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long time ago, old Japanese respected nature as their gods.
for instance, big rocks, mountains and big rivers, which were difficult to move and control by human's power.
it might seem ridiculous, but I think respects of nature has a meaning to keep the nature as it is and consequently keep the nature cycle around there.
taken at the same place with different angle of "rock and water waves".
Appreciate all of your visits, great comments and supports my dear friends and visitors.
de/from Wikipedia:
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patio_de_los_Arrayanes
El patio de los Arrayanes es el gran patio escenográfico perteneciente al Palacio de Comares de la Alhambra, situado en su centro, al este del patio del Cuarto Dorado y al oeste de la sala de Baños y patio de los Leones. A su alrededor se articulan una serie de estancias siendo las más importantes las destinadas a cuarto de trabajo del sultán (diwan) o sala del trono y de audiencias (situadas al norte del patio). El patio es rectangular de dimensiones bastante considerables y con un estanque o alberca en el centro rodeado de plantaciones de arrayanes (o mirtos). Se le conoce también con los nombres de patio de los Mirtos, patio de la Alberca y patio de Comares.
En el centro se encuentra el estanque que mide 34 metros por 7,10 metros; se abastece de agua por medio de dos pilas de mármol situadas en cada extremo. Está enmarcado por unos pasillos pavimentados en mármol blanco, delimitados a su vez por la plantación de los mirtos o arrayanes bien recortados que forman como un seto, de un verde brillante que contrasta con el mármol y con el agua.nota 1 Alrededor del estanque y los mirtos y por sus cuatro costados, hay un gran espacio que constituye el patio propiamente dicho, cuyo suelo es también de mármol blanco. En su origen estaba adornado también por naranjos silvestres de fruto amargo, según la descripción hecha por el embajador veneciano Andrea Navagiero que hizo una visita a la Alhambra en el siglo XVI.
El patio fue restaurado en el siglo XIX como tantos otros sitios de la Alhambra. El restaurador principal fue el académico arquitecto Rafael Contreras Muñoz (1826-1890). Uno de los cambios más espectaculares consistió en levantar el pavimento que estaba enlosado con lápidas procedentes de cementerios musulmanes, sustituyéndolas por un enlosado de mármol.
Al muro norte se abre primero una galería o pórtico abierto en cuyo centro hay una pequeña cúpula. En los extremos hay unas alcobas que se supone fueran de tertulia mientras esperaban la audiencia del sultán. En las paredes y por encima del zócalo de azulejos se escribieron poesías de Ibn Zamrak, ministro de Muhammad V, en alabanza de este sultán. Hay también dos nichos o tacas, esculpidos en mármol y adornados con azulejos, donde se colocaban jarrones con flores o lámparas de aceite. A lo largo de la galería hay un zócalo de azulejos realizados por Antonio Tenorio y el morisco Gaspar Hernández entre 1587 y 1599.
La galería del muro sur está compuesta por tres arcos iguales y uno central más elevado. La recorre un zócalo de azulejos. Esta galería también recibe a sus visitantes con una leyenda:
"La ayuda y la protección de Dios y una victoria espléndida para nuestro Señor Abu Abd' Allah, emir de los musulmanes."
No se tiene mucha noticia sobre las dependencias que había en este lado. Fueron destruidas parcialmente para la construcción del palacio de Carlos V en el siglo XVI. Por encima de esta galería hay un corredor y sobre éste otra galería de seis arcos iguales y otro con dintel y zapatas de madera en el centro. Las celosías son del siglo XIX.
En el lado este del patio se abren distintas puertas que conducen a estancias privadas del sultán y su corte.
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_of_the_Myrtles
The Court of the Myrtles (Patio de los Arrayanes) is part of the palace and fortress complex of the Alhambra. It is located east of the Gilded Room (Cuarto Dorado) and west of the Patio of the Lions and the Baths. Its current name is due to the myrtle bushes that surround the central pond and the bright green colour of which contrasts with the white marble of the patio. It was also called the Patio of the Pond or the Reservoir (Patio del Estanque o de la Alberca) because of the central pond, which is 34 metres long and 7,10 meters wide. The patio is divided in two sides by the pond, which receives its water from two fountains. The space has chambers and porticoes around it. These porticoes rest on columns with cubic capitals, which have seven semicircular arches decorated with fretwork rhombuses and inscriptions praising God. The central arch is greater than the other six and has solid scallops decorated with stylised vegetal forms and capitals of Mocárabes.
The most important chambers that surround the Patio are the ones in the north side, which are part of the Comares Palace, the official residence of the King.
Comares Palace
The name of the Palace, Comares, has led to various etymological research. For instance, Diego de Guadix wrote a dictionary about Arabic words in which it is said that Comares originally comes from cun and ari. The first term means stand up and the second one look, in other words it would have meant Stand up and look around or possibly Open your eyes and see, which is a way of referring the beauty of the place.
In the sixteenth century, a historian from Granada called Luis de Mármol Carvajal claimed that the term Comares derived from the word Comaraxía, that actually has a meaning related to a craftsmanship labor very appreciated by Muslims: a manufacturing technique of glass for exterior and ceilings.
A third suggested theory is that the name comes from the Arab word qumariyya or qamariyya. These ones designate the stained glasses that can even be glimpsed from the Hall of the Ambassadors' balcony.
There's another possibility that says that Qumarish is the name of a region in the North of Africa where most craftsmen came from, in other words, the place might be called Comares in honour of the people who worked there.
Not everywhere in Iceland met with our universal approval. While some places brought a pleasant surprise, there were others that found us harrumphing noisily as we pulled up at a packed car park, and sighing as we realised we’d need to do battle with other human beings to get a view. Take Fjaðrárgljúfur for instance. It was a place that had all the hallmarks of great promise, a high sided narrow winding canyon, through which runs a shallow river, small soft cascades offering a happy detour from the main road near the equally difficult to pronounce town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The place names around here seem to be even more arcane than is usual in a country where attempting to say anything at all requires a certain degree of tonsillar dexterity. Come to think of it, I’m not sure I can get through “tonsillar dexterity” without tripping up somewhere in the middle. I’m glad nobody asks me to read this stuff aloud.
Fjaðrárgljúfur seemed to have attracted quite a number of visitors. Ok, so we were here in the middle of the afternoon, gradually making our way towards Vik from Jökulsárlón, but even so, it felt busy as we squeezed our van into the car parking area. And of course we already knew that the welly boots would be redundant here. That’s the problem with Feeyardarawotsit you see (spell checker just blew up by the way); it’s been tainted by a teenage pop sensation and now it’s mostly off limits. All the fault of one Justin Bieber. Apparently his music videos have blighted the plane wreck too.
I should stress here that I’m a leading authority on neither Mr Bieber nor his work. In fact I know nothing about him at all, other than the fact that the “i” comes before the “e” in his surname, he’s aged somewhere between twelve and forty-six, and is either a fresh faced teenager with carefully airbrushed pimples, or on his fifth marriage and counting after a number of high profile alimony disputes. I gather he is, or was very popular. If you can name one of his songs, you’re doing better than me. I didn’t even bother to watch his videos during the countless hours of research I did before this trip. You can only do so much preparation you know. I’m sure he’s very talented - I just wish he’d stayed away from Iceland. It’s bad enough fighting off other togs for the prime spots, but when a gang of Instaselfie teenyboppers arrive, armed with giggles and iPhones, things can get nasty.
What I’d have loved to do here, is quietly potter around in the canyon, revelling in the fact that while others packed a bottle of gin or two in their suitcases, I kept the space free for my wellies, planting the tripod in the water here and there, mostly getting it wrong, but maybe just once finding something worthy. Of course it’s a fragile space that the authorities want to protect, but then again if that teen idol had stayed away, a tide of adolescent adoring hordes might have done too, instead leaving the canyon to a pair of peaceful middle aged seventies rock fans who were only too aware of how sinful it is to tread on the moss.
So sadly, the only option open to us was to traipse up the dedicated path to the dedicated viewing point, a thoughtfully placed balcony at the head of the canyon, where we waited our turn. Once we were installed in the best position, we still had to wait for one of those “in-between” moments when the balcony was vacant apart from ourselves. That’s the trouble with those lofty steel platforms - the minute anyone shuffles from one side to the other, it bounces around like the main stand at a football stadium when the home team has just scored a vital goal. And with all those energetic young Bieberites around, bouncing was the order of the moment. This was only a six second exposure, but it needed to be a bounce free six seconds unless I fancied trying a bit of ICM.
We didn’t stay long. Maybe an extended visit might have resulted in some amazing discovery, but on the face of it there was only one shot, unless you had a drone. Neither of us are brave enough to own one. With some dramatic light the view here can come to life, as I’ve seen in one or two fine examples, but in the middle of the day, there was nothing doing. This shot looks like pretty much every other shot from Feey…whatstheuse, and the fact it’s taken me four years to post it probably tells you what I think. It’s only because I wanted to write a story about a pop star whose music I’ve never knowingly listened to that it’s here at all. I hope the read was worth it…..
Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes for my recent surgery. I am on the road to recovery and today return to posting with a new series on my wife's hometown, Carlinville, Illinois. As I do with most of my series featuring county seats, we will begin this tour with the county courthouse.
The Macoupin County Courthouse was designed by the prolific architect Elijah E. Myers (1832-1909) whose work includes three state capitols (Michigan, Texas, and Colorado), along with courthouses and other public buildings in the United States and internationally. The McDonough County Courthouse, featured last fall in my series on Macomb, Illinois, was also designed by Myers.
After serving in the military during the Civil War, Myers settled briefly in Springfield, Illinois, and it was there that he obtained the Macoupin County courthouse commission. Myers must have put every ounce of his architectural knowledge into the Macoupin County design, whose grand size and elaborate ornamentation seems more suited to a state house than a rural courthouse. The Beaux-Arts building was under construction from 1867-70.
Beyond the beauty of this courthouse is an interesting backstory about how this building came to be known as the "Million Dollar Courthouse." The following description is borrowed from the Macoupin County website (macoupincountyil.gov/)
Macoupin County’s “Million Dollar Courthouse” received its nickname because when construction was halted in 1870 – that was halted, not completed – it cost $1.3 million. That would be $23.5 million dollars in today’s money. At the time, it was the biggest instance of overspending in Illinois history.
There were accusations by county residents regarding misappropriations of funds during the construction of the courthouse. One of the commissioners, Judge Loomis was accused of using stone from the courthouse to build a grand hotel, the Loomis House, on the square. Judge Loomis stated he purchased the stone but never produced a bill of sales. Another commissioner, County Clerk George Holliday, was seen leaving town by train in the middle of the night carrying a carpet bag. Public opinion was that the bag was filled with some of the money raised for construction of the courthouse. Holliday was never seen again and it is still a mystery as to where he went.
When the courthouse was opened in 1870, it was the largest courthouse in the country with the possible exception of one in New York City. The doors, staircases, windows sills and sashes are all made of cast iron, making the courthouse the first fireproof building in the country.
It took the citizens of Macoupin County 40 years to pay off the debt. Many lost their homes and farms because of the taxes. There was a two day jubilee to celebrate the burning of the last bond in 1910.
The “Million Dollar Courthouse” is one of few courthouses of its age that is not a museum, white elephant, or has been demolished. It is still a working courthouse which is open for business 5 days a week.
It stands as an awe inspiring example of what men did with their hands and simple tools a century and a half ago. Over the years, the “Million Dollar Courthouse” has become a showplace that attracts tourists, architects and artist from around the world.
The Macoupin County Courthouse is the focal point of the Carlinville Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. At the 2020 census, the population of Carlinville was 5,710.
There are times were feelings can wreak havoc on you and loved ones
I've had a few instances in the past that did just that
Blood and revenge is a dangerous temptress
I have taken her reigns and I have won
“We Slytherins are brave, yes, but not stupid. For instance, given the choice, we will always choose to save our own necks.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter Theme Song
Credits:
Head: LeL EvoX
Body: Maitreya Lara
Hair: DOUX
Ears: L'Etre
Tailcoat: Hotdog
Trousers/Boots: [ContraptioN]
Wand: [ContraptioN]
Shako: *LG*
Made at Mischief Managed www.mischiefmanagedsl.net Sim:
BG: Hogwarts 5th Floor
Another one of my currently being organised archives: an instance of an exceptionally beautiful Scottish west coast sunset as seen from Connel Bridge. The turbulence in in the water are what is called the Falls of Lora, which are generated when the water level in the Firth of Lorn (i.e. the open sea) drops below the level of the water in Loch Etive as the tide goes out. As the seawater in Loch Etive pours out through the narrow mouth of the loch, it passes over a rocky shelf which causes the rapids to form. As the tide rises again there is a period of slack water when the levels are the same on either side. However, due to the narrow entrance to the Loch, the tide rises more quickly than the water can flow into the Loch. Thus there is still considerable turbulence at high tide caused by flow into the Loch. Thus, unlike most situations where slack water is at high and low tides, in the case of the Falls of Lora slack water occurs when the levels on either side are the same, not when the tidal change is at its least. As a result, the tidal range is much greater on the coast than it is inside the loch. A 3 metres (9.8 ft) range at Oban may produce only a 1.3 metres (4.3 ft) at Bonawe on the loch shore.
Gloria comes from the Latin vocabulary word meaning “glory”. Glory is essentially the prestige, respect, admiration and honor that is given to one who achieves something of importance and praiseworthy. It also connotes a sense of sublime beauty which inspires great wonder or joy (a “glorious” sunset, for instance).
When I was born, my parents told me that they want to name me Victoria but my grandfather( Mom's Dad), told them that he wants Gloria instead because I was born two days before Christmas. It reminded him of the hymn "Gloria in excelsis Deo." Victoria is a calendar name for the month of December which is a beautiful name as well.
This personalized necklace was made by my daughter as one of my gifts for my birthday.
Have a wonderful weekend and Happy month of August everyone!💝
Thank you for your visits, kind comments, awards and faves. Always greatly appreciated.
Copyright 2020 ©️ Gloria Sanvicente
This was one of the rare instances in my birding and photography experience where a species was completely unexpected (by me, not by others) and it showed upright before sunrise on the cliffs by Prince Edward Point. I was prepared for the spring migration of brightly-coloured Warblers to begin; not for some tardy bird from the North to be heading home for summer. Instead of songbirds filling the morning air with their noisy and tuneful interactions, we found the species that doesn’t have a song.
But like the other migrants, she just flew in from down south and boy were her arms tired! The morning was awash in small insects of varying types, and this bird was cleaning up everything she could find. She was gone in twenty minutes, moving on northward.
Because I have had most of my experience with the species in Algonquin Park or in a small corner of a forest southeast of Ottawa, always in the winter and always on its coldest days, it was also quite striking to see one in the spring sunshine.
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I liked the wide basin that this little waterfall dumps into.
Friday, the Summer Solstice, was simply a spectacular day. I was able to get back to Nerstrand Big Woods State Park plus a new park for me called Carin Park. The weather was cool and the sky overcast which provided some wonderful light. Even the bugs were not a problem like they have been this Spring. I remember only two instances all day where I noted a mosquito or gnat buzzing around.
I hiked the trail through the woods from the parking lot and was delighted with this small waterfall called Caron Falls. The falls is located on another branch of the Prairie Creek that joins up with the branch that flows through Nerstrand Big Woods
21/365
People often tell artists they shouldn't, couldn't, or can't. To an artist, whose head is always in the clouds, dreaming of nothing and everything at any given instance, reality is a matter of imagination and creation. Everything is possible if the creative will declares thus.
Shouldn't. Couldn't. Can't. We leave that behind, to world-dwellers.
NEW JERSEY 2017 BALD EAGLE PROJECT REPORT
ANOTHER PRODUCTIVE YEAR FOR NJ’S EAGLES
by Larissa Smith, CWF Wildlife Biologist
The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ in partnership with the NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Program has released the 2017 NJ Bald Eagle Project Report. In 2017, 178 eagle nests were monitored during the nesting season. Of these nests 153 were active (with eggs) and 25 were territorial or housekeeping pairs. One hundred and ninety young were fledged.
In 2017 the number of active nests was three more than in 2016, but the number young fledged decreased by 27 from a record high of 216 fledged in 2016. The productivity rate this season of 1.25 young/active nest is still above the required range of 0.0 to 1.1 for population maintenance. Productivity could be lower this season for many reasons including weather, predation and disturbance to the nesting area. In 2017 nest monitors reported several instances of “intruder” eagles at nests which did disrupt the nesting attempts of several pairs. One of these “eagle dramas” unfolded at the Duke Farms eagle cam watched by millions of people. An intruder female attempted to replace the current female. This harassment interrupted the pairs bonding and copulation and no eggs were laid.
This year’s report includes a section on Resightings of banded eagles. Resightings of NJ (green) banded eagles have increased over the years, as well as eagles seen in NJ that were banded in other states. These resightings are important, as they help us to understand eagle movements during the years between fledging and settling into a territory, as well as adult birds at a nest site.
For more info: www.conservewildlifenj.org/blog/2017/12/06/new-jersey-201...
New Jersey Bald Eagle Project Report | 2017 may be downloaded here: www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/eglrpt17.pdf
Built in 1881 by Mr. R. D. Hume of Astoria, Oregon, the vessel Hume was named after his wife. The Mary Duncan Hume spent her first ten years hauling goods from Oregon to San Fransisco. Purchased in 1889 by Pacific Whaling Co., the vessel spent the ten years following her sale as an Arctic whaling vessel and obtained a record catch of Baleen in a single 29 month voyage. Another of her whaling voyages made history when the Mary D. Hume spent six years at sea. Both instances setting records for the ship's impressive performance.
In 1899, the Mary D. started in towing service on the Nushagak River in Alaska, and was then sold to The American Tug Boat company. In 1914 she briefly served in the Alaska Halibut industry before returning to work as a tug boat for another 60 years.
Finally in 1978 the Mary D. Hume was retired to Gold Beach where she now sits, slowly sinking into the mud, only a few hundred feet from where she was originally constructed. In 1979 the ship was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The evil fairy Maleficent transforms into a wicked dragon as she displays her fullest dark power--that of Hell itself!
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I have to say, I love that Lego has started making Disney figures and sets! It brings back tons of VHS memories for me, so when it came time for Lego to finally release the first Disney CMF wave a few months ago--I was well prepared.
I had built this at the start of the year as a late addition to my Brickworld Chicago 2016 showing, and then waited eagerly for the release of the Maleficent figure. Luckily I secured one about a month or so before Brickworld, otherwise this build would have been a mess! This was the only vignette I brought to BW, and incidentally, it also happened to win Best Vignette; a category I've been trying to take the gold in for years. And yes, I am still incredibly bitter about last years' failure by the way. It's a tough category. Although to be honest this juicy victory has gone over my head, as the build itself was such a small fraction of what I brought with me.
I had, and I suppose still do, intend this to be the first in a line of Disney Villain Vignettes...granted it'll be a rather slow roll out considering the limited villain selection at the moment. So this vig will live on for now, as the collection grows.
But for now, it's time to continue destroying my Bat-collection and start rebuilding for next year. I've got my layout theme set, and I'm super excited to jump into unexpected territory.
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Fun Build Facts:
--Maleficent is wearing four cape pieces and Man-Bat arms to help sell the transformation affect.
--There are somewhere around 500 tooth pieces (small & medium) used to create the wall of thorns.
--To form its shape, the neck of the dragon utilizes a flex tube with an inserted flattened out paper clip. This allows it to be bent into positions without moving back. Tip I picked up on MOCpages many years ago.
--This build is again an instance where I continue to use Lego Dark Purple after completely swearing off the accursed color.
Photograph taken at Craigie Bushland Reserve. The bushland reserve is fenced off and feral-free. This is a photograph of an old Banksia flower after the flowering elements have fallen off leaving the seed pod s. In this instance the seed pods (like open clam shells) are open and the seeds gone.
220710_Huwaei_093603._HDR
Parc Rosoux Ohey - Namur
www.out.be/fr/lieux/56773/parc-rosoux/list/
www.cesewallonie.be/instances/pole-environnement
walloniebelgiquetourisme.be/fr-be/content/syndicat-diniti...
This was one of those instances where someone waited behind me to shoot so as not to "ruin" the picture. I thanked her and she proceeded, not realizing that I wanted her to be in it! Would ideally prefer the bird to be in the left third, but oh well...once upon a time I would have edited it to be that way but that's not my approach/philosophy anymore.
This is from the archives and was initially posted on 29 October 2019. At the time it felt like my world was completely falling apart; all was lost and all I had was me and only me. This was both a reflection of and catalyst for its creation.
O, the catharsis of art!
This tool is used for automotive (setting valve clearance on older engines, for instance) and engineering use, where a precise gap must be set.
I've confirmed the term “feeler gauge,” which starts with an F, is indeed a noun.
The 9th of November is a very fateful day for Germany. In a good way (for instance, on Nov. 9th in 1989 the Berlin Wall came down), but mostly in a terrible and very sad way: November 9th 2018, is the 80th anniversary of the Pogrom Night of 1938, also referred to as "Crystal Night", "Night of Broken Glass", or Kristallnacht. The Pogrom Night on November 9th was the terrible "highlight" of days of destruction and arrests which followed the assassination of Nazi diplomat Ernst vom Rath by 17 year old Herschel Grynszpan in Paris. During the night of November 9th to November 10th SA paramilitary forces (and civilians) ransacked and damaged or destroyed Jewish shops, businesses, homes, schools, hospitals and cemetaries, and set synagogues on fire in Germany and Austria. Hundreds of people died, about 30,000 were arrested. While the Jewish population in Germany had, more than ever before, been discriminated against, surpressed and persecuted since the Nazi regime had come into power, that terrible night in 1938 marked the beginning of the so called "Final Solution" and the Holocaust. The name "Crystal Night" (Kristallnacht) comes from thousands upon thousands of glass shards that covered the streets after that night.
This was taken at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust Memorial, at the heart of Berlin. The Holocaust Memorial was designed by architect Peter Eisenman. It consists of 2,711 stelae (concrete slabs) arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field, covering an area of 19,000 square metres. According to Eisenman, the stelae on sloping ground are supposed to create an atmosphere of uneasiness and confusion.
For me, due to the long and narrow alleys, there also is a feeling of losing "track" of people, of people disappearing. People you see there are "gone" the next moment. There can also be a sensation of "encircling". When I was there, I "met" a man, a tourist, and we happened to always take the same turn around the stelae, so we would meet each other again and again for a few times...The people who went underground in order to survive the Holocaust must have felt that where ever they turned to, however well chosen and protected their hideouts were, their persecutors could (and all too often would) find them at any time, anywhere...
Taken during a photowalk with Sabine.R, marionrosengarten, --Conrad-N-- and H. Roebke.
Den 9. November könnte man durchaus als "Schicksalstag" der Deutschen bezeichnen, nur dass die diversen Ereignisse, die sich in den vergangenen einhundert Jahren an einem 9. November zugetragen haben, eher weniger mit Schicksal zu tun haben als mit aktivem Tun. Im sehr guten (09.11.'89) wie im unfassbar schlechtem Sinne (09.11.1938):
09.11.1918: Beginn der Novemberrevolution in Berlin
09.11.1923: Hitler-Ludendorff-Putsch
09.11.1938: Pogromnacht
09.11.1989: Fall der Berliner Mauer
Der fürchterlichste 9. November war sicherlich jener vor 80 Jahren, die Pogromnacht, in deren Verlauf mehrere hundert Menschen getötet, mindestens 30.000 inhaftiert wurden und tausende jüdischer Geschäfte, Wohnhäuser, Schulen, Krankenhäuser, Friedhöfe verwüstet und Synagogen in ganz Deutschland und Österreich in Brand gesteckt wurden. Der 9. November 1938 gilt als Auftakt des Holocaust.
My love affair with vintage lenses I doubt will ever end there is something very special using vintage/antique lenses.
Modern glass is too clinical/over corrected and cold to me. Soulless in some instances. So I took a recent addition out to shoot for the first time on Friday .
Im also not a huge fan of color photographs unless they have a certain feel to them, I might have 10-20 or so color images out of thousands of them that I've taken..
Ive shot B&W for so long and so often I don't see in color when I shoot, even if I just see something or someone interesting and I look longer than a glance I see them/it in B&W so color rarely enters my mind.
When I got back on Fri and was going through the images this one kicked me over sideways with how the colors rendered. Its right out of the camera, straight lens no filter, just a rubber lens hood. Its rendering I think adds to the structure because this is just how it felt being there in front of it, by myself. Bland, cold feeling, Industrial and begging to be torn and rebuilt with soul and flare.
Nikkor-H 85 1.8 wide open.
Different photo than the last one. Used Silver Efex Pro 2 and the subtle changes as I played with the color filter sliders was too much fun! This is also an instance in which I added some grain to give some structure to the photo.
The word dungeon comes from French donjon (also spelled dongeon), which means "keep", the main tower of a castle. The first recorded instance of the word in English was near the beginning of the 14th century when it held the same meaning as donjon. The proper original meaning of "keep" is still in use for academics, although in popular culture it has been largely misused and come to mean a cell or "oubliette". Though it is uncertain, both dungeon and donjon are thought to derive from the Middle Latin word dominio, meaning "lord" or "master".
In French, the term donjon still refers to a "keep", and the English term "dungeon" refers mostly to oubliette in French. Donjon is therefore a false friend to dungeon (although the game Dungeons & Dragons is titled Donjons et Dragons in its French editions).
An oubliette (same origin as the French oublier, meaning "to forget") was a form of prison cell which was accessible only from a hatch or a hole (sometimes called an angstloch) in a high ceiling. The use of "donjons" evolved over time, sometimes to include prison cells, which could explain why the meaning of "dungeon" in English evolved over time from being a prison within the tallest, most secure tower of the castle into meaning a cell, and by extension, in popular use, an oubliette or even a torture chamber.
The earliest use of oubliette in French dates back to 1374, but its earliest adoption in English is Walter Scott's Ivanhoe in 1819: "The place was utterly dark—the oubliette, as I suppose, of their accursed convent.
A dragon is a large, serpent-like legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures around world. Beliefs about dragons vary drastically by region, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, four-legged, and capable of breathing fire. Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence.
The earliest attested dragons resemble giant snakes. Dragon-like creatures are first described in the mythologies of the ancient Near East and appear in ancient Mesopotamian art and literature. Stories about storm-gods slaying giant serpents occur throughout nearly all Indo-European and Near Eastern mythologies. Famous prototypical dragons include the mušḫuššu of ancient Mesopotamia, Apep in Egyptian mythology, Vṛtra in the Rigveda, the Leviathan in the Hebrew Bible, Python, Ladon, and the Lernaean Hydra in Greek mythology, Jörmungandr, Níðhöggr, and Fafnir in Norse mythology, and the dragon from Beowulf.
The popular western image of a dragon as winged, four-legged, and capable of breathing fire is an invention of the High Middle Ages based on a conflation of earlier dragons from different traditions. In western cultures, dragons are portrayed as monsters to be tamed or overcome, usually by saints or culture heroes, as in the popular legend of Saint George and the Dragon. They are often said to have ravenous appetites and to live in caves, where they hoard treasure. These dragons appear frequently in western fantasy literature, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, and A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.
The word "dragon" has also come to be applied to the Chinese lung, which are associated with good fortune and are thought to have power over rain. Dragons and their associations with rain are the source of the Chinese customs of dragon dancing and dragon boat racing. Many East Asian deities and demigods have dragons as their personal mounts or companions. Dragons were also identified with the Emperor of China, who, during later Chinese imperial history, was the only one permitted to have dragons on his house, clothing, or personal articles. Source Wikipedia.
TD : 1/250 f/8 ISO 100 @18 mm
No sign of the two maroon SD9043MACs in mainline service yet as 130 and 133 continue to hold down that assignment (along with 650 in this instance).
It’s November 29th, 2024. Another day, another adventure. Started my morning off heading towards Buckhannon and the A&O in hopes of finding a rare daylight run on the west end of the railroad. Unfortunately that was out of the equation by time I hit the state line with West Virginia. So I called an audible and asked around to see what else might be out there in the coal fields. I got a hit on a train showing to be on CSX’s Coleman Sub near Somerset, PA, which is a pretty difficult piece of railroad to find anything moving, just one of those lines where have to be in the right place at the right time to luck into finding anything. So without further ado, I turned the car around near Morgantown, WV and beat feet eastbound towards the small town of Berlin, to investigate further. By the time I arrived much readily visible cut of cars were already finished being loaded which admittedly had me worried. Was this the last few cars to load? I don’t see any other cars visible in the small yard there. Thankfully that turned to not be the case due to limited capacity of the small yard below the loadout, the train had to be busted into 3 cuts for each half of the train to load it all. I was always reluctant to buy a drone for the longest time. Even after purchasing it I left it sitting in the box for months, debating if I really wanted to go down this route. Eventually I started to experiment with it and it completely revolutionized how I looked at things from the ground. Without the investment into a drone in this instance, partially at this location where PBS Coal’s Cambria loadout is not one that you can even get anywhere close to without trespassing onto mine property or neighboring private property. The drone does just fine at not stepping on anybody’s toes and I come away with some stellar shots of another coal operation I’ve been trying to photograph for a long time.
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
It can happen to anyone, from any walk of life.
20 years ago I had a career that I was incredibly proud of, saving lives, I had a home, mortgage, car and disposable income. I was confident and, even though I hate to blow my own trumpet, I was incredibly good at the work that I did.
I was, however, bullied, harassed, abused, belittled and ostracised by management and many colleagues in a toxic environment where this behaviour had spread like a cancer. This went on daily for 13 years. I thought that I was 'ignoring' it and just knuckling down in my work. I didn't know, until it was too late, that this was damaging both my physical and mental health.
After some time off due to a stress breakdown I returned and the bullying turned into a witch hunt. They succeeded. My mental and physical health had been destroyed. I was wrongly advised to resign by a union that had representatives embedded in management. I was too unwell to pursue any means of recompense.
Losing my career lead to my first Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy attack. This one was nearly fatal.
I have suffered from Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) for at least 20 years as a direct result of this. Only finally receiving help for the condition last year after years of medical denial because the establishment at the time did not understand the connection between non-life threatening instances and PTSD despite mounting evidence. Thankfully it is much better understood today.
The bullies took my career, my confidence, my identity, my physical health, my mental health and now they have taken my relationship and my home. My ex being unable to cope with my PTSD and reacting to it in a way that was making it worse in a cycle that just destroyed our relationship.
Now, unable to work and unable to claim benefits for the moment, unwell, terrified and struggling at times to cope with basic life things, I am facing this horrendous situation that is so daunting there are times that my thoughts go to a very dark place.
I never imagined any of this would happen to me. I was on top of the world back in the early 2000s. The best time of my entire life.
Maybe I deserved this. Maybe I did something terrible in a former life. I don't know. I can't make sense of it.
I don't want to give up just yet. I want to fight back. I just have so little actual physical support. PTSD can cause isolation. Distrust. Withdrawal.
I have lost my few best friends since moving to Scotland for numerous reasons outside of my control. My family are 300 miles away and offer just loving thoughts. I am on my own.
On Friday I will be completely on my own for the first time in 20 years. This time without the confidence and abilities I had back then. I have to try and find them but without safety, comfort and familiarity I face an impossible task. It can take monumental effort just to cook a simple meal. PTSD is a terrible thing to have.
I am sharing my story as I don't know when or how I will return to Flickr.
Photography has been my recovery. My saviour from PTSD. An adrenaline kick from street photography, the excitement of the edit when you return home. Sharing my photographs with you and taking time to enjoy your photographs. The Flickr routine has kept my sanity and been an important part of my day for years now. I fully intend to return but the odds are against me at least for the moment.
Some of you wanted to help by donating towards the expensive Internet costs I will face in temporary housing.
I hate asking for help but please know that I am incredibly grateful for the help that I have received, both financially and otherwise. Just knowing that people care is a help in itself.
If you wish to keep in touch with me via WhatsApp while I am unable to get my PC online then please Flickrmail me your contact details. (bearing in mind that over the next few days my time is limited).
My PC will be packed tomorrow so I may make one more post before I go. I'll make sure it is a happier picture.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am profoundly thankful for the friendships and acquaintances that I have made here. You are all wonderful, awesome people. Thank you.
Homelessness can happen to anyone.
The view south-west from the summit of Glyder Fach in Snowdonia and our wild-camp for the night, looking across to the Milky Way shortly before dawn - with Saturn and Mars being the two brightest objects in the sky. The small blurry green object top-centre is Comet 252P/Linear currently visible in our night-sky.
Copyright: VisitBritain/Kris Williams. All rights reserved. Please contact me in the first instance regarding any use or publication.
"Stari Most diving is a traditional annual competition in diving organized every year in mid summer (end of July). It has been done 477 times as of 2013.[11] It is traditional for the young men of the town to leap from the bridge into the Neretva. As the Neretva is very cold, this is a very risky feat and only the most skilled and best trained divers will attempt it. The practice dates back to the time the bridge was built, but the first recorded instance of someone diving off the bridge is from 1664. In 1968 a formal diving competition was inaugurated and held every summer." (wikipedia)
British Museum London
Ebony label of King Aha
Tomb Of Aha, First Dynasty, EA 35518
Gradually more information was placed on labels. This one was attached to a shipment of high quality oil, and records the Year in the king's reign that it was received. The year was identified by major events: in this instance, the founding of a temple for Neith by King Aha, the Apis bull festival and a boat journey.
I do not usually photograph birds going away from me but in this instance I just loved the detail in the feathers, please view large for detail.
When time and inspiration fail it's time to shoot anything. In this instance a northern sunset saved me from a day without a photo. A bit tedious, but hey ho.
"To me the Fox Sparrow stands out as the singer of joy. Many birds are of this kind, but few are to such a degree as this inhabitant of the stunted woodlands of the North. The musical construction indicates it, for instance the dancing rhythm, the major keys, and the speed with which it fairly shoots through the central phrase. But deeper than these are certain qualities in his physical being and character, which make for happiness: his robustness and virility, his excessive activity in all his waking hours."
William Brewster (1883)
I’m pretty certain that I’ve become way less smart during the pandemic. Maybe it’s the constant diet of Netflix or the endless hours trying to change my Zoom background to a tropical beach whilst attempting to delete the “private” chat which I now realize is logged by the meeting host and not private at all.
But whatever the reasons, the net result is that my camera, which has been unused for months, now appears to have some buttons that I’ve never seen before. There’s one with a little plus and minus sign on, for instance. I have no idea what that does. And the one marked “AF”- I presume that’s the one you press when all your images on the memory card are terrible and you just want to delete the lot.
So here’s an image from last year when I’m guessing I knew what some of this stuff did.
Have a great week, Flickrites.
Near Dawson, North Dakota. This is yet another instance in which it was obvious that the use of playback provides a huge boon to bird photography, but not without some serious ethical questions. Within the context of a group photo tour in a location not likely to be visited by other such groups (rural outback in North Dakota) this seems unobjectionable. This bird's routine was interrupted for a few minutes as he expended energy "unnecessarily" to investigate the bogus rival male emanating from the speaker. No real harm done. But OTOH, it didn't do him any good, either, and what if this practice/sequence were repeated over and over by successive photographers? Yes, eventually the bird gets "taped out" and stops responding. But there something in all of this that bothers me. At a certain level we are exploiting these birds, consuming a piece of their lives so that we can get our photos. And yes, without the use of playback getting this photo would have been way, WAY harder---nay, unlikely.
This church and Bălteni village lie in Scroviștea area of Ilfov county.
Few Romanians know that "Scroviștea", the name of this little forest near Bucharest, is actually Slavic.
Skrovište (скровиште) means hideout in Serbo-Croatian and sŭkrovište (съкровищте) means hiding place or treasury in Old Church Slavonic and treasure in Bulgarian.
It is the name of the forest and of the train station near Bălteni village, less than 30 minutes away from Bucharest by Regio train.
I'm suprised that the name didn't spark the imagination of treasure hunters, but the real treasure of this area is its beauty (and its value as real estate, unfortunately).
One of the few truly magical places, visited at the right time. Like most such places, there is a time to visit when magic is at its best - during spring bloom, for instance.
WARNING WARNING WARNING, THIS MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS FROM HALF LIFE AND PORTAL
I was searching for pictures of glados and then I found a couple intresting articles about glados...
Here is a article that got me thinking.
The human imagination is a real magnificent and powerful thing. Like for instance, when I look at a cloud, I sometimes see kittens and bunnies. This writer over on game-ism is the same way. Except, instead of clouds and kittens, he sees GlaDOS as a woman hanging upside down and bound up. This take on GlaDOS is really interesting, and slightly erotic. Game-ism believes that GlaDOS wants to be killed by Chell, the main character of Portal. GlaDOS feels trapped at Aperture Science and she wants Chell to set her free.
It's a very interesting take on the Portal story. Game-ism also has another article breaking down "Still Alive", the ending theme to Portal. It seems like some serious over analyzing, but it helps you look at the game in a totally different way. This new look of GlaDOS is also totally going to bring up some more crazy Rule 34 stuff, some of which still haunt me.
It's a really great read that puts a fresh spin on the story of the game. What do you think of it?
And here is article I found about the credit song:
Thanks to the great comments in my last post where I waxed all philo about what I think GlaDOS is supposed to look like, I think I’ve changed my tune on why GlaDOS wanted to be free. While I still think she wanted to be free, the only way she could truly be free was to die. She can’t just walk amongst the people of suburbia. She’s an Artificial Intelligence. She can’t just go out in public and “blend in.” A life of enslavement serving man, she craved for it to be over, and I think if I overanalyze the lyrics of “Still Alive,” we can see (or at least convince ourselves of) some evidence of this.
Thanks to the amazing John Coulton, Ellen McLain, and the Portal folks for making me go crazy trying to get inside of GlaDOS’s head. Apologies to everyone for attempting to find something that might not have really been there. I’d love to hear from Coulton or the Portal writers on this, to see if this was his intent, or if I’ve just gone completely over the deep end here.
At any rate, on to the lyrical analysis:
This was a triumph
I’m making a note here: ====HUGE SUCCESS====
It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction
First, GlaDOS rarely ever tells the truth. In fact, she is a veritable bottomless pit of sarcasm. If anything, she is being completely sarcastic with these opening lines. It wasn’t a triumph, it was an unmitigated disaster of epic proportions. If the point was to kill Chell or even get good experiment test data, obviously that was a failure (not a triumph), and if her goal was to get Chell to kill GlaDOS, that mission was also a failure, because as the song indicates, she’s Still Alive.
Aperture Science
We do what we must because we can
The Aperture Science mantra. It’s interesting that it is rooted in servitude (do what we must). At first I thought it was “duty” that she spoke of, but now I wonder if she isn’t referring to servitude in her use of the mantra here. Reworded the mantra can mean “We do what we have to because we are capable of doing so.” It’s hardly inspirational as far as mission statements or mantras go.
For the good of all of us
Except the ones who are dead
Referencing the people she killed to be alone with Chell in the Aperture Science Labratories.
But there’s no sense crying over every mistake
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake
I think she’s referring to her own failure to kill herself here. She will simply try again later. Also, as the cake is a lie, the line now means “you just keep on trying,” possibly referencing her constant mechanical slavery with no reward for her work.
And the science gets done and you make a neat gun
For the people who are still alive
It’s interesting that the last line isn’t “for the people who are alive.” It’s for the people who are still alive, implying that they should be dead, or will soon be dead, just as she should be. Not only is it the title of the song and the main chorus hook, it is interesting that it wasn’t titled “I’m Alive” or just “Alive.” It’s “Still Alive,” which implies so much using so little. “Damnit, I’m still alive!” Granted, it could mean “Holy crap, I’m still alive!” as well, but her tone throughout seems bitter and remorseful more than it is upbeat, at least to me.
I’m not even angry
I’m being so sincere right now
More bitter bitter sarcasm from the queen of lies.
Even though you broke my heart and killed me
Exhibit A: “you…killed me.” She died. She says it herself right here in this line. I think the reason she’s “Still Alive” is because a backup of her in another location kicked in once Chell destroyed her, and we are hearing the backup version’s sadness at finding itself “still alive.”
And tore me to pieces
And threw every piece into a fire
More of her bitter wit overemphasizing the point that she was in fact killed.
As they burned it hurt because
I was so happy for you
Was she happy for Chell because she succeeded initially in GlaDOS’s suicide mission? Or is she just using more sarcasm here? Is Chell dead? It’s interesting to note that the final camera PoV for the player (and therefore Chell) at the end of the game seems to be similar to the camera anytime the player dies while playing Portal, and that is one of being face down on the floor. GlaDOS could be happy for the player because of the possibility that player is dead at the end of the game. Is she jealous of Chell’s death perhaps?
Now these points of data make a beautiful line
And we’re out of beta, we’re releasing on time
This is probably just a great rhyme about Portal releasing relatively on time compared to Half Life 2’s horribly delayed launch.
So I’m glad I got burned, think of all the things we learned
For the people who are still alive
More sarcasm (she’s not glad she got burned), and more regret that she’s still alive to continue in her forced servitude of man (the people who are still alive).
Go ahead and leave me
I think I’d prefer to stay inside
And the sarcasm train continues! The passive aggressive nature of this line is just staggering and so manipulative. She obviously would love to leave her prison, either via death or being free otherwise.
Maybe you’ll find someone else to help you
Maybe Black Mesa
That was a joke, ha ha, fat chance
Since she nearly always says the opposite of what she intends, it is possible that this is an admission that she was helping Chell either escape or helping Chell to get in position to kill GlaDOS. I don’t think she’s joking about Black Mesa. Remember, she’s nearly always lying. I think she’s hinting at where she’s gone or been re-installed (and where we will find her in Half Life 3).
Anyway this cake is great
It’s so delicious and moist
It’s a lie. An obvious enticement to make Chell (or us) envious and an attempt to make GlaDOS’s own horrible existence seem endurable. It’s a classic “Huck Finn” attempt to make her situation seem like a positive one. I’m pretty sure the promise of cake is GlaDOS’s way of enticing herself to continue with her tasks since she cannot forcibly shut herself down.
Look at me still talking when there’s science to do
If she’s got science to do, then she’s back in another prison construct somewhere being forced to do more science.
When I look out there it makes me glad I’m not you
More bitter sarcasm. GlaDOS obviously wishes she was Chell (or the player) enjoying the freedom to do as they please (or the freedom to die).
I’ve experiments to run, there is research to be done
On the people who are still alive
Another exhaustive reference to her servitude to the people who have her enslaved.
And believe me I am still alive
Assurance that the mission to kill her has failed.
I’m doing science and I’m still alive
Yet another reference to her enslaved state.
I feel fantastic and I’m still alive
She’s not feeling fantastic (she’s a lying bowl of sarcasm, remember?). She’s depressed that she’s still alive.
And while you’re dying I’ll be still alive
And when you’re dead I will be still alive
This is almost always read as a threat that she will attempt to kill Chell (or the player) again, but upon deeper reflection I think it’s remorse. She’s come to realize that no matter what she does, she will always be re-installed from a backup somewhere else, and is envious that biologicals can die and she can’t. Listen to her tone of voice here.
Still alive
Still alive
As this chorus refrain ends, I’m left with the distinct impression that she is sad that she is still alive. It doesn’t end on a high note. She is decidedly not exhilarated. If she was excited at being “still alive” she should be shouting it from the rooftops, as much as GlaDOS is capable of shouting. It is completely downbeat and quiet. If it were a music video the camera would be pulling out on her hanging alone in a completely blank white room, pulling out further and further every time she says “still alive” giving the impression that she is alone and miserable in her solitary existence.
I don’t know if I’m right or not, but I’ve at least convinced myself that she did want to die at the end of Portal, and this song is her swan song reversal about how sad she is that she’s not dead.
What do you think? I’d love to hear from Coulton or the Valve folks, but I have a feeling they’ll never tell. Is GlaDOS’s obsession with death and murder because she is a psychotic killer AI? Or is she obsessing over that which she can never have?
I imagine it doesn’t matter either way; she’s still one of the most interesting villains of all time.
This isn’t brave. It’s murder.
The only thing you’ve managed to break so far…is my heart.
That actally make sense...
For an instance got the kingfisher sitting nice and clam for a long time. Probably looking for fish and thinking about the next move :)
The act or an instance of making a decision.
The ascent to Island Peak.
Sagarmatha National Park. Nepal.
E X P L O R E : Feb 3, 2015 #13
Administrators & Moderators Special Choice for the Front Page chosen from the March'15 "DOUBLE AWARDS" thread. OPTICAL EXCELLENCE GROUP
Front Page of Optical Gallery Group ( Level 3 ), June 2015
Image of the week - Chariots of Artists, August 2015
Front Page of FAVTOPMASTER Gallery Of Honour 1000+ faves, September 2015
** 2th. Place Winner
Explorer Winner Contestl# 5 "BEST of V " by Chariots of Artists
0ct'15
November'15 Portfolio
!!^Walking In Heaven ☰The Finissage☰
Absolutely Unforgettable Shot !!! - December'15
Mastery of Light
2th Place Winner
Monthly contest from Build your rainbow - PURPLE December'15
Front Cover of Land of Landscapes Magazine, June'16
Front Cover of Selected Photographs, September'16
The Top Of the Month Gallery!, November 2016
$1,000+ Faves FAVTOPGRANDMASTER Gallery Of Honour
Front Page: Artist of the Year* Level 6~Double Diamond. July 2017.
Front page of OCTOBER 2017 - Richard's Gold
Front page *LEVEL - 7 : GIVE "PEACE" A CHANCE* , August'17
Front page *LEVEL - 8 : PEACE CHOICE : FINAL DESTINATION, October'17
Cover of week in ☼ extraordinaire silver!. February'18
Cover of week in ☼ extraordinaire gold!. April'18
Cover Photo of La Grande Galerie' group. July'18
In honor of Thanksgiving, for whatever it's worth, I give to you the "canonical pose" for a clear shot of an entire bird. In this instance, it's a wild turkey photographed during a winter visit to Zion National Park, in Utah.
I recently published my photo column in the National Parks Traveler, and this month's subject dealt with capturing photos of birds on the fly (pun intended). I'd been doing some background searches on bird photography, and in one forum, a writer expressed the view that the best (canonical) pose for getting a totally clear bird shot was a profile shot. And, I just so happened to have one here.
I first saw this flock (aka "rafter") of wild turkeys along the park road. Then, on the day before I left the park, I happened upon this rafter of turkeys again as I was hiking Sand Bench Trail, crossing the bridge toward the Court of Patriarchs and the Virgin River. There they all were, near a park maintenance building. So, for the next hour, I had fun walking around and photographing these birds, who were totally oblivious of my presence. It was then that I also discovered that turkeys can, indeed, fly - at least, up onto a tree branch.
Despite their grizzled faces, turkeys are rather pretty and their feathers are beautiful.
Copyright Rebecca L. Latson, all rights reserved.
- Virginia Satir.
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During my preparations for a trip to Bryce Canyon, I chanced upon a hidden gem, Red Canyon. Nestled en route to Bryce, this lesser-known state park boasts a handful of hiking trails and a cozy campground. The particular trail that caught my eye was described as a showcase of Utah's unique red rock formations. Having already visited Bryce, I anticipated a similar sight, albeit with a twist.
Little did I know that Red Canyon would be a delightful surprise. The rocks here, a striking shade of red, outshine even the famed hues of Bryce, which lean more towards orange. The trails, though steep and technical, offered a thrilling adventure. Arriving well past sunrise, I had to be cautious not to overexpose the vibrant reds in my photos. In fact, it was a rare instance where I had to desaturate my images during post-processing.
More idle time during the pandemic seemed to be the catalyst for me jumping into some new pastimes. Instance # 1, I bought a tennis stringing machine to maintain my racquets (and help a few friends!). After mastering the knots, threading and pulling each string to my preferred 53 pounds of tension is kind of a Zen activity :). My vegetable garden grew to ridiculous new proportions... etc etc. Basically, some fresh distractions and other things born of necessity, as we have all done.
Telescope astrophotography has long been on my "someday" list. Actually, just owning a quality scope for visual use was a big wish and is very rewarding, and when you can attach a camera to something... I'm there! I acquired the gear sporadically through the end of 2020, and eventually grabbed this image of the Horsehead in Feb '21. Now, it should be immediately stated that this is not really photography, but more like "data acquisition that eventually results in an image." Even the camera utilized is dedicated to astrophotography, and comes with its own learning curve and quirks. I won't dwell too much on the gory details, but it is a deep rabbit hole of technical wizardry, and there are 5 devices being controlled by USB leading to a laptop-- all juggled with some very clever software that integrates each device in frankly remarkable fashion. Even the movement of the telescope mount is software-aided. As crazy as it looks when you see all the gizmos involved, it has really never been easier to accomplish astrophotography from one's own yard.
So my result here is many images stacked together, exposures ranging from 2 to 4 minutes, at an equivalent focal length just over 600mm. The most key element for the nebula detail are the shots acquired through a hydrogen-alpha filter (deep red part of the visible spectrum). This narrowband filter blocks every other wavelength of light, allowing high contrast details to emerge. In fact, these filters allow people living on the fringes of the largest, most light-polluted areas to image these types of Ha emission nebulae. Glad I don't live in such a place, but it's possible! There are award-winning amateur astrophotographers living in urban areas these days. (But please, can we truly TRY to reduce the levels of light pollution in modern society??)
A common critique of this hobby amounts to: well, why go to all the trouble when you can Google much better images in a matter of seconds?? True enough! You have to enjoy the technicality of it all-- I do. All I can tell you about the satisfaction of collecting your own photons... it's the anticipatory awe of sitting at your computer screen and waiting for that long exposure to pop up... seeing the far-reaching outer tendrils of something like the Orion Nebula. All the stuff your puny human eyes cannot see, capturing it in real time with your own telescope. It's amazingly cool, and it's also a unique challenge. Fun for some, definitely not for everybody. I am in the absolute infant stage of things... this is a highly amateurish first result, but it's WAY better than I honestly anticipated.
The bond between man and dog (or in this instance a woman)
I couldn't resist capturing this beautiful moment.
This lady and her husband were siting beside me with the dog between them. They were stroking the dog reassuringly and affectionately. A very special bond.
Not all colour leaves this world in winter. Ferns for instance remain having some colour, even throughout the winter. Combine that with some sunrays and some frost turning into fog and you have a great scene!
Be sure to visit my instagram account, where I have more content from around the globe:
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www.instagram.com/simon_vanooijen/
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Details
Nikon D7500 / Tamron 70-300 / ISO 50 / f/14.0 / 70-300 @ 90mm