View allAll Photos Tagged methodical
Yesterday, I took stock of the location where the crows landed to potentially* roost for the night and went back this evening well ahead of their expected arrival with a match plan to capture them flying in with some local landmarks in the frame. I waited until darkness fell and well pass the time they normally descend into the city but unfortunately for the crows had a different plan in mind, perhaps their way to humble my pretentions of knowledge. They flew in and settled out of my sight a few city blocks away in a residential single homes area.
It took me awhile to locate them after I spotted and followed some stragglers gliding in. By this time, it was dark and snow was falling heavily in the relatively still air with the crows being for the most part already resting at the top of tall backyard trees. Nonetheless, I was able to get some footage which I will post in some form at a later date. In spite of their well-lit appearance, two images from this evening have been added to the live photo albums. Those were taken with at best only residual natural light availability and relatively long camera shutter speed but including the falling show in the composition.
Although I occasionally offer empirical details and data about the behavior of the crows, I am not pretending to be actively and methodically studying the murders of crows that have been sort of blessing the Kingston sky every evening since mid-November or thereabout. Instead, my preference is to strive to document the phenomenon with a creative eye rather than an investigative one.
That being said, while erroneously waiting for the crows to descend in the area of my expectations, I pondered on what might be triggering them, at pretty well the same time every evening, to lift together in large numbers from their staging sites and commute to the city. Sunset is a possible trigger, although not always visible, indeed rarely seen these days. Has anyone looked at or established any correlation with the time street lights come on and/or light from city houses and buildings offer substantial visibility against the falling darkness?
(*) I often use the term potentially in relation with the crows’ roosting location because they may or may not necessarily spend the night in exactly the same city area they first descend on at sunset.
A Great Egret female patiently waits in the nest for her
babies to be born, with her windswept plumage and
breeding facial color still evident ~ Florida Wetlands U.S.A.
(two more photos in the comments)
A Bumblebee heads towards a pollen rich Yellow Poppy.
Bumblebees are among the most endearing and familiar of our insects. The sight and sound of bees droning methodically from flower to flower is a quintessential part of a summer’s day. Sadly, changes to the farmed countryside have not been kind to bumblebees. The number of species found in most of lowland Britain has halved since 1950. Within the last 70 years two bumblebee species have become nationally extinct and others have experienced major declines and further extinctions may follow in the near future. The reason that bumblebees have declined in the countryside is simple. Bees feed exclusively on pollen and nectar, and there are far fewer flowers in the countryside than there once were. Hedges have been grubbed up and marshes drained. In particular, unimproved grasslands which are rich in wildflowers have been almost entirely swept away, replaced by silage and cereal fields.
Gardens now provide a valuable flower-rich refuge and as a result have become a stronghold for some bumblebee species. Depending on location, and what flowers are grown, there maybe up to a dozen bumblebee species in a garden.
View all of Sean's artworks on his Website, Instagram, Facebook Page, or see them full size in his Gallery
With a place in mythology and folklore, rainbows are both mystical and beautiful. Their existence, always fleeting, results from a union of light – a perfect harmonic amalgamation producing a symbol of supernatural beauty, promise and enlightenment. If you’ve never taken the time to count, you’ll notice now, there’s seven colours in the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
On the morning I photographed ‘Island Dreaming’, I’d spent countless hours scouting shots, planning angles, waiting for the right weather, re-shooting over and over again to get the perfect image. I never planned to photograph a rainbow. And, with all the planning in the world, likely couldn’t have chased an image so breathtaking even if I’d tried. With elements always out of my control, be it things like weather and lighting, for better or for worse, I’m ecstatic in the moments when nature exerts control and it works in my favour.
The main element in this image, water, has many implications. Offering a sense of renewal, of cleansing and purification, of transformation. And, in some cases, even as a source of life and helping with metamorphosis, water also has the ability to exert complete destruction. More often than not though, the methodical crashing of waves provides a sense of hope and inspiration.
On this day, I woke up a little late, almost convinced myself to stay in bed and sleep in. I ended up making a mad dash for the car, drove north with no particular location in mind just trying to beat the first bit of light. I arrived at this unfamiliar beach and found this little outcrop of rocks along the shore where the waves seemed to be crashing over them just perfectly.
As I set up my camera equipment to watch the sunrise, I noticed that I was racing against time with a receding tide that would be fully out within the next hour. I hurriedly shot a series of images of this amazing time and place. Satisfied with the images I took, I admired the subtle pinks in the sky, with the water appearing silky and delicate as it rolled across the rocks in the foreground. I knew this wouldn’t last forever as the tide rolled out - only a few more minutes and the water would cease to move across the rocks.
Out of nowhere, as if Mother Nature said “But wait… there’s more!”, this rainbow appeared, taking an incredible image to yet another level. With my initial focus solely on the waves, I was thrilled to incorporate this rainbow into the image. Now though, with the tide further and further away from me, I moved from a consistent expectation of waves to waiting patiently for more powerful surges great enough to force the now distant water across the surface of the rocks.
Then it happened, like a grand finale in a fireworks show, the perfect rogue wave showed up. I was ready and waiting for it, I fired off the shutter and the following 0.8 seconds felt like an eternity as I slowly watched the waves crash over the rocks and softly land on the sandy shore in front of me. Within minutes the rainbow disappeared and the tide continued to recede. An important reminder to me, that I don’t always need to source opportunities as they’ll often find me when I’m ready for them.
Sighting a rainbow has long been believed to be a promise of good things to come. If that’s the case, then let’s just say it’s a good thing I didn’t miss this one!
I met this very talented fisherman on an early Fall evening at Burke Lake. His patient, methodical approach to fishing paid dividends in that there were almost a dozen other people fishing on this pier and no one was catching anything....except for this ace. He had a bucket full. It seems that slow and steady truly does win races. :)
“If we bear all this suffering and if there are still Jews left, when it is over, then Jews, instead of being doomed, will be held up as an example.” ― Anne Frank
_______________________________________________
This is the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. It is dedicated to the approximately eleven million people who were killed by the German military, under the command of Adolf Hitler. Between 1941 and 1945, Jews, Gypsies, Poles, communists, homosexuals, the mentally and physically disabled, and other ethnic and political minorities were targeted and methodically murdered in the largest genocide of the 20th century.
This memorial was designed by the architect Peter Eisenman and the engineer Buro Happold. It consists of a 19,000 m2 (4.7-acre) site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs or "stelae" and therefore is a constantly reminder for us, the german poeple, to never forget our past.
________________________________________
Check out my store: society6.com/tooobi
The methodical disassembly of the historic Philippine Mars flying boat continues at Lake Pleasant, Arizona. As each piece is removed, it is trucked down to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson. This unique aircraft will be re-assembled and restored, before being put on permanent display at the museum. I find this entire process amazing and fascinating!
I got this a few years ago with a Coolpix 5700. This guy was fascinating to meet. He would come to the beach every morning and stack rocks in 3 to 4 foot piles. Very methodical. Each night, kids would come to the beach to party and knock them all down. The next morning, without fail, this guy would show up and start all over again. He is kind of like the Sisyphus of Venice Beach.
Heute ereilte uns im Taunus (wie sicher auch in anderen Gegenden) etwas Ekelschnee....nass, nasser, heute! Nach viel Büroarbeit musste ich trotzdem etwas wandern und durfte dabei einem hungrigen Fuchs zusehen, der das Feld ziemlich methodisch ablief und Maus nach Maus fing und verspeiste. Bermerkt hat er mich dank Schneeregen nicht, da hatte der also auch etwas für sich :)
Today we had quite some snowy rain in the Taunus, I just don't like this wet snow. But I'll take it cold and crispy any day!
After I was sitting in the office the last few days, I just had to hike anyway and was able to get a glimpse of a fox, strutting methodically around the fields and catch mouse after mouse!
One of the largest North American birds, the American White Pelican is majestic in the air. The birds soar with incredible steadiness on broad, white-and-black wings. Their large heads and huge, heavy bills give them a prehistoric look.
On the water they dip their pouched bills to scoop up fish, or tip-up like an over-sized dabbling duck. Sometimes, groups of pelicans work together to herd fish into the shallows for easy feeding.
American White Pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish and other aquatic organisms. They often upend, like a very large dabbling duck, in this process. They do not plunge-dive the way Brown Pelicans do. They are superb soarers (they are among the heaviest flying birds in the world) and often travel long distances in large flocks by soaring. When flapping, their wing-beats are slow and methodical.
(Nikon, 300mm/2.8 + TC 1.4, 1/1000 @ f5.6, ISO 1600)
I chatted with Cory about his watch, which uses an unusually complex system of mathematical reduction to tell you the time. The idea of a watch requiring much cognitive activity on the user's end appealed to both of us, as it eliminates this methodical obsession with the "false precision" of digital time.
I proposed an Extremely Abstract Timepiece, which would display its indications as generally as possible. Cory said he'd have to take off, to meet someone, between "half past the industrial revolution, and quarter-to the apocalypse."
Just east of the Eaton Centre, Toronto, July 2005.
Chat: Adam Clare, Visuals: Trevor Haldenby
When you travel throughout the country and you see the beauty of the natural world around you and then every now and then you find an object created by humans, it could be anything, a house, a vehicle, even a bicycle, it matters not. The pleasing thing for me is watching how nature reclaims that which was taken from her and she gets her revenge by doing it in a slow and methodical way. I love places like this, they are so full of so many stories, rich histories of families that have past through at one time or another. For me, life is a state of curiosity, I am constantly interested in what is happening but not so much in wide terms but in subtle terms, it is the things that most often go unnoticed that I really enjoy and gain the greatest pleasures from. I hope you enjoy this shot, it was taken in the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Inverclyde, Scotland.
Gandhara is the name given to an ancient region or province invaded in 326 B.C. by Alexander the Great, who took Charsadda (ancient Puskalavati) near present-day Peshawar (ancient Purusapura) and then marched eastward across the Indus into the Punjab as far as the Beas river (ancient Vipasa). Gandhara constituted the undulating plains, irrigated by the Kabul River from the Khyber Pass area, the contemporary boundary between Pakistan and Afganistan, down to the Indus River and southward towards the Murree hills and Taxila (ancient Taksasila), near Pakistan"s present capital, Islamabad. Its art, however, during the first centuries of the Christian era, had adopted a substantially larger area, together with the upper stretches of the Kabul River, the valley of Kabul itself, and ancient Kapisa, as well as Swat and Buner towards the north.
A great deal of Gandhara sculptures has survived dating from the first to probably as late as the sixth or even the seventh century but in a remarkably homogeneous style. Most of the arts were almost always in a blue-gray mica schist, though sometimes in a green phyllite or in stucco, or very rarely in terracotta. Because of the appeal of its Western classical aesthetic for the British rulers of India, schooled to admire all things Greek and Roman, a great deal found its way into private hands or the shelter of museums.
Gandhara sculpture primarily comprised Buddhist monastic establishments. These monasteries provided a never-ending gallery for sculptured reliefs of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. The Gandhara stupas were comparatively magnified and more intricate, but the most remarkable feature, which distinguished the Gandhara stupas from the pervious styles were hugely tiered umbrellas at its peak, almost soaring over the total structure. The abundance of Gandharan sculpture was an art, which originated with foreign artisans.
In the excavation among the varied miscellany of small bronze figures, though not often like Alexandrian imports, four or five Buddhist bronzes are very late in date. These further illustrate the aura of the Gandhara art. Relics of mural paintings though have been discovered, yet the only substantial body of painting, in Bamiyan, is moderately late, and much of it belongs to an Iranian or central Asian rather than an Indian context. Non-narrative themes and architectural ornament were omnipresent at that time. Mythical figures and animals such as atlantes, tritons, dragons, and sea serpents derive from the same source, although there is the occasional high-backed, stylized creature associated with the Central Asian animal style. Moldings and cornices are decorated mostly with acanthus, laurel, and vine, though sometimes with motifs of Indian, and occasionally ultimately western Asian, origin: stepped merlons, lion heads, vedikas, and lotus petals. It is worth noting that architectural elements such as pillars, gable ends, and domes as represented in the reliefs tend to follow the Indian forms
.
Gandhara became roughly a Holy Land of Buddhism and excluding a handful of Hindu images, sculpture took the form either of Buddhist sect objects, Buddha and Bodhisattvas, or of architectural embellishment for Buddhist monasteries. The more metaphorical kinds are demonstrated by small votive stupas, and bases teeming with stucco images and figurines that have lasted at Jaulian and Mora Moradu, outpost monasteries in the hills around Taxila. Hadda, near the present town of Jalalabad, has created some groups in stucco of an almost rococo while more latest works of art in baked clay, with strong Hellenistic influence, have been revealed there, in what sums up as tiny chapels. It is not known exactly why stucco, an imported Alexandrian modus operandi, was used. It is true that grey schist is not found near Taxila, however other stones are available, and in opposition to the ease of operating with stucco, predominantly the artistic effects which can be achieved, must be set with its impermanence- fresh deposits frequently had to be applied. Excluding possibly at Taxila, its use emerges to have been a late expansion.
Architectural fundamentals of the Gandhara art, like pillars, gable ends and domes as showcased in the reliefs, were inclined to follow Indian outlines, but the pilaster with capital of Corinthian type, abounds and in one-palace scene Persepolitan columns go along with Roman coffered ceilings. The so-called Shrine of the Double-Headed Eagle at Sirkap, in actuality a stupa pedestal, well demonstrates this enlightening eclecticism- the double-headed bird on top of the chaitya arch is an insignia of Scythian origin, which appears as a Byzantine motif and materialises much later in South India as the ga1J.qa-bheru1J.qa in addition to atop European armorial bearings.
In Gandhara art the descriptive friezes were all but invariably Buddhist, and hence Indian in substance- one depicted a horse on wheels nearing a doorway, which might have represented the Trojan horse affair, but this is under scan. The Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, familiar from the previous Greek-based coinage of the region, appeared once or twice as standing figurines, presumably because as a pair, they tallied an Indian mithuna couple. There were also female statuettes, corresponding to city goddesses. Though figures from Butkara, near Saidan Sharif in Swat, were noticeably more Indian in physical type, and Indian motifs were in abundance there. Sculpture was, in the main, Hellenistic or Roman, and the art of Gandhara was indeed "the easternmost appearance of the art of the Roman Empire, especially in its late and provincial manifestations". Furthermore, naturalistic portrait heads, one of the high-points of Roman sculpture, were all but missing in Gandhara, in spite of the episodic separated head, probably that of a donor, with a discernible feeling of uniqueness. Some constitutions and poses matched those from western Asia and the Roman world; like the manner in which a figure in a recurrently instanced scene from the Dipankara jataka had prostrated himself before the future Buddha, is reverberated in the pose of the defeated before the defeater on a Trojanic frieze on the Arch of Constantine and in later illustrations of the admiration of the divinised emperor. One singular recurrently occurring muscular male figure, hand on sword, witnessed in three-quarters view from the backside, has been adopted from western classical sculpture. On occasions standing figures, even the Buddha, deceived the elusive stylistic actions of the Roman sculptor, seeking to express majestas. The drapery was fundamentally Western- the folds and volume of dangling garments were carved with realness and gusto- but it was mainly the persistent endeavours at illusionism, though frequently obscured by unrefined carving, which earmarked the Gandhara sculpture as based on a western classical visual impact.
The distinguishing Gandhara sculpture, of which hundreds if not thousands of instances have outlived, is the standing or seated Buddha. This flawlessly reproduces the necessary nature of Gandhara art, in which a religious and an artistic constituent, drawn from widely varied cultures have been bonded. The iconography is purely Indian. The seated Buddha is mostly cross-legged in the established Indian manner. However, forthcoming generations, habituated to think of the Buddha as a monk, and unable to picture him ever possessing long hair or donning a turban, came to deduce the chigon as a "cranial protuberance", singular to Buddha. But Buddha is never depicted with a shaved head, as are the Sangha, the monks; his short hair is clothed either in waves or in taut curls over his whole head. The extended ears are merely due to the downward thrust of the heavy ear-rings worn by a prince or magnate; the distortion of the ear-lobes is especially visible in Buddha, who, in Gandhara, never wore ear-rings or ornaments of any kind. As Foucher puts it, the Gandhara Buddha is at a time a monk without shaving and a prince stripped off jewellery.
The western classical factor rests in the style, in the handling of the robe, and in the physiognomy of Buddha. The cloak, which covers all but the appendages (though the right shoulder is often bared), is dealt like in Greek and Roman sculptures; the heavy folds are given a plastic flair of their own, and only in poorer or later works do they deteriorate into indented lines, fairly a return to standard Indian practice. The "western" treatment has caused Buddha"s garment to be misidentified for a toga; but a toga is semicircular, while, Buddha wore a basic, rectangular piece of cloth, i.e., the samghiifi, a monk"s upper garment. The head gradually swerves towards a hieratic stylisation, but at its best, it is naturalistic and almost positively based on the Greek Apollo, undoubtedly in Hellenistic or Roman copies.
Gandhara art also had developed at least two species of image, i.e. not part of the frieze, in which Buddha is the fundamental figure of an event in his life, distinguished by accompanying figures and a detailed mise-en-scene. Perhaps the most remarkable amongst these is the Visit to the Indrasala Cave, of which the supreme example is dated in the year 89, almost unquestionably of the Kanishka period. Indra and his harpist are depicted on their visit in it. The small statuettes of the visitors emerge below, an elephant describing Indra. The more general among these detailed images, of which approximately 30 instances are known, is presumably related with the Great Miracle of Sravasti. In one such example, one of the adjoining Bodhisattvas is distinguished as Avalokiteshwara by the tiny seated Buddha in his headgear. Other features of these images include the unreal species of tree above Buddha, the spiky lotus upon which he sits, and the effortlessly identifiable figurines of Indra and Brahma on both sides.
Another important aspect of the Gandhara art was the coins of the Graeco-Bactrians. The coins of the Graeco-Bactrians - on the Greek metrological standard, equals the finest Attic examples and of the Indo-Greek kings, which have until lately served as the only instances of Greek art found in the subcontinent. The legendary silver double decadrachmas of Amyntas, possibly a remembrance issue, are the biggest "Greek" coins ever minted, the largest cast in gold, is the exceptional decadrachma of the same king in the Bibliotheque Nationale, with the Dioscuri on the inverse. Otherwise, there was scanty evidence until recently of Greek or Hellenistic influences in Gandhara. A manifestation of Greek metropolitan planning is furnished by the rectilinear layouts of two cities of the 1st centuries B.C./A.D.--Sirkap at Taxila and Shaikhan Pheri at Charsadda. Remains of the temple at Jandial, also at Taxila and presumably dating back to 1st century B.C., also includes Greek characteristics- remarkably the huge base mouldings and the Ionic capitals of the colossal portico and antechamber columns. In contrast, the columns or pilasters on the immeasurable Gandhara friezes (when they are not in a Indian style), are consistently coronated by Indo-Corinthian capitals, the local version of the Corinthian capital- a certain sign of a comparatively later date.
The notable Begram hoard confirms articulately to the number and multiplicity of origin of the foreign artefacts imported into Gandhara. This further illustrates the foreign influence in the Gandhara art. Parallel hoards have been found in peninsular India, especially in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, but the imported wares are sternly from the Roman world. At Begram the ancient Kapisa, near Kabul, there are bronzes, possibly of Alexandrian manufacture, in close proximity with emblemata (plaster discs, certainly meant as moulds for local silversmiths), bearing reliefs in the purest classical vein, Chinese lacquers and Roman glass. The hoard was possibly sealed in mid-3rd century, when some of the subjects may have been approximately 200 years old "antiques", frequently themselves replicates of classical Greek objects. The plentiful ivories, consisting in the central of chest and throne facings, engraved in a number of varied relief techniques, were credibly developed somewhere between Mathura and coastal Andhra. Some are of unrivalled beauty. Even though a few secluded instances of early Indian ivory carving have outlived, including the legendary mirror handle from Pompeii, the Begram ivories are the only substantial collection known until moderately in present times of what must always have been a widespread craft. Other sites, particularly Taxila, have generated great many instances of such imports, some from India, some, like the appealing tiny bronze figure of Harpocrates, undoubtedly from Alexandria. Further cultural influences are authenticated by the Scytho Sarmatian jewellery, with its characteristic high-backed carnivores, and by a statue of St. Peter. But all this should not cloud the all-important truth that the immediately identifiable Gandhara style was the prevailing form of artistic manifestation throughout the expanse for several centuries, and the magnitude of its influence on the art of central Asia and China and as far as Japan, allows no doubt about its integrity and vitality.
In the Gandhara art early Buddhist iconography drew heavily on traditional sources, incorporating Hindu gods and goddesses into a Buddhist pantheon and adapting old folk tales to Buddhist religious purposes. Kubera and Harm are probably the best-known examples of this process.
Five dated idols from Gandhara art though exist, however the hitch remains that the era is never distinguished. The dates are in figures under 100 or else in 300s. Moreover one of the higher numbers are debatable, besides, the image upon which it is engraved is not in the conventional Andhra style. The two low-number-dated idols are the most sophisticated and the least injured. Their pattern is classical Gandhara. The most undemanding rendition of their dates relates them to Kanishka and 78 A.D. is assumed as the commencement of his era. They both fall in the second half of the 2nd century A.D. and equally later, if a later date is necessitated for the beginning of Kanishka`s time. This calculation nearly parallels numismatics and archaeological evidences. The application of other eras, like the Vikrama (base date- 58 B.C.) and the Saka (base date- 78 A.D.), would place them much later. The badly battered figurines portray standing Buddhas, without a head of its own, but both on original figured plinths. They come to view as depicting the classical Gandhara style; decision regarding where to place these two dated Buddhas, both standing, must remain knotty till more evidence comes out as to how late the classical Gandhara panache had continued.
Methodical study of the Gandhara art, and specifically about its origins and expansion, is befuddled with numerous problems, not at least of which is the inordinately complex history and culture of the province. It is one of the great ethnical crossroads of the world simultaneously being in the path of all the intrusions of India for over three millennia. Bussagli has rightly remarked, `More than any other Indian region, Gandhara was a participant in the political and cultural events that concerned the rest of the Asian continent`.
However, Systematic study of the art of Gandhara, and particularly of its origins and development, is bedeviled by many problems, not the least of which is the extraordinarily complex history and culture of the region.
In spite of the labours of many scholars over the past hundred and fifty years, the answers to some of the most important questions, such as the number of centuries spanned by the art of Gandhara, still await, fresh archaeological, inscriptional, or numismatic evidence.
Boudica is named after a famed Celtic warrior queen who once upon a time gave the Romans a black eye. Our Boudica methodically went about the task of running off all of the three year old sub-adults that had formed a sloth for much of the summer(2016). She is 100% not to be messed with...
©Harris Brown-ALL rights reserved. This image may not be used for ANY purpose without written permission.
Ocean City, New Jersey, USA.
Among the most elegant of the herons, the slender Snowy Egret sets off immaculate white plumage with black legs and brilliant yellow feet. Those feet seem to play a role in stirring up or herding small aquatic animals as the egret forages. Breeding Snowy Egrets grow filmy, curving plumes that once fetched astronomical prices in the fashion industry, endangering the species. Early conservationists rallied to protect egrets by the early twentieth century, and this species is once again a common sight in shallow marshes.
Juvenile Little Blue Herons are all white, with gray bills and legs.
Adults are arrayed in moody blues and purples, the Little Blue Heron is a common but inconspicuous resident of marshes and estuaries in the Southeast. They stalk shallow waters for small fish and amphibians, adopting a quiet, methodical approach that can make these gorgeous herons surprisingly easy to overlook at first glance. Little Blue Herons build stick nests in trees alongside other colonial waterbirds. In the U.S., their populations have been in a gradual decline since the mid-twentieth century.
Nikon D7200 with Nikon 500mm f4 G VR lens and 1.4 converter. 1/2000 F8 ISO 640
Thanks to all who take the time to view, comment on and favor my images. It is very much appreciated.
Seldom seen at eye-level, this cuckoo was just off the boardwalk in the understory; methodically picking off caterpillars. Magee.
For 35 years I have monitored a very large population of great crested newts that uses an ephemeral castle moat in Hertfordshire for breeding. Some years the moat is dry, in others the water is present for long enough to allow tens of thousands of metamorphs to leave the water. This year it's on a knife edge, with only around 30-40cm of water remaining at the deepest point. At least 3 herons were methodically searching the water for well-grown crested newt larvae, and this photo shows one of the herons with a larva in its beak. Unfortunately I didn't have more reach than a 300mm lens so it's a record shot only. From the newts' perspective they are definitely between a rock and a hard place!
The American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is one of North America’s largest birds, with a 9-foot wingspan, they are also among the heaviest flying birds in the world. They are superb flyers and often travel long distances in large flocks by soaring. When flapping, their wingbeats are slow and methodical. American White Pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish and other aquatic organisms. They often upend, like a very large dabbling duck, in this process. They do not plunge-dive the way Brown Pelicans do. During the breeding season, breeding adults grow an unusual projection or horn on the upper mandible near the tip of the bill. You can see the horn on this breeding adult at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.
Click on the link below to explore your options. Select from fine art prints, canvas, acrylic or metal prints for your home or office. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out on updates, sales, and new blog posts.
The American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is one of North America’s largest birds, with a 9-foot wingspan, they are also among the heaviest flying birds in the world. They are superb flyers and often travel long distances in large flocks by soaring. When flapping, their wingbeats are slow and methodical. American White Pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish and other aquatic organisms. They often upend, like a very large dabbling duck, in this process. They do not plunge-dive the way Brown Pelicans do. During the breeding season, breeding adults grow an unusual projection or horn on the upper mandible near the tip of the bill. You can see the horn on this breeding adult at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.
Click on the link below to explore your options. Select from fine art prints, canvas, acrylic, or metal prints for your home or office. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out on updates, sales, and new blog posts.
Western Tanagers forage slowly and methodically along branches and among leaves or needles of trees. They eat primarily insects, supplemented with small fruits in fall and winter. They sometimes catch insects in the air. In spring and summer , males sing their hoarse, American Robin-like song frequently.
A happy, prosperous and healthy New Year to all those who are Flickr contacts or anyone who has commented on, faved or viewed my photostream. I look forward to seeing more photos of your finds in 2023. Above is one of my many spotting fails from 2022, I ended up with many photos of a section of road that an interesting car had just driven on!
2022 was a busy year for car spotting as I set out to methodically cover my home town of Cheltenham looking for vehicles - this was extended to Gloucester, which I am now satisfied is pretty much complete. I will still be looking at surrounding towns, but the upload rate is likely to be considerably less than in 2022.
Highlights of 2022 include, but are not limited to the following:
Against-the-odds Accord,
Bizarre Bolero,
Cared for Cavalier,
Delightful DS,
Evocative Escort,
Fabulous Felicia,
Glorious GTV,
Hearsay Hoard of cars,
Immaculate Ital,
Jaunty Jazz,
Kept perfectly Kestrel,
Lustrous Legend,
Meager Murena,
Non-conformist Nippa,
Outstanding Omega,
Polish import Polonez,
Quirky 'Q' plater,
Ravaged Robin,
Stunning Sterling,
Troubled TR7,
(once) Ubiquitous Uno,
Vibrant V90,
Wonderful W123,
(e)Xceptional XR2,
Year defying Yaris,
Zesty ZX
If you're still here, well done and hope to share many more car spotting pics in 2023 and beyond.
This is bear 480, a.k.a. Otis, an older bear in his early twenties and fatter than any we saw. He's a good-natured bear who spent nearly the entire day every day in the falls, eating scores of fish and frequently dozing off in the water. Of all the bears he seemed to catch the most fish per unit of energy burned. He only rarely made sudden movements, and instead of lunging or diving after fish he usually sat or laid with paws under water and waited to pin a fish to his forearm, before very slowly sliding it up toward his mouth to methodically disassemble it. I'll admit I've peeked on the live bearcam a couple times since returning from vacation, and recognized him in this very same spot, though he's obviously considerably fatter.
Happy Halloween
Finding this eerie looking bird was a thrill. We know "they are here" so, no big deal, right? Not exactly.....
W9 and I opted to bird Woodlawn Cemetery. It's typically not our first choice of areas to go. The light is predictibaly terrible, and good light seems to be the key to a successful photo.
No matter. Here we are, and, as friends, we have supported each other through some rough patches. Even if we don't find any cool birds and perhaps suffer through some of our local color ( Yellow Gloves, for example) when it's time to wrap up the show we know we've had an adventure.
I like to leave a bit of space between us as we walk through the cemetery. I have to be careful not to trip over low headstones or twist an ankle stepping into a hole. I think I scare the birds off before I even see any. Better let W9 take the lead.
A bird rockets from somwhere on the ground near W9, flicker sized but not a flicker. It stays low as it flies giving only a few fast wing beats for propulsion. Then my mind kicks in with helpful thoughts. "Forget it, it can't be rare." "We'll never find it." "We'll be stuck trying to figure out what it was." All the while W9 is methodically and slowly combing the area where it disappeared.
I tread quietly and calmly. It's a good practice. Remember to shut up.
W9 calls my name in that voice you use when you can't yell but a whisper isn't going to get anyone's true attention. "It might just be a piece of wood...." I am peering over W9's shoulder and I can see that it is, indeed, a bird. Someone has tossed a feathered Ghandi Topi hat.
We carefully creep around in a wide arc to try to get the sun behind us. There are no vibrant colors. I think I make out a shut eye. This must be the front end of the creature. Or as W9 says "the side that eats." I can't even tell which side of the face ...I make out a strange little beak with gnarly nostrils. Odd whiskers.
We set up our camp stools. After a while we start to text local friends and birders. Jerry takes a break from work to stop by and check out the Common Poorwill. W9 has left and Jerry has errands to run. I sit by myself. Squirrels are running around doing squirrley things. It occurs to me that a squirrel might rouse this sleeper... the wind picks up and I watch it lift a few feathers. The hat starts to slowly rock. The head turns ever so slightly and one eye opens a bit and then cryptically shuts.
This is good birdwatching.
I was very excited to post my very first ever photo of this weird little dude. And then I remember why I fave so many strange photos. I fave really good ones too, so don't worry. But sometimes there is a story to that frame filled with shadows, leaves, and branches.
Trick or treat? Maybe a bit of both. Be good, my flickr monkeys. : )
One doesn’t need to get beaten up to observe the black-throated blue warbler in its native territory, although you may have to brave some chilly temperatures in early spring. These tiny warbles can be seen methodically searching the stems and leaves of trees for insects in their native habitats in the Northeastern US and Canada. They prefer the interior of hardwood and mixed deciduous and coniferous forests. The peace and solitude of the forests of the northeast can be a welcome respite from vexations of a busy work week. #BlackThroatedBlueWarbler
The Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) is typically a bird of the deep forest, occupying spaces similar to Maleficent. In the spring and fall, however, these beautiful birds can often be seen out in gardens as they migrated north or south. Like Hooded Warblers, they will spend much of their time in the lower reaches of the forest, hunting insects in the understory. They are methodical hunters, combing every shrub in an area--and often ever branch of every shrub--before moving to the next.
I've been spending a bit of time lately watching the courtship, nest building, and overall breeding season of the birds going on in south Florida. It's a fascinating time to photograph these birds naturally. They are so full of rituals that are simply innate to these febulous birds.
While they are all quite wonderful as they come and go with sticks as they build their nest, none are as loving in their gestures as the great blue herons. First of all, when it's time for breeding season, their plumage becomes amazing. Always beautiful and graceful flyers, they seem to even step that up a notch as the take off methodically and search nearby for the perfect branch to return with. When they do, they present it so lovingly to their mate, which she then accepts, and they seemingly celebrate their union with each and every stick that he comes back with ... over and over. Other than the sandhill cranes, which also are quite dedicated and celebratory in their love, the great blue herons seem to be the epitome of "love birds".
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Thanks for stopping by to view.
© 2017 Debbie Tubridy / TNWA Photography
So many cars and so much stress rushing by
As I now sit here alone and drifting on why
Expressions forces to tears to my eyes somehow
That partiality escapes and never seems to allow
To render a sense of continual thought within
A soul that arms no one can feel in doctrine
Sometimes when you feel the answers to listen
To others in daily commute from dawn to even
You ever tried to slow time down methodically?
And see the many colours of people’s impracticality
Please sir, can you get out of your car and tell me
What you see, what you hear or are you already free
Is life to pass on wisdoms of personified experiences?
I wish someone could return and grant me answers
Are you longing for passion but frightened by love?
I could love you if somehow you let me fly like a dove
Over the many sights of people far below who know not
That some can see beyond and calm nerves of daily plot
Ever studied an inanimate object when others just pass?
Consider its origins and why the thing got there in a mass
Of so many rushing past unfeeling of the peace it has
Still and never moving like a rock under the torrents
As slowly it shall be buried as sediment now augments
Burdening like me as a heavy heart seeks a tolerance
Are you too tired to wake early and watch the slow sun?
As the darkness fades and the coldness is for now undone
See how the pace of real life is so much calmer than us
That the healing of nature is achieved in the timelessness
Would we live longer like the tree with so many rings?
When we are so subject to emotion that our life flings
Do we forget how to breathe and the heart forgets to beat?
Because we cannot be so subject to ever feeling the heat
But forgetting there is warmth in the passion we can share
Like the taking of granted as the breathing of the free air
So much in abundance if we would just ever open our arms
Let the soul of another be tender in slowest, kindest charms
V.R
Setting up to photograph the inhabitants of Rowena Crest is not completely unlike performing in front of a vast, mostly attentive audience. Other than the sound of the wind, the only other noise that squirreled its way up to me was the slight rustling amongst the crowd betraying their mild restlessness. To give them credit though, not a whisper otherwise escaped their lips and they sat transfixed, either on me or those other things that so capture the attentions of wild flowers, while I methodically prepared for my split-second performance.
Despite the lack of applause, I think I was well received.
One of Munn’s decisive contributions to Canadian art was her fervent fusion od Christian symbolism in Cubist form. In the late 1920s she began a methodical practice of drawing scenes from the Passion of Christ, resulting in a fresh and radical update to one of European art history’s most traditional themes – an unusual subject for a Canadian modernist.
In perfect time, like a drumbeat, the FRED on the tail end of 119 methodically flashes as the daily train passes under the westbound lights at Davenport, diverging just around the corner at Osler to head northbound on the Mactier Sub. Time, on the other hand, is less kind to these shining sentinels however, going dark a little more than four hours later, 119 being the last train to call out an indication here, "8801W, medium to clear signal, Davenport".
The end for the Davenport searchlights had been inevitable for a while. Once the diamond with the Newmarket Sub. had been removed in 2023, these lights had become basically irrelevant outside of some additional warning for Osler around the curve. The diamond's now a flyover and new condos fill the skylines, replacing more of the industrial grit at the north east corner of the Junction Triangle. The only constant is change.
Thank you for visiting - ❤ with gratitude! Fave if you like it, add comments below, order beautiful HDR prints at qualityHDR.com.
Last month we spent 3 day in the Black Rock Desert to attend Balls, the Wild West event of rocketry, with large and dangerous rockets. My son got invited to help prepare the most spectacular rocket, a two stage rocket that was designed to reach 200,000 feet altitude. I was invited to be the official photographer. Due to dangerously large motors, this rocket's launch pad was 3 miles away from the camp. Only a few people could see the preparation and launch up close.
The crew raises the rail with rocket upright.
Spec of the rocket:
- two stage rocket built by Jim Jarvis from Texas
- total weight of rocket 250 lb
- booster (first stage) has a P motor built by Stu Barrett
- sustainer (second stage) has an O motor, made by CTI
- electronics: Stratologger, live flight status update by Kate
The booster flight was nominal, The sustainer flight was initially nominal, then Kate announced an anomaly at 40K+ feet altitude - the sustainer shredded at Mach 3.7. The booster was recovered successfully.
Cause of anomaly: Premature detection of booster burnout, the sustainer separates early while the booster was still burning. The booster passes the sustainer while still burning; and both collide twice in midair. Here is a short video of this launch.
What a project! Kudos to Jim, Stu and team for the achievement, even though it did not go as planned! As we all know from SpaceX, rocketry is hard. Jim had a multi page checklist, and everything was done very methodically. Hats off!
I processed a balanced HDR photo from a RAW exposure, and carefully adjusted the curves.
-- © Peter Thoeny, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, HDR, 1 RAW exposure, NEX-6, _DSC3497_hdr1bal1e
A New Game of Tag!
Part 4
Then the show continued...
They were all being sat down to dinner.
I chillingly squirmed again because it appeared that the thievery was not over. The dancing man wearing a tie was now busy lifting the men’s wallets as he helped seat them.
Pickpocketing was a term I would learn later.
The show was moving kind of fast and I was wriggling in my seat to see if he had taken any more jewellery off the ladies. I think one of the pretty diamond bracelets from the older ladies gloved wrist was gone, but could not be sure. I was wondering what was going to happen next, would the bloke, his pockets full of their shiny valuables, as he sat right under their noses, be caught!.
That realization did make me fidgety, thinking someone would be that diabolical to be so methodical in lifting the island people’s very jewels and such, would be getting away with it.
They all toasted him, congratulating that he was no longer a thief, and he became choked up and left them.
It was soon after he left that they began discovering their missing jewels. Of course they chased after him to get their valuables back, but it was too late, he was escaping in a boat!
Escaping in a boat with all their nicked valuables, as they watched helplessly.
He was bloody well getting away with it.
I can still feel myself cringing as I imagined myself being in the ladies' shoes, watching a thief leave with the jewels I had been wearing. At that point my brother jumped up, dashing off down to the basement loo!. So I sat there alone, not really focused on watching the telly anymore.
For the way down deep, I was feeling all prickly. Surprised that there was just something exciting about the sinister element of the plot of the show. Delicious almost the feelings I was having over the deviousness behind someone pretending to be nice when actually they are after something else entirely. As I mulled this over I realized that I really wanted, desired, was to recreate that feeling in my real life! Of being dressed up( which I happened to be ) and wearing my jewellery, with a sneaky thief lurking about.
My mind was now flying with ideas.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Egret On The Hunt” — A great egret hunting in a California Central Valley field.
I photographed this great egret back in late February during one of my last seasonal visits to a place where I photograph migratory birds every winter. This bird, like so many egrets I see out there, was hunting on its own, moving methodically and slowly toward its prey. If you did not realize what the bird was doing you might not understand its behavior, but once you do the purpose of its focused attention becomes clear.
The egrets appear to be carnivores, eating just about any small critter that they can corner and capture. While the hunt seems to happen in slow motion, the actual attack is quick and decisive. Then the bird settles in to swallow the prey — which sometimes can be quite a struggle. I once watched an egret holding a rather large rodent in its bill for over 15 minutes as it tried to swallow the thing whole. I thought it would never manage, but eventually it swallowed the thing whole.
When I heard from fellow fishing enthusiasts the tale of the bait-stealing, fisherman-stalking owl, I listened closely, but with more than a little doubt. We had been stalked the previous year, and in the same area by a Red Shouldered Hawk that eventually swooped down and took a shiner from the surface, maybe it was he and just misidentified. Having hiked, flown and driven countless miles in search of just the possibility of photographing different species of owls, I must admit I found the possibility of being stalked by an owl exciting.
Over the next few days my neck and eyes worked overtime as we entered and exited the Juniper and Little Juniper Rivers. If the rumors were true, I wanted to see it…and more desirable, photograph it. Knowing that God blesses me so with his creations, and knowing that some are meant to be seen and enjoyed (the times when I don’t have my camera with me or ready) and some are meant to be photographed, and that will be the result.
It was just after 8:30am on our second to last day of fishing when Kent and I pulled into the area where the sightings had taken place days before. My hopes were so much higher that the probability of a sighting, but like the lotto ad, you can't win if you don’t play. My friend and skipper of our vessel, Kent, graciously and patiently maneuvered the boat for both the best fishing and photographic lighting.
I surely resembled a human bobble-head as I quickly, but methodically scanned the trees, up and down and 360 degrees around us, camera in hand. Double and triple checking my camera settings, checking the cleanliness of my lens…I was doing everything that I could to ensure that if it appeared, I wouldn’t blow the shot. It was then that I realized that I needed to bait up and at least appear to be fishing!
It was shortly before nine that without warning or a single sound, I looked over my left shoulder to see a Barred Owl not 30 feet away. My initial thought/word was “crap”, for two distinctly different reasons. One because it startled me to see those two black eyes staring into mine from the woods and two, it was a Barred Owl, the same species that I commonly photograph at Muscatatuck NWR, I had hoped for any other species.
I have since learned that his aggressiveness is well known in the region and that he has attempted to snatch shiners mid-cast, tried to get into live wells on boats and has landed on many boats to further announce his presence and desire for food. I just hope some fool doesn’t come along and hurt him.
One morning I encountered this Greater spotted woodpecker on a tree near-completely stripped of bark, revealing the tracery left over the entire surface by its prey, wood-eating beetle larvae. As is so often the case with close photos, it was an unusually bold individual and I got to watch it for some time, hopping between the trunk and branches and methodically tapping and chiselling its own marks alongside the abstract engravings of the insects. I felt some sympathy for the tree!
Anocheciendo en Mojácar pueblo, trate de captar una cierta emoción escondida de la presencia humana invisible, aunque metódica en esta farola de "hierro forjado",la magia de la luz con sus degradados de amarillo y naranja.
El contraste con la escala de grises y alguna lineas negras,me parece que refuerza la idea de esa presencia humana invisible y enriquece la textura de la imagen .
La fotografía minimalista es en esencia Comunicar a traves de una composición con los elementos mas básicos . Con elementos mínimos tratar de generar o comunicar emociones,historias,reflexiones.
La imagen en su mayor simplicidad tratando de contar una historia que refiere tanto al contexto propio de la imagen como al proceso estilístico e intención de la toma de fotografías. no es poca cosa en una realidad social y cibernética caracterizada por la hiper-saturación de tomas y difusión de imágenes fotografiadas.
Apuntes diario lateral ffmendoza
==========
Au crépuscule dans la ville de Mojácar, j'ai tentez de capturer une certaine émotion cachée de la présence humaine invisible, bien que méthodique dans ce réverbère en "fer forgé", la magie de la lumière avec ses dégradés de jaune et d’orange.
Le contraste avec l’échelle de gris et certaines lignes noires me semble renforcer l’idée de cette présence humaine invisible et enrichir la texture de l’image.
La photographie minimaliste consiste essentiellement à communiquer à travers une composition contenant les éléments les plus fondamentaux. Avec des éléments minimaux, essayez de générer ou de communiquer des émotions, des histoires, des réflexions.
L'image, dans sa plus grande simplicité, tente de raconter une histoire qui renvoie à la fois au contexte approprié de l'image, au processus stylistique et à l'intention de prendre des photos. Ce n’est pas une mince affaire dans une réalité sociale et cybernétique caractérisée par l’hyper-saturation de poduction et diffusion d’images photographiées.
Notes journal lateral ffmendoza
============
Dusk in Mojácar town, I try to capture a certain emotion hiddenin a simbolic invisible human presence, although methodical in this street lamp of "wrought iron", the magic of light with its gradients of yellow and orange.
The contrast with the gray scale and some black lines, seems to me to reinforce the idea of that invisible human presence and enriches at the same time the texture of the image.
Minimalist photography is in essence Communicate through a composition with the most basic elements. With minimal elements try to generate or communicate emotions, stories, reflections.
The minimalist image in its greatest simplicity it is alwais trying to tell a story that refers both to the proper context of the image and to the stylistic process and intention of taking photographs. It is not a small thing in a social and cybernetic reality characterized by hyper-saturation of shots and diffusion of photographed images.
Notes diary lateral ffmendoza
🎶 Opus 55 - Dustin O’Halloran, Bryan Senti
🌐 Bridgerton: The Season of Society at, Grand Harbor Isle
______________
AUTOBIOGRAFÍA
Luis Rosales
______________
Como el náufrago metódico que contase las olas
que faltan para morir,
y las contase, y las volviese a contar, para evitar
errores, hasta la última,
hasta aquella que tiene la estatura de un niño
y le besa y le cubre la frente,
así he vivido yo con una vaga prudencia de
caballo de cartón en el baño,
sabiendo que jamás me he equivocado en nada,
sino en las cosas que yo más quería.
- - - -
/ Original version / Spain /
______________
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Luis Rosales
______________
Like a methodical castaway, one who would count the waves
Left for him to die,
One who would actually count them, on and on, so as to
Avoid any mistake, till the very last one,
That wave childlike in stature,
Covering his forehead with kisses,
Thus have I lived all along in vague moderation,
Like a little cardboard horse in the bathroom,
Aware that I’ve never erred, ever,
Except for those things I’ve loved most.
___
Translation: Juan Ribó Chalmeta and Irina Urumova
Until a few days ago I wasn't aware that Red Kites are able to fish but upon hearing about this activity I couldn't resist travelling to Rutland in order to spend a day waiting and watching to see if I if I could record this behaviour.
During the day there were four fishing visits from kites - each one notable for the methodical and measured approach by the kite to their chosen target.
Gandhara is the name given to an ancient region or province invaded in 326 B.C. by Alexander the Great, who took Charsadda (ancient Puskalavati) near present-day Peshawar (ancient Purusapura) and then marched eastward across the Indus into the Punjab as far as the Beas river (ancient Vipasa). Gandhara constituted the undulating plains, irrigated by the Kabul River from the Khyber Pass area, the contemporary boundary between Pakistan and Afganistan, down to the Indus River and southward towards the Murree hills and Taxila (ancient Taksasila), near Pakistan"s present capital, Islamabad. Its art, however, during the first centuries of the Christian era, had adopted a substantially larger area, together with the upper stretches of the Kabul River, the valley of Kabul itself, and ancient Kapisa, as well as Swat and Buner towards the north.
A great deal of Gandhara sculptures has survived dating from the first to probably as late as the sixth or even the seventh century but in a remarkably homogeneous style. Most of the arts were almost always in a blue-gray mica schist, though sometimes in a green phyllite or in stucco, or very rarely in terracotta. Because of the appeal of its Western classical aesthetic for the British rulers of India, schooled to admire all things Greek and Roman, a great deal found its way into private hands or the shelter of museums.
Gandhara sculpture primarily comprised Buddhist monastic establishments. These monasteries provided a never-ending gallery for sculptured reliefs of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. The Gandhara stupas were comparatively magnified and more intricate, but the most remarkable feature, which distinguished the Gandhara stupas from the pervious styles were hugely tiered umbrellas at its peak, almost soaring over the total structure. The abundance of Gandharan sculpture was an art, which originated with foreign artisans.
In the excavation among the varied miscellany of small bronze figures, though not often like Alexandrian imports, four or five Buddhist bronzes are very late in date. These further illustrate the aura of the Gandhara art. Relics of mural paintings though have been discovered, yet the only substantial body of painting, in Bamiyan, is moderately late, and much of it belongs to an Iranian or central Asian rather than an Indian context. Non-narrative themes and architectural ornament were omnipresent at that time. Mythical figures and animals such as atlantes, tritons, dragons, and sea serpents derive from the same source, although there is the occasional high-backed, stylized creature associated with the Central Asian animal style. Moldings and cornices are decorated mostly with acanthus, laurel, and vine, though sometimes with motifs of Indian, and occasionally ultimately western Asian, origin: stepped merlons, lion heads, vedikas, and lotus petals. It is worth noting that architectural elements such as pillars, gable ends, and domes as represented in the reliefs tend to follow the Indian forms
.
Gandhara became roughly a Holy Land of Buddhism and excluding a handful of Hindu images, sculpture took the form either of Buddhist sect objects, Buddha and Bodhisattvas, or of architectural embellishment for Buddhist monasteries. The more metaphorical kinds are demonstrated by small votive stupas, and bases teeming with stucco images and figurines that have lasted at Jaulian and Mora Moradu, outpost monasteries in the hills around Taxila. Hadda, near the present town of Jalalabad, has created some groups in stucco of an almost rococo while more latest works of art in baked clay, with strong Hellenistic influence, have been revealed there, in what sums up as tiny chapels. It is not known exactly why stucco, an imported Alexandrian modus operandi, was used. It is true that grey schist is not found near Taxila, however other stones are available, and in opposition to the ease of operating with stucco, predominantly the artistic effects which can be achieved, must be set with its impermanence- fresh deposits frequently had to be applied. Excluding possibly at Taxila, its use emerges to have been a late expansion.
Architectural fundamentals of the Gandhara art, like pillars, gable ends and domes as showcased in the reliefs, were inclined to follow Indian outlines, but the pilaster with capital of Corinthian type, abounds and in one-palace scene Persepolitan columns go along with Roman coffered ceilings. The so-called Shrine of the Double-Headed Eagle at Sirkap, in actuality a stupa pedestal, well demonstrates this enlightening eclecticism- the double-headed bird on top of the chaitya arch is an insignia of Scythian origin, which appears as a Byzantine motif and materialises much later in South India as the ga1J.qa-bheru1J.qa in addition to atop European armorial bearings.
In Gandhara art the descriptive friezes were all but invariably Buddhist, and hence Indian in substance- one depicted a horse on wheels nearing a doorway, which might have represented the Trojan horse affair, but this is under scan. The Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, familiar from the previous Greek-based coinage of the region, appeared once or twice as standing figurines, presumably because as a pair, they tallied an Indian mithuna couple. There were also female statuettes, corresponding to city goddesses. Though figures from Butkara, near Saidan Sharif in Swat, were noticeably more Indian in physical type, and Indian motifs were in abundance there. Sculpture was, in the main, Hellenistic or Roman, and the art of Gandhara was indeed "the easternmost appearance of the art of the Roman Empire, especially in its late and provincial manifestations". Furthermore, naturalistic portrait heads, one of the high-points of Roman sculpture, were all but missing in Gandhara, in spite of the episodic separated head, probably that of a donor, with a discernible feeling of uniqueness. Some constitutions and poses matched those from western Asia and the Roman world; like the manner in which a figure in a recurrently instanced scene from the Dipankara jataka had prostrated himself before the future Buddha, is reverberated in the pose of the defeated before the defeater on a Trojanic frieze on the Arch of Constantine and in later illustrations of the admiration of the divinised emperor. One singular recurrently occurring muscular male figure, hand on sword, witnessed in three-quarters view from the backside, has been adopted from western classical sculpture. On occasions standing figures, even the Buddha, deceived the elusive stylistic actions of the Roman sculptor, seeking to express majestas. The drapery was fundamentally Western- the folds and volume of dangling garments were carved with realness and gusto- but it was mainly the persistent endeavours at illusionism, though frequently obscured by unrefined carving, which earmarked the Gandhara sculpture as based on a western classical visual impact.
The distinguishing Gandhara sculpture, of which hundreds if not thousands of instances have outlived, is the standing or seated Buddha. This flawlessly reproduces the necessary nature of Gandhara art, in which a religious and an artistic constituent, drawn from widely varied cultures have been bonded. The iconography is purely Indian. The seated Buddha is mostly cross-legged in the established Indian manner. However, forthcoming generations, habituated to think of the Buddha as a monk, and unable to picture him ever possessing long hair or donning a turban, came to deduce the chigon as a "cranial protuberance", singular to Buddha. But Buddha is never depicted with a shaved head, as are the Sangha, the monks; his short hair is clothed either in waves or in taut curls over his whole head. The extended ears are merely due to the downward thrust of the heavy ear-rings worn by a prince or magnate; the distortion of the ear-lobes is especially visible in Buddha, who, in Gandhara, never wore ear-rings or ornaments of any kind. As Foucher puts it, the Gandhara Buddha is at a time a monk without shaving and a prince stripped off jewellery.
The western classical factor rests in the style, in the handling of the robe, and in the physiognomy of Buddha. The cloak, which covers all but the appendages (though the right shoulder is often bared), is dealt like in Greek and Roman sculptures; the heavy folds are given a plastic flair of their own, and only in poorer or later works do they deteriorate into indented lines, fairly a return to standard Indian practice. The "western" treatment has caused Buddha"s garment to be misidentified for a toga; but a toga is semicircular, while, Buddha wore a basic, rectangular piece of cloth, i.e., the samghiifi, a monk"s upper garment. The head gradually swerves towards a hieratic stylisation, but at its best, it is naturalistic and almost positively based on the Greek Apollo, undoubtedly in Hellenistic or Roman copies.
Gandhara art also had developed at least two species of image, i.e. not part of the frieze, in which Buddha is the fundamental figure of an event in his life, distinguished by accompanying figures and a detailed mise-en-scene. Perhaps the most remarkable amongst these is the Visit to the Indrasala Cave, of which the supreme example is dated in the year 89, almost unquestionably of the Kanishka period. Indra and his harpist are depicted on their visit in it. The small statuettes of the visitors emerge below, an elephant describing Indra. The more general among these detailed images, of which approximately 30 instances are known, is presumably related with the Great Miracle of Sravasti. In one such example, one of the adjoining Bodhisattvas is distinguished as Avalokiteshwara by the tiny seated Buddha in his headgear. Other features of these images include the unreal species of tree above Buddha, the spiky lotus upon which he sits, and the effortlessly identifiable figurines of Indra and Brahma on both sides.
Another important aspect of the Gandhara art was the coins of the Graeco-Bactrians. The coins of the Graeco-Bactrians - on the Greek metrological standard, equals the finest Attic examples and of the Indo-Greek kings, which have until lately served as the only instances of Greek art found in the subcontinent. The legendary silver double decadrachmas of Amyntas, possibly a remembrance issue, are the biggest "Greek" coins ever minted, the largest cast in gold, is the exceptional decadrachma of the same king in the Bibliotheque Nationale, with the Dioscuri on the inverse. Otherwise, there was scanty evidence until recently of Greek or Hellenistic influences in Gandhara. A manifestation of Greek metropolitan planning is furnished by the rectilinear layouts of two cities of the 1st centuries B.C./A.D.--Sirkap at Taxila and Shaikhan Pheri at Charsadda. Remains of the temple at Jandial, also at Taxila and presumably dating back to 1st century B.C., also includes Greek characteristics- remarkably the huge base mouldings and the Ionic capitals of the colossal portico and antechamber columns. In contrast, the columns or pilasters on the immeasurable Gandhara friezes (when they are not in a Indian style), are consistently coronated by Indo-Corinthian capitals, the local version of the Corinthian capital- a certain sign of a comparatively later date.
The notable Begram hoard confirms articulately to the number and multiplicity of origin of the foreign artefacts imported into Gandhara. This further illustrates the foreign influence in the Gandhara art. Parallel hoards have been found in peninsular India, especially in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, but the imported wares are sternly from the Roman world. At Begram the ancient Kapisa, near Kabul, there are bronzes, possibly of Alexandrian manufacture, in close proximity with emblemata (plaster discs, certainly meant as moulds for local silversmiths), bearing reliefs in the purest classical vein, Chinese lacquers and Roman glass. The hoard was possibly sealed in mid-3rd century, when some of the subjects may have been approximately 200 years old "antiques", frequently themselves replicates of classical Greek objects. The plentiful ivories, consisting in the central of chest and throne facings, engraved in a number of varied relief techniques, were credibly developed somewhere between Mathura and coastal Andhra. Some are of unrivalled beauty. Even though a few secluded instances of early Indian ivory carving have outlived, including the legendary mirror handle from Pompeii, the Begram ivories are the only substantial collection known until moderately in present times of what must always have been a widespread craft. Other sites, particularly Taxila, have generated great many instances of such imports, some from India, some, like the appealing tiny bronze figure of Harpocrates, undoubtedly from Alexandria. Further cultural influences are authenticated by the Scytho Sarmatian jewellery, with its characteristic high-backed carnivores, and by a statue of St. Peter. But all this should not cloud the all-important truth that the immediately identifiable Gandhara style was the prevailing form of artistic manifestation throughout the expanse for several centuries, and the magnitude of its influence on the art of central Asia and China and as far as Japan, allows no doubt about its integrity and vitality.
In the Gandhara art early Buddhist iconography drew heavily on traditional sources, incorporating Hindu gods and goddesses into a Buddhist pantheon and adapting old folk tales to Buddhist religious purposes. Kubera and Harm are probably the best-known examples of this process.
Five dated idols from Gandhara art though exist, however the hitch remains that the era is never distinguished. The dates are in figures under 100 or else in 300s. Moreover one of the higher numbers are debatable, besides, the image upon which it is engraved is not in the conventional Andhra style. The two low-number-dated idols are the most sophisticated and the least injured. Their pattern is classical Gandhara. The most undemanding rendition of their dates relates them to Kanishka and 78 A.D. is assumed as the commencement of his era. They both fall in the second half of the 2nd century A.D. and equally later, if a later date is necessitated for the beginning of Kanishka`s time. This calculation nearly parallels numismatics and archaeological evidences. The application of other eras, like the Vikrama (base date- 58 B.C.) and the Saka (base date- 78 A.D.), would place them much later. The badly battered figurines portray standing Buddhas, without a head of its own, but both on original figured plinths. They come to view as depicting the classical Gandhara style; decision regarding where to place these two dated Buddhas, both standing, must remain knotty till more evidence comes out as to how late the classical Gandhara panache had continued.
Methodical study of the Gandhara art, and specifically about its origins and expansion, is befuddled with numerous problems, not at least of which is the inordinately complex history and culture of the province. It is one of the great ethnical crossroads of the world simultaneously being in the path of all the intrusions of India for over three millennia. Bussagli has rightly remarked, `More than any other Indian region, Gandhara was a participant in the political and cultural events that concerned the rest of the Asian continent`.
However, Systematic study of the art of Gandhara, and particularly of its origins and development, is bedeviled by many problems, not the least of which is the extraordinarily complex history and culture of the region.
In spite of the labours of many scholars over the past hundred and fifty years, the answers to some of the most important questions, such as the number of centuries spanned by the art of Gandhara, still await, fresh archaeological, inscriptional, or numismatic evidence.
I watched dozens of gulls yesterday in the middle of the lake on a sand bar with shells/clams on it. They would methodically take one in their beak and fly up and hover and then release it! I thought they were doing this to break open the clams on the sand below, but they would dive bomb it after they dropped it, and catch it before it hit, only to wash it in the water. I'm not sure what was going on, cause most of the time they would catch it in mid-air, but sometimes it would fall in the water, and they would retrieve it again. They all seeemd to be doing this, and they didn't seem to be stealing from one another. Fascinating to watch and shoot. 5 of 5
For years now, one of Barney's very favourite traditions on Christmas day has been getting to shred all the wrapping paper up... Ever since I've known him, Barn's been one of those dogs who really takes a great delight in destroying things. When he was younger, I was forever buying Barney supposedly "indestructible" toys, hopeful that this toy would be the one to survive... & Barney would immediately set about finding a way to dismantle it, often in an almost scientifically methodical manner. He was an extremely determined - & fast ripper-upper of toys. A few things, like larger Kongs *would* last a little while but eventually, he'd find a way to chew the end off!
I finally learnt that the best thing to do - the thing that makes us both happy - is to give in to the inevitable & simply buy Barney cheap toys, that are safe for him (under supervision, of course!) to take to pieces. The toy is gone in a few minutes, or, occasionally just seconds, but while it lasts, Barney has a wonderful time & I'm not left regretting spending large sums of money on something that has to be thrown away almost immediately!
Barney's love of shredding things means he is very easy to please at Christmas... his favourite holiday tradition is the annual game of turning wrapping paper into confetti. He sits & watches us unwrapping gifts & then happily shreds every single piece of the discarded paper, into tiny pieces. I can only be thankful Barney does seem to have some idea that he's only allowed to rip up paper, once it's handed over to him, as he will leave the still wrapped presents alone, at least while they're under the tree. However, once you've picked a gift up, you better be fast with the unwrapping because if you're too slow opening it & throwing the paper at the waiting dog, Barney will leap in & try to "help" speed things up!
EDIT: THIS WAS AN APRIL FOOLS PRANK. it was actually day 137/365
-----
oh. my. goodness.
GUYS. there were times when i thought this day would never ever come. to be honest, there were times when i regretted starting this whole project and cursed the day i got that crazy notion into my head. but in the end, looking back, i just can't believe how quickly this year has gone.
it is truly incredible to think of all that can happen in 365 days. i know everyone says this, but i think this project has helped me grow in ways not even i thought possible. i have grown not only artistically, but mentally, spiritually, psychologically, epistemologically, methodically, astronomically, pedagogically, and, arguably, physically.
though this project has been hard at times, i would not trade it for the world. the friendships i have made through it will last a lifetime. i have gotten to meet such beautiful minds and souls and am much better friends with my own mind and soul than i ever was before. it feels like way less than 365 days ago that i was friendless and lonely without a hope in the world, checking the mailbox every day and finding nothing but junk mail. i look in the mirror and i don't recognize myself, partially because it's splattered with paint, (fake) blood, gasoline, fog juice, mud, and all the other gross stuff i've pickled myself in during this project.
i want to thank my family for inspiring me every single day, and for dealing with my horrible grumpiness on the days i didn't get a photo i liked. i want to thank my parents specifically for bringing me into the world and not getting fed up with me since, and for helping me to become the kind, compassionate, beautiful, and (above all else) humble person that i am. i want to thank the kindness of strangers and the goodness in the world. i want to thank my team and the Academy and Meryl Streep... but mostly, i want to thank you all for keeping up with me and encouraging me every day.
this has been fun, but i don't plan on picking up a camera ever again. there are some things that shouldn't be drawn out any longer than they have to.
so long, and thanks for all the fish.
Estábamos persiguiendo al Talgo por el Directo y tras conseguir una buena foto en Villamayor de los Montes el siguiente punto elegido era la estación de Campo de San Pedro. Llegamos con tiempo más que suficiente para preparar la foto sin prisas y la presencia del sol estaba más que garantizada, pero cuando llegó el tren nos llevamos una pequeña decepción. Me explico. En aquella época estábamos viviendo una transición para dejar de hacer fotos "a lo loco" y convertirnos en (más o menos) unos "fotógrafos metódicos". Esos cambios se estaban materializando, entre otras cosas, en el empleo de aplicaciones que nos informaban de la posición del sol en el punto elegido para fotografiar un tren. Aquel día, la aplicación prometía una espectacular iluminación del tren en la estación de Campo de San Pedro así que cuando vimos que el lateral del Talgo no quedó nada bien, se nos ocurrió pensar que la aplicación era un timo. Y nada más lejos de la realidad porque luego supimos que nos enfrentábamos a algo que entonces no conocíamos: el high sun (el sol alto, para entendernos), un fenómeno que conlleva una iluminación decepcionante en buena parte del sujeto fotografiado. Con el uso del Photoshop, hemos mejorado ligeramente el lateral del Talgo pero desde entonces afinamos mucho más la elección de los puntos a las horas en las que ese "high sun" es más evidente. Y es que el camino para ser un "fotógrafo metódico" es agotador...y mejor no hablar del largo trayecto que aún nos queda por recorrer....
We were chasing Talgo along "el Directo" and after getting a good photo in Villamayor de los Montes the next point chosen was Campo de San Pedro station. We arrived with more than enough time to prepare the photo without rushing and the presence of the sun was more than guaranteed, but when the train arrived we were a little disappointed. I explain. At that time we were undergoing a transition to stop taking "crazy" photos and become (more or less) "methodical photographers". These changes were materializing, among other things, in the use of applications that informed us of the position of the sun at the point chosen to photograph a train. That day, the application promised spectacular lighting of the train at Campo de San Pedro station, so when we saw that the side of the Talgo did not look good at all, it occurred to us that the application was a scam. And nothing is further from reality because then we learned that we were facing something that we did not know then: the high sun, a phenomenon that leads to disappointing lighting in much of the photographed subject. With the use of Photoshop, we have slightly improved the side of the Talgo but since then we have refined the choice of points much more at the times when this phenomenon is most evident. And it is that the road to being a "methodical photographer" is exhausting ... and better not to mention the long journey that we still have to travel ...
Swishing my N-core Sia Platform mules
Stockings by Erratic
With the methodical swish-swish of her shoe dangling from her toes he would buy her the whole store....
Debugging is a methodical process of finding and reducing the number of bugs in crop (and, in this case, not in a computer program).
Biscuit on the hunt for his ball (as always) ... I deliberately threw it in the wrong direction so he'd have to go looking for it ... tires him out pretty good, and he is really quite good at it, methodical searching in ever widening circles until he catches the scent, I love to watch :-)
Nikon 1 (V1) : 10-30mm 1 Nikkor f/3.5-5.6
This is the rig used to produce the adjacent photograph of the Platycodon flower. The Tair 11, a product of the former Soviet Union, is renowned for it's sharpness and the quality of it's bokeh. It's seen here with a 10mm extension ring to permit a closer focusing distance. It's a big, heavy lens with a pre-set aperture diaphragm, so working with it is a slow and methodical process.