Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark returns ball to Kim Clijsters of Belgium in the singles final on day six of the WTA Championship held at the Khalifa Tennis Complex on October 31, 2010 in Doha, Qatar.

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Although Zeiss Ikon's headquarters were based on Dresden, the former Goerz factories in Berlin were still used by Zeiss Ikon after the merge.

Goerz Höfe

Rheinstraße 45-46, 12161 Berlin

Six miles away from the Goerzwerk is the former Optische Anstalt C. P. Goerz's factory and administrative headquarters since 1897/98. It's a complex of different buildings with different styles, designed by the architects Paul Egeling, Waldemar Wendt, Emil Schmidt, Albert Paeseler and P. Mitnacht.

The main façade on the Rheinstraße is of Neo-Renaissance style decorated with funny small statues of children handling optical and photographic apparatus. The inner buildings form several courtyards (Höfe) with a more industrial appearance, with some Neo-Gothic details, though. One of these buildings was also the main factory of the photochemical branch Goerz Photochemische Werke at Holsteinischen Straße 42.

It seems that there are sculpted portraits of Daguerre, Fraunhofer and Gauss somewhere, but I didn't see them.

As well as the Goerzwerk plant, this factory was also managed by Helmut Hemscheidt. During the war the building was temporary used as the district's town hall and later as a storeroom during the 1948-49 Berlin Blockade. Although the building was on West Berlin, some machinery was dismantled after the war by the Russians, but camera production was resumed in the 1940s-50s after all.

The Goerz Höfe buildings were bought in the 1960s by the Becker & Kries real estate. Today they host small workshops and bureaus, a dance and theatre school, a gym and even an art school for children. They are located in a lively and commercial street on the Friedenau neighbour.

Text and pictures by Daniel Jiménez Chocrón written for From the focal plane to infinity

Next up on the Vancouver list, Figma 237 - Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Kusanagi Mokoto.

Here's another interesting one. it's a Figma that I've known about for years now, but never really found one for a price that was reasonable. Finally found a second hand one for $45 CAD while in Vancouver - not my ultimate best price, but a fair price. It was complete and in good shape, so why not? To date, there are two Figma of the character - the Stand Alone Complex version based on her appearance in the series, and a release of her in an Optical Camoflague suit that is based on her appearance in a movie that I guess I never saw. As the title suggests, this figure is based on the former.

Read enough manga or watch enough anime, especially Sci-Fi stuff, eventually you'll run into the Major, Mokoto Kusanagi. She is the lead protagonist of the Ghost in the Shell series, and is a fully body prosthesis cyborg, with the only organic elements being her brain and spinal cord. She is the field commander of Section 9, and effectively is written as a character that can do it all with a fierce sense of determination. She reminds me very much of another femme favourite of mine, Black Widow, though I suspect the Major would probably rip her to shreds. I have not read the original Manga, but I did see the John Woo anime movie back in the day, in theatres even, bits and pieces of the series, and yes, including the visually impressive but otherwise kind of boring live action version with the Widow herself, Scarlett Johansson. Mokoto is probably the most famous of the many detailed mecha based creations by Masamune Shirow.

Released in 2017/18, this figure represents the standard Figma figure in terms of pricing, clocking in a 5,370 Yen, and contents. There's the figure itself, three total face plates (neutral/determined, smiling, shouting), both still and windswept bang pieces, two chest parts, her traditional weapons of Seburo M-5 and Seburo C-26A, the latter with a removable barrel, a variety of hands and of course, your standard Figma stand. Again, not particularly rich in accessories, but the basics are there. Her jacket is made of a more pliable rubber as compared to the rest of her body to allow for "better" range of motion on her arms.

One interesting thing to point out at this time is that I remember this wardrobe on Mokoto, but I don't really recall the more skimpy version that she's worn for her other SAC merchandise, such as the Yamato VMF figure I have of hers. After a bit of research, it appears that the more skimpy stuff is based on Shirow's original artwork, whereas this more conservatively dressed version is straight out of the series itself. Changes like that do happen, so no real gasp of shock or astonishment from me.

The overall figure, at least from the front and kind of from the side, looks pretty accurate. You're gonna lose some accuracy due to the use of the standard Figma 2.0 as your basis for window dressing, but lets get it out of the way - most Figma don't look that great from the back, and Mokoto is certainly no exception. Her back view looks functional at best, but I guess it does the job. Her front view is helped by the general curves of the Figma body, as well as the two interchangable chest parts, one of which is full size, as it were, with the other slightly compressed to allow for more natural two armed weapon holding poses. Or so they say.. it wasn't particularly natural looking in my opinion, but to be fair I didn't try without the compressed chest part either. Head/face is a tad small, but again nothing new to the world of Figma, and as mentioned above, there's that rubbery jacket that allows for better movement. Unlike the VMF release, this jacket stays on the figure and has segmented sleeves instead. Detailing on both still and windswept hair is good considering the scale, with the windswept hair definitely being the one of choice for me, and quite honestly, Mokoto deserves to constantly be in action mode.

From an articulation perspective, Mokoto actually fares better than your typical Figma 2.0 figure. She's got the basics, of course - toes, ankles, knees, hips, waist, mid torso, shoulders with chest collapse, elbows with rotation, wrists, and neck. She also has, unlike most of the other 2.0s that I have, neck articulation as well, though you really need to force it to get the neck to pose as the rubber collar of the jacket gets in the way. The Figma body, as always, gets the job done, but after comparing it to the one on my Endgame Black Widow, who has a very similar shape and outfit style, you can kind of get a better appreciation for the work that Tamashi Nations put in to squeeze out better range of motion and overall better articulation with an equally jointed look (or in some cases, fewer joints exposed). Mind you, Figuarts tend to be pricier, so there is that. It's a shame that these days, it's unlikely that you will get a property with both Figma and Figuarts licensing because that would make for an interesting article.

Beautiful work from a paint perspective, though mind you, not as complex as say, Angela Balzac. Her body is pretty much that lavender/grey, with charcoal grey for her jacket. Overall, the short story is like every other Figma product you pick up, paint finish is smooth, unless there are some really intricate detailed parts, of which there are effectively none on Mokoto. Paint textures are smooth, and this includes the paint work on her exposed flesh tone parts. Her paints and jacket are a more glossy finish, most likely to replicate the look of leather. Decal work is solid, of course - no crossed eyes for this figure. Build quality on the figure is again that consistent Figma solid, with strong joints that hold up to typical forces applied while changing joints. As there is some heavy paint apps on pretty much all the body parts, assembly gaps aren't exactly evident even if there were there, but that's never really been a significant with Figma. I do have a bit of a QC grumble, as I think the tolerances on the rear of her hair might be a bit on the large side, causing the front piece to fall out rather easily. Better than the head not fitting on, I suppose.. stupid Megumin. Weapons fit in her hand perfectly, though as always, figuring out the grip on the C-26A is somewhat of a challenge.

So, other than wishing Mokoto had better articulation, she's everything I dreamed of. Simple clothing showcasing her curves, trademark weaponry - it's not exactly heavy weapons toting, wetwork wearing, pissed off Mokoto, but it's not meant to be.

I wonder if I'll find the movie version one day.

NAA photo of a late model Navaho missile on the pad at Complex 9

Palace Gardens under Prague Castle (Palácové zahrady pod Pražským hradem)

This complex of interconnected historical gardens (Ledeburg, Small and Large Palffy, Kolovrat and Small Fürstenberg Garden) is situated on the southern slopes below Prague Castle. All of these palatial terrace gardens have a rich architectural decoration, decorative staircases, balustrades, scenic terraces, garden-houses and pavilions carefully integrated into the vegetation to create a picturesque whole. Concerts and social events are often held here.

The Southern slopes under the Prague Castle premises above Valdštejnská Street are the location of terrace Baroque gardens established in place of vineyards or Renaissance gardens by the spectacular noble palaces. In the direction from the square Valdštejnské náměstí towards Klárov, there are the following gardens: Ledeburg Garden, Lesser and Greater Pálffy Gardens, Kolowrat Garden, Lesser and Greater Fürstenberg Gardens. All the gardens have been restored and newly replanted. The Langweil’s model of Prague from 1826 - 1836 (today situated in the Museum of the Capital City of Prague) served as a very good model for the restoration of the gardens, as it documented their appearance most completely. All the palace terrace gardens have rich architectural decorations, decorative staircases, balustrades, observation terraces, gloriettes and pavilions composed into picturesque units together with the vegetation. During the summer seasons, they are opened for public in their representative state. Concerts and different social events are held in these gardens.

Ledeburg Garden

is located behind the Ledeburg Palace, house No. 162, and spreads on 0.18 hectares, 205 - 230 m high above sea level. It is also called the Trautmannsdorf Garden, after its founders, Marie and Leopold Trautmannsdorf. The garden was established in 1697 during a reconstruction of the palace carried out by Giovanni Santini Aichl or Giovanni Battista Alliprandi. In 1787 it was acquired by the Kolowrats, and it was modified in Baroque style by Ignác Jan Palliardi.

The garden is divided into two parts. The lower part is situated on a plane, spreading as wide as the palace, and the upper part has half the width and the slant terrain has been modified into five terraces, permeated via an extended steep staircase, terminated via a small octagonal pavilion - a gloriette, built in 1787 at the time of Josef Kolowrat. There is a sala terrena in the lower, parterre part of the garden at the Western front, which used to be decorated by wall paintings. Today, the sala terrena serves the purposes of a concert venue. On the opposite Eastern side, there is a scenery wall with a double staircase and a fountain with a statue of Hercules fighting a several-headed hydra (probably a copy of the original sculpture from the first quarter of the 18th century). There is another fountain in the central part of the green parterre area. The garden is decorated with a female act named Fertility (Plodnost) by Jan Štursa from 1920. There is a supporting wall between the lower parterre and the terraced part, which was originally decorated with Reiner’s fresco. One sundial has been preserved in the garden. By the supporting walls, there are wooden brackets with grapevine and climbing roses, and further on, there are cut evergreen hems, summer annual flowers, as well as plants in terracotta pots.

In the 1950s, there was a complete reconstruction of the garden according to a project of V. Kříž. From 1977 on, the garden was closed for emergency reasons. The last reconstruction was initiated in 1989. Over the years, several professionals participated in the project documentation regarding the garden’s rehabilitation. Their preparation resulted in a project of architect Karel Císař and his team, and the team of a garden architect Květoslav Vlček. Upon the completion of the constructional, technical, restoring and silvicultural works, the garden was festively opened for public in full glory on the 14th June 1995.

Lesser and Greater Pálffy Gardens

Both the terrace gardens of Baroque origin above the Pálffy Palace in Valdštejnská Street No. 158 were established in place of a Renaissance garden of Italian type after Jan Josef of Valdštejn united and re-built two burgess houses with gardens into a palace in 1712 - 1720. After 1731, the property was owned by the Fürstenbergs. The terrace gardens were established in 1751 by Marie Anna of Fürstenberg; we do not know the authors of the project. In 1881, the palace and the gardens were purchased by Eduard Pálffy of Erdöd, hence the name of the gardens. Both the gardens underwent significant reconstruction in the 1950s, but later they had to be modified and relieved of some unsuitable elements.

Lesser Pálffy Garden (0.07 ha) rises up above the former service wing of the palace. It was extensively rehabilitated in the years 1988 - 95 according to the project of architect Josef Lešetický and ing. Václav Pína. Agricultural restoration was realized by ing. Božena Mackovičová. Seven terrace levels of the garden are interconnected via a staircase. At the level of the lowest and the highest terraces, there is an interconnection with the neighbouring gardens - Ledeburg and Greater Pálffy Gardens. The garden has a utility character; the terraces are planted with pear-trees, apple-trees and sour cherry-trees. Grapevine climbs upon the upper supporting wall. Behind the steep staircase in the upper part, there is a small garden with medicinal plants. The Lesser Pálffy Garden was festively opened together with the Ledeburg Garden on the 14th June 1995.

Greater Pálffy Garden spreads in 8 height levels, interconnected in an axis of staircases, alternatively tunnelled and open. In the middle of the lowest terrace, there is a Baroque portal with round pool decorated with a statue of a blowing Triton. On the second terrace, there is a sundial within a Baroque portal. Underneath the clock, there is an inscription on a band: Claret in orbe dies, ac teatras, hora pete umbras - let a clear day in the world scare the gloomy shadows away. Red letters of the inscription, read as Roman numerals, give the year 1751.

There used to be a skittle alley in the garden. As Josef Dobrovský or František Palacký mention, it was a popular place for walks. In place of the original connection with the premises of Prague Castle, there is an oval marble desk, which reads that rehabilitation of the palace gardens was realized with a contribution of the Prague Heritage Fund, under the patronage of President Václav Havel and His Royal Highness Prince Charles. It was in the years 1995 - 1997 according to a project of Václav Girsa and Miloslav Hanzl; the garden modifications were carried out by Irena Bartošová. Greater Pálffy garden was festively opened on the 9th September 1997, and it was added to the observation round of the Ledeburg and the Lesser Pálffy Gardens.

Kolowrat Garden spreads on a steep hill behind the Kolowrat Palace No. 154 on an area of 0.07 hectares. It was established on the bailey of the former medieval ramparts, strengthened by supporting walls, as a terrace with fruit trees. The axis is formed by a narrow, straight staircase connecting seven terraces. In the Eastern part, there is a Baroque fountain with a gargoyle head. The garden is planted with medlars, pear-trees and apricot-trees. The garden was opened for public on the 30th August 2000, following rehabilitation according to projects of architect Václav Jirsa and Miloslav Hanzl, and silvicultural arrangements realized by architect Irena Bartošová.

Lesser Fürstenberg Garden (also the Lesser Černín Garden or the Černín Terraces) used to be a part of the lesser Fürstenberg, former Černín House, No. 155. In the mid-18th century, there used to be a Baroque terrace garden of an Italian type. When it became the property of countess Marie Barbora of Černín, born Schaffgotsche, the house went through an extensive reconstruction carried out by Ignác Jan Palliardi in the years 1784 - 88, which gave the house its current appearance, and at the same time, the architect rebuilt an older Baroque garden into an impressive Rococo terrace garden. It takes up a narrow, but long strip of the slope on the castle hill. The axis has a form of an formidable staircase leading from the gloriette to the observation pavilion, intersected by supporting walls, terraces and balustrades. The gloriette on the ground level, originally containing a bath as well, is painted with grisaille motives with a central genre painting named Swings in the nature (Houpačky v přírodě) and with allegoric paintings of four seasons in the year (perhaps by Ignác František Platzer). There are symmetrically spread orangeries on the second terrace. The staircase is terminated under the Castle’s enclosure wall by a three-piece sala terrena, an observation terrace with a loggia and with plastic stucco articulation, the front of which contains the coats of arms of the Černín and the Schaffgotsch Families. The balustrade is decorated with putti and decorative vases. The staircase leads from here to the observation pavilion with a cylindrical tower, in which Countess of Černín had her bathroom. The last landing of the staircase by the tower allows for access into the Prague Castle Southern Gardens. The garden is characteristic for its climbing roses.

Despite the relatively small extent of the garden, the combination of architectural, sculptural and painting elements with the vegetation on the terraces and the exotic plants in the orangeries provides the best possible effectiveness for the visitors. It is specifically the location under the Castle with a unique view of the town what contributes to the garden’s excellence. In 1997 - 2000, the garden was completely rehabilitated according to the project of architect Václav Jirsa and Miloslav Hanzl, with the silvicultural modifications realized by architect Irena Bartošová. The garden has been accessible for public since the 30th August 2000.

Greater Fürstenberg Garden is situated by the Fürstenberg Palace (Palace of Berka of Dubá, Netolický Palace). It was established by an unknown architect in place of the former vineyards in the 1st half of the 18th century. It consists of two parts - lower plane and rear terraces, intersected via a staircase terminated by a triaxial summer house from the mid-18th century. Modifications were made in 1790 by I. G. Palliardi, and at this time, the fountain with Neptune was founded. In 1822, the garden together with the adjoining palace was purchased by the Fürstenberg Family, and around 1860 they had architect Josef Leibl transforming it into an English park. At the same time, the lower part of the garden was also arranged, in place of the former dumping place, and a fountain was installed here with a sculpture of a boy playing with a stork. The lower plane went through a reconstruction in the 20th century, which was related to the transformation for the Polish Embassy, and the modern modifications were rather of a maintenance character. The upper terraces dilapidated due to lack of care. It was only renewed during reconstruction in the years 2006 - 2008.

The garden spreads on the surface area of 1.55 hectares, it is 130 m wide and the overall height of the ten terraces from the bottom plane amounts to 35 m. It was planted with over 3,500 flowers, 8,500 woody plants, and 2,200 roses. The newly installed lighting allows for evening visits.

www.prague.eu/en/object/places/497/palace-gardens-under-p...

uritours.com/blog/entry/new-dprk-site-spotted-haedanghwa-...

Angkor Wat

by Emi Bell

Summer '15

Los Angeles, CA

Nikon F2

The Owyhee Complex Gather began on September 21, 2018. Horses in temporary holding.

Гітара -- Ukrainian for Guitar. I figured that since I'm making an everyday familiar object look so foreign to the visual senses that I needed a foreign language to describe the set too.

More here in my set, "Гітара:"

www.flickr.com/photos/motorpsiclist/sets/72157630600730218/

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My photographs and videos and any derivative works are my private property and are copyright © by me, John Russell (aka “Zoom Lens”) and ALL my rights, including my exclusive rights, are reserved. ANY use without my permission in writing is forbidden by law.

Alhambra Complex Granada

From the August 2016 return trip to Siem Reap and the Angkor complex:

I love the Angkor complex, Siem Reap, and the Cambodian people so much that I returned again for about a week to photograph as much of the “non-major” sites as I could. Some of them are slightly far from Angkor Wat (by that, I mean to say more than 10 kilometers away), and usually require a little more money to get to. Also, some of the sites (Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen) are not included in the Angkor ticket price and have an additional admission fee.

I don’t know if there’s a set number of how many sites belong in the Angkor complex, though I’m sure it would vary. (Do you only count the major sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm? Do you add the sites that aren’t included in the standard “Angkor Pass,” but are clearly of the same era? Do you include sites that aren’t even named (as are one of the sites in this series)? All in all, I’ll put a very rough number at…50 sites in the Siem Reap area, and that includes the sites that are about 100 km away. Of those, I would say I’ve been to all but 5-10 now. All are included here with the exception, obviously, of the sites that I didn’t visit. (Off the top of my head, I can say they include Koh Ker & that respective group, which is about 120 km ENE of Siem Reap; Phnom Krom, one of the three “mountains” with temples; Ta Prohm Kel; and Mangalartha.)

In practical terms, I’m afraid that with the volume of shooting (about 1,500 frames in the past 7 days), photos will start to look redundant to those who don’t have the same interest in ancient/historical architecture or Angkor as I do. That being said, there are a few things besides temples here. The Old Market area (now Night Market/Pub Street) is represented – a little – and Phnom Kulen has a pretty nice waterfall which is also in this series. Also, I tried to catch a few people in here, though didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked.

I had my friend Mao (tuktuk driver) take me around for 5 of these 7 days this time around. As I mentioned last time, he may cost a little more than what you can arrange through a hotel/guesthouse, but he’s well worth the money (and, in the grand scheme of things, not too expensive; I paid less than $200 for the five days, two of which were “long” trips). He loves his country and heritage, he knows what he’s showing you, he’s flexible, he gives you enough ice water to keep you hydrated, and he’s just a good guy. (He even bought me a birthday cake for cryin’ out loud…) Anyway, I highly recommend Mao. You can find him here: www.facebook.com/mao.khvan (or on Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297390-d10726821-R... )

Now that shameless plugs and other assorted rhetoric are out of the way, it’s time to get on to the temples, ruins, and other miscellany.

The fifth day (and last time I’ll see Mao unless I go back to Siem Reap again) started just the same as my birthday. Chhiengmai brought me a ham & cheese omelette at the hotel, then Mao picked me up and off we went.

Following the same route to Banteay Kdei, we took a right and headed out on the grand loop. The first stop was at Pre Rup, which I’d seen in May, but wanted to photograph again this time around. I love the May shots because it’s in afternoon light, so there are some nice silhouette shots in there. This time, however, was early morning. We didn’t shoot as extensively as we did in May; only staying on the eastern side of the temple and not ascending it. Still, it’s a rather striking temple and worth seeing, even with the restoration that looks as if it hasn’t been touched since May – and didn’t look like it was being touched then, either.

Pre Rup is on the southeast corner of the Grand Loop. From there, continue north. Right before you reach East Mebon is a road going east. (This is the road that would lead you to Banteay Samré if taken straight, or Banteay Srei, Phnom Kulen, and Kbal Spean, if you turn left at the first intersection about 1 kilometer east from here.)

Our second destination, though, was Phnom Bok. To reach here, continue east on the aforementioned road – pass Banteay Samré – taking the first left, then continuing north about 5-10 minutes. All in all, it’s about 20 minutes from the Grand Loop road.

Having seen snow-capped mountains enough in my life, I chuckle to call these mountains instead of hills. However, Angkor is in a large plain, as you can see in these pictures, so any hill looks like a mountain. In the same breath, these aren’t baby hills.

Mao’s wife and daughter stayed with the tuktuk while we went clambering up the hill. I was giving Mao a good ribbing about him not being my friend for making me climb a mountain in tropical heat, but it really wasn’t too bad. He said, “there are only 100 stairs to the top!” I laughed and said there’s no way that’s a mountain then. We walked up a hill for about five minutes before getting to the bottom of the staircase on the south side of the mountain that goes to the summit. He still insisted it was only 100 steps. I counted, just for fun. Turns out, there are 626 steps, give or take one, to the top of the hill and, even when you get to the top, you still have to climb up…a little farther.

As I mentioned, though, it wasn’t a bad climb. The first 400 or so steps are forested, so you’re in shade, though it’s hot and humid. After that, the views of the surrounding plains open up which are quite nice. Mostly, you can see to the south or southeast. I couldn’t see any of the main temples which would be southwest from here. (I couldn’t see them from the peak when looking southwest, though, either…)

At the top of Phnom Bok, there’s a little shelter/rest area where you can sit and buy ice cold drinks. There’s a new Hindu temple up there, and also the ruins of an Angkor-era temple. Sadly, there are also remnants of the Khmer Rouge era, too; machine gun mounts and the like, surrounding the temple.

After 30-45 minutes on the mountaintop, we went back down and I was glad to have a rest in the tuktuk while we made our way back to the Grand Loop. It was a good chance to rest up and enjoy the scenery (in addition to waving like a fool at every passerby as I’m wont to do).

Upon returning to the Grand Loop road, we made a quick right heading north for about 200 meters to the East Mebon. In May, we stopped here, but didn’t do anything other than climb the main stairs, take a few shots, and head off to lunch. (We were tired by that point.)

Because of that, I told Mao I wanted to take time to extensively go around the East Mebon. It’s a surprisingly nice temple mount. (I don’t know how the West Mebon compares; unlike this one, there is still water in the west baray, and I didn’t go out there.) All told, Mao and I wandered our separate ways here for about half an hour or so. I got back to the tuktuk right before one of the daily summer downpours. Mao was stuck out in the rain, but had my backpack, P&S, and umbrella, so was fine.

After a 5-10 minute rest, a Coke and a smile later, the four of us went back on our way around the Grand Loop continuing clockwise. We bypassed Ta Som (which I’d shot well enough in May) and stopped for a very quick shoot at Prasat Krol Ko. This is a very small temple built in the late 12th and early 13th century by Jayavarman VII. It looks like many of the other temples, so most don’t stop here as it’s not terribly interesting. It’s a temple surrounded by two concentric enclosures, in the Bayon style, and rather small. However, it’s near Neak Pean and Preah Khan, so there’s no reason not to stop. This is a Hindu (I believe) temple, as it’s named/dedicated to a cow. I enjoyed it.

The next stop – Neak Pean – was less than two minutes down the road. (Again, no reason not to stop at both. Neak Pean (sometimes spelled “Neak Poan” and pronounced “neek poh-an”) is architecturally different than most of the other sites, as is the setting. Neak Pean is a cruciform arrangement of ponds that centers on a sanctuary tower on a circular island in the middle. Currently, access is limited and you can’t go all the way around it. You approach from the north over a boardwalk – this crosses over the Jayatataka baray, which offers some nice panoramic views of Phnom Bok about 5 kilometers to the east – and finally arrive at the north end of the monument. You can walk around either side to the eastern and western corners, but can go no farther. There are (were) four different sculpted animals on each of the four small ponds around the sanctuary. Eavesdropping a tour guide, he said the four ponds represent earth, air, fire, and water. I had read somewhere what the four animals were, but can’t seem to find that information now. I was very pleased with this stop, too, mainly because it offered a little variety.

After the nice stroll over the boardwalk back to the tuktuk, we continued heading west. At the turn off for Preah Khan (which I skipped this time since we spent a bit of time here in May), there are also two other nearby, rarely visited temples: Banteay Prei and Prasat Prei. These are immediately north of Preah Khan on the outside of the Loop road. Preah Khan is about 200 meters south on the inside of the loop. Neither of these two temples are listed in either LP Cambodia or my Ancient Angkor guidebook, so I unfortunately can’t tell you a thing about them, but would venture to say they were probably built by Jayavarman VII…but, that’s pure conjecture. They were both rather nice to see, and in a fair state of decomposition, so it lent to nice photography. As they are so close to Preah Khan, again…I don’t see why you wouldn’t visit here. You can see both temples in about 20 minutes without going out of your way to do so.

The next stop on today’s private tour is Krol Romeas. This is a very unassuming structure that is less than five minutes outside the North Gate of Angkor Thom. I’m a little confused about what “romeas” means. At first Mao’s wife told me it meant sheep. Then I believe she said it meant hippopotamus. Either way, this structure was an animal pen for one of those. Given the size and depth, I’ll say hippo enclosure is probably correct. Currently, it’s just a very nice setting in the forest. It’s a round enclosure about 20 meters in diameter, just east of the Grand Loop road.

After Krol Romeas, our next stops were the remaining (for me) gates of Angkor Thom: first, the North Gate for a very quick shoot, then down to Bayon and due west on a relaxing, rarely traveled road to the West Gate. The West Gate is supposed to be the one in the most pristine (unrestored) state, though I thought it looked fine. The setting was good.

By this time, it was getting to be early afternoon, probably around 4:00. The next – and last – stop of the day was south of town, away from the majority of Angkor sites. Going south from the Night Market area of Siem Reap along the river, there are two sites of interest: The main one Is the third of the “major” hills – Phnom Krom. This is supposed to be a nice place to see the sunset. However, from having climbed Phnom Bok earlier in the day, I wasn’t inclined to go here, though it was on my original “wish list” that I gave to Mao. Instead, we just went to the other temple in the area: Wat Athvea (sometimes also written Athwea). This is a very tranquil temple and is great in the late afternoon. It’s attached to a functioning monastery, but isn’t noisy. There is a pagoda built on the site of an ancient temple here. What you see here is a 12th century Hindu temple. There is a cemetery adjacent, but that’s not included in this set.

Upon finishing for the day, Mao dropped me back off at my guesthouse. This would be the last time I saw Mao on this trip, though his wife and daughter insisted on taking me to the airport on Tuesday, so I would see them one more time. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Mao’s a good man (Cambodian Mao, that is…)

As always, I hope you enjoy this set. I appreciate you taking time to look. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message or leave it via comment.

Beier grew from the brick and mortar bldg. on the right to a menagerie of warehouses and production facilities.You can tell each different add-on from the employee parking lot off IL. RT. 2.The large tower intrigues me-I assume it contains a freight elevator but it stands so much higher than the rest of the complex I can't be sure that's all.I did not come across it in the dark-it would be worth a trip back!

... On a seperate occasion than the Paper 94: 2007 issue above; IT WOULD BE NICE if Palmer releases some Fuji works / unreleased pattern he obtained, (as gift?); as he ALSO VISITED FUJIMOTO but I do not know the full story.. Instead of having the stuff everyone knows already hydra... Otherwise they'd Never Be Folded...

(Alas the same goes for some of Joisels works: his Starfish model, rectangular bull and other sketches would help). Thanks

Also see: www.flickr.com/photos/36647565@N00/52433313221/

The Camberwell Police Station and Court House Complex on the Corner of Camberwell Road and Butler Street in the Melbourne eastern suburb of Camberwell, was designed by Public Works Department architect, Percy Edgar Everett (1888 - 1967).

The complex was built by W. A. Medbury between 1938 and 1939. in the Streamline Moderne style which had been influencing Australian architecture since its first appearance in the early 1930s. The complex is set on a diagonal axis. The buildings are constructed of red, brown and manganese bricks and contain Percy Everett's trademark pattern detailing.

The complex still retains a law enforcement function to this day, as the court house is now used for Administrative Appeals Tribunals and the police station still functions.

Percy Everett's other architectural works include; the Fairfield Club House in 1934, the Essendon technical School in 1939 and the Russell Street Police Headquarters in 1942 and 1943.

This was maybe the hardest part to simulate a cartoonish light source on top of.

Complexe Cousineau, Saint-Hubert (Québec), 7 septembre 2020.

Keratin Complex Color Therapy Show Posters Photographed By BABAK www.babak.ca

"The feeling of frustration -- the act of being stumped -- is an essential part of the creative process. Before we can find an answer -- before we probably even know the question -- we must be immersed in disappointment, convinced that a solution is beyond our reach."

~~~ Imagine: How creativity works by Jonah Lehrer

I had the joy of meeting up with fellow photographers a few weeks ago at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Complex in Bartlett, IL. We received a tour inside and then spent time photographing the outside. Sadly I didn't stay late enough for the lights after dark which were truly amazing from the images I have seen from friends.

Here is one I took, looking through the gate at the Mandir. Absolutely breathtaking.

More information can be found on their website chicago.baps.org/index.htm Information such as "What is a Mandir? What is a Haveli? What went into building this amazing structure? and more).

Obras de construcción de su complejo eólico de Calango, que se convertirá una de las instalaciones renovables más grandes de Brasil, con 150 megavatios de capacidad. / Construction of the Calango wind farm complex, which will become one of the largest renewable facilities in Brazil, with 150 MW of installed capacity.

south american games

Generalize symbolize

Relations proclaimed

Imaging knowledge

It houses a water tank, an Islamic seminary, a mosque, a tomb and pavilions built around an urbanized village with medieval history traced to the 13th century of Delhi Sultanate reign. (Source: Wikipedia)

DirtyWildStyle......a los años al Wild.....ya mismo en wall!!.

www.flickr.com/groups/e_urbanos/discuss/72157623142391976/

Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Complex by Jorge Ramos, in partnership with The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Pasay City, Metro Manila, completed 1995.

Photographed by Patrick Kasingsing

Aerial

Only showed center portion of the back as the rest is being worked on; I may release the center and bring it completly to the back. Super complex.

Remains of a palace complex that was destroyed in old wars with Chola kings from India.

These pillars once supported the floor of a building.

Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Lovely Debbie Kubheka with Gorgeous Twins at Market Theatre Complex Newtown Johannesburg South Africa January 1999

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_Theatre_(Johannesburg)

Bay Area Disc Association, BADA, US Open Championships, ICC, YCC, National Sports Complex, Blain, Minnesota, MN,

Density on field - TWDC - Designing connected places Summer School - Complexity Maps

Turin-Pollenzo 21-29 August

By Felipe dos Santos Gomes

Trilha do Bauzinho no Complexo da Pedra do Baú em São Bento de Sapucaí

Prambanan temple complex, java

Excursion weekend A.DAY.19 Mechelen, Belgium

Initiative & organization: AMD-ABITARE / Ann Maes & Marleen Bruurs

Program Saturday, 5 October 2019

via Dijlepad along residence Fonteynbrug (Stéphane Beel)

'walking across the water' to Lamot (51N4E),

standing still at Drabstraat -conversion (dmvA + ars horti),

Whitewater-Baldy Complex, Gila National Forest, New Mexico, May, 2012

Photo by Kari Greer.

Credit USFS Gila National Forest.

Soldiers await the start of the USO Holiday Tour at Taji Military Complex, Dec. 25, 2017. Dunford and Troxell, along with USO entertainers, visited service members who are deployed during the holidays. This year’s entertainers are Chef Robert Irvine, wrestler Gail Kim, comedian Iliza Shlesinger, actor Adam Devine, country musician Jerrod Niemann, and WWE Superstars “The Miz” and Alicia Fox. (DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro/Released)

The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam (and later Thailand) since 1782. The king, his court, and his royal government were based on the grounds of the palace until 1925. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), resided at the Chitralada Royal Villa and his successor King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) at the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, both in the Dusit Palace, but the Grand Palace is still used for official events. Several royal ceremonies and state functions are held within the walls of the palace every year. The palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand.

Construction of the palace began on 6 May 1782, at the order of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I), the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, when he moved the capital city from Thonburi to Bangkok. Throughout successive reigns, many new buildings and structures were added, especially during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). By 1925, the king, the Royal Family and the government were no longer permanently settled at the palace, and had moved to other residences. After the abolition of absolute monarchy in 1932, all government agencies completely moved out of the palace.

In shape, the palace complex is roughly rectangular and has a combined area of 218,400 square metres (2,351,000 sq ft), surrounded by four walls. It is situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River at the heart of the Rattanakosin Island, today in the Phra Nakhon District. The Grand Palace is bordered by Sanam Luang and Na Phra Lan Road to the north, Maharaj Road to the west, Sanam Chai Road to the east and Thai Wang Road to the south.

Rather than being a single structure, the Grand Palace is made up of numerous buildings, halls, pavilions set around open lawns, gardens and courtyards. Its asymmetry and eclectic styles are due to its organic development, with additions and rebuilding being made by successive reigning kings over 200 years of history. It is divided into several quarters: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha; the Outer Court, with many public buildings; the Middle Court, including the Phra Maha Monthien Buildings, the Phra Maha Prasat Buildings and the Chakri Maha Prasat Buildings; the Inner Court and the Siwalai Gardens quarter. The Grand Palace is currently partially open to the public as a museum, but it remains a working palace, with several royal offices still situated inside.

Indonesta. Central Java.

Prambanan temple complex.

1989 slide scan

Prambanan is a ninth century Hindu temple compound in Central Java, Indonesia, dedicated to Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Sustainer (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). The temple compound located approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta city on the boundary between Yogyakarta and Central Java province.[1]

The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, currently is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, and is one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the towering 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples.

The inner zone or central compound is the holiest among the three zones. Its the square elevated platform surrounded by square stone wall with stone gates on each four cardinal points. This holiest compound is assembled of eight main shrines or candi. The three main shrines, called Trimurti ("three forms"), are dedicated to the three gods: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Keeper, and Shiva the Destroyer.

The Shiva temple is the tallest and largest structure in Prambanan Loro Jonggrang complex, it measures 47 metres tall and 34 metres wide. The Shiva temple encircled with galleries adorned with bas-reliefs telling the story of Ramayana carved on the inner walls of the balustrades. To follow the story accordingly, visitors must enter from the east side and began to perform pradakshina or circumambulating clockwise. The bas-reliefs of Ramayana continued to Brahma temple galleries.

The Shiva shrine located at the center and contains five chambers, four small chambers in every cardinal direction and one bigger main chamber in central part of the temple. The east chamber connect to central chamber that houses the largest temple in Prambanan, a three meter high statue of Shiva Mahadeva (the Supreme God). The statue bears Lakçana (attributes or symbol) of Shiva such as skull and sickle (crescent) at the crown, and third eye on the forehead, also four hands that holds Shiva's symbols: a prayer beads, feather duster, and trisula (trident). Some historians believe that the depiction of Shiva as Mahadeva also meant to personify king Balitung as the reincarnation of Shiva. So, when he died, a temple was built to commemorate him as Shiva.[9] The statue of Shiva stands on lotus pad on Yoni pedestal that bears the carving of Nāga serpents on north side of pedestal.

The other three smaller chambers contain statues of Hindu Gods related to Shiva; his consort Durga, the rishi Agastya, and Ganesha, his son. Statue of Agastya occupy the south chamber, the west chamber houses the statue of Ganesha, while the north chamber contains the statue of Durga Mahisasuramardini depicting Durga as the slayer of Bull demon. The shrine of Durga is also called the temple of Lara Jonggrang (Javanese: slender virgin), after a Javanese legend of princess Lara Jonggrang.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prambanan

NEOBALLS / ZEN MAGNETS - Neodymium Magnetic Balls (@4205) - Starcraft II's Massive Thor

This is my most complex and largest build to date.

It was designed in parts: Cockpit body, then legs, then arms, then rear guns. Then I had to redesign parts when it came time to assemble it together because of incorrect bonding assumptions and misalignment of magnet fields.

Experimented with x-beam coupled bonds to get the maximum lateral strength with reinforcements on the sides. This proved to be very string. Created a X-Beam using similar methods producing a very strong leg structure. It was capable of support the entire weight of the cockpit body w/o a problem. Had to redesign the leg to cockpit body mount point from the earlier concept because the bond was not completely coupled.

Next up were the arm/guns ... the weight was too much for the cockpit body to support so I fashioned a pair of lego-platforms for them to rest on and take the weight off of the central body.

Finally ... the rear guns ... these were a challenge in that their original mount point design had to be reworked also to make them fit correctly into the rear of the cockpit body. I changed the mount points on the guns to fit the space on both sides and added a few support balls to improve the mount point bonds. I was very surprised how they were balanced and supported only by two point sections to the body. The guns stayed in place for a small series of photos.

The design flaw was in the side bonds of the beam to the legs. The coupled field held nicely for a short amount of time and would have held if it didn't have the weight of the rear guns to support. When they were standing upright and straight, all was good. As soon as I attempted to move the platform forward (to take a video), the rear guns tilted slightly backwards and and that was the end of the leg to body support bonds ... and created the dreaded implosion.

The rear gun weight caused the entire central body section to rotate backwards and fall back on the rear guns ... taking the arms in the process. Perhaps I should have created a Lego-support structure for the rear guns to remove the pendulum force backwards ... but that would have created another view blocker like the side Lego-platforms obstructed the view of the legs and feet. Not sure if I can recreate it for a rotational video ... this took over a week (on/off to design and assemble).

Overall ... I was very happy with the result ... hope I captured enough detail to warrant some visual recognition as a Starcraft II Thor reproduction/interpretation.

This was design and built for the Zen Magnets Contest 26: The Massive Thor

www.zenmagnets.com/blog/26-the-massive-thor/

I tried to document the info for this super complex build (below) accompanied by associated pics in this set

www.flickr.com/photos/tend2it/sets/72157632920071597/

Starcraft II Thor Magnet Count and Detail Talley

======+================

Cockpit Body bottom section: (@0520)

(@0217) - Main shape middle core = (2x108) + 1

(@0095) - central bottom layer 1 = (47x2) + 1 w/black parameter

(@0078) - Sides Bottom layer 2 = (2x(22 parallel pair frnt2bck support + 3 red + 4 gold + 10 ring outside black))

(@0028) - Central bottom layer 3 = (2x14) rectangle

(@0032) - Sides bottom layer 3 = (2x((2x5 parallel bridge rectangle to ring) + (6 ring outside))

(@0010) - Central bottom layer 4 = (10 ring) leg waist w/gold

(@0020) - Sides bottom layer 4 = (2x10 ring) coupled over parallel bridge for perpendicular underside support

(@0040) - Central rear Barrel = (4x8 ring w2 red rings) + (2x4 sqr end)

------

Cockpit Body top section (from center out): (@0371)

(@0166) - top layer 1 = (2x83) w/black missle cover + middle sect separator

(@0105) - top layer 2 = ((2x52) + 1) w/black separator, red trim, gold cockpit

(@0083) - top layer 3 = ((2x41) + 1) w/black separator, red trim, gold cockpit

(@0037) - top layer 4 = ((2x18) + 1) w/black separator trim

(@0010) - top layer 5 = (2x5) w/red/black

------

(@0891)

Leg section x2 (@0640 - 12 removed from bottom of @ leg for foot contact pt)

leg internal structure:

(@0384) - columns = 2 x (4x((2x12) + ((2x11) + 2))) top/bottom coupled bonds w/parallel bonds stacked x 4))

(@0096) - side reinforcements = 2x((2x11) + 2) coupled pair along outside edge centers)

(@0032) - ball reinforcements = 2x(2x4 balls are two balls added to 4 ball in 2, 4, 6, 8th positions) - (12 @ bottom)

leg arch structure (connected to one flat leg top face:

(@0128) - (4x4 parallel sqr) + (2x(6 + 2)) pointy rings) + (4x4 parallel sqr) + (2x(6 + 2)) pointy rings)

Place the two leg arch structures together to form the leg arch

-------

(@1519) = 1531-12

Leg side panels (@0384)

(@0344) - (2 each leg x (2x(2x43 each side))) w/black outside trim

Knees + Leg detail

(@0040) - (2x(2x(6 + 2) knee w/red sqr) + 2x(4 red sqr top of leg))

-------

(@1903)

Feet x2 (@0242)

(@0184) - (2x((2x7 + 2 1st mid layer) + (2x(2x10 + 1) 2nd mid layer) + ((2x(2x8 + 1) outside layer))

(@0034) - (2x(2x(2x3 + 1 top of toe 2 leg)) + (1 center rear foot 2 leg conn) + (2 x 1 outer rear foot sides 2 leg

conn))

(@0024) - (2x(2x6 rings rear foot heel))

-------

(@2145)

X-Beam waist platform - (@0233 - 19) this part is placed across the center perpendicular to the x-beam leg arch

(@0214) - (2x(2x(18 + 17 + 6 + 3)) + (2x(7 + 2)) + ((8 + 1 front side) + (2x9 rear side)) + ((2 x 3 red front center) +

(2 x 2 red front sides) + (2 red rear)) - (19 removed under rear panel side to fold)

Arm Guns (2 pair per arm w/red + black accents)

(@0380) - (4x((4x9 center core) + (3x((2x7) + 1)) top/sides) + (2x7) middle join))

Shoulder to elbow core w/o reinforcements ((@0174)per arm)

(@0348) - (2 x (top((2x5)+2) + (4x8+2 parallel) + ((2x5)+2) + (2x5) + (2x(2x5)+1) + (2x(2x6)+1) + ((4x7)+2 parallel

mount2gun) + (1 ball center to bridge below 2 ball center to 1 ball) + ((2x6)+1) + ((2x4)+2)bottom)

Shoulder to elbow (per arm, per side)

(@0248) - (2 x (2 x (top 3 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 5 + 4 + 4 + 5 + (2x7arm2shoulder bridge) + (5 + 3 bottom))

Elbow to gun support (per arm, per side) (@0140 - 18 for outside facing side revamp)

(@0122) - (2 x (2 x (((2x9)+1) + (2x8)) -

Revamp outside facing sides for Z bracket (remove 2x(4 top/4 bottom/2 middle/move center ball down, add 1 ball)

Revamp 2 rear centerballs with red

(@028) - add red design outside facing shoulder 2 elbow

------

(@3485)

Rear Guns x2

Large cannon (@0112 each)

(@0224) - 2 x ((2x(2x15) + (4x(5+2)) + (4x(6 ring)))

Smaller cannon (@0092 each)

(@0184) - 2 x ((2x(2x13) + (4x(4+2)) + (4x(4 ring)))

Gun bridges (@0010 each)

(@0020) - (2 x (4 ring + 6 ring across two cannons)

Gun mounts x2

(@0104) - (2 x ((top (2x4+2) + (2x5+2) parallel to existing + (2x4+2) + (2x5 parallel) + (2x4+2) bottom)

Gun panel x 2 (@0102 each)

(@0204) - (2 x (2x(11 + 10 + 9 + 8 + 7 + 6))

-------

Revamp base

(@4221) subtotal b4 assembly

Assembly mods

-------------

Moved the (@0040) - Central rear Barrel = (4x8 ring w2 red rings) + (2x4 sqr end) below the rear of the body between

the leg mount and cockpit body. Actually used the barrel as a mount point for the rear guns.

Modded Cockpit Body bottom section (mount point):

(@0020) = (2 x (7 + 6 + 5)) = Changed = (@0028) - Central bottom layer 3 = (2x14) rectangle to covert parallel

rectangle to hex parallel center, coupled sides

-------

(@4213) = (@4221 - 8)

Moved central bottom layer x-beam

(@0018) = (2x09 ring) = Changed = (@0020) - Sides bottom layer 4 = shifted it down one row, removed 1 ball on end to form point and pinched outside end fit in center of 6 ball side.

(@4211) = (@4213 - 2)

Removed gold 10 ball ring mount

Changed = (@0010) = Central bottom layer 4 = (10 ring) leg waist w/gold

-------

(@4201) = (@4213 - 10)

Modded Rear Guns

(@0100) = Changed = Rear Gun mounts x2 - removed +2 from top/bottom mount point (2x4+2)=>(2x4)

(@4197) = (@4201-4)

Added extra mount point support bwtween rear gun mounts and rear cockpit body

(@4205) = (@4201+8)

Grand Total! = (@4205)

The ferris wheel here is a former traveling model made permanent (the wheels, kingpin & lighting/brake connectors are still there).