View allAll Photos Tagged Transformative
"So the river ends
In this calamity we call heaven
Is this perfection
Are we spinning into the grey again
And transforming into the insane
Within the cold absolute
The cold brutal truth
There is a pained angel"
- Warrel Dane
Something simple for tonight. I have not been out shooting most of the winter. We finally had a nice week and I got a couple days in. For tonight, just a picture.
Transform your underwater world with the Starfish Coral Sanctuary by KarlParis for Second Life. This breathtaking ocean décor piece features a vibrant arrangement of colorful corals, a majestic starfish, and detailed marine elements designed to bring life and realism to any aquatic environment. Perfect for underwater cities, aquariums, Atlantis-inspired regions, tropical lagoons, marine roleplay areas, […]
Check it out: media-sl.com/starfish-coral-sanctuary-tropical-ocean-deco...
Published on Media-SL.com
Transforming into an extravagant bouquet of colors and shapes, a male Magnificent Bird-of-paradise (Diphyllodes magnificus) puts on his best show in the hopes of impressing a female visitor to his courting ground. She has a critical eye for imperfections as she will be selecting him based on the merits of his display alone – a testament to his overall fitness and desirable genes. This selective pressure is the driving force behind the evolution of some of the most incredible avian spectacles in the world.
This is the one touch transformable LEGO RC tank. It tranforms with just one touch from a tank to a robot, and vice versa. Also, this vehicle can be driven by LEGO RC controller, whatever its form is, a robot or a tank.
if you want to watch the transform process, visit my youtube channel below
Saturday 11th February, 2012.
It's funny how my work has just transformed over night isn't it? It's like my creative thoughts and dreams are suddenly being projected into my work, which is exciting! Who knows what tomorrow will be like, we'll see! I hope I can keep this streak up.
Slept in until 12:30 p.m. woops! Someone stayed up too late the night before. I went downstairs and said good morning, well good afternoon to everyone then came back upstairs to come on flickr and the internet! Had a shower and then had lunch :) I watched Private Practice with my Mum and my gosh, so stressful! That episode was full on.
Afterwards, I uploaded yesterday's photo and then waited around until about six and went to the park with my brother. I took him to a new section that I had been to with Nataly. There was amazing light and I just couldn't stop taking pictures! Christian took some too, so go check them out! :)
Dad picked us up in the mustang and we drove around the industrial areas to look for more cool photo locations. We got out at one point and looked at this one area which I'll be using in the future! We listened to green day really loud and enjoyed the afternoon :)
Explored.
1. The wall itself from top to bottom,
2. The wall tilts to the diagonal,
3. The wall stretches like a cat,
4. The wall here has triangular shadows,
5. The wall appears in a puddle,
6. The wall does a disappearing act,
7. The wall dances around and around,
8. The wall has lost its wallishness!,
9. The wall is now a furry animal! Her thick fur keeps her warm.
Taken and created at The Regency, Laguna Woods, Orange County, California.
© 2016 All Rights Reserved.
My images are not to be used, copied, edited, or blogged without my explicit permission.
Please!! NO Glittery Awards or Large Graphics...Buddy Icons are OK. Thank You!
Many thanks for every kind comment, fave, your words of encouragement, and the inspiration of your fine photography,
my friends! You make my day every day!
This quirky hippie-style specialty shop has been part of our neighborhood ever since I can remember. Sadly, it has now become a memory.
The website still exists:
"At The Alchemy Store, our goal is to provide our customers with the necessary tools to create real change in their lives and to deepen their connection to their true essence. Alchemy is the power to change. Our Transformative candles harness the power of intention through consciousness, sound and reiki energy to manifest the change we want to see in our lives... We hope that you enjoy our products as much as we do and that they help you on your path of alchemy."
I remembered alchemy had to do with transformation but had to remind myself of the actual definition:
"A medieval chemical philosophy having as its asserted aims the transmutation of base metals into gold, the discovery of the panacea, and the preparation of the elixir of longevity."
Looks like I don't have time again :( Hope you like these small guys, two of them weren't shown before.
Yay, it my first Flickr year gone into the past...
Hopefuly I'll be able to make a comeback in december!
The last and my favorite of the twoface series. This one is the base twoface-post_mirror fractal with a second transform, waves2 and juliaQ as a final.
A discarded cup on the beach caught my eye during sunrise. The sun had cast a shadow that had turned the short fat cup into a tall mug or even a blender :-)
As in the world of fashion modelling, how you use lighting can totally distort what the eye can see.
OK, maybe an over active imagination on this shot, but it was taken after a night out on the town with a few vodkas ;-)
This is Idaho’s Lost River Range, home to some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the American West. When the light aligns, the landscape transforms into something truly extraordinary.
Stretching nearly 80 miles, the Lost River Range is a collection of towering peaks, rugged ridgelines, and immense vertical relief. Because the highway passes so close to the base of these mountains, their scale feels almost surreal. Rising abruptly from the valley floor, they appear larger than life—massive stone monuments that dominate the horizon. Standing among them often feels like stepping into a scene from The Lord of the Rings.
I’m grateful for every opportunity to explore and photograph places like this. Thank you for taking the time to look and for sharing your thoughts.
© 2018 Chris Ross Photography. All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, share, link, or use this image in any form, digital or otherwise, on blogs, personal or professional websites or any other media form. This work is protected by international copyright laws and agreements. No part of this photostream may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without my prior permission.
He's so big, guess he needs a little help.
botsndolls.blogspot.com/2013/07/tansformers-generations-m...
transform, 2001, 60"w x 40"h, mixed media painting on canvas
transform = transformation = transmute = transubstantiate = metamorphose = translate = convert = change = mutate = reform = modify = revolutionize = tweak
*Exhibited at Sandra Goldie Gallery, Montreal, Canada, group show. Nov15-26.05.
A received a reissue G1 Snarl for my birthday recently, so Sludge has a pal to hang out with now. I was surprised as Snarl has a die cast torso, whereas Sludge doesn't. Very cool feeling that weight again. I have to finish his stickers off; I think I put his rubsign in the wrong spot (isn't it usually on the vehicle mode?)
Düsseldorf Flingern Süd,
Kiefernstrasse
Viele Künstler*innen haben in den letzten Jahrzehnten daran gearbeitet, dass der Straßenzug ein lebendiges Kunstwerk wird.
Düsseldorf Flingern Süd, Kiefernstrasse
Many artists have worked over the past decades to transform this street into a living work of art.
La Alberca es un municipio y localidad española de la provincia de Salamanca, en la comunidad autónoma de Castilla y León
En 1940 el pueblo se convirtió en Monumento Histórico-Artístico facilitando la conservación del casco urbano. Fue el primer municipio español que consiguió tal distinción.
En La Alberca se tiene la tradición de tener un cerdo suelto por las calles del pueblo que es alimentado por los vecinos. El cerdo, llamado "marrano de San Antón", es bendecido el 13 de junio y liberado por las calles del pueblo. El 17 de enero, día de San Antonio Abad (San Antón), el cerdo es rifado ante las puertas de la iglesia. Los beneficios van destinados a la cofradía de San Antón.
Las calles son estrechas, sinuosas y empedradas, y las viviendas tienen muros de piedra o adobe con traviesas de madera que trazan dibujos geométricos. Muchas casas aún exponen la fecha de su construcción en el dintel, junto a inscripciones y símbolos que hacen hincapié en el cristianismo de los primeros propietarios. Remiten a épocas en que las desviaciones religiosas acarreaban complicaciones.
La mayoría de los edificios de La Alberca son de tres plantas, cada una de las cuales sobresale un poco de la inferior. Como consecuencia, las partes más altas se acercan hasta casi tocarse en algunos callejones angostos. Antiguamente, la planta baja servía de cuadra para guardar los animales, usándose a la vez como letrina. La primera planta reunía la cocina-comedor y la despensa, y la planta superior agrupaba los dormitorios familiares. Hoy, claro, es distinto, los animales ya no viven en la casa, y el espacio se aprovecha para otras necesidades. En cambio permanecen los balcones de forja que, en cuanto el frío lo tolera, se colorean con flores, sobre todo geranios, que transforman el pueblo en una vistosa algarabía cromática.
La Alberca no tiene grandes monumentos ni opulentos palacios. Su encanto procede de la arquitectura serrana tradicional, de las viviendas de agricultores, ganaderos o artesanos. Se nota en la plaza Mayor, el centro neurálgico, cuyas casas porticadas se sustentan sobre columnas de granito. Es un escenario popular, entre cervantino y goyesco. La abundancia de soportales señala su uso antiguo como escenario de mercado. Algunos de los bajos se han reconvertido hoy en restaurantes. En el centro de la plaza se alza un crucero del siglo XVIII con los símbolos de la Pasión de Cristo grabados.
La cercana iglesia parroquial está consagrada a Nuestra Señora de la Asunción y también es del siglo XVIII.
Excerpt from irisvanherpen.com:
BIOPIRACY - In the recent past, patents on our genes have been purchased. Are we still the sole proprietor of our bodies? From this question arises a sense of arrested freedom in one's most intimate, solitary state. A mix of ready-to-wear and couture pieces is presented with artist Lawrence Malstaf -who specializes in the interaction between biology and physicality.
Models float in the air, embryonic, seemingly weightless and in a meditative suspended animation.
Metamorphosis is suggested through intricate enmeshing of materials. Imprisoned fire opal beads gleam through lacerated weaves, artificial fibers compose voluminous, architectural structures, the organic ripple of light on water.
A 3D printing collaboration with Julia Koerner fuses the artisanal with the technical to create a kinetic dress which dances as it amplifies bodily movement. Molded boots in collaboration with United Nude accelerate and reconfigure the silhouette.
Autobots transform.
I really loved the color of this 458, so much that I think I made the owner uncomfortable by following him so much. I don't like the sticker though.
Behold! The incredible transforming Batmobile, Batman's latest means of transportation and crime fighting! Inspired by the cartoon series Batman: The Brave and the Bold, this beast can turn into a giant Bat-mech! Check out the other pictures to see how! That way the Dark Knight can take on evil doers of any shapes and sizes!
Through one of the alternate plain glass windows in the Round Church (1185) - Temple Church, London. Built by the Knights Templar, the soldier monks who protected pilgrims to the Holy Land during the crusades.
The cold, grey and windy day outside was transformed by the random ripples in the old glass.
A little magic, creativity, smoke and mirrors, ....... and a space is transformed for a special night for a few privileged guests. After a 10 hour setup, the room was ready for the guests to flood the room and celebrate! At about 3AM, the rig was down, the decor loaded out, and the ballroom was clear and reset to normal. Just another Saturday in the event world.
Lighting by www.hylite.com
Decor by www.sutka.com
More about the event on the blog at www.mdsimages.blogspot.com
AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT CORVUS CORONE
LEGEND AND MYTHOLOGY
By Paul Williams
Crows appear in the Bible where Noah uses one to search for dry land and to check on the recession of the flood. Crows supposedly saved the prophet, Elijah, from famine and are an Inuit deity. Legend has it that England and its monarchy will end when there are no more crows in the Tower of London. And some believe that the crows went to the Tower attracted by the regular corpses following executions with written accounts of their presence at the executions of Anne Boleyn and Jane Gray.
In Welsh mythology, unfortunately Crows are seen as symbolic of evilness and black magic thanks to many references to witches transforming into crows or ravens and escaping. Indian legend tells of Kakabhusandi, a crow who sits on the branches of a wish-fulfilling tree called Kalpataru and a crow in Ramayana where Lord Rama blessed the crow with the power to foresee future events and communicate with the souls.
In Native American first nation legend the crow is sometimes considered to be something of a trickster, though they are also viewed positively by some tribes as messengers between this world and the next where they carry messages from the living to those deceased, and even carry healing medicines between both worlds. There is a belief that crows can foresee the future. The Klamath tribe in Oregon believe that when we die, we fly up to heaven as a crow. The Crow can also signify wisdom to some tribes who believe crows had the power to talk and were therefore considered to be one of the wisest of birds. Tribes with Crow Clans include the Chippewa (whose Crow Clan and its totem are called Aandeg), the Hopi (whose Crow Clan is called Angwusngyam or Ungwish-wungwa), the Menominee, the Caddo, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico.
The crow features in the Nanissáanah (Ghost dance), popularized by Jerome Crow Dog, a Brulé Lakota sub-chief and warrior born at Horse Stealing Creek in Montana Territory in 1833, the crow symbolizing wisdom and the past, when the crow had became a guide and acted as a pathfinder during hunting. The Ghost dance movement was originally created in 1870 by Wodziwob, or Gray Hair, a prophet and medicine man of the Paiute tribe in an area that became known as Nevada. Ghost dancers wore crow and eagle feathers in their clothes and hair, and the fact that the Crow could talk placed it as one of the sages of the animal kingdom. The five day dances seeking trance,prophecy and exhortations would eventually play a major part in the pathway towards the white man's broken treaties, the infamous battle at Wounded knee and the surrender of Matȟó Wanáȟtaka (Kicking Bear), after officials began to fear the ghost dancers and rituals which seemed to occur prior to battle.
Historically the Vikings are the group who made so many references to the crow, and Ragnarr Loðbrók and his sons used this species in his banner as well as appearances in many flags and coats of arms. Also, it had some kind of association with Odin, one of their main deities. Norse legend tells us that Odin is accompanied by two crows. Hugin, who symbolizes thought, and Munin, who represents a memory. These two crows were sent out each dawn to fly the entire world, returning at breakfast where they informed the Lord of the Nordic gods of everything that went on in their kingdoms. Odin was also referred to as Rafnagud (raven-god). The raven appears in almost every skaldic poem describing warfare.Coins dating back to 940's minted by Olaf Cuaran depict the Viking war standard, the Raven and Viking war banners (Gonfalon) depicted the bird also.
In Scandinavian legends, crows are a representative of the Goddess of Death, known as Valkyrie (from old Norse 'Valkyrja'), one of the group of maidens who served the Norse deity Odin, visiting battlefields and sending him the souls of the slain worthy of a place in Valhalla. Odin ( also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan), preferred that heroes be killed in battle and that the most valiant of souls be taken to Valhöll, the hall of slain warriors. It is the crow that provides the Valkyries with important information on who should go. In Hindu ceremonies that are associated to ancestors, the crow has an important place in Vedic rituals. They are seen as messengers of death in Indian culture too.
In Germanic legend, Crows are seen as psychonomes, meaning the act of guiding spirits to their final destination, and that the feathers of a crow could cure a victim who had been cursed. And yet, a lone black crow could symbolize impending death, whilst a group symbolizes a lucky omen! Vikings also saw good omens in the crow and would leave offerings of meat as a token.
The crow also has sacred and prophetic meaning within the Celtic civilization, where it stood for flesh ripped off due to combat and Morrighan, the warrior goddess, often appears in Celtic mythology as a raven or crow, or else is found to be in the company of the birds. Crow is sacred to Lugdnum, the Celtic god of creation who gave his name to the city of Lug
In Greek mythology according to Appolodorus, Apollo is supposedly responsible for the black feathers of the crow, turning them forever black from their pristine white original plumage as a punishment after they brought news that Κορωνις (Coronis) a princess of the Thessalian kingdom of Phlegyantis, Apollo's pregnant lover had left him to marry a mortal, Ischys. In one legend, Apollo burned the crows feathers and then burned Coronis to death, in another Coronis herself was turned into a black crow, and another that she was slain by the arrows of Αρτεμις (Artemis - twin to Apollo). Koronis was later set amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus ("the Crow"). Her name means "Curved One" from the Greek word korônis or "Crow" from the word korônê.A similar Muslim legend allegedly tells of Muhammad, founder of Islam and the last prophet sent by God to Earth, who's secret location was given away by a white crow to his seekers, as he hid in caves. The crow shouted 'Ghar Ghar' (Cave, cave) and thus as punishment, Muhammad turned the crow black and cursed it for eternity to utter only one phrase, 'Ghar, ghar). Native Indian legend where the once rainbow coloured crows became forever black after shedding their colourful plumage over the other animals of the world.
In China the Crow is represented in art as a three legged bird on a solar disk, being a creature that helps the sun in its journey. In Japan there are myths of Crow Tengu who were priests who became vain, and turned into this spirit to serve as messengers until they learn the lesson of humility as well as a great Crow who takes part in Shinto creation stories.
In animal spirit guides there are general perceptions of what sightings of numbers of crows actually mean:
1 Crow Meaning: To carry a message from your near one who died recently.
2 Crows Meaning: Two crows sitting near your home signifies some good news is on your way.
3 Crows Meaning: An upcoming wedding in your family.
4 Crows Meaning: Symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
5 Crows Meaning: Diseases or pain.
6 Crows Meaning: A theft in your house!
7 Crows Meaning: Denotes travel or moving from your house.
8 Crows Meaning: Sorrowful events
Crows are generally seen as the symbolism when alive for doom bringing, misfortune and bad omens, and yet a dead crow symbolises potentially bringing good news and positive change to those who see it. This wonderful bird certainly gets a mixed bag of contradictory mythology and legend over the centuries and in modern days is often seen as a bit of a nuisance, attacking and killing the babies of other birds such as Starlings, Pigeons and House Sparrows as well as plucking the eyes out of lambs in the field, being loud and noisy and violently attacking poor victims in a 'crow court'....
There is even a classic horror film called 'THE CROW' released in 1994 by Miramax Films, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee in his final film appearance as Eric Draven, who is revived by a Crow tapping on his gravestone a year after he and his fiancée are murdered in Detroit by a street gang. The crow becomes his guide as he sets out to avenge the murders. The only son of martial arts expert Bruce Lee, Brandon lee suffered fatal injuries on the set of the film when the crew failed to remove the primer from a cartridge that hit Lee in the abdomen with the same force as a normal bullet. Lee died that day, March 31st 1993 aged 28.
The symbolism of the Crow resurrecting the dead star and accompanying him on his quest for revenge was powerful, and in some part based on the history of the carrion crow itself and the original film grossed more than $94 Million dollars with three subsequent sequels following.
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK
So let's move away from legend, mythology and stories passed down from our parents and grandparents and look at these amazing birds in isolation.
Carrion crow are passerines in the family Corvidae a group of Oscine passerine birds including Crows, Ravens, Rooks, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Treepies, Choughs and Nutcrackers. Technically they are classed as Corvids, and the largest of passerine birds. Carrion crows are medium to large in size with rictal bristles and a single moult per year (most passerines moult twice). Carrion crow was one of the many species originally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (Carl Von Linne after his ennoblement) in his 1758 and 1759 editions of 'SYSTEMA NATURAE', and it still bears its original name of Corvus corone, derived from the Latin of Corvus, meaning Raven and the Greek κορώνη (korōnē), meaning crow.
Carrion crow are of the Animalia kingdom Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Genus: Corvus and Species: Corvus corone
Corvus corone can reach 45-47cm in length with a 93-104cm wingspan and weigh between 370-650g. They are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the United Kingdom with a Green UK conservation status which means they are of least concern with more than 1,000,000 territories. Breeding occurs in April with fledging of the chicks taking around twenty nine days following an incubation period of around twenty days with 3 to 4 eggs being the average norm. They are abundant in the UK apart from Northwest Scotland and Ireland where the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) was considered the same species until 2002. They have a lifespan of around four years, whilst Crow species can live to the age of Twenty years old, and the oldest known American crow in the wild was almost Thirty years old. The oldest documented captive crow died at age Fifty nine. They are smaller and have a shorter lifespan than the Raven, which again is used as a symbol in history to live life to the full and not waste a moment!
They are often mistaken for the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), a similar bird, though in the UK, the Rook is actually technically smaller than the Carrion crow averaging 44-46cm in length, 81-99cm wingspan and weighing up to 340g. Rooks have white beaks compared to the black beaks of Carrion crow, a more steeply raked ratio from head to beak, and longer straighter beaks as well as a different plumage pattern. There are documented cases in the UK of singular and grouped Rooks attacking and killing Carrion crows in their territory. Rooks nest in colonies unlike Carrion crows. Carrion crows have only a few natural enemies including powerful raptors such as the northern goshawk, the peregrine falcon, the Eurasian eagle-owl and the golden eagle which will all readily hunt them.
Regarded as one of the most intelligent birds, indeed creatures on the planet, studies suggest that Corvids cognitive abilities can rival that of primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas and even provide clues to understanding human intelligence. Crows have relatively large brains for their body size, compared to other animals. Their encephalization quotient (EQ) a ratio of brain to body size, adjusted for size because there isn’t a linear relationship is 4.1. That is remarkably close to chimps at 4.2 whilst humans are 8.1. Corvids also have a very high neuronal density, the number of neurons per gram of brain, factoring in the number of cortical neurons, neuron packing density, interneuronal distance and axonal conduction velocity shows that Corvids score high on this measure as well, with humans scoring the highest.
A corvid's pallium is packed with more neurons than a great ape's. Corvids have demonstrated the ability to use a combination of mental tools such as imagination, and anticipation of future events. They can craft tools from twigs and branches to hook grubs from deep recesses, they can solve puzzles and intricate methods of gaining access to food set by humans., and have even bent pieces of wire into hooks to obtain food. They have been proven to have a higher cognitive ability level than seven year old humans.
Communications wise, their repertoire of wraw-wraw's is not fully understood, but the intensity, rhythm, and duration of caws seems to form the basis of a possible language. They also remember the faces of humans who have hindered or hurt them and pass that information on to their offspring.
Aesop's fable of 'The Crow and the Pitcher, tells of a thirsty crow which drops stones into a water pitcher to raise the water level and enable it to take a drink. Scientists have conducted tests to see whether crows really are this intelligent. They placed floating treats in a deep tube and observed the crows indeed dropping dense objects carefully selected into the water until the treat floated within reach. They had the intelligence to pick up, weigh and discount objects that would float in the water, they also did not select ones that were too large for the container.
Pet crows develop a unique call for their owners, in effect actually naming them. They also know to sunbathe for a dose of vitamin D, regularly settling on wooden garden fences, opening their mouths and wings and raising their heads to the sun. In groups they warn of danger and communicate vocally. They store a cache of food for later if in abundance and are clever enough to move it if they feel it has been discovered. They leave markers for their cache. They have even learned to place walnuts and similar hard food items under car tyres at traffic lights as a means of cracking them!
Crows regularly gather around a dead fellow corvid, almost like a funeral, and it is thought they somehow learn from each death. They can even remember human faces for decades.Crows group together to attack larger predators and even steal their food, and they have different dialects in different areas, with the ability to mimic the dialect of the alpha males when they enter their territory!
They have a twenty year life span, the oldest on record reaching the age of Fifty nine. Crows can leave gifts for those who feed them such as buttons or bright shiny objects as a thank you, and they even kiss and make up after an argument, having mated for life.
In mythology they are associated with good and bad luck, being the bringers of omens and even witchcraft and are generally reviled for their attacks on baby birds and small mammals. They have an attack method of to stunning smaller birds before consuming them, tearing violently at smaller, less aggressive birds, which is simply down to the fact that they are so highly intelligent, and also the top of the food chain. Their diet includes over a thousand different items: Dead animals (as their name suggests), invertebrates, grain, as well as stealing eggs and chicks from other birds' nests, worms, insects, fruit, seeds, kitchen scraps. They are highly adaptable when food sources grow scarce. I absolutely love them, they are magnificent, bold, beautiful and incredibly interesting to watch and though at times it is hard to witness attacks made by them, I cannot help but adore them for so many other and more important reasons.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE PAIR IN MY GARDEN
Crows have been in the area for a while, but rarely had strayed into my garden, leaving the Magpies to own the territory. Things changed towards the end of May when a beautiful female Carrion crow appeared and began to take some of the food that I put down for the other birds. Within a few days she began to appear regularly, on occasions stocking up on food, whilst other times placing pieces in the birdbath to soften them. She would stand on the birdbath and eat and drink and come back over the course of the day to eat the softened food.
Shortly afterwards she brought along her mate, a tall and handsome fella, much larger than her who was also very vocal if he felt she was getting a little too close to me. By now I had moved from a seated position from the patio as an observer, to laying on a mat just five feet from the birdbath with my Nikon so that I could photograph the pair as they landed, scavenged and fed. She was now confident enough to let me be very close, and she even tolerated and recognized the clicking of the camera. At first I used silent mode to reduce the noise but this only allowed two shooting frame rates of single frame or continuous low frame which meant I was missing shots. I reverted back to normal continuous high frames and she soon got used to the whirring of the mechanisms as the mirror slapped back and forth.
The big fella would bark orders at her from the safety of the fence or the rear of the garden, whilst she rarely made a sound. That was until one day when in the sweltering heat she kept opening her beak and sunning on the grass, panting slightly in the heat. I placed the circular water sprayer nearby and had it rotating so that the birdbath and grass was bathed in gentle water droplets and she soon came back, landed and seemed to really like the cooling effect on offer. She then climbed onto the birdbath and opened her wings slightly and made some gentle purring, cooing noises....
I swear she was expressing happiness, joy....
On another blisteringly hot day when the sprayer was on, she came down, walked towards it and opened her wings up running into the water spray. Not once, but many times.
A further revelation into the unseen sides to these beautiful birds came with the male and female on the rear garden fence. They sat together, locked beaks like a kiss and then the male took his time gently preening her head feathers and the back of her neck as she made tiny happy sounds. They stayed together like that for several minutes, showing a gentle, softer side to their nature and demonstrating the deep bond between them. Into July and the pair started to bring their three youngsters to my garden, the nippers learning to use the birdbath for bathing and dipping food, the parents attentive as ever. Two of the youngsters headed off once large enough and strong enough.
I was privileged to be in close attendance as the last juvenile was brought down by the pair, taught to take food and then on a night in July, to soar and fly with it's mother in the evening sky as the light faded. She would swoop and twirl, and at regular intervals just touch the juvenile in flight with her wing tip feathers, as if to reassure it that she was close in attendance. What an amazing experience to view. A few days later, the juvenile, though now gaining independence and more than capable of tackling food scraps in the garden, was still on occasions demand feeding from it's mother who was now teaching him to take chicken breast, hotdogs or digestive biscuits and bury them in the garden beds for later delectation. The juvenile also liked to gather up peanuts and bury them in the grass. On one occasion I witnessed a pair of rambunctious Pica Pica (Magpies), chasing the young crow on rooftops, leaping at him no matter how hard he tried to get away. He defended himself well and survived the attacks, much to my relief.
Into August and the last youngster remained with the adults, though now was very independent even though he still spent time with his parents on rooftops, and shared food gathering duties with his mum.Hotdog sausages were their favourite choice, followed by fish fingers and digestive biscuits which the adult male would gather up three at a time. In October, the three Crows were still kings of the area, but my time observing them was pretty much over as I will only put food out now for the birds in the winter months.
Corvus Corone.... magnificently misunderstood by some!
Paul Williams June 4th 2021
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Sixty two metres at 11:02am on a beautiful summer morning on Tuesday 8th June 2021, off Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
Here we see a large adult Carrion crow (Corvus corone), a passerine bird of the family Corvidae and the genus Raven (Higher classification: Corvus), which is native to western Europe and eastern Asia. It can grow to twenty inches in length with a wingspan of up to thirty nine inches. This one keeps the magpie's and Jackdaw's in their place, as top of the food chain, afraid of nothing.They can reach a length of 47cm with a 104cm wingspan and a weight of up to 650g, and in the UK they are in the Green conservation list status with over one million breeding territories.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 460mm Shutter speed: 1/640s Aperture f/8.0 iso200 Hand held with Tamron VC Vibration control set to ON in position 1 14 Bit uncompressed RAW NEF file size L (8256 x 5504 pixels) FX (36 x 24) Focus mode: AF-C AF-Area mode: 3D-tracking AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual exposure mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1 (4470k) Colour space: RGB Picture control: Neutral (Sharpening +2)
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.
LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.42s
LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.54s
ALTITUDE: 62.00m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF FILE: 90.0MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 32.50MB
PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
Wuppertal-Elberfeld, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 340. Das Wandgemälde „Aphrodite“, gestaltet vom Künstlerduo „PichiAvo“ (Pichi, *1977 und Avo, *1985) aus Valencia / Spanien. Auf ihrer Homepage (www.pichiavo.com/)
schreiben die Künstler zu dieser Arbeit: „Aphrodite-Wandbild in Wuppertal“. Das neueste für den 'Urbanen Kunstraum Wuppertal' (UKW) geschaffene Wandgemälde befindet sich in diesem Freilichtmuseum, das sich der Umgestaltung öffentlicher Räume durch eine Reihe temporärer internationaler Interventionen widmet. Von 2023 bis 2025 möchte UKW ein wiedererkennbares und einzigartiges Stadtbild schaffen, in dem lokale Umgebungen in internationale Wandkunst verwandelt werden. Dieses Wandgemälde ist vom Mythos der Aphrodite und dem Urteil des Paris inspiriert. Die Integration klassischer Themen mit urbanem Ausdruck bereichert die Wuppertaler Kulturlandschaft.“
English translation:
Wuppertal-Elberfeld, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 340. The mural "Aphrodite" was created by the street art Duo "PichiAvo" (Pichi, *1977 and Avo, *1985) from Valencia / Spain. On their homepage (www.pichiavo.com/)
the artists write about this work: "Aphrodite mural in Wuppertal. The latest mural created for Urbaner Kunstraum Wuppertal (UKW) is located within this open-air museum dedicated to transforming public spaces through a series of temporary international interventions. From 2023 to 2025, UKW aims to establish a recognizable and unique cityscape, where local environments are transformed into international wall art. This mural draws inspiration from the myth of Aphrodite and the Judgement of Paris, integrating classical themes with urban expression to enrich Wuppertal’s cultural landscape."
Sickert transformed how everyday modern like was depicted. He defied what he called “(John singer) Sargent confection” and “wiggle and chiffon school of portraiture,” choosing instead uncompromising realism. Here, in this drab interior, the woman’s blank expression and the laboured, diagonal pastel marks tracking across her face conceal rather then reveal her identity. Despite its title (“Woman of the Venetian people”), the work was likely completed in London – the hoop-backed chair and iron bedstead are common props from Sickert’s studio there.