View allAll Photos Tagged sky_captures_
Early morning Devon sky, captured quickly through rain droplets on a window. Five minutes later the colours had gone.
My first post of the year is one of the most challanging panoramas I shot so far. It is my first tracked panorama shot at 70mm focal length and was captured in one of my favorite places, at the Tschuggen Observatory in Arosa, Switzerland. Despite the rather narrow final field of view, it consists of 18 panels for the foreground and 4 panels for the sky.
Capturing the set of exposures in freezing-25°C was quite an ordeal for me and my equipment. Eyeballing the overlap and moving the camera on my frozen up ballhead and with my numb fingers proved almost impossible and these equipment problems made my buy a good panorama head a few weeks later…
Processing the panorama proved to be tough on my computer as well. The photoshop file of the 200 megapixel panorama has whopping 31GB, but the resolution and detail I recorded in the sky is amazing.
The Orion, Runnning Man, Flame and Horsehead nebulas are beautifully resolved and the hydrogen alpha nebulosities in the region are standing out nicely: Barnards Loop, the Meissa Region, the Rosette Nebula, the Seagull Nebula and the Christmas Tree Cluster are really popping.
Prints available: ralf-rohner.pixels.com
EXIF
Canon EOS 6D astro modified
Canon EF 24-70mm f/28 L
iOptron SkyTracker Pro
Low Level Lighting
Sky
4 panels, each a stack of 9 x 60s @ISO1600, tracked
Foreground
18 panels of 60s @ISO1600
Last light. North Berwick ... I have no brushes to paint colour in my life....
Trapped with nowhere to go, so many lives changing beyond their control,
Etching this deep pain in the bottom of one’s soul.
While the string pullers crack their whips,
and in doing so control the ebb and flow…
Could we somehow escape; eventually make our way out,
Us the conditioned, concerned, worried, those filled with doubt.
Most not able to express the way they even feel,
let alone see their loved ones for a hug or share a meal.
Tears not visible, silent screams that no one can hear.
They try to speak but there’s nobody to hear….
Emotional pain, grips during the day and through into night,
Leaving many depleted with no strength to fight.
It’s for our own good our masters chant every single day as our minds get darker just like just like the midnight tide as it slowly slips quietly away ….
…."Give me back my brushes"...I desperately say.....
32 images focus-stacked to produce dof from barley to castle
Duffus Castle, near Elgin, Moray, Scotland, was a motte-and-bailey castle and was in use from c.1140 to 1705. During its occupation it underwent many alterations. The most fundamental was the destruction of the original wooden structure and its replacement with one of stone. At the time of its establishment, it was one of the most secure fortifications in Scotland. At the death of the 2nd Lord Duffus in 1705, the castle had become totally unsuitable as a dwelling and so was abandoned.
Duffus Castle, near Elgin, Moray, Scotland, was a motte-and-bailey castle and was in use from c.1140 to 1705. During its occupation it underwent many alterations. The most fundamental was the destruction of the original wooden structure and its replacement with one of stone. At the time of its establishment, it was one of the most secure fortifications in Scotland. At the death of the 2nd Lord Duffus in 1705, the castle had become totally unsuitable as a dwelling and so was abandoned.
installation in pond of Park Sonsbeek, Arnhem (NL)
representing the different planets.
(alas, with some stolen...)
The Laich of Moray or Laigh of Moray (locally: Laich o' Moray) (Scottish Gaelic: Machair Mhoireibh) is the rich agricultural coastal plain in Moray. Laich is a Scots word meaning Low-lying land. The generally accepted area covered by the term Laich of Moray is from Fochabers to Brodie and also includes the towns of Elgin, Forres, Lossiemouth, Burghead, Hopeman and Lhanbryde.
Part of my on-going project 'Duffus Castle' through the seasons.
Duffus Castle was a motte-and-bailey castle in use from c.1140 to 1705. At the time of its establishment, it was one of the most secure fortifications in Scotland.
At the beginning of the 12th century Moray was ruled by Angus, grandson of Lulach Macgillecomgan, who had succeeded Macbeth as King of Scots in 1057. Angus rebelled in 1130 and King David I began to populate the province with nobles. Among them was Freskin, of Flemish background, who built the great earthwork and timber motte-and-bailey castle in c. 1140.
Freskin’s direct line ended in 1270 and the castle passed into the ownership of Sir Reginald le Chen. With his death in 1345, Duffus passed to his daughter Mariot who was married to Nicholas, son of the 4th Earl of Sutherland. The Sutherlands were also descended from Freskyn and remained in their possession until 1705 when the castle was abandoned.
A monochrome view of Duffus Castle
Duffus Castle, near Elgin, Moray, Scotland, was a motte-and-bailey castle and was in use from c.1140 to 1705. During its occupation it underwent many alterations. The most fundamental was the destruction of the original wooden structure and its replacement with one of stone. At the time of its establishment, it was one of the most secure fortifications in Scotland. At the death of the 2nd Lord Duffus in 1705, the castle had become totally unsuitable as a dwelling and so was abandoned.
HSS
Thanks for the comments, faves and visits
A serene morning sunrise bathes the Honolulu skyline in gentle hues of orange and pink. The silhouette of Diamond Head crater looms peacefully in the distance, while the quiet city below begins to stir with the first light of day. The soft gradient of the sky captures the calm before the hustle, blending warm and cool tones to reflect a picturesque Hawaiian dawn. Perfect for anyone seeking a moment of calm and natural beauty.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
The remains of the wreckage of the trawler Admiral Von Tromp lie eviscerated on the slate rock bed of the Saltwick flats by Black Nab.
I had made my way here in the dark as the tide receded to its low point allowing access to the wreck. This was taken about 20 minutes before sunrise with a brooding sky capturing the mood and mystery of this wreck.
Why did a well equipped and crewed trawler from nearby Scarborough run aground here in good conditions in October 1976? It remains a mystery!
The von Tromp’s captain Frankie Taal and his crew set off from Scarborough Harbour at 1am, heading for the Barnacle Bank fishing grounds, some 45 miles north-east of the town.
He set the trawler’s course before going to bed, leaving experienced crewmate John Addison at the wheel.
But the skipper woke up to the vessel bumping and heeling.
It was foundering on the rocks of Black Nab, a location 90 degrees off course and notorious as the worst reef on the coast.
Mr Taal challenged Mr Addison, who appeared stunned and barely spoke. The weather had been fine, if foggy, the boat had enough fuel and they had been heading directly away from the coast.
According to a nautical surveyor who spoke at the subsequent inquest, even if the vessel had been left to its own devices, it would not have ended up on the rocks without human intervention.
Mr Addison drowned in the wheelhouse, washing up in Runswick Bay, and crewman George Eves died when he was swept off the roof by a large wave.
The captain was washed overboard but plucked from the water by the crew of the in-shore lifeboat.
Mr Addison’s post-mortem examination showed no traces of drugs or alcohol. But he had reportedly been overheard saying “Oh, Alan!” to another crew member in a quiet, apologetic voice during the events. Only he would no the truth of the events that night and that went with him to his grave!
Findhorn is one of the more popular beaches along the Moray coastline thanks to the long, unspoilt sandy stretch of the shore and the natural beauty of this spot.
When the tide is out, a wide expanse of flat sand is exposed, ideal for taking bracing walks. As the tide comes in most of the sand is covered, leaving just the top of the beach which is more pebbly.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
Duffus Castle, near Elgin, Moray, Scotland, was a motte-and-bailey castle and was in use from c.1140 to 1705. During its occupation it underwent many alterations. The most fundamental was the destruction of the original wooden structure and its replacement with one of stone. At the time of its establishment, it was one of the most secure fortifications in Scotland. At the death of the 2nd Lord Duffus in 1705, the castle had become totally unsuitable as a dwelling and so was abandoned.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
Discovered in 2011 by French astrophotographer Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula (Ou4) is distinguished by its elegant bipolar shape and the vivid blue glow of doubly ionized oxygen (Oiii). It is nestled entirely within the reddish hydrogen-rich emission nebula Sh2-129, also known as the Flying Bat Nebula.
Recent research indicates that Ou4 lies roughly 2,300 light-years from Earth and resides within Sh2-129. This makes Ou4 a dramatic outflow, originating from HR 8119, a triple system of hot, massive stars at the nebula’s core. With an enormous physical size of nearly 50 light-years, the Squid Nebula stands as one of the largest and most intriguing emission structures in the night sky.
Capturing the Squid Nebula is a real challenge and requires very long integration times over several nights... The perfect challenge to test my new deep space imaging rig.
Equipment:
Telescope: Sharpstar SQA106
Mount: Sky-Watcher Wave 150i
Camera: ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro
Filter: Baader RGB, 3nm Ha & 4.5nm Oiii with a ZWO EFW
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguider: ZWO ASI 385MC with Artesky UltraGuide 32mm
Rig control: ZWO Astrophotography ASIAir Plus
EXIF
130x 30s with RGB
50x 300s Ha
150x 300s Oiii
Total exposure time: 20h
Frontal view of Duffus Castle, October 2020
Duffus Castle, near Elgin, Moray, Scotland, was a motte-and-bailey castle and was in use from c.1140 to 1705. During its occupation it underwent many alterations. The most fundamental was the destruction of the original wooden structure and its replacement with one of stone. At the time of its establishment, it was one of the most secure fortifications in Scotland. At the death of the 2nd Lord Duffus in 1705, the castle had become totally unsuitable as a dwelling and so was abandoned.
Although I am sure there are millions who have taken and composed an image such as this looking upward I wanted to try it myself. They just looked so content and were just sitting there oblivious of me below.
The branch allowed me to try compose a shot that divided the frame and the smaller branches and twigs just added that look I like. Processed in a 2 tones to add emphasis the blue-grey skies. Captured on a walk in Hyde Park London.
the eiffel tower, an iron giant reaching for the clouds, reveals both its strength and grace when viewed from below. this angle celebrates not only the scale but the delicacy of its latticework, like a piece of intricate lace set against the sky. capturing paris from this perspective gives new life to the cityâs most iconic symbol.
Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park in California.
A simple three part bracketed image in monochrome of the iconic and oldest Disney Parks Castle. Small in height but big on character. The Matterhorn attraction can be seen peeking over the tall trees to the right of the castle. It was a very cloudy night as you can see in the sky.
Captured just a a few weeks ago while on vacation in SoCal. We spent just two days at Disneyland but I never tire of some of my favorite spots inside the park.
Mike D.
Mottes were common in Scotland the 1100s and 1200s, before they were replaced by stone castles. They were fortifications, usually consisting of a wooden keep on top of an artificial earthwork mound. Some also had an enclosed courtyard or bailey, containing additional wooden buildings, protected by a ditch and palisade.
Duffus Castle was a fortress–residence for more than 500 years, from the 1100s to the 1700s. The stone castle we see today was built in the 1300s, replacing an earlier timber fortress.
Once one of the strongest castles in Scotland, it was reduced to a decaying ruin by the time of its abandonment in 1705. But the castle remains an impressive sight, situated on a mound rising out of the flat Laich of Moray.
Description says the concept:)
I was travelling at that time in TGV (french high speed train) at Paris-Brussels route approx. 170 km/hr.....Outside was spectacular..lots of drama in the sky and was having its spectacular view thanks to the fields stretching miles after miles...Fortunately, i was not sleeping and had the camera with me :D...It was just a magical moment to see by eye sun and clouds are creating an amazing hole in the sky
[captured from train window, proof is in the picture;)]...
My consecutively 2nd explore..yeppie:)
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Vero
A spectacular sunset sky captured on the summit of Walla Crag looking towards Derwentwater, Keswick & Skiddaw. It seemed unusually quiet, as I ascended from the popular Ashness Bridge and didn't see a single person on the whole outing - including an hour or so exploring the summit area. It was lovely sitting on the edge waiting for the sunset, listening to the distinctive cuckoos in the trees of Great Wood below. The sun so very nearly made an appearance, but was blocked by the layer of fog on the distant Whinlatter Fells. However, I didn't stay disappointed for long as the sky suddenly erupted like a volcano with this wonderful splash of colour. I had to create a vertical stitch panorama as the clouds were so huge above me, and luckily they burned long enough to allow for this. Here, the lakes of Derwentwater (near) and Bassenthwaite Lake (far) can be seen, as well as the town of Keswick nestled below Skiddaw.