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Mark Smith M.S. Geoscientist
mark@macroscopicsolutions.com
Annette Evans Ph.D. Student at the University of Connecticut
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The gentle worker: Bumblebee - After a season of abundant North Aegean rains, the lavender flowers in our garden bloomed with exceptional beauty and attracted many bumblebees.
With my Nikon Z8 and 105mm macro lens, I spent a quiet moment observing one of these tiny visitors as it held onto the lavender flower and collected nectar. Capturing the details of its eyes, body, and delicate movements reminded me once again that nature’s greatest stories are often hidden in the smallest moments.
Shot in natural light during the late afternoon, this image is a celebration of patience, observation, and the wonderful connection between flowers and pollinators.
After an unusually generous season of rainfall in the North Aegean region of Türkiye, the lavender flowers in our garden bloomed with remarkable abundance. This year, I noticed a significant increase in bumblebee activity, with many visitors constantly moving among the flowers.
With my Nikon Z8 and 105mm macro lens, I spent a quiet moment observing one of these wonderful pollinators as it held onto the lavender flower while collecting nectar.
Every season writes its own story in nature. Weather patterns, flowering cycles, and local conditions can create remarkable differences from one year to another. This image is not only a close look at a bumblebee, but also a small record of the changing rhythms of our garden ecosystem.
Captured in natural light in the North Aegean landscape of Türkiye .
I've captured some unforgettable moments with my camera, and I hope these images bring you even a fraction of the joy I experienced while creating them.
Thank you for visiting my gallery — whether you leave a comment, add a favorite, or simply take a quiet moment to look around. Your presence and support truly mean a great deal to me. I wish you good luck and beautiful light in all your photographic journeys.
© All rights reserved by R. Ertuğ. Please do not use these images without my express written permission. If you are interested in purchasing or licensing any photograph, please feel free to contact me via Flickr Mail.
Tech Notes -
Camera: Nikon Z8 with Really Right Stuff Base Plate
Lens: Nikon NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S
Hand-held or used with a monopod, always with SPORT VR enabled.
Typical aperture settings: f/5.6 for close detail work and around f/8 for full-body compositions.
All images were processed from RAW and converted to JPEG.
Monopod Setup: Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod
Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head
Your comments and constructive criticism are always welcome.
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to explore. 😊
PEOPLE STANDING TALKING NEXT TO THE BURRELL STEAM ENGINE USED BY J.W. DOWNES AMUSEMENTS WITH BAGS OF COAL ON THE GROUND AT A STEAM AND CIDER FESTIVAL IN AN EAST LONDON BOROUGH SUBURB STREET PARK VENUE EVENT ENGLAND DSC02427
Used an image taken in Puzzlewood a while ago. Added effects, fairy and used Flamingo Pear flood plugin to get the reflection in the water.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
Please also REFRAIN FROM POSTING YOUR OWN IMAGES within my Photostream. I consider this rude and unwelcome. Posting an image of your own within my stream will not encourage me to visit / award, but will infact have the complete opposite affect. Persistent offenders will simply be blocked.
Ayaz Kala is located on the wastern side of the Sultan-Uiz-Dagh Mountains. The site consists of three fortresses which were built from the 4th cent. BC to the 7th cent. AD. The fortresses were part of a series of forts located at the edge of the Kizilkum Desert, which provided defence against raids by nomads and the Saca of the Syr-Darya delta.
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Photo Copyright 2012, dynamo.photography.
All rights reserved, no use without license
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Hong kong)
Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory south to Mainland China and east to Macao in East Asia. With around 7.2 million Hong Kongers of various nationalities[note 2] in a territory of 1,104 km2, Hong Kong is the world's fourth most densely populated country or territory.
Hong Kong used to be a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island from the Qing Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and acquired a 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898. Hong Kong was later occupied by Japan during the Second World War until British control resumed in 1945. The Sino-British Joint Declaration signed between the United Kingdom and China in 1984 paved way for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, when it became a special administrative region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China with a high degree of autonomy.[15]
Under the principle of "one country, two systems",[16][17] Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China. Except in military defence and foreign affairs, Hong Kong maintains its independent executive, legislative and judiciary powers.[18] In addition, Hong Kong develops relations directly with foreign states and international organisations in a broad range of "appropriate fields".[19] Hong Kong involves in international organizations, such as the WTO[20] and the APEC [21], actively and independently.
Hong Kong is one of the world's most significant financial centres, with the highest Financial Development Index score and consistently ranks as the world's most competitive and freest economic entity.[22][23] As the world's 8th largest trading entity,[24] its legal tender, the Hong Kong dollar, is the world's 13th most traded currency.[25] As the world's most visited city,[26][27] Hong Kong's tertiary sector dominated economy is characterised by competitive simple taxation and supported by its independent judiciary system.[28] Even with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it suffers from severe income inequality.[29]
Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Hong Kong is renowned for its deep natural harbour, which boasts the world's fifth busiest port with ready access by cargo ships, and its impressive skyline, with the most skyscrapers in the world.[30][31] It has a very high Human Development Index ranking and the world's longest life expectancy.[32][33] Over 90% of the population makes use of well-developed public transportation.[34][35] Seasonal air pollution with origins from neighbouring industrial areas of Mainland China, which adopts loose emissions standards, has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates in winter.[36][37][38]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Prehistory
2.2 Imperial China
2.3 British Crown Colony: 1842–1941
2.4 Japanese occupation: 1941–45
2.5 Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97
2.6 Handover and Special Administrative Region status
3 Governance
3.1 Structure of government
3.2 Electoral and political reforms
3.3 Legal system and judiciary
3.4 Foreign relations
3.5 Human rights
3.6 Regions and districts
3.7 Military
4 Geography and climate
5 Economy
5.1 Financial centre
5.2 International trading
5.3 Tourism and expatriation
5.4 Policy
5.5 Infrastructure
6 Demographics
6.1 Languages
6.2 Religion
6.3 Personal income
6.4 Education
6.5 Health
7 Culture
7.1 Sports
7.2 Architecture
7.3 Cityscape
7.4 Symbols
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
10.1 Citations
10.2 Sources
11 Further reading
12 External links
Etymology
Hong Kong was officially recorded in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking to encompass the entirety of the island.[39]
The source of the romanised name "Hong Kong" is not known, but it is generally believed to be an early imprecise phonetic rendering of the pronunciation in spoken Cantonese 香港 (Cantonese Yale: Hēung Góng), which means "Fragrant Harbour" or "Incense Harbour".[13][14][40] Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet—now Aberdeen Harbour (Chinese: 香港仔; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng jái), literally means "Little Hong Kong"—between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.[41]
Another theory is that the name would have been taken from Hong Kong's early inhabitants, the Tankas (水上人); it is equally probable that romanisation was done with a faithful execution of their speeches, i.e. hōng, not hēung in Cantonese.[42] Detailed and accurate romanisation systems for Cantonese were available and in use at the time.[43]
Fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River or to the incense from factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon. The incense was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before Hong Kong developed Victoria Harbour.[40]
The name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926.[44] Nevertheless, a number of century-old institutions still retain the single-word form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
As of 1997, its official name is the "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". This is the official title as mentioned in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Government's website;[45] however, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Hong Kong" are widely accepted.
Hong Kong has carried many nicknames. The most famous among those is the "Pearl of the Orient", which reflected the impressive nightscape of the city's light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbour. The territory is also known as "Asia's World City".
History
Main articles: History of Hong Kong and History of China
Prehistory
Main article: Prehistoric Hong Kong
Archaeological studies support human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area (now Hong Kong International Airport) from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago and on Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.[46][47][48]
Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the earliest sites of human habitation in Hong Kong during the Paleolithic Period. It is believed that the Three Fathom Cove was a river-valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artefacts suggested cultural differences from the Longshan culture of northern China and settlement by the Che people, prior to the migration of the Baiyue to Hong Kong.[49][50] Eight petroglyphs, which dated to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC – 1066 BC) in China, were discovered on the surrounding islands.[51]
Imperial China
Main article: History of Hong Kong under Imperial China
In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a centralised China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern-day Liangguang region and Vietnam) and incorporated the area of Hong Kong into his imperial China for the first time. Hong Kong proper was assigned to the Nanhai commandery (modern-day Nanhai District), near the commandery's capital city Panyu.[52][53][54]
After a brief period of centralisation and collapse of the Qin dynasty, the area of Hong Kong was consolidated under the Kingdom of Nanyue, founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC.[55] When Nanyue lost the Han-Nanyue War in 111 BC, Hong Kong came under the Jiaozhi commandery of the Han dynasty. Archaeological evidence indicates an increase of population and flourish of salt production. The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb on the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built as a burial site during the Han dynasty.[56]
From the Han dynasty to the early Tang dynasty, Hong Kong was a part of Bao'an County. In the Tang dynasty, modern-day Guangzhou (Canton) flourished as an international trading centre. In 736, the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military stronghold in Tuen Mun to strengthen defence of the coastal area.[57] The nearby Lantau Island was a salt production centre and salt smuggler riots occasionally broke out against the government. In c. 1075, The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 AD in modern-day New Territories by the Northern Song dynasty.[58] During their war against the Mongols, the imperial court of Southern Song was briefly stationed at modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before their ultimate defeat by the Mongols at the Battle of Yamen in 1279.[59] The Mongols then established their dynastic court and governed Hong Kong for 97 years.
From the mid-Tang dynasty to the early Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Hong Kong was a part of Dongguan County. During the Ming dynasty, the area was transferred to Xin'an County. The indigenous inhabitants at that time consisted of several ethnicities such as Punti, Hakka, Tanka and Hoklo.
European discovery
The earliest European visitor on record was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer, who arrived in 1513.[60][61] Having established a trading post in a site they called "Tamão" in Hong Kong waters, Portuguese merchants commenced with regular trading in southern China. Subsequent military clashes between China and Portugal, however, led to the expulsion of all Portuguese merchants from southern China.
Since the 14th century, the Ming court had enforced the maritime prohibition laws that strictly forbade all private maritime activities in order to prevent contact with foreigners by sea.[62] When the Manchu Qing dynasty took over China, Hong Kong was directly affected by the Great Clearance decree of the Kangxi Emperor, who ordered the evacuation of coastal areas of Guangdong from 1661 to 1669. Over 16,000 inhabitants of Xin'an County including those in Hong Kong were forced to migrate inland; only 1,648 of those who had evacuated subsequently returned.[63][64]
British Crown Colony: 1842–1941
A painter at work. John Thomson. Hong Kong, 1871. The Wellcome Collection, London
Main articles: British Hong Kong and History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s)
In 1839, threats by the imperial court of Qing to sanction opium imports caused diplomatic friction with the British Empire. Tensions escalated into the First Opium War. The Qing admitted defeat when British forces captured Hong Kong Island on 20 January 1841. The island was initially ceded under the Convention of Chuenpi as part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Governor Qishan. A dispute between high-ranking officials of both countries, however, led to the failure of the treaty's ratification. On 29 August 1842, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Treaty of Nanking.[65] The British officially established a Crown colony and founded the City of Victoria in the following year.[66]
The population of Hong Kong Island was 7,450 when the Union Flag raised over Possession Point on 26 January 1841. It mostly consisted of Tanka fishermen and Hakka charcoal burners, whose settlements scattered along several coastal hamlets. In the 1850s, a large number of Chinese immigrants crossed the then-free border to escape from the Taiping Rebellion. Other natural disasters, such as flooding, typhoons and famine in mainland China would play a role in establishing Hong Kong as a place for safe shelter.[67][68]
Further conflicts over the opium trade between Britain and Qing quickly escalated into the Second Opium War. Following the Anglo-French victory, the Crown Colony was expanded to include Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street) and Stonecutter's Island, both of which were ceded to the British in perpetuity under the Convention of Beijing in 1860.
In 1898, Britain obtained a 99-year lease from Qing under the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, in which Hong Kong obtained a 99-year lease of Lantau Island, the area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon up to Shenzhen River and over 200 other outlying islands.[69][70][71]
Hong Kong soon became a major entrepôt thanks to its free port status, attracting new immigrants to settle from both China and Europe. The society, however, remained racially segregated and polarised under early British colonial policies. Despite the rise of a British-educated Chinese upper-class by the late-19th century, race laws such as the Peak Reservation Ordinance prevented ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong from acquiring houses in reserved areas such as Victoria Peak. At this time, the majority of the Chinese population in Hong Kong had no political representation in the British colonial government. The British governors did rely, however, on a small number of Chinese elites, including Sir Kai Ho and Robert Hotung, who served as ambassadors and mediators between the government and local population.
File:1937 Hong Kong VP8.webmPlay media
Hong Kong filmed in 1937
In 1904, the United Kingdom established the world's first border and immigration control; all residents of Hong Kong were given citizenship as Citizens of United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC).
Hong Kong continued to experience modest growth during the first half of the 20th century. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's first higher education institute. While there had been an exodus of 60,000 residents for fear of a German attack on the British colony during the First World War, Hong Kong remained unscathed. Its population increased from 530,000 in 1916 to 725,000 in 1925 and reached 1.6 million by 1941.[72]
In 1925, Cecil Clementi became the 17th Governor of Hong Kong. Fluent in Cantonese and without a need for translator, Clementi introduced the first ethnic Chinese, Shouson Chow, into the Executive Council as an unofficial member. Under Clementi's tenure, Kai Tak Airport entered operation as RAF Kai Tak and several aviation clubs. In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out when the Japanese Empire expanded its territories from northeastern China into the mainland proper. To safeguard Hong Kong as a freeport, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared the Crown Colony as a neutral zone.
Japanese occupation: 1941–45
Main article: Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Cenotaph in Hong Kong commemorates those who died in service in the First World War and the Second World War.[73]
As part of its military campaign in Southeast Asia during Second World War, the Japanese army moved south from Guangzhou of mainland China and attacked Hong Kong in on 8 December 1941.[74] Crossing the border at Shenzhen River on 8 December, the Battle of Hong Kong lasted for 18 days when British and Canadian forces held onto Hong Kong Island. Unable to defend against intensifying Japanese air and land bombardments, they eventually surrendered control of Hong Kong on 25 December 1941. The Governor of Hong Kong was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. This day is regarded by the locals as "Black Christmas".[75]
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the Japanese army committed atrocities against civilians and POWs, such as the St. Stephen's College massacre. Local residents also suffered widespread food shortages, limited rationing and hyper-inflation arising from the forced exchange of currency from Hong Kong dollars to Japanese military banknotes. The initial ratio of 2:1 was gradually devalued to 4:1 and ownership of Hong Kong dollars was declared illegal and punishable by harsh torture. Due to starvation and forced deportation for slave labour to mainland China, the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony on 2 September 1945.[76]
Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97
Main articles: British Hong Kong, 1950s in Hong Kong, 1960s in Hong Kong, 1970s in Hong Kong, 1980s in Hong Kong, and 1990s in Hong Kong
Flag of British Hong Kong from 1959 to 1997
Hong Kong's population recovered quickly after the war, as a wave of skilled migrants from the Republic of China moved in to seek refuge from the Chinese Civil War. When the Communist Party eventually took full control of mainland China in 1949, even more skilled migrants fled across the open border for fear of persecution.[69] Many newcomers, especially those who had been based in the major port cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou, established corporations and small- to medium-sized businesses and shifted their base operations to British Hong Kong.[69] The establishment of a socialist state in China (People's Republic of China) on 1 October 1949 caused the British colonial government to reconsider Hong Kong's open border to mainland China. In 1951, a boundary zone was demarked as a buffer zone against potential military attacks from communist China. Border posts along the north of Hong Kong began operation in 1953 to regulate the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory.
Stamp with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953
In the 1950s, Hong Kong became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies under rapid industrialisation driven by textile exports, manufacturing industries and re-exports of goods to China. As the population grew, with labour costs remaining low, living standards began to rise steadily.[77] The construction of the Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme to provide shelter for the less privileged and to cope with the influx of immigrants.
Under Sir Murray MacLehose, 25th Governor of Hong Kong (1971–82), a series of reforms improved the public services, environment, housing, welfare, education and infrastructure of Hong Kong. MacLehose was British Hong Kong's longest-serving governor and, by the end of his tenure, had become one of the most popular and well-known figures in the Crown Colony. MacLehose laid the foundation for Hong Kong to establish itself as a key global city in the 1980s and early 1990s.
A sky view of Hong Kong Island
An aerial view of the northern shore of Hong Kong Island in 1986
To resolve traffic congestion and to provide a more reliable means of crossing the Victoria Harbour, a rapid transit railway system (metro), the MTR, was planned from the 1970s onwards. The Island Line (Hong Kong Island), Kwun Tong Line (Kowloon Peninsula and East Kowloon) and Tsuen Wan Line (Kowloon and urban New Territories) opened in the early 1980s.[78]
In 1983, the Hong Kong dollar left its 16:1 peg with the Pound sterling and switched to the current US-HK Dollar peg. Hong Kong's competitiveness in manufacturing gradually declined due to rising labour and property costs, as well as new development in southern China under the Open Door Policy introduced in 1978 which opened up China to foreign business. Nevertheless, towards the early 1990s, Hong Kong had established itself as a global financial centre along with London and New York City, a regional hub for logistics and freight, one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and the world's exemplar of Laissez-faire market policy.[79]
The Hong Kong question
In 1971, the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s permanent seat on the United Nations was transferred to the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong's status as a recognised colony became terminated in 1972 under the request of PRC. Facing the uncertain future of Hong Kong and expiry of land lease of New Territories beyond 1997, Governor MacLehose raised the question in the late 1970s.
The British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified Hong Kong into a British Dependent Territory amid the reorganisation of global territories of the British Empire. All residents of Hong Kong became British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTC). Diplomatic negotiations began with China and eventually concluded with the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Both countries agreed to transfer Hong Kong's sovereignty to China on 1 July 1997, when Hong Kong would remain autonomous as a special administrative region and be able to retain its free-market economy, British common law through the Hong Kong Basic Law, independent representation in international organisations (e.g. WTO and WHO), treaty arrangements and policy-making except foreign diplomacy and military defence.
It stipulated that Hong Kong would retain its laws and be guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer. The Hong Kong Basic Law, based on English law, would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer. It was ratified in 1990.[69] The expiry of the 1898 lease on the New Territories in 1997 created problems for business contracts, property leases and confidence among foreign investors.
Handover and Special Administrative Region status
Main articles: Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong and 2000s in Hong Kong
Transfer of sovereignty
Golden Bauhinia Square
On 1 July 1997, the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China took place, officially marking the end of Hong Kong's 156 years under British colonial governance. As the largest remaining colony of the United Kingdom, the loss of Hong Kong effectively represented the end of the British Empire. This transfer of sovereignty made Hong Kong the first special administrative region of China. Tung Chee-Hwa, a pro-Beijing business tycoon, was elected Hong Kong's first Chief Executive by a selected electorate of 800 in a televised programme.
Structure of government
Hong Kong's current structure of governance inherits from the British model of colonial administration set up in the 1850s. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration states that "Hong Kong should enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all areas except defence and foreign affairs" with reference to the underlying principle of one country, two systems.[note 3] This Declaration stipulates that Hong Kong maintains her capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of her people for at least 50 years after the 1997 handover. [note 4] Such guarantees are enshrined in the Hong Kong's Basic Law, the territory's constitutional document, which outlines the system of governance after 1997, albeit subject to interpretation by China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).[95][96]
Hong Kong's most senior leader, Chief Executive, is elected by a committee of 1,200 selected members (600 in 1997) and nominally appointed by the Government of China. The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, Legislative Council, civil service and Judiciary.
Policy-making is initially discussed in the Executive Council, presided by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, before passing to the Legislative Council for bill adoption. The Executive Council consists of 30 official/unofficial members appointed by the Chief Executive and one member among them acts as the convenor.[97][98]
The Legislative Council, set up in 1843, debates policies and motions before voting to adopt or rejecting bills. It has 70 members (originally 60) and 40 (originally 30) among them are directly elected by universal suffrage; the other 30 members are "functional constituencies" (indirectly) elected by a smaller electorate of corporate bodies or representatives of stipulated economic sectors as defined by the government. The Legislative Council is chaired by a president who acts as the speaker.[99][100]
In 1997, seating of the Legislative Council (also public services and election franchises) of Hong Kong modelled on the British system: Urban Council (Hong Kong and Kowloon) and District Council (New Territories and Outlying Islands). In 1999, this system has been reformed into 18 directly elected District Offices across 5 Legislative Council constituencies: Hong Kong Island (East/West), Kowloon and New Territories (East/West); the remaining outlying islands are divided across the aforementioned regions.
Hong Kong's Civil Service, created by the British colonial government, is a politically neutral body that implements government policies and provides public services. Senior civil servants are appointed based on meritocracy. The territory's police, firefighting and customs forces, as well as clerical officers across various government departments, make up the civil service.[101][102]
Series made using fundamental, natural elements. These natural elements and compounds are collected at the site of the picture - usually at the location depicted within the photograph. The depicted scene you see here is created not just by light on film but by melding samples of elements and organic matter from the scene into the film development process where subject and medium are married together, the resulting image created from the scene itself.
No collating or cutting and pasting of external or internal elements into the picture in Photoshop or similar editor has taken place.
It's your eyes.
They're ...
more serious than they used to be.
Like they've seen things they shouldn't have.
________________________
________________________
Hair:
#Foxy Darling.-
Outfit:
BEYOND -Africa Dress - Trés Chic
Nails:
*SAM* Nails - Bento Nails Pointy - willahmina Color Hud
♥ Info ♥
you only need to buy the basic Nails ONCE- and the Color HUD separately.
So u don't need to change your Nails all the Time.
Every Pointy Nail HUD will work on this Blank nails. You can wear your Nails all the Time and Only use the HUD to quick "repaint" your favorite Nail shape, easy and fast. :-)
Pose:
FOXCITY-Kill this Love-4 (Fatpack exclusive)
I've been roaming around always lookin down at all I see.
Painted faces fill the places I can't reach.
You know that I could use somebody
You know that I could use somebody
Someone like you ...
Images used:
Lenny Flank
Hindenburg_disaster,_1937
www.flickr.com/photos/lennyflank/29005898732/in/faves-144...
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/
pixabay.com/photos/camera-person-photographer-road-1839998/
camera 18
Constructed between 1847 and 1849 by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, (MS&LR - later became the Great Central), this is Torksey railway Viaduct, which crosses the River Trent between Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire, roughly half way between Lincoln and Gainsborough. Designed by John Fowler (1817-1898), who later was one of the two engineers for the Forth Rail Bridge, Torksey Viaduct is a rare, and early surviving example of a tubular girder bridge.
There are two 130-foot spans over the River Trent, each consisting of two massive wrought iron girders - as seen here.
These are supported on stone piers - one in the centre and one at each side. On the Lincolnshire side is a 570-foot approach viaduct of 20 spans, and the bridge proper starts over a small natural island in the river. The position of the Bridge was chosen to use this island to simplify the task.
Captain Lintorn Simmons, the Board of Trade’s inspector, refused to grant permission for the viaduct to be opened, having “entertained doubts as to the ultimate security” of the bridge. After much argument, Fowler, supported by the Engineering profession, won the day, and the first train passed over in April 1850.
The bridge was twice strengthened - in 1877 & 1897, because increasing traffic and train loads. A conventional steel lattice girder (again, seen in this photograph) was inserted centrally into both main spans in the 1897 works, whilst the northern girders were moved out to maintain track clearances.
The "Leverton Branch", as this line (which ran between Sykes Junction near Lincoln and Clarborough, just West of Gainsborough), was known, was closed on November 3rd 1959, with Lincoln-Sheffield trains taking the only slightly less direct route through Gainsborough Lea Road. However, the line to the West of the Trent was reinstated in 1969 to serve the new power station at Cottam's need for coal, whilst on the Lincolnshire side, the line was run from Sykes Junction to the Shell petrol depot at Torksey. Only the viaduct itself remained closed.
The Oil traffic ceased in the late 1980s, and the track is now all lifted (and the road bridge on the Gainsborough-Lincoln road was removed).
Until the early 1990s it was possible the walk across the viaduct - this was no longer possible by the 1990s as the track bed had been removed on the bridge itself, and that part was fenced off. Happily, this was resolved during the las 12 months. The cycling and footpath charity Sustrans have installed the required safety fencing and reinstated the bridge bed on the North side. There is now a fine footpath over the impressive bridge to the riverbank on the Western (Nottinghamshire) side of the river. This shot shows the (still without a track bed) South side of the bridge.
The viaduct is rightly covered by a Grade II* listing but worryingly, also features on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk register.
Camera: Nikon F5
Lens: Nikkor 28-80mm zoom
Film: Kodak Ektar 100
I used all my fave fabrics in this dress....I've had most of them for years..waiting to be used for something special.....so here it is....
It's pretty clashy and very colourful....but I like it!
It took me a few days to finish....and i still have to alter a few bits.....
My own take on the 207 Formula 1 challengers of the Haas and Ferrari teams! Both cars are built using the style of the Speed Champions line and come in at 10 studs wide each.
Tried to work in as much detailing at this scale as possible, which explains the minifig hands as the t-wings. The Ferrari is in it's mid-season livery (approx. Silverstone spec) and the Haas is featured in its pre-season/Australia spec livery.
Also, I'm alive! Some of you may know I'm far more active over on Facebook with my cosplay work, but I still have time for Lego. Recently did an outing with my LUG at a local library here in Charlotte, NC for a comicon event they put on. Our group displayed some builds and I hosted a panel with a friend. It was fantastic. Hopefully I can find the time to post those pics in the next few weeks.
Don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.
Copyright © Antoniociro 2014 All Rights Reserved
Thank you for your visit and comment!
___________________________________________________________________
Dati di scatto:
fotocamera: Nikon D5000
Obiettivo:Sigma 10-20mm - F4-5,6 EX DC HSM
distanza focale: 20 mm
tempo di esposizione:0,025sec (1/40)
numero f: f//5,6
ISO: 400
Bilanciamento del bianco: automatico
modalità misurazione esposimetrica: Peso centrale
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Uno dei migliori modi per spostarsi in Cina e’ sicuramente il treno. Potranno spaventare le lunghe distanze che a volte richiedono giorni, ma anche se un lungo viaggio in treno puo’ essere piacevole, avendo il tempo limitato, basta prendere un volo (economicissimo!) per abbreviare notevolmente i tempi.
Tuttavia, grazie all’alta velocita’ anche quelle che erano lunghe distanze in treno negli ultimi anni sono diventate piu’ brevi entrando in concorrenza con il trasporto aereo.
Non sono tutte le destinazioni ad essere interessate ancora dall’alta velocita’, ma per fare un esempio la principale linea Pechino – Shanghai di circa 1.100 km e’ passata in poco tempo da 12 ore alle 5 di adesso (tratti percorsi alla velocità di ca 350 Km/h!), un viaggio confortevole sia in prima che seconda classe che vi porta dal centro citta’ al centro di un’altra e che tra l'altro, a noi Eurpoei, costa molto poco: solo una diecina di Euri!
La Stazione dei treni di Shangai è una delle più grandi al mondo. Da lontano può sembrare un gigantesco centro commerciale, dato che nella metropoli cinese va di moda questo tipo di costruzione, ma poi si scopre che è una stazione!
Da qui parte il treno Maglev, l'unico al mondo a gravitazione magnetica (430 Km/h), che unisce la città con l'aeroporto internazionale di Pudong. Allo stesso tempo partono i treni per tutto il resto della Cina e per i paesi confinanti; inoltre, ci sono connessioni con diverse linee della metropolitana.
using this Sigma macro as a walking-around short-telephoto yields incredibly sharp results. light-leaked a handful of photos on this roll because I was worried the film got stuck and decided to risk a few shots to check. the top half of this photo got erased but otherwise the leaks looked fairly pleasant.
Pentax K1000
Sigma 105mm f2.8 EX DG Macro
Kodak Ektar 100
Using photo today to satisfy two challenges.
Macro Monday: Reflections I hope you can tell that these are staples and remover reflected in a mirror.
52 Weeks: SOOC Straight out of Camera...No editing. Just uploaded via LR and into Flicker. I love low-key-type photos, even with my macros.
used the same model as in my last upload, just added a dress to her using transform tool warp ,then used the puppet warp tool to fit the dress to her. hope that makes sense!
This is a view using FITS file mosaics generously provided courtesy of Susan Stolovy, with attribution to Rick Arendt and Solange Ramirez for their work in producing the final mosaics. Her team used a processing technique that alleviated some of the saturation issues arising in some of the brighter parts of the mosaic that one might find in the mosaics provided by the Spitzer archive.
My take is not necessarily much different than what's already been done, but it is quite a bit less saturated than what you can find on the Spitzer website, and just a bit more of those wispy dust and gas formations can be made out. Anyway, it's nice to work with some data where someone else has already done most of the work.
For reference, here is a link to the original version using the same wavelengths on the Spitzer website: www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1540-ssc2006-02a-A-Cauldro...
Screen: 8.0 µm (IRAC4)
Red: 5.8 µm (IRAC3)
Green: 4.5 µm (IRAC2)
Blue: 3.6 µm (IRAC1)
The image is presented in galactic coordinates, with north up in that regard.
158823 is seen leading 158825 as they pass Beeches Farm working 1I12 09:28 Holyhead to Birmingham International on the 30th April 2022.
© Andy Parkinson 2022 - No Unauthorised Use Please.
Using The Sky Live Online Planetarium and The Photographer's Ephemeris the comet from this location on the BZ Glenwood Highway was supposed to be a couple of degrees above the left (west) flank of Mt Adams. Even though visually and in binoculars the comet was no where to be seen, I took a series of exposures every 5 minutes from 9:35 to 10:20PM anyway. When I got home and reviewed the exposures on the computer I didn't see anything either. All day Saturday I wondered what had gone wrong, was the sky too bright an hour after sunset? Was the comet lost in the layers of smoke? Did I make a mistake with TPE? I'd deliberately over exposed the images a bit in order to minimize noise and have some shadow detail on the mountain and unknowingly the comet was lost in the slightly overexposed sky, until this morning when on a whim I pulled back the highlights and was pleasantly surprised when the comet appeared in a few of the exposures. My expectation had been a much brighter comet with a tail as long as the mountain is high, but it turned out most of the tail was lost in the still too bright sky and I was too close to the mountain making the comet look tiny in comparison. Three 4 sec exposures, f5.6, ISO 200 combined using masks and lighten layer mode in photoshop. Best when viewed in the lightbox. O15168,69,70
PLEASE, NO invitations or self promotions, THEY WILL BE DELETED. My photos are FREE to use, just give me credit and it would be nice if you let me know, thanks.
This is a view from the balcony of my room after we arrived.
“He used often to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every doorstep, and every path was its tributary. 'It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,' he used to say. 'You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
As I walked up towards this little waterfall below High Shoals I could see this as a place in Middle Earth. It so reminds me of Hobbits and Dwarves.
The critical part of me took over at this point and said, the arching tree would look better if it had more leaves, or was not present at all. And, also that whomever designed the boardwalk must have been an Orc, because all the best images were abused by the limitations its creation imposed.
Enough of the critical me (its the better part of me btw. I'm good, very good, at seeing the faults. I work at seeing the good instead. But, my job is such that I am paid to find the bad and fix, so it limits me. btw, I think I'm good at my job too ;) ) But it was such a pretty little scene. I'm not sure how others will see it, but the little arched tree seemed to frame the falls. I did even break the rules and climbed over the railing and tossed leaves into the little maelstrom on the lower right. There was log there that was too large to move or I'd have moved it. It was also snowing, but none of my images shows the flurries as they fell on us.
A stanchion fashioned out of a pole embedded in concrete inside a wheel rim. It looks like it is no longer in use. (6496a)
Processed using my Vintage Vogue (Dusky Rose) Lightroom Preset + additional adjustments.
This was taken at number 2 beach in Sierra Leone, Africa. I just love this beach... plan on going there again soon.
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Lady Tori
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