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I finally managed to get back to the river this week - chasing the last of a fickle summer whose mornings now carry a hint of autumn. Until I get to review these images; here’s one from the same spot I returned to, taken last autumn – they have in common a play with colour and texture, the reflected leaves painted almost as brushstrokes. In this case, I’ve pushed the interpretation during processing towards the abstract, but quite like the result so I guess I’ll just have to print it to see if it makes the mark. Have a lovely weekend.
Image is copyright © Michéla Griffith. All rights reserved. Please contact me if you would like to use this image.
(Pedionomus torquatus)
Somewhere 70km North of Deniliquin - NSW
Austrália
When we were planning our trip and looking for interesting places and species to photograph in/around Victoria, we came across this amazing but endangered bird. From that moment, we couldn’t wait to have the oportunity to get some shots of it!
However, when we contacted Patricia Maher in late April, we found out that Philip Maher’s available dates were super limited. Since we’d already booked our internal flights, it didn’t seem doable at first. But we’d left our last day in Melbourne free, partly to avoid the risk of delayed or canceled flights and partly to enjoy the city a bit before heading back home on the 26th.
That gave us a whole day (the 25th) to go for this bird! We booked two nights in Deniliquin and braced ourselves for a birding marathon starting at 6:30 AM and possibly ending at 2 AM on the 26th (luckily, our flight home from Melbourne wasn’t until 3 PM).
Two days before the big day, we got in touch with Patricia again, and she told us the weather forecast wasn’t looking great – rain was expected. But hey, plans are plans.
The day before, we drove from Melbourne to Deniliquin (a 3-hour, 270km drive) under nonstop rain. By this point, we were beyond exhausted: after 4 weeks of birding (our longest trip ever!), dealing with an 11-hour time difference, staying in 12 different accommodations, catching 5 internal flights and 3 international ones, eating food very different from what we were used to (and often skipping meals), waking up most days at 5 AM, we almost decided to turn back.
Plus, we already had a decent collection of photos on our hard drives. Honestly, all we wanted was to head back to Melbourne, relax, and enjoy the photos we’d taken.
The idea of driving in the rain for what might turn out to be a wasted effort wasn’t motivating at all. We were this close to turning around and heading back.
Thank goodness we didn’t! Not only did the rain ease up the next day, but we also managed to spot more than 40 new species – including both the male and female of this gorgeous bird. We got hundreds of photos from all the angles and distances we wanted! The female wasn’t super cooperative (she didn’t show off her pretty legs), but the male was a real show-off and a photographer’s dream. I’ll share his photos later too.
Note 1: This is the female of the species. She’s actually more colorful than the male, though some individuals are even more vibrant than this one.
Note 2: Nope, she’s not in the nest. Fun fact about this species: it’s the male that incubates the eggs and raises the chicks. The female focuses on defending her territory and mates with multiple males.
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All my photos are now organized into sets by the country where they were taken, by taxonomic order, by family, by species (often with just one photo for the rarer ones), and by the date they were taken.
So, you may find:
- All the photos for this trip Austrália (2024) (309)
- All the photos for this order CHARADRIIFORMES (1170)
- All the photos for this family Pedionomidae (Pedionomídeos) (4)
- All the photos for this species Pedionomus torquatus (4)
- All the photos taken this day 2024/11/25 (30)
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Managed to grab a quick shot before if flitted off. never seem to stay still long. This little fella is exploring some an old fencepost . Lovely little birds can be quite confiding so when one strikes A pose for the camera I grab it !!
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Regards Clive
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IC photo for SL Mischief Managed
(L-R) Charlotte Merle, Karam Ali, Ahreum Song
Photographer: Ahreum Song (JangSungYoung)
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No Foundation!
Hawa Mahal is the tallest building in the world without a foundation. The five-storey building managed to maintain upright because of it is curved. Just another masterpiece of Rajput and Mughal architecture.
Durga Puja pandal architecture is a vibrant and dynamic art form, deeply rooted in Bengali tradition but continuously evolving with contemporary trends. The pandal serves as the temporary abode for the goddess Durga during the annual festival and is often an elaborate and creative expression of architectural ingenuity.
Materials Used
Bamboo: The traditional material used for the structure of the pandal, which is highly flexible and abundant.
Cloth and Paper: These are used for decorations, draping, and wall coverings. They are often painted or printed with intricate designs.
Plaster of Paris and Clay: Used for creating idols and sculptures.
Fiberglass and Metal: These are often used in modern pandals for creating stronger, more durable structures.
1. Traditional Designs
Bengali Folk Art: Traditional pandals often draw from rural Bengal’s heritage, incorporating local materials like bamboo, jute, and clay. These pandals typically feature motifs inspired by nature, mythology, and folk art.
Sholar Kaaj: This is a technique involving intricate designs made from shola (a type of plant) and is used to create ornaments, canopies, and decorations within the pandal.
Terracotta and Wooden Crafts: Terracotta sculptures, wooden carvings, and images of mythological figures are common in older pandals.
2. Modern Interpretations
Innovative Materials: Modern pandals often use contemporary materials like fiberglass, metal, and plastic alongside traditional materials. For instance, large fiberglass idols of Durga are increasingly used, along with innovative lighting, mirrors, and glasswork.
Thematic Pandals: Many pandals these days are built around a specific theme. The themes can range from environmental issues (like conservation of rivers or wildlife) to technological advancements, historical events, or even popular culture. The architecture of the pandal is designed to reflect this theme, often incorporating multimedia elements.
Eco-friendly Designs: In recent years, there has been a push for sustainable and eco-friendly pandals. These are often constructed using biodegradable materials such as bamboo, paper, and cloth, with designs that minimize environmental impact.
3. Architectural Features
Structural Form: Traditionally, pandals were dome-shaped or cylindrical, but now they can take on all sorts of avant-garde shapes, from temples to spaceships to replicas of famous monuments like the Eiffel Tower or the Taj Mahal.
Facade and Entrances: The entrance of the pandal is often grand and acts as a focal point of the design. It may incorporate arches, columns, and ornate carvings, often reflecting the temple architecture of India.
Ceilings and Roofs: The roofs of pandals are a key area for artistic expression, ranging from elaborate canopies made of flowers to highly stylized, often abstract, designs using light and color.
Lighting: Pandals are spectacularly lit, with millions of light bulbs strung up in intricate patterns. The lighting not only enhances the aesthetics but also creates a divine ambiance, especially at night.
Interior Layout: The interior of the pandal is designed to accommodate the idol of Durga, with a focus on creating a spiritual environment. The idol is often placed on a raised platform, surrounded by artistic depictions of various deities, animals, and scenes from mythology.
4. Regional Variations
Kolkata Pandals: In Kolkata, Durga Puja pandals are known for their immense creativity and often become larger-than-life structures. Famous areas like Kumartuli, Behala, and Santoshpur are known for their extravagant pandals.
Delhi and Other Urban Centers: Pandal designs in metropolitan areas might incorporate modern styles, influenced by international trends, such as futuristic designs, art installations, or replicas of foreign monuments. These pandals often blend cultural elements with urban sophistication.
Rural and Smaller Town Pandals: These tend to have simpler, more rustic designs but are rich in cultural symbolism. Often constructed with bamboo, they may showcase more traditional and handcrafted artworks.
5. Innovative and Avant-Garde Designs
Optical Illusions: Some pandals are designed to give the illusion of floating structures, using materials like mirrors and lights to create mesmerizing visual effects.
Interactive and Immersive Designs: Some pandals now aim to create immersive experiences. Visitors can walk through installations that engage all their senses, with sounds, lights, and even augmented reality elements enhancing the experience.
6. Famous Pandals and Their Architects
Kumartuli Park (Kolkata): Known for its amazing artistry!
I managed to finish work a little early . So I drove out onto Romney Marsh Looking for Little Owls they were not showing . Thus started my Red Letter two hours ! 1/ Barn owl very close 2/ a Marsh harrier in flight 3/ this Buzzard asking for a photo 4/ a Woodpecker as I sat under a tree looking for the little owls that I never got to see today . I have often spent a day getting a shot of one of these birds on the above list let alone all four in two hours
She said, "Eat my dirt!"....And I did, I was too close to the action. This horse tripped around the barrel, but managed to regain his composure without falling.
IMPORTANT: for non-pro users who read the info on a computer, just enlarge your screen to 120% (or more), then the full text will appear below the photo with a white background - which makes reading so much easier.
The color version of the photo above is here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO:
So far there's only been one photo in my gallery that hasn't been taken in my garden ('The Flame Rider', captured in the Maggia Valley: www.flickr.com/photos/191055893@N07/53563448847/in/datepo... ) - which makes the image above the second time I've "strayed from the path" (although not very far, since the photo was taken only approximately 500 meters from my house).
Overall, I'll stick to my "only-garden rule", but every once in a while I'll show you a little bit of the landscape around my village, because I think it will give you a better sense of just how fascinating this region is, and also of its history.
The title I chose for the photo may seem cheesy, and it's certainly not very original, but I couldn't think of another one, because it's an honest reflection of what I felt when I took it: a profound sense of peace - although if you make it to the end of this text you'll realize my relationship with that word is a bit more complicated.
I got up early that day; it was a beautiful spring morning, and there was still a bit of mist in the valley below my village which I hoped would make for a few nice mood shots, so I quickly grabbed my camera and went down there before the rising sun could dissolve the magical layer on the scenery.
Most human activity hadn't started yet, and I was engulfed in the sounds of the forest as I was walking the narrow trail along the horse pasture; it seemed every little creature around me wanted to make its presence known to potential mates (or rivals) in a myriad of sounds and voices and noises (in case you're interested, here's a taste of what I usually wake up to in spring, but you best use headphones: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfoCTqdAVCE )
Strolling through such an idyllic landscape next to grazing horses and surrounded by birdsong and beautiful trees, I guess it's kind of obvious one would feel the way I described above and choose the title I did, but as I looked at the old stone buildings - the cattle shelter you can see in the foreground and the stable further up ahead on the right - I also realized how fortunate I was.
It's hard to imagine now, because Switzerland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world today, but the men and women who had carried these stones and constructed the walls of these buildings were among the poorest in Europe. The hardships the people in some of the remote and little developed valleys in Ticino endured only a few generations ago are unimaginable to most folks living in my country today.
It wasn't uncommon that people had to sell their own kids as child slaves - the girls had to work in factories or in rice fields, the boys as "living chimney brushes" in northern Italy - just because there wasn't enough food to support the whole family through the harsh Ticino winters.
If you wonder why contemporary Swiss historians speak of "slaves" as opposed to child laborers, it's because that's what many of them actually were: auctioned off for a negotiable prize at the local market, once sold, these kids were not payed and in many cases not even fed by their masters (they had to beg for food in the streets or steal it).
Translated from German Wikipedia: ...The Piazza grande in Locarno, where the Locarno Film Festival is held today, was one of the places where orphans, foundlings and children from poor families were auctioned off. The boys were sold as chimney sweeps, the girls ended up in the textile industry, in tobacco processing in Brissago or in the rice fields of Novara, which was also extremely hard work: the girls had to stand bent over in the water for twelve to fourteen hours in all weathers. The last verse of the Italian folk song 'Amore mio non piangere' reads: “Mamma, papà, non piangere, se sono consumata, è stata la risaia che mi ha rovinata” (Mom, dad, don't cry when I'm used up, it was the rice field that destroyed me.)... de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaminfegerkinder
The conditions for the chimney sweeps - usually boys between the age of 8 and 12 (or younger, because they had to be small enough to be able to crawl into the chimneys) - were so catastrophic that many of them didn't survive; they died of starvation, cold or soot in their lungs - as well as of work-related accidents like breaking their necks when they fell, or suffocatig if they got stuck in inside a chimney. This practice of "child slavery" went on as late as the 1950s (there's a very short article in English on the topic here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spazzacamini and a more in depth account for German speakers in this brief clip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gda8vZp_zsc ).
Now I don't know if the people who built the old stone houses along my path had to sell any of their kids, but looking at the remnants of their (not so distant) era I felt an immense sense of gratitude that I was born at a time of prosperity - and peace - in my region, my country and my home. Because none of it was my doing: it was simple luck that decided when and where I came into this world.
It also made me think of my own family. Both of my grandparents on my father's side grew up in Ticino (they were both born in 1900), but while they eventually left Switzerland's poorest region to live in its richest, the Kanton of Zurich, my grandfather's parents relocated to northern Italy in the 1920s and unfortunately were still there when WWII broke out.
They lost everything during the war, and it was their youngest daughter - whom I only knew as "Zia" which means "aunt" in Italian - who earned a little money to support herself and my great-grandparents by giving piano lessons to high-ranking Nazi officers and their kids (this was towards the end of the war when German forces had occupied Italy).
I never knew that about her; Zia only very rarely spoke of the war, but one time when I visited her when she was already over a 100 years old (she died at close to 104), I asked her how they had managed to survive, and she told me that she went to the local prefecture nearly every day to teach piano. "And on the way there would be the dangling ones" she said, with a shudder.
I didn't get what she meant, so she explained. Visiting the city center where the high ranking military resided meant she had to walk underneath the executed men and women who were hanging from the lantern posts along the road (these executions - often of civilians - were the Germans' retaliations for attacks by the Italian partisans).
I never forgot her words - nor could I shake the look on her face as she re-lived this memory. And I still can't grasp it; my house in Ticino is only 60 meters from the Italian border, and the idea that there was a brutal war going on three houses down the road from where I live now in Zia's lifetime strikes me as completely surreal.
So, back to my title for the photo above. "Peace". It's such a simple, short word, isn't it? And we use it - or its cousin "peaceful" - quite often when we mean nice and quiet or stress-free. But if I'm honest I don't think I know what it means. My grandaunt Zia did, but I can't know. And I honestly hope I never will.
I'm sorry I led you down such a dark road; I usually intend to make people smile with the anecdotes that go with my photos, but this one demanded a different approach (I guess with this latest image I've strayed from the path in more than one sense, and I hope you'll forgive me).
Ticino today is the region with the second highest average life expectancy in Europe (85.2 years), and "The Human Development Index" of 0.961 in 2021 was one of the highest found anywhere in the world, and northern Italy isn't far behind. But my neighbors, many of whom are now in their 90s, remember well it wasn't always so.
That a region so poor it must have felt like purgatory to many of its inhabitants could turn into something as close to paradise on Earth as I can imagine in a person's lifetime should make us all very hopeful. But, and this is the sad part, it also works the other way 'round. And I believe we'd do well to remember that, too.
To all of you - with my usual tardiness but from the bottom of my heart - a happy, healthy, hopeful 2025 and beyond.
Managed to get this pano using my light travel tripod - certainly isn't as stable as my main one! From Rangiwahia Hut Lookout looking towards Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe. Morning sun just starting to kiss the hill tops...
Wahey! Managed to recover my fluffed shots so I get the classic image to add to my collection after all. Took a fair bit of cloning and cleaning but got there in the end. Pity about the peeps but hey, scale.
I Google'd this and not surprisingly found hundreds of near identical images. Hey-ho. Couldn't not do it though, could I?
So.. lots of pictures taken with the X-E1, stitched in Microsoft ICE and then cleaned and tweaked in a bunch of other software. Threw in a shade of cross processing for that edgy, ain't I a cool dude look. Does it suit me?
Thanks for visiting and please come again soon.. no really..
Regards
Cluke
An amazing mystery tour awaits you on this link....
Go on, dare you :D
Forty-five degrees - melting snow - and a dry highway as Doc and I drove into Glennallen this morning. It feels and looks more like spring than winter - but we are truly grateful for the break. Next week the temperatures will drop down to single digits, and snow is predicted - until then we are enjoying our "spring break".
I took this photo of little Moose Creek this morning - notice that it is still open and running - that is quite unusual for this time of year. This is the same little creek that managed to flood everything in its path all the way to Glennallen during spring break up this year.
(Moose Creek heads in Twin Lakes and flows southeast through Glennallen, to Tazlina River, Copper River Basin (USGS).
While taking one our kids up to the wedding of the sister of one of their best friends getting married deep in the sticks or boonies in a small town near the Canadian border my wife and I had a scant day with marginal very cloudy weather to look around before we had to run our kid back home so they could be back to work on Monday. For those of you who aren't familiar northern New Hampshire at this time of year the woodlands are just starting to bud leaves and at some local peaks the night before had a foot and half of snow and the nearby access roads to local peaks and lift rides won't open up before Memorial Day Weekend. Nevertheless we manage to look around a decent bit with the very limited time we had with this river shot being one of the places we managed to find.
The Chase Is On - An adult male Golden Eagle pursues a California Ground Squirrel after missing his initial strike.
I was fortunate to witness an amazing moment of natural history when a Golden Eagle dropped down on this squirrel and actually chased his prey down on foot in an attempt to catch it.
This is the first image of the sequence that I captured of the eagle generating momentum with his wings and lunging at the squirrel. Typically, I see Golden Eagles moving rather awkwardly on land but this individual moved with agility and purpose.
I have been photographing Golden Eagles since 2013 and spent countless hours watching them soar, hunt and rest. At last I managed to document a hunting sequence in the wild last Christmas Eve.
Species: Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) + California Ground Squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi)
Location: San Benito County, CA, USA
Equipment: Nikon D850 + 200-500mm f5.6 ED VR, Handheld
Settings: 1/1600s, ISO: 360, f/5.6, +0.3 EV
Managed to arrive, park car, walk along the lane & scramble part way up Chrome hill just in time to watch the mist descend, managed to grab this after a 3 hour plus wait.
managed to capture this delight while zoom-zooming in Vancouver yesterday, would love to meet the owners :)
I manage to capture a bird at a perfect spot..
this for me was really hard to do..
I had to be silent and motionless,
the whole entire time, just so that
the bird won't fly away..
I was at Griffith Park
I managed to sneak up on these elegant swans caught in a torrential downpour on the outskirts of this farmers field. My success is solely attributed to the rain which muffled my approach through the brush and brambles. I got soaked in the process but this image was worth it.
Thanks for viewing my photos, I really appreciate you taking the time, and for the faves and comments you make thank you.
Nikon D800, Nikkor 24mm f2.8
Photo from a couple of years ago. Meant to get back to grab another picture before the flax flowers went by but didn't manage it. Love the big geometric blocks of color and the low horizon clouds. Nice snap.
Installation at the Kunsthalle Bremen by John Cage called Writing through the Essay "On Duty of Civil Disobedience", 1985/91. It consists of a sound and light environment with 36 CDs, 36 loudspeakers, 24 lamps, and 6 chairs.
See related images:
Managed to be accepted into RAF Coningsby for a night shoot
this is one of the planes they put out for us
With the rumours of the potential demise of Flickr I have been giving some thought to where I might find another place like it ... and I don't have a good answer.
Flickr has been (and hopefully will remain) a place to share and to be inspired unlike any other place I have encountered in 'cyber-space.' Although I have been critical of many of the changes that have been made to the site over the years (and complementary to other changes) I have remained a steadfast participant on an almost daily basis for close to 10 years now. Why? It's simple really ... because of the people I have 'met' here. Many good and some great photographers yes .... but much more importantly many good and some truly great people who ... although we will likely never meet face-to-face ... have been an almost daily part of my life in a small but important way. Flickr managed somehow to successfully mimic a true community and achieved just about the right mix of intensity and casualness of interaction that allows a truly international and marvelously varied group of individuals with a common interest to connect in a very human and supportive way!
To all my Flickr friends (you know who you are) ... without Flickr as a connector we are in real danger of 'losing touch.' I promise I am not a sentimental (old) fool ... I might be rightly accused of being old but I doubt I have ever been tagged as 'sentimental.' I have thoroughly enjoyed our sometimes daily, sometimes weekly, and sometimes less often 'meetings' over the years and don't want to see it gone. The solution escapes me for the moment ... suggestions?
Please feel free to share this 'question' that I pose ... no doubt in the vast number of connections that we have collectively made there is someone with a bright idea. I hope the discussion goes viral and in-so-doing Flickr gets recognized as a worthy 'meeting place' that can be sustained and maybe even made profitable?
- Keefer Lake, Ontario, Canada -
P.S. I don't think Facebook is the answer. :)
www.dpreview.com/news/5785088732/flickr-may-be-up-for-sal...
I managed to count 9 different places you could but a mobile phone plus "CeX a second-hand electronics and entertainment specialist".
Taunton, Somerset, UK.
It look a couple of efforts to identify the celestial South but eventually managed to locate it behind the tree. This was taken near Mkuze in KwaZulu Natal where there were many knarled trees, many of which seem to have died in the last 5-6 years due to continuing low rain levels
I managed to complete my router table cabinet today- top assembled, drawers assembled and front plates and handles installed.
All I have left is a few minor tweaks and some small handles and I will be ready to call it finished. Also the top actually lifts so I can vacuum out the dust and use it for extra storage if needed.
This has been a labor of love, but other projects are calling!!
Theme: Re-Creation
Year Thirteen Of My 365 Project
Here in rural Ontario we not only get black flies at the onset of spring along with mosquitos right through until fall but, we also get deer flies. They are a stupid insect as they land on you and before they can take a bite you have time to swat them. If they do happen to get a bite well, they take chunks out of you.
This fella was seen here on my little compost pail in the kitchen this morning and as it is macro Monday well, he was fair game for me. I managed to get quite a number of "portraits" of him before I took him on the lid and sent him packing out the door.
I may not always get to thank you for every fave or reply to a comment that you might leave here on my image but, just know each comment is read and very much appreciated.
It’s been a historically mild Winter here In Southern Idaho. If not for this, and if you somehow managed to rise a hundred miles high, the landscape below would look like the white of an old man’s eye, cross-crossed by dozens of meandering veins. These are the canyons, the gorges and ravines, big and small, carved into the Earth by rivers, brooks and streams that all eventually sink into the green iris of the Snake.
This photo was taken about 20 miles north (downstream) from the one I posted earlier. My jaw still drops when I think of how close I live to this incredible place!
From Wikipedia:
Salmon Falls Creek is a tributary of the Snake River, flowing from northern Nevada into Idaho [...]. Formed in high mountains at the northern edge of the Great Basin, Salmon Falls Creek flows northwards 121 miles (195 km), draining an arid and mountainous basin of 2103 square miles (5450 km2). The Salmon Falls Creek valley served as a trade route between the Native American groups of the Snake River Plain and Great Basin.
Cypress asking Aures to dance at the Halloween Bash, 2029.
| Mischief Managed RP
I'm not good at descriptions
I managed to get out today for the first time in a while. been sidelined by a couple little ailments over the winter. It was a beautiful day in Nebraska, temperature in the low 60's and clear skies. Ran across this beautiful church a mile off the highway, just south of Lyons.
The fog wasn't as thick here, so with friends up for the weekend we managed to get a few shots of an unusual walk in the woods.
After quite a while sitting and waiting patiently, together with many discarded photos, I managed to capture one of this hummingbird that I was satisfied with.
I managed to see the Aurora on Thursday night. I took loads of photos and had such a great time. I was completely alone on my favourite beach at Rhossili (3 miles long!). Not the best Aurora shots I have seen but still happy to get anything! All shots taken in RAW and converted to jpeg images with no added saturation.
We managed to get out and about yesterday, been feeling low so it was nice to feel the sun and fresh air. Whenever we are in Steveston we always buy a loaf of bread at Romania Country Bread. The owner built the wood-fired oven himself and is quite a character. All he makes is one type of bread and it costs ten dollars a loaf but it is fabulous. As for Win Win Chicken, haven't tried it yet :)
foodosophy.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/romania-country-bread...
listening to Pachelbel's Canon played by a rubber chicken :)
Managed to find some Wild Garlic (ramslök if you're wondering what the Swedish name is) in an aptly named location called Wild garlic valley. Though I think I was there a tad too early and need to come back at the start of June instead as there wasn't too much on show. There were plenty of mosquitos though...