View allAll Photos Tagged precise
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.
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!
I was very happy with the dramatic angle of this amazing hotel when I photographed it back in March 2015. But when I viewed the image on my monitor, I was disappointed. The light on that day when I took the shot was very muted due to the sandstorm in Dubai earlier that day. There were no shadows anywhere, contrast was flat across the image and although the hotel is over 100 meters tall, it seemed flattened with the ground. It seemed like a lost case and I decided to leave it unprocessed.
There was a documentary about sharks on Nat Geo the other day. One of the scenes featured a classic shot of the menacing shark's fin cutting through the surface of the ocean. Somehow, the synapses in my brain connected this visual with the aerial photo of Jumeirah Beach Hotel I took 8 months ago. Eureka! I went back to my computer to give this photograph another look. I knew what to do...
I cut a precise mask along the edges of the hotel and separated it from the rest of the shot. This gave me the ability to control the light in the scene with utmost precision. I adjusted the contrast, colour saturation, highlights and shadows exactly where I wanted them. Few hours later, I up with this result. I finally had the shot I needed from the start. Inspiration indeed comes from the strangest places.
Shot with Canon 5DMk3 and Canon TS-E 24mm f3/5L II lens.
Processed with Adobe CC 2015 on Win 10 Pro 64bit, NIK Color Efex Pro 4 and Silver Efex Pro. I used the Wacom Intuos Pro (digitizer mouse + pressure sensitive pen)
First of all, I wish everyone a great end to 2024 and an even better start of 2025!
This is a photo from my favorite 2024 hike - and it is of course Iceland, Landmannalaugar to be precise.
A place where the colors of the Rhyolite mountains are just insanely beautiful. Also one of those places where you'd likely ask yourself if this is a real place on earth - luckily it is.
For someone who almost exclusively hikes solo, being alone in such places is almost like a mystical experience. The silence and that view were worth the trip to Iceland by themselves.
Getting to this particular viewpoint requires wading the very cold Jokulgilskvisl River and, generally speaking, it's a tough hike. But it's well worth the effort.
I also made a video of this hike - for those interested it's the latest one on my YouTube channel.
Justification of Red List category
This species is listed as Critically Endangered because its population has undergone a very rapid reduction, for reasons that are poorly understood but are likely to be at least partly due to hunting along the migration flyway; this decline is projected to continue and increase in the future. Fieldwork in Kazakhstan (and counts in Turkey and the Middle East) has shown the population to be substantially larger than previously feared, but recent demographic studies have found low adult survival, possibly largely driven by hunting pressure along the migration routes and wintering grounds.
By Jim Lawrence
BirdLife International, RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) and leading optics manufacturer Swarovski Optik have just launched a remarkable new interactive website The Amazing Journey which charts the migration of one of the world’s most threatened birds - Sociable Lapwing. The new website enables you to experience the birds' migration online and witness new discoveries as they happen. It also provides support to a large team of international scientists who are trying to prevent the species from becoming extinct. Following extensive research, nine Sociable Lapwings have been carefully fitted with tiny, state-of-the-art satellite transmitters, which will track their hazardous 5,000+ km journey from their breeding grounds in Kazakhstan to their non breeding areas in tropical Africa and other, as yet undiscovered, destinations. The Amazing Journey follows the adventures of Erzhan, Dinara, Svetlana and six other intrepid satellite-tagged lapwings as they fly south for the winter - dodging hunters with guns and falcons and the myriad other unknown threats that await them. Andreas Pittl – Head of the Nature Division at Swarovski said, “This is a hugely important and fascinating project which Swarovski Optik is proud to champion. Wildlife is threatened with extinction for many reasons so finding ways to help such a beautiful and inspiring creature as the Social Lapwing is an important conservation effort we are keen to support. We want to bring people and nature together so they can continue to enjoy brilliant, close-up views of birds like these for years to come.” Designed by online marketing experts Digital Spring, The Amazing Journey uses satellite data fed through Google map technology to keep pace with the birds. A mixture of clever, regularly updated maps and video and photo blog reports from the field will follow their progress. Relatively little is still known about the routes Sociable Lapwings take, so tracking them will provide vital information, enabling BirdLife scientists to monitor and protect the birds and unlock the mystery of their migration. Now, for the first time, those interested in birds, wildlife and conservation can sit alongside scientists, and learn about these extraordinary birds, their migration habits and their conservation. Dr. Paul Donald, the project’s Principal Conservation Scientist at RSPB said, “We are using the world’s smallest and latest satellite transmitter – weighing just 5 grams – to record this amazing journey. By engaging with people around the world and inviting them to see this fascinating migration happening live online we believe we can inspire them to play their part too.” As the Sociable Lapwings progress along a lengthy route through various countries they need to stop every now and again to ‘refuel’ along the way. As they do so they form big feeding flocks (which is how they get their name). Whenever they touch down, precise details of their location are picked up by satellites orbiting high overhead and sent to RSPB scientists. These locations are then passed on to conservation project partners in each of the countries the birds travel through. With detailed coordinates they can quickly locate the flocks of birds, wherever they’ve touched down and take action if they are threatened in any way. The Amazing Journey website will provide regular reports from these scientists in the field keeping us up to date with all the latest news on the birds’ progress. Jim Lawrence, Preventing Extinction Programme Manager at BirdLife International said, “Protecting migratory species on the brink of extinction like Sociable Lapwings can’t be done without the considerable support of BirdLife Species Champions like Swarovski and RSPB. The Amazing Journey website is a new window on our world where you can see BirdLife International Partners around the globe delivering co-ordinated international conservation solutions.” Main photo credit Maxim Koshkin - Conservation Project Leader ACBK.
¿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]
En búsqueda de liberación
Cuando eres capaz de tomar toda esa información que has estado almacenando, acumulando por cierta cantidad de tiempo, convirtiéndola en algo más, algo más que espacio en tu cerebro, cuando eres capaz de hacer comparaciones y análisis propios, dejándote llevar por el conocimiento adquirido y tus propios instintos.
Nosotros, como seres humanos tenemos esas capacidades. Como artistas, creamos y buscamos interpretaciones de lo que conocemos, no buscamos respuestas precisas, solo posibilidades, mundos alternativos, opciones.
Tomé esta foto sobre un árbol caído cerca de mi trabajo, le pedí a mi modelo que se subiese y que sostuviera mi bitácora de bosquejos. Es de las pocas veces que trabajo con una modelo que sabe lo que hace, pero a fin de cuentas, una persona, así que le pedí que improvisara, que imaginara que pudiese estar haciendo una mujer sobre un árbol muerto con un libro en un bosque. Me gusta pensar que quiero incluir sus pensamientos dentro de mis conceptos, quiero que añadan más que sus cuerpos y sus movimientos, quiero incluir sus improvisaciones, sus intuiciones, sus vergüenzas, quiero añadir más de ellos que pueda complementarme a mi.
Cuando les comento sobre mis conceptos, creo que nunca me he sabido explicar claramente. Les digo que hacer, cómo hacerlo, lo hago yo primero de ser necesario, pero no entiendo si comprenden que quiero decir. Cuando les comento que se trata de crear personajes, creo que avanzo, o eso espero.
Quiero tomar toda mi información que he recopilado por años, más su información, y crear sinergia, un trabajo en conjunto.
A seek for release
When you're able to take all that information you've been storing, accumulating a certain amount of time, into something else, something more than space in your brain when you're able to make comparisons and own analysis, leaving out the acquired knowledge and your own instincts.
We as humans have these abilities. As artists, we seek to create an interpretations of what we know, we do not seek precise answers, only possibilities, alternative worlds, options.
I took this photo on a fallen tree near my work, I asked my model to come up and that would support my sketches journal. It is of the few times I work with a model who knows his stuff, but ultimately, a person, so I asked him improvise, to imagine that it could be doing a woman on a dead tree with a book in a forest . I like to think that I want to include their thoughts within my concepts, I want to add more than their bodies and their movements, I include their improvisations, their insights, their shame, I would add more of them that so it can complement me.
When I commented about my views, I believe that I have never been able to explain clearly. I tell them to do, how to do, I do it first if necessary, but do not understand if they understood what I mean. When I tell them about creating characters, I think I step up, I hope.
I want to I take all my information that I have collected for years, plus all of their information, and create synergy, working together.
Lightning – Le Graillon – Cap d’Antibes – France
The sky splits open, cleaved by the sword-blow of a raw, furious lightning strike. For a few milliseconds, time halts — the scene suspended, outside of reality. The rock listens. Between abyss and light, the fleeting flash unveils the fragile villa, waiting for its fate.
Immense and compact, a cumulonimbus glides over the sea. It coils in on itself, as if to multiply the force of its belly, ready to devour everything — like a beast stalking its next prey. Its dark flank swallows the horizon, unsettling the air, growling without end.
This haunting beauty of chaos is a stark reminder of nature’s sovereignty.
I tracked this thunderstorm cell on radar from the night before. Born over the Balearic Islands, it surged toward the Côte d’Azur at dawn on August 15, 2025. I positioned myself at Le Graillon – Cap d’Antibes – at the precise moment the cell raced along the coast, releasing its electric deluge.
Image created from two superimposed shots of 10 seconds.
Nikon D800E, f/20, 10 s, ISO 100, 17 mm focal length
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)
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Instagram: inhiu
It doesn’t emerge.
It asserts itself —
rising from the dark
as if light was never part of its design.
Hard edges.
Heavy mass.
Zero warmth.
A fortress of glass and steel
built without doubt,
without compromise.
No accident lives here.
Every angle is a decision.
Every line, a verdict.
This isn’t a building you enter —
it’s one you submit to.
Geometry, weaponized.
An architecture of authority.
An algorithm in concrete form:
cold, infinite,
precise to the point of violence.
You don’t arrive.
You are reduced.
Here, architecture doesn’t speak.
It commands.
And everything else is silent.
Welcome to NordLB.
Hanover.
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?
I wanted to give the impression that this flower was "sparking", because the colors and shapes reminded me of fire. I've done tons of these water lily shots before, but I haven't had the tools available to process them the way I like to until yesterday. Since Picnik shut down on Flickr, I've been able to find other editing sites that allowed me to do most of the things I'd done before, and even a few new things, but the one tool I'd come to rely on the most was missing, and although that made me broaden my horizons, so to speak, there was an artistic dimension that I no longer could tap into. Well, now it's back, thanks to ribbet.com! Ribbet seems to be almost identical to Picnik, so I imagine some of the same folks run it.
Anyway, the artsy side of things will be on my agenda a lot these days, with one decided difference. With a better camera, there will be clearer shots and less noise to deal with, so even doing things like this will have a smoother, more precise look than before. I used to manipulate the photos strictly out of necessity, and thereby found my passion, but now I will be able to manipulate things for the sheer love of creating something, not because the shots are blurry or grainy! So, it's a win-win.
Thanks again, Cindy, for telling me about Ribbet! Hugs.....
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
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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.
Pres HERE for venti on black
After seeing a shot like this from Robert Kroenert a few years ago I was inspired to give it a try. It seems like I missed it every time since the Trans America Pyramid light is only on for about one month during the Holiday Season.
This year, I was prepared and captured this scene with focal lengths ranging from 100-800mm. This scene was not as easy as I thought it would be, especially at 800mm. Some of the challenges while trying to frame the pyramid perfectly in the center of the tower were: the winds, tripod movement, precise manual focusing, camera shake, etc....One of the best parts of this scene is that the fog rolled in, just in time. More importantly it's placement between the city skyline and tower. It added an additional element to the scene and helped calm the highlights in the buildings. Much thanks to ACP for the location tips.
I hope everyone had a great Holiday Season and start to the New Year. May the light be with you, no matter what light your chasing. Jave
"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....
These guys are so precise!!! They do things in a formation that most pilots wouldn't even attempt on their own.
EXPLORE WITH A RANK OF 489 ON FEB 27, 2010.
THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!!
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
Vachon, John,, 1914-1975,, photographer.
Dr. Schreiber of San Augustine giving a typhoid innoculation at a rural school, San Augustine County, Texas
1943 April
1 transparency : color.
Notes:
Title from FSA or OWI agency caption.
Transfer from U.S. Office of War Information, 1944.
Subjects:
World War, 1939-1945
Children
Rural schools
Physicians
Vaccinations
United States--Texas--San Augustine County
Format: Transparencies--Color
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Part Of: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Collection 12002-56 (DLC) 93845501
General information about the FSA/OWI Color Photographs is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.fsac
Higher resolution image is available (Persistent URL): hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsac.1a35422
hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3d02191
Call Number: LC-USW36-828
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.
La domenica si apre con una luce dorata che accarezza i tetti rossi e le torri merlate di Ivrea. È una delle più belle cittadine del torinese, raccolta e fiera, con quell’anima medievale che si specchia nelle acque della Dora Baltea.
Le vie acciottolate si riempiono presto di maschere. Volti dipinti, cappelli piumati, mantelli che ondeggiano al passo della folla. Le risate scoppiano improvvise, limpide, mentre le bande attraversano le piazze e il sole accende ogni dettaglio: il rame delle pentole, il bianco delle divise, l’arancione vivo delle cassette accatastate agli angoli delle strade.
Nel Borghetto, il quartiere più antico e suggestivo, il tempo sembra indugiare. Le case strette, color miele e mattone, si affacciano quasi timide sulla Dora Baltea, che scorre rapida sotto i ponti di pietra.
Nel quartiere di Castellazzo, la tradizione si fa sapore condiviso con la celebre Fagiolata. I grandi pentoloni fumano sin dall’alba; dentro, fagioli morbidi e saporiti cuociono lentamente con cotenne e salamini, in una ricetta che profuma di casa e di storia. Il vino rosso scalda le guance, la birra rinfresca tra una chiacchiera e l’altra: è una festa che si assapora, letteralmente.
E poi, improvvisa come un tuono in un cielo limpido, esplode la Battaglia delle Arance. È il cuore pulsante del Carnevale, un rito collettivo che affonda le radici nella storia e nella leggenda della ribellione popolare. Le squadre degli aranceri a piedi, riconoscibili dai colori e dagli stemmi, affrontano i carri da getto che avanzano trainati dai cavalli. Le arance volano rapide, tracciando archi luminosi nel sole pomeridiano; si infrangono contro gli scudi, rimbalzano sui selciati, tingono tutto di un arancione vivido e profumato.
Le regole sono precise e rispettate con rigore: solo chi indossa i segni distintivi può partecipare; i cavalli sono protetti, così come chi porta il berretto frigio rosso, simbolo di libertà e dichiarazione di non partecipazione. È una battaglia rituale, intensa ma leale, dove il rispetto è parte stessa del gioco.
Quando il sole comincia a scendere dietro le torri, Ivrea appare stanca e felice. Le strade sono un mosaico di bucce e colori, l’aria ancora intrisa di agrumi e mosto. Le campane risuonano lievi sopra la Dora Baltea, e la domenica di Carnevale si chiude come una promessa mantenuta: un intreccio di storia, profumi e allegria che rende questa città medievale un luogo unico, dove ogni anno la festa rinnova il senso profondo di appartenenza.
ENG
Sunday begins with a golden light caressing the red roofs and crenellated towers of Ivrea. It is one of the most beautiful towns in the Turin area, compact and proud, with a medieval soul reflected in the waters of the Dora Baltea.
The cobbled streets soon fill with masks. Painted faces, feathered hats, cloaks billowing with the crowd. Laughter erupts suddenly, clearly, as the bands march through the squares and the sun illuminates every detail: the copper of the pots, the white of the uniforms, the bright orange of the crates stacked at street corners.
In Borghetto, the oldest and most evocative neighborhood, time seems to linger. The narrow, honey- and brick-colored houses overlook the Dora Baltea, which flows swiftly under the stone bridges.
In the Castellazzo neighborhood, tradition becomes a shared flavor with the famous Fagiolata. The large pots have been smoking since dawn; Inside, soft, flavorful beans simmer slowly with pork rinds and salami, in a recipe that smells of home and history. Red wine warms the cheeks, beer refreshes between chats: it's a celebration to be savored, literally.
And then, suddenly like thunder in a clear sky, the Battle of the Oranges explodes. It is the beating heart of Carnival, a collective ritual rooted in the history and legend of popular rebellion. Teams of orange throwers on foot, recognizable by their colors and emblems, face off against the horse-drawn carts. The oranges fly rapidly, tracing luminous arcs in the afternoon sun; they crash against shields, bounce off the pavement, painting everything a vivid, fragrant orange.
The rules are precise and rigorously respected: only those wearing the distinctive insignia may participate; horses are protected, as are those wearing the red Phrygian cap, a symbol of freedom and a declaration of non-participation. It's a ritual battle, intense but fair, where respect is part of the game itself.
When the sun begins to set behind the towers, Ivrea appears tired and happy. The streets are a mosaic of peels and colors, the air still thick with citrus and must. The bells ring softly above the Dora Baltea, and Carnival Sunday ends like a promise kept: a blend of history, aromas, and joy that makes this medieval city a unique place, where every year the festival renews a profound sense of belonging.
This bird stole my heart. To be precise not a bird, but seven of them, two parents and five chicks. They all live at Moscow Zoo and I have a pleasure of observing them. This one is a the 2 y.o. teenager. I can watch playing them for hours.
This study took 1.5 hours in front of the bird to complete. I hope to make a bigger watercolour portraits of our birds before their departure to other Zoos.
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.
FELIZ QUINTA-FLOWER!
Então, que não seja a paz
uma palavra que eu digo,
mas a semente que eu
planto, a flor que cultivo e deixo crescer.
Não seja a paz
um ideal que persigo,
mas o xale que eu teço,
o bem que preciso e
faço acontecer.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Peace is a seed that I plant and let grow.
FLOWER HAPPY THURSDAY!
So it is not peace
a word I say,
but the seed that I
I plant, the flower growing and let grow.
There is peace
an ideal to pursue,
but the shawl I weave,
Although the precise
make happen.
Pu'er, Yunnan, China
The precise silken pattern prelaid by the prepupal caterpillar on the exposed leaf is reminiscent of an orb-weaver spider's visibility enhancing stabilimentum. Perhaps it plays a similar role by making the pupa look larger than it is, breaking up its outline or, is indeed outright orb-weaver mimicry.
see comments for additional view...
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!
My first day photographing the ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru was complicated by mist and rain clouds swirling around the famous mountain that overlooks the site, Huayna Picchu. At approximately 9,000 feet elevation, Machu Picchu spends a lot of time in the clouds. It only added to the beautifully mystical quality of this legendary site. And judging by the incredible amount of stairs at Machu Picchu, the Inca who lived here must have been tri-athletes. Whenever they were outside their homes, they were going up or down large stone stairs to get around. According to anthropologists, the Inca were had a population of master stone masons and stone cutters who were able to perform incredibly precise cuts and to the gigantic stone pieces they worked with so that pieces fit together (without cement or adobe mud) so tightly they were water tight. Even engineers today marvel at the precision of stonework at Machu Picchu, and attempts to duplicate these fits using modern technology have failed. Interestingly enough, the method of moving gigantic slabs of rock around Machu Picchu was almost identical to the way the builders of Stonehenge, England moved those huge slabs some 200 miles from Wales.
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
This shows how much Mars' slightly longer day affects a precise 24 hour rotation. Mars shares several things in common with the Earth, it is tilted in its axis so has four seasons same as Earth (they are just twice as long as Mars takes twice as long to travel round the Sun for its year) and its rotation period is about 37 minutes slower in 24 hours than Earth. Mars has visible ice around whichever pole (North or South) is having its winter. That though is largely where the similarities end! Mars lacks the molten core and strong magnetic field of Earth and consequently can't prevent damage from solar wind and cosmic rays due to its thin atmosphere being unable to absorb incoming radiation and lack of a strong magnetic field to deflect incoming particles or prevent atmosphere being lost to space. One strange consequence is that even a strong dust storm on Mars would feel like a gentle breeze to us despite their widespread nature when Mars is closest to the Sun in its orbit.
In the above images there is a tiny ice region around the South pole and signs of iciness around the North polar region that isn't thick enough to hide the underlying surface features.
Peter
Mwila (or Mwela, Mumuhuila, or Muhuila) women are famous for their very special hairstyles. Hairstyles are very important and meaningful in Mwila culture. Women coat their hair with a red paste called, oncula, which is made of crushed red stone. They also put a mix of oil, crushed tree bark, dried cow dung and herbs on their hair. Besides they decorate their hairstyle with beads, cauri shells (real or plastic ones) and even dried food. Shaving the forehead is considered as a sign of beauty. The plaits, which look like dreadlocks, are called nontombi and have a precise meaning. Women or girls usually have 4 or 6 nontombi, but when they only have 3 it means that someone died in their family. Mwila Women are also famous for their necklaces, which are central and meaningful as for each period of their life corresponds a specific type of necklace. Young girls wear necklaces, heavy red made with beads covered with a mix of soil land latex. Later girls wear yellow necklaces called, Vikeka, made with wicker covered with earth. They keep until their wedding which can last 4 years. When married they start to wear a set of stacked up bead necklaces, called Vilanda. Women never take their necklace off and have to sleep with it. They also use headrests to protect their hairstyles. However, more and more men and women dress in a western way, because people make fun of them when they go to markets. Women sometimes walk 50 kilometers to sell goods in Huila market. Mwila rarely eat meat, they rather eat porridge, corn, chicken, honey and milk. They kill their cattle only on special occasions. Mwila are not allowed to mention people’s name in public.
© Eric Lafforgue
Brooks Saddles to be precise.
Protecting peoples derrière since 1866 ;)
Beautifully Comfortable and Long Lasting Bicycle Saddles.
The renowned quality of the saddles has made Brooks England a household name in the world of cycling. The slogan 'The Best For Riding’ describes exactly why their popularity has endured. The're committed to providing the very best in design and comfort by way of proven designs and contemporary technologies.
--
Seen at The Vintage Retreat, Northampton.
This gull is flying so close to the water that I though he will crash... Unbelievable precise flight!
«Être homme, c'est précisément être responsable. C'est connaître la honte en face d'une misère qui ne semblait pas dépendre de soi. C'est être fier d'une victoire que les camarades ont remportée. C'est sentir, en posant sa pierre, que l'on contribue à bâtir le monde.»
(Antoine de Saint-Exupéry "Terre des hommes")
«To be a human is, precisely, to be responsible. It is to feel shame at the sight of what seems to be unmerited misery. It is to take pride in a victory won by one's comrades. It is to feel, when setting one's stone, that one is contributing to the building of the world»
(Antoine de Saint-Exupéry "Wind, Sand and Stars")
«Να είσαι άνθρωπος, σημαίνει ακριβώς να είσαι υπεύθυνος. Να γνωρίσεις την ντροπή απέναντι σε μια δυστυχία που δε μοιάζει να έρχεται από σένα. Να νιώθεις περηφάνια για μια νίκη που πέτυχαν οι συνάδελφοί σου. Να αισθάνεσαι, βάζοντας κι εσύ το λιθαράκι σου, πως συντελείς στο κτίσιμο του κόσμου»
(Antoine de Saint-Exupéry "Γη των ανθρώπων")
Luftwaffe Tornado ECR swoops down onto the runway for a precise and smooth landing. 1/160 second exposure panning shot.
The jet is wearing a '60 Jahre Luftwaffe' sticker to celebrate 60 Years since the formation of the modern Luftwaffe der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. To apply the sticker, they cleaned the upper half of the fin. The jet is pretty dirty, that is because the reverse thrust kicks soot back onto the tailplane.
Categories:
Tornado - Luftwaffe - Bundeswehr - Hohn 2016
Collections:
"Talvez você só precise (re)organizar as coisas por dentro, rearrumar os sentimentos, refazer as prioridades.
Tira a poeira desse sorriso, desengaveta teus sonhos.
Joga fora o que pesa na alma, o que te desassossega.
Manda embora o que tira teu sorriso frouxo.
Faz uma faxina e deixa aí só o que for bonito."
[Monalisa Macedo]
falso-íris, lírio-roxo, lírio-roxo-das-pedras, lírio-roxo-das-pedreiras, pseudo-íris-azul, alho-do-mato, maricá, doze-apóstolos, íris-da-praia-azul, Apostle plant, marica, twelve apostles, walking íris.
Nome Científico: Neomarica caerulea
Família (Cronquist (APG2): Iridaceae
Gênero: Neomarica
APEX: Accurate Precise EXact
A militarist group that goes by the name APEX, these expertly trained soldiers are as mysterious as they are unpredicatable. Striking with devastating force, then disappearing without a trace, APEX has become one of the most infamous and feared organizations on the planet. Their reputatation stems from the questions that surround them. Who founded this group? Who leads it? More importantly, who funds it and how do they have access to advanced technology being developed in secrecy by varying governments? These questions may never be answered, but APEX lives on, giving militaries around the world cause to fear.
-Excerpt from News Article detailing APEX's rise to power
_______________________________________________________________________________
My WIP faction. I like where it's going.
A new photo as promised, complete with mad photoshop skillz. I deleted the old picture because this one is so much more badass :)
Enjoy!
P.S: I'm sorry if these guys look like anyone else's, but at this point it's really hard to make a totally unique faction.
Some of the fabulous architecture at Bluewater, not often looked up at.
The whole inscription at the bottom, in case anyone’s interested, reads:
The dawn’s precise pronouncement waits
With breath of light indrawn,
Then forms with smoky, smut-red lips
The great O of the sun.
Laurie Lee 1919-1947
Thanks for viewing, favs and comments, much appreciated 😊
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)