www.44bikes.com

Nikon FG

Nikon lens series E 50mm f/1.8

ILFORD PAN 100

BRIEF:

The plot for this design was a mid-size family garden, which had recently benefited from the addition of a large sunroom on the back of the property. It was a fairly blank canvas, with nothing of note to be retained in the re-design. The garden had side access and worn boundary fences which required replacing. There was no clear brief other than that the design include a seating area and some lawn, and that the transition from sunroom to garden be fairly seamless

SOLUTION:

The focus of this design was to create an exterior space that serves as an extension to the interior, featuring several distinct and versatile areas that can be adapted to a variety of uses.

The garden's boundaries were replaced with new fencing to provide a uniform and attractive backdrop to the transformation within, while the long sideway down the right of the house was renovated with the addition of attractive 'bamboo' slate tile flooring in a random lay pattern.

The first section of the space comprises a large area of Western Red Cedar decking adjoining the house, and offers ample room for entertaining, with a long L-shaped fixed-bench seat stretching width-ways across the space from the left-hand side to the centre. This was backed with a rendered block raised bed, planted with fragrant lavender and capped with 'bamboo' slate tile, to provide a sense of enclosure and separation from the rest of the garden.

A decked walkway running down the right hand side of the space provides access to a 'spa' area, featuring a large square hot tub housed upon a reinforced paved hard-standing and nestled between existing and additional trees, shrubs and foliage to provide a secluded and intimate area for bathing throughout the seasons. Hidden behind mature and new planting in the bottom left corner, a large shed provides ample storage for the client's garden accessories. The middle of the space has been given over to a large lawn edges with slate.

A purple and yellow planting scheme of soft, cottage-style evergreen shrubs and flowering perennials will help to bring year round lightness and subtle colouring to the space.

After-dark hot tub bathing is enhanced by several strings of pea-lights woven through the existing shrubbery. Deck lights demark the main area of decking and guide one's journey along the decked walkway. Finally, spot lights in the beds highlight certain area while providing a gentle wash throughout the space.

TESTIMONIAL:

"After months of planning and a full year of having builders everywhere, we had finally got the house into good shape but the garden was a nightmare. It had been somewhat overgrown before the builders moved in, but after a year of being used as a builders yard, it needed shock treatment.

We needed help fast so we searched the web. We were looking for garden designers with creative ideas for smaller London gardens. We didn't want anything too traditional but at the same time, nothing too extreme.

Earth Designs fitted the bill and after a design session with Katrina, we engaged them for the project. They had offered us a design service only, but as we only had a 4 week window in which to complete the job, we gave them the whole project.

We had built a new extension with wide glass doors that opened out into the garden, so the brief to Earth Designs was to "bring the outside, inside" and create a strong link between the new room and the garden beyond. The actual garden space was not large so we wanted to use the space as an extension of the living space - to be an "outside room".

Monday 18th April and three very charming men arrived on our doorstep at 8.0am sharp. Arlo was the project manager, ably aided and abetted by Paul and Phillip. They worked brilliantly as a team and always hit all the deadlines. In particular they did a great job in working with our neighbours to ensure the whole project ran smoothly.

The first week involved clearing the site - no mean feat with 30-year-old ivy stems that looked more like tree trunks.

The second week involved levelling the garden, putting up new fencing, building the corner seating base and planters, plus marking out the garden shape. It was good to be able to make minor changes to the design on the ground at this stage. The hot tub arrived too and was winched into place for connection later.

Week 3 saw the decking and seating built.

Then in week four the turf arrived, the lawn went down and on the last day, Katrina arrived with a truckload of wonderful specimens (and Matt) and we had a wonderful time planting. Ground Force Mk II - a complete garden from start to finish in just 4 weeks!

There were a few things that needed to be sorted out after the main work was complete. Earth Designs were great about coming back until all was complete and finished.

Our thanks to Katrina, Matt, Arlo, Paul and Phillip for a great job, completed on time and on budget with a great looking result."

Earth Designs is a bespoke garden landscape design and build company specialising in classic, funky and urban contemporary garden design.

Our build teams cover London, Essex and parts of South East England, while garden designs are available nationwide.

Please visit www.earthdesigns.co.uk to see our full portfolio.

Follow our Bespoke Garden Design and Build and Blog to see what we get up to week by week, our free design clinic as well as tips and products we recommend for your garden projects www.earthdesigns.co.uk/blog/.

Earth Designs is located in East London, but has built gardens in Essex, Hertfordshire and all over the South East. Earth Designs was formed by Katrina Wells in Spring 2003 and has since gone from strength to strength to develop a considerable portfolio of garden projects. Katrina, who is our Senior Garden Designer, has travelled all over the UK designing gardens. However we can design worldwide either through our postal garden design service or by consultation with our senior garden designer. Recent worldwide projects have included garden designs in Romania. Katrina’s husband. Matt, heads up the build side of the company, creating a unique service for all our clients.

If you a not a UK resident, but would like an Earth Designs garden, Earth Designs has a worldwide design service through our Postal Design Vouchers. f you would like to buy one of our Garden Design Gift Vouchers for yourself or as a present please our sister site www.gardenpresents.co.uk. We do also design outside of the UK, please contact us for details.

Quality is good - zoom in or go Large (press the L key) to see each pic nicely. Just like Linda's but hers are more artistic :-)

I thought that the photos in the Versatile challenge weren't getting their share of the fun. Flickr only pushes threads (discussions) to the top when it senses a new post. Because in this challenge we build up our post over the month, it only gets a showing on the days a new post is started.

I asked Linda if I could do a 'Versatile' montage. On saying yes I set to to have a go. This is pure DIY. A blank file, with downloaded files placed individually into place, saved, and titles added. The photos were different sizes so I shrunk them to make them all the same height - 500 pixels. This is my fourth go/version of the montage.

One photo per challenge (the challenge is to take a photo for each of the 10 subjects each month) - and at least one photo from everyones post.

Once I got this one finished and more or less presentable, I tried using the Photoshop E13 collage - a pathetic app. They probably sell better ones in their app store, but there is only the one in the program.

I tried the Picasa collage and it is also pathetic. I couldn't change the order - it worked the first time, but never again after that. I have a very low boredom threshold, and the computer is just this side of the bin. Grrrrr.

This is called kicking the sun in it's butt and putting it in it's place!! Super bright sunny afternoon in swealtering heat which required a 1/8000 shutter speed to saturate the background but was still able to illuminate Jordan with an Alien Bee Einstien, camera right, thanks to the hypersync capability of...

The Pocket Wizard FlexTT5-Nikon

The Most Versatile PocketWizard Radio Ever.

www.pocketwizard.com/products/transmitter_receiver/flextt...

and....

AC3 ZoneController

Fingertip Power Control

www.pocketwizard.com/products/transmitter_receiver/ac3%20...

Thanks to Molly for the use of the Flex TT-5's for Nikon :)

Shooting at a shutter faster than the normal sync speed of 1/250s with flash doesn't happen cheaply.

Location: an empty parking lot just south of MLK Parkway on the southern edge of downtown Des Moines somewhere betweeen SW 9th and SW 11th.

Jordan was a true champ in tolerating the extreme heat while we experimented.

Credits

Jordan W.

www.modelmayhem.com/1358142

MM#: 1358142

DsmPhotoCompany

www.dsmphotocompany.com/

GenX Visual Arts (Beauty Services)

www.genxvisual.com/

GenX Visual Arts on Facebook

www.facebook.com/GenXVisualArts

Interesting factoid: Jordan has appeared on the TV series Glee 2 or 3 times so keep an eye out for him on the re-runs !!

Camera: Nikon D3s

Lens: 24-70mm F/2.8G

Focal Length: 32mm

VR: na

Aperture: F/2.8

Shutter: 1/8000s (oh yea)

Mode: Manual

Metering: Spot

ISO: 200

(gotta dig those settings for broad daylight with flash !!)

WB: Direct sunlight

Post Processing: Nikon's Capture NX2

Guassian Blur and High Pass Sharpening both at 25 pixels, blending mode - overlay at 20% opacity. Vignette added in PS CS5.

Thanks to

www.dsmphotocompany.com

for the tuturing.

Versatile Financial Advisor Business Card design template by Octavian Belintan.Showcased on Inkd.com.

A financial planner helping families and other clients make choices regarding their money and finances can use this business card. The combination of green and blue give the business card a professional undertone appropriate for the financial industry.

Sherril MILNES, American baritone (°1935-).

One of the most exciting and versatile baritones of his generation and a gifted actor! His stage presence was truly mesmerizing!

THE VERSATILITY OF THIS ESCAPE ARTIST, MAGICIAN, ILLUSIONIST, FORMER U.S.M.C. DRILL INSTRUCTOR 2X, RECRUITER FOR U.S.M.C., UNICYCLIST, JUGGLER, GYMNAST, MARATHON RUNNER, COMBAT INSTRUCTOR FOR NAVY SEALS, MARTIAL ARTS EXPERT IN A NUMBER OF ARTS, SURFER, DAREDEVIL, HANDGLIDER, FATHER OF FIVE CHILDREN, 6X WORLD RECORD HOLDER IN ESCAPOLOGY AND 46 MPH HANDSTAND ON SKATEBOARD TIED TO A MOTORCYCLE, TEACHER IN GYMNASTICS, MARTIAL ARTS, CIRCUS PERFORMER HIGH WIRE, PARACHUTIST, SPECIAL FORCES IN MARINES, FASTEST JAIL BREAK IN 22 SECONDS, FASTEST STRAITJACKET ESCAPE LESS THAN 7 SECONDS...IS UNMEASURABLE TO ANY OTHER ESCAPE ARTIST IN THE WORLD AND PERHAPS IN HISTORY. I HAVE SUPPLIED BUT A FEW PHOTOS THAT ARE LEFT FROM HOUDENNY'S EX-WIFE TAKING THEM AND PREVIOUS REPORTERS MISPLACING THEM DURING INTERVIEWS, WHICH IS A SHAME HAVING SO MANY YEARS LOST OF THIS MAN' TALENT.

NOTE: HOUDENNY ACTUALLY FREED HIMSELF FROM THIS POSEY STRAITJACKET LESS THAN 7 SECONDS IN 1985 AT QUATICO, VIRGINIA AND DIDN'T EVEN UNDO ANY OF THE STRAPS AS YOU CAN NOTICE IN THIS PHOTO.

www.ibmring362.org/WEAR2007.html

www.motiono.com/HOUDENNY/albums/177/

www.motiono.com/HOUDENNY/albums/

www.flickr.com/photos/12421016@N03/?saved=1

URL: myspace.com/houdenny

www.youtube.com/results?search_query=houdenny

Hello! I’m a Professional Graphic Designer trusted by over +2K Businesses Worldwide, I have a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design and I’ve been working as an Expert Logo Designer & Branding Specialist with various clients worldwide for the past 5 years.

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Velbon Sherpa 750R Tripod in use at the Tindale Tarn viewing screen...plus a few defects.

I initially wrote this review for Amazon as I bought my third 750R through them, but as usual they didn't publish it. So I thought I'd publish it myself here, in a slightly expanded form, along with the above composite photo.

The tripod specification can be found here . This link includes a few images illustrating its versatility.

I bought my first Velbon Sherpa 750R tripod in November 2006 (from Hilton Photographic, priced £88), my second in February 2010 (from Briston Cameras, priced £90), and my third In June 2011 (via Amazon, priced £80). The only difference is that this last one didn't come with a carry case, which I never wanted anyway. It's been used mainly for digiscoping with my 80mm Opticron scope and compact digital camera, which together weigh about 2kg - well within the 4kg load specification. The fact that I'm on my third one in about five years indicates that they're not particularly reliable when subject to hard use.

The first trivial problem I encountered is when I lost one of the rubber feet after using the tripod on a muddy shore. To be fair, I contacted the manufacturer and they sent me a replacement free of charge. Over the next few years I lost five of the six feet on my first two tripods under similar circumstances, and soon stopped bothering about them, just taping over the ends of the legs to avoid trapping mud (see photo, top right). A more serious problem is that after a few months of use, I found it progressively more difficult to lock the tripod head at a steep angle (eg when attempting to photograph birds perched in trees). To be fair again, I think it's probably asking a bit much of the relatively cheap tripod head to cope with a heavy-weight scope used in this way, but I think this should be spelled out in the specification.

As I couldn't find anything better on the market for my purposes, I eventually bought a second one; but within a few months one of the plastic lever-type locks on one of the legs snapped off (see photo, middle right). In theory I could of course have sent the unit back for repair, as there's a two-year guarantee, but as I didn't want it to be out of service for any length of time, I just swapped the damaged leg with one from my old tripod. But within six months the same thing had happened to the other two legs, and so I had to replace those as well. If that wasn't bad enough, after about 15 months some sort of lubrication problem seemed to develop making it impossible to rotate the scope smoothly in the horizontal plane. So I replaced the head as well, meaning that I was now virtually back to using my original tripod...and so I bought another one.

I've been using my third 750R for about six months now, and all was going well till a few weeks ago when the plastic latch that secures the quick release plate to the tripod head sheared (see photo, bottom right). Again, rather than sending it back for repair, I just replaced the latch with a spare from one of my old units.

Other than these reliability issues, I've found the tripod to be fit-for-purpose for the vast majority of applications. Additionally, I often walk long distances when out digiscoping, and so although I need something fairly sturdy to support an 80mm scope I don't want anything too heavy: the 750R is just about the ideal weight. Also, I don't like to advertise the fact that I'm carrying optical equipment, and as the tripod packs down to 55cm it can easily be carried along with my scope in an averaged-sized rucksack.

My only substantial operational gripe is that there are no fine controls on the tripod head, which makes it difficult to get the framing right when viewing images at very high magnifications (for all I know, this comment might apply to other, more expensive models as well). Although this isn't generally important for stills photography, as the resulting photos can easily be cropped, it can be crucial when shooting video: on some occasions it's taken me several minutes of fiddling about with the crude locking mechanism before I've been able to centre an image in the camera frame - and birds don't always hang around that long!

In my original Amazon review, which I wrote several months ago, I gave this product a three-star rating (out of five). Despite my subsequent experience with the sheared latch, I'd probably stick with that assessment, taking everything into consideration. (See subsequent updates.)

18 November 2011

Update 28 April 12: The replacement latch, which I'd taken from my second tripod, sheared today; also one of the leg locks will now only half close - although it currently still performs its function. I'm beginning to think that my three-star rating was far too generous!

Update 18 June 12: Yet another of the leg locks sheared today - this is in addition to the one that will not fully close. I've therefore now experienced five failures on the nine legs from my three tripods! In view of this - and the second latch problem reported above - I'd now give this product a ONE STAR rating on the Amazon system, largely in view of its appalling reliability record.

Update 9 January 13. Following a further failure today (panning action jammed) I thought it might be useful to list all the faults experienced on my three Velbon Sherpa 750R Tripods over a period of about six years:

RUBBER FEET: Nine out of nine lost.

LEG LOCKS: Five out of nine legs rendered useless due to sheared latches.

QUICK-RELEASE PLATE LATCH: Two out of three sheared.

TRIPOD HEAD PANNING ACTION: Jammed on two out of three units (An attempt to fix the most recent failure in-the-field resulted in the bolt connecting the tripod head to the leg unit shearing).

After this last failure I finally gave up on the 750R and instead bought a Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 Carbon Fibre Tripod with 804RC2 head. See photo in my Digiscoping (Equipment etc) Flickr set for details.

Note added 20 February 13: Although I'm now happily using Manfrotto kit for my digiscoping, I thought I'd see if it would be possible to replace some of the sheared leg locks so that I could use the Velon 750R as a backup tripod. I emailed Velbon about this, and after sending them a photo of the affected part I was sent two replacement latches free of charge. Unfortunately there was no instruction provided as to how to carry out the repair. It would appear that a special tool is required in order to remove the pin that acts as a hinge for the latch (I tried tapping it out, but without success). If anyone is thinking about buying a 750R it might be worth finding out about this beforehand.

Recipe on Stonesoup: thestonesoup.com/blog/2015/01/the-jules-david-project/

East-German card by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 1/972.

Dashing and strikingly versatile actor Jean-Claude Brialy (1933-2007) became a star in the late 1950’s when he was one of the best known faces of the Nouvelle Vague. He worked with such New Wave filmmakers as Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard, Louis Malle, and François Truffaut, and he also directed a number of films himself. It made him an embodiment of the French cinema for a global audience.

Jean-Claude Brialy was born in Aumale, French Algeria (now Sour El-Ghozlane, Algeria), in 1933. He was the son of Roger Brialy, a colonel stationed in colonial Algeria with the French Army, and Suzanne Abraham. At the age of nine, he went with his family to various cities in France, settling after the war in Strasbourg, where he took his baccalaureate. Brialy showed great promise in drama and won first prize at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg. He detested his strict upbringing, and acting became an early form of rebellion. He had violent arguments with his father, who once locked the 15-year-old boy in to prevent his attending rehearsals of a school play, Jean-Claude responded by smashing up the furniture. Against the wishes of his parents, he enrolled at the Centre Dramatique de l’Est (Eastern Centre of Dramatic Art in Strasbourg), to train to be an actor. Military service then intervened and Brialy found himself attached to an army film unit in the German town of Baden-Baden. There he made his first film, a short entitled Chiffonard et Bon Aloi. His job also enabled him to go to shows, and to meet actors, including Jean Marais. Demobilized, he moved to Paris in 1954. There he scratched a living by small roles on stage and entertaining the queues outside the first-run cinemas on the Champs Elysees. He became friendly with a group of young critics and aspiring filmmakers who were taking over the influential journal Cahiers du Cinéma. At 21, he joined a Cahiers outing to Arles to see Jean Renoir's stage production of Julius Caesar. He made his film debut in a short directed by one of the Cahiers critics, Le Coup du berger/Fool's Mate (1956, Jacques Rivette). Cahiers editor Eric Rohmer casted him as the lover in his 10-minute short La sonate à Kreutzer/The Kreutzer Sonata (1956), an adaptation of the short story by Tolstoy. Brialy appeared uncredited in two features by Louis Malle: Les Amants/The Lovers (1958, Louis Malle) and Ascenseur pour l’échafaud/ Elevator to the Gallows (1958, Louis Malle) both starring Jeanne Moreau. His first lead was in Le beau Serge/Handsome Serge (1958, Claude Chabrol) as an idealistic Parisian student who returns after a ten-year absence to his provincial village and becomes obsessed with saving an old school friend who has become a hopeless alcoholic (played by the brooding Gerard Blain, often called the James Dean of France). The film, which won an award in Locarno, and the Jean-Vigo Prize, immediately attracted attention, and the performers (Brialy, Blain, and Bernadette Lafont) were widely acclaimed. Le beau Serge was immediately followed by Les Cousins/The Cousins (1959, Claude Chabrol), in which Brialy played the sardonic town cousin to Blain's simple country cousin.

The young Turks of the Cahiers du Cinema formed the core of the Nouvelle Vague (New Wave). This film movement was a rebellion against the conventions of the French cinema. As James Travers writes at Films de France: ”Out went polished scripts, well-rehearsed performances and meticulously staged productions. In came spontaneity, improvisation, subversive politics, real human emotion, and fun.” The Cahiers critics were starting to have an impact far greater than they could have anticipated and the French cinema seemed to be going through a period of frantic renaissance. The director became the intellectual author of the film; the stars were made more human, the stories more enigmatic. Jean-Claude Brialy also made several films with the other Nouvelle Vague filmmakers including Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Agnès Varda, Pierre Kast, and Jacques Rozier. Ronald Bergan stated in The Guardian: “Where Belmondo represented anarchy, Léaud youthful innocence and Blain sensitivity, Brialy brought cynicism, charm and sophistication to the films of the period.” Brialy was the leading man in Godard’s ‘neo-realist musical’ Une Femme est une femme/Woman Is a Woman (1961, Jean-Luc Godard), in which Anna Karina plays a stripper who wants to have his baby and turns to his best friend Jean-Paul Belmondo when he refuses. In the film Brialy directly addresses the audience with a line that became an epigram for the Nouvelle Vague: “It’s hard to tell if this is a comedy or a tragedy, but either way it’s a masterpiece.” For Truffaut he appeared opposite Jeanne Moreau in La Mariée était en noir/The Bride Wore Black (1968, François Truffaut), and for Rohmer he starred in Le Genou de Claire/Claire’s Knee (1970, Éric Rohmer), in which he played a bearded Cultural attache who is taking his last summer holiday as a bachelor at Annecy and becomes filled with desire for a young woman’s knee.

Besides his work for the Nouvelle Vague, Jean-Claude Brialy also worked with many other well known filmmakers. He made his feature film debut in Jean Renoir’s Elena et les homes/Elena and her Men (1956) and played his first substantial role, in L’Ami de la famille/A Friend of the Family (1957, Jacques Pinoteau). Then came a supporting role in Christine (1958, Pierre Gaspard-Huit), starring Romy Schneider, who would become a close personal friend. He appeared with Alida Valli in Le Gigolo/The Gigolo (1960, Jacques Deray), with Anthony Perkins in Le Glaive et la Balance/The Sword and the Balance (1963, André Cayatte) and with Jane Fonda in La ronde/Circle of Love (1964), Roger Vadim's adaptation of the classic Arthur Schnitzler play about various people having affairs. He was an asylum inmate in Le Roi de Coeur/King of Hearts (1966, Philippe de Broca), which became a US hit. In the following decades he worked with cineastes like Luis Buñuel (Le Fantôme de la liberté/The Phantom of Liberty, 1974), Bertrand Tavernier (Le Juge et l’assassin/The Judge and the Assassin, 1976) and Ettore Scola (La Nuit de Varennes/That Night in Varennes, 1982), but he was equally attracted to popular comedies, such as Le Maître-nageur/The Swimming Instructor (1978, Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Pinot simple flic/Pinot, Simple Cop (1984, Gérard Jugnot). He reunited with Claude Chabrol and Bernadette Lafont for Inspecteur Lavardin/Inspector Lavardin (1986, Claude Chabrol) in which he played a gay uncle. Other notable appearances include: Les uns et les autres/Bolero (1981, Claude Lelouch), Mortelle Randonnée/Deadly Circuit (1982, Claude Miller), and La Reine Margot/Queen Margot (1994, Patrice Chéreau) starring Isabelle Adjani. Brialy also directed a dozen (TV) films himself, including Églantine (1971), an enchanting story set in the 19th century of a boy's visit to his grandmother, and Un Amour De Pluie/Loving in the Rain (1974) starring Romy Schneider as a woman who takes her daughter to a summer resort in search of a love affair. He often appeared in supporting roles, and was nominated for a César for the best supporting actor for his role in Le Juge et l’Assassin (1976), but won the César for Les Innocents/The Innocents (1988, André Téchiné).

Jean-Claude Brialy came to personify all that is best in French culture. A bon vivant, he started his own restaurant in 1966: the popular L'Orangerie, on the Île Saint-Louis in Paris, which he owned for two decades. He was a natural raconteur, he worked as a singer, he revelled in his numerous television and radio appearances. As a lover of literature, he read extensively and wrote several best-selling books, including the autobiographies, Le Ruisseau des singes (River of Monkeys) (2000) and J'ai oublié de vous dire... (I Forgot to Tell You ...) (2004) in which he revealed that he was homosexual. And he was also a man of the stage. His theatrical successes include Georges Feydeau’s La Puce à l’oreille (A Flea in Her Ear, 1968) and Hotel Paradiso (1974), and Sacha Guitry’s Desiré (1984). When he wasn’t treading the boards, he was helping to direct theatres and film festivals. As James Travers writes at Films de France: “It’s no wonder that he became one of the best loved and most highly respected figures in France.” For his exceptional contribution to French culture, he was awarded the Légion d’honneur (the Legion of Honour). In his last film, made for television, Brialy gave his best performance in years, as the gay Jewish poet Max Jacob in Monsieur Max (2007, Gabriel Aghion), who converted to Catholicism and died in a Gestapo internment camp. Following a long illness, Jean-Claude Brialy died of cancer in 2007, in his house in Monthyon, France. He was 74. In over more than a half-century, Brialy appeared in 185 films and television shows. He is cited in The Guardian saying: "Out of the 185 films, I must admit that I've enjoyed myself 185 times".

Sources: James Travers (Films de France), Ronald Bergan (The Guardian), Tim Weiner (The New York Times), Jean Roy (L’Humanité), Adam Bernstein (Washington Post), Kimberly Lindbergs (Cinebeats), Hal Erickson (AllMovie), The Independent, Film Reference, Wikipedia and IMDb.

British postcard, no. 1011. Photo: Fox. Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys (Steve Kloves, 1989).

American actress and producer Michelle Pfeiffer (1958) was one of the most popular and talented Hollywood actresses of the 1980s and 1990s. Noted for her versatility as a character actress, Pfeiffer has become particularly known for portraying nuanced and unglamorous, emotionally distant women as well as strong female characters with intense sex appeal.

Michelle Marie Pfeiffer was born in 1958 in Santa Ana, California, to Donna Jean (Taverna) and Richard Pfeiffer, a heating and air-conditioning contractor. Pfeiffer graduated from Fountain Valley High School in 1976 and attended Golden West College for one year, where she studied to become a court reporter. But it was while working as a supermarket checker at Vons, a large Southern California grocery chain, that she realized her true calling. She began to pursue an acting career in 1978. After accepting several minor roles in television series and films, her first leading role was in the musical film Grease 2 (Patricia Birch, 1982) opposite Maxwell Caulfield. It was the sequel to the popular hit film Grease (Randal Kleiser, 1978) and takes place two years after the original film at Rydell High School, set in the 1961–1962 school year. Although the film was poorly received, it increased public interest in Pfeiffer. Frustrated with being typecast as the token pretty girl, Pfeiffer actively pursued more serious material. She received strong reviews for her breakout performance as gangster moll Elvira Hancock in the crime film Scarface (Brian De Palma, 1983) opposite Al Pacino. Her performance as one-third of the titular trio - with Cher and Susan Sarandon - in the dark fantasy The Witches of Eastwick (George Miller, 1987) proved to be one of her first box office successes. Pfeiffer's starring role in Married to the Mob (Jonathan Demme, 1988), in which she was cast against type as a mobster's widow, earned the actress her first of several consecutive Golden Globe Award nominations. Her role in Dangerous Liaisons (Stephen Frears, 1988) based on Christopher Hampton's play Les liaisons dangereuses, garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Then followed her sultry performance as lounge singer Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker Boys (Steve Kloves, 1989) with Jeff and Beau Bridges. Susie would be the most critically acclaimed role of her career and she got another Academy Award nomination, now for Best Actress.

Michelle Pfeiffer starred opposite Al Pacino as the titular waitress in the romantic comedy Frankie and Johnny (Garry Marshall, 1991). She achieved widespread recognition as Catwoman / Selina Kyle in Tim Burton's superhero film Batman Returns (1992). Pfeiffer's interpretation is widely regarded as one of the most definitive portrayals of the comic book character. She earned a third Academy Award nomination for Love Field (Jonathan Kaplan, 1992) before starring in the critically acclaimed The Age of Innocence (Martin Scorsese, 1993) with Daniel Day-Lewis. It was followed by the romantic horror film Wolf (Mike Nichols, 1994) with Jack Nicholson, the supernatural horror film What Lies Beneath (Robert Zemeckis, 2000) with Harrison Ford, and White Oleander (Peter Kosminsky, 2002). During this time, she also produced a series of films under her production company Via Rosa Productions. After a five-year hiatus from film acting, she appeared in Hairspray (Adam Shankman, 2007), Chéri (Stephen Frears, 2009), and Dark Shadows (Tim Burton, 2012). She received her first Emmy Award nomination for portraying Ruth Madoff in the HBO television film The Wizard of Lies (Barry Levinson, 2017), and garnered further critical acclaim for her role in Where Is Kyra? (Andrew Dosunmu, 2017) with Kiefer Sutherland. Michelle Pfeiffer then appeared in the ensemble film Murder on the Orient Express (Kenneth Branagh, 2017). Pfeiffer debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp, in the Ant-Man (2015) sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp (Peyton Reed, 2018) starring Paul Rudd. She reprised the role in Avengers: Endgame Ant-Man and the Wasp (Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, 2019) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Peyton Reed, 2023). Pfeiffer was praised for her role as Betty Ford in the TV series The First Lady (Susanne Bier, 2022). Michelle Pfeiffer was married to actor/director Peter Horton in 1981. They later divorced, and she then had a three-year relationship with actor Fisher Stevens. When that did not work out, Pfeiffer decided she did not want to wait any longer before having her own family, and in March 1993, she adopted a baby girl, Claudia Rose. Later the same year, she married lawyer-turned-writer/producer David E. Kelley. In 1994, their son John Henry was born.

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.

And please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Pork tenderloin is a versatile cut, and can be prepared for any meal.

I often prefer to cook with the lid closed, which keeps heat in, allowing the piece to cook more rapidly, and without turning. Since it cooks thoroughly without turning, it also provides a "pretty" face side.

Here's how I made this dish.

Ingredients:

2 slices pork loin

garlic powder,

salt,

pepper on top.

Julienne sliced onion

fresh rosemary sprigs

grapefruit (I used pink.)

olive oil (optional)

balsamic vinegar

soy sauce

liquid smoke (I only use Colgin brand.)

black coffee

Heat pan, then reduce temperature to medium low heat.

I prefer to lightly coat the pan with olive oil to prevent sticking, then place the meat.

Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder atop meat.

Cover with lid - lids help keep moisture intact while cooking. (I like glass because it allows visualization.)

Cook for a few minutes, then place liquids (soy sauce, balsamic vinegar & smoke) in pan, around - NOT on meat.

Replace lid, allow to cook further, liquids will make a reduction.

Meat will become whitened when it is completed cooking. (It shouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes.)

Remove meat.

Increase pan heat.

Add coffee to reduction.

Reduce to syrupy consistency.

Pour reduction decoratively around/across meat & plate.

Separate sliced onion layers & apply decoratively.

Place grapefruit decoratively.

Place fresh rosemary sprigs decoratively.

The flavors with fresh onion, rosemary and grapefruit are wonderfully palatable and provide a nice balance with the meat.

A minimalist modern black and white brochure design that can be utilized by an individual or business in any industry!

More versatile than a standard snow blade or bucket – offers five different blade configurations to help you move snow fast.

I love shooting with Zlata - she just oozes class, is very funny, focused, and drop dead gorgeous. I just wish I could shoot with her more often.

We had a large group shoot in South Anchorage in June 2011; part Retro, part classy fashion - Zlata could pull either one off, she is just so versatile.

Strobist info - I used two flash units, a Canon 580 EX II (shot through a white umbrella) and a Vivitar 285 HV. I set the Canon on 1/2 power, to Zlata's left, and the Vivitar at 1/4 power. I triggered the flash with Cybersync equipment.

Roadside Attraction is a versatile new work housed in and around a vintage Seventies-era pop-up camper that has been retro-fitted to become the stage and setting for a new dance/theater performance

Designed to be shown virtually anywhere, indoors or out, Roadside Attraction is a family vacation that steps back in time to when Supertramp was on the radio, Connect Four was on the folding table and frisky business was in the bunks. Mom’s red Candies clapped from the camper’s linoleum kitchen window before she emerged in her cheetah print bathing suit with matching blanket, her platinum wig blowing in the breeze.

Exploring expectations, acceptance, and the excruciating but illuminating identification with family role models, Roadside Attraction is a slice of nostalgic Americana, replete with lawn chairs, a picnic table, and all the trappings of a family that has been together on a road trip for far, far too long.

The work centers around the Mother, who dreams of a life beyond the hum-drum of suburban, middle-American family life. Her fantasies come alive in the form of an avatar, a glamorous, fabulous projection of herself who gets to do everything Mom only dreams of, from rekindling a failing relationship with Dad, to ogling her daughter's strapping young boyfriend. The resulting movement sequences careen over and through the camper and campsite, sparking unrequited desires that sometimes unravel into tender reconciliations. Quirky, humorous, and heartbreaking, the work skips between bubbles of pop music woven into a through-composed original score.

As a performance, Roadside Attraction is a dance/theater piece for eight performers that incorporates the intimate, quirky, stunning and startling choreographic sensibility that is the hallmark of Third Rail’s critically acclaimed dance/theater work. Directed and Choreographed by Jennine Willett, with Tom Pearson and Zach Morris, and created in collaboration with the company. Performers include: Elizabeth Carena, Rebekah Morin, Tara O'Con, Tori Sparks, Niko Tsocanos, and Carlton Cyrus Ward. Original music composition by Sean Hagerty, with Isaiah Singer and Elizabeth Carena, played live.

thirdrailprojects.com/projectsRA.html

A Class 52 trio portraying the daily duties attributed to the type during their last years of service on the Western Region of British Rail.

3. Express parcels and vans with "Western Glory."

Camera: Olympus Pen F Half Frame SLR.

Reworked in black and white.

20200225-FS-Monongahela-RCW-001

Abeny level, manufactured by Dietzgen in the 1960s. Monongahela National Forest, Elkins, WV, February 25, 2020. (USDA Forest Service photo by Robert C. Whetsell)

One of the most versatile and easy to use tools, the Abney level and clinometer was invented by English astronomer and chemist Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney in 1870. A year after its invention, the Royal Geographical Society listed Abney’s level as a convenient instrument recommended for use by explorers. The Abney Level consists of a fixed sighting tube with bubble, a movable spirit level that is connected to a pointing arm, and a protractor scale. An internal mirror allows the user to see the level’s bubble while sighting a distant target. The level uses scales graduated in measure degree of arc, percent grade, and grade in feet per surveyor’s chain and chainage correction. By using trigonometry the user can determine height, volume, and grade. It is for this reason that the Abney levels, very similar to this vintage topographic hand level made by Dietzgen in the 1960s, remains in common use in several fields today, including topographic survey to measure slope; forestry to measure tree height; mining and mine safety inspection to measure gradient of mining haul roads; and in geology to measure rock outcrops and fault scarps. This version of the Abney level, Dietzgen’s model #6649-L, was made exclusively for use for the US Forest Service, US Geodetic Survey, and US Department of Agriculture. In 1914 and 1915, Forest Quarterly published a series of tutorial articles on the use of the Abney Level in forestry. H.A. Calkins and J.B. Yule authored the US Forest Service’s primary reference for use of the Abney level in 1927, entitled The Abney Level Handbook.

Developed by Whampoa Colour Centre

My Vinegar Collection (and hiding in the background, Marsala and dry Sherry, also used in cooking). Most of my vinegars are from David Rosengarten's Real Vinegar Club. www.davidrosengarten.com/content.asp?type=site&id=166

When it comes to cooking, vinegar has more jobs to do than just appearing as an ingredient in recipes. It can improve flavor, preserve food, fill in for missing ingredients, and even make food look better. This ingredient can prevent spoilage and salvage the occasional cooking disaster. In fact, if you add a drop here and there during the preparation process, vinegar may change the whole personality of certain foods.

This is versatile logo

a versatile nonsense

wearable art piece

for all occasions

& seasons

multicolor neon disco glamour

for people with small closets

unisex

free size

no budget accessory

for fashion clowns

& urban trashionistas

of Vorarlberg, Lauteracher Ried

Hello again, ladies!

So for the 2nd challenge, I want you to channel a more Softer side of you!

This challenge, will define your versatility as a model.

See, my photo here? Even with all the thick eyeliner the stylists had given me and i'm still smiling with my eyes! i'm portraying a soft side, while maintaining my edginess in the pose!

So for this challenge, get creative! work with your angles, lighting and body!

and for this challenge, i do not need a full body shot! :)

In addition to this, i'd like you to list the strengths and weaknesses you have as a photographer or an editor. For e.g:-

My strengths:

i have a lot of creative ideas

A lot of knowledge about fashion

This 'Most Versatile' challenge is set by the Compositionally Challenged Group. Thanks Sharon for a fab set of themes.

In this month's challenge, 9 members, entered 82 photos, and 6 members completed all 10 themes. These members, in play order, were: Maria, Robin, Dave, Linda, Ms J and Lesley..

This montage features at least two photos per person, and at least one photo per theme. View the complete challenge and entries, by clicking Here.

DadaKamikazeKnitting

Guerrilla knitting attack

in intuitive

sensitive

highspeed mode

tunic

dress

pseudo-poncho

wrap

multimedia

multitechnique

freeform & pattern crochet/knitting

Navajo 3-ply

& some more nonsense I cant´t remember

multi versatile

like most of my creations

endless wearing options

for fearless ladies with attitude

& urban drag queens

Versatile Wrap Dress patterns with three easy pattern pieces that features a full circular skirt, kimono sleeves and contrast fabric options

Advance 6238

copyright 1952

Size 12

Breast 30

Hips 33

Complete and cut! Unprinted pattern. There is a tear near the bottom of the skirt pattern, it is not big but could be taped or you should be able to work around it. Envelope with nicks ad chips.

www.just4unique.com

Vintage Versatile TRENCH COAT.

For more vintage finds visit Salon Mystique:

www.salonmystique.etsy.com

Had run out of Acros, so went into my TMY2 stock and used the Rodinal to Xtol schema. The combo of an old and new developer with this square grain film seemed to work out well. It doesn't have the same tonality as Acros, but the versatility is higher. The grain is quite impressive, as is the accutance, particularly with a 400 speed film. A very happy day to my fellow impressive flickeranians.

Artist - Paul Atchinson

On Calthorpe Street in Banbury. Heading back to the town centre.

The name reminded me of the Calthorpe Estates in Edgbaston (which were owned by the Calthorpe family).

Calthorpe Manor Gatehouses. Not listed.

This one occupied by Devour Versatile Catering

My latest Rolex 214270

One of the most down to earth Rolex models available. Already liked the 39mm Explorer when it just came out. Luckily/probably I wasn't the only one who didn't like the too small hands on the model.

This model is just great. A little bit more sporty but very versatile. A watch, which you just can grab in almost any situation. Also of course an icon in the Rolex line-up.

Empresa / Company: Buses Paine

País / Country: Chile

Servicio / Type of Service: Rural

Bus: Comil Versatile - Mercedes Benz OF-1318 (SA7850), año 1998

Número Interno / Internal Number: 29

Procedencia / Procedence: Brasil - Brazil

Lugar de Foto / Photography Location: Santiago, Chile

Buses Paine es una empresa de transporte rural que conecta las ciudades de Santiago, Buin y Paine, además de otras localidades cercanas (Linderos, Aculeo, Hospital, La Trilla, Chada, etc).

Buses Paine is a rural transport company that connects the cities of Santiago, Buin and Paine, and other nearby locations (Linderos, Aculeo, Hospital, La Trilla, Chada, etc).

Does this Geiger counter look familiar? Spotted and photographed (with permission) at Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker.

A classic example of versatility, flexibility and ingenuity; a philosophy known disparagingly these days as 'parts-bin manufacture'.

Check out my set "Most Interesting 500" here!

Visit my Waldorfschool/Steinerschool related pinboards here!

The Volvo V70 is a versatile car. The V in V70 stands for versatile (S70 = saloon, C70 = Coupe).

Here the load carrying capabilities of a V70 are demonstrated. I am taking an internal door (see a previous photo) to the local paint strippers premises.

For loads that are longer than will fit in the load area the seats can be folded.

The rear passenger seat squabs (the bottom part of the seat) can be lifted to form a small bulkhead, then the remaining seat back is folded down. This forms a completely flat area from the tailgate to this newly created bulkhead.

For longer loads, the front passengers seat has two catches on the rear that allow the seat back to be folded forward. If required the rear seat squabs can also be removed, thus removing the bulkhead.

In this way a nearly 2 metre long house door can be loaded into the car, the tailgate can be closed, there is no obstruction to the cars controls or view out of the windows.

Oh, and I nearly forgot...

Fold everything back into place and you have a 5 seater, with capacity for an extra 2 in the load area - a seat folds out from the floor to form a rear facing double seat suitable for children. Thats what the two rear most seatbelts are for. This is a factory fitted option.

There is also an integrated booster seat located in the centre position of the rear seat. It is to be used by children who weigh between 15 and 36 kg and are between 97 and 137cm in height. It should not be used by children less than 3 years old

I don't believe there are many cars that are so versatile in this respect.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_V70

Kasteeltuinen Arcen, located around the historic 17th-century Arcen Castle in the Netherlands near the German border, is renowned as one of Europe's most versatile and beautiful garden complexes. Spanning a large area, the park seamlessly integrates the grandeur of the moated castle with diverse, meticulously maintained themed gardens. This combination of historical architecture and horticultural artistry creates a unique atmosphere, inviting visitors to explore both the castle's rich past and the vibrant, living landscapes that surround it.

The diversity of the gardens is a key feature of Kasteeltuinen Arcen. Visitors can wander through distinct worlds, each offering a unique sensory experience. Highlights include the stunning Rosarium, showcasing thousands of roses in myriad colours and forms, the tranquil Asian Water Garden complete with waterfalls and Japanese influences, and the shady, peaceful Lommerrijk. Other areas feature Mediterranean plants, bamboo forests, and the expansive Valley with its streams and rhododendrons, ensuring a varied journey through different botanical styles and atmospheres.

Overall, Kasteeltuinen Arcen offers a rich and immersive experience for visitors of all ages. Beyond the individual gardens, the park captivates with its scale, the constant interplay of colours and scents, and the beauty that shifts with the changing seasons. It's a place for leisurely strolls, discovering hidden corners, enjoying nature's artistry, and appreciating the thoughtful landscape design. With additional attractions like events, playgrounds, and the adjacent mini-golf course, it provides a full day of enjoyment and relaxation amidst stunning natural and historical beauty.