Visually-impaired photographers in the UK
View allAll Photos Tagged visually
The fisherman's vigil.
A beautiful Squacco heron, photographed a couple of years ago, on lake Tisza in Hungary.
After navigating our way through a maze of narrow channels cut in the tall reeds, we came out into this large, open expanse of water. Completely carpeted with lily-pads, it's a visually striking location & an amazing place to watch & photograph wildlife.
11 años ya de mi primera foto publicada en Flickr... Una historia que empieza sin más expectativa que desarrollar un hobby y compartir mis mejores fotos para compensar la soledad que trae mudarse a vivir a un lugar nuevo donde no conoces a nadie. Un reto también, el de adaptarse a las nuevas tecnologías y a las redes sociales con ya 60 años y pocos conocimientos informáticos.
Y 11 años después, la instantánea es así:
Más de 3600 fotos publicadas, unos 200 premios explores, 12 millones de visitas y unos 5500 seguidores, de los que más de 600 me han hecho el honor de dedicarme sus fotos. ¡Increíble !
Lo que nunca sospeché es todo lo que iba a recibir en aprendizaje técnico y visual, y en afecto de esta gran comunidad de apasionados de la fotografía y de la vida que, más de un día, y sobretodo en estos tiempos de pandemia y confinamientos, me han llenado de su energía, pasión y cariño.
Gracias amigos!!
It’s been 11 years of my first picture published in Flickr.. When it all started, what I had in mind was nothing but develop my hobby and share my best pictures to compensate for the loneliness of moving to a new place where you don't know anybody. It was a big challenge: I was 60, little computer knowledge and had to adapt to new technologies and social network.
And 11 years later, this is the picture:
More than 3600 published pictures, around 200 explores, 12 million visits, and more than 5500 followers, and 600 dedicated photos. Amazing!
I never expected I would learn so much both technically and visually, and that I would receive so much affection from this big community of passionate people, especially during this pandemic time. Thank you my friends for your energy, passion and affection!
Thank you Gabrial Azul, for inviting me to participate in the WonDerLanD photo contest! It led me to visit this incredibly creative and visually outstanding sim. I was so impressed with the whole place as everywhere you turn, there are beautiful colors and surprising areas to explore. I especially loved how you enter the sim from the landing point, so very clever! Here is your TP to get lost in this extraordinary Wonderland
All I could hear in my mind as I explored was this amazing Tom Petty song! ♫ Tune ♫
Esta imagen es un montaje con dos fotografías, por un lado mi fotografía del mar con esa embarcación navegando bajo el cielo azul en la costa de Tenerife...Por otro lado ese atardecer, recurso de "Luminar AI" y que no lo he fotografiado yo....Mi trabajo ha sido combinar ambas imágenes con la edicion (Photoshop + Luminar AI ) para conseguir un resultado creible y atractivo visualmente...Puro juego creativo que me gusta y con el que no pretendo engañar a nadie...Es por esto que digo como está hecho, para qu no haya malos entendidos. :)
Esto no quita para que se amplie la imagen y se observe como esta colocado el cielo tras la embarcación (mastil y los cabos, por ejemplo).
English
This image is a montage with two photographs, on the one hand my photograph of the sea with that boat sailing under the blue sky off the coast of Tenerife ... On the other hand that sunset, a resource of "Luminar AI" and that I have not photographed I .... My job has been to combine both images with the edition (Photoshop + Luminar AI) to achieve a credible and visually attractive result ... Pure creative game that I like and with which I do not intend to deceive anyone ... It is This is why I say how it is made, so that there are no misunderstandings. :) This does not mean that the image is enlarged and you can see how the sky is positioned behind the boat (mast and ropes, for example).
Recomiendo hacer doble click sobre la imagen y ver en grande.
I recommend see in larger, clicking double on the imagen.
Garden Liles 2..
There is something so visually pleasing about a lily, it is the mixture of complimentary colours that draw you in. the contrast of yellow and red. I am sure this is as intoxicating to humans as it is to bees and other pollen gatherers.
I am sure there is a solid science behind the reasoning for the many varied colours of lilies; but suffice to say they make my garden look amazing while they are in bloom and i thank God for eyes to see them with.
Please do not copy my image or use it on websites, blogs or other media without my express permission.
© NICK MUNROE (MUNROE PHOTOGRAPHY)
You can contact me
by email @
karenick23@yahoo.ca
munroephotographic@gmail.com
munroedesignsphotography@gmail.com
or on Facebook @
www.facebook.com/MunroePhotography/
On Instagram
Garden Lily..
There is something so visually pleasing about a lily, it is the mixture of complimentary colours that draw you in. the contrast of yellow and red. I am sure this is as intoxicating to humans as it is to bees and other pollen gatherers.
I am sure there is a solid science behind the reasoning for the many varied colours of lilies; but suffice to say they make my garden look amazing while they are in bloom and i thank God for eyes to see them with.
Please do not copy my image or use it on websites, blogs or other media without my express permission.
© NICK MUNROE (MUNROE PHOTOGRAPHY)
You can contact me
by email @
karenick23@yahoo.ca
munroephotographic@gmail.com
munroedesignsphotography@gmail.com
or on Facebook @
www.facebook.com/MunroePhotography/
On Instagram
These Silver or Grey Poplars have already dropped their leaves ready for the coming winter while all the other trees still have plenty. All of the trees in this avenue lean this way the remaining trees in the surrounding area do not. It is quite a visually confusing thing to see.
The parish church of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur.
The sacristy dates from the 11th century. The church was enlarged in the 18th and 19th centuries, as was the bell tower which was raised. The stoup and the baptismal font are from the 18th century. In the choir, the altar stone was carved in the 11th century.
Open star cluster NGC 6939 (bottom center) is visually located close to the star Eta Cephei inside our galaxy, but in reality it lies more than 4,000 light-years away from us (this value is a bit uncertain). Its apparent magnitude is 7.8, meaning it can only be seen with binoculars or with a telescope.
By pure coincidence, less than one degree away lies the face-on galaxy NGC 6946 (center of image), an entirely separate galactic system outside our own Milky Way, at an estimated distance of about 25 million light-years (according to recent measurements). Because many supernova explosions were recorded at the last 100 years in this galaxy, it got the nickname of "Fireworks galaxy".
Both objects were discovered by William Herschel in 1798.
Thanks to everyone and clear skies!
Details:
Telescope: Orion EON 80ED
Camera: Canon EOS 20Da
Mount: Vixen Sphinx
Filter: Astronomik CLS
Guiding: Skywatcher 80/400 refractor - SkyWatcher SynGuider
Light frames: 12 x 5 mins (total: 60 mins), ISO 3200, Custom WB, calibrated with darks
Date: 25 October 2019
Processing: DSS 4.2.3, Adobe Photoshop 2020 with Astronomy Tools Actions set (spikes added to the brightest stars)
Metal railings that visually create a sense of flow…
Observing the dense railings from the outside seems to be safe and sturdy. Standing in the building, so many iron railings, the vision should be very different. You know…XD
Many buildings in Taiwan,
Must rely on metal railings,
Let the residents feel safe.
金屬的欄桿，在視覺上產生流動感…
從外面觀察密集的欄杆，似乎是安全堅固。站在建築物裡面，這麼多鐵欄杆，視覺應該很不一樣。你知道的…XD
台灣許多建築物，
必須依賴金屬欄杆，
讓住戶得到安全感。
Lophornis chalybeus - Male - at Sítio Espinheiro Negro.
Tiny and visually striking hummingbird. Its mostly dark green upper parts are bisected by a pale rump band. Note the gray belly and rufous tail. Males are dazzling with a ruff of green feathers with pale tips on neck. Females are plainer with a dark face and pale throat. Usually found in humid forest, including second growth. Near threatened species.
A beauty to enlighten the week! Happy Wednesday! HMBT!
Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!
© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.
A visually striking vibrant market display of artificially dyed, dried Rose of Jericho plants (Anastatica hierochuntica), also known widely in Arabic as Kaf Maryam (Hand of Mary).
By eliminating any surrounding environmental context such as the storefront, floor, or sky, the image turns a real-world object into a semi-abstract pattern of texture and color.
The composition is split roughly in half by a subtle, horizontal shelf structure. The top half features a neatly stacked, uniform wall of vertical lines, while the bottom half introduces a slightly more chaotic, organic, and loose arrangement. This creates a compelling internal contrast within the frame.
The primary strength of the image lies in its rich, saturated color palette. The juxtaposition of complementary color clusters - like the bright oranges placed tightly against deep blues and purples - makes the image incredibly punchy and dynamic.
The shadows nestled deep within the curly crevices of the dried plants prevent the image from looking flat. The natural variation between the bright highlights on the outer edges and the deep pockets of shade creates a strong three-dimensional form for each individual plant ball.
Every individual plant ball mimics a miniature brain or a tightly coiled coral reef. The deep shadows hiding within the brittle, fibrous crevices provide a striking contrast to the highlighted outer edges, giving the entire flat frame a powerful, three-dimensional depth.
The photograph excels at tactile translation. The crisp sharpness across the frame highlights the brittle, rough, and fibrous details of the dried branches. As a viewer, you can almost feel the dry texture of the plant simply by looking at the image.
The true artistry of the image lies in its beautiful contradictions. It captures a clash between the natural and the artificial: the ancient, weathered, and dead desert wood is completely resurrected by an explosion of synthetic, electric dye.
Vibrant clusters of fiery orange dance directly against deep oceanic blues, while soft magentas melt into earthy yellows. The viewer can almost feel the dry, crisp, and brittle crunch of the branches just by looking at them. It is a stunning visual metaphor for the desert itself seemingly dead and dry, yet bursting with hidden, explosive vitality.
In arid desert conditions, the plant sheds its leaves and curls tightly into a dry, brown, protective ball. Once placed in a shallow bowl of water, its capillaries saturate, causing the branches to dramatically unroll and "bloom" open within hours.
Naturally, the dried balls are a plain gray-brown color. Local market vendors colorfully paint or dye them in shades of blue, pink, green, orange, and purple specifically to catch the eye of tourists looking for vibrant decor items.
A celebration of vibrant maximalism and organic geometry, transforming a simple market stall into a complex, living tapestry.
It feels less like a documentary photo of souvenirs and more like a rich, abstract canvas painted with nature's own textures.
Garden Lilies..
There is something so visually pleasing about a lily, it is the mixture of complimentary colours that draw you in. the contrast of yellow and red. I am sure this is as intoxicating to humans as it is to bees and other pollen gatherers.
I am sure there is a solid science behind the reasoning for the many varied colours of lilies; but suffice to say they make my garden look amazing while they are in bloom and i thank God for eyes to see them with.
Please do not copy my image or use it on websites, blogs or other media without my express permission.
© NICK MUNROE (MUNROE PHOTOGRAPHY)
You can contact me
by email @
karenick23@yahoo.ca
munroephotographic@gmail.com
munroedesignsphotography@gmail.com
or on Facebook @
www.facebook.com/MunroePhotography/
On Instagram
A Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) in low-altitude flight over a body of water along the Nile River in Aswan.
The wing position is captured at a downward stroke, which is generally a visually pleasing "power" pose in flight photography.
There is a subtle reflection of the bird on the water's surface. In bird-over-water photography, capturing a clearer or more prominent reflection is often a goal for a high-impact "wow" factor.
The lighting appears warm from the "golden hour" which beautifully highlights the ripples in the water and gives the scene a peaceful, atmospheric mood.
The cool grey-blue of the bird’s plumage contrasts well with the warm, brownish-gold water.
The exposure seems well-balanced, maintaining detail in both the bird's feathers and the highlights of the water ripples.
Purnululu National Park is a national park in the north east of Western Australia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Bungle Bungle Range, lying fully within the park, has elevations as high as 578 metres (1,896 ft) above sea level. It is famous for the sandstone domes, unusual and visually striking with their striping in alternating orange and grey bands. The banding of the domes is due to differences in clay content and porosity of the sandstone layers: the orange bands consist of oxidised iron compounds in layers that dry out too quickly for cyanobacteria to multiply; the grey bands are composed of cyanobacteria growing on the surface of layers of sandstone where moisture accumulates.
A visually pleasing coastal landscape taken at the Hidden Bay in Ras Mohammed National Park, on a rainy day.
The image employs a horizontal, layered structure of water, land, and mountains which creates a stable and balanced feel. The distribution of the small trees along the shoreline provides a rhythmic element that leads the eye across the frame.
The vast, clear sky and open water act as negative space, isolating the thin strip of land and emphasizing a sense of solitude and vastness.
The photograph successfully utilizes three distinct layers: the turquoise water (foreground), the sandy shore with vegetation (midground), and the hazy mountain range (background). This layering adds a three-dimensional quality to the 2D image.
The horizon line between the land and the mountains is placed near the upper third of the frame, which is often more dynamic and aesthetically pleasing than a centered horizon.
The use of analogous colors like shades of blue, cyan, and sandy tan creates a harmonious and soothing impression. The turquoise water provides a subtle pop of color against the more neutral tones of the desert.
The overall low contrast and muted saturation contribute to a "dreamy" pastel look. The atmospheric haze over the mountains further softens the image and enhances the feeling of distance and scale.
The primary subject is the natural beauty of the desert meeting the sea. The image conveys a sense of peaceful isolation and natural tranquility. The minimal human presence (no boats or people are visible) emphasizes the untouched nature of the landscape. The small mangrove trees add a touch of life and resilience to the otherwise barren shoreline.
Fairly large tanager with a thick bill. Males are visually striking with bright crimson bodies and black wings and tail. Note the silver lower mandible. Females lack the silver bill and are mostly brown with a cinnamon belly and rump. Found at forest borders and in non-forest habitats, including urban parks and gardens. Males are impossible mistake, being brilliant scarlet-red with a black tail and wings, and a very obviously pale mandible to the bill. Females, on the other hand, are less distinctively plumaged and recall. Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon to locally fairly common; almost always in small numbers.
Wishing everyone a Peaceful Bokeh Wednesday!
Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!
© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.
My instagram if you like: @thelmag and @thelma_and_cats
Talking about the Pentacon 3.5/30 vintage lens. It may be half a century old, but optically it is a true 'generalist'. You can use it for any situation as long as the light is good. I prefer this lens to be wide open, as here. But that is a personal choice.
Evening sunlight dappling through street trees onto a bright yellow wall. An outdoor spotlight connects it visually to the intersecting cream painted brick wall.
Sometimes, I drown them. They re-surface! They get a voice. I stare them down! Telling them that they are unwanted, that I need to let the image come up. They finally keep quiet - for a moment.
A close-up of tactile paving seen next to a zebra crossing in Kingston.
More than 140 years after Louis Braille invented the Braille reading system, Seiichi Miyake came up with a different system based on touch that allows visually impaired people to navigate public spaces. Today, tactile paving is used by major cities and transportation services around the world.
Pavement with round bumps was meant to signal nearby danger, such as a street crossing or the edge of a train platform, while a stretch of pavement with straight bars was meant to guide them to safe areas. The tactile design allowed pedestrians to detect the features with canes, guide dogs, or their feet.
Artistic framing of a textured and light-colored stone wall constructed with large rectangular blocks with two ornate metal rings against a backdrop of vibrant green and yellow tree.
Rustication is a range of masonry techniques used in classical architecture giving visible surfaces a finish texture that contrasts with smooth, squared-block masonry called ashlar. The visible face of each individual block is cut back around the edges to make its size and placing very clear.
This technique emphasizes the individual stones and their joints, creating a visually striking effect and often used to give a sense of strength and solidity, particularly to the lower levels of a building.
Shot long time ago with a Canon EOS 700D from Alhambra, Granada Spain.
Italy, Puglia, Porto Cesareo
Puglia, with its 784km of coastline, has always been a frontier land, a landing point but also a territory of conquest by invaders and pirates from Dalmatia, Albania, or the Greek islands. The coastal towers were built, for the most part, by the Spaniards in 1500 to create a real sighting system on the sea to protect the Kingdom of Naples. Often, these sighting points were positioned in such a way as to be visually connected or to other towers scattered inland, to transmit any danger alerts. In practice, a real communication line was created along the entire coast to quickly transmit information on invasions. The communications took place by means of smoke signals, during the day, or with fire, at night, or again, bells were used.
Sunsets are visually pleasing with their blend of warm and vibrant colors that emerge as the sun dips below the horizon.
A source of inspiration and spiritual insight for people around the world. These daily events offer more than just visual beauty; they provide a gateway to deeper understanding and connection.
Passionate photographers, artists, poets, and philosophers have long been inspired by the hues of a sunset, capturing its essence in their works.
Shot from a riverside of the Nile with a Canon EOS700D
Visually she has strong traits of the Italian, her mix of Carniolan would be a darker honey bee. Some of her sisters show the Carniolan traits. She has a different personality, the Italian Queen is graceful and confident. This hybrid queen is a runner, maybe she will be more confident as time goes by. R.O. premium stock bred. This is the time I'm supposed to leave her alone and let her make brood. They must have let her out of her queen cage quickly. With 60% colony loss worldwide this year, this is a God send.
Warbling Vireos can be distinguished visually from Red-eyed Vireos by the lack of a dark border between the crown and supercilium, which is a prominent mark of the Red-eyed Vireo.
They also lack the dark lores between the eye and the base of the bill. This feature gives their face a pale and washed out look. They are more gray on the cape and wing coverts than the bright olive of the Red-eyed Vireo. Warbling Vireos have a dark iris compared to the red iris of the Red-eyed Vireo. The red iris of the Red-eyed Vireo doesn't always show in a photo though.
A bright Warbling Vireo can look similar to a drab Philadelphia Vireo due to a pale yellow wash along the breast, throat, and flanks. The bill of a Philadelphia Vireo is obviously shorter in comparison. The Philadelphia Vireo has a dark lore area compared to the pale lore of the Warbling Vireo.
The songs of the Vireo species are very distinct, but they are not singing much at this time of year.
St. Albert, Alberta.
Mount Cheam visually dominates much of the Fraser Valley near Vancouver, BC., Canada. It is the highest mountain in the valley and is part of the Cascade Range of mountains. Here, despite its distance from the resort community of Harrison Hotsprings, seen in the foreground, it appears to look down upon the 1600-member community. In reality Cheam is not “looking down “on the community at all, in fact it’s a fair distance away. This distortion between the town and the mountain is due to the affect of foreshortening from the telephoto lens. The telephoto lens with its narrow field of view makes the distance between these two objects appear much closer than they actually are. Compounding the foreshortening distortion is the use of a series of these images blended to create the panorama. It was a clear day with a great view and the haze in the valley added depth and layering.
Garden Lily 2..
There is something so visually pleasing about a lily, it is the mixture of complimentary colours that draw you in. the contrast of yellow and red. I am sure this is as intoxicating to humans as it is to bees and other pollen gatherers.
I am sure there is a solid science behind the reasoning for the many varied colours of lilies; but suffice to say they make my garden look amazing while they are in bloom and i thank God for eyes to see them with.
Please do not copy my image or use it on websites, blogs or other media without my express permission.
© NICK MUNROE (MUNROE PHOTOGRAPHY)
You can contact me
by email @
karenick23@yahoo.ca
munroephotographic@gmail.com
munroedesignsphotography@gmail.com
or on Facebook @
www.facebook.com/MunroePhotography/
On Instagram
Visually (in terms of shape, size, and color) one of my favorite vegetables. Those pictured are of the honeynut variety.
Visually it matches with Japanese Beetle, but clicked in Bangalore, India. Indian Beetles look little different. So I am not sure about the exact name.
visually speaks of the thunders we experience up here in our highlands: a vast inland plateau averaged at 1,200m above sea level. the mountainous relief seen here is what they term a gold slag dump, 'waste piles left over from the smelting and refining process of gold ore' - my friend now living in England, Gregory, says he misses our loud storms here, that he never finds them there.
Britannia needs no bulwarks,
No towers along the steep;
Her march is o'er the mountain waves,
Her home is on the deep.
With thunders from her native oak
She quells the floods below--
As they roar on the shore,
When the stormy winds do blow;
T. Campbell
I was impressed by what I read from an interview with Lewis Baltz in the Smithsonian “Archives of American Art” — Baltz tried to present his images as ‘flat’. Even though there were different elements he wanted the scene visually as a “very shallow space and usually there is a plane that echoes the picture plane.”
Usually my camera isn't drawn towards the homeless ... but John's presence was so visually striking that I just couldn't resist and was compelled to connect ... on any day he could hold your interest with just his intellect alone ... fluid and interesting ... thoughtful and charismatic .... and certainly entertaining .... on any other day he was equally off center and just bat shit crazy ... anyway ... I haven't seen John for quite some time now .... don't know if his demons took more control or if he just moved on .... in any event I do think of him frequently ... there's a fragility and serendipity in the human condition that affects us all really .... and especially in these times, there's a fine line that we all must walk to stay centered and balanced ... it's not always easy to do that ....
Since it's supposed to be very hot today, I'll at least cool things off visually.
And so I'll take you again to the Erawan Waterfall in Thailand.
A bit of effort is still necessary to get to this wonderfully beautiful place. After all, as you may remember, this is Stage Three.
But after about 30 minutes of sweating we arrived here. In a place that, at least for me, seems truly paradisiacal.
We can sit in the shade of the forest and listen to the sound of the waterfall, accompanied by the songs of many exotic birds, or take off our shoes and wade through the shallow water and let small silver-gray fish care for our feet. But be careful, the rocks are quite slippery in some places. And I don't want anyone to hurt themselves.
Or, if that's not enough to cool you down, just dive into the lagoon right in front of the waterfall. Because here, at almost 2 meters, the water is deep enough to completely submerge.
Yes, that's really bearable, isn't it?
Da es heute sehr heiß werden soll, sorge ich wenigstens optisch für etwas Abkühlung.
Und so nehme ich Euch noch einmal mit zum Erawan Wasserfall nach Thailand.
Ein bisschen Anstrengung ist noch nötig, um bis zu diesem traumhaft schönen Ort zu kommen. Schließlich ist das, vielleicht erinnert Ihr Euch noch, die Stufe Drei.
Doch nach etwa 30 Minuten Schwitzen sind wir dann hier angekommen. An einem, zumindest für mich, wahrlich paradiesisch wirkenden Ort.
Wir können im Schatten des Waldes sitzen und dem Rauschen des Wasserfalls lauschen, welches vom Gesang vieler exotischer Vögel untermalt ist, oder die Schuhe ausziehen und durch das flache Wasser waten und uns von kleinen silbergrauen Fischen die Füße pflegen lassen. Doch vorsicht, die Felsen sind an einigen Stellen ziemlich rutschig. Und ich will ja nicht, dass sich jemand weh tut.
Oder, wenn das als Abkühlung alles noch nicht reicht, dann taucht doch einfach in die Lagune direkt vor dem Wasserfall ein. Denn hier ist mit nahezu 2 Metern das Wasser tief genug um komplett unter zu tauchen.
Ja, so lässt es sich echt aushalten oder ?
more of this on my website at: www.shoot-to-catch.de
Perhaps my favorite photo from last Sunday is this image of what appears to be a red shed on wheels in the midst of a sea of white. Both the color of the shed and its scale in contrast to the large snow covered evergreens made this a visually compelling photo for me.
The stone circle at Castlerigg (alternatively Keswick Carles, Carles, Carsles, Castle-rig or Druids' Circle) is situated near Keswick in Cumbria, North West England. One of around 1,300 stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany, it was constructed as a part of a megalithic tradition that lasted from 3,300 to 900 BC, during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages.
Various archaeologists have commented positively on the beauty and romance of the Castlerigg ring and its natural environment. In his study of the stone circles of Cumbria, archaeologist John Waterhouse commented that the site was "one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain."
Every year, thousands of tourists travel to the site, making it the most visited stone circle in Cumbria. This plateau forms the raised centre of a natural amphitheatre created by the surrounding fells and from within the circle it is possible to see some of the highest peaks in Cumbria: Helvellyn, Skiddaw, Grasmoor and Blencathra.
The visually spectacular red-crested cardinal is hard to miss. Also known as the Brazilian cardinal, this South American species was introduced to Hawaii in the 1930s and has become naturalized and abundant. This one is enjoying the tropical sunrise. Despite the resemblance and common name, the red-crested cardinal is a tanager and not taxonomically classified as a cardinal. This beauty is commonly observed in monomorphic pairs in urban areas of Oahu, Kauai, and Maui.
When you visually understand that the moon and the sun won't meet today. They just crossed their lights on the Mont Giusalet (3312m) for a short moment.
Col du Mont Cenis (73) - France
Gear: Canon EOS7D / Canon EF-S 60mm F/2,8 Macro
Settings: F/8 - Focal Length: 60mm - ISO100 - 27x1/160s
Original = 6904x4315 px
Stack of 27 different photos
Also on my website, Flickr, Facebook, Instagram (Check also 500px and Youpic)
Standing guard at Syntagma Square, in front of the Hellenic Parliament, the Evzones are among the most visually arresting figures in modern Greece — and among the most misread. What many visitors register as elaborate pageantry is, in fact, one of the most symbolically layered institutions in the country: a living monument in which every stitch, every gesture, and every deliberate step carries meaning accumulated over two centuries of national history.
The word Evzone (Εύζωνας) derives from the ancient Greek eúzōnos — meaning "well-girt" or "lightly equipped" — a term used in classical Greek literature to describe agile, light-armed warriors. The modern unit traces its institutional roots to December 12, 1868, when a royal decree formally established four battalions to guard the Greco-Ottoman frontier. But their deeper origins lie with the klephts and armatoloi — the mountain guerrillas who fought against Ottoman rule during the Greek War of Independence beginning in 1821. These irregular fighters, agile, fiercely independent, and recognizable by their distinctive dress, became the founding myth of Greek military identity. Their uniform was eventually formalized, adopted as official national dress after independence, and survives today in the last remaining Evzone unit of the Hellenic Army. Before assuming their exclusively ceremonial role after the Second World War, Evzone units served as active combat formations through the Balkan Wars, the First World War, and the Asia Minor campaign — conflicts whose weight is part of what gives the guard its particular gravity.
Selection is rigorous and voluntary. All Evzones are volunteers drawn from the Infantry, Artillery, and Armoured Corps of the regular army, identified during basic training and required to complete at least six months of active military service before beginning Evzone training. The minimum height is 1.87 meters — candidates are also expected to be able to raise their legs to shoulder height, fully extended, during the march. Training lasts approximately one month and concentrates on physical conditioning, mental endurance, ceremonial precision, and the ability to stand completely motionless. The attrition rate is widely reported to be significant.
Their primary post is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier — a cenotaph honoring all unidentified Greek soldiers fallen in every conflict of the modern era. Two Evzones stand guard around the clock, every hour of every day of the year. Every Sunday at 11am, an entire platoon marches from the barracks behind Parliament down Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, accompanied by a military band, for the Grand Changing of the Guard — the most elaborate version of the ceremony, drawing large crowds. They also raise and lower the Greek flag at the Acropolis every Sunday, accompany the President on official visits abroad, and represent Greece in state ceremonies worldwide.
The uniform is a work of sustained craft. Each piece is entirely handmade by a small tailoring workshop within the Presidential Guard compound, and the full ensemble can take more than eighty days to assemble. The foustanella — the white pleated kilt that defines the silhouette — is made from thirty meters of white fabric and carries four hundred pleats, each one officially associated with a year of Ottoman rule over Greece (1453–1821). Historians note that the garment itself predates Greek independence and was common across the Balkans; the numerical symbolism appears to have been assigned after independence, most famously associated with revolutionary leader Theodoros Kolokotronis, who wore a kilt with nearly four hundred pleats. The attribution may be part retrospective, part national construction — but it is now inseparable from the uniform's meaning. The white of the foustanella and the undershirt is understood to represent the purity of the independence struggle. The krossia, the braided fringes across the chest, are blue and white — the colors of the Greek flag.
The pharion, the red cap with its long black tassel, concentrates two layers of mourning: the red stands for the blood of the fallen, the black tassel for the grief of those left behind. The fermeli, the embroidered vest, is the most labor-intensive piece in the ensemble — hand-stitched in gold and white thread with patterns drawn from Orthodox iconography and folk tradition, and estimated to take over a month to complete. Beneath the foustanella: a white cotton undershirt, two layers of white woolen stockings on each leg, and black silk garters at the knee.
The tsarouchia — the heavy red leather shoes with their conspicuous black pompom — are perhaps the element that most surprises first-time observers. Each pair weighs approximately three kilograms and has between sixty and one hundred twenty nails hammered into the sole, a feature originally designed to provide traction on rocky mountain terrain and which produces the sharp, resonant sound heard with every step. The pompom on the pointed toe has been explained variously as insulation, decoration, and — in popular tradition — a hiding place for a small blade in close combat. The blade theory has no firm historical documentation, but it persists as part of the folklore surrounding the unit.
Every element of the ceremonial movement is deliberate. The guards stand motionless for an entire hour — an exercise in physical discipline that most people could not sustain for ten minutes under any conditions — and then perform their relief in pronounced slow motion. The pace is practical: it allows circulation to resume gradually after prolonged stillness. The sharp, heavy stamp of the tsarouchia against the stone pavement, audible across the square, carries a tradition that is widely shared among Greeks and members of the Guard themselves: it is a signal to the dead — to all the unnamed soldiers commemorated below — that Greece endures. Some guides and popular accounts describe the full choreography as tracing the Greek word Όχι ("No") — the same word spoken by Prime Minister Metaxas to Mussolini's ultimatum in 1940 — through the positions of arms, legs, and rifle. This reading is patriotically resonant and deeply embedded in Greek popular culture, though it represents an interpretation of the movements rather than their documented choreographic origin.
What emerged from the memory and traditions of mountain guerrillas fighting for the survival of a people has become, over two centuries, one of the most recognizable ceremonial institutions in the world: soldiers who carry the weight of an entire national memory, one deliberate step at a time.
Syntagma, Athens, Greece
Die Rakotzbrücke, auch Teufelsbrücke, im Azaleen- und Rhododendronpark Kromlau am Rakotzsee ist ein Landschaftselement der romantischen Gartenarchitektur des 19. Jahrhunderts.
Rakotzbrücke mit Spiegelung auf dem See und der Basaltorgel im Hintergrun
Erbaut wurde die 19,80 m freispannende Bogenbrücke zwischen 1866 und 1875 vom Rittergutsbesitzer Herrmann Friedrich Roetschke. Ihr Halbkreis spiegelt sich im See und bildet so optisch einen vollständigen Kreis. Die im See angeordneten Basaltsäulen werden Orgel genannt.
The Rakotz Bridge, also known as the Devil's Bridge, in the Azalea and Rhododendron Park Kromlau on Rakotzsee is a landscape element of romantic garden architecture of the 19th century.
Rakotz Bridge with reflection on the lake and the basalt organ in the background
The 19.80 m free-span arched bridge was built between 1866 and 1875 by the manor owner Herrmann Friedrich Roetschke. Their semicircle is reflected in the lake and visually forms a complete circle. The basalt columns arranged in the lake are called organs.
I could visually see the pinkish nitrogen fringe moving west to east. From Spaceweather.com "Pink is hard to make because it requires particles from the sun to penetrate unusually deep into Earth's atmosphere. Most auroras are green, a color that comes from electrons hitting oxygen atoms 100 km to 300 km above Earth's surface. Pink requires those electrons to burrow even deeper, below 100 km, where they can find molecular nitrogen. N2 produces the pink. This "nitrogen fringe" appears only during strong storms with extra-penetrating particles from space."
If you're a London bloke like me you get to find beauty in buildings.
New York is probably my favourite city visually for the extreme drama of the skyscrapers - One of my favourite views is looking back at Manhattan across the River from Brooklyn.
This is one of my favourite London views - kind of the English version but with a difference - Here at the Blackwall Basin you can get a killer reflection if you time the conditions right - the East River like the Thames is not so smooth.
This took a bit of planning but everything went the way it was supposed to - even the birds cooperated this time!
Thanks to Everyone who took the trouble to view, comment or fave.