Brick & Stone Architecture
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Our original plan was to keep heading north and so we thought we would never get to see the elusive Three Sisters again.
As fate would have it, we had to go back to Calgary a week later for some needed supplies. On our way back to Banff, we passed through Canmore and naturally we felt obligated to pay the Sisters yet another visit, our 3rd by then.
Not an easy shot for it was a bright and hazy day, choppy water due to the wind, and to make matters worse, I was shooting into the sun.
I couldn't remember if I had stacked the CPL with a 3-stop and 10-stop ND filter, a 6-stop and a 10-stop, or just a 10-stop alone. (It was bright!) My rationale was to bring out more dark details, smooth out the sky and the water somewhat.
I like the result, and I hope you would, too! 😊
Per www.travelalberta.com - "In 1883, Albert Rogers named these mountains the Three Nuns after a storm left a heavy veil of snow on the northern face of all three peaks. They were renamed the Three Sisters in 1886 by George Dawson and they are referred to individually as Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister. Heavily associated with the town of Canmore in the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies known as Kananaskis Country, the Three Sisters may be the most recognized peaks in the Bow River Valley section of the TransCanada Highway (Hwy 1)."
OK, but which one is Big, and which one is Little? 🤔
It's Friday, wishing you all a very nice weekend!
Thank you for your visit, dear Flickr friends!
The geysers, buffalo, wolves and weather seem to get most of the glory. I'm kind of partial to the Yellowstone River area, with its waterfalls and colorful canyon.
Unfortunately, so are tour operators, which means places like Artist Point are often teeming with people. On this day however, the clouds and threat of late Spring storms kept the masses at bay, so I was able to take a little more time looking around and setting up my shots.
Interestingly enough, the rationale behind the name Artist Point turned out to be false. F. Jay Haynes, the official photographer and concessionaire at Yellowstone National Park named the point in 1883, believing that it was the spot from which Thomas Moran made sketches to paint his grand painting (now hanging in the Smithsonian American Art Museum) in 1872. However, on a return trip to Yellowstone, Moran pointed out that he'd actually done his work from the North Rim of the Canyon. The name stuck, nonetheless.
Today I am a bit late with my post and the reason for this is very much yours here. Well, part of the rationale.
I spent last night here at the Quitzdorf reservoir. And of course I took the opportunity to get up early and watch the sunrise.
Those of you who have known me for a while will notice that I've been here before (twice in fact) and the pictures are always taken from the same location. This is simply because I haven't found another spot where you can see the sun and at the same time there are no buildings on the other side of the lake in view. The place here is (unfortunately) not as deserted as it looks in the photos.
Heute bin ich etwas spät dran mit meinem post und die Begründung dafür sehr Ihr hier. Naja, einen Teil der Begründung.
Ich habe letzte Nacht hier, am Stausee von Quitzdorf verbracht. Und natürlich habe ich die Gelegenheit genutzt früh aufzustehen und mir den Sonnenaufgang anzusehen.
Die von Euch, welche mich schon eine Weile kennen werden merken, dass ich hier schon einmal war (sogar zweimal) und das die Bilder immer von der selben Stelle aufgenommen wurden. Das liegt einfach daran, dass ich noch keine andere Stelle gefunden habe bei der man die Sonne sieht und gleichzeitig keine Gebäude am anderen Seeufer im Blick sind. So verlassen, wie das auf dem Fotos wirkt, ist der Ort hier nämlich (leider) nicht.
more of this on my website at: www.shoot-to-catch.de
Today, May 28, 2018, is Memorial Day in the U.S. I wish I could come up with a fitting and respectful rationale for posting this photo of Ms. Snowy today, aside from the fact that she is sitting in our local cemetery, but I can't. I can and do offer my thanks to those of you who have served in any branch of the armed services.
Please view Large.
Stockholm's public library. The library has been described as the physical manifestation of a transitionary period in both the rationale of its designer and the shifting values of European architecture; the ultimate result a deceptively complex synthesis of styles presented in a visually straightforward package: the fading influence of Neoclassicism juxtaposed against the emergence of Rationalism. Brilliant!
In the early 1850s, one Nicholas Pike, director of the Brooklyn Institute in New York, decided to import this bird from England. The first few attempts to establish the bird weren't successful but eventually the house sparrow took hold when the birds were released into Greenwood Cemetery, Central Park and a few other places. The rationale apparently was the control of some bug called a canker worm. The sparrow supposedly would pig out on the critters and reduce the canker worm population. Soon, cities and towns throughout the country were importing house sparrows to "aid people against encroachment of insects."
But others soon noticed that house sparrows don't have much of an appetite for bugs. On top of that, they were driving out native songbirds.The infatuation with the house sparrow turned to hatred, so much so that some states began paying bounties for dead sparrows. However it was too late; house sparrows had spread throughout the continent.
They're now found as far north as Canada's Northwest Territories and as far south as Cape Horn, the remote tip of South America. That extreme range indicates how adaptable house sparrows are. They can be found anywhere there are people, in big cities and small towns, in suburbs and around farms. The only place they're not found: deep, deep woods. In more extreme locales, they require human presence to survive.
I found this male in my backyard in Polk County, Florida.
This photo was taken quite awhile after sunset. Consequently it was quite noisy and what you might call "soft." Traditional bird photography emphasize sharpness and clarity.
However, the composition is seldom complex or very interesting. In the case of warblers on flowering branches at least the flowers are a secondary point of interest. I think it is the lack of compositional interest that limits the general appreciation of bird photography. People who don't have a particular interest in birds are not big fans.
The same can't be said of fine art bird paintings. There is one painting by a UK painter of a Peregrine Falcon hitting a duck in the sky from a perspective above the scene. There is the duck falling(a splay of feathers), the other ducks, the falcon and the scenery below. Now that is interesting to study.
This photograph communicates a number of things. One is the simple contrast of form and color to be found among the wading species of the marsh. Another is that some species search the same shallows for different prey. They are non-competitive. Also the movement in opposite directions conveys the sense of dynamic nature and the choreography of marsh life.
Any way this is a rationale for taking the time to process a less than high resolution photo. I did narrow the aperture to get the 3 birds generally in focus.
Old houses in Aoni used to have this type of roofing.
UNESCO inscribed the "Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan" on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2020. Thatching technique (茅葺き Kayabuki) is mentioned as an important component of the heritage. I suppose this would give a political rationale for national and local governments to subsidise the cost of thatching for the inheritance of the traditional roofing technique.
This old house is located in the main village of Hakuba near the Himekawa riverside. Parked BMW Mini has a Sagami (相模) number plate, which means the owner of the car (and probably, that of the house) is not a local. It is not rare for urban dwellers to purchase and restore old farmer's houses for holiday house or residence after retirement. For some people, owning an old wooden house may be regarded as a status symbol like owning a German car.
Patterns in ice on the surface of a small flatland creek. I believe these artistic lines were created by snow faeries and elves, because I can't think of any rationale scientific explanation for the genesis of lovely patterns like this.
In 1990, Archaeological Survey of India discovered a sunken apsidal stepped well along with few sculptures inside it. This stepped well is located immediately to the north of the Shore Temple, its south edge abutting the northern wall of the Shore Temple. On the extreme south of this newly discovered shrine is placed a monolith statue of Varaha (Boar)in its zoomorphic form. This image is carved in round from a single boulder. The statue was found severely damaged, however, with efforts from ASI restorers, we now see this image in its near original glory. The other element of this stepped well is a slender cylindrical shrine constructed partly in rock and partly in stone. Beyond this cylindrical shrine, further northward, is a circular cistern or mini-well. This is cut downwards with a circular rim-like stone placed at the ground level.
ASI report mentions that this well provides potable water though situated near the ocean. Though Rabe accepts these sockets for the capstones of a well, however, he suggests that these might be constructed to hold the ‘pillar of victory’ taken by Narasimhavarman I from Vatapi (Badami) which probably was installed here.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Rabe2 tries to explain political reason behind the systematic destruction of this Varaha image. Rabe suggests that this Varaha monolith was severely and systematically butchered when the Chalukya king Vikramaditya I invaded the Pallava kingdom. The rationale behind this destruction was the submissive and prostrated attitude of the Varaha (Boar) Varaha was the dynastic crest of the Chalukyas. This specific posture of Varaha might be taken as a reference to the subjugation of the Chalukyas by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I. And to take revenge, the Chalukyan army destroyed this Varaha image while marching forward into the Pallava kingdom.
Inscriptions On the Varaha (boar) monolith –
The Varaha sculpture is carved out of the mother rock like the three other animal sculptures in the Five Rathas nearby. It has four birudas (titles) of Rajasimha Pallava, some of his favorites, inscribed upon the base, in Sanskrit in the Pallava Grantha script. The birudas on the side are “Sri RajasimhaH” “Sri RanajayaH” and “Sri BharaH”. The biruda on the rear, under the varaha’s tail, is “Sri Citra KaarmukaH”. Between the legs of the boar on both the and under its tail, leaves of acquatic plants are sculpted. These are similar to those at the base of the Varaha and Gajalakshmi panels in the Varaha Mandapam. These indicate that the boar which represents Vishnu, is diving under water, not merely digging.
However, how to explain the engraved titles of Rajasimha, as the Chalukyan attacked the Pallava kingdom before the reign of Rajasimha. To explain it, Rabe tells that it was most possible that like other monoliths, this Varaha was also executed during the period of Narasimhavarman I(630–668 AD). Therefore, when the Chalukyas attacked the Pallavas, during the reign of Narasimhavarman I and Parameshvaravarman I, this monolith was present in the temple complex. As the Varaha was destroyed before the reign of Rajasimha (695 to 722 AD), it was Rajasimha who restored it and that’s how we find his titles engraved on it. (Above description source Internet). Location - Mada Koil St, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu 603104, India
No one wants to see God's beautiful creation behind a fence, in a cage; albeit protected from the wild poachers, but it can be a good thing if our animals are well cared for... still I know some will argue the point. I for one, am thankful to be able to at least get to meet these amazing creatures in a set setting, I talk with them and try to convey a sense of calm and crazy rationale and ask forgiveness for human's mistakes with creation. This female Snow Leopard is starting to recognize me when I come visiting. If you look a little into eyes, you can see my reflection...
Sometimes I establish some photography goals that are simply based upon “can I get that” as opposed to that would make a good photograph rationale. In this case, it was the former. Ron Bielefeld, the most capable bird photographer I know, took a wonderful picture of a Pectoral Sandpiper, which puffs out its chest when calling in flight. After I saw his image, I wanted one of my own. We frequently heard the species on the tundra as it makes a very distinctive “woop woop” sound when flying. I called it the Woop Woop bird and was on alert hoping to get a shot of it while calling. Finally, on our last day of shooting, one flew toward me giving me this shot of it’s puffed out chest. (Calidris melanotos) (Sony a1, 400mm with 1.4 extender providing 560mm, f/4, 1/2500 second, ISO 4000)
'En touto nika', 'by this conquer'. The vision of Constantine the Great of the Holy Cross with its instruction "By This Conquer", in 312 AD prior to a decisive battle close to Rome, gave Christianity, and in particular the cross as a powerful religious symbol, historical force. Even more so, when his mother, Helena, a few years later 'discovered' the cross Jesus was nailed against in Jerusalem. In this scene, however - the chapel of St John the Baptist in Markyate, Hertfordshire, the symbol of the cross follows a slightly different rationale: the building itself is located down in the valley of the River Ver and the drivers on the adjacent major (and fast) road will hardly notice it is even there. This is all about "visibility". The wooden cross does not signal victory, it just says "we are still here".
My #1 rationale to the wife for the NEED, not Want, of a wide-angle lens -- now that I've got one just got to find a way to get up there again,....
'Just' another curve on the wonderful 79 miles of Big Sur.
Hate to tell you folks but that is the usual view of the "Blue Pacific Ocean" and with nothing visual to look at, the roads take over (especially courtesy of those "motorcycle passing lanes" as marked by the double yellow)
My first outing with this snazzy new 400mm prime lens. After having 3 or 4 trips this year cancelled, I'd 'saved' so much that I could afford this - well.. thats my rationale even if it is flawed.
A new holland honeyeater.
'Central to rationales for arming Israel is the claim that it is the nation of "the Jewish people". Such rhetoric - equating Israel with all Jews and Israel's future with theirs - is an effort to sanctify Israel and shield it from criticism by brandishing the charge of antisemitism.' Norman Solomon ▪️Yn greiddiol i'r dadleuon o blaid arfogi Israel mae'r haeriad mai hi yw cenedl yr Iddewon. Haerir ei bod yn cynrychioli'r Iddewon i gyd er mwyn ceisio santeiddio Israel a'i gwarchod rhag beirniadaeth drwy'r cyhuddiad o wrth-Semitiaeth.▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️Blackpool, Lancashire/ Sir Gaerhirfryn, England/ Lloegr
Leica M8, Elmar (collapsible) 2.8/50. When you are letting go, all you "have" and everything you "are", there will be a somebody who will not shut up. That voice will question your attempts at letting go, critique its entire rationale and ridicule your expectations as illusionary. This guy is a tough one. His whole existence is on the line. He will fight.
This connection between the worship of God and our practical response that flows from it has particular application in the contemporary church. A friend of mine who is pastor of a large parish was approached by a small group of parishioners who wanted him to establish a perpetual adoration chapel in the church. Although certainly not opposed to the idea in principle, the pastor did have some concern with the rationale being offered by the people involved. They seemed to be approaching this in a very "detached" way, with no apparent desire to connect their worship with practical application. So he decided to try something. He prepared a list of various outreach ministries sponsored by the parish and the diocese. He asked that those who wished to participate in perpetual adoration also sign up to help out in one of the areas of ministry on the list. Sadly, the members of this particular group refused to do so. The pastor eventually established the perpetual adoration chapel, but he continued to insist that parishioners find concrete ways to live out the implications of that worship and praise. In doing so, he was recognizing this ancient biblical marriage of prayer and action.
-William T. Ditewig, The Emerging Dioconate, Servant Leaders in a Servant Church
Milky Way over Emerald Lake (8,000 feet) in Lassen National Park. Single shot captured 75 minutes after sunset, adding light pollution but also useful foreground light and lake reflections. There is an interesting sidebar to this cold evening alone on the lake. Soon after dark I turned around to check the rocky hillside—I had seen deer earlier and was thinking of prey—and spotted what appeared to be an illuminated and symmetrical ladder ascending straight up from the top of the ridge. For several minutes my mind conjured up explanations that no rationale person would disclose to others before resuming my photography. The next day the explanation for my other-worldly sighting was answered: I had observed a Starlight satellite train launched by Space X Falcon 9—thanks Elon.
Fassadendetail der Posstfiliale Ostiense/Ufficio postale Ostiense (Via Marmorata), Rom
Architekten: Adalberto Libera, Mario De Renzi, 1933-35
I have always loved this sculpture and the view through its tweezer-like "pincers". I hadn't previously looked up the artist's description and rationale for the sculpture, however. I finally did so the other day...
“Dialogue” is a public art installation created by multidisciplinary artist Florent Cousineau, located on the upper plaza near the Alexandria Bridge in Ottawa.
“The tall, slender silhouette of the work’s two-part structure contrasts with the strong horizontality of its setting. While the pure lines of these sculptural forms create space for multiple interpretations, their arrangement also evokes an exchange between two monumental figures. Their curves entwine in a movement recalling a pair of witnesses, dancers or sentinels leaning on each other for support. Light sources emanating from within the two figures create a fluid, rhythmic dialogue, inviting us to linger.
Dialogue can be seen on the upper plaza near the Alexandra Bridge in Ottawa until 2021.”
Source: www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/art-monuments...
Flickr Red Day, Sunday, April 6th: Make your own red banner or create a red image. Although it may not make any difference, we can at least make our collective voice heard on Sunday, April 6th.
JOIN THE PROTEST GROUP here
www.flickr.com/groups/2575846@N24
skagitrenee (Renee) has put together a rationale outlining what we would like to see changed with the new Flickr; see the links here:
www.flickr.com/photos/skagitrenee/13536824243/
Also please go to vote and leave your comment; we want Flickr to see the importance for all these missing points.
yahoo.uservoice.com/forums/211185-us-flickr/suggestions/5...
A copse of Callery pear trees (Pyrus calleryana) is limned by low-angle late-afternoon late-winter sun.
On the shores of Postal Pond in Legacy Park
City of Decatur (Winnona Park), Georgia, USA.
7 March 2025.
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▶ Although beautiful when blooming, Callery pear trees —also known as Bradford pears— are considered invasive in the eastern and midwest United States. Plus, they stink!
▶ See closeup of single blossom: here.
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▶ Photographer's notes:
☞ I used a telephoto lens to capture a more intimate landscape: 'zooming' across the pond to reveal the beautiful light on the trees and pond reeds, while avoiding the bright reflection of the sun on the pond.
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▶ Rejections:
☞ On 17 March 2025, the administrator for the Flickr group "FIELD GUIDE: FLOWERING TREES of the WORLD" rejected this photo for NOT depicting a flowering tree. Upon reconsideration, the image was kindly re-invited to the group.
☞ On 19 March 2025, the administrator of "Telephoto Landscapes" rejected this image for NOT depicting a "Landscape shot with a long focal length." Really? I could not disagree more.
☞ On 22 March 2025, a moderator for the Flickr group "GEORGIA, THE PEACH STATE" rejected this photo for NOT displaying "scenic beauty of the State of Georgia, USA." It isn't easy to fathom any reasonable rationale other than petty animus.
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▶ Photo —and Pic(k) of the Week— by: YFGF.
▶ For a larger image, type 'L' (without the quotation marks).
— Follow on Instagram: @tcizauskas.
— Follow on Threads: @tcizauskas.
— Follow on Bluesky: @tcizauskas.
▶ Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 II.
— Lens: Olympus M.40-150mm F4.0-5.6 R.
— Edit: Photoshop Elements 15, Nik Collection (2016).
▶ Commercial use requires explicit permission, as per Creative Commons.
Baraboo Part IV -- The International Crane Foundation has a great exhibition all 15 species of worldwide cranes. Helping save this threatened species is the rationale of the place.
With great wide expanses, many of the exhibit homes are backed by murals expertly done of their homeland.
This (I think) is a Sarius Crane out of India, who was a new father. He would let us all know gathering to his at least 5-foot height to letting out some Very LOUD cries of either protection or triumph, I couldn't tell. But you can hear them way down by the parking lot.
Portrait of a good friend from Texas wearing his arch-American belt (cowboys etc.) where it fits best. And he is not happy. What? You didn't know? You didn't know that Copenhagen has suggested to annex the territory of the USA as its hinterland or, as the news has it, its "Danish Periphery". The rationale given was that what formerly were US citizens now, as Danish citizens, would be given a proper education. First come good table manners and then matters such as civility and general decency. The Danish Prime Minister also said that Copenhagen would deal responsibly with the natural and human resources of that territory as Denmark has done for centuries in Greenland, the Caribbean, West Africa and Tamil Nadu (India). In the end, it is hoped, my friend from Texas will see things in a more positive light for the Danish are the most lenient kind of masters. Fuji X-Pro3.
there is no sound in a vacuum,
no soliloquy that precedes the moment when galaxies collide,
no context,
no warning,
no rationale,
no debate,
no stirring score to set the mood,
to note the presence of impending radiation,
of heavy particles ripping through the void at the speed of light.
there is no real meaning to be found,
no religion to assign blame,
no confessor to absolve guilt,
there is no guilt,
no underlying lesson to be learned,
no moral,
no arc to follow,
no history to capture,
no purpose, really, in capturing it,
no human scale to anything,
no soulful revelation,
nothing really to grasp.
there is only a shifting tone,
a change in the fundamental,
a lumpiness in the residue,
inexplicable in ages to come,
buried in the miscalculations that are bound to occur;
there is the presumptuousness of intelligence,
the common mistake,
that there was nothing,
and then there was everything,
a big bang in an empty void,
a propagation,
a place with boundaries to be discovered,
a mysterious place
filled with whispers of the here and now.
(deep breath)
no, not so much;
the cascade of universes,
embedded in this unforeseen continuum,
suggests a something far more intricate,
far more subtle,
far more chaotic,
far more beautiful than i will ever know,
far more nuanced than i will ever understand,
far more,
far more,
far far more.
i look up at the sky,
i wait.
littletinperson
a repost (with revisions) from long ago
Tahoma/Mount Rainier in the clouds, taken from the Crystal Mountain Trail at about 6800 feet/2070 meters) elevation
"Go to the mountains", the voice softly whispered in my head as I slipped from sleep into semi-consciousness at the insistent ringing of my hiking-day morning alarm. "But that's not what I had planned", I thought to myself, having selected a different hike the night before when I was preparing my gear and planning for the day's adventure.
"You should go to the mountains", the voice said again, more insistently this time, as I ate a quick breakfast, downed some coffee, and checked the weather to make sure the thunderstorms from Saturday afternoon were not making an appearance in Sunday's forecast. "But it will be so crowded at Mount Rainier National Park on a holiday weekend at the end of summer" I thought, pushing my rationale for having chosen a different hike.
Yet somehow I found myself checking the mountain weather forecast before I headed out, and as I drove to the trailhead, underneath the sounds of my selected playlist I could hear the words again, "Go to the mountains".
The weather did not look promising as I made my way south and east, watching the mountains draped in a thick layer of cloud cover. I stubbornly protested to that voice in my head that Tahoma probably wouldn't be visible anyway. "That doesn't matter, it's about being there" the voice replied, and after only the briefest hesitation I drove past the turnoff to the lake trail that had been my original destination, and headed toward the mountains.
Knowing it would be overcrowded at the National Park, I quickly ran through other trail options in my head, and decided to head out to Crystal Mountain. A ski resort in the winter, it lies adjacent to the National Park boundary and the Mount Rainier wilderness area, and provides access to hiking trails in the summer. Being past summer wildflower season I hoped the trails would not be busy, and fortunately that was the case.
Although Tahoma never fully emerged from the clouds, the joys of hiking for hours in near-solitude through expansive mountain views in every direction, glorious subalpine meadows, and two lovely and quiet alpine lakes (one of which I shared with only the birds, chipmunks, and insects), filled my soul with all those things I hadn't consciously realized I was needing...and my mind with gratitude for inner voices that speak when we need them to give us a nudge in the right direction.
Bird's nest fungi's fruiting bodies resemble tiny egg-filled bird nests. They are easily overlooked because of their tiny size (7mm or 1/4 inch across). Young specimens have a thin layer of tissue covering the cup's top. It wears off at maturity to expose the disc-shaped spore parcels within. The smooth inner walls of the fruiting body and the combined effect of the crucible shape and internal wall angle produce a good splash action. The force of the falling water splashes out the "egg" uncoiling and snapping the funiculus, the cord that connects it to the fruiting body. As the egg continues its flight, the cord extends to its full length. The sticky end of the cord may adhere to a leaf or a twig some distance away, and the egg may end up being wrapped around or hanging down the object to which the funiculus is stuck. The spores can germinate when the thick outer wall of the "egg" wears away, or the egg may be eaten by a herbivorous animal, and ultimately passed through its digestive system. Recently New Zealand collected specimen of C. laeve had the name changed to C. simile. I have not caught up with the rationale for this.
The Battle of the environmental education center.
An intense moment as these bucks stare at each other before locking antlers. It's hard to describe my shooting rationale in this situation as anything other than "spray and pray". These White tailed Deer were moving all over the place and the light was dwindling. My shutter speed was low and I knew if I shot in bursts my chances would be better. I had two different shots in mind that I was attempting to get. One was the two head to head. The other unimportant as nothing came of it. Anytime they moved into this position I fired a few shots. It didn't come together as I had hoped but the intensity in their eyes in this shot convinced me to loosen up.
In the early 1850s, one Nicholas Pike, director of the Brooklyn Institute, decided to import this bird from England. The first few attempts to establish the bird weren't successful but eventually the house sparrow took hold when the birds were released into Greenwood Cemetery, Central Park and a few other places. The rationale apparently was the control of some bug called a canker worm. The sparrow supposedly would pig out on the critters and reduce the canker worm population. Soon, cities and towns throughout the country were importing house sparrows to "aid people against encroachment of insects."
But others soon noticed that house sparrows don't have much of an appetite for bugs. On top of that, they were driving out native songbirds.The infatuation with the house sparrow turned to hatred, so much so that some states began paying bounties for dead sparrows. However it was too late; house sparrows had spread throughout the continent.
They're now found as far north as Canada's Northwest Territories and as far south as Cape Horn, the remote tip of South America. That extreme range indicates how adaptable house sparrows are. They can be found anywhere there are people, in big cities and small towns, in suburbs and around farms. The only place they're not found: deep, deep woods. In more extreme locales, they require human presence to survive.
I found these two females in my yard in Polk County, Florida.
Cropped, no other editing. Explore November 7, 2020 #439. Rationale for choosing this one to submit for Your Best Photo 2020: What I like about this is its simplicity. In general I feel a photo usually benefits from reduction to as few elements as are necessary to tell a story. If anything can be removed from the frame whilst still powerfully telling what I had in mind, I strive to remove it if I can through composition or, if necessary (since I often only have one prime lens with me) cropping. I imagine Hemingway would have photographed that way had he chosen a different medium.
Shay and Susie out for a walk.
Today is World Go for a Ride Day (November 22nd).
I fully admit that I would have had no idea that there was such a thing as "World Go for a Ride Day" never mind knowing that it was on November 22nd if it were not that it was one of the date themes for the "125 pictures in 2025" group.
I knew i was not going anywhere special today but I did take the dogs for a nice 3 km walk in Tievenadarragh woods.
Tievenadarragh is a 10 minute drive from home so not very far but requiring a car ride for the 3 of us to get there. ...so this is the best I can do for a picture to mark the day!
looking online, I see that the stated purpose of "Go for a Ride Day" is to combat a sedentary lifestyle, which seems a laudable rationale to me.
For the 125 pictures in 2025 group: number 121. World Go for a Ride Day (November 22nd)
Ride It On - Mazzy Star
Tiny Confederate violets make their annual late-winter debut.
DeKalb County (Winnona Park), Georgia, USA.
15 March 2025.
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📷 Photographer's notes.
☞ Viola sororia f. priceana is a variant of the common blue violet (Viola sororia), both native to eastern North America. The former is called a Confederate violet due to its colors reminiscent of a Confederate Civil War uniform, i.e., blue and gray.
☞ This is a close-up. The wildflowers were only one centimeter in diameter; they appear much larger in the image than they did in 'real' life.
☞ See the more abundant purple-hued violet variant: here. The two violet types often grow in propinquity.
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👎 Rejection.
On 22 March 2025, a moderator for the Flickr group "GEORGIA, THE PEACH STATE" rejected this photo for NOT displaying "scenic beauty of the State of Georgia, USA." It's difficult to fathom a rationale for the rejection...and none was provided.
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▶ Photo by: YFGF.
▶ For a larger image, type 'L' (without the quotation marks).
— Follow on Instagram: @tcizauskas.
— Follow on Threads: @tcizauskas.
— Follow on Bluesky: @tcizauskas.
▶ Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 II.
— Lens: Olympus M.40-150mm F4.0-5.6 R.
— Edit: Photoshop Elements 15, Nik Collection (2016).
▶ Commercial use requires explicit permission, as per Creative Commons.
The ancient Angkor Wat temple complex in northwestern Cambodia is regarded as the supreme masterpiece of classic Khmer architecture and source of intense national pride. It was built as a mausoleum for a great medieval king (Suryavarman II, 1113-1150) whose regime had adopted some aspects of Hinduism.
The infinity POV in this remarkable southern section of the east gallery follows through a corbel-roofed colonnade with a long sequence of columns. Typically seated at the base of each column are rishis or bearded ascetics. To the left of the arcade is perhaps the most famous of the bas-relief scenes at Angkor Wat, the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. It depicts an epic chapter in the Hindu creation myth and is seen as a paragon of classic Khmer art.
It is also a story about the victory of good over evil. The devas (gods) and the asuras (demons) are portrayed in a metaphoric tug-of-war with the Naga or serpent king as their divine rope, while overhead a ubiquitous host of asparas or celestial maidens sing and dance in encouragement.
Anchor Wat contains the longest continuous series of bas-reliefs in the world with a complete iconographical record of Hindu mythology, including the Khmer version of scenes drawn from epic Indian legends of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The beautifully carved sandstone reliefs also depict scenes from ancient Khmer courtly and military life, including a triumphal battle march with the king and his commanders mounted on war elephants.
This grand architectural endeavour contributed to the notion that the king was an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. He was depicted as a deified monarch with transcendental qualities, a divine universal ruler, hence a “god who is king.” The myth provided the religious rationale for absolute royal authority and subject obedience.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved. Any use of this work requires my prior written permission. expl#114
66613 runs through the S curves south of the Howgill Fells with 6h51, a Hardendale Quarry to Tunstead train of limestone.
The railway here was built by the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway and opened in December 1846. The S curves here were necessary to drop the railway down from Grayrigg to funnel through the deep gorge of the river Lune, while avoiding the steeper gradients that a more direct descent would have incurred.
The same rationale and the same solution was adopted by the engineers of the M6 motorway over a century later. As my image shows, the 1970-built motorway uses the S curves in the same way to ease the gradient into the Lune gorge.
Classical Khmer kings of medieval Cambodia promoted the notion of Devarāja, a cult of the "god-king” that provided the religious rationale for royal authority. They were depicted as divine universal rulers or deified monarchs with transcendental qualities.
The gigantic smiling faces at Bayon Temple portray the great Mahayana Buddhist king, Jayavarman VII, as a living god on earth - a Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara or enlightened Buddhist saint overseeing a vast and disparate empire with an enigmatic blend of benevolence and absolute authority.
The temple served as the primary locus of the royal cult and was Jayavarman's personal mausoleum at the height of his rein over the Khmer Empire in the late 12th Century. It is positioned at the centre of the ancient Angkor Thom city complex and rural metropolis in northwestern Cambodia. Over 200 serenely smiling visages carved on more than 50 sandstone face-towers remain throughout the temple.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved. expl#63
Classical Khmer kings of medieval Cambodia promoted the notion of Devarāja, a cult of the "god-king” that provided the religious rationale for royal authority. They were depicted as divine universal rulers or deified monarchs with transcendental qualities.
The gigantic smiling faces at Bayon Temple portray the great Mahayana Buddhist king, Jayavarman VII, as a living god on earth - a Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara or enlightened Buddhist saint overseeing a vast and disparate empire with an enigmatic blend of benevolence and absolute authority.
Bayon Temple served as the primary locus of the royal cult and was Jayavarman's personal mausoleum at the height of his rein over the Khmer Empire in the late 12th Century. The temple is positioned at the centre of the ancient Angkor Thom city complex and rural metropolis in northwestern Cambodia. Over 200 serenely smiling visages carved on more than 50 sandstone face-towers remain throughout the temple.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved.
Rethinking Portraiture | Personal Faves | National Geographic
A Global Shift - A Sparticus moment in European history
Today - there is a shift in global consciousness - a steadfast and increasing solidarity against Putin and his regime. There is huge momentum - the tide has turned.
Not against the Russian people - they too want their freedom from repression.
Putin has taken a step too far with appalling timing too.
The world has spent the last 2 years trying to save the lives of millions of people from Covid. This is a spectacular mis-judgement by Putin not to acknowledge this. Without empathy, how could he know this? It's a colossal mistake.
In knowing the truth of the situation, Russian soldiers do not have the motivation to kill their Ukrainian brothers and sisters and the Ukrainians, rightly, are doing everything they can possibly do to defend their right to liberty and freedom against an oppressor and ultimately they will be victorious.
Glory to Ukraine.
I stand by Ukraine and all who protect her.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine
04/03/2022 - Statement by a paranoid, deluded, Schizophrenic dictator....
..."We have no ill intentions against our neighbours," Putin claims.
Reversed: We have ill intentions against our neighbours.
...And he says his government sees "no need" for its neighbours to take further action that will "make our relations worse".
Reversed: "make our relations worse", so I can use that to justify my next move.
..."I think everyone must think about how to normalise relations, co-operate normally and develop relations normally," he adds.
Reversed: "I am not thinking about how to normalise relations, co-operate normally or develop relations normally.
Summarised
With my right hand I will destroy you all and with my left, I request you understand my rationale
Easter Message
The most moving political speech I have ever heard.
Classical Khmer kings of medieval Cambodia promoted the notion of Devarāja, a cult of the "god-king” that provided the religious rationale for royal authority. They were depicted as divine universal rulers or deified monarchs with transcendental qualities.
The gigantic smiling faces at Bayon Temple portray the great Mahayana Buddhist king, Jayavarman VII, as a living god on earth - a Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara or enlightened Buddhist saint overseeing a vast and disparate empire with an enigmatic blend of benevolence and absolute authority.
Bayon Temple served as the primary locus of the royal cult and was Jayavarman's personal mausoleum at the height of his rein over the Khmer Empire in the late 12th Century. The temple is positioned at the centre of the ancient Angkor Thom city complex and rural metropolis in northwestern Cambodia. Over 200 serenely smiling visages carved on more than 50 sandstone face-towers remain throughout the temple.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved.
please accept hereby a humble contribution for
a new world full of colour and empathy.
free from copyright in the name of the dream
drawing: natalie de cock
dreaming: rosita
foto: frank vranckx /aka schaaflicht (slö)
(rosita is a streetchild from the "seefhoek")
........................................this happening was part of a spontanious activity by the antwerp artcollective "de schaaf"..............................
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12 ☼ct☼ 2009: important update!!!:
new h☼pE send supp☼rt, please: doebiedoebieD☼EL: 69 cR☼Ws ~ E ♥↕☼↨‼
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may rosita's dream
also be:
an open invitation for some
street communication
daily streetlife
rampart
melting pot
universal routes
all connected
joyous roots
______° ° \______
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This was the #1 photo by Flickr - Interesting on the date September 05 2004.
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maybe if we start here
update: new dreams with 'tmuziekd☼☼sc☼llectief
h☼kuske p☼kuske f☼kuske*****
6, 7 en 8 ☼☼gst: feesten in D☼EL…
*(☼♥☼)*
☼<↨(8-♥)x
I’m not going to lie. Doing an 800 mile “afternoon trip” isn’t something I’d consider smart, planned-out, or even rationale. But when the stresses of life thwart down upon you like 2 million thousand unicorn carcasses, sometimes a nice long drive followed by sleeping in your car in 25º weather in the parking lot of an abandoned supermarket, just so you can wake up at 5am to take a 9 mile hike starting at 10,200ft getting altitude sickness to get a photo like this… makes it all worth while. So I did. Left work around lunch. Drove almost to Mammoth, visited the Bristolecone Pines at night, Bishop creek looking for fall color (nope) and ended up hiking at 5:30am along a trail only lit by moonlight to get to the base of Long Lake at around 7am to photograph this. Then continued on another mile to Gem Lake and a few others, before heading back to my car almost passing out from the altitude. 8 miles round trip, then stopped by Schat’s Bakery, and then hope to hang out with the kids for the night. So far, the perfect start to a weekend! More details to come. Need to clean house, work on wedding photos and catch up with God.
Exposure: 0.2 sec (1/5) (with GND .6 & GND .9 Cokin filters)
Aperture: f/20.0
Focal Length: 19 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Mapped... for your pleasure ------------------------------------------------------------------->
Classical Khmer kings of medieval Cambodia promoted the notion of Devarāja, a cult of the "god-king” that provided the religious rationale for royal authority. They were depicted as divine universal rulers or deified monarchs with transcendental qualities.
The gigantic smiling faces at Bayon Temple portray the great Mahayana Buddhist king, Jayavarman VII, as a living god on earth - a Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara or enlightened Buddhist saint overseeing a vast and disparate empire with an enigmatic blend of benevolence and absolute authority.
Bayon Temple served as the primary locus of the royal cult and was Jayavarman's personal mausoleum at the height of his rein over the Khmer Empire in the late 12th Century. The temple is positioned at the centre of the ancient Angkor Thom city complex and rural metropolis in northwestern Cambodia. Over 200 serenely smiling visages carved on more than 50 sandstone face-towers remain throughout the temple.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved.
Rue du Grenier sur l'Eau 13/09/2025 09h22
A letter box was treated by one of the best stencil artists of Paris and France: C215. Here in a side street of the Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe. This mini fresque must be made somewhere in 2019 or 2020 (source: Google Streetview)
C215
C215, real name Christian Guémy, is a French street artist hailing from Paris who has been described as "France's answer to Banksy".
C215 primarily uses stencils to produce his art. His first stencil work was put up in 2006, but he has been a graffiti artist for (as of 2011) over 20 years. His work consists mainly of close up portraits of people. C215's subjects are typically those such as beggars, homeless people, refugees, street kids and the elderly. The rationale behind this choice of subject is to draw attention to those that society has forgotten about. C215 is a prolific street artist and has practiced his art in cities all over the world. His stencils may be seen in Barcelona, Amsterdam, London, Rome and Paris.
In addition to his street work, C215 also produces commercial artwork for galleries on wood and canvas. C215 has to date done a number of solo gallery shows to promote his work. C215's most recent show is entitled 'Community Service'.
Guémy's daughter Nina is a popular subject of his stencil art. She has also become a stencil artist in her own right.
[Source: Wikipedia]
You'll find a number of these "balanced rocks" in the general vicinity of Lee's Ferry/Navajo Bridge/Marble Canyon (i.e., northern Arizona). The rationale for tossing shoes onto the top of them eludes me.
Ondu 6x6 Pocket Pinhole
Fomapan 400 (expired film - 2020)
8 minute exposure
Rodinal 1:50 @ 11minutes
The mottling on this batch of Fomapan 400, present even when fresh, made me actively avoid shooting it. It just sat around in the film drawer until it finally expired. My ever growing stash of defective and expired film was actually the rationale behind the gifted pinhole.
This was from roll #2. Definitely expected the mottles but the backing paper numbers and dots were a fresh blow. That's what you get with expired film, I suppose. I've had to sit with this image for a week to make peace with it.
Exposure-wise, I couldn't find a reciprocity chart for ISO 400 film, so looked at the ISO 100 chart and guessed. Pinhole photography seems to involve a great deal of making things up as you go along.
Any tips for exposure or developing expired film, greatly appreciated.
Public Art designed by Ian August to commemorate residents of Rooster Town (250 population at its maximum), an infomal Metis community in existence for 60 years from 1901 until 1961 when residents were evicted during urban development.
More information, including the rationale for the teapot symbol, is provided in the following link: