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Explore # 43
[Technical Notes]: HDRI from 3 exposures( see below for details) using Photomatix, Tonemapping using LucisArt (Plug-In for PS CS3) and in Nik Color Efex Pro (Tonal Contrast), adding a vignette.
Info:
Exposures: 1/8 Sec.; 1/30 Sec.; 0.5 Sec.;
Aperture: f/ 10
ISO-Speed: 100
Focal Length: 18mm
Lens: Canon 18-55mm 4.5-5.6
min.þögin. islandic for "my silence."
Inspired by the house made by jordan giant for her shop nordari.
slurl.com/secondlife/Lusiadas/99/54/22
since i know her work inworld and also her photos at flickr i´m a fan of jordan. her houses are so beautiful, i realy can´t find words for it. they are telling a story, they give you that "you are six and grandma will tell you a story befor your afternoon nappin at a warm summerday". her house "min.þögin" inspired me to do this selfportrait with a cello.
in rl i love cello, but i can´t play it. so of course i have one in sl ^^. But why a cello for a picture called "my silence / min.þögin"? because in a very special way music can be part of silence for me, part of silence like wind or nature sounds. in my personal silence there is always a cello.
and i think jordan understand what i mean ^^.
so in short terms: this is a hommage at jordan giant - thank you for your work and time to make sl a bit more special and beautiful :).
you know that i never understood why people always link music to there pics - has the pic nothing to say for itself? maybe you can´t hear it because the music is to loud? ^^
BUT: because i play cello in that pic i will give you the first and also the last time in my flickr life a link to my special silence tune - that is what i would play if i could in my silence:
Pablo Casals: Bach, Cello Suite # 1, Prelude
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIzKdmDxdD0
ahhh.....maestro casals.... :)
some more "stuff" for our game, elizabeth! :-D
Allegria, Come un lampo di vita
Allegria, Come un pazzo gridar
Allegria, Del delittuoso grido
Bella ruggente pena, seren
Come la rabbia di amar, Allegria
Come un assalto di gioia ...
In my set rita & elizabeth
"H is for HITMAN"
So AriesEffects finished his 365, and somewhere around his 250th photo
i decided i would tribute him by doing my own set of Agent 47 photos.
if you havent seen his work OR his awesome Series
... well, you are just really missing out.
Aside from being a really funny,creative guy... he has a style
all his own. I cant even figure out how he gets his images to look
the way they do, but i always know from the thumbnail,its his.
Go congratulate him,and check out his stream.
OR ELSE.
For TOTW " Alter Ego"
because the hitman games have been one of my favorites,
and not just because we both sport the same hairstyle.
aside from being addictive and awesome, the game really
makes you think thru how to progress thru it.
Ontop of that it has consistently one of the best soundtracks
in any games, thanks to Jesper KId.
He has gone on to do the scores for many games,
most notably Assassins creed I and II. me and my brother
have collected almost all of his soundtracks,he kicks ass.
big thanks to my brother for helping me with this photoshoot,
he saved me alot of time in setting up the frame.
I have wanted to do a shoot like this for awhile,and finally
got to use my spiffy suit again in my 365.
(the red tie and the pistols were bought JUST for this tribute. :P)
View On Black | Original Size | Facebook Fan Page
Details:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Exposure: 5 exposures (-2,-1,0,+1,+2 EV)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 27mm
ISO Speed: 100
Accessories: Manfrotto 190XB Tripod, Manfrotto 322RC2 Heavy Duty Grip Ball Head, Canon RC1 Wireless Remote
Date and Time: 15 January 2011 8.34pm
Post Processing:
Imported into Lightroom
Exported to Photomatix
Tonemap generated HDR using detail enhancer option
Exported tonemapped image to CS5
Curves layer for contrast adjustment
Hue/Saturation layer
Noise reduction layer
Healing brush tool
Unsharp mask filter
Crop tool
Re-imported back into Lightroom
Added keyword metadata
Exported as JPEG
From Wikipedia
The Parkes Radiothermal Telescope, completed in 1961, was the brainchild of E.G. (Taffy) Bowen, chief of the CSIRO's Radiophysics Laboratory. During the Second World War, he had worked on radar development in the US and had made some powerful friends in the scientific community. Calling on this old boy network, he persuaded two philanthropic organisations, the Carnegie Corporation and the Rockefeller Foundation to fund half the cost of the telescope. It was this recognition and key financial support from the US that persuaded then Prime Minister Robert Menzies to agree to fund the rest of the project.
The primary observing instrument is the 64-metre movable dish telescope, second largest in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of the first large movable dishes in the world (DSS-43 'Deep Space Station'-43 at Tidbinbilla was extended from 64 m to 70 m in 1987, surpassing Parkes). After its completion it has operated almost continuously to the present day. The dish surface was physically upgraded by adding smooth metal plates to the central part to provide focusing capability for centimetre and millimetre length microwaves. The outer part of the dish remains a fine metal mesh, creating its distinctive two-tone appearance.
The 18m dish antenna in the foreground of the photo was transferred from the Fleurs Observatory (Mills Cross) in 1963. It was used as a transmit uplink antenna in the Apollo program and has been abandoned since the early 1980s.
The telescope has an altazimuth mount. It is guided by a small mock-telescope placed within the structure at the same rotational axes as the dish, but with an equatorial mount. The two are dynamically locked when tracking an astronomical object by a laser guiding system. This primary-secondary approach was designed by Barnes Wallis.
The success of the Parkes telescope led NASA to copy the basic design in their Deep Space Network, with matching 64 m dishes built at Goldstone, Madrid and Tidbinbilla
Best viewed LARGE on Black: bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=3462259502&size...
St. George Slays the Dragon - Taken in the Village Church in Fenny Bentley on the Tissington Trail in Derbyshire.
From the Wikipedia Article: "St George's Day is celebrated by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint. St George's Day is also England's National Day. Most countries which observe St George's Day celebrate it on April 23, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George's death in 303 AD.
St George's Day was a major feast and national holiday in England on a par with Christmas from the early 15th century. However, this tradition had waned by the end of the 18th century after the union of England and Scotland. In recent years the popularity of St George's Day appears to be increasing gradually. BBC Radio 3 had a full programme of St George's Day events in 2006, and Andrew Rosindell, Conservative MP for Romford, has been putting the argument forward in the House of Commons to make St George's Day a public holiday. Although Saint George is the Patron Saint of England, it is believed that St George was not English and it is not certain that he ever visited England, although legend has it that St George was born in Coventry at Caludon Castle in Wyken, though some say he was born in Cappadocia, an area which is now in Turkey"
Close to the town of Ashbourne, Fenny Bentley is a picturesque little village consisting of little more than a school, a pub and the church of St Edmunds possibly dating as far back as the 14th century. The church has an alabaster tomb of the Beresford family. Sir Thomas Beresford had fought at the Battle of Agincourt.
www.derbyshireuk.net/fenny.html
www.ashbournechurches.org/FennyBentley.htm
"The Tissington Trail is a bridleway and walk/cycle path in Derbyshire, England. Opened in 1971, and now a part of the National Cycle Network, it runs for 13 miles (21 km) from Parsley Hay in the north to Ashbourne in the south, along part of the trackbed of the former railway line connecting Ashbourne to Buxton. It takes its name from the village of Tissington, which it skirts."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tissington_Trail
Yesterday morning we returned from our trip to The Gambia. Now I understand why they call it The Smiling Coast... People are extremely friendly and despite their poorness they all look so happy. We 'spoiled' people have still a lot to learn!
Again, we have had such a wonderful trip and met a lot of great people. With a rented car we explored the beautiful country by ourselves. We have visited many (national) parks and have seen the most gorgeous (tropical) birds, monkeys, lizards, snakes, bats, crocodiles and hippo's.
It has been a trip which I will not forget but ofcourse way too short...
*This image shows some fishermen on the river Gambia who return home in the late afternoon. Captured during a boattrip right after we had seen the hippo's near Janjanbureh, formerly known as Georgetown.
El rey Joao II ideó una barrera defensiva que consistiría en tres fuertes: el Fuerte de San Sebastián de Caparica, la Torre de San Antonio en Cascais, y una tercera fortificación en Belém.
La torre de Belem, originariamente llamada Torre de San Vicente de Belém, en homenaje al patrón de Lisboa, fue construida por el arquitecto Francisco de Arruda, orientado por Diogo Boitaca, que por entonces estaba a cargo de la construcción del Monasterio de los Jerónimos, situado muy cerca de esta. Los trabajos comenzaron en 1514 y finalizaron en 1520.
Con el tiempo la estructura fue perdiendo su caracter defensivo original y fue utilizada como aduana, puesto telegráfico, faro y como prisión para presos políticos en el nivel inferior. Algunos historiadores sostienen que debido a su altura y a su ubicación, poco disimulada en el paisaje, la torre fue creada en realidad para funciones administrativas más que defensivas.
Si se compara con las clásicas construcciones medievales, mas bien austeras, la Torre de Belem se diferencia por su abundante decoración, que refleja el gusto del rey Manuel I, un estilo que con el tiempo se conocería como "manuelino".
Es una torre cuadrangular que se eleva sobre un bastión con forma de hexágono irregular que apunta hacia el río. Una sencilla pasarela permite acceder desde la orilla y tras atravezar un puente levadizo se entra directamente al bastión.
La torre tiene una altura de 35 metros y consta de cuatro pisos y terraza, desde la que hay una extraordinarias vistas del río Tajo.
Fue declarada Monumento Nacional en 1910.
One day God handed me a gift. He said, "Here, my dear... I have made something especially for you. It's a beautiful kitty. She is very soft and comforting to hold. I know you don't feel well at times, so I have given her an extra soothing purr to calm your heart. She will be good for your mind, too. When she curls up on your pillow next to you, press your forehead to hers and your restless thoughts will calm right down and help you sleep.
"She will run to meet you when you come home from the store, to tell you all about her big "hunts" and how much she missed you. She does cute little things, too, and has a very charming personality, which should bring you many hours of laughter and delight. And I have filled her eyes with the sparkling colors of tropical waters.
"There is one other thing I should tell you, however... those beautiful blue eyes are also a bit crossed. I felt this would be a wise addition for a couple of reasons. First of all, everyone needs to be reminded from time to time that something doesn't need to be perfect to be worth loving. And oddly enough, you will soon discover imperfections have a way of fading in the light of love.
"Secondly, crossed eyes can make it difficult for a kitty to see well. She might sometimes feel a bit insecure with sudden movements or forms she can't make out.. even yours. You will need to be sensitive to her fears and comfort her if she is frightened. This will help you focus more on her anxieties and less on yours.
"In short, I have designed her to be medicine for you, but most of all, a constant reminder of how very much I love you."
using my textures
www.flickr.com/photos/martisimas/5728677363/in/set-721576...
www.flickr.com/photos/martisimas/5729155603/in/set-721576...
Icy wind blows between the houses, flashes quickly in the night on the streets of the rotten city. A shade, a woman, her eyes are shiver and charm, her look magnetize you, it won't let you go.
The photoshoot shows the creature in an own perspective, who became nowadays very popular in books, films and series. The vampire. The immortal being of the past, the present and the future.
Look at the whole series!
Az időn át - Vámpír krónikák (a jövő)
Jeges szél süvít a házak közt, fürgén cikázik az éjszakában a romlott város utcáin. Egy árny, egy nő, a szeme borzongás és igézet, megbűvöl a tekintete, nem ereszt.
A sorozat saját szemszögünkből mutatja be azt a lényt, aki mára oly divatossá vált könyvekben, filmekben és tévésorozatokban. A vámpírt. A múlt, a jelen és a jövő alakját, aki halhatatlansággal bír.
Nézd meg a sorozat többi darabját is!
Info:
Concept, model: Ágnes Vincze
Makeup artist: Dóra Vízhányó
Hair stylist: Gábor Antal
Clothing designer: Zsuzsa Pócs
Strobist info:
Metz 58 AF-1 @ 1/2 power + Carena CA21 @ full power at camera left 90º into a reflective white umbrella, fired with Phottix Tetra PT-04II wireless trigger
Strobist.hu info:
Metz 58 AF-1 @ 1/2 teljesítményen + Carena CA21 @ max. teljesítményen kamera bal 90º-ról, fehér visszaverő ernyőbe Phottix Tetra PT-04II-vel indítva.
Il campanile di Giotto è la torre campanaria di Santa Maria del Fiore, la cattedrale di Firenze, e si trova in piazza del Duomo.
Le sue fondamenta furono scavate attorno al 1298 all'inizio del cantiere della nuova cattedrale, quando capomastro era Arnolfo di Cambio.
La posizione inusuale del campanile, allineato con la facciata, riflette la volontà di conferirgli una grande importanza come segno di forte verticalità al centro della Insula Episcopalis, oltre probabilmente alla necessità pratica di liberare la visuale della zona absidale per la grande cupola, prevista sin dal progetto arnolfiano.
Nel 1334 Giotto di Bondone subentrò nell'incarico di capomastro[1] occupandosi subito della costruzione del primo piano del campanile e disinteressandosi - secondo quanto sostiene una leggenda - del cantiere della basilica.
Giotto fornì un progetto originale del campanile, con una terminazione a cuspide piramidale alta 50 braccia fiorentine (circa 30 metri), secondo cui l'elevazione totale sarebbe dovuta essere di 110-115 metri circa (l'altezza attuale è invece di 84,75 metri).
informazioni tratte da Wikipedia
www.lokomotivy.net/adm/zobraz2.php?rada=r754sk&loko=1403
Ve dnech 19. až 26. června roku 2024 probíhala rozsáhlá napěťová výluka v úseku Púchov–Bytča. Důvodem této výluky bylo přepínání stejnosměrné trakční soustavy 3 kV na střídavou soustavu 25 kV a 50 Hz. Jednalo se o další krok postupného sjednocení trakční soustavy na síti slovenských železnic. Samotná napěťová výluka Púchov–Bytča byla doplněna i výlukou jednotlivých traťových kolejí a staničních kolejí ve stanici Považská Bystrica. Díky tomu se v celém úseku Púchov–Bytča jezdilo jednokolejně s křižováním ve stanici Považská Bystrica. To mělo za následek nízkou propustnost daného úseku a vznik zpoždění vlaků kategorie R "Povážan", Ex "Tatran" a IC až na více než jednu hodinu. Osobní vlaky byly v úseku Žilina–Púchov nahrazeny náhradní autobusovou dopravou. Pro přetahy vlaků v beznapěťovém úseku byly nasazeny tři lokomotivy řady 754 a 757. Jednou z nich byla i "štvorka" 754.014, která byla na snímku zachycena společně s "Vectronem" 383.106 v čele expresu 610 "Tatran" [Košice – Bratislava hl.st.] mezi zastávkou Nosice a stanicí Púchov. Jako záložní se pak na přetazích objevily i lokomotivy řady 742 a 749.
New York City.
Check it out my Portfolio: GETTY IMAGES
Maybe you like this: / Facebook / 500px
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York metropolitan area, one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world.[6] The city is referred to as New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part. A global power city,[7] New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters,[8] New York is an important center for international diplomacy[9] and has been described as the cultural capital of the world.[10][11]
On one of the world's largest natural harbors,[12] New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which is a county of New York State.[13] The five boroughs—the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island—were consolidated into a single city in 1898.[14] With a census-estimated 2013 population of 8,405,837[4] distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km2),[15] New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States.[16] As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York,[17][18] making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.[19] By 2013 census estimates, the New York Metropolitan Area's population remains by a significant margin the United States' largest Metropolitan Statistical Area, with approximately 19.9 million people,[20] and is also part of the most populous Combined Statistical Area in the United States, containing an estimated 23.4 million people.
I've managed to spend the entire day home, but rather than focus on, well, anything I've had to spend the day cleaning *gag*. So when I did get a break and wanted to take a photo I just quickly did a little blue makeup.
I had the awesome chance of trying new makeup from Harajuku Hunnies and I'm so madly in love! The colors I used here come from their "Boys Day" Quadriset and it's so pigmented it just pops beautifully! I used my NYX jumbo pencil in Milk under it but truthfully you don't even need it, the colors are stunning on their own.
You so must go and check them out at www.harajukuhunnies.com and if you'd like to get 10% off your order just enter in "Jacqueline" when you checkout and you can thank the fabulous Jacqueline herself aka A Brilliant Brunette for that! <3
Make sure to also check out Jacqueline's blog. She has some gorgeous Halloween looks up and more to come as well as various looks from Harajuku Hunnies.
Now, I'm off to go and be lazy <3
New York City.
Check it out my Portfolio: GETTY IMAGES
Maybe you like this: / Facebook / 500px
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York metropolitan area, one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world.[6] The city is referred to as New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part. A global power city,[7] New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters,[8] New York is an important center for international diplomacy[9] and has been described as the cultural capital of the world.[10][11]
On one of the world's largest natural harbors,[12] New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which is a county of New York State.[13] The five boroughs—the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island—were consolidated into a single city in 1898.[14] With a census-estimated 2013 population of 8,405,837[4] distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km2),[15] New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States.[16] As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York,[17][18] making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.[19] By 2013 census estimates, the New York Metropolitan Area's population remains by a significant margin the United States' largest Metropolitan Statistical Area, with approximately 19.9 million people,[20] and is also part of the most populous Combined Statistical Area in the United States, containing an estimated 23.4 million people.
Love...this feeling that make us be crazy, desperate, happy, sad... Just say we are fragile sometimes, so if you love someone, please, give him/her everything you can and build a wonderfull life because we are in this crazy world, but we dont know what happened tomorrow...Happy Valentines Day...:))
PD: Sorry my english is not perfect...
Skin - Quarantine - Fragmented Love Vintage Doll
Shape - SuPerBia Shapes - MoToKo
Hair - Boudoir - Irena
EyeShadow - SuPerBia EyeShadow - Black Life
Tattoo - SuPerBia Tattoo - Fragile...Dont Crush (slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Slums/87/79/52)
Listen El Piano - B.S.O.
El monasterio femenino de Sant Joan de les abadesses, se fundó en el año 887 por el entonces conde de Barcelona, Girona Guifré el pilos, bajo el nombre original de Sant Joan de Ripoll, y bajo las reglas benedictinas con el propósito de cumplir dos objetivos: ayudar al proceso de repoblación de la zona recién arrebatada a los musulmanes y aportar patrimonio a la familia del conde, en concreto a su hija Emma, destinada a ser la primera abadesa del monasterio.
Hasta que Emma ejerció en el cargo de abadesa en el año 898, el monasterio quedó bajo la tutela del conde de Barcelona y sobretodo del obispo de Vic, Gotmar. A partir del gobierno de Emma, el monasterio contó con una comunidad de mujeres, que se vio ampliamente beneficiada por Gotmar y por un precepto de Carlos el Calvo, del año 899, en el que se le dotaba al monasterio de una total inmunidad y protección de sus bienes, sobretodo frente a cualquier poder civil o político. Probablemente fue Gotmar el que gestionase las condiciones de dicho precepto, conocedor de la familia de Emma, ya que poco después se demostraron los recelos y demandas que los hermanos de Emma realizaros en contra del monasterio. Mas adelante, ya en el 913, todas las villas y aldeas de la Vall de Sant Joan quedan bajo la jurisdicción y protección del monasterio, confirmándose incluso el derecho de los residentes del valle a no acudir a la 'host' (huestes) convocadas por el conde. Todos estos beneficios adjudicados hicieron que el poder económico del monasterio creciese rápidamente e, las donaciones se ivan sucediendo y las posesiones de la abadesa se extendían hasta Perpiñan y Girona, fundando iglesias y parroquias por todos las zonas repobladas, llegando casi hasta los límites de la misma ciudad de Barcelona.
Las abadesas del monasterio se fueron sucediendo, siendo siempre personas vinculadas a las familias condales catalanas. En total hubo 5 abadesas
Hasta la fundación del monasterio de Sant Pere de les Puelles en Barcelona en el año 945, fue el único gran monasterio femenino de los condados catalanes de la época. El final de la comunidad femenina fue trágico y penoso, al menos así nos lo cuentan los textos que de ellos nos hablan: el mes de diciembre del año 1016, el conde de Besalú, Bernat Talalferro, acudió a Roma con un notable séquito, del que formaban parte sus hijos Guillem y Guifré, su hermano Guifré, conde de Cerdaña y Oliba, abad de Ripoll, así como una representación de dignatarios del obispo de Vic, el ardiaco, el primiciero y el sacristán. Ante el papa, en Roma, acusaros a la abadesa y a las monjas de una conducta moral escandalosa, antes ya habían informado de este hecho los abades de Ripoll y Camprodón. La personalidad y integridad demostrada por el entonces abad de Ripoll y luego obispo de Vic, el abad Oliba, hacen creer que las acusaciones podrían ser ciertas. En realidad, la tradición del desmadre de las monjas de Sant Joan a pasado a ser un hecho popular, ligado desde hace mucho tiempo a las leyendas del 'Comte Arnau'.El papa Benito VIII expidió una bulla el 26 de enero de 1017, en la que tras acusar de ' meretrius de Venus ' (meretrices de Venus) a las monjas, abolió la comunidad y colocó en su lugar una comunidad de clérigos bajo la regla canonical aquisgranesa, sujeta a la Santa Sede. Dejando a un lado si los hechos fueron verdaderos o no, esta claro que Bernat tenia buenos intereses personales y económicos si desaparecía la comunidad del monasterio, ya que a parte de conseguir la desaparición de la comunidad, el papa también le concedió la creación del obispado de Besalú, dentro del ámbito del cual quedaba inscrito el monasterio. Así Gufré, hijo de Bernat, se convertía en obispo de Besalú y abad de Sant Joan de Ripoll y Santa María de Besalú. Posteriormente, la diócesis perdió su lugar y desapareció y el monasterio quedo bajo el gobierno de la comunidad de San Víctor de Marsella, al igual que el resto de monasterio del condado de Cerdaña (incluidos Ripoll), hasta el 1111, que bajo la orden agustiniana quedó de nuevo bajo la jurisdicción de la Santa sede.
La iglesia que nos queda hoy en día se consagró en el año 1150, concretamente el 2 de noviembre, fechándose una anterior consagración de un templo existente ya en el año 887, momento de la fundación del monasterio.
In Wordpress In Blogger photo.net/photos/Reinante/ In Onexposure
是白天具靈性的白荷散發出光芒?
還是夜晚慈悲照亮大地的水蓮燈?
當我按下快門那一瞬間,我便知我拍到了.
今天也是陰天.一直拍到早上九點.又下起雨來了.今年真是運氣太好了,拍櫻花,拍桐花,拍荷花都是陰雨天.
陰天,自動白平衡會錯亂,所以我設定在4760K,並做 25mired 洋紅色偏移.並且不用CPL,利用右下方荷葉當反光板.光線照在荷葉上,除了形成荷葉上,下方的高反差外.也反射在荷花上形成補光的效果.讓看起來好像是荷花自己會發光,照亮了荷葉一般.
這張照片第二區佔大部分.所以我採矩陣測光, -0.7EV 來加重第二區的穩定度以及把在第七區的白荷拉回第六區來保有荷葉上的細節.而之前 25mired的洋紅色偏移,也為陰天下本較為平面的白荷, "刻"上紅色線條,來增加立體感.
謝謝大家的支持,這張已進了 Explore
This is one of my favorite pictures from Europe, that is not actually of some monument or amazing scenery. I took this in the grass by the side of the street leading to Buckingham Palace, actually,
I found the words on a random sticky note crumpled up on my desk: I don't even remember when I wrote it down, or why. I am a sticky note fiend: I have stacks of them on my desk, because I always seem to need them.
I could have searched until I found the words that most perfectly fit this picture, but I found those, and it felt right enough I didn't have to keep looking. I make a lot of my decisions that way. If only everything were so easy.
These two beautiful Mute Swans sharing a tender moment together is a nice way of ending August don't you think? See you all in September!! ;)
•Large, all-white waterfowl.
•Long, curved neck.
•Orange bill and black face.
"The Mute Swan is reported to mate for life. However, changing of mates does occur infrequently, and swans will remate if their partner dies. If a male loses his mate and pairs with a young female, she joins him on his territory. If he mates with an older female, they go to hers. If a female loses her mate, she remates quickly and usually chooses a younger male."
Best viewed LARGE
The weight is unbearable, she wanted to say. But her heart was pounding and she was out of breath and her words were barely a whisper. She had lost the will to stand, and she was crying and crawling, hand over fist, clawing her way up a mountain that she could never master.
I could just let it go, and I would be lighter, free.
I could race up this hillside and on the other side of the shadow there would be sunlight and life and happiness.
But she held fast to her burden, carrying it between her teeth, for she had no hand free to hold it close.
She opened her eyes, and through the soft focus of tear-swelled eyes, she saw that there were others all around her, lifting their bodies against the pull of gravity, focusing on the cold earth beneath their fingers, whispering secrets to themselves as they blindly climbed uphill.
Take my hand, said a familiar voice.
There was a woman just beyond her reach, outlined in silhouette against the sky.
And so she pressed on, until she could take hold of the woman’s body, and together they continued climbing, climbing, alone in each other’s company.
When they reached the peak, the sunlight was fading, and she could just see the outlines of a lush green valley in the soft light of evening.
What have you carried all this way? asked the woman.
She spat her burden into the palm of her hand. It glistened in the golden light of the dying day, dark, throbbing hot against the chilly air.
My heart, she murmured.
Foggy winter morning at Pitt Meadows near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
About this photo: Well, we've been battered by some snow storms here on the west coast of Canada in the last couple of weeks. In the area where I live we must have received about a foot (about 30cm) of snow if not more. The last dump of snow came to us on Monday morning and since then it has been freezing cold with temperatures below freezing, but the snow was replaced by blue skies and sunshine. I finally have been able to go out and enjoy the sunshine in the last couple of days.
This morning I had to take my mother in law to the hospital in Maple Ridge for cataract surgery. She would be there for about 3 hours and while she was getting her eye drops done and the procedure I decided to venture out and drive to beautiful Pitt Lake which was not far away. As I approach the lake I see lots of fog and when I am walking towards the lake the sun starts hitting the fog and I am in awe standing there while the fog rises and swirls around me. What an amazing sight. I cannot capture that feeling in a photo, but I hope this photo will give you an idea of how beautiful it was to stand there!
~Camera Settings:
*Camera Model: Sony ILCA-77m2
*Focal Length: 16mm
*F-Number: F/8
*Exposure Time: 1/60 sec.
*ISO Speed: ISO-100
*Exposure Program: Shutter Priority (A)
Thank you for dropping by!
Ann :)
Some information on the Pitt Lake area: Pitt Lake is located in Grant Narrows Regional Park in Pitt Meadows which is about 45 minutes east of downtown Vancouver. Pitt Lake is the second-largest lake in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, being about 53.5 square km (20.5 square mi) in area. It is about 25km (15.6mi) long and about 4.5km (2.8mi) wide at its widest, and is also one of the world's largest tidal lakes, its confluence with the Fraser being only a few miles upstream from that river's estuary into the Strait of Georgia. Its southern tip, where the Pitt River resumes, is 40km (25mi) east of downtown Vancouver.
The upper Pitt River valley is a typical U-shaped glacial valley in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. The over-deepening of the lower end of the valley over the span of the Wisconsin glaciation created a trough over 140m (462ft) below current sea level. After initial glacial retreat at around 13,000 years ago a saltwater fjord occupied this basin when relative sea levels were still ca 120m (396ft) to 140m (462ft) above current levels in the region. Unlike neighbouring Indian Arm and Howe Sound farther west this fjord basin became cut off by sedimentation of the lower Fraser River by ca 10,500 years ago and is now considered a tidal fjord lake.
The community of Pitt Meadows occupies the marshy lowland at the southern end of the lake, some of which has become drained and is known as the Pitt Polder. Just southwest of the lake is the community of Port Coquitlam, which is across the Pitt River from Pitt Meadows. At the north end of the lake is a locality named Alvin, which is a transport and shipping point for logging companies and their employees. The Upper Pitt, meaning the valley upstream from the lake, is considered BC's best fly-fishing rivers and one of its best steelhead streams.
The lake is popular with boaters and canoeists, but is prone to heavy winds and rains as well as big waves (due to its great depth). The mountain range on its east flank comprises Golden Ears Provincial Park, its basin to the north is in southern Garibaldi Provincial Park, while the mountain range on its west, northeast of Vancouver's Coquitlam Lake watershed reservoir, is Pinecone Burke Provincial Park. The waterfront and foreshore of the lake and river are public-access and include extensive migratory wildfowl habitat. There is a destination golfing resort in the Pitt Polder area called Swan-e-set.
The area along the east side of the lake is somewhat famous for being the reputed location of Slumach's lost gold mine, the location of many failed and sometimes disastrous searches for the alleged murderer's lost gold mine. (Info from Wikipedia)
jeje.. no es lo mío eso de fotografiar este tipo de momentos pero es una imagen que me transmite, me salió con mi vieja Canon 10D y le tengo mucha estima... me trae muchos recuerdos y aunque sea vieja que mejor día para volverla a colgar que hoy "."
Un saludete a todos en especial a esos enamoraditos que día tras día hacen lo imposible por estar juntos.. sin amor no hay vida!! Que cursada me acabo de marcar!! pero ahí queda, yo soy uno de ellos ;-)
Por favor, no uses mis imágenes sin mi consentimiento, si estas interesado en alguna ponte en contacto conmigo o visita mi perfil para obtener mas detalles.
HAY QUE VERLA EN GRANDE. LARGE VIEW.
Otra Polaroid, un poco alargada para que me entrase el reflejo de abajo. Supongo que ya todos sabeís dónde fue tomada y lo que miraban. Y los que no lo sepan aún que investiguen.
Estas semanas no tendré tiempo de comentaros las fotos, asi es que mi forma de deciros que he visto la foto y me ha gustado será añadirla a favoritos.
These weeks i haven't time to comment on all your photos, so my way of saying that I have seen the picture and I liked, it will add to favorites.
Peregrine Falcon; an immature
Found in Golf of Aden about 50 km at sea (North Of Somalia) It was about 30 cm heigh sitting on the ships deck and very shy.
Peregrine Falcon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known simply as the Peregrine,[2] and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America,[3] is a cosmopolitan bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is a large, crow-sized falcon, with a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache". It can reach speeds over 320 km/h (200 mph) in a dive, making it the fastest animal in the world.[4] As is common with bird-eating raptors, the female is much bigger than the male.[5][6] Experts recognize 17–19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; there is disagreement over whether the distinctive Barbary Falcon is a subspecies or a distinct species.
The Peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the Tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread bird of prey.[7] Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon", referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations.
While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the Peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles or even insects. It reaches sexual maturity at one year, and mates for life. It nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures.[8] The Peregrine Falcon became an endangered species in many areas due to the use of pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the beginning of the 1970s onwards, the populations recovered, supported by large scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.[9]
When A Man Loves A Woman - Percy Sledge
The Monastery of Sant Benet de Bagés is a former Benedictine monastery, in the Catalan comarca of Bages. The Romanesque monastery was thoroughly restored at the beginning of the twentieth century by the Catalan architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
The monastery was founded about 950 by the noble Salla and his consort Ricarda, of the house of the viscounts of Osona . According to the founding legend, Salla traveled to Rome to have his institution authorized, and to have it depend directly on the Holy See, the usual method for preserving the community from interference from the bishop of Vic, in whose diocese it lay. The abbey church was consecrated 3 December 972, witnessed by a gathering of notables: Borrell II, Count of Barcelona, the bishops Frugifer of Vic, Guisad of Urgell and Pere of Barcelona, the viscount Guadald of Osona, and three of the four offspring of the recently deceased founder, his son Isarn and the sisters Quíxol and Ego, at the head of witnesses both laymen and priests, in a grand ceremonial recorded in the surviving act of consecration.
The community was dedicated to the Holy Trinity and to Benedict of Nursia (Sant Benét in Catalan) founder of the order, and Peter and Andrew, all guarantors of its future orthodoxy. The founder secured dispensations that the future abbots would be chosen from among their descendents, making the abbey a form of proprietary church, an agreement that would soon lead to disputes among the various branches of their lineage as to choice of abbots.
From 965, the abbey church held the supposed relics of Saint Valentine, enclosed in a wooden reliquary with plates of silver depicting miraclesa of Saint Valentine, rediscovered in 1863 in the church of Navarcles.At the beginning of the eleventh century the monastery passed under the direction of the Abbey of Saint Peter of Tomeras at Narbonne, from which the community freed itself in 1108. In 1125 Sant Benet de Bagés suffered from an attack by Moors that required a rebuilding, financed by local nobles who required in return the right to be buried in its consecrated ground.
The most splendid age of Sant Benet de Bagés was in the fourteenth century. The Black Death left the community with only two survivors, in a period that witnessed the beginning of its decline. On 9 November 1593, by order of Pope Clement VIII the community passed under the direction of the Abbey of Montserrat, and remained so until it was suppressed in 1820, serving as a place of retirement for Montserrat's community of monks. By the "law of desamortización" of 1835, all religious orders in Spain were required to render upo their possessions.The crumbling ancient structure attracted the interest of intellectuals who organised visits to it in the late nineteenth century. The architect Puig i Cadafalch and the painter Ramon Casas encouraged the mother of Casas to buy the property in 1907; in 1910 it passed into the hands of Casas, who commissioned Puig i Cadafalch to restore it. Since 2000, when it was purchased from Casas' heirs it has belonged to the Caixa de Manresa, a financial institution that has undertaken its maintenance.
In Wordpress In Blogger photo.net/photos/Reinante/ In Onexposure
An old Aurora shot i "stumbled" upon in my archives. After some fiddling around with it, I felt it was good enough to post.
Aurora shots are peculiar. Out of camera they don't look much. No "pop" and really weak, but when you work a bit with them the colours goes back to how it was. It is almost like you're back in the dark looking up at the wonderful spectacle in the sky again. :-)
Have a great week everybody!
Tech
Canon 5D
Canon 17-40 @ 17mm
f/4
6 sec (yep, it is REALLY vibrant)
ISO 1600
Cheers
Håkon
Hilo de la Fotohistoria en Pullip .es: PULLIP.ES - BCN: Parque Guinardo - 26/02/2011
Meeting!! (2 of 5): L and the sweets /
Kedada!! (2 de 5): L y las chuches
(Read in order, this is: SHOT/FOTO 06 of 07) PAG: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07.
FOTOHISTORY: In English / En Español
Lyann: Here L, if you want we can share mine... Do you like the strawberry ones?
L: O_O T^T O_O T^T
/
Lyann: Toma L, si quieres te doy un poco del mío... Te gustan los de fresa?
L: O_O T^T O_O T^T
LINKS:
- Las FOTOHISTORIAS de Sheryl en el Foro de Pullips: Pullip .es
- Sheryl Photostories at Flickr
- Hilo de las Fotohistorias de Shin y Yashiro en el Foro de Pullips: Pullip .es
Todos sabemos ya que Castilla y León es una comunidad que atesora grandes valores naturales. Entre ellos, se encuentra el Parque Natural de las Hoces del río Duratón, en la provincia de Segovia.
El Duratón es un afluente del Duero, del que toma su nombre: "Duero pequeño", ya que "-ón" actúa en este caso como diminutivo, y no como aumentativo (como ocurre con "tapón", "ratón", etc.). Nace en Somosierra (Madrid) y desemboca cerca de Peñafiel (Valladolid). Durante su curso, se va encajando en las rocas dolomíticas que hoy día lo circundan.
Ese encajonamiento progresivo es el que va dando lugar a las hoces, llamadas así por su parecido con dicho apero de labranza. No es una tarea fácil. El río ha necesitado millones de años para disolver el carbonato cálcico y magnésico a la vez que trazaba, caprichoso, meandros como el que se aprecia en la imagen.
Cabe destacar entre la fauna más característica la colonia de buitre leonado, una de las mayores de toda Europa. No es difícil ver los nidos de estas aves en los cortados de las hoces.
No son los únicos que habitan en el parque. La diversidad es enorme. Se han llegado a catalogar 445 especies animales (130 de ellas son aves). ¡Ahí es nada!
Respecto a la vegetación es preciso distinguir los diferentes biotopos que podemos encontrarnos aquí: las parameras en la zona superior, los cortados y los bosques de ribera en el fondo del cañón, sin olvidar los pinares sobre la arena. Todo ello condiciona una amplia variedad de hábitats y, consecuentemente, una elevada biodiversidad: 572 son las especies vegetales registradas.
Para finalizar, quisiera hacer una breve reseña a la localidad de Sepúlveda, municipio en el que se encuentra la casa del parque. Su nombre "Septem Publica" se debe a las siete puertas de su muralla. La historia ha quedado reflejada en sus calles y sus monumentos. Su pintoresca estampa no escapa a los ojos del visitante.
En definitiva, el Parque Natural de las Hoces del Duratón es un lugar totalmente recomendable para visitar, disfrutar y aprender, tanto de la biología y geología del lugar, como del arte y la historia de sus municipios, sin olvidarnos de su exquisita gastronomía :)
Esto era solo una pincelada.
Best Viewed On Black | My Photostream On Black | Desktop Background
NOTE: This one really does shine when Viewed On Black
My wife was kindly doing the driving while I gazed out to sea. We rounded
a turn and I caught a glimpse of what I thought was a natural bridge down
below. We had to drive a bit before we found a place to turn out which
meant I was hoofing it back up the hill. There is was, a natural bridge
that looked something like an elephants head with the image dominating Point
Sur volcanic rock in the distance. I timed my shot to coincide with the
light of the Point Sur light station. We were really enjoying watching the
waves roll in off the crystal blue Pacific and turn to a foamy white. A
short ways down the road we discovered a sign indicating that tours of the
Point Sur lighthouse are available on Wednesdays and again on the weekends.
We agreed that we'd revisit the site and take the tour at some future date.
We could see the light from the Point Sur lighthouse as far north as
Carmel's Point Lobos. he weather couldn't have been better so we continued
down California's Highway One headed towards Pfeiffer Beach.
Darv
© Darvin Atkeson
.- Este Busardo ratonero fue encontrado con heridas de perdigon (probablemente causadas por algun cazador). Llevado al Centro de Recuperacion de Fauna del Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l'Empordá, donde lograron recuperarlo y finalmente devolverlo a su medio en libertad. Este es el momento de su liberación. Foto realizada en condiciones controladas.
.- Wounded by a shotgun (probably by hunters), this Buzzard was found and took to the recovery unit in the Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l'Empordá (Girona, Spain). With great success, this is the moment of his release. Picture made under controlled conditions.
www.snakecatchers.com.au/snake-information.php
The common death adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) is a species of death adder native to Australia. It is one of the most venomous land snakes in Australia and globally. While it remains widespread (unlike related species), it is facing increased threat from the ongoing Australian cane toad invasion.[citation needed]
The common death adder has a broad flattened, triangular head and a thick body with bands of red, brown and black with a grey, cream or pink belly. It can reach a maximum body length of 70–100 centimetres (2.3–3.3 ft). Death adders possess the longest fangs of any Australian snake. Unlike the common or European adder (Vipera berus), the common death adder is a member of the Elapidae family, rather than the Viperidae family of snakes, which are not found in Australia.[2]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
The common death adder occurs over much of eastern and coastal southern Australia – Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. It is more scarce in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and the west parts of South Australia.[2] It is also native to Papua New Guinea.[1]
Common death adders are found in forests, woodlands, grasslands and heaths of the eastern coast of Australia. The death adder is a master of camouflage, due to its band stripes, hiding beneath loose leaf litter and debris in woodland, shrubland and grassland.[2]
Diet[edit]
Common death adders eat small mammals and birds as a primary diet. Unlike other snakes, the common death adder lies in wait for its prey (often for many days) until a meal passes. It covers itself with leaves—making itself inconspicuous—and lies coiled in ambush, twitching its grub-like tail close to its head as a lure. When an animal approaches to investigate the movement, the death adder quickly strikes, injecting its venom and then waits for the victim to die before eating it. The death adder is not aggressive and less of a threat to humans.[2]
Reproduction[edit]
Unlike most snakes, death adders produce litters of live young. In the late summer, a female death adder will produce a litter of live babies, approximately 3–20, however over 30 young have been recorded in a single litter.[2]
Oloron-Sainte-Marie, Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France).
♪♫ Listen / Escuchar (Celine Dion - Ave Maria) ♫♪
Vertorama of 2 shots.
ENGLISH
Oloron-Sainte-Marie is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département in southwestern France.
Oloron Cathedral (Cathédrale Sainte-Marie d'Oloron-Sainte-Marie) is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the town of Oloron-Sainte-Marie, France. It was the seat of the Bishopric of Oloron, suppressed by the Concordat of 1801.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oloron-Sainte-Marie, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oloron_Cathedral
-------------------------------
CASTELLANO
Oloron-Sainte-Marie es un municipio del sudoeste de Francia situado en el departamento de los Pirineos Atlánticos (64), en la región de Aquitania. Tiene, según el censo de 1999, 10.992 habitantes.
El nombre proviene de la fusión decretada en 1858 de los dos municipios vecinos de Oloron y Sainte-Marie. El nombre tradicional gascón es Auloron, escrito modernamente Aülourou. Auloron a su vez proviene del ibero Iluro, nombre con el que era conocida una ciudad situada en el lugar de la actual Oloron en la época romana.
La catedral de Santa María de Oloron es un edificio religioso construido por el vizconde de Bearn Gastón IV el Croata. Fue la sede episcopal de la antigua diócesis de Oloron, suprimida en 1802.
Su construcción comienza en 1102, año en que Gastón IV volvió de las cruzadas. De este primer estilo románico sólo queda la fachada esculpida por dos artistas. El primero realizó el tímpano (descenso de la cruz), cuatro capiteles y la entreventana.
El «Maestro de Santa María», tal como se conoce al segundo escultor, tenía mayor talento aún: la arquivolta más alta evoca el cielo con los 24 viejos de la apocalipsis. De cada lado surge un grupo esculpido: a la izquierda, un monstruo se traga un hombre, condenado por sus pecados; a la derecha, un caballero pisotea un enemigo vencido, la cara del cual muestra el espanto. Estas obras continúan siendo tradicionales por el tema, pero son originales por la variedad de las actitudes y el vigor de las expresiones. La otra arquivolta ofrece un contraste total: consagrada a las escenas de la vida terrestre, enseña una cacería de jabalí, la pesca de salmones y los diversos preparativos de un festín: todas estas figuras son sorprendentes por su vida y naturaleza.
El resto del edificio es de estilo gótico, y comprende una torre campanario, dos torres cuadradas y una cabecera con capillas radiantes.
Más info: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oloron, ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_Santa_Maria_d'Auloron
It won't dissapoint. View On Black
It was a nice autumn day. The weatherman said it will be a a little warm today. I just woke up and stared at the window. The fountain was still on. I forgot to turn it off last night and there was barely enough water to keep it flowing. I saw a couple of birds just basking and frolicking in the fountain...just enjoying their hearts content. I wish I had my camera ready to take a snapshot but I had errands to do. So in the afternoon when I got back, I set up my camera on a tripod by the window and hoped the birds would come back. I've waited and waited. 2 hours had passed. My patience was wearing thin. I was ready to call it a day when this bird just magically appeared on the fountain. I managed to snap three shots before it flew away when the pug, Milo, came and decided to check out the scene. I love how the late afternoon autumn sun cast a soft glow on the bird. It was worth all the wait, i thought.
"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God's] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord"
(Romans 12:19, AMP).
We all go through situations where we’re not being treated fairly. Maybe somebody is talking behind your back or trying to make you look bad, maybe you were overlooked for a promotion or cheated in a business deal. When we’re being mistreated, the natural thing is to try to defend ourselves and set the record straight. Human nature wants to get even and get revenge. But the scripture says, “Vengeance is Mine… says the Lord.” That means God wants to make your wrongs right. He wants to pay you back for every unfair thing that has happened. He is a God of justice.
Notice what today’s scripture says: you can either avenge yourself or you can let God be your avenger, but you can’t have it both ways. If you take matters into your own hands, then God is going to step back and say, “Go ahead, do it your way. Looks like you don’t need My help.” But on the other hand, if we choose to stay on the high road and say, “No, I’m going to let God be my avenger and trust God to bring justice into my life”, then you are leaving the way open for God to move mightily on your behalf!
-Joel Osteen
maraculio.09 © All rights reserved
[on black]
when habanero is the very first ingredient listed on the nutrition label, you know its gunna be hot. this sauce is rated at 50,000 scoville units. to put that in perspective, a jalapeno is between 2500 and 8000. habaneros are between 100,000 and 580,000. the scale goes up to 16,000,000. a couple drops of this is all you need to warm a bowl of chili. this is one of the latest additions.. i love hot sauce.
shot taken for strobist sundays, theme fruits & vegetables.
im also gunna use this for macro mondays, theme nuts.. cuz you've gotta be nuts to eat this stuff straight up!
strobist: lumopro lp120 fired via rf-602 at 1/1 power at wall behind subject with black foam core gobo. 580exii fired via rf-602 at 1/4 power held in my hand above subject. see setup shot below...
explored..
Icy wind blows between the houses, flashes quickly in the night on the streets of the rotten city. A shade, a woman, her eyes are shiver and charm, her look magnetize you, it won't let you go.
The photoshoot shows the creature in an own perspective, who became nowadays very popular in books, films and series. The vampire. The immortal being of the past, the present and the future.
Look at the whole series!
Az időn át - Vámpír krónikák (a jövő)
Jeges szél süvít a házak közt, fürgén cikázik az éjszakában a romlott város utcáin. Egy árny, egy nő, a szeme borzongás és igézet, megbűvöl a tekintete, nem ereszt.
A sorozat saját szemszögünkből mutatja be azt a lényt, aki mára oly divatossá vált könyvekben, filmekben és tévésorozatokban. A vámpírt. A múlt, a jelen és a jövő alakját, aki halhatatlansággal bír.
Nézd meg a sorozat többi darabját is!
Info:
Concept, model: Ágnes Vincze
Makeup artist: Dóra Vízhányó
Hair stylist: Gábor Antal
Clothing designer: Zsuzsa Pócs
Strobist info:
Metz 58 AF-1 @ 1/2 power + Carena CA21 @ full power at camera left 45º into a reflective white umbrella, fired with Phottix Tetra PT-04II wireless trigger
Strobist.hu info:
Metz 58 AF-1 @ 1/2 teljesítményen + Carena CA21 @ max. teljesítményen kamera bal 45º-ról, fehér visszaverő ernyőbe Phottix Tetra PT-04II-vel indítva.
there is always loads of sunshine the week of Thanksgiving-slash-my birthday. and this always irritates me slightly.
by now, i'm more than ready for cooler weather. and usually we've had a taste of it in the weeks prior. colder nights, sweater weather during the day, sometimes a bit of rain.
so, when Thanksgiving rolls around, i'm always disappointed at the flip flops and t-shirt weather that accompanies this handful of days.
i don't know why it seems to happens so frequently, but i can count on one hand the number of times that this week has actually been properly cold in the past dozen or so years (well, properly cold for Los Angeles, anyway).
i'm so ready to swap out the flip flops for a pair of comfy flat boots that i can tuck my jeans into. and some rain. and some hot cocoa.
EDIT: i'm well aware that it's a bit silly to be complaining about the weather when i live in Southern California. i love love love our weather for the most part. and no, i wouldn't want to live somewhere that goes freezing and hurls snow at me.
but dammit! i just would love it if it was BELOW 70 degrees for Thanksgiving! :)
___________________
"3 x 5," by John Mayer
maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm
in the mood to lose my way
but let me say
you should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes
it brought me back to life
you'll be with me next time I go outside
no more 3x5's
It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon and it was approximately 84 degrees outside.
You were sitting in my room complaining about how hot it was. I didn't complain because you already knew how much I adored this weather. I observed you, and I could see this expression of "I'm dying." upon your face. I suggested we go to the beach for a while. You got up right away and said "You're so smart. That's a great idea." I giggled because even you could have come up with that, but I suppose you were too hot to even think.
I changed into some denim ripped shorts and a flowy tank top. You, of course, we're screwed because you wore jeans and a t-shirt. but it didn't matter.
you always seemed to manage.
i grabbed some sun-block and towels and we headed out to your car.
It was pretty hot in there. I said "Wow, I can't even breathe." and so we rolled down the windows. We got on the 10 freeway and there wasn't much traffic, which was awesome because the faster we got there, the better. We put on our ipods, you started off with some loud hardcore music, i didn't mind. I was actually getting the hang of it and even started building a like for it. Then, I blasted some Taylor Swift. You weren't such a big fan, but you didn't mind it either. While you kept your eyes on the road, I kept my eyes on the sky and started imagining all the fun we were going to have on this really hot day.
You held my hand and I started playing with your fingers. We held hands until our palms started getting sweaty. We released them, and we started giggling saying "ewwwwwww." we were such children.
we're about 5 minutes away and we can already see the pier and the ocean. we make our way into the parking lot. once we're parked, we get out of the car and I start running away from you, making my way towards the sand. you go after me and say "Girl, where do you think you're going?" I laugh and let you catch up to me. You wrap your arm around me and we see what looks like a huge family of seagulls. You look at me and give me that smirk. I already know what you're thinking. I say "Honey, leave them alone. They're just cute little birds. They aren't doing a thing to us." You laugh because I always had the habit of defending animals. You take me by the hand and start running. I couldn't stop myself and so there we were. We chased after the seagulls making funny noises at them, scaring them away. I couldn't help but to just laugh. You say "Wasn't that fun?" I reply "it was a workout." after the seagull chase, we find ourselves a nice spot to lay our stuff down. There's children everywhere playing with their shovels and buckets, making mud pies. I suggest that we build a sandcastle. and so we do. at the end, we're both very satisfied with our castle and I proudly declare that you're the prince and I'm the princess. you give me a soft kiss on the cheek and call me "dork."
the sun kissed our skin beautifully with its warmth and its rays shining down upon us.
you roll up your jeans halfway and we start to walk towards the ocean. as the waves come crashing down, I start squealing because I can feel the cold water wash over my feet. You begin splashing me with your hands and I kick you on the side of your leg. I then start splashing you back. You don't care that you didn't bring extra clothes. you simply enjoy the moment you're having and forget about everything that doesn't matter. After an hour of spending some time in the water, we walk back to our things and I dip my little red-painted toes in the sand and giggle like a child as I move them around. You pull up and sit next to me. We both start shivering because we got completely wet. I grab a towel and wrap it around our frail little shoulders. I ask how you're feeling and you reply "Much better, I'm so happy we did this." As you look up into the sky, I look at you. Amazed. Of what? Only I knew. We never had a day like this. It felt completely magical. As the sun starts going down, we question if we should stay or leave. In the end, we decide to stay. We fall asleep for a while on the towels we laid out.
we wake up and its already dark. you help me up and we walk towards a lifeguard dock. we then just sit there, observing the stars. I look afar, and I see what looks like a big sparkly star. Amused, i say to you "oh my gosh! do you see that star?! its so big! and it sparkles like no other!" You look, and then you reply "Oh baby. That's not a star, that's a helicopter." To my dissapointment, you were right. I look down feeling stupid, and you simply lift my chin up and say "You know, some things aren't what they seem. But you and I, we're real. We're up in the night sky, and we sparkle, twice as much as all the other stars." You point out a star, one that I had not seen, and it was sparkling, so bright. It made its reflection upon the ocean, and you were right. Once again.
I lay there in your arms, with my head resting upon your chest, and I can feel your heartbeat. As I'm there, the lyric "You belong with me, not swallowed in the sea." makes its way into my head.
The night was perfect.
Our day at the beach, it was perfect.
and it will forever remain in my heart.
[P.s. Ta-da! I hope you enjoyed this little story that I made up lol. I'm working on my writing and story-telling soooo, bear with me. One day I'll write a perfectly nice story that makes sense. :) and I uploaded this photo in the past, but deleted it, and uploaded it once again to tell this story.]
The last three times I have gone to see the Barred Owls, I was only able to see one sleep. So, I am back to reality; I don't get to commune with the owls everytime I "want" to.
This is one of the two kids, quite interested in me and the dance I was doing to get closer.
Barred Owls
Barred owls are large owls with round heads and NO ear tufts. They are brownish-gray with brown and white bars across their chest. (That’s why they’re called "barred" owls.) Their legs are covered with feathers. The barred owls’ eyes are dark brown, while most other owls have yellow eyes. Their beaks are sharp, but very small, so they are almost covered up by facial feathers. Owls can see very well at night, but they can also see during the day.
They have a special inner eyelid which blocks bright sunlight - owl sunglasses! Most birds have eyes on their sides of their head. This helps them to see sideways and backwards. Owls, however, have both eyes in the front. This gives them good depth perception (helps them to tell how far away something is). Unfortunately, it means they can’t see sideways or backwards. To deal with this, owls can turn their head ALMOST all the way around. But they can’t spin their head in a full circle; their head would twist off!
fr: Un coup d'oeil sur la bastide à travers les arcades III, Monpazier, Périgord, Dordogne, France
*"HDR" from 3 different exposures - no Photomatix - blending mean + minimum of 3 pictures - EXIF from -1ev Exposure - Tripod - WB asjusted to 3000K High fluorescent.
you REALLY have to view it BIGGER On Black or the boogeyman will get you! :-)
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The real challenge on this series is to find the right WB setting for a consistant look and feel. Still more pictures from this series coming soon...
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See More of the set Night Scenes | See More of the set Pittoresques Villages de France.
See my most interesting pictures here or take some time to view the slideshow .
*History: This town was founded in 1284 by the English King, Edward I, who was also had the title of Duke of Aquitaine. It is an example of an almost completely preserved bastides, which were fortified towns, built in the areas disputed by England and France in the 12th century. This attractive and peaceful village has a turbulent and violent history at the hands of various protagonists.
*Histoire: Monpazier est sans nul doute la bastide anglaise la mieux conservée du périgord par sa place à arcades, ses ruelles, ses maisons, ses églises et les vestiges de ses fortifications.
La ville forme un quadrilatère de 400 mètres sur 220 mètres dont le grand axe est orienté du Sud vers le nord. Toutes les maisons sont d'égales dimensions et sont séparées par d'étroits intervalles (andrones) prévus pour limiter la propagation des incendies.
Cette bastide fut fondée le 7 janvier 1284 par Edouard 1er, roi d'angleterre et duc d'angleterre sur des terrains cédés par le baron Pierre de Gontaut Biron. Ses habitants bénéficiaient de nombreux avantages comme l'exemption d'impôt et l'abolition du droit seigneurial.
Pendant la guerre de cent ans, Monpazier changea plusieurs fois de main. En 1637 une révolte de 8000 croquant naquit à Monpazier.
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This is the second Baz Luhrmann film that I'm quoting in this series.
Continuing on with my affinity for twisted love stories....Luhrman's 1996 film Romeo+Juliet is a modern interpretation of the classic Shakespeare, anachronistically juxtaposing Shakespeare's original language against a modern landscape of consumption and capitalism.
As with all of Luhrman's films, the visual style is rich and detailed, vibrantly coloured and surreal. He paints a rather sickening view of modern society, with petty vanities slathered upon the grotesque criminals of upper class society. In the midst of such ugliness, Romeo and Juliet emerge, as yet untouched by the poisonous world around them.
I've read criticism that claims Romeo and Juliet must die in order to keep their love untainted. This film takes that purity one step further: In the end Romeo and Juliet have no choice but to die, or to succumb to the grotesqueries that their parents have grown into.
This film accomplishes the ideal that I believe all film adaptations of stage plays should strive toward: it brings the work of theatre to life in a manner unique to film, using the capabilities of the medium to inform a new, deeper understanding of the original work. The play is incredibly powerful on its own. Luhrmann has built upon Shakespeare's original work to create something contemporary, relevant, beautiful and impassioned. I am in awe of his work.
Big thanks to Happy_Peasant for sending me a bird image just so I could have my wings!
And again....textures by kittykatfish.
I will be visiting everyone's photos over the next day or so. My retirement has come to an abrupt end for a few months as I am filling in for a friend has has just undergone triple bypass surgery.
Thanks for your visit, hope you enjoyed, kindly leave your comment that will be very rewarding
To feel the holiness…, please View On Black
All my images are copyrighted.
If you intend to use any of my pictures, for any usage, you need to contact me first.
Thank you.
The Holy Man from India
I’m sure any one who has been to India and is camera lover can’t resist capturing India’s cultural aspects.
I was in Jaipur, and after visiting a Temple, I meet this Sadhu (also called Sanyasi or Holy man) out side the Temple. He saw me and greeted me with a smile….I asked him if I can take a picture of him, he had no issues…...
Now, something about Sadhu (Or Holy man). From the orange dress, you can tell that this is a Hindu Sadhu. The Turban has writings of mantras dedicated to Lord Shiva – “Oom Namah Shiva’ya”.
The brown garland is garland of Rudrakash . A Rudrakash bead is considered to be the most divine and powerful ornament for the human body. It was created by Lord Shiva and is believed to fulfill desires, expectations and ambitions and also free one from all sins and diseases. Rudraksha has been used by gods, saints, sages from ancient time for spiritual purposes and to gain good health.
According to Hindu Puranas, Rudraksha trees were created from the tears shed by Lord Shiva. Legend has it that Shiva was in deep meditation for thousands of years. And then one day he opened his eyes and all around him he saw human beings suffering out of ignorance. Overwhelmed by compassion, tears from his eyes dropped onto different places on earth and produced Rudraksha trees.
Rudrakshas are the seed from the fruits of the trees belonging to Elaecarpus Ganitrus Roxb variety (Rudraksha tree) in Himalayas and in South East Asia. Every Rudraksha has Mukhis or faces, which differ in number and it runs from one end of the Rudraksha to the other.
According to the Hindu Dharma, there are four stages in life also knows as four Ashramas :
1.Brahmacharya: The first 20 years of life , preceded by the Upanayanam ceremony during which a child is considered to be born again. Brahmacharya is pure contemplation of life's secrets under a Guru.
2.Grihastha : next 40 years (20-60) is the householder's stage. One married, will satisfy karma and artha within a married life and career.
3.Vanaprastha: Next 20 years (60-80) is the detachment from the material world and entering in contemplation and pilgrimage.
4.Sanyasa: conception of the mystic life to prepare the next life or moksha.
This person is on stage 3. Where he has taken detachment from the material world.
Enjoy the moment !!!!
The shot
Camera Canon 5D, Single shot hand held.
Photoshop post processing:
A bit of post processing in raw editor.
Noise reduction
Unsharp mask
a bit of croping and straightning
Border
I would highly appreciate, if constructive criticisms are given for improvement.
Note : My appologies for not being a regular at Flickr, I'm so much swamped at work. I will manage some time and visit your uploads.......
La dominante verde è dovuta al filtro applicato all'obiettivo.
Wikipedia dice:
Con il termine picnic si identifica quel tradizionale pasto all'aperto compiuto in un contesto turistico o comunque che abbia una funzione sociale e ludica e non solamente alimentare. L'etimologia del termine va attribuita al termine composto piquenique, che in un francese arcaico abbina "pique" (prendere, rubacchiare) e "nique" (oggetto di poco valore). Il termine sembra si sia cominciato a diffondere alla fine del 1600 ed inizialmente si riferiva alla frugalità dell'evento, eseguito al di fuori dei riti imposti dal pranzo, composto da pochi e semplici cibi sottratti direttamente alla cucina.
Nel picnic, come ai nostri giorni, essenziale era il piacere del contatto con la natura e la partecipazione di più persone che provvedevano a portare singolarmente il cibo che veniva poi condiviso, senza avere l'ufficialità e lo sfarzo della classe nobiliare. Quest'ultima, specie nel XVIII secolo, era solita avere un seguito di servitori che imbandivano tavolate all'aria aperta, a seguito di partite di caccia che vedevano le prede essere preparate al momento. Il picnic aveva un'estrazione più popolare, se vogliamo intellettuale, dove il motivo aggregante era la socializzazione e il gusto del contatto con la natura.
Nel XIX secolo ci si riferiva al picnic come alla consumazione di un pasto in allegria e in clima rilassato da effettuarsi sui prati, in riva ad un fiume o sulla spiaggia, perdendo il desiderio di aggregazione in favore di un approccio più intimo, ideale contorno per il corteggiamento. Solitamente erano privilegiati i piatti freddi precedentemente preparati, come pane, salumi, formaggi, uova, insalate, frutta, torte, il tutto accompagnato da bevande generalmente analcoliche o da vini e birre a bassa gradazione.
Walking in the woods at Great Falls Virginia, I happened across this creature. It was huge ... maybe an 8-10" wingspan. It was very still and I thought it might be dead. I bent down and blew on it ... it didn't move. My first thought was, "Fantastic - it's dead! I can take it into a spot with good lighting and go to town with my macro lens!!" I envisioned all the amazing shots I could take while it didn't move. Sweet.
But ... I'm a wimp, and afraid to touch bugs and such. I asked my husband if he would move it for me, but he (a self-described "indoorsy" man) said he would only do so with a stick. I didn't want it to be damaged and I *really* wanted to photograph it, so I screwed up my courage and picked it up by the corner of the wing. I was so proud of my bravery!!
I carried it for a long time and was really itching to shoot it, but our trail wasn't emerging into a more well-lit area so I decided to put it down on a rock and get my fix with a few shots and then I would pick it up again and carry it to a more appropriate spot.
Well, when I put it down, what do you think happened? It *moved*! It was alive. OMG!! It must have been near death because it didn't really go anywhere so I still had the opportunity to shoot it. But, it was quite dark in the woods and I didn't have a tripod so I didn't get the shots I had been fantasizing about, but I did get these and I'm happy to at least have captured it. (Of course, it goes without saying that since I now knew it was alive I was too freaked out to pick it up again.)
It's amazing how huge and fat and furry and white its body was! I guess it needs those ginormous wings in order to carry itself around!