San Lorenzo Maggiore is a church in Naples, Italy. It is located at the precise geographic center of the historic center of the ancient Greek-Roman city, at the intersection of via San Gregorio Armeno and via dei Tribunali. The name "San Lorenzo" may also refer to the new museum now opened on the premises, as well as to the ancient Roman market beneath the church itself, the Macellum of Naples.

The church's origins derive from the presence of the Franciscan order in Naples during the lifetime of St Francis of Assisi, himself. The site of the present church was to compensate the order for the loss of their earlier church on the grounds where Charles I of Anjou decided to build his new fortress, the Maschio Angioino in the late 13th century.

San Lorenzo actually is a church plus monastery. The new museum takes up the three floors above the courtyard and is given over to the entire history of the area that centers on San Lorenzo, beginning with classical archaeology and progressing to a chart display of historical shipping routes from Naples throughout Magna Grecia and the Roman Empire. The museum provides a detailed account of the local "city hall" that was demolished in order to put up the church in the 13th century and continues up past the Angevin period and into more recent history.

Beneath San Lorenzo, about half of an original Roman market has been excavated.The site has been open since 1992, the result of 25 years of painstaking excavation. The market place is the only large-scale Greek-Roman site excavated in the downtown area.

In this church Boccaccio met his beloved Fiammetta (1338) (Wikipedia)

Standing alone in the long grass at the edge of the Shugborough parkland, this two-storey octagonal tower is one of the most architecturally precise garden buildings in England - a direct response to a specific ancient original, designed by the man who had measured and drawn that original with his own hands. One of the most prominent of the garden buildings at Shugborough is the Tower of the Winds, an octagonal structure of 1765, designed by James "Athenian" Stuart.

The original Tower of the Winds - the Horologion of Andronikos Kyrrhestes - stands on the north slope of the Acropolis in Athens, an octagonal marble structure built around 100-50 BC as a combined sundial, water clock, and weather station. Accurate illustrations were not published until 1762, when they appeared in volume one of James Stuart and Nicholas Revett's The Antiquities of Athens. Stuart had spent years in Athens measuring the building himself - hence the nickname "Athenian" - and the Shugborough tower, completed just three years after the publication of his own drawings, reflects that direct knowledge. The little entrance porticoes were designed with a close eye on the original, and their capitals are a version of Corinthian with acanthus leaves but no spiral volutes, a form now often known as Tower of the Winds Corinthian.

The building's subsequent history is characteristically English in its layered pragmatism. The tower was originally surrounded by water, situated at the end of an ornamental lake, and linked to the land by two bridges. The ground floor windows were inserted in 1803 when Samuel Wyatt converted the building into an ornamental dairy for Lady Anson. In the 19th century, the upstairs room apparently became a gambling den presided over by the 1st Earl of Lichfield - a use the Athenian original had not anticipated. The upper floor ceiling, meanwhile, is based not on any Greek precedent but on one from Nero's Golden House in Rome: a reminder that even "Athenian" Stuart was an eclectic at heart.

The photograph, taken in stormy July light with the long uncut grass blowing in the foreground, catches the tower in a mood of quiet grandeur. Isolated from the hall and its formal gardens, it seems entirely self-contained - a small piece of Athens deposited, with perfect confidence, in the Staffordshire countryside.

To be precise, the title should read: Dubrovnik in the very early morning because this picture was taken at exactly 4:58am on a morning during the summer.

More on this photo: sumfinity.com/photos/croatia/dubrovnik/stradun-at-night/

Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/nicotrinkhaus/

Through careful composition of a modern building's facade, I created an abstract study in light and shadow. The crisp geometric forms cascade down the frame like a dark ribbon, while the precise lighting emphasizes the architectural rhythm.

Flying towards Mount Everest at dawn, from the Nepal side.

Mount Everest (also known in Nepal as Sagarmatha and in Tibet as Chomolungma) is the Earth’s highest mountain. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. Its peak is 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) above sea level1 and is the 5th furthest point from the centre of the Earth.The international border between China and Nepal runs across the precise summit point. Its massif includes neighbouring peaks Lhotse, 8,516 m (27,940 ft); Nuptse, 7,855 m (25,771 ft) and Changtse, 7,580 m (24,870 ft).

The first recorded efforts to reach Everest’s summit were made by British mountaineers. With Nepal not allowing foreigners into the country at the time, the British made several attempts on the north ridge route from the Tibetan side. After the first reconnaissance expedition by the British in 1921 reached 7,000 m (22,970 ft) on the North Col, the 1922 expedition pushed the North ridge route up to 8,320 m (27,300 ft) marking the first time a human had climbed above 8,000 m (26,247 ft). Tragedy struck on the descent from the North col when seven porters were killed in an avalanche. The 1924 expedition resulted in the greatest mystery on Everest to this day: George Mallory and Andrew Irvine made a final summit attempt on June 8 but never returned, sparking debate as to whether they were the first to reach the top. They had been spotted high on the mountain that day but disappeared in the clouds, never to be seen again until Mallory’s body was found in 1999 at 8,155 m (26,755 ft) on the North face. Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary made the first official ascent of Everest in 1953 using the southeast ridge route.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Ahi weaves precise slashes and pyroclastic strikes to form his unique eruptive fighting style, leaving only ash and obsidian in his wake.

Made some changes to Ahi. The shins have been replaced to be more sleek, and some of the torso colors have been changed to be less messy. Also, the sword blade is the correct color. The leg articulation is a lot better in this version, so he can actually pull off some neat poses.

I was only a quarter mile from hoping on the ramp towards Cline Ave south and my route home when a quick blip came over AAR 25 on my scanner. Just about the last thing I expected, but, IHB's 122 job was on The Pass and requesting to head for Miller.

The overwhelming majority of moves to and from the IHB on the 4 tracks east of Kennedy Ave and Gibson Interlocking funnel towards CSX's Porter Branch which crosses the ex-EJE, now CN superhighway to Kirk just out of view to the left. To be more precise, a good amount of these moves do use the track that 122 is on, as behind me is the connection going from the IHB Gary Branch towards the Michigan Central. Beyond that switch on the Gary Branch though, this is the only traffic you'll see, and it has taken me a while to stumble into it!

122 heads east across the J at Ivanhoe, bound for an industrial park 2 1/2 miles away. This small stretch of the former reach all the way out to Burns Harbor keeps the Gary Branch alive to this day.

There is no test drive in life. No trial and error. Every decision about family, work, relationship, and even hobby has to be precise and no turning back. Yes life is tough.

The following is just fictitious example for photography hobbyist but it could be any other serious hobby.

You spent thousands of dollars in the photo gear. You put a lot of time in learning the technicalities of the craft such as Photoshop and Lightroom. You shoot in all the weekends, holidays and even weekdays. This got to be serious and no fun shot or snapshots. After 10, 15 and 20 years, you still cannot get even one single shot close to Ansel Adams while your photo club friends and hundreds of thousands of photographers you met on Internet have surpassed the Ansel standard. You have to admit you have no talent on this but what would you do?

May be move on to next hobby like photo equipment collecting?

I saw the empty and ghostly roller-coaster in PNE. I think it may be a test drive. Does life have test drive?

Happy Wednesday!

Ahi weaves precise slashes and pyroclastic strikes to form his unique eruptive fighting style, leaving only ash and obsidian in his wake.

Made some changes to Ahi. The shins have been replaced to be more sleek, and some of the torso colors have been changed to be less messy. Also, the sword blade is the correct color. The leg articulation is a lot better in this version, so he can actually pull off some neat poses.

Yanaka, Tokyo, Japan

Leica M11-D

Light Lens Lab "1966" 50mm F1.2

AH! I love that my focusing is getting more precise! EEP! lol♥

Pretty basic picture though, but I do like the pose in this one as well! :D

Photo taken by Herwart Schneider, slide kindly provided for scanning by Theo Kastner from his collection.

München-Riem

June 1988

C-3

Fokker F27-100 Friendship

10150

Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu) (Royal Netherlands Air Force, RNLAF)

C-3 was noted at Riem on 25 June 1988, likely the precise date for this shot. This was the day of the European Football Championship 1988 final match between the Netherlands and the Soviet Union (the Netherlands won 2:0).

A number of football charters from the Netherlands were observed:

KLM A310s PH-AGH and PH-AGI, NLM F28s PH-KFD and PH-SFA, NLM F28s PH-CHB and PH-CHD, Martinair A310 PH-MCB, Royal Netherlands Air Force F27 C-3. (Information from Klaus Mohr’s notes for 1988.)

Information from kw.jonkerweb.net and rzjets.net:

First flight with registration PH-FBP on 2 May 1960; PE-CAC 32-seater; in service with KLu from 6 August 1960. Equipped with a belly radome in October 1974 for ECM training. Withdrawn from use on 15 May 1996 and stored at Woensdrecht air base.

The airframe apparently ended up at Koninklijke Luchtmacht Historische Vlucht / Royal Netherlands Air Force Historical Flight on Gilze Rijen AB, Netherlands, buth the fuselage was then sold and sunk in a lake for diving purposes. The tail and wings had been scrapped before, and the interior was sold.

(Source: airnieuws.nl, June-October 2013)

Registration details for this airframe:

www.scramble.nl/database/civil/details/F27_259

C-3 with KLu ca. early 1960s (white top, no camouflage):

ipms.nl/images/foto-nedmil/kisten/fokker-f27/fokker-f27-4...

Scan from Kodachrome slide.

The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first crosses were placed on the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort after the 1831 Uprising. Over the generations, not only crosses and crucifixes, but statues of the Virgin Mary, carvings of Lithuanian patriots and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims. The exact number of crosses is unknown, but estimates put it at about 55,000 in 1990 and 100,000 in 2006.

016/365 - Day 16 of my 365 Photo Challenge.

It is visible; Spring is all-round, and wildlife shows great hectic to prepare for the breeding season.

To be precise, I heard him before I could see him. He sat on a low-hanging branch and twanged excitedly and loudly.

After I spotted him, I could see the caterpillar in his beak. It seemed to me that he wanted to show everyone what he had caught proudly.

He was so engrossed in his activities that I was able to bring my camera into position and take several photos of him without a hurry.

Sometimes you have to be lucky!

The iPhones 4, 5 & 6 all feature aluminium bodies, here's the plus button for increasing volume on the side of the phone.

It had been quite a while since I had a clear sky (since 06.11.2015, to be precise), so the Moon is again a great thing to shoot, just to be sure that the equipment is still in working conditions :)

Three datasets of 2000 frames taken with TIS DMK23 via 2x Barlow on Meade series 6000 80 mm f/6 triplet refractor were stacked in AS!2 (20% of rames were used), resulting images were stitched in MS ICE, deconvolved (AstraImage PRO 3.0, Richardson-Lucy algorythm, Cauchy-type PSF, 0,3 pixels, 9 iterations) and CLAHEd in ImageJ (127-255-2).

Upd @19.12.2015: this image is totally for full size viewing.

Out of the two Fuji lenses I currently own, the X-Pro1 prefers the 27mm lens over the 35mm f/1.4. Especially in terms of autofocus accuracy and speed. When shooting at the closest distance, achieving precise focus with the 35mm lens is quite challenging. The only reliable method is to use the single center focus point (aside from manual focus, which I resorted to today after becoming frustrated with autofocus hunting).

X-E2 is so much better in this department.

The mimicry of a dead leaf is so precise for the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus), they can often hide effectively in plain sight. It has been untested to what degree these geckos actively select a substrate that matches their individual patterns, but U. phantasticus appears to typically hide among dead foliage which suits it perfectly. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.

Or to be precise Nigella damascena, I saw this one in a garden and thought at first it may be an aquilegia but the leaves were wrong, Mr Google helped me out and now the big test is to see if the garden centre has any and if so, will it grow in my chalky soil in Ramsgate? The garden it was in looked like the topsoil had been replaced.

MY THANKS TO ALL WHO VISIT AND COMMENT IT IS APPRECIATED

¿Cuántas ventanas hay en Manhattan?

First of all, there can be no precise figure for the number of windows in Manhattan, simply because there are no uniform buildings in Manhattan. But according to the New York Times, one can estimate that there are approximately 47,000 buildings of all kinds in Manhattan, depending on the source. However, even knowing this fact may not help, since the rest would be pure guesswork.

Another boss-impressing approach might be to estimate the rough number of square blocks in Manhattan — roughly 200 by 10. Next, subtract 150 square blocks for Central Park, which leaves 1,850. Then estimate the average number of windows on one floor per street block and the average windows per floor per avenue block – the Times suggest about 25 (times 2), and 75 (times 2), respectively. This rounds off to about 200 windows per block floor.

However, the next problem is coming up with an average building height – something that the City Planning Department doesn’t track. Again, the Times guesses an average of 10 stories, making 2,000 windows per square block. Add another 500 hundred or so for small inward facing windows, and multiply those 2,500 windows by 1,850 blocks: 4.6 million windows total.

And unfortunately that guess may be as close as any obsessive urbanite can get. [NYT]

En primer lugar, no puede haber una cifra precisa del número de ventanas en Manhattan, simplemente porque no hay edificios uniformes en Manhattan. Pero según el New York Times, se puede estimar que hay aproximadamente 47.000 edificios de todo tipo en Manhattan, según la fuente. Sin embargo, incluso conocer este hecho puede no ayudar, ya que el resto serían puras conjeturas.

Otro enfoque que impresionaría al jefe podría ser estimar el número aproximado de bloques cuadrados en Manhattan: aproximadamente 200 por 10. A continuación, reste 150 bloques cuadrados para Central Park, lo que deja 1850. Luego calcule el número promedio de ventanas en un piso por bloque de calle y el promedio de ventanas por piso por bloque de avenida: el Times sugiere alrededor de 25 (por 2) y 75 (por 2), respectivamente. Esto redondea a unas 200 ventanas por piso de bloque.

Sin embargo, el siguiente problema es encontrar una altura de construcción promedio, algo que el Departamento de Planificación de la Ciudad no rastrea. Nuevamente, el Times adivina un promedio de 10 pisos, haciendo 2,000 ventanas por bloque cuadrado. Agregue otras 500 o más para las ventanas pequeñas que miran hacia adentro y multiplique esas 2500 ventanas por 1850 bloques: 4,6 millones de ventanas en total.

Y, desafortunadamente, esa conjetura puede ser lo más cercano que cualquier urbanita obsesivo puede estar. [Nueva York]

« Au fond le mal dans la violence vient précisément non de ce qu’elle détruit le droit mais de ce qu’elle le crée. » (J.-P.S.)

new website : this, random, RSS | random Flickr | © David Farreny.

Always amazes me how precise and agile these guys are. Odin is our newest Tiercel and his first year as a father. An exceptionally good hunter and a real looker.

Hill of Crosses is a site of pilgrimage about 12 km north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first crosses were placed on the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort after the 1831 Uprising.Over the generations, not only crosses and crucifixes, but statues of the Virgin Mary, carvings of Lithuanian patriots and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims. The exact number of crosses is unknown, but estimates put it at about 55,000 in 1990 and 100,000 in 2006.

Over the generations, the place has come to signify the peaceful endurance of Lithuanian Catholicism despite the threats it faced throughout history. After the 3rd partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Lithuania became part of the Russian Empire. Poles and Lithuanians unsuccessfully rebelled against Russian authorities in 1831 and 1863. These two uprisings are connected with the beginnings of the hill: as families could not locate bodies of perished rebels, they started putting up symbolic crosses in place of a former hill fort.

When the old political structure of Eastern Europe fell apart in 1918, Lithuania once again declared its independence. Throughout this time, the Hill of Crosses was used as a place for Lithuanians to pray for peace, for their country, and for the loved ones they had lost during the Wars of Independence.

The site took on a special significance during the years 1944–1990, when Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union. Continuing to travel to the hill and leave their tributes, Lithuanians used it to demonstrate their allegiance to their original identity, religion and heritage. It was a venue of peaceful resistance, although the Soviets worked hard to remove new crosses, and bulldozed the site at least three times (including attempts in 1963 and 1973). There were even rumors that the authorities planned to build a dam on the nearby Kulvė River, a tributary to Mūša, so that the hill would end up underwater.

On September 7, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the Hill of Crosses, declaring it a place for hope, peace, love and sacrifice. In 2000 a Franciscan hermitage was opened nearby. The interior decoration draws links with La Verna, the mountain where St. Francis is said to have received his stigmata. The hill remains under nobody's jurisdiction; therefore people are free to build crosses as they see fit. (-wiki)

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/xiaoyangphotography/

Instagram: inhiu

Convolutions by EZ3kiel (FR)

Convolutions is an action to wrap itself within itself or around another body.

The project molds the architectural facade of the National Museum of Singapore. It choreographs every part of the museum in a poetic ballet borrowed from technology where ancient and modern co-exist in great harmony. It proposes a new and contemporary look on the art of mapping by relying on a very precise use of the art of light and laser. The music composed by the French group EZ3kiel comes to illustrate, in a most precise way, the work of the images.

This installation contains strobe and flashing lights. Please exercise caution.

About the artist

Yann Nguema moved into artistic work in 1998 when he obtained a higher national diploma in visual arts with honors. The musician founded the EZ3kiel group in 1992 for which he developed an entire burgeoning visual production, which is now a reference in the industry.

He first gained recognition for his graphic work which has a very personal and poetic feel. He was tasked with the visual direction of the festival Transmusicales of Rennes from 2007 to 2011. His work focuses primarily around the performing arts, with constant research around the music and imagery.

He also introduced an interactive dimension into his creative process and productions by developing his own software. In 2009, he designed an exhibition The Poetic Mechanicals composing of 10 interactive machines combining technology and patrimony. It was displayed at the Palace of Discovery (in Paris, and at the Universal Exhibition in Shanghai. Yann designs many unique interactive installations which uses technology, research and poetry.

He is currently an ambassador artist for the Festival of Lights in Lyon.

Image courtesy of EZ3KIEL.

From Singapore Night Festival

Allez, on part pour la Lituanie...

Šiauliai, Hill of Crosses

Šiauliai is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 133,900. From 1994 to 2010 it was the capital of Šiauliai County. Unofficially, the city is the capital of Northern Lithuania.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0iauliai

The Hill of Crosses is a site of pilgrimage about 12 km north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first crosses were placed on the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort after the 1831 Uprising. Over the generations, not only crosses, but giant crucifixes, carvings of Lithuanian patriots, statues of the Virgin Mary and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims. The exact number of crosses is unknown, but estimates put it at about 55,000 in 1990 and 100,000 in 2006.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_of_Crosses

5837 and 5237 to be precise, the two locomotives were at Worcester Depot (85A) as Peter passed through. He probably grabbed this shot from his train, Peter was heading for Gloucester Eastgate station.

5837 was built at Brush, it entered service new to Sheffield Darnall 19/04/1962, Under TOPS it became 31304. The loco was withdrawn 07/1999 and scrapped 14/01/2000.

5237 was a Derby built locomotive it went new to Toton 19/12/1963. The loco was withdrawn 28/09/1980 and cut at Swindon Works 01/04/1981. Under TOPS it was numbered 25087.

Peter Shoesmith Circa 1970

Copyright Geoff Dowling & John Whitehouse: All rights reserved

Portland, Oregon

Alicja Kwade a créé un cadre spatial composé de murs de béton, de miroirs doubles, de cadres métalliques vides qui convoque le motif du labyrinthe, et plus précisément du dédale. À l'échelle de l'architecture de la nef, cette construction génère un rapport à l'espace, au temps et à la destinée. L’artiste entend décupler notre attention, nous désorienter et mettre nos sens en éveil en perturbant nos repères. Un jeu de réflexions grandeur nature qui lui permet de matérialiser les concepts abstraits de temps et d'espace.Au sol, est disposé un ensemble de 16 sculptures que l'artiste a modélisé en s'inspirant du concept de la suite de « Suite de Fibonacci » : selon ce principe, chaque sculpture constitue la somme des deux précédentes.

Pour Alicja Kwade, cette oeuvre fonctionne telle une image qui serait en constante évolution, au gré des déplacements du visiteur. En choisissant de faire se refléter ou non les objets à l'intérieur du dédale, l’artiste pousse les images à se mouvoir, les formes à se transformer selon une logique de séquençage. Au-dessus de nos têtes plane la menace d’un inquiétant pendule en action, composé d’une horloge et d’une pierre, qui tournent dangereusement à quelques mètres au-dessus de nos têtes au bout de chaines. L’espace est envahi du son amplifié du « tic-tac » généré par l’horloge. Cette vibration sonore dans l’espace matérialise le temps qui passe. Il illustre le souhait de l’artiste de rendre palpable, visible, concrète, une notion aussi abstraite que le temps qui s’écoule inéluctablement. Il souligne également une idée d’infini et nous pose la question de l’instant présent. Où sommes nous ? Est-ce le pendule qui tourne ou est-ce la Terre sur laquelle nous évoluons sans nous en rendre compte ?

Alicja Kwade has created a space frame consisting of concrete walls, double mirrors, empty metal frames that conjure the labyrinth pattern, and more precisely the maze. On the scale of the architecture of the nave, this construction generates a relationship with space, time and destiny. The artist intends to multiply our attention, to disorient us and to awaken our senses by disturbing our bearings. A game of life-size reflections that allows him to materialize the abstract concepts of time and space.At the ground, is arranged a set of 16 sculptures that the artist has modeled, inspired by the concept of the suite of "Suite de Fibonacci ": according to this principle, each sculpture constitutes the sum of the two preceding ones.

For Alicja Kwade, this work works like an image that would be constantly evolving, as the visitor moves. By choosing to reflect or not the objects inside the maze, the artist pushes the images to move, shapes to be transformed according to a logic of sequencing. Above our heads hangs the menace of a disturbing pendulum in action, composed of a clock and a stone, which turn dangerously a few meters above our heads at the end of chains. The space is invaded by the amplified sound of the "ticking" generated by the clock. This sound vibration in space materializes the passing time. It illustrates the desire of the artist to make palpable, visible, concrete, a notion as abstract as the time that elapses inevitably. He also emphasizes an idea of ​​infinity and asks us the question of the present moment. Where are we ? Is the pendulum spinning or is it the Earth on which we move without realizing it?

Precise, lightweight, and powerful; the BR-81 is an excellent rifle for any scenario. While lacking the capability of full-auto fire, the easily controlled tri-burst more than makes up for it.

Base models come equipped with an integral flashlight, however it can be replaced with a rail system if desired.

Courtesy of ORION Technologies

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

Credit to Shockwave for the charging handle.

And to CN for the 203 inspiration.

That is certainly an apt description for these incredibly talented pilots. Watching the Blue Angels do their amazingly precise maneuvers in San Francisco is beyond Awesome! Let that be an inspiration for fulfilling any task you put your mind to: Be precise.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

— in San Francisco, California.

From a photograph in my collection: The precise location of the scene in this photograph is unknown, but the penciled note on the reverse says "Bangor, 1912". Here a young lady is photographing a well-dressed couple (her parents?), in the yard of a wood shingle mill somewhere in Maine. The camera looks nearly new. Could it be a recent gift? There's no information in the photo giving any hint to where it was taken. The freight car to the left of the building has "Pennsylvania" on the side. The car between the couple being photographed is numbered A.C.L. 27525, an indication that it's an "Atlantic Coast Line" railroad car. This information does nothing to help pin down the location since rail cars traveled all over the country.

The original image was printed on Kodak "Velox" postcard paper, a product that was sold by Kodak from around 1903 to about 1930. The paper was a heavy-weight "post card" thickness paper imprinted on the back with a place for a stamp, plus a vertical line dividing the back into a message and address section, for sending through the mail. Kodak generated a great deal of business by offering this convenient way for folks to "share" their photos. This photo postcard was never stamped or mailed. The print was in a small lot given to me decades ago by a friend in China, Maine. I wish I had gone through them at the time asking for information about each photo.

Freight-yard-G-LCC20x05

"Hummingbird - Painterly Portrait" by Patti Deters.

This is a close-up portrait of a female ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) perched at the end of a small branch. It is the males that have the red throat - females have white throat feathers, although they may occasionally sport a single red feather. Females have rounded tail feathers with white tips. This tiny little hummer can beat her wings about 53 times a second. She has very short legs that prevent her from walking or hopping - the best she can do is shuffle along a perch. But she is an exceptionally quick precise flyer and you can even hear the beat of the wings if you ever get close enough. If you like this wildlife nature artwork, please see more birds, animals, painterly and more at patti-deters.pixels.com/featured/hummingbird-painterly-po....

Ektar ist a film that requires precise metering. Apparently, the old selenium meter on the Agfa Reflex is off by at least one stop.

Because of the resulting underexposure there is a colour shift and some loss of definition, which comes on top of the somewhat reduced sharpness of the triplet lens (the lens can do better than this). I'll have to keep that in mind for the next roll.

I didn't notice that on the previous roll because that was B&W and the film latitude absorbed the underexposure.

Agfa Optima Reflex 35mm TLR

Kodak Ektar 100 professional grade color negative film

Developed and scanned by www.meinfilmlab.de

{Explore} Highest Position: 452 on Thursday, May 7, 2009

We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over.

~ James Boswell

This is so true and it is what essentially builds a genuine friendship. A friend who isn't just there because it's convenient but especially when it's not. I have had friends like these before and I wish I still have them around.

Then again, we meet new people as we journey down the path we have chosen. We choose then again to dispense a drop of kindness... and another... and yet another... until we've once more found ourselves to that last drop that "which makes our heart run over."

Photo taken at the Chicago Botanical Garden with our Chicagoland Digital Photography Meetup Group on May 3rd.

And as I previously stated, I'm working my way up all your streams... I will get to yours eventually. It's just taking a good deal of time not because I feel like I'm dragging my feet but because I'm having a lot of fun browsing through all your amazing imagery (and most of the times, that includes reading the comments in your photos too... you'd be surprise how delightful that can get). As such, I can't go on to the next one without ever leaving a note of praise or approval (or a very light constructive critique if it's going to be helpful). A little more patience please and I do hope you don't tire of my unintelligible rantings!

HBW my Flickr Friends!

FlickrFriday theme #precision

Along the empty streets at night... I am really not sure about the precise location. Somewhere below Rato.

Minolta SRT 101 & Rokkor PF 55mm f/1.7, Kodak TMax 3200 in Rodinal 1+50 for 16 min @ 20°C, digitalized using kit zoom with macro rings.

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

Radiant by artist Nicky Assmann (1980, lives and works in Rotterdam), in TENT. Radiant is a dynamic ‘mobile’ sculpture in which optical patterns and colour effects appear, due to a precise balance between space, form, movement and light.

www.tentrotterdam.nl/en/show/nicky-assmann-radiant/

Sian Pearl: You strike me as someone who could riff off of Virginia Woolf or F Scott Fitzgerald, or Alice Walker. You have a turn of phrase that is very precise.

Sian flatters me, of course.

Anping old Dutch fort in Taijiang, Taiwan

An entire world view is contained within the gracefully arcing forms of this set of antlers. Antler is a fairly common medium in Inuit art, but the inclusion of a full pair is a rarity. Oopakak demonstrated extraordinary technical skill in his ability to carve figures in this delicate material. His training jewellery making comes into play in the precise and delicate details.

This was on the old Island 2000 Trust garage up along the Forest Road, sadly now demolished and gone forever.

At Pastor Charles Calvin's house, there is much preparation for the Thanksgiving meal. One of his twin daughters, Betsy Calvin, is working with the grinder.

"There you go, Pa, I think you've fixed it!"

"Let's test it, Betsy. I know you want your measurements to be precise."

"It always reminds me, all of creation works on God's order, Pa. We're able to know and work with such accuracy because of how He designed it."

"Well, said, Betsy. God's truth defines reality. All we do every day, how we operate, from the smallest things to the most grand, all obey the truth of God's design."

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Ask anyone today, "What is truth?" and you’re sure to start an interesting conversation. Try it on a university campus and you’re likely to receive laughter, scorn, and derision. The concept of truth has clearly fallen on hard times, and the consequences of rejecting it are ravaging human society. So let’s go back to the starting point and answer the question: What is truth?

One of the most profound and eternally significant questions in the Bible was posed by an unbeliever. Pilate—the man who handed Jesus over to be crucified—turned to Jesus in His final hour, and asked, “What is truth?” It was a rhetorical question, a cynical response to what Jesus had just revealed: “I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.”

Two thousand years later, the whole world breathes Pilate’s cynicism. Some say truth is a power play, a metanarrative constructed by the elite for the purpose of controlling the ignorant masses. To some, truth is subjective, the individual world of preference and opinion. Others believe truth is a collective judgment, the product of cultural consensus, and still others flatly deny the concept of truth altogether.

So, what is truth?

Here’s a simple definition drawn from what the Bible teaches: Truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory, and being of God. Even more to the point: Truth is the self-expression of God. That is the biblical meaning of truth. Because the definition of truth flows from God, truth is theological.

Truth is also ontological—which is a fancy way of saying it is the way things really are. Reality is what it is because God declared it so and made it so. Therefore God is the author, source, determiner, governor, arbiter, ultimate standard, and final judge of all truth.

The Old Testament refers to the Almighty as the “God of truth”.

"Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth." Psalm 31:5

When Jesus said of Himself, “I am…the truth” (John 14:6), He was thereby making a profound claim about His own deity. He was also making it clear that all truth must ultimately be defined in terms of God and His eternal glory. After all, Jesus is “And He [Jesus] is the radiance of His [The Father's] glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Hebrews 1:3

Jesus is truth incarnate—the perfect expression of God and therefore the absolute embodiment of all that is true.

Jesus also said that the written Word of God is truth. It does not merely contain nuggets of truth; it is pure, unchangeable, and inviolable truth that according to Jesus, “cannot be broken”. (John 10:35)

Praying to His heavenly Father on behalf of His disciples, He said this: "Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth." John 17:17

Moreover, the Word of God is eternal truth “which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23).

Of course, there cannot be any discord or difference of opinion between the written Word of God (Scripture) and the incarnate Word of God (Jesus). In the first place, truth by definition cannot contradict itself. Second, Scripture is called “the word of Christ” (Colossians 3:16). It is His message, His self-expression. In other words, the truth of Christ and the truth of the Bible are of the very same character. They are in perfect agreement in every respect. Both are equally true. God has revealed Himself to humanity through Scripture and through His Son. Both perfectly embody the essence of what truth is.

Remember, Scripture also says God reveals basic truth about Himself in nature. The heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1). His other invisible attributes (such as His wisdom, power, and beauty) are on constant display in what He has created (Romans 1:20). Knowledge of Him is inborn in the human heart (Romans 1:19), and a sense of the moral character and loftiness of His law is implicit in every human conscience (Romans 2:15).

Those things are universally self-evident truths. According to Romans 1:20, denial of the spiritual truths we know innately always involves a deliberate and culpable unbelief. And for those who wonder whether basic truths about God and His moral standards really are stamped on the human heart, ample proof can be found in the long history of human law and religion. To suppress this truth is to dishonor God, displace His glory, and incur His wrath.

"18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:18-20

Still, the only infallible interpreter of what we see in nature or know innately in our own consciences is the explicit revelation of Scripture. Since Scripture is also the one place where we are given the way of salvation, entrance into the kingdom of God, and an infallible account of Christ, the Bible is the touchstone to which all truth claims should be brought and by which all other truth must finally be measured.

An obvious corollary of what I am saying is that truth means nothing apart from God. Truth cannot be adequately explained, recognized, understood, or defined without God as the source. Since He alone is eternal and self-existent and He alone is the Creator of all else, He is the fountain of all truth.

If you don’t believe that, try defining truth without reference to God, and see how quickly all such definitions fail. The moment you begin to ponder the essence of truth, you are brought face to face with the requirement of a universal absolute—the eternal reality of God. Conversely, the whole concept of truth instantly becomes nonsense (and every imagination of the human heart therefore turns to sheer foolishness) as soon as people attempt to remove the thought of God from their minds.

That, of course, is precisely how the apostle Paul traced the relentless decline of human ideas in Romans 1:21-22: “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.”

There are serious moral implications too, whenever someone tries to dissociate truth from the knowledge of God. Paul went on to write, “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:28).

Abandon a biblical definition of truth, and unrighteousness is the inescapable result. We see it happening before our eyes in every corner of contemporary society. In fact, the widespread acceptance of all forms of iniquity that we see in our society today is a verbatim fulfillment of what Romans 1 says always happens when a society denies and suppresses the essential connection between God and truth.

If you reflect on the subject with any degree of sobriety, you will soon see that even the most fundamental moral distinctions—good and evil, right and wrong, beauty and ugliness, or honor and dishonor—cannot possibly have any true or constant meaning apart from God. That is because truth and knowledge themselves simply have no coherent significance apart from a fixed source, namely, God. How could they? God embodies the very definition of truth. Every truth claim apart from Him is preposterous.

Elaborate epistemologies have been proposed and methodically debunked one after another—like a long chain in which every previous link is broken. After thousands of years, the very best of human philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Marx, James, and others) have all utterly failed to account for truth and the origin of human knowledge apart from God.

In fact, the one most valuable lesson humanity ought to have learned from philosophy is that it is impossible to make sense of truth without acknowledging God as the necessary starting point.

Truth is not subjective, it is not a consensual cultural construct, and it is not an invalid, outdated, irrelevant concept. Truth is the self-expression of God. Truth is thus theological; it is the reality God has created and defined, and over which He rules. Truth is therefore a moral issue for every human being.

How each person responds to the truth God has revealed is an issue of eternal significance. To reject and rebel against the truth of God results in darkness, folly, sin, judgment, and the never-ending wrath of God. To accept and submit to the truth of God is to see clearly, to know with certainty, and to find life everlasting.

-Excerpt from 'What Is Truth?'

John MacArthur, Grace To You, 2008

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Happy Thanksgiving 2022 as we at Paprihaven celebrate gratitude through God through the Psalms!

Previous Thanksgivings from Paprihaven:

2015

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/23317280855/

2016

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/31221411415/

2017

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/38546538356/

2018

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/45192078954/

2019

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/49118690462/

2020

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/50625872238/

2021

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51691706150/

You would think that an AI program could render a popular camera correctly and "precise" 😄 People no problem (not anatomy so much)

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Can AI "photos" coexist with the "traditional" imagery? Who are we kidding. Can't imagine a Hollywood movie without AI. too many to mention

Do you feel "betrayed" when (if) you found out a photo was an Artificial "photo"... are we getting used to being "lied" too?

Things are likely to become yet more complex as use of artificial intelligence by artists becomes more widespread, and as the machines get better at producing creative works, further blurring the distinction between artwork that is made by a human and that made by a computer.

akilalparslan.blogspot.com/2023/01/an-analytical-perspect...

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This one is from a couple grids ago, February's to be precise. This grid, H5, straddled Hwy 30 just east of the St. Johns Bridge. It was an odd grid, with off-limits natural gas plants in one part, Forest Park in another, and a small patch of residential neighborhood tucked away like an afterthought. I am not sure what it must be like to live on Hwy 30. It seems like it would be noisy and dirty and backing out of your driveway must require a specific sort of nerve, but there are a few dozen homes found along this stretch. Many of them are a block or so off of the highway itself, but several are right up on it, like this one. I am not sure what story of action and violence this splattered mud is a remainder of, but it caught my eye as I walked along the short stretch of highway that enjoys a sidewalk. I was testing out a Canon AF35M from the shop that day and had loaded it with some Lomochrome Metropolis film. The camera was potentially faulty and the film has not proven a favorite of mine, so I was allowing myself plenty of liberty in snapping off shots and not taking my usual slow, methodical, careful approach. It is nice to change it up now and then, just as the Grid Project has been nice in getting me off my beaten paths and into some other areas of Portland I do not explore much.

Canon AF35M

Lomochrome Metropolis

Grid H5 - Portland Grid Project

Again - precise type of owl escapes me... Extremely fluffy, this one.

There are, or to be more precise, there were, three castles on different islands within Loch Awe. The castles, although now ruined, are all still there, but only two of them now stand on islands. The Campbell castle of Kilchurn (visible in the distance on the right side of the far end of the loch, above the left end of the left island), is now on a headland, due to people fiddling around with the loch's outlet, which resulted in a lowering of the loch's water level. Innis Chonnell, also a Campbell castle, stands towards the southern end of the loch and the third stands among the trees of the right-hand of these two islands - Fraoch Eilean, sometimes abbreviated to Frechelan. Given the success I had yesterday flying out over Loch Ard, this was the first of four 'over water' excursions I made today!

There are two explanations for the island's name:

The first is that it is Gaelic for Heather Island.

The second is that the name relates back to the name of a hero from Celtic mythology. A young man named Fraoch heard that fruit, capable of restoring youth and curing hunger, grew on a Rowan tree on the island, so he went out to the island to get some for Mengo, the love of his life. He found the tree guarded by a serpant or dragon which was wrapped around its trunk, but succeeded in stealing some and returning to Mengo. He was then sent back to get the tree itself (which goes to show that 'enough was never enough' for women even back in those far-off days), but this time the dragon pursued him and in the ensuing battle, both Fraoch and the dragon were killed. (And presumably, and more importantly, the tree!) A cairn was raised on the spot where Fraoch fell and the island named in his honour.

Personally, I lean towards the second explanation!

Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise.

Declutter'd on black.

You can also download the full size target if you want : [Link]

Taken a few weeks ago close to home on Velvia 100. Home developed today - my 1st time developing E-6. More complex than c/41 but I think it will be easier next time. Also learning how much more precise you have to be on exposure with slide film. The learning continues....