This is a view towards downtown Vancouver seen from the Stanley Park seawall just after sunset, British Columbia, Canada.

View Larger On Black

About this photo: I was going to go on a Friday to take some photos of the fall foliage in Stanley Park, but it was quite foggy and cloudy with some drizzle that day so I decided not to go. I would wait until after the weekend as the forecast was calling for nicer weather. Now it happened to be nice weather that weekend, so my husband said if he was done on time with a few errands we were going to go to Stanley Park that afternoon with our little girl. Lucky me, he was done on time so we made it to Stanley Park by about 4.00pm.

The sun was still in and out a little bit, but more clouds were rolling in which was not so good for the fall foliage. But we did get to enjoy a lovely sunset around 6.00pm and I got to take some nice shots at dusk, which rarely happens nowadays with a 3 1/2 year old daughter in the house that goes to sleep around 7.00pm. So, I was very fortunate and I took full advantage of it! :)

~Camera Settings:

*Camera Model: Sony SLT-A57

*Focal Length: 40mm

*F-Number: F/25

*Exposure Time: 13 sec.

*ISO Speed: ISO-100

*Exposure Program: Shutter Priority (S)

*Exposure Compensation (E/V): -0.3 step

Thank you for dropping by and I hope you like this photo!

Ann :-)

Some information Vancouver: Vancouver is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Vancouver is Canada's third largest city and is located by the Pacific Ocean on a peninsula surrounded by water and in the distance there are the mountains. Vancouver is considered a pretty clean and safe city with a great variety of shops, museums, theatre, outdoor activities (hiking, walking, kayaking, sailing, skiing on the local mountains in the winter) and more. Walking around Stanley Park is a favourite thing to do for tourist and locals alike. This beautiful park extends from the city centre of Vancouver almost to the North Shore. With wonderful views of the mountains and the ocean around every corner, downtown Vancouver is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Walk along Robson Street, the most popular shopping street. Experience Chinatown with the different kinds of building and stores, walk on the beaches of English Bay and the seawall of Stanley Park, enjoy a walk in Gastown with the old steam clock and the many gift shops.

Look out for some Hollywood film sets as Vancouver is used for many big Hollywood movies and shows. That's why you might hear that Vancouver is called "Hollywood North". Here are some examples of shows and movies that were/are filmed here: "The X-Files", "Dark Angel", "Stargate-SG1", "The 6th Day", "Kiss of the Dragon", "Small Ville" and many more. Then there is also the Canada Place, the stadiums, the Harbour Lookout, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Science World, the Vancouver Art Gallery and much more! All of these attractions are located within minutes from the city centre.

Vancouver is also popular in the winter for winter activities. There are 3 local mountains where you can do any type of winter sport. There is Grouse Mountain, most famous for it's stunning views over the city and fresh powder snow. Grouse Mountain is accessible by skyride...this is a big airtram that will take you up to the top of the mountain. Mount Seymour and Cypress Mountain are famous too and you also get wonderful views from the top of these mountains. As you can see...Vancouver has lots to offer. The Winter Olympics were held here in 2010 as well.

View On Black

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

View my Most Interesting Photos on FlickRiver

fr: La Conciergerie de Nuit, Paris, France

EXIF: Nikon D200 - ISO 100 - 36mm - F/8.0 - HDR from 3 exposures (2s, 4s, 8s)

See it LARGE On Black

More of the Set Night Scenes | See More of the Set Paris.

See my most interesting pictures here or take some time to view the slideshow .

[ email | website | alamy | facebook | model mayhem | twitter ]

View On Black

Arrojo piedras al cielo y ninguna vuelve, raramente golpean contra mi cabeza y me pregunto qué tendré sobre la misma, quizás sea allí allá donde se guardan las esperanzas, en el cielo, esa, nuestra nube particular, donde nuestras palabras son cúmulos de sueños y nuestros suspiros las lágrimas de nuestra alma.

Porque el sueño de caminar sobre una nube solamente somos capaces de cumplirlo cuando dormimos, y cuando conseguimos soñar nos encanta tanto aquello que vivimos de el que no queremos despertar nunca, no es algo ponerlo en práctica pero no hay que olvidar nunca que por debajo de nuestros pies hay algo mas que nubes, dura tierra.

Ser conscientes de estar en la tierra ayuda a ser precavido con la vida y calcular las cosas, no hablo de una barrera en nuestros sentimientos, si no de ser realistas y saber que todo puede pasar en ésta vida.

>>><<<

so, i was tagged a few times again...

one. i rarely go to be before midnight...i come alive at night, and then i spend the majority of the day feeling tired and wishing i'd gone to bed earlier. silly, i know.

two. i collect songs. only amazing ones though. i adore music.

three. i've been to america, new zealand, fiji and japan twice, but there are so many other places i want to travel to...

four. i'm a total sweet-tooth. i used to prefer savoury, but i converted recently. i love lollies. and chocolate. and pretty much all things sweet.

five. i love floral patterns. i have so many floral tops it's actually ridiculous.

six. i love to write. i do alot of it. but i wish i had time for more.

seven. i love lists. i have lists for everything. i like them becuase once they're on paper, they're not buzzing around in my head.

eight. i wear earrings and rings every day. i feel incomplete without them. and yet, the first thing i do when i get home is take them all off!

nine. i adore the ocean.

ten. if i could, i would go barefoot everywhere.

ten and a half. i love eden and cloe. (they made me put this in because they helped with this list...but i do adore them, it's true).

i tag:

rach

jade

sherri

peppermint

miranda

courtney

azarah

ps. this is shiloh

explored!

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.

View On Black View My Recent

Luciti

El castillo de Montbui ya consta como organizado en el año 936. El conde Borrell II lo cedió al obispo Ató de Vic en el año 970. Las primeras noticias de la iglesia datan de los años 972 y 993, cuando el obispo Fruià levantó, en la cumbre del Montbui, un nuevo castillo y una iglesia, pero esta quedó inacabada a causa de una fuerte sequía que obliga a emigrar a los repobladores de la comarca. En el año 1023 el obispo Oliba enfeudó la fortaleza al levita Guillem de Oló, que repobló definitivamente el término, restauró el castillo y acabó la iglesia. La iglesia es un edificio construido a finales del siglo X e inicios del XI. Es de planta basilical de tres naves, cabeceadas por ábsides semicirculares, cubiertos con bóvedas de cuarto de esfera. El perímetro de la iglesia se ensancha hacia la cabecera y únicamente es roto por unos contrafuertes ataludados y una capilla moderna. Los ábsides llevan decoración lombarda con arquerías entre lesenas. Las naves laterales quedan separadas por dos series de seis arcadas de donde arrancan las vueltas que las cubren. Los dos primeros tramos, seguramente corresponden a la iglesia más antigua, anterior al 990 y quizás nunca acabada. Estas dos primeras arcadas apoyan sobre pilares cuadrangulares, las restantes, hacia la cabecera, reposan sobre columnas cortas y gruesas. Las vueltas de las naves son irregulares, ya que a lo largo de su recorrido adoptan diferentes perfiles, pasando por un arco de medio punto, hasta convertirse en un arco ultrapasado o de ligera herradura. El muro oeste es coronado por un campanario de pared de dos aperturas que se erigió posteriormente. Debajo hay una ventana en forma de cruz. La puerta de acceso, abierta al muro sur, corresponde a un remodelaje posterior, seguramente del siglo XVI. En el interior se conserva una sencilla pila bautismal y otra pieza utilizada como pila benditera. Muy cerca se conservan los restos del castillo del siglo X. De planta rectangular con los ángulos redondeados. El interior bastante modificado, se organiza a partir de una planta baja, desdoblada en un recibidor y una sala cubierta con bóveda de medio punto. La planta superior solo conserva los muros. La puerta de entrada original se encuentra más arriba, a nivel del primer piso, a modo de ventanal.

The castle has already Montbui as organized in 936. Count Borrell II Atomic traded him to the bishop of Vic in the year 970. The first news of the church dating from 972 and 993, when Bishop frui up, Montbui on top of a new castle and a church, but this remained unfinished because of a severe drought that forced the settlers to emigrate of the region. In 1023 the bishop Oliba feuded strength to coat Guillem de Olo, who repopulated the term finally, restored the castle and the church ended. The church is a building built in the late tenth century and the beginning of XI. It has a basilica with three naves, apses doze by semicircular arches covered with quarter-sphere. The perimeter of the church widens toward the top and is only broken by buttresses ataludados and a modern chapel. The apses are decorated with arches between lesen Lombard. The aisles are separated by two series of six arches where they dig up the laps that cover. The first two installments, probably corresponding to the oldest church, before the 990 and perhaps never finished. These first two arches resting on square pillars, the other, toward the head, resting on short columns and thick. The turns of the vessels are irregular, because along its course take different profiles, to a semicircular arch, into an arc or slightly surpassed horseshoe. The west wall is topped by a tower wall was erected two starts later. Below is a cross-shaped window. The access door is open to the south wall, represents a later remodeling, probably sixteenth century. In Inside is a simple font and another room used as benditera stack. Nearby is the remains of the castle of the tenth century The rectangular with rounded corners. The much modified inside, is organized from the ground floor, split into a reception room and a roof deck with a half-point. The upper floor retains only the walls. The original entrance is located above the first floor level, as a window.

On black

Kids climbed on top of an abandoned tower in Rawalpindi, on the eve of the elections. To go down, some of them slided down a big pipe !

Merci de lire les explications en début d'album / Please read the explanations at the beginning of the set

Part of Pakistani Lifestyle (Recommended as a slideshow)

Please View On Black

January 2010: More than 5000 views - Thanks a lot!

February 2016: More than 20.000 views - Thanks :-)

Winter Wonderland written in 1934 by Felix Bernard (composer)

and Richard B. Smith (lyricist).

There are lots of interpretations. Here comes Pat Boone:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE8D52xD4uw

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,

In the lane, snow is glistening

A beautiful sight,

We're happy tonight.

Walking in a winter wonderland.

Gone away is the bluebird,

Here to stay is a new bird

He sings a love song,

As we go along,

Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,

Then pretend that he is Parson Brown

He'll say: Are you married?

We'll say: No man,

But you can do the job

When you're in town.

Later on, we'll conspire,

As we dream by the fire

To face unafraid,

The plans that we've made,

Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,

And pretend that he's a circus clown

We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,

Until the other kids knock him down.

When it snows, ain't it thrilling,

Though your nose gets a chilling

We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,

Walking in a winter wonderland.

EXPLORED showing scout

Pay Visit to my:Getty Image // Face Book// Red Bubble // My Album at National Geography [NGA]

NO Graphics and Invitations / Self promotion by Image / HTML or WEB Links

Can also reach me at +880 1611595036 [ Call me 24/7 ]

Image Serial No#

Description :

Large on black

Light show in Beaubourg by Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist, called "A la belle étoile". The 10mn show will be projected every night from 7pm to 8am until Feb. 26. Tip: pretend you're going to the restaurant on the 6th floor and stop at the 5th floor, which is opened and from where you can see the show from above without any glasses interfering :-) The previous link is also offering a webcam of the show.

Part of A la belle étoile

Better View Large

"... included in a massive 'urban renewal' project, half of the streets (old tong laus) have already been demolished, and the rest should be gone in one year's time... (Here's an article in HK Magazine if you want to know more.)"

Gage Street, Central, Hong Kong

Thank you for comments, adding to fav's - and your time :-)

© All Rights Reserved - no usage allowed in any form without my written permission.

View On Black

View On Black

I was having a sort through some old stuff trying to find pictures that may look nice mounted and framed in black with a view to hanging them in the recently decorated porch. Our lass said that she really liked this one so I framed it and surprise surprise, she hung it in the hall, she also said I should bang it on Flickr.

There's no accounting for taste.........................

Cheers

CCCB - Barcelona ...............................................................................En grande - View On Black

La Iglesia Católica considera El Arcángel San Miguel como patrono y protector de la Iglesia Universal; y el primero de los siete arcángeles, junto con Gabriel y Rafael. Supuestamente tocará la trompeta el día del arrebatamiento (1° Tesalonicenses 4, 16), y es el encargado de frustar a Lucifer o Satanás. Por eso en el arte se le representa como un ángel con armadura de general romano, amenazando con una lanza o espada a un demonio o dragón.

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc%c3%a1ngel_Miguel

El Centro de Cultura Contemporánea (CCCB) es un museo de la ciudad de Barcelona. Acoge exposiciones fijas dedicadas a diversos estilos artísticos que van desde la fotografía a la escultura, pasando por la pintura o los frescos.

El CCCB se inauguró el 25 de febrero de 1994. El proyecto arquitectónico del CCCB incluía la remodelación del antiguo convento de los Ángeles así como de la Casa de la Caridad. La Casa de la Caridad fue un centro de beneficencia entre 1802 y 1956. El edificio que la albergaba fue construido en 1749 y redecorado en 1929 en pleno auge del modernismo. El centro funcionó hasta 1956 cuando las instalaciones se trasladaron a los Hogares Mundet. El edificio quedó abandonado hasta que en 1980 se le incluyó en el plan de reforma previsto para el barrio del Raval.

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centro_de_Cultura_Contempor%c3%a1ne...

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

Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, or CCCB (Catalan for Barcelona Centre of Contemporary Culture), situated in El Raval, in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, is a museum adjacent to the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA). The building is a mixture of old and new styles, dating from the early 18th century up to recent renovation of a facade in the Plaça de les Dones.

The centre, one of the most visited museums in Barcelona, hosts temporary exhibitions, a cinema, concerts and other cultural events. It opened in 1994 as a centre of urban development and urban culture studies administered coinjointly by the City Council of Barcelona and Diputació of the province of Barcelona, but soon after that became a museum about eclectic and varied subjects ranging from photography to sculpture or video art. Its thought-provoking temporary exhibitions frequently refer to social topics (immigration, international borders, Apartheid...) and art related to or coming from them. CCCB also includes a library, classrooms where conferences and seminars are held, and a concert hall.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_de_Cultura_Contempor%c3%a0ni...

Saint Michael the Archangel en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_(archangel)

View On Black

You are looking at the Bridal Veil Falls of the American (Niagara) Falls on the extreme right of this photo..This is the beauty of the American Falls as I saw it on Sunday. I'm happy with the sensor in this new little sony of mine ;) I hope you enjoy this wintery scenic view of Niagara Falls...USA. Each and every time we go I see the beauty no matter what the weather conditions. I like the sensor on this new little sony ;) camera.

Niagara Falls is Romantic, 'kitschy' and fun!!

"•The Falls at Niagara are about 12,000 years old

•Falls were formed when melting glaciers formed massive fresh-water lakes (the Great Lakes) one of which (Lake Erie) ran downhill toward another (Lake Ontario). The rushing waters carved out a river in their descent and at one point passed over a steep cliff like formation (the Niagara escarpment). From the original falls going over the Niagara Escarpment, the water began to wear its way back up the river. The path that it left is known today as the Niagara Gorge (a deeply-cut and very scenic river path).

•The word Niagara comes from the word "onguiaahra" which means "a thundering noise".

•An "Old Scow" (a steel barge) remains stranded a few hundred meters above the Falls and has been marooned there since August 6, 1918 when a near tragedy was averted by three men who opened the dumping hatches of the barge to let water in and ground the out-of control boat.

•Water that flows over the Falls at Niagara ultimately ends up in Lake Ontario - from there, water drains by way of the St. Lawrence River in to the Atlantic Ocean.

•One of the bloodiest battles of the War of 1812 took place on July 25, 1814 at Lundy's Lane in Niagara Falls, Ontario... A total of 7500 Americans and Canadians fought for six hours. At the end, 1,000 soldiers lay dead or wounded."

Best viewed LARGE.

Best in black

"Sometimes a hurt is so deep deep deep

You think that you're gonna drown

Sometimes all I can do is weep weep weep

With all this rain falling down

Strange how hard it rains now

Rows and rows of big dark clouds..."

-Patty Griffin

So for those few of you that might actually follow my flickrstream, I apologize with the lack of 365 updates over the past week. I had finals and stuff last week, then I went to Nashville, TN this past weekend to visit some friends and have a mini-vacation before my summer classes start tomorrow.

I promise to get back on the 365 project this week. And will hopefully be trying out some more creative things. Also, I've got some real shoots scheduled for the near future. Anyways, thanks to those of you who follow and comment. It's always encouraging. Thank you.

View On Black Explore FP # 11 @ 06/20/09

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY !!!

Five years old bringin comedy.

Everytime I look at you I think man a little me, just like me.

If the world attacks and you slide off track,

you can cry isn’t shame in it.

Remember one fact I got your back.

I hear the cyrstal raindrops fall

On the window down the hall

And it becomes the morning dew

Just the two of us

Building them’ castles in the sky

Just the two of us

You and I

Just two of us by Will Smith & Bill Withers.

( thank you Tess for saving the screen shot for me and thank you all my friends for your wonderful visit and support. )

Explore #308 Sep 15, 2012

Press L for a better view in the LightBox

Thanks for your visit and comments, I appreciate that very much!

Don't use this image without my explicit permission. © all rights reserved.

Regards, Bram (BraCom)

My Homepage | Twitter | Facebook | 500px

View On Black

___________________________________________________________________________

[...] The sky is eternity. And "sun, moon and five stars" are "the manifestation of the time, which imitate eternity and a number of law following turn, are the moving images of eternal being who is" alone and not the will obey. What we see with our senses, is not heaven, not the original eternal being itself, solely by God's Spirit West. If we "want to live in the light of eternity," therefore, we need to get into the spirit of God.

"Is that possible?" You might ask. But, it's not about the possibility of achieving this goal - but the need.

Otherwise we would not even be able to only this to our time-bound and living in days and nights, months and years, measured life.

What is needed, however, which must be possible.

If the eternal, refuses to manifest in the "Forms of Time", then left it to the forms of time but not helpless themselves

If the Eternal is the moving, changing, sentient forms of the time denied it burrow yet in them. [...]

.

.

[…] Der Himmel ist die Ewigkeit. Und „Sonne, Mond und die fünf Sterne“ sind „die Erscheinungsformen der Zeit, welche die Ewigkeit nachahmen und einem Zahlengesetz folgend sich drehen“, sind die sich bewegende Abbilder des ewigen Wesens, das allein „ist“ und nicht dem Werden gehorchend. Was wir mit unseren Sinnen sehen, ist nicht der Himmel, nicht das ursprüngliche ewigen Wesens selbst, das allein Gottes Geist durchwest. Wenn wir daher „ im Licht der Ewigkeit leben wollen“, müssen wir in Gottes Geist eindringen.

„Ist das möglich?“ könnte man fragen. Allein, es geht nicht um die Möglichkeit, dieses Ziel zu erreichen – sondern um die Notwendigkeit.

Andernfalls wären wir nicht einmal in der Lage, auch nur dieses unser an die Zeit gebundenes und nach Tagen und Nächten, Monaten und Jahren gemessenes Leben zu leben.

Was aber notwendig ist, das muss möglich sein.

Wenn das Ewige, sich weigert, sich in den „Formen der Zeit“ zu manifestieren, dann überließe es die Formen der Zeit dennoch nicht hilflos sich selbst.

Wenn sich das Ewige sich den bewegten, wechselnden, fühlenden Formen der Zeit verweigert, so verbärge es sich dennoch in ihnen. […]

Plato

___________________________________________________________________________

Source: D.T. Suzuki, „Der westliche und der östliche Weg“ (The Western and Eastern Weg),

Chapter: „Leben im Licht der Ewigkeit“ (Living in the Light of Eternity)

___________________________________________________________________________

|| Wikipedia: D. T. Suzuki || Plato ||

View On Black

Cloud Gate is British artist Anish Kapoor's first public outdoor work installed in the United States. The 110-ton elliptical sculpture is forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect the city's famous skyline and the clouds above. A 12-foot-high arch provides a "gate" to the concave chamber beneath the sculpture, inviting visitors to touch its mirror-like surface and see their image reflected back from a variety of perspectives.

Inspired by liquid mercury, the sculpture is among the largest of its kind in the world, measuring 66-feet long by 33-feet high. Cloud Gate sits upon the At&T Plaza.

"What I wanted to do in Millennium Park is make something that would engage the Chicago skyline…so that one will see the clouds kind of floating in, with those very tall buildings reflected in the work. And then, since it is in the form of a gate, the participant, the viewer, will be able to enter into this very deep chamber that does, in a way, the same thing to one's reflection as the exterior of the piece is doing to the reflection of the city around."

-Anish Kapoor

View On Black

The Porta Nigra is a magnificent 2nd-century Roman city gate in Trier, Germany. It was given its name (which means "black gate") in the Middle Ages because of its weathered color.

History

The oldest defensive structure in Germany, the Porta Nigra was erected in about 180 AD when the Roman city was surrounded by walls. Trier was a Roman colony from the 1st century AD and then a great trading centre beginning in the second century. It became one of the imperial capitals under the Tetrarchy at the end of the 3rd century, and became known as the "second Rome."

The Porta Nigra is the only one of four Roman gates that still stands in Trier; the others were gradually pillaged for their stone and iron. The Porta Nigra survived because it was used as the humble residence of a hermit monk named Simeon for seven years (1028-35). After his death he was buried in the gate and the structure was transformed into the two-story Church of St. Simeon (lay church on the bottom, monastery church on top).

Napoleon destroyed the church in 1803, but the 12th-century Romanesque apse survived and the entire structure has been restored to its medieval appearance.

What to See

1,700 years after its construction, the Porta Nigra is still impressive at 118 feet long, 70.5 feet wide and 90 feet high. The entire structure is made without mortar - the sandstone blocks are connected only by iron rods. The stone blocks weigh as much as six metric tons each.

Two gateways lead into a small inner courtyard, where unfortunate intruders would be trapped and covered in tar. Above are two tiers of defense galleries with large open windows. It is flanked by two towers, a four-story western tower and the three-story unfinished eastern tower.

Inside, an empty apse at the east end and carvings of church fathers like Irenaeus, Ambrose and Jerome recall the Porta Nigra's use as a church.

www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/trier-porta-nigra.htm

View On Black

So last week Robin Wilson posted THE best shot I have seen from Garden of the Gods(go to www.flickr.com/photos/12899218@N00/4922078720/) I wanted to do a little comp-stomping so Robin was kind enough to take me up there Sunday morning. Though I did take this same comp, mine doesn't even come close to his so I'm not going to embarrass myself by posting it!! We got skunked on the sunrise but I'll be back at this location for some shots with a better sky (and maybe some snow on the ground!! That would look cool!)

View On Black

Inspired by: Claude Monet

As I come into Your presence

Past the gates of praise

Into Your sanctuary

Til we're standing face to face

I look upon Your countenance

I see the glory of Your Holy face

I can only bow down and say...

You are awesome in this place, Mighty God

You are awesome in this place, Abba Father

You are worthy of all praise

To You our lives we raise

You are awesome in this place, Mighty God

- Dave Billingham

kristianongpinoy

Click Here To View Large On Black

Hey all it's been a long time. I will over the next few days catch up with all my contacts shots. Have been extremely busy with all things photography just not much time for flicker of late. As mentioned in my previous post the website and blog are coming, the designer has been extremely busy and has promised to make a start after easter. The site is in action just nothing to show at the moment.

With this shot i wanted something a little more artistic ; with a painted feel to the image. With the merging of the stitch the horizontals and verticals were a bugger to get even, due to this being shot handheld and having all the textures and frame work the same made it a prick with merging in software.

Replaced original shot with a slightly more brighter image and different set up, bride caring case.

Have a great easter weekend and will catch up soon.

nikon d300, 50mm prime @f5.6 1/125 sec

2 image stitch for background and one for the model

See it Large.See a short slideshow.

The Osawa pond, originally designed as part of Emperor Saga's detached palace and the oldest artificial pond in Japan, has been a popular moonviewing spot since the Heian period. It belongs now to the Daikakuji.

Take A Look Large Size

Everyone's life is under someone's control - it might as well be under your own so that you can direct your destiny.

Harry Tucker

Better- View On Black

Annual Honesty (Lunaria annua) is a tall (height about 1 m), hairy-stemmed biennial plant native to the Balkans and south west Asia, and naturalized throughout Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. It has large, pointed oval leaves with marked serrations. The common name "Honesty" arose in the 16th century, and it may be due to the translucent seed-pods which are like flattened pea-pods and borne on the plant through winter. In South-East Asia and elsewhere, it is called the Money Plant, because its seed pods have the appearance of silver coins. In the United States it may also be known as "Silver Dollars," also because of the seed pods. In Denmark it is known as Judaspenge and in The Netherlands as Judaspenning (coins of Judas), an allusion to the story of Judas Iscariot and the thirty pieces of silver he was paid.

.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunaria_annua

umutfm.com/izle.php?id=24279

YA RABBİ

Seni tarif etmektedir bütün güzel isimler

Sen güzel isimlerini aşikar etmezsen ruhum karanlıkta kalır

Esmaül Hüsnana şahit yaz beni...

Ya Rabbi

Sana söyleyeceklerim

Senin kudretin için Yeterli gelmez biliyorum

Ancak gözüme görünen

Gönlüme değdirdiğin güzellikler kadar

Cümle kurabilirim

Sen'den başkasına boyun eğdirme bizi...

Sevdirirsin kendini uyanık gönüllere.

Sevgini emzirirsin emziren annelere.

Sevgini dokundurursun açılan güllere.

Sevdiğin ve sevdirdiğin için bakar yüzler yüzlere.

Sevdiğin ve sevdirdiğin için güneş doğar günlere.

Sevdiğin ve sevdirdiğin için baharın gelir her yere.

Sevdiğin ve sevdirdiğin için kelamın değer dillere.

Sevdanı kalbimin karasına çal.

Gönlüme rahmetinin ırmağını sal.

Ruhumu zikrinin lezzetiyle al.

Son anımda vesveseye yol verme.

Son demde gönle yaramaz şeyler gösterme.

Sen ki Sana rağbet edenleri çok iyi bilirsin;

teveccühünle şereflendir beni.

Sen ki suskun gönüllerde saklı kalanları bilirsin;

gizli saklı arzularıma cevap ver de sevindir beni...

EL-VEDÛD C.C.

Seven, bütün mahlukatın hayrını isteyen, onlara ihsan eden.

Al-Wadud : The Loving One who loves good servants, and bestows its compassion upon them.

Cenab-ı Hak buyuruyor:

Rabbinizden bağışlanma dileyin; sonra O'na tevbe edin. Muhakkak ki Rabbim çok merhametlidir, çok sever" (Hud, 90)

Cumanız mübarek olsun...

White Headed Duck ~ London Wetland Centre ~ Barnes ~ London ~ Wednesday February 4th 2015.

Click here to see My most interesting images

Purchase some of my images here ~ www.saatchionline.com/art/view/artist/24360/art/1259239 ~ Should you so desire...go on, make me rich..lol...Oh...and if you see any of the images in my stream that you would like and are not there, then let me know and I'll add them to the site for you..:))

I hope everybody has a great day...:)

View On Black

See where this picture was taken. [?]

Pictured:

China Pavilion

Epcot World Showcase

Walt Disney World Resort

Bay Lake, Florida

November, 2008

Thanks for stopping by!

View On Black

Stupid me forgot my tripod today aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh !! thank god for a jessops bean bag and a pebble or two for support

VIEW MY GETTY COLLECTION HERE

www.gettyimages.com/search/search.aspx?assettype=image&am...

VIEW MY WEB SITE AND SHOP HERE

photographydavidsmith.com/

Here is my first published work even though i did it as a freebie its great seeing your work on a web site !

www.thewhitehartvillageinn.com/index.html

Here is the flickr set

www.flickr.com/photos/10141102@N08/sets/72157623966405344/

View On Black

Continuing my snowy Rattlesnake lake serie. reaching the end of it though. i still have several valuable captures that i got to process in the best way possible. i sometimes keep shots aside for weeks. i suppose it's a good thing.

i often have the feeling that photography is like illustration. if you capture (or paint) something, it's better to serve it hot instead of waiting. otherwise the hesitation you initially had, will grow stronger and stronger. there are many exception though. and i'm slowly learning to go against that feeling.

basically it still is just a feeling. i still process old shots. for my illustrations it's more of a problem. i have tons of sketches left in folders, that i will probably never use. i'll certainly have to push on the same mental process here.

70-200 f4 L

ONLY View On Black

Cyprian Kamil Norwid, (24 IX 1821– 23 V 1883)

MARIONETTES

1

Wouldn't you be bored when a million

Silent stars shine around the world,

Each cluster sparkling in a different mould,

All still - yet flying?

2

Still the earth, the aeons vast,

And those living at this hour

Of whom not a bone will last,

Though men will be as now.

3

Wouldn't you be bored on a stage

So amateurish and small,

Where everyone's Ideals rage

And the show is paid with life ?

4

Truly, how is one to kill the time,

I am most sincerely bored;

What remedy, Madam, should I explore,

Shall I write prose or rhyme ?

5

Or write nothing... just sit in the sun

Absorbed in that fine romance

Composed by the Flood upon grains of sand,

Doubtless for the amusement of man(!) ­

6

Or better still - I know a braver way

Against this damned ennui:

Forget p e o p l e, make calls on p e r s o n s ,

Wear a neatly fastened tie ! ...

C.K.N. /1861/

/Trans. Adam Czerniawski/

My Recent Photos On Black

View On Black please, it's much better there.

I don't know if you all know but this year's Vday clashes with the first day of the Lunar New Year.

And to be honest, I can't be arsed with both.

I don't celebrate V-day, even if I'm attached, I just don't see the point. I'd rather have a good make out session than a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates, but that's just me.

And Chinese New Year?

I really dislike visiting people, especially certain relatives whom my family members aren't on good terms with.

And this year, my Chinese New Year break is pathetic because I've got 2 major assignments due right when school starts again. One good thing though, is that I've gotten my hands on Dante's Inferno Death Edition, I have ALWAYS been fascinated with the poem and it's awesome that there's a game based on it!!! Will probably do an inspired shot or something soon =)

I think the next game I want to get my hands on will be Heavy Rain.

This shot was pretty spontaneous, I wore that qipao thingy and was wondering what to shoot, so I just randomly threw my quilt on the floor, grabbed some random items from my table and took some photos.

I had quite a few different edits for this shot and an outtake which will be in the comments.

Happy Vday to all and Happy CNY to asian flickrites =)

(Ps. I hope the colour looks ok on your screen cause on some screens it can tend to look toooo yellow, sorry if on your screen it does!)

View On Black

The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge (Turkish: Boğaziçi Köprüsü or 1. Boğaziçi Köprüsü) is a bridge in Istanbul, Turkey spanning the Bosphorus strait (Turkish: Boğaziçi). The bridge is located between Ortaköy (European side) and Beylerbeyi (Asian side). It is a gravity anchored suspension bridge with steel pylons and inclined hangers. The aerodynamic deck is hanging on zigzag steel cables. It is 1,510 m long with a deck width of 39 m. The distance between the towers (main span) is 1,074 m (World rank: 13th) and their height over road level is 105 m. The clearance of the bridge from sea level is 64 m. It was the 4th longest suspension bridge in the world when completed in 1973, and the longest outside the United States of America.

view BIGGER On Black

view as slideshow

for more of the set best of

see my most interesting pictures here

View On Black

View On Black

Waiting for iPhone 3g - Jul 18, 2008 - 094

On the corner of Fifth Avenue and 60th Street -- i.e., at the opposite end of the block where the iPhone fans were waiting in line -- this young couple staked out a spot with a sign that said "Feed us." I gave them some money; I hope they did use it to buy some food ...

A few months after I originally uploaded this photo, this picture has been viewed so many times that it is now the 8th most-viewed of all 11,000+ public photos on my Flickr site -- and 3 people have marked it as a "favorite". I'm flattered by the attention, but also humbled: I have no idea what it is that makes the photo so popular. The couple shown here had nothing to do with the main focus of this collection of photos -- i.e., people waiting in line to get a new Apple iPhone3G -- and probably had no interest at all in the phone. I now wish I had spoken to them, to find out who they were, where they came from, what they were planning to do when they left (as they did shortly after this picture was taken, because the cops shooed them away). And now, three months later, I have no idea where they have gone, or what they are doing ... or whether anyone actually did feed them.

*********************************

Note: On Aug 11, 2009 I uploaded an edited version of this photo. There were various "hot spots" (overexposed" and "cold spots" (underexposed) that had to be fixed, and I bumped up the color saturation a little...

Note: on Aug 11, 2009 this photo was published in a French blog titled "Fooding or Feeding ? La guerre de l'espace publicitaire." And on Sep 29, 2009 it was published in a blog titled "'Loving Laura Mor'” by Harrell Fletcher." It was also published in a Dec 2, 2009 TextNexus blog with the same "Feed Us!" title as the caption on the photo itself. And it was published as an illustration in an undated (Dec 2009) "Only Jewelry" blog, in a posting titled "Apple anklet."

On May 30, 2010, the photo was published in a blog titled "Why You Shouldn't Give Money to Panhandlers." And on Jun 6, 2010, the photo was published in a German blog titled "Für eine neue Esskultur: Wohlbefinden ersetzt Wohlstand." It was also published in an undated (Sep 2010) blog titled "Special September 2010 fares for RTW tickets." And it was published in a Nov 11, 2010 iPhones information blog, with the same title and detailed notes that I had written on this Flickr page.

Moving into 2011, the photo was published in a Jan 27, 2011 blog titled "Editorial or Note to Stupid Hipsters who Beg for Beer and Pot Money on the Street: ." It was also published in a May 31, 2011 neue-lebensmittel blog, with the same caption and detailed notes that I had written for this Flickr page. It was also published in an undated (mid-Aug 2011) "Idiomeaning" blog titled "Fall on Hard Times." And it was published in an undated (early Oct 2011) IdioMeanings blog titled "Fall on Hard Times."

Moving into 2012, the photo was published in a Mar 21, 2012 blog titled "How my RTW trip would go." And it was published in an undated (late May 2012) "Idiomeaning" blog titled "Scrape By." And it was published in a Jul 17, 2012 blog titled "Don't Call Me Maybe If You're Drowning In Student Loan Debt." It was also published in a Jul 25, 2012 blog titled "6 Things Young People Should Think About When Trying To Find A Job." It was also published in an Aug 25, 2012 blog titled "Millennials Aren’t Buying Cars Or Houses, And It Could Hurt The Economy." And it was published in a Sep 6, 2012 blog titled "Why The Student Loan Bubble Is Much Worse Than It Looks."

Moving into 2013, the photo was published in an undated (mid-Feb 2013) Idiomeaning blog titled "Scrape by." It was also published in a Mar 26, 2013 Forbes article titled "Millennials, Hipsters, And Life After Financial Melancholy." And it was published in a May 11, 2013 blog titled "All Signs Suggest The College Bubble Has Finally Burst." It was also published in a Nov 25, 2013 blog titled "We suck and we’re sorry ~ Millennials respond to being called “lazy”."

Moving into 2014, the photo was published in an Apr 4, 2014 blog titled "将来のために30歳から始めたい事." And on Jul 24, 2014 the photo was published in a blog titled "Summer Panhandling Strategies."

********************

Silly me: after the iPhone 3g had been out for a full week, I thought I could stroll right into the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue & 59th Street in mid-town Manhattan, and simply buy one without any muss, fuss, bother, or delay.

But when I arrived at 11 AM, I found a line of approximately 150 people waiting outside in the broiling sun, not seeming to move forward at all; it turned out that the Apple store "concierge" folks were letting them in in groups of ten, when the previous ten had been taken care of. When I asked the woman how long she had been waiting, she said, "Four hours" -- she had arrived at 7 AM, having already determined that the AT&T stores were sold out throughout New Jersey and Connecticut.

Well, I'm a gadget freak and a Mac fan, but there's a limit to my passion for such things; four hours was just too much. So instead, I decided to take a bunch of pictures of the people who were in the line. Of course, I have no idea whethere the people queued up in front of Apple stores in other cities (or at other stores here in NYC) are similar to this group ... but I'm inclined to think that they are. And if that's true, then the demographics of this group -- in terms of age, gender, nationality, ethnic groups, etc. -- is particularly intriguing. I saw only one guy dressed in a corporate uniform of suit and tie; Apple may be trying to break into the "enterprise" market, but that's not who was standing in line for all those hours in the sun...

Creo que se puede ver un poco mejor así...

EL ÁRBOL DE LA FELICIDAD

Cuento de Filosofía Sufí

Cuentan que hace muchos, muchos años un peregrino tras caminar durante infinitas jornadas bajo el implacable sol de la India deseó en su corazón poder descansar a la sombra de un árbol que le diera cobijo. Y así fue que, de pronto, divisó a lo lejos un frondoso árbol solitario en medio de la planicie. Cubierto de sudor y tambaleándose sobre sus fatigados pies se encaminó alegremente hacia el árbol que hacía realidad su deseo.

Al fin podré descansar, pensó, mientras se abría paso entre sus tupidas ramas que llegaban hasta el suelo. ¿Qué más podría desear?

Tendiéndose sobre la tierra en su refugio vegetal trató de conciliar el sueño, pero el suelo estaba duro y mientras más el peregrino trataba de ignorarlo y descansar, más duro le parecía el suelo sobre el que estaba.

Si al menos tuviera una cama, pensó.

Al momento surgió una imponente cama, con impolutas sábanas de seda, digna de un sultán. Brocados, lujosos tejidos de Samarkanda y las más suaves pieles cubrían el lecho. Y es que, sin saberlo, el peregrino había ido a sentarse bajo el mítico árbol de los deseos. Aquel árbol milagroso que es capaz de convertir en realidad cualquier deseo expresado bajo sus ramas.

El hombre se acostó en el mullido lecho relajándose.

¡Oh, qué a gusto me siento, lástima del hambre que tengo! –pensó-, y ante él apareció una espléndida mesa cubierta con la más sabrosa de las comidas, con ricos y variados platos exquisitamente preparados y servidos en la más extravagante de las vajillas. Sobre las más finas telas imbricadas de hilos preciosos se mezclaban oro, plata y finísimo cristal con las más exóticas frutas y lujuriosos postres. Todas estas maravillas tomaron forma ante sus asombrados ojos. Todo aquello con lo que siempre había soñado en las solitarias noches de su largo peregrinar estaba ahora ante él.

El peregrino comía y comía con el temor de que tal prodigio desapareciera en el aire tan súbitamente como había aparecido. Pero, cuanto más comía, más comida aparecía. Y cada nuevo manjar era aún más sabroso y exquisito que el anterior. Finalmente dijo:

Ya no puedo más y en ese mismo momento la mesa con todas sus maravillas se desvaneció en el aire.

Es maravilloso, pensó, mientras un sentimiento de felicidad le embargaba.

No me moveré de aquí y seré por siempre feliz.

Pero, de pronto, una idea terrible surcó su mente:

Claro que esta planicie es famosa por sus feroces tigres. ¿Qué sucedería si un tigre me descubriese? Sería terrible morir, después de finalmente haber encontrado el árbol de la felicidad.

Fue la milésima de una fracción de segundo, pero bastó. Cumpliendo su deseo, en aquel momento surgió de la nada un terrible tigre que lo devoró.

Y así, el árbol de la felicidad quedó solo de nuevo, y allí sigue esperando la llegada de un ser humano de corazón completamente puro, donde no resida el miedo, ni la desconfianza, sino sólo responsabilidad y conocimiento.

Para acompañar, Otoño Porteño, en la interpretación de Astor Piazzolla.

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

¡TENGAN TODOS UN EXCELENTE DÍA!!!

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

Must View On Black .

i think i am in love with this Structure and also this shot . .

i am sorry i haven't been posting much new stuff lately . . i have been a lil too busy . . hope to change that soon , maybe . .

meanwhile here's a different edit of such a previous shot.

My gallery Mirrors.

==================

The Taj Mahal

==================

The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower is a prestigious luxury hotel located in the Colaba region of Mumbai, India, next to the Gateway of India. Part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, this iconic 105-year old heritage building retains its stature as the flagship property of the group and contains 565 rooms. From an historical and architectural point of view, The Taj Mahal Palace and the Tower are two distinct buildings, built at different times and in different architectural designs.

The Taj Mahal Palace hotel resort was commissioned by Tata and first opened its doors to guests on December 16, 1903.

It is widely believed that Tata decided to build the luxurious hotel after he was refused entry to one of the city's grand hotels of the time, Parke's Apollo Hotel, as it was restricted to 'whites only'. However, this story has been challenged by some commentators that suggest that Jamsedji Tata was unlikely to have been concerned with 'revenge' against his British adversaries. Instead they suggest that the Taj was built at the urging of editor of the Times of India who felt a hotel "worthy of Bombay" was needed.

The original Indian architects were Sitaram Khanderao Vaidya and D. N. Mirza, but the project was completed by an English engineer W. A. Chambers. The cost of construction was £250000 (£127 million today).During World War I, the hotel was converted into a 600-bed hospital. The dome of the hotel is made from the same steel as used in the Eiffel Tower. Jamsedji Tata imported the same steel during that time. The hotel was the first in India to install and operate a steam elevator.

On November 26, 2008, in a series of attacks in the southern part of Mumbai, the hotel (as well as the Oberoi) was attacked as part of a terrorist attack in Mumbai, during which material damage occurred including the destruction of the roof of the hotel in the hours afterwards. Hostages were taken during the attacks. At least 167 people were killed in the attacks and 293 wounded (the numbers include casualties at CST railway station, The Oberoi Hotel, Nariman House and the Cama Hospital), including many foreigners. The casualties were mostly Indian citizens, although westerners carrying foreign passports were singled out. Indian commandos killed the gunmen barricaded in the hotel to end the three-day battle.

====================

Gateway Of India

====================

The Gateway of India is a monument in Mumbai, India. Located on the waterfront in Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai, the Gateway is a basalt arch 26 metres (85 ft) high. In earlier times, the Gateway was the monument that visitors arriving by boat would have first seen in the city of Bombay.

The Gateway is built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete. While its design is a combination of both Hindu and Muslim architectural styles, the Gateway of India is a symbol of Hinduism & Islam. Many of its elements are derived from the Muslim architectural styles of 16th century Gujarat. The pillars are derived from the design of Hindu temples and the design of the Gateway's windows comes from Muslim architecture.

The central dome is 15 metres (49 ft) in diameter and is 26 metres (85 ft) above ground at its highest point. The whole harbour front was realigned in order to come in line with a planned esplanade which would sweep down to the centre of the town. The cost of the construction was Rs. 21 lakhs (2,100,000), borne mainly by the Government of India. For lack of funds, the approach road was never built, and so the Gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it.

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

All Info is From WIKI

Do not use this image on websites, blogs or

other media without my permission.

If you want to use this image, contact me at

ishan.photography@gmail.com

© All rights reserved

Best viewed on black.

Bricks, corrugation, tasty colors, and shadow play... all in one :).

Probably won't be uploading too often now that school has started. This weekend I'm going to experiment with my friend's 50mm f/1.8 lens and will probably go into Boston at some point to try out some street-shots. That's right--there is a slight chance that my next picture won't be a colorful wall! Shocking.

Since my last upload, two of my pictures have been recognized in public groups!

1) Geometry (Admin's Pic of the Day in the Ministract Pool).

2) The Road to Oz (Competition #3 winner in the Bare Minimum Pool).

Thanks to everyone who made it happen! It made this past week a very happy one :).

edit: Wondering what this is? Check the street view on Google Maps! Pretty sweet stuff :).

edit #2: Alternate title by jawdoc: Tea Party. I like it :).

View Large On Black

Ive been dying to get a shot from this jetty for ages now but always ended up either under it or at either side so as Claire and I are off work this week we decided this would be the location. Its on dry land and isnt dangerous, stipulations of the wifekins :P

Now many of my friends on here have shots of this pier from pretty much either this angle or a bit further down the pier which i feel are way better but i managed to get some decent light and colour even though the sunrise was a funny affair this morning. The sun actually rose just North of this shot but i felt this comp worked better.

Exif Data. 15mm, 40 seconds @ f22. Hitech 0.9 Reverse Grad, Lee 0.9 SE Grad

At this moment in time ive found myself wrapped up in IR photography as i have recently bought a Nikon D70 and had it converted. There are so many issues with IR i find myself editing shots ive taken but never seem to get the desired effect so have spent alot of time trying to learn the ways meaning seascape has been put on the back burner a bit. I think i just need to try and split my time more between the 2 and hopefully my standard will come up to point with seascape. I read a lot but need to put in the effort to get out more to learn the ways practically. I know what i want to achieve but doing it is another thing but i suppose thats progression for you. You cant just nail this stuff without practice and no amount of reading can get you there. Im in good company when i go out so i know im on the right path.

B:S:O - el puente sobre el rio kwai

Colera es un municipio y localidad de la comarca del Alto Ampurdán, provincia de Gerona, comunidad autónoma de Cataluña,

Censado por primera vez como municipio independiente en 1936, tras desagregarse del municipio de Portbou.

Colera tiene un total de 601 habitantes, de los cuales 310 son hombres y 291 mujeres, según datos del INE 2006.

View On Black

Analyse my .....DNA !

If you feel like watching a slideshow...have a coffee or a glass of wine and......... enjoy!

Falling for

fall colors!

Pixnote 1:

Last week I went camping in Mont-Tremblant Park to photograph some fall colors....... while I was returning back in a trail I encountered this black bear family...... they were in the same trail as I was..... so even if I have often seen black bears in the wild , this time I had to be more careful because cubs were around...... so I took a few shots and circle them to go back to my vehicle...... boy....this was fun!

PixNote 2:

The Black Bear usually ranges in length from 150 to 180 cm (59 to 72 inches) and typically stands about 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 inches) at the shoulder. Cubs usually weigh 200 to 450 g (between 7 ounces and 1 pound) at birth.

Cubs are generally born in January or February. They are very small, about 10-14 ounces, and are blind, nearly hairless, and helpless when born. Two to three cubs are most common, though up to four and even five cubs has been documented. First-time mothers typically have only a single cub. The mother nurses the cubs with rich milk, and by spring thaw, when the bears start leaving their dens, the cubs are fur-balls of energy, inquisitive and playful. By this time they are about 4 to 8 pounds (2-4 kg). When their mother senses danger, she grunts to the cubs to climb high up a tree. They are weaned between July and September of their first year and stay with the mother through the first winter. The cubs become independent during their second summer (when they are 1.5 years old). At this time, the sow goes into estrus (heat) again.

Cub survival is totally dependent on the skill of the mother in teaching her cubs what to eat, where and how to forage (find food), where to den, and when and where to seek shelter from heat or danger.

View On Black provate!!!

L'Amerigo Vespucci è un veliero della Marina Militare costruito come nave scuola per l'addestramento degli Allievi Ufficiali dei ruoli normali dell'Accademia Navale.

La decisione di costruire l'Amerigo Vespucci venne assunta nel 1925, allo scopo di sostituire l'omonima nave scuola; un incrociatore a motore e a vela, ormai prossimo alla radiazione, che fu posto in disarmo nel 1928 e ormeggiato nel porto di Venezia per essere adibito ad asilo infantile, riservato agli orfani dei marinai.

Il Vespucci fu progettato insieme al gemello Cristoforo Colombo nel 1930 dall'ingegnere Francesco Rotundi, tenente colonnello del Genio Navale e Direttore dei cantieri navali di Castellammare Stabia (Napoli), riprendendo i progetti del veliero Monarca, l'ammiraglia della Real Marina del Regno delle Due Sicilie, poi ribattezzato Re Galantuomo quando fu requisito dalla Marina piemontese dopo l'invasione delle Due Sicilie. I progetti ricopiati erano dell'ingegnere navale duosiciliano Sabatelli ed erano custoditi a Castellammare Stabia insieme alle tecnologie necessarie alla costruzione di questa tipologia di imbarcazione.

La nave-scuola fu varata il 22 febbraio 1931 e il 15 ottobre 1931, nel porto di Genova, ricevette la bandiera di combattimento nelle mani del suo primo comandante, Augusto Radicati di Marmorito. Il suo compito fu quello di affiancare il Cristoforo Colombo nell'attività di addestramento, fino al termine della seconda guerra mondiale, quando per l'effetto degli accordi internazionali, il Cristoforo Colombo dovette essere ceduto all'URSS, quale risarcimento dei danni di guerra.

Dal 1946 al 1952 è stata l'unica nave scuola a vela della marina militare italiana fino all'entrata in servizio dell'Ebe, un brigantino goletta costruito nel 1921 ed acquistato dalla Marina Militare nel 1952. A partire dal 1955 e stata affiancata da un altro veliero acquistato dalla Francia e ribattezzato Palinuro. Attualmente l'Amerigo Vespucci è la più anziana nave della Marina Militare ancora in servizio.

Il motto della nave, ufficializzato nel 1978, è «Non chi comincia ma quel che persevera» ed esprime la sua vocazione alla formazione ed addestramento dei futuri ufficiali della Marina Militare. I precedenti motti sono stati: «Per la Patria e per il Re»; sostituito nel 1946 con «Saldi nella furia dei venti e degli eventi».

L'addestramento si svolge attraverso le Campagne Addestrative. Queste Crociere d'Istruzione, effettuate già 71 volte, avvengono con itinerari diversi; in particolare questa nave scuola si è recata in Nord Europa 37 volte, 20 in Mediterraneo, 4 in Atlantico Orientale, 7 in Nord America, 1 in Sud America e 1 circumnavigando il Globo.

Oltre all'addestramento in particolare nell'ultimo decennio, ha spesso avuto il compito di ambasciatore sul mare dell'arte, della cultura e dell'ingegneria italiana,[1] presentandosi in molti dei più importanti porti del mondo in particolari occasioni come ad Auckland (Nuova Zelanda) nell'ottobre 2002 in occasione della 31° edizione dell'America's Cup e più recentemente ad Atene nel 2004 per le Olimpiadi ed a Portsmouth nel 2005 per la commemorazione della battaglia di Trafalgar ove ha avuto un ruolo di primo piano.

È un veliero che mantiene vive le vecchie tradizioni. Le vele sono ancora in tela olona, le cime sono tutte ancora di materiale vegetale, e tutte le manovre vengono rigorosamente eseguite a mano; ogni ordine a bordo viene impartito dal comandante, tramite il nostromo, con il fischietto; l'imbarco e lo sbarco di un Ufficiale avviene con gli onori al barcarizzo a seconda del grado dell'ospite.

Nel 2006, a 75 anni dall'entrata in servizio, ha ricevuto presso l'Arsenale Militare Marittimo della Spezia pesanti lavori di manutenzione con la sostituzione completa dell'albero di trinchetto per sopraggiunti limiti di usura, ricostruito fedelmente all'originale ricorrendo alle artigianali tecniche dell'epoca; la sostituzione di alcune lamiere a scafo richiodate da abili artigiani e la riconfigurazione del locale ausiliari con impianti di recente concezione.

More Vienna shots here

Larger Better

Looks better when its B I G and is on B L A C K

Train journeys, since my childhood I have been on train, those moments are the ones I enjoy the most. The unknown people who discuss about international politics, people who often borrow books to read, a husband who carries his baby around trying to calm it down, some vacant stations where nothing happens, some very busy cities and once its dark the calmness which prevails, the rhythm with which it crosses the bridges, dried up rivers in moonlight and the list goes on and on. Similar is life, its just that we don't enjoy all the moments that makes it boring, lets enjoy every moment, wish you all a happy Diwali, also I would dedicate this to my friend Nagesh who celebrates his birthday tomorrow. Thanks for all your comments and favs

என் இரயில் பயணத்தின் நொடிகள் ஒவ்வொன்றும் ஒரு ஆனந்தம்,

முன்பின் தெரியாவிட்டாலும் புத்தகம் இரவல் கேட்கும் அருகில் இருப்பவர்,

உலக அரசியலை நினைத்து வருத்தப்படும் எதிர் இருக்கைக்காரர்,

எங்கோ வேலை செய்யும் மகனையோ மகளையோ சந்திக்கச் செல்லும் பெற்றோர்,

கடந்து செல்லும் காட்சிகளை வியந்து பார்க்கும் அந்தச் சிறுவன்,

தேனீர் விற்றுக்கொண்டு குறுக்கும் நெடுக்கும் நடந்து செல்பவன்,

கழிப்பறை வாசலில் துண்டை விரித்து அமர்ந்திருக்கும் முதியவர்,

தடதடவென தாண்டிப் போகும் ஆள் அரவமில்லாத ரயில் நிலையங்கள்,

இரவில் பரவிக் கிடக்கும் அந்த நிசப்தம்,

எங்கோ மூலையில் தூக்கத்தில் எழுந்து விட்ட தன் குழந்தையை தூங்க வைக்கும் தந்தை,

ரயில் பாலங்களைக் கடக்கையில் உண்டாக்கும் தாளங்கள்,

நிலவொளியில் மௌனமாய்க் கடந்து போகும் நீர் வற்றிப்போன ஆறுகள்,

இப்படி ஏதோ ஒரு ரயில் பயணத்தின் போதுதான் என்னைக் கடந்து போனாள் அவள்,

ஒற்றை சடை போட்டு, கன்னத்தில் குழி விழச்சிரித்துக்கொண்டு,

ஏதோ ஒரு கவிதைப்புத்தகத்தை படித்துக்கொண்டு,

அவள் இறங்கும் இடம் வந்ததும் மெதுவாய் கலைந்து சென்றாள்,

அந்த கவிதைப் புத்தகத்தின் ஏதோ ஒரு பக்கத்தில் என்னையும் சேர்த்து கடத்திக்கொண்டு,

அன்று என் பயணக்குறிப்புகளெல்லாம் கவிதை,

இன்று வரை என் எல்லா ரயில் பயணங்களிலும் தேடிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறேன்,

என்றோ கண் விழித்துப் பார்க்கையிலோ, சட்டென திரும்பையிலோ,

அவள் என் எதிரே இருக்கமாட்டாளா என்று,

தொடர்கின்றன என் ரயில் பயணங்களும் தேடல்களும்.

©Karthik photography