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What was meant to be an exciting night on the town with friends quickly turned into an impromptu case when Jorgia and Patrick witnessed a wizard perform magic in the vicinity of muggles. While the other Interning Aurors in the group began working to obliviate the affected muggles, Jorgia and Patrick began a chase to find the wizard in question. Their search had lead them to some old subway tunnels. With both of their wands lit, Jorgia took a slight lead as they walked. She felt her boyfriends hand reach to rest on the small of her back and looked towards him with a smirk. “Who’d have thought our evening would end chasing some guy into a subway tunnel?” She mused, her smirk growing in a full grin. Patrick shrugged and looked around them, taking in the old wooden beams and exposed modern wires. His face twisted into a smirk of its own before he turned back to his girlfriend and hummed. “If m’honest, love… think we should end evenin’s in dark tunnels more often… Lots of things to tie ya to…” Jorgia paused her stride for a second and turned her face over her shoulder to get a good look at him. “... you would be thinking about that…” A small sigh was drowned out by the small bit of laughter Patrick offered to her comment before he silenced himself enough for her to respond once more. “Guess we should find this guy quickly then… hm?” As her pace picked up, Patrick’s did as well, moving slightly in front of her now. They were both moving faster, practically jogging now before Patrick turned back to Jorgia and raised a brow, a smug look on his face. “Last one to spot em makes breakfast-” “Deal-”
Appearance
Body: Legacy Female Classic
Head: GENUS Project - Baby Face W001
Skin: Bold & Beauty Vannesa - Sand
Shape: Custom
Eyebrows: Just Magnetized - Natural Eyebrows
Lipstick: WarPaint* Sugarplum lipbalm *New at Uber!*
Hair: DOUX - Amaya Hairstyle + DOUX - Silent Bang
Pose: Custom
Worn:
Jorga:
Dress: Cynful Upper Class Dress
Choker: Kibitz - See you necklace - Tattoo Choker
Tattoo: Oxydate. Romantic Tattoo
Earrings: e.marie // Gwen Climber Earrings
Dagger Earrings: +koii+ sora earrings
Necklacess: MICHAN - Starlight Choker, Amala - The Hallows Choker, Kibitz - Tattoo choker
Wand: Kore: Claudia’s Wand
Patrick
Suit: [Deadwool] Sean Jacket and Trousers - Nightfall
Hair: Unorthodox Zaddy Hair
Backdrop: .PALETO.Backdrop:. OLD RAIL *New at ManCave!*
It was really cloudy here in Nacogdoches, Texas. I didn't think I'd get to see the eclipse today but I got a few shots of it. The clouds would break every now and then and I was able to get some fairly good shots, though most of them had some clouds over them that made them look smudgy or "dirty". But, I'm thankful to get the ones I got because at first I didn't think I'd get any! 😀 It was an awesome experience despite the clouds!
I had to fudge a little bit though because the clouds kept me from getting the proper sequence. So I did use some "before totality" shots in the "after totality" part.
really can't help myself around dandelions & try my best to be realistically positive & light-hearted when blowing out the candle & making intentional wishes.. sometimes a fun thought like 'wouldn't it be shitty to suffer from a sudden horrible disfigurement at this stage of my waning sexpot years' will cross my mind, and laugh like thAt's gonna happen....... only to splatter boiling oil on my arms & legs while making steak a few hours later LOL.. i know there's some freak out there with a burn vic fetish just waiting for me
Looking for something I really don't know......
EXPLORE! :) Thanks to all of you :)
highest # 94 :)
(No crop,
no rotation,
no tripod,
no manipulation (only bw) and...
no contrast at all)
I really loved shooting this thing. I got up at 5am in the morning in order to shoot it at sunrise with no people around. When I got there a security guard told me that I couldn't shoot it until 7am. He let me fire a few quick shots off. I came back at about 6:50am or so and spent another hour or so shooting it. It was really nice being able to shoot it without all the crowds around. The 14mm is amazing with this sculpture. Many more shots of this coming in the days ahead. It's a magnificent work of public art and definitely one of my most favorite things that I shot in Chicago.
It's really hard for me to try to explain how hard it is to motivate myself to do any photography these days whilst I continue to recover from my knee injury. Recovery has been seriously interrupted by lockdowns and closures of gyms...indeed, I've not even been able to see a physio for over 6 months. With all of that my fitness has suffered considerably and so even short excursions can sometimes feel like I'm hitting the wall at mile 22 of a marathon. Therefore, the thought of making the effort to climb a hill for photography when the conditions are less than ideal...well, it doesn't appeal.
When on the hill, a different fear now presents itself. Fear of another injury. I used to head out without a care in the world really. Sure, I might slip and fall, but I always felt that I was the master of my own destiny, even in those circumstances...but now it is different. My body just failed when I injured my knee, with very little in the way of warning, just a little knee pain like I've had for years anyway. The actual step I took when my tendon snapped was so incredibly innocuous, it's the type of step I've taken thousands, if not millions, of times before...it was just like going down the stairs at home...but in that moment, my tendon chose when I was alone, on a hill, in inclement weather and without a mobile signal, to snap...not at home, going down the stairs. And now, although the injured knee presents no pain, my other one does, so the fear is that that will someday go too, as so often seems to happen with people who rupture one tendon, eventually the other one ruptures too. Add to that a lack of strength in the injured knee, some balancing issues and a tendency to give way without warning...that all adds up to a heck of a lot of nervousness when going off the beaten track.
The day I took this photo was no different in many ways. I was solo. The weather was inclement. There was no-one really around. I did have some extra protection in the form of a satellite transceiver that enables me to send an SOS and I did tell my wife where I was this time. But with boggy conditions underfoot, it still meant my mind wasn't wholly invested in photography until I'd set up my tripod and decided to wait, in the cloud and drizzle, for things to happen. And so I waited...and waited...and waited. About 2 hours later I felt the subtle change in temperature on my neck as the sun tried to break through the misty conditions. Poised with my finger on the shutter just hoping for the mistiness to clear a little to reveal the landscape, the conditions brightened to the left of the scene you see here until not only were the two tress visible, but also the landscape beyond...and low and behold, a rainbow. What resulted was a stitch pano consisting of 7 vertical frames and 160 megapixels of Lake District loveliness. This scene lasted for all of 30 seconds...and then it was gone.
I don't tend to big-up my photography, especially these days. I tend to work behind the scenes, especially for anything from Snowdonia, where I spend most of my time, refining my project and building, what I hope will be, a quality book. However, when I go elsewhere, it is sometimes nice to share what I captured, and I think even I like this one enough to shout about it.
Alexander Beets on the Saxophone. View On Black
Goa is more acclaimed for its flamboyant music and dance and the spirit of happiness then for anything else.
You have all kinds of music permeating the state of Goa from its local Konkani to the international trends of trance and oft times,lamentably, the Britney Spears variety of popular music performed by some Goan bands. Jazz as is usual does not have a vast popular audience but there are some earnest believers in that genre of music.
Jazz in Goa is in a state of creative ferment with the efforts of the Amando Gonsalves and his merry band of jazz organisers
You can read more on them at the Heritage Jazz www.heritagejazz.com/
Artists from around the world arrive and play in and around the heritage area of Campal in Panjim right next door to the heritage Gonsalves Mansion.
Saskia Laroo was performing in Goa on the night of 7th December 2008, soon after the Bombay terrorist carnage on 26the November. She is magic on the trumpet and as I said earlier, a consummate artist.
The line up on that night was the following -
2. Warren Byrd on keyboard and vocals
3. Andy Valkenburg (bass)...(( I better do his shots fast..)
4. Ms. Dorota Piotrowska (Drum)
5. Mr. Alexander Beets (Saxophonist
Some of the shots of that night, in no strict order are here.
_DSC5032 copy hpl 125
These (originally) olive green mail boxes belonging to the US Postal Service can be found in various, apparently random, locations. They are temporary storage boxes for letter carriers. They can be stocked with "relays," sacks or trays of mail for a delivery route, allowing the carrier to restock en route without either carrying a huge load or returning to a post office for more of the day's mail to deliver.
I remember being puzzled as a kid by the grammar of the statement found on some of them, "Not for deposit of mail." What kind of mail is "Deposit Of?"
This one does not look like it's in recent use.
Intentional failure to see the big picture
really like this shot of me
thanks SPEX!!
kinda sums up my surfing life in Winter,
a quick evening surf after work as the sun goes down
On my trip with Skarpi last weekend we visited this ice cave I have twice before attempted to enter but been turned back by unfavorable conditions. This time however the lengthy cold spell and good weather made sure the cave was accessible and in prime conditions.
Flowing from Europe´s largest ice cap Vatnajökull the glaciers contain centuries old ice which has seen all its air pressed out of it turning it into this crystal blue ice. Not all ice caves have this colored ice but Vatnajökull seems to produce the right conditions for them to form.
Shooting this shot we decided to play models in the entrance. I normally dont put people in my images but in this case it really puts things into perspective. Shooting with a very wide angled lens (Nikon 14-24mm) allowed me to capture as much of the 360° scene. Here Skarpi is the model. You can see his version of the same scene in his photostream.
Because of a recent accident in Iceland where a young amateur photographer died on a glacier I will not give details of this caves location. If you want to visit this place contact a local mountain guide f.x. Öræfaferðir or join my Winter Photo Tour
Was really charmed by the fashion sense of this lanky young lass with a tomboyish gait.
In terms of her colours and clothing, she presented a really low-key look, but with some obvious attention to detail that made her stand out from the crowd, especially on the streets of Beijing. Notice the back of her shirt even has tears that match so well with her torn-patched jeans
This get-out would seem more common in Shanghai, where the women, in general, have a much stronger fashion sense than their Northern Chinese counterparts.
Judging from her jade bracelet, her facial features, and her petite stature, this stylish young girl was quite likely a Southern belle.
(it really happened!!)
Fiero e soddisfatto passeggiavi, l’ordinaria meta era ormai vicina. musica nuova nelle orecchie, testa alta e sorriso stampato.
Vedi lei.
La distingui, ha uno sguardo vivo, consapevole, sereno; ti ferma.
“What’s your name?”
rispondi confuso, togliendoti le cuffie: Lei ti affascina, vuoi scoprire cosa vuole.
“Which music are u listening?” - “BeatleSs” – “Sing for me” – “Oh no, I’m not really good” –
Ti guarda e sorride, mai avevi incontrato uno sguardo così vivo; rimani lì imbambolato a non capire.
“Come at home with me” – “Oh no tank, I have to go”
“Non hai mai vissuto per la strada vero? Si vede”
te ne stavi andando ma ti giri e la guardi, e lei risponde con uno sguardo
e poi
“Provaci e capirai!”
Ti volti e rivolti un paio di volte, sei basito, non comprendi, non sai che fare; finirai per andare via.
Non sai cosa sia successo, non capisci come una persona possa aver avuto un simile comportamento nei tuoi riguardi; una persona diversa, fuori dal mondo e magari anche fuori di testa ma che qualcosa ti ha trasmesso, e qualcosa di forte che anche se non sai proprio cos’è ti rimane dentro.
E ti chiedi cosa sia e se esista la pazzia, se la pazza è lei o sono loro, se dovresti ascoltarla e tornare indietro oppure continuare per la tua sconosciuta ma prevedibile strada.
I wasn't really satisfied with my other similar shots. I like this one the best.
It snowed last night and it's a muddy mess outside, so I'm stuck inside playing with my camera. Believe it or not, I learn quite a bit by doing these setups and processing.... and camera controls to boot. Oh well
Wide angle closeup, Focus stacked 40 shots @ 2.8
really an “intimate photo” from my vacation, the photo was taken at 90° Celsius or 194° Fahrenheit in one of my favorite saunas ... which was not easy to create ... but I wanted to show what beautiful places there are that warm your heart ... ;-) ...
IMG_165933
I don't think I would have seen the moth if it hadn't flown onto the stick right in front of me.... Best ID guess from my flickr friends is Celery Leaftier - Udea rubigalis. Any further ID confirmation or correction would be appreciated.
Some info: bugguide.net/node/view/9721
Really a morning to rejoice, quietly watching the birds and in the middle of the polder, what more do people want ?
Am trying to comment, but the flickr gods aren't cooperating.
I've missed you all
I've had a chance to reflect. I have to spend time researching for and pulling together stories, all of which I want to feature on flickr. There are also a number of other projects I've been putting off for the eighteen months that I've been on flickr. I need to get some balance going here. All this means that, for the foreseeable future, I will be up on flickr every two or three days rather than every day as I have been to date. Many of my flickr buddies have curbed their flickr activities, and some have even dropped off flickr for reasons similar to mine.
Flickr is an addictive business. It has a tendency to take over, and Explore really drives the addiction. Explore is like heroin in that it stokes us for a period of time by including everything we post, only to drop us us for periods of time during which we try everything to regain the old Explore high.
Not trying to be resentful or maudlin here. Just trying to put flickr into perspective. I'll still get around to see you all on a regular basis, and I promise to pull some good stories together. Thanks for being great buddies. You've all become an important part of my life. You teach me so much, and I'll still be part of this great community.
Feel free to email me directly at any time. I'm around a lot.
On a rainy evening, the "Popradské Pleso" lake in the Tatras mountains, Slovakia.
This shot was taken with a mobile phone, as my camera broke down at the very beginning of this trip. I locked the ISO setting of the phone to 100 ISO to try to get as much as possible out of the camera phone, and then resorted to post-processing to try to get a quality image.
For post-processing, I used darktable. I used non-local means denoising, and adjusted the tone curves to have a strong highlight in the center of the image. I use both the equalizer filter (in clarity mode) and the local contrast filter, with masks selecting the center of the image, to increase the contrast gradually toward the center. My goal was to make more visible the different layers of mountains.
Then, I worked a lot on the lower part of the image, the lake, to enhance the highlights in the reflection. For this, I started with a strong modification of the tone curves. However, this created a lot of noise as the sensor of the phone is not too good in the shadows. To fight this noise, applied a set of filters only on the lower part of the image: I used a stronger non-local means that I combined with a wavelet-based denoising (using the "profiled" denoising filter of darktables) as these have different types of artifacts. To cancel out the artifacts, I added to these a low-pass filter that smooths out the image. On top of this, I added artificial grain, to restore the grain of the image destroyed while smoothing.
Finally, I worked a bit on the clouds. I wanted to crop the top of the image, in order to focus more on the horizon line, but I was interested in the shapes of the cloud. So I used a liquify filter to warp these clouds down. Last, in a minor and classic trick, I created a vignetting-like effect by making the top and left clouds darker with a tone-curve filter.
These last two shots really had to be in monochrome. I did think about reducing the saturation levels so the barest colour appeared, but in the end I went for classic black and white. I wonder sometimes if some people today struggle with understanding what black and white photography is about. We live in a world of instant simulation, and it takes imagination and effort to "read" a black and white.
Ansel Adams once likened working in colour to be like playing an out of tune piano (Adams was a concert pianist before turning to photography).
'"I can get—for me—a far greater sense of ‘color' through a well-planned and executed black-and-white image than I have ever achieved with color photography," he wrote in 1967. For Adams, who could translate sunlight's blinding spectrum into binary code perhaps more acutely than anyone before or since, there was an "infinite scale of values" in monochrome. Color was mere reality, the lumpy world given for everyone to look at, before artists began the difficult and honorable job of trying to perfect it in shades of gray.' www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/ansel-adams-in-color-...
I like that description. Mind you I recently purchased "Ansel Adams in Color" (Little, Brown and Company, 1993), and although there's not a lot of his colour slides left (most have deteriorated with time), what is in this collection is a real treasure.
We had a really enjoyable visit to Berwick upon Tweed whilst we were on holiday. We walked along the River Tweed to the Royal Border Bridge which you can see in the distance. It is a Grade I listed railway viaduct built between 1847 and 1850. The bridge in the middle is the Royal Tweed Bridge built between 1925 and 1928 and finally the bridge in the foreground is Berwick Bridge, known as The Old Bridge. It is a Grade I listed stone bridge built between 1611 and 1624, so no wonder it is called The Old Bridge
Okay, I'm possessed of a horribly sick sense of humor, but when I discovered this sign, I could not help but conjure up a little scenario that goes something like this: "Higgins, we've got this very important assignment we wish to provide you with, and it's going to require some very creative thinking......"
Forgive me dear viewers.