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It's said that the eyes are the mirror of the soul.

But this is actually the tunnel leading to the opera house in Oslo that has found its way into my eye.

Taken for #TwPhCh036: Angle of View / Synsvinkel

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EXPLORE May 31, 2008 #291

Així es va quedar l'Alba quan va contemplar la seva primera posta de sol al Cantàbric.

That's how Alba remained when she admired her first Cantabric sunset.

Playa de Valdearenas, al Parque Natural de las Dunas de Liencres (Bóo de Piélagos).

See where this picture was taken. [?]

Textura: FREE texture from NinianLif

Tsing Ma Bridge again and this is the final chapter of my Tsing Ma Bridge Project!!

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It is far from easy to get this picture... I know the shooting point is somewhere along the Tsing Yi Nature Trail, but we could not find it at all in our first try a few days ago when the weather was good. There was no chance to get a clear shot if we stay in the trail as trees stand between the bridge and oursleves. Instead we have to pass through the woods, go over the wire netting, and walk up and down along the water trench to find the spot.

So here we are again, well equipped with food, water, and flashlight! I did my home work this time, so we find our way out and got to this location around 40 minute before sundown... I really like where we stand, especially when the sky gets dark and roads lights up... Make me feel the road to the bridge is so close, leading us to an unknown place towards the far end!

Tsing Yi Nature Trail, Hong Kong

- ISO 100, F16, 181 sec, 28mm

- Canon 5D Mark II with EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L lens

- Sunset Time @ 7:01pm

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For this picture I went up to a near hill with my backpack and umbrella while lightnings and rain were still near.

I hoped to take lightning pictures after the thunderstorm gone by. I was careful enough to wait for a free sky above it before I went up.

Because of too much evening daylight I was not able to make long exposures, so I tried some hundred pictures with exposure of only half a second.

When I hit a lightning, I made a row of different exposures for HDRI immediately after that for combining them.

It took over an hour to have the luck of hitting this, but I think it was worth the effort. The Thunderstorm is over Essen, neighbour of my town Gelsenkirchen.

la luce è......TUTTO.....

meglio se......View On Black

color _ one ( or more) + b/W- color-key, selective color

Archive from 2007

camera roll - recent turn

A tale of escape, from Lands of Classic Castle. PART 1: Return of the Ice Wizard.

FOR PART 2 PHOTO CLICK HERE

FOR PART 3 PHOTO CLICK HERE

“Sir Caelan, Baron of Munro,” he thought to himself, “big deal now.” He held up the chains around his wrists to look at them. The chains were old and rusty, but not so worn that he could bust them apart, try as he had. Even if he could, they were also fastened onto a longer chain spiked into the stone pillar behind him. “Baron Stupid,” he cursed himself.

What a fine mess indeed. His intuition had practically screamed for him not to attend the new Queen’s coronation, but he ignored his friend Tavish’s gut feelings as well and went anyway. Worse, he had brought Lady Kenzie along as his “date”. Why? He realized now it was vanity. The title had gone to his head. ‘Couldn’t skip the coronation as a new Baron’, and all that uppity rubbish. Even though the Queen had obviously been all-too perfect to be real.

He had at least been suspicious enough to arrange for some help should he not report back to the mainland in 24 hours. He had instructed Tavish to come over at night in a small boat with a few of his Lenfald Scout Snipers if he didn’t show. That time had come and gone now by at least six hours, and what good was it anyway? Impossible for such a small force to break in and find him. And what of Lady Kenzie? He thought she might be in a cell near him as he had heard her voice, but still...

Feeling quite foolish as he stood there in the cold, he also had come to realize something even worse. He had an “old friend” here somewhere in this castle. No, not the two other prisoners also held in this chamber, one reasonable older Garhim named Jorvik, and a Loreesi whom he would dislike even if Loreos hadn’t recently pillaged his country, named Sir Erliss. No, it was none other than the Ice Wizard himself, old Jens Valtyr.

For after bringing down Valtyr during the attack on the Magic Isles the previous year, instead of killing him, Tavish and Caelan had made a present of him to King Wenseclaus, right here in this very castle. The King had decided to put off capital punishment and instead had the Ice Wizard imprisoned - somewhere in this dungeon complex he was in now! And being an agent of the Outlaws, clearly he would have been freed by the newly revealed evil Queen. She would need all the help she could get to take Roawia over, and Valtyr was effective. Caelan had felt the brutally icy blow that Valtyr could deliver, and the memory of it gave him a shiver now.

But it also got him thinking. And suddenly…

“Jorvik,” Sir Caelan looked over to the next pillar at the gruff Northerner, “confirm something for me will you? When metal is cooled down to severe freezing, doesn’t it get brittle? You Garhim should know about that, right?”

“Hmmm,” Jorvik nodded in that typical aloof mannerism of his people, “but what of it lad? It’s not gonna get dat cold ‘ere! Ever. Even if it did, we’d long be dead a’ freezin’ before. Forget it.”

No, Caelan wouldn’t forget it and he thought for a long while until the guard came in with plates of food for them. The moment the guard entered, Caelan started in conversation mid-stream, as if he had been jawing for hours. He stated to Jorvik in particular, “So if the Ice Wizard knew I was here, I would be in the worst way you see, as I’m the one who put him here in the first place! What’s this garbage?” Caelan asked the guard, staring at the plate of food being offered as imperiously as he could. “This isn’t food, you swine! It may be fit for you but not us!” And he kicked the plate across the room. “Now get me food suitable for a royal, you cesspit-swill!”

The guard was furious, made a nasty comment about Caelan’s lineage, and stormed out mumbling he knew “how to fix you, by thunder!”

Sir Erliss snarled, “You insolent fool of a Lenfel! Now we get no food!”

Caelan just stared at him. “You’re not very bright are you? You’re head’s like a burnt-out torch.” He then glanced over at Jorvik, but instead of anger, the Garhim was studying him.

“You’re takin’ one nasty gamble there, Lenfel,” he replied in measured tones. “I know of whom you speak, he is from Garheim, and you are most likely a dead man. A frozen dead man.”

“Better to chance the ice than to starve here while the Scum Queen uses me against my own people.”

Sure enough, not a half hour later the locked door was opened and Jens Valtyr, the formidable Ice Wizard, stumped in with the same guard in tow. “Well now, if it isn’t that little fool of a knight come down low, ha ha. I’m lucky to be alive, and my leg never healed properly.” He came closer to Sir Caelan. “I will limp the rest of my life because of you!”

“Must be hard to clean out the Queen’s cesspit then,” Caelan snapped at him as arrogantly as he could sound. “Can’t imagine she’s got you doing anything else as you are such a worthless wizard.”

Valtyr took the bait and Caelan could see him losing control even in the low light of the dungeon. “You Lenfel dog! I am the greatest Ice Wizard in all of Roawia!”

“Exactly. I got your worst and defeated it with a little bit of wood. No, the Queen obviously prefers Fire Wizards. Why do you think she dresses in fire-red and not your pansy-blue?”

That was enough to trip the Ice Wizard into action. As Valtyr sputtered, “You have no wood to cower behind now!” he brought up his hands and cast his Ice Blast before the guard could stop him. But not before Caelan, who was fully prepared for this very thing, jumped backwards, pulling the chain taught. The blast was horrible and slammed against the pillar, covering the chain and shooting cruel streams of freezing ice everywhere. Where it touched him Caelan had frostbite, but he had avoided the worst of it. The chain however was covered, as was his intention.

The guard stepped in to stop the Ice Wizard from a second blast, as the guards were expressly forbidden from killing their important captives, on pain of death from the Queen. With this distraction going Caelan snapped as hard as he could on the chains and they shattered from the spike, leaving a long chain at his disposal for a weapon, and he immediately used it on Jens Valtyr’s head. As the wizard dropped like a rock to the hard ground, Caelan swung again and hit the guard so hard he spun in place and fell against a stool behind him, shattering it. Both men lay motionless.

“Brilliant!” Sir Erliss proclaimed, finally getting the plan.

“You are one lucky Lenfel,” Jorvik just shook his head with chuckle.

“Rather be lucky than good any day,” Caelan swooped down and grabbed the keys off the unconscious guard’s belt. Within minutes both Jorvik and Sir Erliss were free, Caelan had snatched the guard’s crossbow and gave the dagger to the Garheim, and had switched into the guard’s red and black uniform. He let Sir Erliss take the black helmet (as he thought it ugly anyway) and headed for the door. “We must separate. I have to rescue Lady Kenzie, and I can’t ask you to come,” he stated to Jorvik. “And take Dead Torch with you for company,” he gave a nod at Sir Erliss and was out the door, headed down the hallway for where he had heard her voice.

CONTINUE READING MORE OF THE STORY IN PART 2 HERE.

Don't resist!

MONTREALERS: DON'T FORGET TO DROP BY... AND SAY HI! ;D

Happy Friday Everyone!

No, I am not celebrating a week's end by having cupcakes for my breaky.

This is to call attention to Cupcake Camp Montreal being held this Sunday at the Bitoque Restaurant in Montreal.

For a $10 donation at the door, you get to indulge in 3 mouthwatering cupcakes and coffee. And, 100% of the proceeds go to "Kids Help Phone", a very worthy cause.

Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only toll-free, national, bilingual, phone and web counselling, referral and information service for children and youth. Whatever the problem, from abuse to the death of a parent, Kids Help Phone is there with professional phone and web-based counselling services, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Cupcake Camps have been held around the world to resounding success. With many talented pro bakers in Montreal, like my friend Clever Cupcakes donating their cupcakes for the event, I am sure Montreal's will be a not-to-be-missed event, too.

I volunteered to take photos at this charitable event... so expect more sweet pics! =D

If you're in Montreal this Sunday, why not drop by and join us, for the cause, the fun and the yummies. Bring the whole family to this kid-friendly event... make a date to meet your friends there, or make some new ones.

To find out more about Cupcake Camp Montreal, go to www.cupcakecampmtl.org

+++

In other news, I am racing to get things done, in order to hopefully attend a lighting seminar given by Gary Fong in Old Montreal today... will catch up with your streams, later! Have a great one and as always, thanks so much for stopping by my stream! xx

Best Viewed LARGE on Black: bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=3689734390&size=large&...

One Saturday morning in late June I decided to try out my new DSLR on one of the shaded streets in this beautiful area. If you click on the set to the right and run the SLIDESHOW in Full Screen Mode you can follow me up and down this street and get an idea of the architecture of the area.

"Druid Hills is an upper-class neighborhood east of Midtown, Atlanta, in DeKalb County, Georgia. The planned community was initially conceived by Joel Hurt, and developed with the effort of Atlanta's leading families, including Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler. It contains some of Atlanta's historic mansions from the late 19th and early 20th Century. Druid Hills includes the main campus of Emory University, which relocated to Atlanta in 1914. Ponce de Leon Avenue bi-sects the community.

Druid Hills was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and was one of his last commissions. A showpiece of the design was the string of parks along Ponce de Leon Avenue, designated as Druid Hills Parks and Parkways and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1975."

Some find it hard to believe that this magnificent urban neighborhood was conceived and executed as one of Atlanta’s first suburbs. Yet it remains today essentially unchanged and was recently described by the U.S. Department of the Interior to be "significant as the finest example of late 19th and early 20th century comprehensive planning and development in the Atlanta area, and one of the finest period suburbs in the Southeast."

There is a beautifully done Tour of Homes and Gardens each April during the peak bloomtime for the thousands of dogwoods and azaleas that fill the neighborhood. Here are some links:

www.druidhills.org/overview/index.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druid_Hills,_Georgia

...

HDR image processed from 7 exposures with Photomatix Pro.

Captured pretty much at the beginning of our Scotland trip in Saint Andrews ... just a bit north of Edinburgh. A lovely old cathedral from the 11th century.

My clunky Nikon 14-24mm monster unleashed the necessary dramatic perspective :-)

I just love this old stuff ... castles, churches, whatever ... standing there, being aware that people walked around these same places a thousand years ago. How was life by then, what did they think, what did they feel ...

Please check this one in Large and discover all the details. Use the new flickr or check in Large and on Black!

Please don't use this image on any media without asking for permission.

© All rights reserved.

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..dal blog di Beppe Grillo, condivido ogni singola sillaba:

"Il quartiere San Paolo oltrestazione, un tempo area verde, e tranquilla, verrà circondato da 3/4 tangenzialine, un Iper, una Esselunga (già operativa), un nuovo ospedale, un nuovo centro polifunzionale commerciale e residenziale (ex area Pensotti) e un nuovo complesso di 18 unità nell'ultilmo polmone verde rimasto in mezzo a tutto questo!

Insomma saremmo circondati da rotonde, rotatorie, sopraelevate, centri commerciali, piccoli supermercati (OGGI= ve ne sono 5 nel raggio di pochissimi mq2)

Non piu un albero, un pezzo di verde per gli anziani e i bambini, con 4 scuole (asilo, elementari, e due medie una pubblica e una privata) in mezzo a tutto questo!!!"

Quartiere San Paolo, Legnano

Do you know?

Questions, questions, questions - as long as you feel you are the luckiest girl on Earth... For you, My Love

I don’t put a smile upon your face no more

I can’t make your heart shine like it did before

You don’t listen to my stories anymore

You can’t comfort me the way you did before

Was I too loud, was I too bad

Was I too open

Was I too high, was I too fast

Was I too close

I don’t feel your lips like the first kiss

I’d rather run away than sit to face the truth

Was I too proud, was I too hopeful

Was I too needing

Was I too crazy, was I too long

Was I too giving

No matter how far, no matter how long

I will be there

Telepopmusic Close

Volcano Crater. Garrotxa. Catalonia.

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Check it out my Portfolio: GETTY IMAGES

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The Santa Margarida Volcano (Catalan: Volcà de Santa Margarida) is a volcano in the comarca of Garrotxa, Catalonia, Spain. The volcano has a perimeter of 2 kilometers and a height of 682 meters and is part of the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. The hermitage of Santa Margarida, after which the volcano was named, is inside the crater of the volcano. The building was destroyed in 1428 during the 1428 Catalonia earthquake and rebuilt in 1865.

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i'm feeling a bit ill today and don't have the energy to process a whole lot of my more recent images -- the best i can offer today is this image of a tavern that's hidden away at the windmills area in chios (tolis has a beautiful gallery). i couldn't see it from the road -- i spotted it only when i was walking around the windmills themselves.

i don't know how, but my train of thought led me to imagine a huge party for flickr friends and contacts, with everyone holding a camera, shooting each other and looking for something interesting.

i'll try to get around to your streams today -- (it cheers me up!) -- but i hope you forgive me if i don't succeed.

on the blog: toomanytribbles.blogspot.com/2009/09/friends-of-gold.html

EDIT: hey, look where my moon candy landed! www.focus.it/natura/gallery/10092009-1252-113-astronomi-p...

[[explore -- #320]]

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If I could tell the world just one thing

It would be that we're all OK

And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful

And useless in times like these

I won't be made useless

I won't be idle with despair

I will gather myself around my faith

For light does the darkness most fear

My hands are small, I know

But they're not yours, they are my own

But they're not yours, they are my own

And I am never broken

Poverty stole your golden shoes

It didn't steal your laughter

And heartache came to visit me

But I knew it wasn't ever after

We'll fight, not out of spite

For someone must stand up for what's right

'Cause where there's a man who has no voice

There ours shall go singing

My hands are small I know

But they're not yours, they are my own

But they're not yours, they are my own

I am never broken

In the end only kindness matters

In the end only kindness matters

I will get down on my knees, and I will pray

I will get down on my knees, and I will pray

I will get down on my knees, and I will pray

My hands are small I know

But they're not yours, they are my own

But they're not yours, they are my own

And I am never broken

My hands are small I know

But they're not yours, they are my own

But they're not yours, they are my own

And I am never broken

We are never broken

We are God's eyes

God's hands

God's mind

We are God's eyes

God's hands

God's heart

We are God's eyes

God's hands

God's eyes

We are God's hands

We are God's hands

-hands by jewel

B/W version 1st commet | Large on black | Link to prints available on my profile page

Yesterday I returned to the scene of the crime to see if that big puddle was still there and if there would be anything nice reflected in it again. It was quite a different scene then the two days before, and I was absolutely delighted to find that this time I didn't need to stand in the puddle in order to get a nice reflection shot, and also that I could shoot in the opposite direction and get a more interesting background (with the closer oak trees and such)

It was kinda crazy, but I literally got out of my car, walked over to this spot, set up the tripod, fired off the camera ... and this is the first shot I took. OMG! It was the first shot I took and when I looked in the viewfinder I couldn't believe how sweet it was. I don't think I got another great shot all afternoon but I really didn't care.

This was also my first time using a tripod for landscape work. Wow. Can't believe the difference. Doesn't it look sharper than my other landscapes? I used to do everything hand-held, then very recently moved on to using a monopod, then after my last sunset shoot I was really wishing I had a tripod so I ordered a good one yesterday (decided to spring for a manfrotto after reading all the reviews). The tripod I used yesterday was my friend's that I borrowed. It was cheap and I was grateful to have it but it made me so happy that I had sprung for a higher-quality one!!

Using a tripod also made me think a LOT more about each shot, and whether or not it was really worth it, which I think will be good for me. I tend to take a lot of mediocre shots just because I can and then when I get home I have to wade through so much junk and do a lot of culling. If I am forced to be more selective about what I shoot I think that will be an improvement!

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Click here to see Art Rock Hennie's Tribute Gallery of 18 of my photos, including this one:

www.flickr.com/photos/artrock2006/galleries/7215762378635...

Log house reflections in the frozen waters of the lake on Bluebird Estates, Alberta, Canada. The overlay pattern is probably the result of slight thawing, wind movement and refreezing.

Enjoy your Sunday and thanks for popping by

absolutely View On Black

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The following description came from National Geographic.

www.nationalgeographic.com/destinations/Taos/Taos_Drive.html

The highway between Tres Piedras and Tierra Amarilla is one of New Mexico’s most scenic, threading the Brazos Mountains, where grassland basins and forests of evergreen and aspen at 10,000 feet [3,048 meters] are so cleanly delineated they look like landscaping. The Brazos Cliffs, composed of 1.7- to 1.8-billion-year-old Precambrian quartzite (the cliffs contain the oldest known rock in New Mexico), plunge 2,000 feet [609.6 meters] to the Rio Chama Valley.

Better View Large On Black or press "L"

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© Hervé DAPREMONT

Ne pas utiliser sans mon autorisation écrite. Ne le faites pas ! Merci

Don't use without my written permission. Do not ! Thanks

Your comments and favorites are greatly appreciated, but NO awards, banners & graphics please. Thanks a lot ! :-)

Technical info :

Camera : Pentax K-7

Lens : Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM

Exposure : 0.017s (1/60)

Aperture : f/1.4

Focal Length : 50 mm

Sensibility : ISO 400

Filter : none

Software :

Lightroom 3.0 | Photoshop CS5

Strobist Info

Luc Planson, a friend of mine, and I are making a 50|50 in the same time !!!

Please, take a look to his 50|50 Set

Best Viewed On Black or view in Fluidr

One of my favorite things is to drive up and down the Northern California

Pacific coastal highway looking for new areas to photograph. I have

collected a number of shots of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse and swear I will

avoid it this next time but inevitably I stop and take more images and it

seems to always pay off.

As you head south from San Francisco you first get a glimpse of the

lighthouse as you pass around a bend in the road. It grabs your attention

as the area is generally flat. A flashing Coast Guard light replaces the

magnificent 24 beam first order Fresnel lens. Fortunately each November

they revert back to the days of old and light the main 24 beams of light

which extend to the horizon. The lighthouse is one of the tallest on the

California coast and was constructed after the Carrier Pigeon and several

other sailing ships ran aground on the rocks just off shore. Modern

technology has since made the structures obsolete and there is not much of

any effort by the government to maintain the lighthouses. Pigeon Point now

belongs to the State of California and is in a sad state of disrepair which

is why you see the unattractive chain length fence surrounding the base.

When I first visited the lighthouse it was open to the public and I took my

then young kids to the top for a view they still remember to this day. It

was quite a climb to the top up the spiral staircase but once there the view

was stunning. Point Arena Lighthouse looked exactly like this one at

Pigeon Point unit it was destroyed in the San Francisco earthquake. It has

since been replaced by a large cement structure that while functional lacks

the beauty of design seen in the Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

This image makes a great Windows (and probably Macintosh) desktop

background.

Click here to view the lighthouse on the California Coastal Records Project

Enjoy!

Darv

© Darvin Atkeson

LiquidMoonlight Photography

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Nueva foto con la camera nueva...

Neues Foto mit der neuen Camera...

The Torre Agbar, or Agbar Tower, is a 21st century skyscraper at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and built by Dragados. It opened in June 2005 and it was inaugurated officially by the King of Spain on 16 September 2005. The Torre Agbar is located in the Poblenou neighborhood of Barcelona and is named after its owners, the Agbar Group, a holding company whose interests include the Barcelona water company Aguas de Barcelona.

According to Nouvel, the shape of the Torre Agbar was inspired by the mountains of Montserrat that surround Barcelona, and by the shape of a geyser of water rising into the air. Jean Nouvel, in an interview, described it as having a phallic character. As a result of its unusual shape, the building is known by several nicknames, such as "el supositori" (the suppository), "l'obús" (the shell) and some more scatological ones.[5] It has 30,000 m² (323,000 ft²) of above-ground office space, 3,210 m² (34,500 ft²) of technical service floors with installations and 8,351 m² (90,000 ft²) of services, including an auditorium. The Agbar Tower measures 144.4 m (473.75 ft) in height[7] and consists of 38 storeys, including four underground levels.

Its design combines a number of different architectural concepts, resulting in a striking structure built with reinforced concrete, covered with a facade of glass, and over 4,500 window openings cut out of the structural concrete. The building stands out in Barcelona; it is the third tallest building in Barcelona, only after the Arts Hotel and the Mapfre Tower, both 154 m (505.25 ft).

A unique feature of the building is its nocturnal illumination. It has 4,500 LED luminous devices that allow generation of luminous images in the facade. In addition, it has temperature sensors in the outside of the tower that regulate the opening and closing of the glass blinds of the facade of the building, reducing the consumption of energy for air conditioning. It will house the head office of the Aigües de Barcelona Group (Spanish: "Aguas de Barcelona", English: "Waters of Barcelona").

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torre_Agbar

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Stowe Gardens - The Corinthian Arch

Situated within the 700 acres of spectacular historic parkland, the Corinthian Arch stands at the top of the Grand Avenue en-route to the South Front entrance to Stowe House.

The monument was designed by Thomas Pitt in the 18th Century as a symbol of wealth and influence and a a distant eye catcher, viewed from the South front portico of Stowe House.

It is constructed of Helmdon and Windrush stone and stands sixty feet high and wide with a four storey house built into each side.

Stowe, one of the largest houses in Britain, is surrounded by the most historically important of all English landscape gardens.

In the 16th century the Stowe estate came into the hands of the Temple family, whose wealth had been acquired through sheep farming.

Sir Richard Temple, the 3rd Baronet constructed a new house in 1678 - 83. In 1715 his son, created Viscount Cobham in 1718, married the heiress of a rich London brewer and used his new wealth to expand the garden to designs of Charles Bridgeman.

Between 1719 - 26 Lord Cobham engaged Sir John Vanbrugh to make additions to the house and design some of the garden buildings. Further additions were made to the house on the garden side in 1733 - 50. In the 1730s William Kent was commissioned to continue the eastward extension of the gardens and he created 'The Elysian Fields', an arcadian landscape with ornamental buildings.

This was one of the first 'natural' landscapes and initiated the style known as the 'English Garden'. Shortly before his death in 1749 Lord Cobham expanded the garden further to create the 'Grecian Valley'. He was probably aided in this by his head gardener, Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, who was just beginning his great career. Brown worked at Stowe for ten years and in 1744 was married at the little medieval church.

Lord Cobham was succeeded by his nephew, Sir Richard Grenville who became Lord Temple. He 'naturalised' Bridgeman's gardens to the west and then set about remodelling the interior and exterior of the house, the work being completed in 1777.

The new south front (and probably the north) was created by Thomas Pitt, Lord Camelford. He was greatly influenced by the neo-classical style but the design of the south front owes much to an earlier scheme produced by Robert Adam.

Lord Temple's nephew and successor became Marquess of Buckingham in 1784. He completed the interior decoration and then set about amassing a great collection of paintings and manuscripts. The family reached the height of their prestige when the Marquess's son was made Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. However, in 1848 the 2nd Duke fell massively into debt. This resulted in the great art collection being dispersed but fortunately lead to the house and garden remaining almost unchanged.

Further losses occurred after the agricultural depression of the late-19th century and in 1921 Lady Kinloss, the daughter of the 3rd Duke, sold the property as the site of a public school.

Stowe School still owns the building but in 1989 the gardens were given to the National Trust.

An approach to the house from Buckingham, culminating in a great triumphal arch, was laid out in the 1770s or 1780s but the present route is from the west to the north or entrance front. This is the massive main block dating from 1720 with a portico designed by Vanbrugh. From here curved colonnades, dating from the early 1770s, stretch away to conceal the service courtyards.

The visitor enters by the north portico into an interior now denuded of the original lavish furnishings. The interior is well maintained by Stowe School and all the main reception rooms are open to the public. The first room to be viewed is the neo-Palladian North Hall, dating from the 1730s, which has a coved ceiling embellished with 'grotesques' by Kent. From here the visitor passes into the state rooms on the south or garden front. The vast, mostly empty, rooms were decorated by the 1st Marquess of Buckingham in the neo-classical taste he acquired on his Grand Tour in 1774.

The Library of 1801 is still used for its original purpose. The Music Room was decorated in Pompeian-style by the Italian architect Vincenzo Valdre. The magnificent Saloon is the most impressive room at Stowe and is one of the finest neo-classical rooms in England. The room is elliptical with a domed roof, scagliola columns and a frieze depicting a Roman triumph. The Temple Room, the original drawing room, has a splendid plasterwork ceiling dating from 1776. The final room on the tour is the State Dining Room which was built as a gallery in 1740s and still has some of its neo-Palladian decoration.

On leaving the house the visitor passes through the vast Corinthian portico on the south front and descends the broad flight of stairs, created in 1754 by Borra, to the gardens. From here the whole of the imposing south front can be viewed; one of the most impressive, neo-classical facades in England.

The 325 acres of landscaped gardens have six lakes and contain many magnificent 18th century buildings. Pitt's Corinthian Arch can be seen on the horizon from the south front.

On a lawn to the west of the vista is Vanbrugh's Rotondo. Kent's Temple of Venus and Gibb's ruined Temple of Friendship are on the south side of the lake just inside the ha-ha. To the east are the Elysian Fields in a valley overlooked by the medieval church. The church is all that remains of a vanished village.

Further south is a Palladian bridge built in imitation of the bridge at Wilton. To the north and east of the Elysian Fields is the Grecian Valley with its splendid Temple of Concord.

www.stowe.co.uk/Stowe-House.aspx

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/...

irony of the title. please view this way.

Website Facebook❤

i'm back.

and i apologize for all my absence.

i shall be fully more present in the next few weeks before i head back to classes. and so much to share(:

the mums was the most wonderful model for this, and the water was chilly! but i am happy with this <3

love

a flower-chained thank you to the sweetest of sweets for the testimonials<3

chloe

leah

*ashley

<3

<3

and 31 facts? lil much.

i'll go with half that(:

1. i don't want summer to end

2. i don't want classes to start

3. those were too negative to start

4. onto the happier subject that i'm home now

5. home sweet home(:

6. its nice

7. very much so

8. this water really was chilly

9. and my mums is such a darling

10. and there shall be more from my family trip

11. and from when my cousins visited(:

12. i truly appreciated all the feedback on my last two photos

13. makes me happy

14. love

15. love

belle<3

explore #85 august 14th

Explore: Apr 6, 2009 #355

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So many of us spend our whole life looking for, but missing, where we were created to be. And it is only the One who created you who can ultimately tell you where you were created to be. And He has in our word for today from the Word of God. In six little words, our Creator spells out for us the reason for our existence, the answer to life's most ultimate question, "Why am I here?" In Colossians 1:16, speaking of Jesus, God says, "All things were," and here are the six words, "created by Him and for Him."

So you were created by Jesus, you were created for Jesus, and you're going to have hole in your heart until you have Jesus. It could be you've been trying to fill that hole in your heart for a long time. But no relationship you've ever had has done it, no accomplishment, no experience, no religion. They can't. The hole in your heart is so big it can only be filled by the person who created you.

And the reason we can't find the meaning we've been looking for, and the peace, the lasting love, the reason is that we're away from the One we were made for. We're away from Him, not by His choice, but by ours. We were created for Him, but we've lived for ourselves. That's what "sin" is all about. Notice, the middle letter of sin, it's "I." And nothing is really working, nothing is really fulfilling because your sin - your running of your own life - has cut you off from the love you were created for.

That's why Jesus came. In Colossians 2:13-14, the Bible says, "God forgave us all our sins, having canceled ... what was against us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross." When you come in your heart to the cross where Jesus died for every wrong thing you've ever done; when you give yourself to the One who gave Himself for you, the sin-wall comes down and you begin for the first time in your life to be "where you were created to be."

Your life really begins when you finally are where you were created to be: in the relationship you were made for, with the Person you were made by. And that relationship can begin for you today. You don't have to be outside His love one more day.

www.hutchcraft.com/a-word-with-you/your-hindrances/where-...

maraculio.blogspot.com/

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The crowned crane is the most primitive of the living Gruidae. Primitive species of crowned cranes date back in the fossil record to the Eocene period. Archaeologists discovered that at least eleven species of crowned cranes once existed in Europe and North America. Because crowned cranes are not cold hardy, it is believed they died out in these areas as the earth cooled, and only survived in warmer Africa. --from the ICF.

The International Crane Foundation (ICF) is the only place in the world where you can see all 15 crane species. The ICF works to protect some of the most endangered birds in the world.

This Grey Crowned Crane would approach anyone who viewed his pen--an example of the strong territorial association that most cranes exhibit.

paulomernik.com

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Maybe Tomorrow

-stereophonics-

I've been down and

I'm wondering why

These little black clouds

Keep walking around

With me

With me

It wastes time

And I'd rather be high

Think I'll walk me outside

And buy a rainbow smile

But be free

They're all free

So maybe tomorrow

I'll find my way home

So maybe tomorrow

I'll find my way home

I look around at a beautiful life

Been the upperside of down

Been the inside of out

But we breathe

We breathe

I wanna breeze and an open mind

I wanna swim in the ocean

Wanna take my time for me

All me

So maybe tomorrow

I'll find my way home

So maybe tomorrow

I'll find my way home

So maybe tomorrow

I'll find my way home

So maybe tomorrow

I'll find my way home

So maybe tomorrow

I'll find my way home

So maybe tomorrow

I'll find my way home

View On Black

SEVILLA -ANDALUCIA (ESPAÑA)

La Torre del Oro de Sevilla es una torre albarrana situada en la margen izquierda del río Guadalquivir, en la ciudad de Sevilla, junto a la plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza. Posiblemente su nombre en árabe era Bury al-dahab, Borg al Azahar, o Borg-al-Azajal en referencia a su brillo dorado que se reflejaba sobre el río. Durante las obras de restauración de 2005, se demostró que este brillo, que hasta entonces se atribuía a un revestimiento de azulejos, era debido a una mezcla de mortero cal y paja prensada.

Es una torre formada por tres cuerpos, El primer cuerpo, dodecagonal, fue construido entre 1220 y 1221 por orden del gobernador almohade de Sevilla, Abù l-Ulà. El segundo cuerpo, también dodecagonal, fue mandado construir por Pedro I el cruel en el siglo XIV El cuerpo superior, cilíndrico y rematado en cúpula, fue construido en 1760 por el ingeniero militar Sebastián Van der Borcht.

Explored

First attempt for this weeks Twitter Photo Challenge #TwPhCh063

Theme : Splash / Full sprut

What's the first thing photo enthusiast (or maybe it's called a maniac:)) does when he comes to New York? I went directly to B&H Superstore and thought that I had come to heaven, but I managed to buy just the things that I had decided before I came there :)

I had to try the new equipment and this is from the first walk with my new Pentax K-7.

New York has been extremely hot for a while and it's still somewhere between 30-35 °C.

It's very warm and people have to find a way to cool down.

This photo is from a playground in Central Park where the kids had lots of fun and

the grown ups wanted to be kids again :)

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"The Ashopton Viaduct is a major bridge in the Peak District, where the A57 crosses the Ladybower Reservoir. It was built along with the rest of the reservoir works, and opened in 1943. It is the only major crossing of the whole reservoir.

The viaduct itself stands directly on top of the old village of Ashopton, which was controversially demolished and flooded to make way for the reservoir. Construction began in 1935, but like many other projects was interrupted by the Second World War, which slowed progress.

In 1947, due to low water levels following a drought, the spire of the old Ashopton church reappeared next to the viaduct."

www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Ashopton_Viaduct

Ver En Negro y En Grande

Bueno después de las fiestas tocaban las vacaciones, y como tenía pensado, quería llevar a la novia a la ciudad de Cuenca, yo ya había estado en el 1994, pero era un niño y no me enteraba de nada, asique planeamos este viaje hace ya mucho tiempo, en total hemos hecho desde el viernes hasta hoy lunes 1200 Km de coche, hemos visto muchas cosas, y espero plasmarlas en las fotos que he hecho, en total 380, no sé si son muchas, pero desde donde estábamos hospedado hasta Cuenca, teníamos que hacer 70 Km, y el cansancio también hacia su trabajo, ya que este fin de semana había congreso de no sé qué, y estaban todos los hoteles al completo, asique no tuvimos más remedio que hospedarnos por los alrededores, voy a empezar con el emblema de de Cuenca. Cuenca (Castilla La Mancha)

Nota: El procesado ha sido un segundo re encuadre, para enderezar las foto, un leve procesado por la zona de los setos, y máscara de enfoque.

Cámara: D40

Modo De Exposición: Manual

ISO: 200

Velocidad: 1/400

Focal: 55.0 mm

F/ 5.6

Objetivo: 18.0-55.0 mm F/ 3.5 -5.6

Procesado: Light room 2

Camera Raw 4.3

Photoshop Cs 3

Please just click here and view this LARGE on black!

Lighting Info:

AB800 in Octabox Camera Left

AB1600 in Shoot Through Umbrella High and Behind Subject Camera Right

Silver Reflector Camera Right

Nikon D700

Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8 VR

Cybersyncs

Wow, another year has come and gone again. This year has really been a blessing, I have grown lots in many ways. It has been hard and very frustrating at times, but I always move forward. I met so many new friends and inspirations along the way, and I want to thank all of you.

Moore & Cruz has been doing great as well, we have been busier than ever. We have been shooting for clients as well as for ourselves. We are hoping that next year will bring lots of new opportunities for us. We are working hard at putting the workshops together and really keeping up with a new blog. Next year we will be undertaking quite a few new things on and we are excited to take on the challenge. We have been working on our website and updating it with new shots so please make sure to check it out!!!!!

I hope you all have an amazing New Years Eve, and that 2010 be filled with new amazing photos from all of you. See you all next year!

Enjoy,

Hector "BigBoyDrums" Cruz

www.mooreandcruz.com

Absolument View On Black

... atteindre le sommet du " Géant de Provence ", le mythique mont Ventoux!

Du haut de ses 1912 mètres, il règne en maître. De son sommet, il fait découvrir l’un des plus vaste panorama d’Europe, dominant la Vallée du Rhône, les Baronnies et le plateau du Vaucluse. Son sommet, aux pentes dénudées et caillouteuses est couronné d'un observatoire, ce qui le rend reconnaissable à plus de 100 km à la ronde.

Paysage aux milles facettes, le Ventoux est surtout un lieu de légende pour les cyclistes que l'on rencontre, le souffle court dans la montée, et le visage marqué, mais épanoui par le défi relevé dans la descente.

En faire l'ascension à pied, lorsque le soleil baisse à l'horizon, à la fin d'une journée lumineuse mais froide d'un début de mois d'avril, c'est à celui qui sera le plus fort....

View On Black

wow, I can still see after all that work! (see last photo if you do not know what I mean...) but now I am off to another 12 hour shift... shudder... at least I love my job taking care of these 6 elders!!! They are like my moms and dads!

update... it is now 9am on Monday, and I am running away once more to the mountains, and no work today or "fingers crossed" Tomorrow! woo woo, more time to play... and next coming up in Bird Creek Meadows we are starting to see RED foliage on the low growth alpine huckleberry plants! oh dear... so pretty, but it means SNOW is right around the corner up there, and no more trips to my fave spot after another month!

so I am gonna run and enjoy it all... thank you all SOO MUCH for the wonderful comments, awards, faves, invites... sorry I am not taking time today to put it in all the groups, but the mountains are calling my name! You understand....

so see ya in a couple days! **beaming love to my Flickr Friends"

and thanks to all of you for this being in Explore Aug 26 #162!

Cádiz (Spain).

View Large On White

ENGLISH

The expression “to have elf” (tener duende) is used mainly in the Community of Andalusia to designate to the person whom has a special enchantment (synonymous, also of the lexicon Andalusian, to have angel) or whom is enabled for the art in some of its manifestations. The inspiration has often been compared with “elf” hidden that lives in some place of the soul of the artist, to whom it puts in grace state, and that is the one that activates the creative process.

The expression “to have elf” became very popular after its use by the poet Federico Garcia Lorca in a famous speech that had like subject “'duende' in the flamenco art” and in that it praised the artistic virtues and almost magicians of the famous flamenco singer Niña de los Peines.

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

CASTELLANO

La expresión "tener duende" se utiliza sobre todo en la Comunidad de Andalucía para designar a la persona que tiene un encanto especial (sinónimo, también del léxico andaluz, de tener ángel) o que está capacitado para el arte en alguna de sus manifestaciones. La inspiración se ha comparado muchas veces con un “duende” escondido que habita en algún lugar del alma del artista, al que pone en estado de gracia, y que es el que activa el proceso creativo.

La expresión “tener duende” se hizo muy popular tras su utilización por parte del poeta Federico García Lorca en un célebre discurso que tenía como tema “El duende en el arte flamenco” y en el que alababa las virtudes artísticas y casi mágicas de la famosa cantaora Niña de los Peines.

Fuente: www.elpelao.com/letras/1240.html

View On Black

This is probably one of the most picturesque photographs I have ever taken. This is what I mean when I talk about biodiversity in the African savannah. The mighty elephant, the dramatic zebra and the modest Thompson Gazelle all roam and graze together. Without a care in the world. And sometimes they even look out for each other! When faced with shutter crazy tourists, they look up, give a pose, then promptly shrug their heads and go back to grazing!

Amboseli is bona fide heaven for elephant watching. We had been on the safari for an hour and had just seen two massive herds of elephants. Being super excited we were chatting away merrily in our vehicle. Further down the road we saw two elephants trying to cross our path. This one seemed more confident, strutting around sure footedly, crossing the road, even posing in the middle of the road, then egging on its partner to do the same. Funnily enough, this made out inner David Attenborough leap out into the forefront; we spent the next 20 minutes trying to analyse elephant behaviour and theorise what they might be saying to say to one another! The truth for all we know might be quite different; those two might have just wanted some privacy to enjoy their date!

Best viewed LARGE on Black: bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=3572883186&size...

We spent five nights in the magnificent YHA Hostel that is located in this village. We used it as a base for cycling on the Tissington Trail and the High Peaks Trail, and for walks into Beresford Dale, Biggen Dale, Wolfscote Dale, and Dovedale.

The town itself, though quite small, had much to recommend it. Here are some quotes from the Wikipedia Entry:

"Hartington is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District, England, lying on the River Dove. According to the 2001 census the parish of Hartington Town Quarter, which also includes Pilsbury, had a population of 345. Formerly known for the mining of ironstone, limestone and lead, the village is now known for cheese-making and tourism.

Notable buildings in the village include: the market hall (formerly the site of a market); the 13th century parish church of Saint Giles; and 17th century Hartington Hall. A prominent house in the centre of the village is Bank House, built by the former village mill owner and in the past used as the village bank. A half-mile to the south of the village, on the Dove, is the fishing house of the famous angler Charles Cotton. In the north of the village is Pilsbury Castle,[1] an 11th century motte-and-bailey castle, that survives only as an earthwork.

Near Hartington is the finest neolithic stone circle in the Peak District, Arbor Low. There are numerous ancient tumuli and cairns in the landscape around Hartington, probably dating from the Bronze Age. Hartington Mill, now a private house, stands by the River Dove. This was the local water mill for grinding corn.

The village has a youth hostel at Hartington Hall, which serves two major National Cycle Network routes; the Tissington Trail and the High Peak Trail, which meet at nearby Parsley Hay. These trails pass just under one mile to the east of the village, and offer 30 miles of off-road cycling and walking along old railway trackbeds through the Peak District National Park. Hartington signal box, on the site of the former Hartington railway station, and nearly two miles distant from the village, has been renovated and converted to a Visitor Centre.

A little south of the village, overlooking the Dove, stands Wolfscote Hill (388m at grid reference SK137583), a good viewpoint, now in the care of the National Trust.

Three miles to the south-west lies the small settlement of Hulme End, which marks the northern starting point of the Manifold Way, an 8 mile tarmacked walk- and cycle-route following the route of the former Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway.

Hartington was mentioned in the Domesday book as belonging to Henry de Ferrers and being worth forty shillings.[2] The parish was originally quite large, and part of the hundred of Wirksworth. Hartington had four townships, known as the Town Quarter, Nether Quarter, and Middle Quarter, and Upper Quarter, which are now all separate parishes. These became separate civil parishes in their own right in 1866.[3] They are marked on Ordnance Survey maps.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartington

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Three of the ferries servicing Port Aransas viewed on the Aransas Pass side as our ferry prepared to dock.

The Port Aransas Ferry System provides FREE marine transportation service seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. The ride connects Mustang Island and Port Aransas with the mainland via Aransas Pass. There are six operational ferries in Port Aransas, each carrying 20 regular passenger vehicles on each trip.

During peak hours, especially during holidays and summer months, some travelers may be required to wait their turn while the ferry makes the trip back and forth across the channel. A 24-hour radio message advisory (AM 530) provides information on ferry regulations and can be used for live broadcasts in case of emergencies. A total overall length (for combined vehicles such as a car and boat) is 55 feet. The maximum width allowed is 96 inches.

The Ferry is operated by the State of Texas. View TxDOT website. www.txdot.gov/travel/ferry_schedules.htm

View here for ferry webcams: www.cityofportaransas.org/ferrycam.cfm

View On Black View My Recent

El petit municipi de l'Estany, situat al nord-oest del Bages i en ple altiplà del Moianès, ocupa un indret frescal que es caracteritza per la seva alçada i per una pluviositat més gran que la resta de la comarca. A la població, situada a 870 m., s'hi accedeix sobretot per la carretera que s'enfila cap al nord de Moià. Després d'una àrea de grans pagesies disperses entre boscos i conreus, molt aviat s'entra en un pla ben aprofitat on destaca la població de l'Estany. El nucli de l'Estany, arrecerat al nord per un serrat, s'alça a la vora d'on hi havia un antic estany, dessecat l'any 1570 per ordre de l'abat Carles de Cardona per tal d'escórrer les aigües i evitar així els focus d'epidèmies que comportava. L'estany encara es torna a omplir en època de grans pluges. Les cases són de pedra i constitueixen un bon exemple de poble rural, gairebé muntanyenc. Els visitants van a l'Estany atrets pel seu bon clima i per l'extraordinari monestir romànic de Santa Maria, amb la seva església restaurada, un claustre magnífic amb 72 capitells de temes bíblics, heràldics i florístics, i un petit museu annex on es resumeix la història del cenobi. Altres indrets destacables del municipi són el Puig Rodó i el Puig de la Caritat, i la diversitat de fonts naturals que hi ha. Les festes i tradicions més notables són la Festa Major (8 de setembre), la Fira (8 de desembre) i el Pessebre Vivent.

El pequeño municipio de l'Estany, situado al noroeste del Bages y en pleno altiplano del Moianès, ocupa un lugar fresco que se caracteriza por su altura y por una pluviosidad mayor que el resto de la comarca. En la población, situada a 870 m., se accede sobre todo por la carretera que sube hacia el norte de Moià. Después de un área de grandes campesinas dispersas entre bosques y cultivos, muy pronto se entra en un plan bien aprovechado donde destaca la población de l'Estany. El núcleo de l'Estany, protegido al norte por una loma, se alza a orillas de donde había un antiguo lago, desecado en 1570 por orden del abad Carles de Cardona para escurrir las aguas y evitar así los focos de epidemias que comportaba. El lago aún se vuelve a llenar en época de grandes lluvias. Las casas son de piedra y constituyen un buen ejemplo de pueblo rural, casi montañoso. Los visitantes al Lago atraídos por su buen clima y por el extraordinario monasterio románico de Santa María, con su iglesia restaurada, un claustro magnífico con 72 capiteles de temas bíblicos, heráldicos y florísticos, y un pequeño museo anexo donde se resume la historia del cenobio. Otros lugares destacables del municipio son el Puig Rodó y el Puig de la Caridad, y la diversidad de fuentes naturales que hay. Las fiestas y tradiciones más notables son la Fiesta Mayor (8 de septiembre), la Feria (8 de diciembre) y el Pesebre Viviente.

The small town of Lake, located northwest of Bages and full Moianès plateau, occupies a cool place that is characterized by its height and a higher rainfall than the rest of the region. In the town, located 870 m above is accessed by the road that climbs north of Moia. After a large area of scattered peasant between forests and crops, soon entered into a plan which highlights the best advantage of the lake population. The core of the lake, sheltered on the north by a serrated stands at the edge where there was an ancient lake dried up in 1570 by order of Abbot Charles Cardona to drain water and prevent outbreaks of epidemics entailed. The lake is still refills at times of heavy rainfall. The houses are stone and are a good example of rural village, almost mountainous. The visitors were attracted to the lake for its good climate and the extraordinary Romanesque monastery of Santa Maria, with its restored church, a magnificent cloister with 72 capitals of biblical themes, floristic and arms, and a small museum in which there are summarizes the history of the monastery. Other notable places are the town's Round Puig and Puig de la Caridad, and diversity of natural resources there. The festivities and traditions most notably the Festival (September 8), Fair (December 8) and the Living Nativity.

View On Black

You know when you have that feeling of being STUCK. There I was in a room with 30ft windows, drinking beer with some of the foremost minds in Marine Ecology, and all I could do was look outside. Everyone is discussing the current status of fisheries collasping around the world (really we were reaming a somewhat recent article), and I keep glancing out of the windows. I watched the gloom of rain disappear and BIG fluffy clouds covered in sun appear. Every now and then I would hear top-down in the conversation, and that would be my cue to chime in; even though I had not been paying attention.

Knowing that Natural Bridges is only 1/4 mile as a crow flies from my office, I knew as soon as it was 4:30 I was out. After the meeting I walked up to my office, glanced out the window and Natural Bridges was a glow. I was now free and off to the beach.

Suprise, suprise I ran into Jimmie. I had told him earlier that I was not going to go out, since the wind had been blowing at my work all day. But there I was, as was he. We didn't get to talk much, it was time to work. ha ha.

Here we go, this image is pretty much what was happening.

Nikon D300

Tokina 11-16mm @11mm

2.5s @ f/16

LEE GND .6 soft

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28 de Abril, 2008: Día Mundial de la Seguridad y la Salud en el Trabajo

El Día Mundial de la Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo es una campaña internacional destinada a promover tanto la salud y la seguridad en el trabajo como el trabajo decente.

Cada año mueren más de 2 millones de personas a causa de accidentes o enfermedades relacionadas con el trabajo.

De acuerdo con estimaciones moderadas, se producen 270 millones de accidentes en el trabajo y 160 millones de casos de enfermedades profesionales.

La seguridad en el trabajo difiere enormemente de país en país, entre sectores económicos y grupos sociales.

Los países en desarrollo pagan un precio especialmente alto en muertes y lesiones, pues un gran número de personas están empleadas en actividades peligrosas como agricultura, construcción, industria maderera, pesca y minería.

En todo el mundo, los pobres y los menos protegidos – con frecuencia mujeres, niños y migrantes – son los más afectados.

La OIT (Organización Internacional del Trabajo) pone especial atención en desarrollar y aplicar una cultura de seguridad y salud preventiva en el lugar de trabajo.

En 2003, la OIT instituyó el 28 de abril como Día Mundial de la Seguridad y la Salud en el Trabajo para destacar la necesidad de prevención de enfermedades y accidentes laborales, utilizando como punto de apoyo el tripartismo y el diálogo social.

El 28 de abril es también el Día Mundial que el movimiento sindical asocia a la conmemoración de las Víctimas de Accidentes o Enfermedades relacionadas con el Trabajo.

Para escuchar, una sugerencia: Madrugada

¡Espero que empiecen muy bien la semana!!! ¡Un besote inmenso para todos!!!

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View On Black

I love the sumptuous jewel like nature of these drops on the cotinus leaves. When I took this in October we had had an unsually dry autumn and this day was like a magical gift, of fat heavy raindrops on the leaves.

This coincidentally is a bit like my outfit that I wore last night when I sang in a band for the first time, in front of 600 people (just the one song). Although unfortunately there is no photoographic evidence as people were constantly told not to take photos.

for the record: I was wearing a pink short sleeved dress in t shirt material that miraculously, being a size 10/12 fitted me (I am not sure how), and it had jewels sewn on the bodice. Shocking pink leggings, black boots (unfortunately I was not able to put my hands on a pair of silver platform boots) a long piece of tinsel and a reddish wig.

Considering how little practice we were able to have, our one song in the concert went well except my mike was not loud enough, which I am gutted (really gutted) about.

I nearly forgot to write about the floods in Cumbria UK which have been really bad - there's me obsessing about a mike that didn't work - so these raindrops remind me of the floods. Luckily we have had no floods here, although it is raining (again)

Larger, to see those eyes!

Mother

Mother do you think they'll drop the bomb?

Mother do you think they'll like this song?

Mother do you think they'll try to break my balls?

Mother should I build the wall?

Mother should I run for president?

Mother should I trust the government?

Mother will they put me in the firing line?

Mother is it just a waste of time?

Hush now baby, baby, dont you cry.

Mother's gonna make all your nightmares come true.

Mother's gonna put all her fears into you.

Mother's gonna keep you right here under her wing.

She wont let you fly, but she might let you sing.

Mama will keep baby cozy and warm.

Ooooh baby ooooh baby oooooh baby,

Of course mama'll help to build the wall.

Mother do you think she's good enough -- to me?

Mother do you think she's dangerous -- to me?

Mother will she tear your little boy apart?

Mother will she break my heart?

Hush now baby, baby dont you cry.

Mama's gonna check out all your girlfriends for you.

Mama wont let anyone dirty get through.

Mama's gonna wait up until you get in.

Mama will always find out where you've been.

Mama's gonna keep baby healthy and clean.

Ooooh baby oooh baby oooh baby,

You'll always be baby to me.

Mother, did it need to be so high?

-----------------------------------The Wall, Pink Floyd

Here is a crazy thought, sholdn't parents keep their baby's childhood full of fun? Or do they need to be treeted like a day labor for study??

Sadullahpur, Dhaka. Bangladesh 2010

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Copyright: Adnan Arsalan

E-mail: adnan.arsalan@gmail.com

The morning after..

Heart On Black

I was in New Orleans for business and had gone the night before to dinner & to see the famous "Bourbon Street". It lived up to it's reputation, lol...as I was getting ready for bed I was thinking about all the people & mess (beads, garbage) I saw on the street. I wondered what it would look like the morning after..so, I got up at 6 am (didn't sleep much, excited wondering, lol) and wandered over there before my 8 am meetings. I got there at 6:35, but it took almost 10 minutes for my lens to defog and I was able to shoot..lol (I did try to shoot anyway - no dice) My lens wasn't completely fog free here but I was missing the best...

As most things it looked a lot different in the light of day!

The truck had jet hoses and two guys (one on each side) that blew the trash into the middle of the street and then a big sweeper truck sucked it all up...

It was sooooo humid all the windows were fogged, someone (staff I guess) drew the heart in the resturant window. 2nd Photo - It made me think of Adri ( <---there ) and this beautiful shot she took somewhat along these lines...

Be well my friends...the party is not over yet, not by a long shot! lol

;0}

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Shot at Vengurla (Konkan).

1sec, f/8, ISO100 @17mm

View Large for more details

AND

Gallery along the shoreline (समुद्रकिनार्‍यावर)

large is better

The Fool or The Jester is titled Le Mat in the Tarot of Marseilles, and Il Matto in most Italian language tarot decks. These archaic words mean "the madman" or "the beggar", and may be related to the word for 'checkmate' in relation to the original use of tarot cards for gaming purposes.

In the earliest Tarot decks, the Fool is usually depicted as a beggar or a vagabond.

The Tarot of Marseilles and related decks similarly depict a bearded person wearing what may be a jester's hat; he always carries a bundle of his belongings on a stick slung over his back. He appears to be getting chased away by an animal, either a dog or a cat. The animal has torn his pants. In the Rider-Waite Tarot deck and other esoteric decks made for cartomancy, the Fool is shown as a young man, standing on the brink of a precipice. In the Rider-Waite deck, he is also portrayed as having with him a small dog.

In many esoteric systems of interpretation, the Fool is usually interpreted as the protagonist of a story, and the Major Arcana is the path the Fool takes through the great mysteries of life and the main human archetypes. This path is known traditionally in Tarot as the Fool´s Journey, and is frequently used to introduce the meaning of Major Arcana cards to beginners. The Fool is the spirit in search of experience. He represents the mystical cleverness bereft of reason within us, the childlike ability to tune into the inner workings of the world. He is seemingly unconcerned that he is standing on a precipice, apparently about to step off.

The number 0 is a perfect significator for the Fool, as it can become anything when he reaches his destination. Zero plus anything equals the same thing. Zero times anything equals zero. Zero is nothing, a lack of hard substance, and as such it may reflect a non-issue or lack of cohesiveness for the subject at hand.

more info...

Textures:

Universia, by me.

Avocado Grunge, By Pareé Erica

Festive Green by SkeletalMess.

Stock:

Model

Dog

Butterflies

Moon

Cliffs

More Vienna shots here

Larger Better

My other photos on my PhotoBlog / Mes autres photos sur mon PhotoBlog

If you want see my little Tutorial for make an HDR image, see my website:

yoanblog.free.fr/blog/index.php/tuto-traitement-hdr-avec-...

Explore # 71

3 exposure-HDRI (Photomatix), Cross-Processing (Alien Skin Exposure 2, Plug-In for PS), adding some textures, desaturate with the sponge-tool, Bleach Bypass (Nik Color Efex Pro, Plug-In for PS).

Info:

Exposures: 1/30Sec.; 1/125Sec.; 1/8Sec.

Aperture: f/1.4

ISO-Speed: 100

Focal Length: 30mm

~ Sigma 30mm f/1.4 strikes back !!! ~

Recommended to view on Black !!!

big.

the image that is posted here bears only a slight resemblance to the image i had in my mind when i went about my merry little way to purchase some rainbow colored balloons.

i was meant to have heaps more balloons than this and this was meant to be in a park with beautiful skies filled with clouds. and i envisioned something more like a one sheet for a film (the theatrical poster they use in the theaters that are lit from behind and are a touch better brighter more fantasy than the regular flat poster. sort of).

i thought i'd include my hand. have the ribbons twisted around my wrist and the rainbow strips cascading to the ground, gracefully. and the massive amount of balloons. like they could carry me away.

instead it was about 97 degrees in Hollywood, which broke a record for that day. there was no way to have one balloon, let alone heaps of them survive inside a super hot car ride (air conditioning can only do so much for the delicate little things). clearly, the park was out.

then sky was just all endless blue. you know those amazing skies you see on Flickr? the ones filled with colorful, thick, amazing clouds? yeah, we don't really get those in LA.

and it was windy as well, another anomaly for this time of year, causing the balloons to tangle up.

and the store had only a few of the sort of balloons i wanted. i left with 7.

and i ended up trying to take my photos on this little no-name, sort of run down side street in east Hollywood.

after trying out several "ideas" for Interesting Photo Ever, nothing was working. so i tied them to my left ankle, lifted it towards the sun, laid out flat on my back on a grungy SIDEWALK. with people watching, thinking i'd clearly gone mental, while attempting to wrangle them towards the sun with my other foot.

it was a bit of a mess.

so, i didn't get the shot i had conceived of. but surprisingly, i had fun. and eventually i will have heaps of balloons, just you wait! so, until then i have these 7 balloons plus flare (!!) and awesome brick-like textures.

the end.