View allAll Photos Tagged flattenthecurve
487 new patients were admitted to the hospital in the last 24 hours, and 524 new people have also been discharged, bringing the total number of people in the hospital at the moment to 5,688. This is a decrease for the first time, with 324 patients! For the first time, the number of patients in hospitals has decreased, which is good news. However, the burden is still very heavy, and the number of people in intensive care is still increasing a little. Most precarious now is the situation in the residential care centres. The current measures to control the spread of Covid19 are as a minimum in force until 19 April. If they will extend beyond that date is not yet known. One thing is for sure we will need to practice social distancing even when the strict measures in place are lifted and empty streets and squares will remain the new normal for a while – Stay Safe, Stay Healthy – Vrijdagsmarkt, Ghent, Belgium
The title for this photo is a nod to an episode of The X Files, where a character Clyde Bruckman was able to predict the future.
Who would have predicted the future of Saint Stephen's Green in April 2020, just after the Covid 19 pandemic shutdown the street completely, for in the middle of the day, the taxi rank stood empty, along with Dublin, Ireland & the world.
I just call them as I see them.
The numbers released yesterday continue to fall: 43 people have been hospitalised with COVID-19 and 65 people were reported to have died. Whilst we seem to start gaining control over the virus the economical fallout becomes more visible. Since the coronavirus lockdown began a lot of small business have been struggling to survive. The hospitality and entertainment business felt the most immediate impact from the crisis. Yesterday’s biggest news was that also Brussels Airlines was reorganizing and shedding jobs in order to ensure its future viability: the airline staff will be downsized with 25%, 10 of the airline's 48 aircrafts will be decommissioned and all routes that are unprofitable or barely profitable will be scrapped. Wondering how all of this will impact our personal lives I continued with my daily corona walks searching for street-art to cheer me up – Baudelopark, Ghent, Belgium.
The security council’s ban on mass events till 31 August means that all the big summer events will be cancelled. In Ghent too many are heartbroken, It is the first time since World War I that the Ghent Festivities will not take place. The Festival of Ghent is without doubt the biggest and best-known street festival in Europe, attracting around 2 million visitors each year. “The Ghent Festivities are part of the city’s DNA. The cancellation of course hurts, but we are resilient. In 2021 we plan to party twice as hard” said Mathias De Clercq, the city’s mayor. Here are some memories of the sparkling “Gentse Feesten” from 2014. On display are people enjoying a performance of late Walter De Buck. It was one of his last public appearances before he passed away later that year. Walter De Buck was a singer, sculptor and founder of the modern “Gentse Feesten” – Sint-Jacobsplein, Ghent, Belgium.
Yesterday’s figures show a continuation of the positive trend: a further 195 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus, 40 people suffering from COVID-19 were admitted to Belgian hospitals and “only” 14 fatalities were reported. Whilst we’re slowly moving out of the Corona lockdown Belgium is on track to wrap up its warmest spring season in recorded history and the month of May is set to become the driest one in 200 years. The increasingly warming temperatures spell trouble for Belgium. We’re living in a country that is more accustomed to common spells of rain than prolonged periods of warm and dry weather and climate disruptions will confront us with drought, floods, heatwaves and loss of biodiversity. Amid the Covid-19 and weather challenges people become also more concerned with the social unrest in the US, once my favorite country. In the aftermath of the incident in Minneapolis the widespread anger and outrage in the US where black people for years have been unproportionally targeted by the police and have suffered more than other Americans during the coronavirus crisis because of their deprived socio-economic conditions is understandable. However, we’ve seen time and time again that violence is never the answer or solution. Clearly, the US is in desperate need for a leader that unites, inspires and heals the country… Today’s picture is not a postcard greeting nor is it a vignette of a street-scene it’s just a composition that I like. An urban alignment that brings some order to the chaos – Kantienberg, Ghent, Belgium.
The government announced yesterday that total number of people admitted to hospital reached 5,552. This is an increase of 578 patients in one day. The figure seems to be stabilising, as the number fluctuates over the last couple of days between 500 and 600 new cases! It’s still high, but it is a good sign that it does not seem to be increasing. Are we reaching a peak or a plateau? Yesterday’s biggest news was the announcement that Belgium is considering a way to gradually ease the country out of lockdown in the weeks to come. This has been the first discussion of its kind since we have been in lock down modus. There is hope! Today’s picture is a mural from yesterday’s corona walk. The mural from Super A, the alter ego of the Dutch street artist Stefan Thelen, is called “the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”. A sign of the times… Australiëstraat, Ghent, Belgium
Yesterday it was announced that again 217 COVID-19 patients were hospitalised and 241 deaths have been reported. The figures continue to go down but way too slow! Also, with 4,3% of Belgians having antibodies against the coronavirus the herd immunity is still very low. A report from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle, however, is predicting that Belgium will suffer zero deaths from the coronavirus after May 19. I hope the report is realistic, but it remains a scenario and a model. Experts already have been playing down the report and even announced that there will be an increase of infections in autumn and winter. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the facts will say. No deaths at all in the coming weeks or months? I’d be surprised. Stay safe, stay healthy - St Peter’s Abbey, Ghent, Belgium
On Saturday we noticed a steep increase in infections: 558 new cases were reported bringing the total of detected Covid-19 infection to 2.815. A total of 1089 patients have been admitted to hospital, an increase of 299 in the last 24 hours and a total of 67 people have died, an increase of 30. There is a consensus that the number of cases will become more pronounced in the days to come. Yesterday’s silver lining was that the government announced that they have sufficient hospital capacity and ICU beds with the necessary equipment at its disposal. Stay safe, stay healthy
Belgium reached 12,775 confirmed cases. The total number of people admitted to hospital because of the coronavirus at the moment is 4,920. 485 new patients were admitted in the last 24 hours, which is a slight decrease. 98 new deaths have been reported on Monday, but 94 other deaths that occurred between 11 March en 29 March were also reported, bringing the total number of deaths in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic to 705, of which 93% of people were older than 65. Yesterday’s sad news that a 12-year-old girl had died from covid-19 touched all of the nation deeply. At a press conference Belgian’s lead virologist said that we are not yet at the peak of the epidemic but that the slowing down of the number of people being hospitalized is a very “encouraging sign” …Meanwhile, I carry on with my daily corona walks. Yesterday I continued to explore Ghent’s Street Art Hotspots. Stay Safe, Stay Healthy - Ghent, Belgium
Yesterday the National Crisis Center announced that the COVID-19 death toll toped 7,000. 204 new COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospital, while 368 were discharged. There are currently 3,959 patients receiving treatment in Belgian hospitals. The number of new admissions to hospital has been hovering around 200 and have not gone down for a few days now. This number needs to go down to under 100 per day if stores are to be allowed to reopen, as planned, on 11 May said Prof. van Ranst one of Belgian’s lead virologists. In addition the Belgian Prime Minister, Sophie Wilmès, stressed that the resumption of activities following the confinement would be an evolving process in which the health situation would be assessed before going on to the next stage. To me it sounds like a lot of things are put into question again. Do we need to start managing our expectations…? Whilst we’re all focused on the corona crisis, the timing of the lifting of the lockdown and our economy is anticipated to contract by between 8 and 9%, talks on the Brexit resumed. Just image if a no-deal Brexit comes on top of this. Then the economy would take another hit. It would be a disaster on top of a disaster. I sincerely hope that common sense will prevail over national interest and/or pride. Stay safe, stay healthy - Statue of the Van Eyck Brothers at the St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium
The photographs in this album were not taken by myself. They were taken in and around London in late March 2020 and show the extent the people in this lovely city are taking the current pandemic very seriously indeed.
Like millions of others in the UK I’m adhering to the advice of the government to remain in my home so that my own chances of catching the Covid-19 virus are minimised.
The pictures show how quiet some major London landmarks are at this worrying time.
I’d love to go out and take some pictures of my own but know that to do so would be irresponsible.
I hope that the pictures give my friends and contacts on flickr some idea of how serious the people of the UK are taking this potential health crisis.
The vast majority of the UK is trying extremely hard to:
#FlattenTheCurve
My thoughts at this worrying time are with all of the families around the world who are having to bear the loss of their loved ones.
Yesterday’s figures: 123 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospital and 65 patients were discharged. This brings the total number of patients in hospitals to 3,976. A further 134 deaths from COVID-19 were reported, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus in Belgium so far to 7,331. The corona virus continues to plague nursing homes: 3.9% of staff and 13.49% of the residents of Flemish care homes tested so far have been found to be infected with the novel coronavirus. It was clear almost from the outset that the elderly and frail were in the greatest danger from Covid-19. And it was clear to anyone familiar with nursing homes that a lot of them would not be up to the task of protecting their older and infirm residents. A pandemic is a force of nature that cannot be avoided. But years of neglect, poor regulations and under financing have left a lot of older residents and their staff unprotected from COVID-19. I hope we collectively learn how to do better moving forward. Stay safe, stay healthy – Ghent, Belgium
The photographs in this album were not taken by myself. They were taken in and around London in late March 2020 and show the extent the people in this lovely city are taking the current pandemic very seriously indeed.
Like millions of others in the UK I’m adhering to the advice of the government to remain in my home so that my own chances of catching the Covid-19 virus are minimised.
The pictures show how quiet some major London landmarks are at this worrying time.
I’d love to go out and take some pictures of my own but know that to do so would be irresponsible.
I hope that the pictures give my friends and contacts on flickr some idea of how serious the people of the UK are taking this potential health crisis.
The vast majority of the UK is trying extremely hard to:
#FlattenTheCurve
My thoughts at this worrying time are with all of the families around the world who are having to bear the loss of their loved ones.
The daily update from the Belgian crisis centre shows that 170 people died of COVID-19 on Monday and that 172 people were hospitalised, bringing the total number of people in hospital to 4,976. All very encouraging news! The not so good news was that we learned from an article published in Nature Medicine that half of all infections are passed on by people before they come down with coronavirus symptoms. In addition, we do not expect to have a vaccine in the months to come and herd immunity in all European countries is poor. The lifting of the lockdown will need to be managed with great care. As part of this exit strategy a lot of store is put in targeted testing and contact tracing: people who have been in contact with somebody who comes down with corona are alerted to this fact by their GP. Noodling on the pro’s and con’s of my smart phone registering all people that I come across on my corona walks I keep snapping away my beloved city as it unrolls before my eyes. Stay Safe, Stay Healthy – Muinkplein, Ghent, Belgium.
Continuing the Easter chicken silliness as some COVID-19 curves begin to flatten.
Pentax K50 with Sigma Zoom 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC
COVID chicks #6
"The figures are evolving in a positive way, the virus is getting tired,” said Van Gucht, one of Belgium’s lead virologists. Mainly the declining figures of people newly admitted to the hospital makes us all cautiously hopeful. Yesterday it was announced that 224 new patients were admitted to the hospital in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of people in hospital to 5,536. Of the patients in the hospital, 1,223 are in the intensive care unit, which is a decrease of 11 patients. Unfortunately, also 262 new deaths have been reported, of which 171 occurred in residential care centres, meaning they were people suspected of being infected. The total number of deaths in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 4,157. Hoping that the worst is over I continue my corona walks snapping my way across a locked down Ghent, capturing life as it unfolds before my eyes – Predikherenlei, Ghent, Belgium
The photographs in this album were not taken by myself. They were taken in and around London in late March 2020 and show the extent the people in this lovely city are taking the current pandemic very seriously indeed.
Like millions of others in the UK I’m adhering to the advice of the government to remain in my home so that my own chances of catching the Covid-19 virus are minimised.
The pictures show how quiet some major London landmarks are at this worrying time.
I’d love to go out and take some pictures of my own but know that to do so would be irresponsible.
I hope that the pictures give my friends and contacts on flickr some idea of how serious the people of the UK are taking this potential health crisis.
The vast majority of the UK is trying extremely hard to:
#FlattenTheCurve
My thoughts at this worrying time are with all of the families around the world who are having to bear the loss of their loved ones.
Say hi to Nellie , my maternal grandmother who died of the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1919, she was in her 20s .My mother was then raised by her grandmother Please do your part to flatten the curve. Seek out the advice of scientists, social distancing will help. Thanks to the brave medical staff on the front lines who work to save lives.
This photo is on fabric in a quilt I made for my mom. The background is a crazy quilt from skylights and flowers! I would have loved to know Nellie, never got that chance!
The Covid-statistics have improved drastically over the past days and the number of patients in hospitals dipped below 2,000 for the first time in seven weeks. Still, 81 patients were taken to hospital over the past 24 hours, with 60 new deaths being reported. Two news events got my attention yesterday. Pieter de Crem, Belgium’s Interior Minister, said that borders can be opened if two countries are more or less on the same pathway where the exit strategy and Covid statistics are concerned and that most likely the Netherlands will have the best chance to be the first country that we can freely travel to. The other, more trivial news event was that the monks of the Saint Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren will resume the sales of their world-famous trappist beer. Beer enthusiasts will have to make an online order first and pick up the crates at the abbey gate. Something to consider? Anyhow, I’m seeing happy faces pupping up throughout the city… Westerringspoorbrug, Ghent, Belgium
We continue to see a slow and progressive reduction in the number of admissions to hospital. That is encouragiing news, but the government keeps stressing that the road will still be long. With 303 fatalities reported yesterday, the number of deaths is still very high, and is expected to rise in the days to come. In addition, with 310 new patients that have been admitted to hospital, the total is now 5,353, of whom 1,234 are in intensive care, there is still a heavy burden on our hospitals. Despite these frightening numbers there is a growing concern that people are becoming lax about the lockdown measures. Easter weekend saw lots of people come out to enjoy the good weather, with the police reporting a rise in lockdown violations in all regions of the country especially in the larger cities. I limit my our outdoor activities to a daily corona walk snapping my way across a locked down Ghent, capturing life as it unfolds before my eyes – Koepoortkaai, Ghent, Belgium
The photographs in this album were not taken by myself. They were taken in and around London in late March 2020 and show the extent the people in this lovely city are taking the current pandemic very seriously indeed.
Like millions of others in the UK I’m adhering to the advice of the government to remain in my home so that my own chances of catching the Covid-19 virus are minimised.
The pictures show how quiet some major London landmarks are at this worrying time.
I’d love to go out and take some pictures of my own but know that to do so would be irresponsible.
I hope that the pictures give my friends and contacts on flickr some idea of how serious the people of the UK are taking this potential health crisis.
The vast majority of the UK is trying extremely hard to:
#FlattenTheCurve
My thoughts at this worrying time are with all of the families around the world who are having to bear the loss of their loved ones.
The total number of people infected with Covid-19 in Belgium is approaching 14,000, and over 800 people have died. Yesterday 560 patients were admitted to hospital bringing the total to 4995. Of those patients, 1,088 are in the ICU. Encouraged by the guidelines of the government we keep up the spirit with our daily workouts in the park - Ghent, Belgium
Yesterday’s figures reported 31 new deaths and 47 patients that have been hospitalised. The downward trend continues, however, the number of new infections was described as high. 257 people were told they were corona positive on Wednesday. Let’s hope this is the result of more testing and not an early sign that the country started relaxing the lockdown measures way too early. Interesting in yesterday’s news was that, Maggie De Block, the health minister, conceded that scientists, the WHO, the European Commission and politicians including herself underestimated the virus. She admitted that criteria people initially had to meet in order to qualify for a corona test now appear too strict, strategic reserves of equipment and drugs were not sufficient and that the government never invested much in preventative health care and contact tracing. Also comparing COVID-19 to a heavy bout of flu was a big mistake she confessed. I guess it takes a good crisis before you have all your ducks in a row. Things have been busy the last couple of days and my daily corona walks haven’t been all that high on my radar, therefore, I decided to post a picture that I took 7 years ago – Klein Begijnhof, Ghent, Belgium
Between March 15 and April 10, 10,777 patients entered the hospital and 5,986 people left the hospital following a coronavirus infection. 327 people have lost their lives in the last 24 hours. this brings the total number of victims in Belgium to 3,446. That is more than the number reported by the Chinese authorities! There is some silver lining amid all of this grim news: the government announced that the Easter Bunny has an “essential profession”. The police are aware of this. will not disturb the Easter Bunnies during their work. The Easter egg hunt is on as long as it happens at home with people living under the same room… Happy Easter to all of you! Stay Safe, Stay Healthy! - Paul de Smet de Naeyerplein, Ghent, Belgium
Lies Baas 2020 From today on I will try to make a selfie intil I am able to be safely released into the wild again...that is...as a chronically sick person I chose to not go outside...of course I will go into our garden, or walk in the forest...but I will not go to shops or meet people at the door. I chose to speak with delivery people through the closed window or talk with my friends&family on the phone...until further notice as of the 14th of march 2020. It will be tough...it will at times be f#*ckin’ lonely...but I chose life...and together with my husband and our two wonderful cats...we chose for both our welfare’s to #flattenthecurve and from this day forward I start my photography project called #iCorona you are most welcome to drop me a line...it will be much appreciated...but maybe you can also start your own #iCorona photo journal?! Love you, miss you...but always here to virtually kiss you 😘 #iCorona
Yesterday the national public health institute announced that 164 people have died from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing a total to 1,447. However, for the first time, the number of people who left hospital in a day was greater than the number of new coronavirus patient admissions. In the past 24 hours, 504 people were allowed to leave hospital and 499 were hospitalised, bringing the total of occupied hospital beds to 5,735 including 1,261 in intensive care. Ghent has been shut down for three weeks now. Places that were once teeming with the hustle and bustle of daily life have become ghost-towns with massive restrictions put on our lives. The socio-economic consequences of the coronavirus will not be small, and we will feel them long after the situation has normalised. There will be a time ‘before’ and ‘after’ corona, whether it is about the way we treat each other, or the way our society functions. Let’s hope we come out of this ordeal stronger. Stay Safe, Stay Healthy – St.Baafsplein, Ghent, Belgium
The photographs in this album were not taken by myself. They were taken in and around London in late March 2020 and show the extent the people in this lovely city are taking the current pandemic very seriously indeed.
Like millions of others in the UK I’m adhering to the advice of the government to remain in my home so that my own chances of catching the Covid-19 virus are minimised.
The pictures show how quiet some major London landmarks are at this worrying time.
I’d love to go out and take some pictures of my own but know that to do so would be irresponsible.
I hope that the pictures give my friends and contacts on flickr some idea of how serious the people of the UK are taking this potential health crisis.
The vast majority of the UK is trying extremely hard to:
#FlattenTheCurve
My thoughts at this worrying time are with all of the families around the world who are having to bear the loss of their loved ones.
On Saturday we noticed a steep increase in infections: 558 new cases were reported bringing the total of detected Covid-19 infection to 2.815. A total of 1089 patients have been admitted to hospital, an increase of 299 in the last 24 hours and a total of 67 people have died, an increase of 30. There is a consensus that the number of cases will become more pronounced in the days to come. Yesterday’s silver lining was that the government announced that they have sufficient hospital capacity and ICU beds with the necessary equipment at its disposal. Stay safe, stay healthy - Ghent, Belgium
We are rigorously respecting the government’s measures and are doing everything to keep our circle as small as possible. The family’s outdoor activities are limited to a daily walk to the park, savoring simple pleasures in the midst of so much gloom – Ghent, Belgium.
The photographs in this album were not taken by myself. They were taken in and around London in late March 2020 and show the extent the people in this lovely city are taking the current pandemic very seriously indeed.
Like millions of others in the UK I’m adhering to the advice of the government to remain in my home so that my own chances of catching the Covid-19 virus are minimised.
The pictures show how quiet some major London landmarks are at this worrying time.
I’d love to go out and take some pictures of my own but know that to do so would be irresponsible.
I hope that the pictures give my friends and contacts on flickr some idea of how serious the people of the UK are taking this potential health crisis.
The vast majority of the UK is trying extremely hard to:
#FlattenTheCurve
My thoughts at this worrying time are with all of the families around the world who are having to bear the loss of their loved ones.
111 corona deaths were reported yesterday, this is the lowest daily death toll in a month. A further 178 people were hospitalised and 293 patients were discharged. The numbers keep moving in the right direction. In addition, it’s now official the first phase of our exit plan from the corona lockdown starts on Monday. During the first phase businesses in non-essential sectors will return to work if certain conditions are met and mouth masks need to be worn in all places where 1.5m social distancing is not feasible (i.e. public transportation, shops, etc.). Despite this positive news the traditional 1 May celebrations will for all of us be rather different and in the coming weeks thousands of people will continue to fight the ramifications of the crisis, each in their own field. We still have a long way to go… Today’s picture was taken on a walk in search for street art… Stay safe, stay healthy! – Ghent, Belgium.
The photographs in this album were not taken by myself. They were taken in and around London in late March 2020 and show the extent the people in this lovely city are taking the current pandemic very seriously indeed.
Like millions of others in the UK I’m adhering to the advice of the government to remain in my home so that my own chances of catching the Covid-19 virus are minimised.
The pictures show how quiet some major London landmarks are at this worrying time.
I’d love to go out and take some pictures of my own but know that to do so would be irresponsible.
I hope that the pictures give my friends and contacts on flickr some idea of how serious the people of the UK are taking this potential health crisis.
The vast majority of the UK is trying extremely hard to:
#FlattenTheCurve
My thoughts at this worrying time are with all of the families around the world who are having to bear the loss of their loved ones.
The photographs in this album were not taken by myself. They were taken in and around London in late March 2020 and show the extent the people in this lovely city are taking the current pandemic very seriously indeed.
Like millions of others in the UK I’m adhering to the advice of the government to remain in my home so that my own chances of catching the Covid-19 virus are minimised.
The pictures show how quiet some major London landmarks are at this worrying time.
I’d love to go out and take some pictures of my own but know that to do so would be irresponsible.
I hope that the pictures give my friends and contacts on flickr some idea of how serious the people of the UK are taking this potential health crisis.
The vast majority of the UK is trying extremely hard to:
#FlattenTheCurve
My thoughts at this worrying time are with all of the families around the world who are having to bear the loss of their loved ones.
Yesterday’s figures continue to provide hope that the corona emergency is easing while the epidemic continues to demand a high toll: 230 corona-related deaths were recorded and 211 patients were hospitalised, bringing the total number of people that are treated in hospital to 4,527. Meanwhile, the corona death toll in Belgium keeps attracting attention of the international press. Whilst the European press acknowledges that our figure is an overestimate and that it’s nearly as we are being too honest some US press is less diplomatic when talking about the mortality rate in Belgium: “Champion of Coronavirus” and “Belgian Corona Riddle” … Our virologists are urging caution when comparing figures and stress that we are the only country to include deaths in care homes. I think we all should realize that the corona crisis is not a race and that we'd be better off concentrating on finding the best way to count deaths instead of pointing fingers. In the midst of all of this, I continue with my daily corona walk documenting Ghent as it unrolls before my eyes… - Brugse Poort, Ghent, Belgium
The news continue to be very grim… The death toll reported yesterday surged to 496 as 171 deaths that took place “in the preceding weeks” were only now being added to the total death count that now stands at 3,019. Nursing home residents account for nearly half of Belgium’s total coronavirus deaths. Also, the government reported yesterday that 462 new patients were admitted to the hospital in the last 24 hours, and that 404 new people have been discharged. This brings the total number of people in hospital to 5,610. The coming days promise to continue to be sunny, and even summery and whilst many people continue to practice physical activities outdoors researchers at KU Leuven and at the Eindhoven University of Technology created simulations showing how those working out outdoors could be exposing themselves to the virus even when staying 1.5 metres apart. The simulations showed that the slipstreams between two people jogging behind one another were likely to see the second person come into contact with the first’s droplets as they travelled through the slipstream that can sometimes be as long as 10 to 15 metres. I nevertheless will continue walking and exploring Ghent’s street art hotspots but now at a slower pace…:-) De Nieuwe Dokken, Ghent, Belgium
“Thoughts From Home” - living alone can be lonely in this period of social distancing and #RMO ☁️In times of such uncertainty let’s not allow ignorance to cloud our minds but instead be present and engage with optimism.
Do whatever you can to help #flattenthecurve. Stay indoors, take good care of yourself and the people around you.
May we take this time to observe the stillness of life, appreciate what we have and send our thoughts and prayers to those in need.
The photographs in this album were not taken by myself. They were taken in and around London in late March 2020 and show the extent the people in this lovely city are taking the current pandemic very seriously indeed.
Like millions of others in the UK I’m adhering to the advice of the government to remain in my home so that my own chances of catching the Covid-19 virus are minimised.
The pictures show how quiet some major London landmarks are at this worrying time.
I’d love to go out and take some pictures of my own but know that to do so would be irresponsible.
I hope that the pictures give my friends and contacts on flickr some idea of how serious the people of the UK are taking this potential health crisis.
The vast majority of the UK is trying extremely hard to:
#FlattenTheCurve
My thoughts at this worrying time are with all of the families around the world who are having to bear the loss of their loved ones.
The world has changed since I posted my last snowflake. Day 9 of self-isolation here, even though we are completely healthy we don’t want to be part of the problem. #flattenthecurve
That said, there are some things to be positive about! I’ve just launched a new video series on DPReview TV which you can find the first episode of here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzeZHWZ51fM and I’m doing a daily webinar series with a bunch of awesome professional photographers each day this week. You can find out more here: www.skipcohenuniversity.com/scu-blog/f64-lunch-bunch-deal... - Join us live at 2PM ET today and for the rest of the week!
But, about this snowflake. The floral-inspired design in the center of some snowflakes is always appealing to me, especially now as the first spring flowers have begun to bloom outside. This design comes in a number of parts; let’s start at the very center. There is an odd circular shape with a ghosted hexagon just beyond it – this is a button-like gem on the reverse side of this snowflake, seen through the transparent ice. This tells us that the snowflake began as a hexagon before a cavity growing around the edge of the crystal grew to a point where it separated the crystal into two competing plates.
For reasons that currently remain a mystery, sometimes these cavities do not form in the exact middle of the prism facets; I’ve seen them offset as much as 2/3rds toward one side or the other. When this happens, you have two plates competing for additional building blocks, and the thin one accelerates its outward growth faster, leaving its counterpart to stay as a gem-like structure in the center of the growing snowflake.
This accelerated growth is called the “knife-edge instability”. It’s pretty simple to understand: Imagine you’re building a brick wall. You are instructed to build the wall as thick as possible, and 100 bricks tall. Your sibling, however, is tasked to build their wall only 45 bricks tall. Who will build the thicker wall faster? Not you. The thinner a snowflake, the faster the outward growth. As soon as one of the two competing plates has a larger footprint, they gain access to the vast majority of new building blocks – competition over.
Three full paragraphs and I haven’t gotten past the tiniest feature in the center! The snowflake later evolves into a sectored plate, with many branches off of the center growing underneath of others, likely caused by the same cavity-forming split we saw in the center, There is some symmetry here but the more you look at it, the more it feels like “balance”. With the same amount of building blocks available, the snowflake finds a beautiful way of distributing them.
Oh, and a quick update about my upcoming book (skycrystals.ca/product/pre-order-macro-photography-the-un... ). With a pre-schooler running around the house and my wife and I both working from home, productivity is at an all-time low. Progress is still being made, and anyone that has pre-ordered the book or backed it via Kickstarter can contact me for a complimentary “work in progress” portion of the book to keep you busy if you’re under lock-down. Just send me an e-mail to don@komarechka.com . Latest Kickstarter update is here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/donkom/macro-photography/pos...
The photographs in this album were not taken by myself. They were taken in and around London in late March 2020 and show the extent the people in this lovely city are taking the current pandemic very seriously indeed.
Like millions of others in the UK I’m adhering to the advice of the government to remain in my home so that my own chances of catching the Covid-19 virus are minimised.
The pictures show how quiet some major London landmarks are at this worrying time.
I’d love to go out and take some pictures of my own but know that to do so would be irresponsible.
I hope that the pictures give my friends and contacts on flickr some idea of how serious the people of the UK are taking this potential health crisis.
The vast majority of the UK is trying extremely hard to:
#FlattenTheCurve
My thoughts at this worrying time are with all of the families around the world who are having to bear the loss of their loved ones.