Recently I'd come across an article on a photography RSS feed (www.howtogeek.com/338162/how-to-use-the-foreground-and-ba...). The author gave ideas on using foreground, midground and background to make for interesting compositions with images. I like that idea and felt it important to use it especially when angling my SLR camera downward. While my goal was to minimize flattening that tends to happen with wider angle images, I felt the author's idea was a complement to my thought. Here I used the nearby foreground at the Candlestick Tower View Point while looking across the canyons around the Green River and mesas beyond. The blue skies and clouds were the color contrast to complete the final setting for this image of Canyonlands National Park.

From a high point while walking with a guided tour across some tundra in Denali National Park with a view looking generally to the east across this river valley with Moose Creek. The more unusual angle for composing this view was brought about because of the way the creek with its water stretched in front of me while also trying to minimize what I felt was the more negative space of the overcast skies above. In some ways, the creek waters going by were a leading line across the ridgelines and spurs that seemingly crisscrossed each other to a distant horizon. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation while playing around as I learned how to work with DxO PhotoLabs 3 that I’d recently purchased after moving away from Capture NX2.

Yes, vibrant colors of tree leaves on the hillsides and mountain peaks this afternoon in Autumn. I used a polarizer to bring out deeper and richer colors and minimize some of the brightness of the mid-afternoon sun overhead.

- Eugene Ionesco.

|| insta || blog || photostream ||

On my way back from the courthouse trail, where I tried to take some pictures of Bell Rock and Courthouse Buttes, I came across an intriguing sight. At first, I was drawn to the graceful curve of the mountains, but then I noticed the trees reflecting the same pattern and curving gently towards the massive rock formation on the left. I immediately knew that this would make a great photograph. Initially, I planned to minimize the sky in the shot, but upon reviewing the images on the back screen, I noticed some color still visible in the night sky. I decided to leave the composition as it was and am pleased with the outcome.

For two hours I stood transfixed by dancing clouds as they drifted in and out of these colossal fir trees near Mt Robson, BC.

I don't know about you, but I get a huge kick out of capturing bonus images that I never intended or expected to find.

It's even better when those bonus shots turn out to be way better than the one you're standing around waiting for.

It just goes to show that it pays to have that second camera and ideally a big old telephoto lens.

At 274mm, I had to switch on the optical stabilization of the lens to minimize the camera shake. To free up the shutter button, I used back button auto focus which was assigned to a big button on the back of the camera that I could control with my thumb.

I find it really useful to save these types of camera settings to a C3 custom setting dial on the camera. I can then instantly recall these lesser used settings with the turn of a dial giving me more time to capture the moment and less time faffing around with camera settings.

Thanks for looking

Gavin

The light wasn't ideal for landscape photography - far from it. So when we hiked into Bear Beach and the imaginatively named "Rock on a Pillar", I was disappointed. Flat white sky. Very difficult.

Shots in the opposite direction, where dark green forest encroached on the beach, were fine, but views toward Juan de Fuca Strait meant dealing with a featureless sky and distant haze. I chose this POV and crop to minimize the amount of white in the frame. I didn't want to come home with nothing but shots of beach rocks and logs. And considering this was January, we didn't complain, because it wasn't raining. This part of the west coast gets a lot of winter rain.

Photographed at Bear Beach, in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, BC (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2015 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

A two-bladed shutter from a Simplex X-L 35mm motion picture projector. I've seen them called “two-wing” shutters, which makes sense considering the conical design.

As this shutter makes one revolution per frame of film, one blade (or wing) blocks the light from the source while the intermittent movement advances the film one frame, then the second blade creates another flash for double the perceived frame rate, minimizing annoying flicker.

The little bridge over the Luderbach, by the Königsbrünnchen in the forwest just south of Frankfurt. A quarter of an hour having passed it was a good deal darker than for the previous picture, but the cable release turns out to be well able to minimize shake at 1/30th of a second.

Lomo Lubitel 166 Universal and T-22 75mm f/4.5, Lomography CN400 developed by Foto Express on the Schweitzer Straße and digitalized using kit zoom and extension tubes.

Thank you everyone for your visits, faves and comments, they are always appreciated :)

The area that was to become West Palm Beach was settled in the late 1870s and 1880s by a few hundred settlers who called the vicinity "Lake Worth Country." These settlers were a diverse community from different parts of the United States and the world. They included founding families such at the Potters and the Lainharts, who would go on to become leading members of the business community in the fledgling city. The first white settlers in Palm Beach County lived around Lake Worth, then an enclosed freshwater lake, named for Colonel William Jenkins Worth, who had fought in the Second Seminole War in Florida in 1842. Most settlers engaged in the growing of tropical fruits and vegetables for shipment the north via Lake Worth and the Indian River. By 1890, the U.S. Census counted over 200 people settled along Lake Worth in the vicinity of what would become West Palm Beach. The area at this time also boasted a hotel, the "Cocoanut House", a church, and a post office. The city was platted by Henry Flagler as a community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth in 1893, coinciding with the arrival of the Florida East Coast railroad. Flagler paid two area settlers, Captain Porter and Louie Hillhouse, a combined sum of $45,000 for the original town site, stretching from Clear Lake to Lake Worth.

On November 5, 1894, 78 people met at the "Calaboose" (the first jail and police station located at Clematis St. and Poinsettia, now Dixie Hwy.) and passed the motion to incorporate the Town of West Palm Beach in what was then Dade County (now Miami-Dade County). This made West Palm Beach the first incorporated municipality in Dade County and in South Florida. The town council quickly addressed the building codes and the tents and shanties were replaced by brick, brick veneer, and stone buildings. The city grew steadily during the 1890s and the first two decades of the 20th century, most residents were engaged in the tourist industry and related services or winter vegetable market and tropical fruit trade. In 1909, Palm Beach County was formed by the Florida State Legislature and West Palm Beach became the county seat. In 1916, a new neo-classical courthouse was opened, which has been painstakingly restored back to its original condition, and is now used as the local history museum.

The city grew rapidly in the 1920s as part of the Florida land boom. The population of West Palm Beach quadrupled from 1920 to 1927, and all kinds of businesses and public services grew along with it. Many of the city's landmark structures and preserved neighborhoods were constructed during this period. Originally, Flagler intended for his Florida East Coast Railway to have its terminus in West Palm, but after the area experienced a deep freeze, he chose to extend the railroad to Miami instead.

The land boom was already faltering when city was devastated by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. The Depression years of the 1930s were a quiet time for the area, which saw slight population growth and property values lower than during the 1920s. The city only recovered with the onset of World War II, which saw the construction of Palm Beach Air Force Base, which brought thousands of military personnel to the city. The base was vital to the allied war effort, as it provided an excellent training facility and had unparalleled access to North Africa for a North American city. Also during World War II, German U-Boats sank dozens of merchant ships and oil tankers just off the coast of West Palm Beach. Nearby Palm Beach was under black out conditions to minimize night visibility to German U-boats.

The 1950s saw another boom in population, partly due to the return of many soldiers and airmen who had served in the vicinity during the war. Also, the advent of air conditioning encouraged growth, as year-round living in a tropical climate became more acceptable to northerners. West Palm Beach became the one of the nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas during the 1950s; the city's borders spread west of Military Trail and south to Lake Clarke Shores. However, many of the city's residents still lived within a narrow six-block wide strip from the south to north end. The neighborhoods were strictly segregated between White and African-American populations, a legacy that the city still struggles with today. The primary shopping district remained downtown, centered around Clematis Street.

In the 1960s, Palm Beach County's first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach Mall, and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a brief revival for the city, but in the 1970s and 1980s crime continued to be a serious issue and suburban sprawl continued to drain resources and business away from the old downtown area. By the early 1990s there were very high vacancy rates downtown, and serious levels of urban blight.

Since the 1990s, developments such as CityPlace and the preservation and renovation of 1920s architecture in the nightlife hub of Clematis Street have seen a downtown resurgence in the entertainment and shopping district. The city has also placed emphasis on neighborhood development and revitalization, in historic districts such as Northwood, Flamingo Park, and El Cid. Some neighborhoods still struggle with blight and crime, as well as lowered property values caused by the Great Recession, which hit the region particularly hard. Since the recovery, multiple new developments have been completed. The Palm Beach Mall, located at the Interstate 95/Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard interchange became abandoned as downtown revitalized - the very mall that initiated the original abandonment of the downtown. The mall was then redeveloped into the Palm Beach Fashion Outlets in February 2014. A station for All Aboard Florida, a high-speed passenger rail service serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, is under construction as of July 2015.

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Palm_Beach,_Florida

Weekly camera club theme - Real Close Correctly guessed by André De Kesel .

Magnetic goop known as ferrofluid

Ferrofluid: When magnets go nano

For this I used a pipette, ferrofluid , petri dish and lots of paper towels.

Coloured lights.

A ferrofluid is a liquid which becomes highly magnetized in the presence of a magnetic field. The distinctive ‘spikey’ shape of a magnetized ferrofluid is caused by the need to find the most stable shape in order to minimize the total energy of the system, an effect known as the normal-field instability. The fluid is more easily magnetized than the surrounding air, so is drawn out along the magnetic field lines, resulting in the formation of peaks and troughs. However, the extension of the ferrofluid is resisted by gravity and surface tension.

The more complicated explanation is all about nanoparticles. Back in the 1960s, experiments in chemistry showed that ferrofluids could be created and stabilized — a discovery actually made by NASA while searching for ways to control liquid fuel in the weightlessness of space.

Okay, but how does the ferrofluid magically transform into spikes and those crazy hedgehog shapes?

Think of it as a very careful chemical balancing act involving many different forces all hitting a sweet spot. Imagine that you apply a magnetic force to a ferrofluid, say, through a permanent magnet you have lying around

Ref: Tyler Lacoma

Ferrofluids are also the focus of current scientific research and have the potential to be used in many medical applications. In magnetic drug targeting for example, where drugs could be enclosed by ferrofluid and, once injected into the specific body area requiring treatment, a magnetic field could be applied to keep the drugs in this target area. The localization would limit exposure to the rest of the body and enable the dosage level to be decreased, reducing the adverse side effects experienced by the patient

Safety in the use of Ferrofluids and Magnets is recommended.

Do not leave anything else magnetic near your work area and keep mobile phone away

While walking around the namesake area in Joshua Tree National Park with a view looking to the southeast. What drew me into the setting was the snow falling and the way it helped create and bring out shades and details across the rock surfaces. My thought on composing the image, though was to minimize those overcast and snowy skies and have the Skull Rock formation fill up most of the image, with a little bit of foreground included to help frame the setting

Chicory is a perennial herbaceous plant with a blue or lavender flower. Its leaves are tastiest in the spring and autumn as the summer heat tends to make them taste a little bitter – but they are still edible. Toss them in a salad but before doing so, blanch them. They can be mixed with other greens to minimize their strong flavour. The mature green leaves can be used as a cooked vegetable.

Chicory is a branching, scraggly-looking plant. It often stands out alone in gravel areas, or open weedy fields and the flowers only open on a sunny day.

The flowers are 2 to 4 cm. wide and are usually a bright, light blue. There are two rows of involucral bracts - the inner are longer and erect, the outer are shorter and spreading. Chicory flowers from July until October.

Gananoque, ON Canada

After a mostly gloomy, rainy day, the clouds over Lake Bennett begin to break in the later afternoon, revealing just a few spots of sunshine on the nearby mountains. Here, the White Pass & Yukon's sole, remaining steam locomotive works south through the tightest curve on the entire line, that being the 24-degree curve known as "Guard Rail Curve" at Milepost 43.6. The curve is so named because in the early years of the railroad, guard rail was installed here to minimize the effect of any derailments that might occur. The guard rail was removed in the 1970s, but today the railroad observes a mandatory 6 mph speed limit through here.

This image was captured during a September 2025 photo shoot on Alaska's White Pass & Yukon Route, organized by Lerro Photography.

A view looking to the northwest across the canyon and gorge with blue skies above at the Rock Point overlook in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I felt angling my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward would create more of that sweeping look across the canyon with the spires and fissures present. It would also help to minimize what I felt was the more negative space with the blue skies above and have more of the focus with the national park setting to my front.

I spent a few days in Death Valley National Park during the early part of 2014. The scenery out there is unique and while I wasn't able to get really good sand dune shots (given the lack of wind and footprints) I was able to locate some nice, clean salt flats in Badwater Basin.

In this photo I tried to really minimize the size of the mountains (they are actually pretty large) and did that by using a really wide angle lens to make them seem very tiny in the distance. I also wanted to convey a sense of just how wide and vast the landscape was.

I took a few more shots while the night sky took over. In hindsight I wish I would have stayed out for the stars to come out as I think that would make for an interesting composition with the salt flats in the foreground. Ahh well gives me another reason to go back.

A few inspirations:

This,

And a bit of this,

I started by following the original artwork, but I wasn't happy with the cramped interior. I extended the sides and added a rear door between the engines. Now it has nice space for cargo without needing to use the front gangway. Cockpit seats three; interior features computer terminal, two bunks, small food area, and the recent addition to the SW universe: a toilet. The dorsal turret is on a second level. I originally had a full dorsal-ventral turret combo with a tube through the center like in the Falcon, but it took up too much room so I axed it.

I tried my hardest to minimize the weathering. I didn't want the colors to be overly busy like in my U-wing concept. All parts used in the boat should be real. Might make some interior renders if I find time. Most likely, they will just be screenshots though.

The final shaping of this build was super satisfying, but getting there was a complete pain. I may stick with simpler shapes for a while more...

Phoebe ~Piercings & more~

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A setting looking to the northwest while taking in views of a snowy landscape along the Hidden Valley Nature Trail in Joshua Tree National Park. This was another image captured where I liked the layering present with the foreground and it's snowy landscape leading up to the rock formations in the distance. I decided to minimize the overcast and snowy skies as I felt it really didn't add much to the image.

We're in another park now, starting a new photo series. Kootenay National Park, in the Canadian Rockies, is not nearly as famous as nearby Banff or Jasper, but it has its charms. The last time I drove through it, in September 2021, it wasn't very charming: road construction elsewhere had rerouted traffic through Kootenay, and it was bumper to bumper all the way.

In years past, however, I've had some good experiences there, including photographing these Mountain Goats at a mineral lick. I wish I could have found a catch light in the young one's eye, but... no. Pretty cute nonetheless.

In recent years Parks Canada has put up protective fencing to keep wildlife off the highway and minimize the roadkill factor, always a sad sight. This strategy has been effective in Banff, so I hope they have similar success. There is lots of wildlife in the park, including goats, Bighorn Sheep, Black and Grizzly Bears, Elk, Mule and White-tailed Deer, Moose, Grey Wolves, and of course smaller mammals and birds. All these species occupy their own niche and may be present - or not - depending on location, season, time of day, and many other factors. There are some excellent hiking trails in this park.

Photographed in Kootenay National Park, BC (Canada); scanned from the original Kodachrome 64 slide. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©1989 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

Excerpt from www.hember.ca/pdf/ShandDamStory.pdf:

Before the Shand Dam and the other major reservoirs on the Grand River opened, the river was sometimes a raging, uncontrolled torrent that menaced property owners all along its banks, and at other times it was a smelly trickle of sewer water.

The first Grand River dam, the Shand Dam, started to change all that. It came about after years of struggle to find a reservoir plan, a political structure and funding.

The first big step taken by the Grand River Conservation

Commission (formed in 1934) was to hire H. G. Acres & Co. of Niagara Falls during the summer of 1938 to come up with a reservoir plan and then supervise construction of the new dam.

Soliciting government funds was another big problem that solved itself as the Great Depression lingered. Money flowed to the project thanks to the lean years and what today’s government would call infrastructure spending as part of an economic stimulus package.

The federal and provincial governments each kicked in 37.5 per cent of the $2-million cost of the dam, while the eight local municipalities that made up the GRCC (Brantford, Galt, Fergus, Elora, Paris, Kitchener, Waterloo and Preston) paid 25 per cent. In return, the municipalities got the dam and jobs for some of the

unemployed people in their communities, helping to lighten their welfare rolls.

Municipalities contributed different amounts based on a formula that had been developed a few years earlier. The overall project cost included acquiring 2,000 acres of land. Half of Belwood, along with most of its businesses, were affected by the construction.

The project got underway in 1939. At the peak, an on-site construction camp included a dozen buildings to house 200

men. Most of the unskilled labourers were from the towns and cities in the Grand River and they lived on the worksite. While machines were used, there was also lots of manual work.

When WW II began in September 1939, the provincial and federal governments decided the project was too far along to be put on hold for the war.

Instead, once the high spring waters subsided in April 1940, there was big push to complete the dam quickly.

By Nov. 14, 1940, all Canadian records were broken when 256,000 cubic metres of clay had been put in place and compacted in just five weeks. The dam’s steel gates were installed and the dam was complete by the end of January 1942. The “last spike” on a railway that had to be moved due to the dam construction was driven in by Grand River Conservation Commission chair William Philip on March 9, and then the first train crossed over the dam.

It opened with great fanfare on Aug. 7, 1942, with 3,500 people on hand.

There is still some film footage of the opening. A street dance and food for 5,000 people were provided by Raynor Construction, the firm hired to build the dam. It was the largest party ever held in Fergus. The post office even issued a special cancellation stamp on mail from Elora and Fergus that day.

At first, the new dam was called the Grand Valley Dam, but tourists searching for it ended up at Grand Valley, 18 km upstream. As a result, it was renamed the Shand Dam after a local pioneer family.

The Shand Dam garnered national and international attention. The Financial Post ran a front page story a year after the dam opened, with a headline that proclaimed “Grand Valley masters its river.” The article began: “Post-war projects that will pay for themselves, prevent serious annual losses and permanent injury to otherwise productive land offer attractions impossible to ignore.” It described the value of large engineering projects that would also provide post-war jobs for returning soldiers.

The Shand Dam was the first large-scale multi-purpose dam in Canada, and it formed a 12-km long lake — water that is held back to prevent flooding and then let out during the dry summer

months to supply fresh water to communities downstream.

That value was proven after Hurricane Hazel in 1954. The Toronto area suffered tremendous loss of life and property, but no one died in the Grand River watershed as a result of the hurricane.

The reservoir system in the Grand River watershed has made the lives of watershed residents much less susceptible to the problems of flooding. They have paid for themselves many times over. They reduced flood damage significantly twice this winter — once in the thaw in late December and a second time in mid-February.

Today we know that large engineering projects such as this minimize the impact of flooding and drought, but don’t eliminate these problems. Instead, dams are one of several measures that

help to keep people and property safe from flooding by counterbalancing the impact of climate change and development that removes water storage from

the land.

website | instagram

Horseshoe Bend is one of those amazing landscapes that almost compels photographers to create grungy HDR images - perhaps in order to minimize the haze from the coal-fired power plant a few miles away.

While this image is a composite of multiple exposures taken within a 2-3 hour period at around sunset, I tried for a more natural look.

While walking the main path out to start the Dune Succession Trail with a view looking to the northeast across a grassy meadow and marsh with a developing sand dunes landscape. My thinking in composing this image was to use the trees, then watery marsh, and finally dunes in a layered approach with this national park landscape. I angled my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward in order to capture more of a sweeping view. Given the overcast skies that afternoon, it seemed better to focus on the landscape to my front and minimize what I felt was a more negative space with the skies above.

NASA Orbit Pavilion, the seashell like aluminum structure designed by StudioKCA in collaboration with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and sound artist Shane Myrbeck, gives visitors the experience of being surrounded by the sounds of satellites in space. The idea behind the design of the structure was to mimic the experience of holding a seashell to one’s ear and hearing the ocean, but to do so on a much larger scale. Visitors won’t just hold this giant cosmic shell to their ears, they will walk inside of it and be met with “a symphony built out of the sounds of satellites in space,” according to Jason Kilmoski, Principal of StudioKCA. Consisting of 28 speakers spatially arranged to mimic orbits, the pavilion acts as a sound chamber as satellites, represented by distinct, artistically created sounds, seem to swirl around visitors from above, below, and to all sides. There are 20 unique sounds in total, representing the International Space Station and 19 earth satellites. The pattern of the nautilus structure reflects the paths of space satellites: 100 orbital paths are water-jet cut from 3,500 square feet of aluminum panels that fit together around a curved framework of aluminum tubes. . The design also minimizes external noise and decreases wind loads to make the experience for those within as immersive as possible.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This shot was taken at Huntington Library and Gardens, CA, where Orbit Pavilion was on display -

www.huntington.org/orbit

Thanks to all for 19,000.000+ views, visits and kind comments..!!

Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Phoebe ~Piercings & more~

> 20 Pattern HUD

> Avatar Sizes: ALTAMURA / EBODY CURVY / BELLEZA FREYA + ISIS / SLINK HOURGLASS / LEGACY + PERKY / MAITREYA + PETITE / TONIC FINE + CURVY + MINIMIZER / ININTIUM KUPRA + LOW + BIMBO

EXCLUSIVE 99L$ AT Girls Heaven -EVENT-

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bellavista/70/192/24

There's More to Life Than What You Feel

Even sweating for a moment

Or getting rid of those tired thoughts

You have to throw on the gear for today

Head out, with or without a plan

And do what you love.

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one morning in Pinnacles National Park at a roadside pullout while driving to a nearby parking area for a morning hike. My thought on composing this image was to take advantage of the setting I saw with the ridge and pinnacle volcanic formation in the image center. Or at least the way I lined it up for that capture. I also wanted to include the sun that was still low in the morning skies. I decided to use the nearby tree to my front to help minimize some of the brightness of the light, while also closing down on the aperture to bring out more of a starburst look.

I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation with DxO PhotoLab 6. I then exported a TIFF image to Photoshop and used a healing brush to clone out some of the light artifacts from the sunlight across my lens. I later did some more post-processing work in Nik Color Efex Pro 5 where I added a Polarization, Foliage and Pro Contrast filter for that last effect on the image captured.

NEW ..::B2K Design::..Dress Amelya HUD 10 colors dress and bra. Compatible Altamura, Perky, Legacy, Tonic Fine Curvy Minimizer, Leagcy, Ebody Curvy, Slink Hourglass, Maitreya Lara Petite, Belleza Freya Isis. Mainstore maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Thoth/150/35/21 Marketplace marketplace.secondlife.com/p/B2K-DesignDress-Amelya-ADD/2...

Most fawns here in Wisconsin are born in May and June. During the first couple of months, fawns spend most of their time hiding, away from their mothers. The mother visits very briefly only twice or three times a day to feed the fawn and move the baby/babies to a new location. Fawns also have underdeveloped scent glands, meaning they don't have a scent for predators to detect. Until a fawn is old enough to be fully mobile and able to outrun danger, the fawn’s best defense is to remain hidden and freeze if danger approaches. And yes, the mom spends most of each day separate from the fawn to avoid attracting predators by her own presence and scent.

If you find a fawn, the best thing you can do is leave it alone. The mother is likely nearby and continuing to check on the fawn. If the baby is injured or appears to be in distress, contact the wildlife rehabilitation or rescue near you.

It took me some effort to get a decent photo of this hiding fawn. I had seen him once before earlier in the summer, when he was a newborn and he has a twin. Their mother I see frequently. The doe typically hides twin fawns separately to protect them from predators. She does this by leaving them in different, secluded locations, often within her familiar home range, and only returning to nurse them. This strategy minimizes the risk of both fawns being discovered by a predator at the same time.

Proverb:

1. Literally, carpentry. One should always double check one's measurements before cutting materials to minimize the chances of mistakes thus wasting materials, time, and money.

2. Figuratively, when describing oneself. Plan and prepare careful and thorough manner before taking action.

This amazing sewing and craft room is sponsored by ChiMia and Lagom!

Worktable: ChiMia - Workshop desk @ $50L Friday 4/30/21

Rugs: ChiMia - Flea Market Rugs @ $50L Friday 4/30/21

Computer: ChiMia - ChiDesktop Gift for VIP Group Gift @ Mainstore (FREE to join)

ChiMia Mainstore LM: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Serena%20Pisces/92/128/22

WEBSITE: secondlifesyndicate.com/events/syndicate-events/mournful-...

FLICKR GROUP: www.flickr.com/groups/mournful-monday/

You'll want this Crafters Desk from Lagom! It was at the March round of Uber Hometown and will be in their mainstore soon!

Workspace: Lagom - Crafters Desk

Lagom Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Magical/85/87/1971Lagom Marketplace: marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/154234Lagom Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/141118288@N08/

Decor:

Dead Dollz - My Attic Gacha

*Studio Skybox

*Textiles Rack / Patterns

*Spools Thread Rack

*Fashion Sketches

*Mannequin

*Desk Table

*Stool

Tres Blah - Workspace Gacha

*Sewing Patterns

*Fancy Figure

*Catch All

*Sewing Form

Ribbon: Ariskea - Florist Ruban gacha item

Pencils: Fancy Decor - Pencil Holder

Table: Dust Bunny - Blanket Storage Table

Link to decor lanmarks and credits:

celentity-poses.blogspot.com/2021/05/measure-twice-cut-on...

Still I Rise

Today, One Billion Rising in Second Life invites YOU to rise with ONE voice in an important Campaign of unity, courage, perseverance and love. Through the eye of your lens, we encourage you to capture the spirit of this cause, either through the perspective of one suffering at the hands of or rising/overcoming the suffering to live again. This distinction is significant to the purpose of this Campaign and together your voices with resound aloud with each image received as:

I Rise! Is the heart, soul and foundation of the mass call to action of the One Billion Rising Revolutionary Campaign, founded on February 14, 2012. To best understand the significance of this monumental show of solidarity, the description below is via the website:

"One Billion Rising is the biggest mass action to end violence against women (cisgender, transgender, and those who hold fluid identities that are subject to gender-based violence) in human history. (The reality that): 1 in 3 women across the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. That’s ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. Every February, we rise – in countries across the world – to show our local communities and the world what one billion looks like and shine a light on the rampant impunity and injustice that survivors most often face. We rise through dance to express joy and community and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by this violence. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable."

This declaration inspires survivors, as well as supporters to Rise and we invite YOU to take a stand TODAY, in the SL: One Billion Rising Campaign. We implore you to visit the OBR website, as well as the curated Pinterest, linked below to inspire your image. We understand the sensitive nature of this Campaign and the impact these images may provoke. However, in perusing of the website, we're certain you'll be empowered by the images of celebration, the marches and most of all, the courage, love as well as staggering rally of humanity against injustice.

EVERYONE is welcomed to participate as the Second Life One Billion Rising is a 24 hour, Multi Sim Event featuring live music, Poetry, dancing 2D and 3D Art exhibits. Please read over the guidelines below and RISE with us in ONE voice on Sunday, February 14th!

-------------------

Guidelines/Requirements:

-------------------

⏰ Deadline Image Submission: Monday February 1st

- Photos must be NEW and to the Campaign themes:

Theme "Still I Rise": Images depicting the tragedy, emotional anguish, mental exhaustion, physical suffering and struggle against one's abuser.

Theme "I Rise": Images depicting the overcoming of one's abusers and vigorous strive to live again. The showing of rallying support for and received from a survivor.

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IMAGE REQUIREMENTS:

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- You may submit more than one image. Please note, best effort will be given to display as many images received in the OBR Curator Gallery by Karen Hitchinson (FB) | Kess Crystal (InWorld) & Lawrence Pryce | InWorld: LawrenceD

- You do not have to recreate any of the images within the Pinterest Gallery. Each are for your inspiration, however if you choose to recreate, you are most welcome to do so. If you have any questions regarding your image, please contact Lawrence for assistance.

- The composition of the image is open, however you must follow the theme of the Campaign. Feel free to choose between black/white, monochrome, full color, fading/weathered, sepia and etc.

- Images are to be captured in human Adult avatar form only.

- Violence upon children or any depiction thereof is prohibited!

- Images may be cropped or full sized.

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IMAGE TAGGING:

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FLICKR:

- title: SL: One Billion Rising Campaign

- please tag Kess Crystal @ The Glamour Sauce & Lawrence D. Pryce

Facebook:

- please use the hyperlink: #SLOBRIRise and please tag Karen Hitchinson: tinyurl.com/wo7qyh3 & Lawrence Pryce: tinyurl.com/vakaxrc

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[Pinterest Gallery for Inspiration: www.pinterest.com/lawrencepryce/one-billion-rising-campai...

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If you should have any questions, concerns or need help, simply drop me a line InWorld, Facebook or a Flickr mail and I would be more than happy to assist.

Let's stand together in ONE Voice with One Billion Rising!

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SL: One Billion Rising Campaign | 2020: Gallery

The Galvanized Lens Photo Challenges: Gallery

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Tips:

Use Animare to help you manipulate your limbs within your pose. Remember Animare is your friend. Just takes a bit of patience but the end results is priceless!

Purchase: tinyurl.com/gqaac6n

To minimize frustration or throwing your laptop across the room because you've booted before grabbing your shot? Use (CTS) Viewfinder! Simply get your angle, save it and now no worries in case you boot. Just go back into your saved angles, click the button and your camera will position itself right where you left off!

Purchase: tinyurl.com/y5t5m6u4

This is from a Aurora hunt early February. My last two Aurora images are from the same session.

On a unusually quiet Aurora season this was a really good night. The night was really cold with temperatures somewhere between -15 and -20°C. Adjusting the camera and gear was hard and batteries drained quickly. The back of the camera was covered with ice after my breath froze there while looking through the viewfinder.

The difficult shooting conditions made me shoot this shot slighly out of focus, as adjusting the manual focus in the dark with a fogged up viewfinder was tricky. I tried to minimize the effect by some unsharp mask gymnastics.

A view looking to the south-southwest while walking the Horseshoe Lake Trail and its namesake. With this image, I decided to use some of the nearby lakeshore and grassy meadow with trees in order to somewhat frame the image of the lake waters, even as the raindrops fell all around me. I could then angle my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward to bring the portion of the forest on the other side of the lake up in the image and minimize the more overcast and cloudy skies above. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation while playing around as I learned how to work with DxO PhotoLabs 3 that I’d recently purchased after moving away from Capture NX2.

It's been, what...three, four years since my last proper MOC? Well, now that I know I'll be renting the same room for the rest of my time at university, I moved a good chunk of my collection in with me and went on a Bricklink spree.

Then I had a quick conversation with EB member LilMeFromDaFuture, (www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=112692&s...) and he was looking into different combinations of slopes to minimize the stepped effect of SNOT wings. Well, if you really want to get rid of that stepped edge, you flip the entire thing around and put the flat edge on the outside, right? So I did that.

As usual, reference material is Toromodel:

www.flickr.com/photos/toromodel/albums/72157620639122395

And the venerable Starship Modeler:

www.starshipmodeler.com/starwars/smith_sw.htm

And you can still see some of the influence of Larry Lars's speeder, especially in the canopy.

A view looking to the southwest while walking a hiking trail along the Dune Ridge Trail from a high point. In composing this image, I went back-and-forth in my mind as to angling my Nikon SLR camera. Here I decided to angle my camera slightly downward to minimize what I felt was more of a negative space with the overcast skies. This would in turn create a more sweeping view across the forested and grassy marsh landscape in this part of the national park. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 4 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.

Well this pretty much sums up our year. We minimized our travels and social gatherings to stay safe and this holiday we’ll be doing the same. It’s home for the Holidays…because we can’t go anywhere else with the quarantine guidelines. I hope you are all staying healthy as it's been sometime since I've been on Flickr.

Lighting:

580EXII diffused with a gridded Westcott 28" softbox @ 1/16 power over couch (side right)

580EXII diffused with a gridded Westcott 28" softbox @ 1/16 power over couch (side left)

430EX II @ 1/32 power in 8” Impact softbox with orange gel on cookies for additional fill

430EX II @ 1/16 power with blue gel through gridded snoot 3 feet directly over snow globe

Shot at f/18 to keep as much of the scene in focus as possible.

Dumpster Fire snow globe was handmade by my girlfriend.

Week 36/52, 2020

Around the Starkweather Lake in Inyo National Forest with a view looking to the south at some evergreen trees. I thinking in composing this image was to use a portrait orientation and capture the full height of one of those trees. While there was that haze from nearby wildfires that gave an overcast feel, I felt by focusing on the trees I could minimize what I felt was a negative space with the skies above.

While walking the Lost Mine Trail and a view looking to the south-southeast toward Townsend Point and the mountainside slopping downward; that's what I wanted to capture in the same image. But there was also morning haze present that made me have to focus on metering properly to minimize blowing any highlights in the clouds or distant ridges. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation while playing around as I learned how to work with NX Studio. I then exported a TIFF image to Nik Color Efex Pro 4 where I added a Polarization and Pro Contrast filter for that last effect on the image captured.

With most images I capture in a natural landscape, I try to minimize human type activities such as homes or other buildings. My feeling has always been to capture the natural beauty and creation around me as I later share that with others. With this image though, it was kind of hard to avoid that one house, but I decided to come at it with a different attitude and think of it as what an amazing life that person or family has to have with the beautiful La Sal Mountains and that national forest off in the distance. Everyday they could wake up and have an amazing view to soak in. That's the idea behind this image as I tried to compose it, looking across the desert prairieland to that one home and then to the La Sal Mountains off in the distance.

Here I used a angling of my Nikon SLR camera, some cropping of the near foreground and a few CEP filters in Capture NX2 to create an image that minimized the overcast skies (while adding a feel of some sunshine) and gave a sense of depth to badlands formations while looking to the southeast at Panorama Point.

At a location not far from the Yosemite Valley Chapel on the Southside Dr looking to the southwest to a nearby tree showing autumn colors with reds and other similar hues. Given the overcast skies that day in Yosemite National Park, I decided to work the angles such that I could have the tree and its leaves fill up as much of the image as possible. There would be some areas with the overcast skies, but I attempted to minimize that. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 5 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.

Taken on tripod with manual cable release for shutter to minimize vibrations.

we did errands on saturday and saw an interesting juxtaposition: holiday music declared "the most wonderful time of the year" while people with tense, tired faces pushed and rushed.

december is festive and fun. it can also be peaceful. i try to do less and appreciate more; make deeper connections with fewer people; minimize gifts and expand love; and walk in nature as it gently rests.

A setting looking to the west-northwest as the sun just starting setting behind the Chisos Mountains from an overlook along the Window View Trail in Big Bend National Park. My thinking in composing this image was to capture the varied landscape leading up to the peaks and ridges present in the basin and mountains. I closed down on the aperture so that I could create more of a starburst effect with the sun and light.

Some editing was required in Photoshop to minimize the lens artifacts created from the sun. I later did a conversion to black & white using Silver Efex Pro 3 where I made some adjustments to color filters to bring out a much richer tonal contrast for the final image.

Terminal 1 was closed down due to minimized Flight Traffic in MUC in November 2020. All Traffic is handled now via Terminal 2. Re-opening of Terminal 1 for Check-in Purposes scheduled for May 19.

Taken on March 1, 2021 with Sony ILCE-7M2 and the Sony FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS at F=8.0.

A view looking to the southeast to the Balanced Rock from around the area of the parking lot. While I normally attempt to avoid these far-off image captures, here I decided to take advantage of the rise in the landscape to my front. With some angling of my SLR camera, I was able to capture that a more sweeping view leading up to the Balanced Rock and other rock formations off in the distance. I was also able to minimize what I felt was the more negative space of the blue skies above and have the reds, greens, and yellows of the landscape all around me fill up as much of the image as possible and minimize any flattening that tend to happen with a wider angle view.

A bow knot, or shoelace knot, tied using the double-knot method, a technique intended to minimize the possibility of the knot loosening prematurely. (This WikiHow page shows how it's done, although I learned the technique many years ago from another website I don't recall and which may no longer be around.)

This habit was the result of shoes with shoelaces that, despite my best efforts to cinch them tight after tying them the traditional way, had an annoying habit of loosening. Once I used the double-knot technique, the laces stayed put.

The Outdoors Have a Good Connection for Travel

Sometimes I just need to walk outside and feel a breeze blowing across the skin on my forearm

I am blessed to hear the morning chorus of song birds and their songs

I look up and see the streaks of light come across the skies, adding highlights to clouds passing by

It's then I find I've walked a few miles, lost in random thought...but now I have a smile.

Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one late mooning while walking along the shores and dock area of Wonder Lake in Denali National Park & Preserve. The image view captured is one looking to the south across the waters of Wonder Lake to the snowcapped peaks of Denali and the Alaska Range. My thinking was to angle my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward, bringing out more of a sweeping view across this national park setting but also to minimize any flattening that tends to happen with wider angle views., The peaks of Denali would therefore rise high above in both the image and imagination. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation while playing around as I learned how to work with DxO PhotoLab 3 that I’d recently purchased after moving away from Capture NX2.

But you will remember the beauty of the Landscape Arch with the moon high above one morning in Devils Garden. A paraphrase of a saying I came across misattributed to Jack Kerouac. After noticing the moon overhead that morning, I made a point to capture different angles with the Landscape Arch and moon above while minimizing any negative space with the skies above. Luckily the wisps of clouds did help to break that up but sometimes obscured the moon.

This was a patch of reds in nearby fireweed plants I came across walking down the mountainside of Dumpling Mountain. While there was hints of Autumn in the trees around me in this part of Alaska at the time, these reds captivated me. And definitely a chance for an image to capture! Composing the image was a matter of finding a position that captured as much of the reds as I could while minimizing much of the plant life backdrop. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation while playing around as I learned how to work with DxO PhotoLab 3.

this youngster came to investigate us when we were sitting and waiting on a rock in Svalbard, Norway. We also saw a sibling but it was more shy.

As mentioned below the chances of surviving their first year are very slim for these beautiful canids.

also called Polar Fox, White Fox or Snow Fox

Vulpes lagopus

poolvos

renard arctique ou renard polaire

Polarfuchs, Schneefuchs oder Eisfuchs

zorro ártico o zorro polar

volpe artica

from Wikipedia:

"The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox, is a small species of fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. It is well adapted to living in cold environments, and is best known for its thick, warm fur that is also used as camouflage. It has a large and very fluffy tail. In the wild, most individuals do not live past their first year but some exceptional ones survive up to 11 years. Its body length ranges from 46 to 68 cm (18 to 27 in), with a generally rounded body shape to minimize the escape of body heat.

The Arctic fox preys on many small creatures such as lemmings, voles, ringed seal pups, fish, waterfowl, and seabirds. It also eats carrion, berries, seaweed, and insects and other small invertebrates. Arctic foxes form monogamous pairs during the breeding season and they stay together to raise their young in complex underground dens. Occasionally, other family members may assist in raising their young. Natural predators of the Arctic fox are golden eagles, Arctic wolves, polar bears, wolverines, red foxes, and grizzly bears.

Arctic foxes must endure a temperature difference of up to 90–100 °C (160–180 °F) between the external environment and their internal core temperature. To prevent heat loss, the Arctic fox curls up tightly tucking its legs and head under its body and behind its furry tail. This position gives the fox the smallest surface area to volume ratio and protects the least insulated areas. Arctic foxes also stay warm by getting out of the wind and residing in their dens. Although the Arctic foxes are active year-round and do not hibernate, they attempt to preserve fat by reducing their locomotor activity. They build up their fat reserves in the autumn, sometimes increasing their body weight by more than 50%. This provides greater insulation during the winter and a source of energy when food is scarce.

In the spring, the Arctic fox's attention switches to reproduction and a home for their potential offspring. They live in large dens in frost-free, slightly raised ground. These are complex systems of tunnels covering as much as 1,000 m2 (11,000 sq ft) and are often in eskers, long ridges of sedimentary material deposited in formerly glaciated regions. These dens may be in existence for many decades and are used by many generations of foxes. "

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