I've been trying to decipher this. I guess she's absolutely right on the essence. I am sure she didn't tell me more about her perceptions on wisdom as there were several other visitors waiting to talk to her. Sensitivity, respect for others, tolerance, one's own knowledge... I guess these would have been a few other attributes of wisdom Sophia might have added if she had had the time for a longer conversation.
***
“Science is not enough, religion is not enough, art is not enough, politics and economics is not enough, nor is love, nor is duty, nor is action however disinterested, nor, however sublime, is contemplation. Nothing short of everything will really do.”
-- Aldous Huxley --
Island
Yesterday my friend Skye Fairywren invited me to do the ALS Bucket Challenge. Thank you, dear heart! The quote from Aldous Huxley neatly summarizes my thoughts and feelings about human struggles with this disease from Hell, and so many others on The Happy Planet. My wish is that everyone who can give generously at the above ALS link. But, if you'd rather do the photo challenge and send your hard-earned money to ACS or another organization, please do. "Nothing short of everything will really do."
❤️
Photo location - Home
Mindwalker Beach
Second Life
Pose by LouLou Teichman of Bauhaus Movement
The young woman in this photo is reading a book titled Happy Accidents, by Jane Lynch -- known to many for the "Sue Sylvester" character she has played on the TV show "Glee" for several seasons...
I can't tell what the woman thinks of Ms. Lynch's book. I suppose I should have asked her, but I didn't want to interrupt. Actually, to be honest, I had no interest at all in what she was reading -- I just thought that the arrangement of lines and angles was interesting, and I was also intrigued that she had found an isolated little corner in which to do her reading. So I left her in peace...
If you would like to know more about the book, here's a URL link to the Amazon page:
As for Ms. Lynch, the Internet reliably (?) reports that she attended Cornell University, is 6 feet tall, and was worth $10 million in 2015. I have no idea whether any of that information is accurate or true ...
*********************************
As I have noted in several earlier Flickr albums, as long as I continue going to the same NYC dentist, you can count on two or three sets of photos of Bryant Park each year. The reason is simple: my dentist is located in mid-town Manhattan, about a block from the park — and when I'm done, I'm always tempted to walk over and see how the park looks. Consequently, I've collected almost a dozen separate sets of Bryant Park photos, which you can see summarized here on Flickr. (At least one or two of those other sets will provide you with the historical details of the park; or you can look it up here on Wikipedia.)
In mid-June of 2015, I took another stroll through the park, not having been there for almost two years. I wandered mostly around the periphery of the park, looking for interesting scenes to capture with the Sony RX-1R camera whose results I'm showing in this album, and also a Sony RX-10 camera whose results you'll see in a separate album in a couple days. I locked the camera into a wide-angle setting and a fixed f/8 aperture, and I just pointed the camera in the general direction of an interesting scene, and pushed the shutter button. Of the several hundred shots that I took during these strolls, there were a handful that seemed worthy of uploading; that's what you'll be seeing in this set and the next one. All of this took roughly an hour, at the end of which I put away my camera, and headed back uptown, content that my teeth would survive for another several months...
A scene that seemed to be summarizing for me all the randomly and rapidly changing New Zealand weather we had experienced on this day, ranging from brilliant sunshine to pouring rain. About an hour's drive from Queenstown.
One of two compositions.
(more details later, as time permits)
*********************************
As I have noted in several earlier Flickr albums, as long as I continue going to the same NYC dentist, you can count on two or three sets of photos of Bryant Park each year. The reason is simple: my dentist is located in mid-town Manhattan, about a block from the park — and when I'm done, I'm always tempted to walk over and see how the park looks. Consequently, I've collected almost a dozen separate sets of Bryant Park photos, which you can see summarized here on Flickr. (At least one or two of those other sets will provide you with the historical details of the park; or you can look it up here on Wikipedia.)
In mid-June of 2015, I took another stroll through the park, not having been there for almost two years. I wandered mostly around the periphery of the park, looking for interesting scenes to capture with the Sony RX-1R camera whose results I'm showing in this album, and also a Sony RX-10 camera whose results you'll see in a separate album in a couple days. I locked the camera into a wide-angle setting and a fixed f/8 aperture, and I just pointed the camera in the general direction of an interesting scene, and pushed the shutter button. Of the several hundred shots that I took during these strolls, there were a handful that seemed worthy of uploading; that's what you'll be seeing in this set and the next one. All of this took roughly an hour, at the end of which I put away my camera, and headed back uptown, content that my teeth would survive for another several months...
Three moments of the drama summarizes the plot, which consist in the evolution of a man who become himself, in spite of the social unwillingness to accept his real nature. The actor in fact was greatly interpreting the role with TOP facial expressions. I was framed on my seat, because of my just broken femur, nevertheless it was easy to get good shots thanks to his expressiveness. Other pictures in my Flikr.
I just wanted to summarize in one capture the whole monument along with its direct environment (superb details on this are displayed in many photostreams of Budapest photographers around, one of them is displayed below), erected on the 50th anniversary of the revolution, at the very same spot where Stalin statue has been located up to October 1956 - when it was torn down by the people of Budapest indeed. The Stalin statue wasn't rebuilt after 1956; a grandstand has been constructed instead where leaders of the Communist regime could contemplate the celebrating Hungarian people from on 4th Aprils (in every fifth year), 1st Mays (all years) and 7th Novembers (according to a system I could never comprehend). - The best 1956 memorial ever; its plain simplicity reflects perfectly the unique character of those 13 days.
Mehr oder weniger ganz Spanien wird jährlich UND GANZJÄHRIG von vielen und leider auch sehr grossen Wald- und Steppen-Bränden heimgesucht.
Das muss in diesem Umfang bestimmt nicht sein. Hohe Lufttemperatur, Wind, geringe Luft- und Bodenfeuchte begünstigen die Entstehung von Bränden. Diese Gegebenheiten sind hier ganzjährig gegeben. Alles über Brandverhinderung und Brandbekämpfung habe ich zusammengefasst.
Allen Interessierten schicke ich die Informationen gerne per Flickr-Mail. Ich freue mich auf viele Anfragen.
More or less all of Spain is afflicted annually AND ALL YEAR by many and unfortunately also very large forest and steppe fires.
That does not have to be in this extent certainly. High air temperatures, winds, low air and soil humidity favour the development of fires. These conditions are present all year round. I have summarized everything about fire prevention and fire fighting.
I send all interested ones the information gladly by Flickr Mail. I am looking forward to many inquiries.
Más o menos toda España se ve afectada anualmente Y TODO EL AÑO por muchos y desafortunadamente también por grandes incendios forestales y esteparios.
Esto no tiene por qué ser así, desde luego. Las altas temperaturas del aire, los vientos, la baja humedad del aire y del suelo favorecen el desarrollo de incendios. Estas condiciones están presentes durante todo el año. He resumido todo lo relacionado con la prevención y la lucha contra los incendios.
A todos los interesados les envío la información con mucho gusto por Flickr Mail. Estoy deseando recibir muchas consultas.
Bitte respektiere mein Copyright. Keine Verwendung des Fotos ohne meine ausdrückliche Genehmigung.
Please respect my copyright. No use of the photo without my expressly permission.
Por favor, respete mis derechos de autor. Ningún uso de la foto sin mi permiso explícito.
Yep, this will summarize Guardiola's legacy with FC Bayern, at least statistically. Ironically, three is love, and two out of three is friendship. Overall, I think that Bayern fans will remember him as one of the club's greatest friends. A friendship that never turned into love, however.
Copyright © Daniela Duncan 2010 All Rights Reserved.
- At Mepkin Abbey, Monks Corner, SC.
His headstone reads:
“The sun shall not be more your light by day
nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night
but the Lord will be your everlasting light”
Henry Robinson Luce (April 3, 1898 – February 28, 1967) launched and closely supervised a stable of magazines that transformed journalism and the reading habits of Americans. Time summarized and interpreted the week's news; Life was a picture magazine of politics, culture and society that dominated American visual perceptions in the era before television; Fortune explored in depth the economy and the world of business; and Sports Illustrated which probed beneath the surface of the game to explore the motivations and strategies of the teams and key players. Add in his radio projects and newsreels, and Luce created the first multimedia corporation. Luce, born in China to missionary parents, demonstrated a missionary zeal to make the nation worthy of dominating the world in what he called the "American Century." Source: Wikipedia
The case for HDR processing in Macro Photography
Macro-photography is one of my passions, and there is something fascinating about the natural world in its magnified state. Whilst a full explanation of what macro photograph is, is outside of the scope of this article it can essentially be summarized as any photo where the item being photographed equates to the same size (or larger) on the sensor. So for example if you were taking a photo of a bug that was 1 mm, then in macro photography it would be 1 mm on the sensor as well (or larger). This is often referred to as 1:1 magnification ratio.
Macro photography can show some incredible details within everyday objects like spiders, butterflies, reptiles and other creatures (and inanimate objects) because of the size of the item however there are often a number of post processing steps which are required to bring the best out of an image, such as focus stacking. In this article I wanted to talk about High Dynamic Range processing, this gets a fairly bad rap as it can often lead to cartoon-ish images however, when done well it has the ability to really enhance your images, and extract detail from the shadows and improve the colors.
So what is High Dynamic Range imaging (or HDR), in essence this is the method of merging or editing images to extract the details from the highlights and shadows (the light and dark areas) and taking this information and bringing it into a final photo which is more evenly lit and has more color and detail in these light and dark areas. Usually with HDR photos you would take what is called an exposure bracket, so you would capture one photo which is over exposed, one photo which is perfectly exposed and a final photo which is under exposed. The program then extracts the information it needs from the overexposed photo (usually getting shadow information), and from the underexposed photo (usually getting highlight information) and blends it into the perfectly exposed photo.
If you are capturing inanimate objects then you could try something like this, but in most cases with live objects you won't have the time to captured exposure bracketed shots, so you need to look at a tool which can pull the information out of a single photo. In my case I was using Aurora HDR which is a HDR program from Skylum, this uses the Quantum AI engine to get the best out of your images, and whilst it prefers exposure blends, it does work with single images.
<--For those that are interested, All the Socials -->
Instagram: Trav.Hale,
Twitter: @TravisHale,
Facebook: TravHale
500px: TravisHale,
Flickr: TravisH1984,
Google Plus:+TravHale
Web: www.travishale.com
Are you a fan of this content, why not Like it and leave us comments. As always, you can find more info on this post, and more at www.travishale.com/the-case-for-hdr-processing-in-macro-p...
Since someone already commented on my original comments before I removed them.. I will summarize... I was bitc*** about people who make you a contact, comment once or twice.. then let you waste your time commenting on their stuff and they never interact with your again... Not that I expect people to comment on all, or even most, of my images or always have a positive comment. But I think many people just collect contacts so they can get more views and comments.
The vehicle for my 2nd outpost.
Made for long jumps, this Small walker is using plasma springs to generate enough power to pass distances over 30 meters.
Fits a fig.
Also, Caelifera is the scientific name for a specific kind of grasshoppers.
Changed the pic to a newer version.
Ugh. Ugh, Ugh.
Let me summarize what happened:
I took pics. I realized tha the studs looked bad. Changed it. Took Pics. Edited and uploaded an old pic. UGH!
A bombshell published in Nature today: All of the bases in DNA and RNA have now been found in meteorites, providing further support to the hypothesis that life’s precursors arrived on Earth from abiotic origins in space.
This new work used more detailed analysis methods and doubled the DNA bases discovered in the rare CM2 meteorite falls. Seems like a good time to show what those carbonaceous, water-rich space rocks look like, from the most recent pristine CM2 — Aguas Zarcas — a witnessed fall in Costa Rica, 2019. The prior best sample arrived in 1969, the Murchison fall in Australia, and has been the subject of extensive study.
Like Murchison, Aguas Zarcas is loaded with organic compounds. It is rich in water, carboxylic acids, sugar alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons, and amino acids that are rare in biology with isotopes that confirm their extraterrestrial origin. Oh, and the meteoritic carbon molecules exhibit the same left-handed chirality bias as biology on Earth.
So how did meteorites jump-start life on Earth? I just finished a freshly published meteorite book, Impact, and chapter 5 covered these carbonaceous chondrites. Well, a big banger early on wiped out all possibility of life on Earth; the meteor impact that dislodged what is now our moon also created a magma ocean across the planet that would have been a destructive 1000°C bake of any complex organic molecules that might have existed prior. But then came the water and carbon-rich CM meteorites, adding an estimated 275 metric tons of carbon compounds to Earth every day!
And where did these complex organic molecules come from? The abiotic assumption is that they were basic molecules trapped in ice water beyond the orbit of Jupiter, where it is cold enough for ice to persist, and maintain the proximity or organic clusters. UV radiation energized the formation of more complex molecules from the basic molecules.
“And if it was not incredible enough that the organic building blocks that our deep ancestors turned into life were delivered by meteorites, consider that the ubiquity of the raw materials, energy required, and simplicity of creation means that complex organic molecule-rich bodies are almost certainly commonplace in the Universe. If life formed on Earth due to organic materials that formed abiotically in outer space, then that suggests that any planetary body in the Universe with reasonable conditions for chemical reactions and a little luck has a reasonable opportunity to develop life. This is the idea of molecular panspermia.” — Impact, p.136.
A total of 144 different scientific papers have already been written about Aguas Zarcas; many more are in the pipeline. One article titled “The Aguas Zarcas (CM2) meteorite: New insights into early solar system organic chemistry” summarizes the excitement: “To date, the CM2 class of carbonaceous chondrites has provided the most detailed view of organic synthesis in the early solar system. Organic‐rich chondrites actually observed falling to Earth (“Falls”), for example, the Murchison meteorite in 1969, are even more rare. The April 23, 2019 fall of the Aguas Zarcas meteorite is therefore the most significant CM2 fall since Murchison. Samples collected immediately following the fall provide the rare opportunity to analyze its bulk mineralogy and organic inventory relatively free of terrestrial contamination.”
The MetBull writeup says it “emits a powerful Murchison-like odor, though with a more prominent compost-like scent.”
On the left in the photo above: the fresh, somewhat glassy, fusion crust from the heat of hitting Earth's atmosphere. Is is very thin, and the interior faces little thermal flux. Meteorites are cold to the touch when they land, the thermal mass being quite cold in space.
On the right: So many chondrules, from the early formation of our solar system condensing out of nebular gases. There are also CAI grains (the earliest matter condensed in our solar system, with heating from radioactive Al26). CM2 Murchison also contains some of the the oldest minerals (presolar grains) at 7 bilion years old. That is a half time of our Universe. The two-tone here? From meteorite-hunter Michael Farmer: "The lower part (beige) is an air break that instantly 'frosted' then stopped burning. The top is a fresh break on impact"
• Nature paper on Murchison. “We’ve completed the set of all the bases found in DNA and RNA and life on Earth, and they’re present in meteorites,” says astrochemist Daniel Glavin of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
• From nanoscale infrared analysis of Aguas Zarcas and its Fine-Grained Rims (FGR) around the chrondrules: “they may have contributed prebiotic material to early Earth. Fine-grained rims (FGRs) and organic-rich dark clasts are particularly interesting features. The presence of organics embedded within these FGRs may further indicate that they may have formed in the solar nebula as well.” — ACS Earth Space Chem 2021
162g. An artifact from the Future Ventures’ 🚀 Space Collection.
That's how I want to summarize 2011.
I was looking at the last picture from last year. I felt like repeating everything I said.
This is the last day of the year here in New Zealand. And it was another wonderful year, actually better than the last in many respects.
Thanks everyone. You folks are awesome. =)
“Urban art is a style of art that relates to cities and city life. In that way urban art combines street art and graffiti and is often used to summarize all visual art forms arising in urban areas, being inspired by urban architecture or thematizing urban live style.
The notion of 'Urban Art' developed from street art that is primarily concerned with graffiti culture. Urban art represents a broader cross section of artists that as well as covering traditional street artists also covers artists using more traditional media but with a subject matter that deals with contemporary urban culture and political issues.”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_art
“Wild Flowers are not weeds"
Street Art is the modern, urban wildflowers
What's the difference between Graffiti Tagging and Street Art?
1. Street Art is constructive, Graffiti Tagging is destructive.
2. Street Art adorns the urban landscape, Graffiti Tagging scars it and accelerates urban decay.
3. Street Art stretches your mind, Graffiti Tagging is a slap in your face.
4. Street Art is about the audience, Graffiti Tagging is about the tagger.
5. Street Art says "Have you thought about this?", Graffiti Tagging says "I tag, therefore I exist".
6. Street Art was done with a smile, Graffiti Tagging was done with a scowl.
7. Street Art takes skill, Graffiti Tagging takes balls.
8. We mourn losing Street Art and celebrate losing Graffiti Tagging.
Good Street Art is great, good Graffiti Tagging is gone!
”http://www.graffitiactionhero.org/graffiti-tag-vs-street-art.html
Additional interesting sites
www.osnatfineart.com/urban-art.jsp
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_art
Graffiti_27 LR
The Tri-States Monument (also known as Tri-State Rock) is a granite monument that marks the tripoint of the state boundaries of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. It is at the northwestern end of the boundary between New Jersey and New York, the northern end of the boundary between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and the eastern end of the boundary between New York and Pennsylvania. The monument is located at the confluence of the Delaware and Neversink rivers. This location is also known as Carpenter's Point.[5]
The nearby Witness Monument, also known as the Reference Monument or the western State Line Monument, is a taller upright granite monument located south of the Laurel Grove Cemetery in Port Jervis, New York, and under a bridge for Interstate 84. It is not directly on any state boundary, but instead witnesses the location of two points: this tripoint and the corner boundary point between New York and Pennsylvania in the Delaware River.[1]
The Supreme Court of the United States summarized the boundaries of these three states with respect to this monument in New Jersey v. New York, 283 U.S. 336 (1931):[6]
... where it (the Delaware) forms a boundary between New York and Pennsylvania. The Delaware continues its course as such boundary to Tristate Rock, near Port Jervis in New York, at which point Pennsylvania and New York are met by New Jersey. From there the river marks the boundary between Pennsylvania and New Jersey until Pennsylvania stops at the Delaware state line, and from then on the river divides Delaware from New Jersey until it reaches the Atlantic between Cape Henlopen and Cape May.
Also, it is the northernmost point of New Jersey, in Montague Township, Sussex County.
from Wikipedia
Colonia Hogar Ricardo Gutierrez
En Historias de Irregularidades y abandono, la autora Diana Rossi hace referencia a cómo surgió la modalidad de las Colonias como lugar para chicos judicializados. Con la ley 10.903, por primera vez se incorporaba el concepto de “protección integral del menor”. En su momento, el entonces senador J.A. Roca, único que interviniera en la sesión de la Cámara de Senadores que trató la ley, resaltaba el objeto perseguido por el Proyecto Agote (luego ley 10.903): “corregir los males que dimanan de la infancia, y de la infancia criminal, en todo el territorio de la Nación y, especialmente, en el de la Capital Federal.” Algunos hechos puntuales –la huelga de inquilinos de 1907 y los sucesos de 1919 en la fábrica de Pedro Vasena– favorecieron el tratamiento y aprobación de su proyecto legislativo. Por aquella época, los defensores de menores estaban encargados del destino de los niños y niñas calificados de vagos o delincuentes. La cárcel compartida con los adultos era el derrotero habitual, hasta que se les encontraba colocación en alguna familia. “En 1897 fueron colocadas por órdenes judiciales 767 jóvenes mujeres junto a criminales considerados culpables”, detalla la autora.
Las colonias-escuelas y las colonias-reformatorios ubicadas cerca de las ciudades o en pleno campo serán el tipo preferido de estas casas de prevención y reforma de los menores.
La colonia Marcos Paz, que devendrá a posteriori instituto “Gutiérrez”, resume en sus características las del modelo previsto en la legislación. Si bien ya existían los institutos correccionales cuando se creó en 1904, se adoptó para él el modelo de colonia agrícola tan difundido durante el siglo anterior en Estados Unidos.
El predio en el que se situó la Colonia había pertenecido al general Francisco Bosch, cuya viuda, Laura Sáenz Valiente, vendió al ministerio de Menores. El decreto que aprueba la compra en noviembre de 1903 dispone en su art. 1º: “que la propiedad de que se trata reúne las condiciones necesarias para implantar en ella un instituto destinado a la instrucción práctica de la ganadería, agricultura y de la industria, en el cual puedan instruirse los menores que por falta de padre y de hogar o por sus malas inclinaciones necesitan de la protección del Gobierno o de una dirección especial que les inculque hábitos de trabajo y corrija su deficiencia…”
Extracto de la Revista "Furias"
TRASLATOR
Colonia Hogar Ricardo Gutierrez
In Histories of Irregularities and abandonment, the author Diana Rossi makes reference to how the modality of the Colonies arose as a place for judicialized children. With Law 10,903, the concept of "integral protection of the minor" was incorporated for the first time. At the time, the then senator J.A. Roca, the only one to intervene in the session of the Senate that dealt with the law, highlighted the object pursued by the Agote Project (later law 10,903): "correct the evils that arise from childhood, and from criminal childhood, in all the territory of the Nation and, especially, that of the Federal Capital. "Some specific events - the strike of tenants of 1907 and the events of 1919 in the factory of Pedro Vasena - favored the treatment and approval of their legislative project. At that time, the defenders of minors were in charge of the destiny of the boys and girls described as lazy or delinquent. The jail shared with the adults was the usual course, until they were placed in a family. "In 1897, 767 young women were placed by judicial orders together with criminals considered guilty," says the author.
The colonies-schools and the colonies-reformatories located near the cities or in the countryside will be the preferred type of these houses of prevention and reform of minors.
The Marcos Paz colony, which will become a posteriori "Gutiérrez" institute, summarizes in its characteristics those of the model foreseen in the legislation. Although the correctional institutes already existed when it was created in 1904, the model of agricultural colony so widespread during the previous century in the United States was adopted for him.
The estate in which the Colony was located belonged to General Francisco Bosch, whose widow, Laura Saenz Valiente, sold to the Ministry of Minors. The decree approving the purchase in November 1903 provides in its art. 1º: "that the property in question meets the necessary conditions to establish in it an institute for the practical instruction of livestock, agriculture and industry, in which minors can be instructed because of lack of father and home or because of their bad inclinations they need the protection of the Government or of a special direction that inculcates work habits and corrects their deficiency ... "