Difficult to accurately describe - like Charmaine's lips or this strange monkey :)

Difficult to capture with wings spread, as it was constantly flapping... One of my favourite moths, I found this one at work on the nightshift...

How difficult would it be for you and your very lovely lady to take the 48 Hour Challenge and restrict yourselves only to the Resorts World property? Would it be difficult at all! Perhaps the 48 Hour Challenge would be no challenge at all! Would the 72 Hour Challenge be anymore difficult? 🤔

There's only one way to find out for sure! 😏😎

In the meantime, you still have two hours to burn before dinner at Smith & Wollensky! So Enjoy Your Time! 😌😎 Perhaps you should take a stroll up the street to Resorts World.

Difficult to separate from Common Chiffchaff but has pale supercilium tinged yellowish-green (especially in front of eye) - Best identified from its voice

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Press L and then F11 to fully enjoy this picture in a large view

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Thank you so much for your visits, comments and favs.

©2018 Bruno Portier, All Rights Reserved. All images of this gallery are not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer

A difficult warbler to sight and shoot. Just the size my thumb, they are incredibly agile and always in action on the branches, looking for small insects, larvae and caterpillars. They have streaked crown which makes it easier to identify from the right angle, otherwise its a bit of confusion.

The birds are migrants from Central Asia to South India during winters and found in thick canopy - usually on the upper canopy.

This wasn't my first sighting, but don't have a better shot than this. After 100s of shots, this is one of very few that is usable.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

Roxanne Gay has been on my to-read list for some time, so glad I happened upon Difficult Women recently at the library. Each story is so unique, so visceral. So much to do with love, loss and the horror of being a human.

**first iced (slow drip Vietnamese) coffee of the season

It can be difficult to tell the difference between American Lady and Painted Lady. The American Lady has a small white dot on the wing.

It is difficult to expose all the fakery in this world when people have a vested interest in maintaining the lie. Image Sources: texture_315_by_sirius_sdz_d60e29r; flame-1789451 by Werbefuzzy68 from Pixabay; sparks_2_by_mariasemelevich_d826onj; stock___bloody_tears____in_my_arms_by_s_t_a_r_gazer_d8gjhyi; Hair from Cindy Grundsten on Deviant Art; GrutBrushes;

Difficult climb with a snowboard. The mountain La Tournette, France

Difficult to believe these Golfs are 20+ years old now.

In and around Drumheller Channels, it's difficult to find places I've not at least breezed by. But this, on Lower Goose Lake, near the old dam, was one of them.

The road leading back wasn't great, and I thought it just got worse, but I was wrong. My mightly little trooper of a crossover took it no problem.

Once there, abundant fish could be swimming to the surface, helping us rid the area of mosquitoes (keep on truckin'). I tried to take the shot when they were near the surface, but the length of the exposure (eight seconds) prevented anything from appearing - apart from a weirdly smooth and fuzzy surface.

This little scene was all new to me, and I took a few shots of it, running back to the car to grab another camera, then another. But this one made the day, I think.

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'Seven Chains from the Way'

Camera: Intrepid Mk3 4×5 (2018)

Lens: Schneider-Kreuznach Super-Angulon 8/90mm

Film: Kodak Ektachrome Duplicating Film (6121); x-01/1991; 12iso

Exposure: f/64; 8sec

Process: DIY ECN-2

Lower Goose Lake, Drumheller Channels, Washington

June 2019

On Tuesday Mercedes was found laid out at my front gate.

I had started to trust her to go out in the night sometimes. She always came back. It was difficult to force her all the time to be inside at night.

She didn't come back on Monday night after we had gone to bed, but I had an important phone call and I had to get up. It was then she kept demanding to go out. On the 3rd demand I let her out.

I had been vigilantly keeping her in at night, but I have been unwell, and I had started to give in to her demands to go out. She hated confinement. I was also doing things to keep her connected to stay close to the house. I would take her for walks on my shoulder which she loved. She loved individual attention away from the other cats.

I have been struggling in myself, and I had neglected giving her her special time, for a few days, which I used to do at dusk. She would anticipate me coming out and we would walk the length of the property and back with her on my shoulder and purring loudly.

I was going to go out and call her after she hadn't come back, but I am in pain myself in my ankle and feet, and it's difficult.

I don't know if she was hit by a car or poisoned. She did have blunt force injury to her left hip. But other things raised questions.

She loved catching mice and she loved showing off her prize. She would catch about 2 mice or rats a day. Mostly mice.

She was doing well on her pain medication, and it was a deep cold blow to me emotionally to lose her. I am responsible for her and she shouldn't have been off the property, regardless of her difficult nature. She had to suffer a little bit being inside at night to survive this world, and I allowed her to go out.

She did have her health issues and I hope she didn't suffer in any way.

She was mostly happy, but she was antagonistic towards the other cats which made things difficult where I am.

My life has taken a few bad turns due to circumstances, we were meant to have our own home a year ago. But things happened and we have had to move to a temporary home. Each time we move it's traumatic for all of us.

I have no doubt that if we had our own home, that I would have had the place secured for them.

I'm sad that she didn't get to come with us to our eventual home of our own.

This is how she slept. I think she's able to stretch her legs fully when there is no weight on them. It must have felt good to stretch them like that. With the pain killer she walked taller, but she still wasn't perfect.

This photo was taken about 12 days before she passed.

In these difficult days it is good to raid the archives and look back at pleasant moment. Moments that live in the memory as you look back. Certainly cheering my day. Hope you are all well

Difficult to find out entrance for tube.

Whoopers are unbelievably difficult to get close to using conventional stalking methods, it'll have to be a hide job next time. The moment one sees any kind of suspicious movement, it gives a honk and all swans (120 of them today) stick their necks straight up and you can't move till every one of them puts their head down again. If you move at the wrong time, they all start waddling away from you and the whole endeavor is lost.

It is difficult to find "open spaces" reminiscent of the 1830's in the Hudson River Valley....but, if you scout diligently, you can find places where your wide-angle lens can still capture unspoiled beauty that those "Hudson River School" artists of the 1830's made so famous and inspirational.

See's Candy white chocolate lemon truffle...this was such a difficult project. Much sampling was required to find the ideal sweet subject.

The heart is full of love which sometime it is difficult to express it.....

www.flickr.com/photos/33714681@N06/show/

--------- street photography ---------

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT34cHmn2VQ&feature=related

The most difficult yet rewarding kind of photography I dabble with is newborn photography. Now I’ve never been able to manage to get a baby to do ”The Pose”, I have been blessed with some very beautiful and cooperate babies. Someday I’ll get The Pose, but let me tell you, it’s probably the single-most difficult look to get in photography, outside of photographing Chuck Norris riding a unicorn attacking a dinosaur during a total eclipse, in HDR. That’s my next goal.

I photographed her parents wedding last September, and they contacted me on New Years to photograph their daughter. I love return business, especially when I know they enjoy my work.

Now on to find a unicorn for Chuck.

Network Rail 950001 pays a Sunday morning visit to line between Barnsley and Huddersfield and seen passing over Oxspring Viaduct working the 2Q08 Derby RTC - Doncaster West Yard

Until the 1980's the viaduct was covered in gantries carrying 1500V overhead lines as part of the iconic Woodhead Line . Having been banked up the 1:40 Worsborough Branch by another pair of Class 76's , double headed coal trains would arrive here a very gentle 1:100 comparison to continue their journey through the Woodhead Tunnel over the Pennines .

The final train travelled over the line on Saturday 18th July 1981 , from then on it was all about demolition trains .

15 8 22

Giraffe in the Etosha Pan

Un classico ...

Il Duomo di Milano , monumento simbolo del capoluogo lombardo, è dedicato a Santa Maria Nascente ed è situato nell'omonima piazza nel centro della città. Per superficie, è la quarta chiesa d'Europa, dopo San Pietro in Vaticano, Saint Paul a Londra e la cattedrale di Siviglia.

La sua storia è lunga, incomincia nel 1386... vi preciso solo che nel 1805, su istanza diretta di Napoleone, Giuseppe Zanoia avviò i lavori per il completamento della facciata, in previsione dell'incoronazione a re d'Italia. Il progetto venne finalmente concluso nel 1813 da Carlo Amati. Tra gli scultori che vi lavorarono nei primi anni dell'Ottocento, si può ricordare Luigi Acquisti.

Sorry, to me is very difficult to visit people that always only leave a fav without commenting...

Do not use any of my images on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission.

All rights reserved - Copyright © fotomie2009 - Nora Caracci

Difficult not to saturate parts of the lower portion of this aurora, as the variation in brightness is just to great. This is something that happens quite frequently at higher latitudes, but I don't see it that often over the UK.

Difficult times makes the hairs grey. No, I will not weep.

Difficult - Indoor available light, thru protective glass, hand held - D800 70-200 at f2.8, ISO 3200, 1/400 sec.

343/365

1/9/14

smu.gs/KLlAFD

SN/NC: Lagerstroemia Indica, Lythraceae Family

These trees have two dominant colors: light purple and light rose. White is more difficult to find. Known as crape myrtle or crepe myrtle is a species from China, Korea, Japan and Indian Subcontinent Lagerstroemia indica is an often multi-stemmed, deciduous tree with a wide spreading, flat topped, rounded, or even spike shaped open habit. Planted in full sun or under canopy, the tree is a popular nesting shrub for songbirds and wrens. Very popular in Suriname largely for urban landscaping.

Deze bomen hebben twee dominante kleuren: lichtpaars en lichtroze. Wit is moeilijker te vinden. Bekend als kripmirte of crêpemirte is een soort uit China, Korea, Japan en het Indiase subcontinent Lagerstroemia indica is een vaak meerstammige, bladverliezende boom met een wijdverspreide, plat getopte, ronde of zelfs puntige open groeiwijze. Geplant in de volle zon of onder de luifel, is de boom een ​​populaire neststruik voor zangvogels en winterkoninkjes. Zeer populair in Suriname, vooral voor stadsaanleg.

Foto hecha en Paramaribo, Suriname. Están empezando a aparecer estas flores pues son muchos colores, especialmente la rosada y de color morado. Las blancas son menos comunes. Creo q es el árbol de lo más presente en las calles del municipio.

Resedá é uma árvore (outra variedade bem maior em tamanho) muito usada para o embelezamento urbano de muitas cidades na América Central. Predominam as de cor rosa e roxa, clara, mais para o lilás. As brancas são menos comuns. São muito bonitas e os morcegos comem os caroços gerados depois da florada. No Brasil, resedá. Tem presença importante e especialmente as árvores menores.

Le "resedá" est un arbre (une autre variété beaucoup plus grande dans la taille) très utilisé pour l'embellissement urbain de Amérique centrale. Ils prédominent le rose et ces couleurs, violet. Ils sont très beaux et les chauves-souris mangent les grumeaux générés après la floraison. Au Brésil, réséda. Il a une présence importante et surtout les petits arbres. Il y a des fleurs roses, rouges et blanches.

Resedazione è un albero (un'altra varietà molto più grande di dimensioni) molto utilizzato per l'abbellimento urbano della città de America centrale. Essi predominano il rosa e questi colori, viola, Clara. Sono molto belle e i pipistrelli mangiano i grumi generati dopo la fioritura. In Brasile, resedate. Ha una presenza importante e soprattutto gli alberi più piccoli. Ci sono fiori rosei, rossi e bianchi.

Rebetäubung ist ein Baum (eine andere viel größere Vielfalt in der Größe) sehr für städtische Verschönerung der Mittelamerika verwendet. Sie dominieren die rosa und diese Farben, lila, Clara. Sie sind sehr schön und die Fledermäuse fressen die Klumpen, die nach der Blüte erzeugt werden. In Brasilien, reberuhigungsmittel. Es hat eine bedeutende Präsenz und vor allem die kleineren Bäume. Es gibt Rosa, rote und weiße Blumen.

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SN/NC: Allamanda Cathartica, Apocynaceae Family

Allamanda cathartica, commonly called golden trumpet, common trumpetvine, and yellow allamanda, is a species of flowering plant of the genus Allamanda in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.

It does not twine, nor does it have tendrils or aerial roots. It can be pruned into a shrub form. If not pruned it can sprawl to a height of 20 feet.

The city of Canóvanas, Puerto Rico has adopted this species, known locally as canario amarillo, as its official flower. It is beautiful with a strong yellow but be careful as it is very toxic.

Allamanda cathartica , communément appelée trompette dorée , trompette commune et allamanda jaune , est une espèce de plante à fleurs du genre Allamanda de la famille des Apocynaceae . Il est originaire du Brésil. Cette plante est citée dans Flora Brasiliensis de Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.Il ne s'enroule pas, ni n'a de vrilles ou de racines aériennes. Il peut être taillé en buisson. S'il n'est pas taillé, il peut atteindre une hauteur de 20 pieds.La ville de Canóvanas, à Porto Rico, a adopté cette espèce, connue localement sous le nom de canario amarillo, comme fleur officielle. Il est beau avec un jaune soutenu mais attention car il est très toxique.

Allamanda cathartica, comumente chamada de trombeta dourada, trombeta comum e allamanda amarela, é uma espécie de planta com flores do gênero Allamanda na família Apocynaceae. É nativa do Brasil. Esta planta é citada na Flora Brasiliensis por Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.Não se enrola, nem tem gavinhas ou raízes aéreas. Pode ser podada em forma de arbusto. Se não for podada, pode atingir até 20 metros de altura.A cidade de Canóvanas, Porto Rico, adotou esta espécie, conhecida localmente como canario amarillo, como sua flor oficial. É bonito com um amarelo forte, mas tome cuidado, pois é muito tóxico.

L'Allamanda cathartica, comunemente chiamata tromba d'oro, tromba comune e allamanda gialla, è una specie di pianta da fiore del genere Allamanda della famiglia delle Apocynaceae. È originario del Brasile. Questa pianta è citata in Flora Brasiliensis di Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.Non si attorciglia, né ha viticci o radici aeree. Può essere potato a forma di arbusto. Se non viene potato può estendersi fino a un'altezza di 20 piedi.La città di Canóvanas, Porto Rico, ha adottato questa specie, conosciuta localmente come canario amarillo, come suo fiore ufficiale. È bello con un giallo intenso ma fai attenzione perché è molto tossico.

Allamanda cathartica, gewoonlijk gouden trompet, gewone trompetstok en gele allamanda genoemd, is een soort bloeiende plant van het geslacht Allamanda in de familie Apocynaceae. Het is inheems in Brazilië. Deze plant wordt aangehaald in Flora Brasiliensis door Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.Het kronkelt niet en heeft ook geen ranken of luchtwortels. Hij kan in struikvorm worden gesnoeid. Als het niet wordt gesnoeid, kan het zich uitstrekken tot een hoogte van 20 voet.De stad Canóvanas, Puerto Rico, heeft deze soort, plaatselijk bekend als canario amarillo, als officiële bloem geadopteerd. Het is mooi met een sterk geel, maar wees voorzichtig, want het is erg giftig.

Allamanda cathartica, comúnmente llamada trompeta dorada, trompeta común, flor mantequilla y allamanda amarilla, es una especie de planta con flores del género Allamanda en la familia Apocynaceae. Es nativo de Brasil. Esta planta es citada en Flora Brasiliensis por Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.No se enrosca, ni tiene zarcillos ni raíces aéreas. Se puede podar en forma de arbusto. Si no se poda, puede extenderse hasta una altura de 20 pies.La ciudad de Canóvanas, Puerto Rico ha adoptado esta especie, conocida localmente como canario amarillo, como su flor oficial. Es preciosa con un amarillo fuerte pero ojo que es muy toxica.

Allamanda cathartica, allgemein als goldene Trompete, gewöhnliche Trompetenranke und gelbe Allamanda bezeichnet, ist eine blühende Pflanzenart der Gattung Allamanda in der Familie Apocynaceae. Es ist in Brasilien beheimatet. Diese Pflanze wird in Flora Brasiliensis von Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius zitiert.Es windet sich nicht, hat keine Ranken oder Luftwurzeln. Es kann in eine Strauchform geschnitten werden. Wenn sie nicht beschnitten wird, kann sie sich bis zu einer Höhe von 20 Fuß ausbreiten.Die Stadt Canóvanas in Puerto Rico hat diese Art, die lokal als Canario Amarillo bekannt ist, als ihre offizielle Blume angenommen. Es ist wunderschön mit einem kräftigen Gelb, aber seien Sie vorsichtig, da es sehr giftig ist.

一般にゴールデントランペット、一般的なトランペットバイン、および黄色のアラマンダと呼ばれるアラマンダカタルティカは、キョウチクトウ科のアラマンダ属の顕花植物の一種です。ブラジル原産です。この植物は、カールフリードリヒフィリップフォンマルティウスによってフローラブラジリエンシスで引用されています。絡まることも、巻きひげや気根もありません。それは低木の形に剪定することができます。剪定しないと、20フィートの高さまで広がる可能性があります。プエルトリコのカノバナス市では、地元ではカナリオアマリロとして知られるこの種を公式の花として採用しています。濃い黄色で綺麗ですが、毒性が強いので注意してください。

Το Allamanda cathartica, κοινώς αποκαλούμενο χρυσή τρομπέτα, κοινή τρουμπέτα και κίτρινη αλαμάντα, είναι ένα είδος ανθοφόρου φυτού του γένους Allamanda στην οικογένεια των Apocynaceae. Είναι εγγενές στη Βραζιλία. Αυτό το φυτό αναφέρεται στο Flora Brasiliensis από τον Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.Δεν σπειρώνεται, ούτε έχει έλικες ή εναέριες ρίζες. Μπορεί να κλαδευτεί σε μορφή θάμνου. Αν δεν κλαδευτεί μπορεί να απλωθεί σε ύψος 20 ποδιών.Η πόλη Canóvanas του Πουέρτο Ρίκο έχει υιοθετήσει αυτό το είδος, γνωστό τοπικά ως canario amarillo, ως επίσημο λουλούδι. Είναι όμορφο με έντονο κίτρινο αλλά προσοχή γιατί είναι πολύ τοξικό.

Allamanda cathartica ، المعروف باسم البوق الذهبي ، والبوق الشائع ، والألاماندا الصفراء ، هو نوع من النباتات المزهرة من جنس Allamanda في عائلة Apocynaceae. موطنها الأصلي البرازيل. تم الاستشهاد بهذا النبات في Flora Brasiliensis بواسطة Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.ليس لها خيوط ، ولا لها محلاق أو جذور هوائية. يمكن تقليمها إلى شكل شجيرة. إذا لم يتم تقليمها ، فيمكن أن تمتد إلى ارتفاع 20 قدمًا.تبنت مدينة كانوفاناس ، بورتوريكو ، هذا النوع ، المعروف محليًا باسم كاناريو أماريلو ، كزهرة رسمية لها. إنه جميل ذو لون أصفر قوي ولكن كن حذرًا لأنه شديد السمية.

Difficult Times a Part of Life

1. Living in a fallen world means that tough times are inevitable.

Genesis 3:17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” (NKJV)

Job 5:7 For man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward. (NASB)

Job 14:1–2; John 15:18–21; 16:33; Romans 8:18–23

2. Trials are to be expected and remind us of the sufferings of Christ.

1 Peter 4:12–13 My dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful test you are suffering, as though something unusual were happening to you. Rather be glad that you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may be full of joy when his glory is revealed. (GNT)

2 Timothy 2:3 Take your part in suffering, as a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus. (GNT)

Keith R. Miller, Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling Men (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014), 297.

Very difficult conditions for Aurora photography on the morning of the 18th, when we were feeling a brief blast of energy from the recent solar flare. For recording the Aurora and capturing some pleasing imagery, including terrestrial features, I find the half moon phases to be the best. It's difficult, unless the Aurora is unusually intense, to obtain good results during the monthly lunation (moonless period) and possibly even more difficult with a totally full moon directly overhead.

Stormtroopers have a difficult life. from unending, exhausting training to hone their skills, to off world patrols, excursions and dangerous missions full of peril. And then there's the Emperor.

As Stormtrooper Bruce sits in his quarters enjoying his burger, he is suddenly aware just how much his friends mean to him. They have always been there for him, helping him get through the hard times and making the good times even better. Showing up for Movie Night when they could spend their weekends anywhere. Knowing when they step out the door some or possibly all of them may never return.

In spite of all their flaws, quirks and sometimes brutal honesty he loves these guys. It's friends like these who make it all worth while. That, and some burgers and brewskies on movie night.

....TRY, PLEASE, TO IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO TAKE A PHOTO LIKE THIS: ONE HAND TAKING THE PADDLE IN ORDER DO NOT LOOSE IT, AND THE OTHER HAND THE CAMERA....

IT IS TO SHOW THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE COLORS OF THE WATER OF THIS MAGIC PARADISE....

MY BEST GREETINGS....

La Cattedrale di Santa Maria Fiore - Duomo, Firenze (Florença)

www.google.com/maps?q=florença%20italia&layer=c&...

Following, a text, in english, from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia:

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (English: Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) is the cathedral church of Florence, Italy. The Duomo, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.

The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile. The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the historic centre of Florence and are a major attraction to tourists visiting the region of Tuscany. The basilica is one of Italy's largest churches, and until development of new structural materials in the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world. It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.

The cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Florence, whose archbishop is currently Giuseppe Betori.

he Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore was built on the site of an earlier cathedral dedicated to Saint Reparata.[1] The ancient building, founded in the early 5th century and having undergone many repairs, was crumbling with age, as attested in the 14th century Nuova Cronica of Giovanni Villani,[2] and was no longer large enough to serve the growing population of the city.[2] Other major Tuscan cities had undertaken ambitious reconstructions of their cathedrals during the Late Medieval period, as seen at Pisa and particularly Siena where the enormous proposed extensions were never completed.

The new church was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and approved by city council in 1294. Arnolfo di Cambio was also architect of the church of Santa Croce and the Palazzo Vecchio. He designed three wide naves ending under the octagonal dome, with the middle nave covering the area of Santa Reparata. The first stone was laid on September 9, 1296 by Cardinal Valeriana, the first papal legate ever sent to Florence. The building of this vast project was to last 170 years, the collective efforts of several generations; Arnolfo's plan for the eastern end, although maintained in concept, was greatly expanded in size.

After Arnolfo died in 1302, work on the cathedral slowed for the following thirty years. The project obtained new impetus, when the relics of Saint Zenobius were discovered in 1330 in Santa Reparata. In 1331, the Arte della Lana, the [=[Guilds of Florence|guild of wool merchants]], took over exclusive patronage for the construction of the cathedral and in 1334 appointed Giotto to oversee the work. Assisted by Andrea Pisano, Giotto continued di Cambio's design. His major accomplishment was the building of the campanile. When Giotto died in 1337, Andrea Pisano continued the building until work was again halted due to the Black PDeath in 1348.

In 1349 work resumed on the cathedral under a series of architects, commencing with Francesco Talenti, who finished the campanile and enlarged the overall project to include the apse and the side chapels. In 1359 Talenti was succeeded by Giovanni di Lapo Ghini (1360–1369) who divided the center nave in four square bays. Other architects were Alberto Arnoldi, Giovanni d'Ambrogio, Neri di Fioravante and Andrea Orcagna. By 1375 the old church Santa Reparata was pulled down. The nave was finished by 1380, and by 1418 only the dome remained incomplete.

On 19 August 1418, the Arte della Lana announced a structural design competition for erecting Neri's dome. The two main competitors were two master goldsmiths, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi, who was supported by Cosimo de Medici. Ghiberti had been winner of a competition for a pair of bronze doors for the Baptistery in 1401 and lifelong competition between the two remained acute. Brunelleschi won and received the commission.[3]

Ghiberti, appointed coadjutator, was drawing a salary equal to Brunelleschi's and, though neither was awarded the announced prize of 200 florins, would potentially earn equal credit, while spending most of his time on other projects. When Brunelleschi became ill, or feigned illness, the project was briefly in the hands of Ghiberti. But Ghiberti soon had to admit that the whole project was beyond him. In 1423 Brunelleschi was back in charge and took over sole responsibility.[4]

Work started on the dome in 1420 and was completed in 1436. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV on March 25, 1436 (the first day of the year according to the Florentine calendar). It was the first 'octagonal' dome in history to be built without a temporary wooden supporting frame: the Roman Pantheon, a circular dome, was built in 117–128 AD with support structures. It was one of the most impressive projects of the Renaissance. During the consecration service in 1436, Guillaume Dufay's similarly unique motet Nuper rosarum flores was performed. The structure of this motet was strongly influenced by the structure of the dome.

The decoration of the exterior of the cathedral, begun in the 14th century, was not completed until 1887, when the polychrome marble façade was completed to the design of Emilio De Fabris. The floor of the church was relaid in marble tiles in the 16th century.

The exterior walls are faced in alternate vertical and horizontal bands of polychrome marble from Carrara (white), Prato (green), Siena (red), Lavenza and a few other places. These marble bands had to repeat the already existing bands on the walls of the earlier adjacent baptistery the Battistero di San Giovanni and Giotto's Bell Tower. There are two lateral doors, the Doors of the Canonici (south side) and the Door of the Mandorla (north side) with sculptures by Nanni di Banco, Donatello, and Jacopo della Quercia. The six lateral windows, notable for their delicate tracery and ornaments, are separated by pilasters. Only the four windows closest to the transept admit light; the other two are merely ornamental. The clerestory windows are round, a common feature in Italian Gothic.

During its long history, this cathedral has been the seat of the Council of Florence (1439), heard the preachings of Girolamo Savonarola and witnessed the murder of Giuliano di Piero de' Medici on Sunday, 26 April 1478 (with Lorenzo Il Magnifico barely escaping death) in the Pazzi conspiracy.

Exterior

Plan and structure

The cathedral of Florence is built as a basilica, having a wide central nave of four square bays, with an aisle on either side. The chancel and transepts are of identical polygonal plan, separated by two smaller polygonal chapels. The whole plan forms a Latin cross. The nave and aisles are separated by wide pointed Gothic arches resting on composite piers.

The dimensions of the building are enormous: length 153 metres (502 ft), width 38 metres (124 ft), width at the crossing 90 metres (295 ft). The height of the arches in the aisles is 23 metres (75 ft). The height from pavement to the opening of the lantern in the dome is also 90 metres (295 ft).

Dome

By the beginning of the fifteenth century, after a hundred years of construction, the structure was still missing its dome. The basic features of the dome had been designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1296. His brick model, 4.6 metres (15 ft) high 9.2 metres (30 ft) long, was standing in a side isle of the unfinished building, and had long ago become sacrosanct.[5] It called for an octagonal dome higher and wider than any that had ever been built, with no external buttresses to keep it from spreading and falling under its own weight.

The Duomo viewed from the heights of Piazzale Michelangelo

The commitment to reject traditional Gothic buttresses had been made when Neri di Fioravante's model was chosen over a competing one by Giovanni di Lapo Ghini.[6] That architectural choice, in 1367, was one of the first events of the Italian Renaissance, marking a break with the Medieval Gothic style and a return to the classic Mediterranean dome. Italian architects regarded Gothic flying buttresses as ugly makeshifts, in addition to being a style favored by central Italy's traditional enemies to the north.[7] Neri's model depicted a massive inner dome, open at the top to admit light, like Rome's Pantheon, but enclosed in a thinner outer shell, partly supported by the inner dome, to keep out the weather. It was to stand on an unbuttressed octagonal drum. Neri's dome would need an internal defense against spreading (hoop stress), but none had yet been designed.

The building of such a masonry dome posed many technical problems. Brunelleschi looked to the great dome of the Pantheon in Rome for solutions. The dome of the Pantheon is a single shell of concrete, the formula for which had long since been forgotten. A wooden form had held the Pantheon dome aloft while its concrete set, but for the height and breadth of the dome designed by Neri, starting 52 metres (171 ft) above the floor and spanning 44 metres (144 ft), there was not enough timber in Tuscany to build the scaffolding and forms.[8] Brunelleschi chose to follow such design and employed a double shell, made of sandstone and marble. Brunelleschi would have to build the dome out of bricks, due to its light weight compared to stone and easier to form, and with nothing under it during construction. To illustrate his proposed structural plan, he constructed a wooden and brick model with the help of Donatello and Nanni di Banco and still displayed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The model served as a guide for the craftsmen, but was intentionally incomplete, so as to ensure Brunelleschi's control over the construction.

Brunelleschi's solutions were ingenious. The spreading problem was solved by a set of four internal horizontal stone and iron chains, serving as barrel hoops, embedded within the inner dome: one each at the top and bottom, with the remaining two evenly spaced between them. A fifth chain, made of wood, was placed between the first and second of the stone chains. Since the dome was octagonal rather than round, a simple chain, squeezing the dome like a barrel hoop, would have put all its pressure on the eight corners of the dome. The chains needed to be rigid octagons, stiff enough to hold their shape, so as not to deform the dome as they held it together.

Each of Brunelleschi's stone chains was built like an octagonal railroad track with parallel rails and cross ties, all made of sandstone beams 43 centimetres (17 in) in diameter and no more than 2.3 metres (7.5 ft) long. The rails were connected end-to-end with lead-glazed iron splices. The cross ties and rails were notched together and then covered with the bricks and mortar of the inner dome. The cross ties of the bottom chain can be seen protruding from the drum at the base of the dome. The others are hidden. Each stone chain was supposed to be reinforced with a standard iron chain made of interlocking links, but a magnetic survey conducted in the 1970s failed to detect any evidence of iron chains, which if they exist are deeply embedded in the thick masonry walls. He was also able to accomplish this by setting vertical "ribs" on the corners of the octagon curving towards the center point. The ribs had slits, where platforms could be erected out of and work could progressively continue as they worked up,a system for scaffolding.[9]

A circular masonry dome, such as that of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul can be built without supports, called centering, because each course of bricks is a horizontal arch that resists compression. In Florence, the octagonal inner dome was thick enough for an imaginary circle to be embedded in it at each level, a feature that would hold the dome up eventually, but could not hold the bricks in place while the mortar was still wet. Brunelleschi used a herringbone brick pattern to transfer the weight of the freshly laid bricks to the nearest vertical ribs of the non-circular dome.[10]

The outer dome was not thick enough to contain embedded horizontal circles, being only 60 centimetres (2 ft) thick at the base and 30 centimetres (1 ft) thick at the top. To create such circles, Brunelleschi thickened the outer dome at the inside of its corners at nine different elevations, creating nine masonry rings, which can be observed today from the space between the two domes. To counteract hoop stress, the outer dome relies entirely on its attachment to the inner dome at its base; it has no embedded chains.[11]

A modern understanding of physical laws and the mathematical tools for calculating stresses was centuries into the future. Brunelleschi, like all cathedral builders, had to rely on intuition and whatever he could learn from the large scale models he built. To lift 37,000 tons of material, including over 4 million bricks, he invented hoisting machines and lewissons for hoisting large stones. These specially designed machines and his structural innovations were Brunelleschi's chief contribution to architecture. Although he was executing an aesthetic plan made half a century earlier, it is his name, rather than Neri's, that is commonly associated with the dome.

Brunelleschi's ability to crown the dome with a lantern was questioned and he had to undergo another competition. He was declared the winner over his competitors Lorenzo Ghiberti and Antonio Ciaccheri. His design was for an octagonal lantern with eight radiating buttresses and eight high arched windows (now on display in the Museum Opera del Duomo). Construction of the lantern was begun a few months before his death in 1446. Then, for 15 years, little progress was possible, due to alterations by several architects. The lantern was finally completed by Brunelleschi's friend Michelozzo in 1461. The conical roof was crowned with a gilt copper ball and cross, containing holy relics, by Verrocchio in 1469. This brings the total height of the dome and lantern to 114.5 metres (375 ft). This copper ball was struck by lightning on 17 July 1600 and fell down. It was replaced by an even larger one two years later.

The commission for this bronze ball [atop the lantern] went to the sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio, in whose workshop there was at this time a young apprentice named Leonardo da Vinci. Fascinated by Filippo's [Brunelleschi's] machines, which Verrocchio used to hoist the ball, Leonardo made a series of sketches of them and, as a result, is often given credit for their invention.[12]

Leonardo might have also participated in the design of the bronze ball, as stated in the G manuscript of Paris "Remember the way we soldered the ball of Santa Maria del Fiore".[13]

The decorations of the drum gallery by Baccio d'Agnolo were never finished after being disapproved by no one less than Michelangelo.

A huge statue of Brunelleschi now sits outside the Palazzo dei Canonici in the Piazza del Duomo, looking thoughtfully up towards his greatest achievement, the dome that would forever dominate the panorama of Florence. It is still the largest masonry dome in the world.[14]

The building of the cathedral had started in 1296 with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and was completed in 1469 with the placing of Verrochio's copper ball atop the lantern. But the façade was still unfinished and would remain so until the nineteenth century.

Façade

Façade of the cathedral

The original façade, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and usually attributed to Giotto, was actually begun twenty years after Giotto's death.[citation needed] A mid-15th century pen-and-ink drawing of this so-called Giotto's façade is visible in the Codex Rustici, and in the drawing of Bernardino Poccetti in 1587, both on display in the Museum of the Opera del Duomo. This façade was the collective work of several artists, among them Andrea Orcagna and Taddeo Gaddi. This original façade was only completed in its lower portion and then left unfinished. It was dismantled in 1587-1588 by the Medici court architect Bernardo Buontalenti, ordered by Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici, as it appeared totally outmoded in Renaissance times. Some of the original sculptures are on display in the Museum Opera del Duomo, behind the cathedral. Others are now in the Berlin Museum and in the Louvre. The competition for a new façade turned into a huge corruption scandal. The wooden model for the façade of Buontalenti is on display in the Museum Opera del Duomo. A few new designs had been proposed in later years but the models (of Giovanni Antonio Dosio, Giovanni de' Medici with Alessandro Pieroni and Giambologna) were not accepted. The façade was then left bare until the 19th century.

Main portal of the cathedral

In 1864, a competition was held to design a new façade and was won by Emilio De Fabris (1808–1883) in 1871. Work began in 1876 and completed in 1887. This neo-gothic façade in white, green and red marble forms a harmonious entity with the cathedral, Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery, but some think it is excessively decorated.

The whole façade is dedicated to the Mother of Christ.

Main portal

The three huge bronze doors date from 1899 to 1903. They are adorned with scenes from the life of the Madonna. The mosaics in the lunettes above the doors were designed by Niccolò Barabino. They represent (from left to right): Charity among the founders of Florentine philanthropic institutions, Christ enthroned with Mary and John the Baptist, and Florentine artisans, merchants and humanists. The pediment above the central portal contains a half-relief by Tito Sarrocchi of Mary enthroned holding a flowered scepter. Giuseppe Cassioli sculpted the right hand door.

On top of the façade is a series of niches with the twelve Apostles with, in the middle, the Madonna with Child. Between the rose window and the tympanum, there is a gallery with busts of great Florentine artists.

Interior

The Gothic interior is vast and gives an empty impression. The relative bareness of the church corresponds with the austerity of religious life, as preached by Girolamo Savonarola.

Many decorations in the church have been lost in the course of time, or have been transferred to the Museum Opera del Duomo, such as the magnificent cantorial pulpits (the singing galleries for the choristers) of Luca della Robbia and Donatello.

As this cathedral was built with funds from the public, some important works of art in this church honour illustrious men and military leaders of Florence:

Dante Before the City of Florence by Domenico di Michelino (1465). This painting is especially interesting because it shows us, apart from scenes of the Divine Comedy, a view on Florence in 1465, a Florence such as Dante himself could not have seen in his time.

Funerary Monument to Sir John Hawkwood by Paolo Uccello (1436). This almost monochrome fresco, transferred on canvas in the 19th c., is painted in terra verde, a color closest to the patina of bronze.

Equestrian statue of Niccolò da Tolentino by Andrea del Castagno (1456). This fresco, transferred on canvas in the 19th c., in the same style as the previous one, is painted in a color resembling marble. However, it is more richly decorated and gives more the impression of movement. Both frescoes portray the condottieri as heroic figures riding triumphantly. Both painters had problems when applying in painting the new rules of perspective to foreshortening: they used two unifying points, one for the horse and one for the pedestal, instead a single unifying point.

Busts of Giotto (by Benedetto da Maiano), Brunelleschi (by Buggiano - 1447), Marsilio Ficino, and Antonio Squarcialupi (a most famous organist). These busts all date from the 15th and the 16th century.

Above the main door is the colossal clock face with fresco portraits of four Prophets or Evangelists by Paolo Uccello (1443). This one-handed liturgical clock shows the 24 hours of the hora italica (Italian time), a period of time ending with sunset at 24 hours. This timetable was used till the 18th century. This is one of the few clocks from that time that still exist and are in working order.

The church is particularly notable for its 44 stained glass windows, the largest undertaking of this kind in Italy in the 14th and 15th century. The windows in the aisles and in the transept depict saints from the Old and the New Testament, while the circular windows in the drum of the dome or above the entrance depict Christ and Mary. They are the work of the greatest Florentine artists of their times, such as Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Paolo Uccello and Andrea del Castagno.

Christ crowning Mary as Queen, the stained-glass circular window above the clock, with a rich range of coloring, was designed by Gaddo Gaddi in the early 14th century.

Donatello designed the stained-glass window (Coronation of the Virgin) in the drum of the dome (the only one that can be seen from the nave).

The beautiful funeral monument of Antonio d'Orso (1323), bishop of Florence, was made by Tino da Camaino, the most important funeral sculptor of his time.

The monumental crucifix, behind the Bishop's Chair at the high altar, is by Benedetto da Maiano (1495–1497). The choir enclosure is the work of the famous Bartolommeo Bandinelli. The ten-paneled bronze doors of the sacristy were made by Luca della Robbia, who has also two glazed terracotta works inside the sacristy: Angel with Candlestick and Resurrection of Christ.

In the back of the middle of the three apses is the altar of Saint Zanobius, first bishop of Florence. Its silver shrine, a masterpiece of Ghiberti, contains the urn with his relics. The central compartment shows us one his miracles, the reviving of a dead child. Above this shrine is the painting Last Supper by the lesser-known Giovanni Balducci. There was also a glass-paste mosaic panel The Bust of Saint Zanobius by the 16th century miniaturist Monte di Giovanni, but it is now on display in the Museum Opera del Duomo.

Many decorations date from the 16th-century patronage of the Grand Dukes, such as the pavement in colored marble, attributed to Baccio d'Agnolo and Francesco da Sangallo (1520–26). Some pieces of marble from the façade were used, topside down, in the flooring (as was shown by the restoration of the floor after the 1966 flooding).

It was suggested that the interior of the 45 metre (147 ft) wide dome should be covered with a mosaic decoration to make the most of the available light coming through the circular windows of the drum and through the lantern. Brunelleschi had proposed the vault to glimmer with resplendent gold, but his death in 1446 put an end to this project, and the walls of the dome were whitewashed. Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici decided to have the dome painted with a representation of The Last Judgment. This enormous work, 3,600 metres² (38 750 ft²) of painted surface, was started in 1568 by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari and would last till 1579. The upper portion, near the lantern, representing The 24 Elders of Apoc. 4 was finished by Vasari before his death in 1574. Federico Zuccari and a number of collaborators, such as Domenico Cresti, finished the other portions: (from top to bottom) Choirs of Angels; Christ, Mary and Saints; Virtues, Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Beatitudes; and at the bottom of the cuppola: Capital Sins and Hell. These frescoes are considered Zuccari's greatest work. But the quality of the work is uneven because of the input of different artists and the different techniques. Vasari had used true fresco, while Zuccari had painted in secco. During the restoration work ended in 1995, the entire pictorial cycle of the The Last Judgment was photographed with specially designed equipment and all the information collected in a catalogue. All the restoration information along with reconstructed images of the frescos were stored and managed in the Thesaurus Florentinus computer system.

Crypt

The cathedral underwent difficult excavations between 1965 and 1974. The subterranean vaults were used for the burial of Florentine bishops throughout the centuries.

Recently[when?] the archaeological history of this huge area was reconstructed through the work of Dr Franklin Toker: remains of Roman houses, an early Christian pavement, ruins of the former cathedral of Santa Reparata and successive enlargements of this church. Close to the entrance, in the part of the crypt open to the public, is the tomb of Brunelleschi. While its location is prominent, the actual tomb is simple and humble. That the architect was permitted such a prestigious burial place is proof of the high esteem he was given by the Florentines.

Also buried in the former cathedral of Santa Reparata was Conrad II of Italy.

A seguir, um texto, em português, da Wikipédia a Enciclopédia Livre:

A Basílica di Santa Maria del Fiore é a catedral, ou Duomo[1], da Arquidiocese da Igreja Católica Romana de Florença. Notabilizada por sua monumental cúpula - obra do celebrado arquiteto renascentista Brunelleschi - e pelo campanário, de Giotto, é uma das obras da arte gótica e da primeira renascença italiana, considerada de fundamenal importância para a História da Arquitetura, registro da riqueza e do poder da capital da Toscana nos séculos XIII e XIV. Seu nome (cuja tradução é Santa Maria da Flor) parece referir-se ao lilium, símbolo de Florença, mas, documento [2] do Século XV, por outro lado, informa que “flor”, no caso, refere a Cristo.

História

O Duomo de Florença, como o vemos hoje, é o resultado de um trabalho que se estendeu por seis séculos. Seu projeto básico foi elaborado por Arnolfo di Cambio no final do século XIII, sua cúpula é obra de Filippo Brunelleschi, e sua fachada teve de esperar até o século XIX para ser concluída. Ao longo deste tempo uma série de intervenções estruturais e decorativas no exterior e interior enriqueceriam o monumento, dentre elas a construção de duas sacristias e a execução de esculturas e afrescos por Paolo Uccello, Andrea del Castagno, Giorgio Vasari e Federico Zuccari, autor do Juízo Final no interior da cúpula. Foi construída no lugar da antiga catedral dedicada a Santa Reparata, que funcionou durante nove séculos até ser demolida completamente em 1375.

Em 1293, durante a República Florentina, o notário Ser Mino de Cantoribus sugeriu a substituição de Santa Reparata por uma catedral ainda maior e mais magnificente, de tal forma que "a indústria e o poder do homem não pudessem inventar ou mesmo tentar nada maior ou mais belo", e estava preparado para finaciar a construção. Entretanto, esperava-se que a população contribuísse, e todos os testamentos passaram a incluir uma cláusula de doação para as obras. O projeto foi confiado a Arnolfo em 1294, e ele cerimoniosamente lançou a pedra fundamental em 8 de setembro de 1296.

Arnolfo trabalhou na construção até 1302, ano de sua morte, e embora o estilo dominante da época fosse o gótico, seu projeto foi concebido com uma grandiosiddade clássica. Arnolfo só pôde trabalhar em duas capelas e na fachada, que ele teve tempo de completar e decorar só em parte. Com a morte do arquiteto o trabalho de construção sofreu uma parada. Um novo impulso foi dado quando em 1330 foi descoberto o corpo de São Zenóbio em Santa Reparata, que ainda estava parcialmente de pé. Giotto di Bondone então foi indicado supervisor em 1334, e mesmo que não tivesse muito tempo de vida (morreu em 1337) ele decidiu concentrar suas energias na construção do campanário. Giotto foi sucedido por Andrea Pisano até 1348, quando a peste reduziu a população da cidade de 90 mil para 45 mil habitantes.

Sob Francesco Talenti, supervisor entre 1349 e 1359, o campanário foi concluído e preparou-se um novo projeto para o Duomo, com a colaboração de Giovanni di Lapo Ghini: a nave central foi dividida em quatro espaços quadrangulares com duas alas retangulares, reduzindo o número de janelas planejadas por Arnolfo. Em 1370 a construção já estava bem adiantada, o mesmo se dando com o novo projeto para a abside, que foi circundada por tribunas que amplificaram o trifólio de Arnolfo. Por fim Santa Reparata terminou de ser demolida em 1375. Ao mesmo tempo continuou-se o trabalho de revestimento externo com mármores e decoração em torno das entradas laterais, a Porta dei Canonici (sul) e a Porta della Mandorla (norte), esta coroada com um relevo da Assunção, última obra de Nanni di Banco.

Contudo, o problema da cúpula ainda não fora resolvido. Brunelleschi fez seu primeiro projeto em 1402, mas o manteve em segredo. Em 1418, a Opera del Duomo, a centenária empresa administradora dos trabalhos na Catedral, anunciou um concurso que Brunelleschi haveria de vencer, mas o trabalho não iniciaria senão dois anos mais tarde, continuando até 1434. A Catedral foi consagrada pelo Papa Eugênio IV em 25 de março (o Ano Novo florentino) de 1436, 140 anos depois do início da construção. Os arremates que ainda esperavam conclusão eram a lanterna da cúpula (colocada em 1461) e o revestimento externo com mármores brancos de Carrara, verdes de Prato, e vermelhos de Siena, de acordo com o projeto original de Arnolfo.

A fachada

A fachada original, desenhada por Arnolfo di Cambio, só foi começada em meados do século XV, realizada de fato por vários artistas em uma obra coletiva, mas de toda forma só foi terminada até o terço inferior. Esta parte foi desmantelada por ordem de Francesco I de Medici entre 1587 e 1588, pois era considerada totalmente fora de moda naquela altura. O concurso que foi aberto para a criação de uma nova fachada acabou em um escândalo, e os desenhos subseqüentes que foram apresentados não foram aceitos. A fachada ficou, então, despida até o século XIX, mas estatuária e ornamentos originais sobrevivem no Museu Opera del Duomo e em museus de Paris e Berlim.

Em 1864, Emilio de Fabris venceu um concurso para uma nova fachada, que é a que vemos hoje, um enorme e magistral trabalho de mosaico em mármores coloridos em estilo neogótico, com uma volumetria dinâmica e harmoniosa. Pronta em 1887, foi dedicada à Virgem Maria, e é ricamente adornada com estatuária de elegante e austero desenho. Em 1903 terminaram-se as monumentais portas de bronze, com várias cenas em relevo e outras decorações.

Interior

Sua planta é basilical, com três naves, divididas por grandes arcos suportados por colunas monumentais. Tem 153 metros de comprido por 38 metros de largo, e 90 metros no transepto. Seus arcos se elevam até 23 metros de altura, e o cume da cúpula, a 90 metros.

Suas decorações internas são austeras, e muitas se perderam no curso dos séculos. Alguns elementos acharam abrigo no Museu Opera del Duomo, como os coros de Luca della Robbia e Donatello. Subsistem também os monumentos a Dante, a John Hawkwood, a Niccolò da Tolentino, a Antonio d'Orso, e os bustos de Giotto (de Benedetto da Maiano), Brunelleschi (de Buggiano - 1447), Marsilio Ficino, e Antonio Squarcialupi.

Sobre a porta de entrada há um relógio colossal com decoração em pintura de Paolo Uccello, e acertado de acordo com a hora italica, uma divisão do tempo comumente empregada na Itália até o século XVIII, que dava o por-do-sol como o início do dia.

Os vitrais são os maiores em seu gênero na Itália entre os séculos XIV e XV, com imagens de santos do Velho e Novo Testamento. O crucifixo é obra de Benedetto da Maiano, a talha do coro de Bartolommeo Bandinelli, e as portas da sacristia são de Luca della Robbia.

Difficult not to share!

Difficult to get this huge space in one shot. Having visited it's 'half brother' in Naples a couple of years ago it was nice to see the 'original' in Milan! It looks good in the daytime on a nice day but at night it's something else!

Difficult week to get anything done, finally got around to doing the shot.

This rock hopper penguin was poised right in front t of me for a great shot. She was more interested in preening herself which she did at great length before I gave up.

On westbound Westjet plane; unfortunately due to lack of map function in the plane, location difficult to determine

Difficult target in Cygnus. More info and details in my blog: www.astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2014/11/sharpless-115-and-pl...

Difficult to photograph bird with a dog in tow plus a million other walkers and dogs

"All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small." Lao Tzu

Captured just outside our cottage in Donegal, growing wild on a lane, where these little plants, which I think are Wild Clover (please correct me if I'm wrong in the comments as I'm no horticulturalist). They were all seeds with no flowers or petals, so I'm not sure if they're at the end or the start of their growth cycle.

In all honesty I didn't see a shot here right away and just snapped three quick shots of the plant, never thinking it would end up a 'keeper' - and was pleasantly surprised when I saw it in Lightroom. Photography never ceases to surprise me like that...

Website | Project 52 | Week 46

Found it difficult to get a viewpoint where the planes moved far enough across the frame in the allotted exposure time to give an interesting pattern. It would be better to have a higher viewpoint but there aren't any around the perimeter of the airport.

The glow on the horizon wasn't an earlier flight that didn't make it but was the glow of a bonfire to celebrate Guy Fawkes night.

Anyone interested on trying a similar (and better shot) can note the position it was taken from on the handy little flickr map.