An important bathroom utensil when I was living in India. It is also a symbol, just like water itself is. This is my second attempt at expressing visually the notion of 'some organs work, others don't'. The jug is almost empty now and, one day, there will be no more water. This is going to happen and I better get used to it. Does this stifle my creativity? Not a bit. So far.

Pinhão Railway Station is one of the most iconic and visually striking stops along Portugal’s Douro Valley railway, celebrated for its historic role in the wine trade and its extraordinary azulejo tile panels.

Located in the parish of Pinhão in northern Portugal’s Vila Real District, the station sits along the Douro Line, which opened to Pinhão in 1880 as part of the railway connection between Porto and the Douro wine‑producing region

The station is world‑renowned for its 24–25 hand‑painted azulejo panels (sources vary slightly), installed in 1937. These blue‑and‑white tiles depict:

Grape harvesting

Wine treading

Transport of Port wine in rabelo boats

Terraced Douro vineyards

Scenes of rural life that have since disappeared

They were designed by João Marques Oliveira and Lourenço Rodrigues Limas, produced at the Aleluia Factory in Aveiro, and donated by the Port Wine Institute to promote the region as the “heart of the Douro.”

The first posted image of 2019. January 1.

After a string of very ornate work I thought it would be a refreshing thing to start the new year off with a straight out of the camera, pano-sabotage shot. There was no processing used other than standard tweaks to clarify and sharpen the image, take out excess white glare and bump up the saturation a bit.

The brightly coloured planes to the right of the image are not the result of filters or effects, post capture. The older buildings to the left are contrasted by another that is covered with long strips of highly irridescent metal that shift colour as you move around the structure. Hence the striking colour facets in the image to the right.

Pano-Sabotage, or more simply, "Pano", is a unique photographic practice that undermines, or sabotages the iPhone's camera Pano function. By deliberately moving the camera in a wide variety of motions OFF the guiding line that is meant to ensure a seamless panoramic image, the camera is "constantly trying to find North", as Tim Noonan once put it, and so is desperately trying to record what it sees as "up". The many "ups", tumbling against each other, is what results.

____________________________________________________

In the late 19th century there was a lot of philosophical, spiritual and mathematic talk about the 4th dimension. This ferment of ideas, super potent and conceptually rich, made their way to one Pablo Picasso. The mathematical theories of Henri Poincaré, the poetic writings of Guillaume Appolinaire, two widely divergent thinkers, both influenced Picasso. He struggled with the ideas artistically, shutting himself away in the Bateau Lavoir until he gave birth to the painting that altered the course of Art, "Les Demoiselles D'Avignon". In it he finally realized how, on a 2 dimensional plane, to visually convey what a fourth dimensional image would show ... all angles of an object as seen simultaneously. The Analytical Cubist vision, then, asks the VERY potent question ... does anything, ultimately, have a defining, absolute shape ?

Albert Einstein, at the same time, also influenced by Poincaré, was asking strikingly similar questions about assumed absolutes, leading him, of course, to his theories of relativity.

Pano-Sabotage ( Pano ) seems to echo this view and offers, perhaps, through a new technology, another way to render, or at least strongly point to, the 4th dimension.

____________________________________________________

© Richard S Warner ( Visionheart ) - 2018. All Rights Reserved. This image is not for use in any form without explicit, express, written permission.

____________________________________________________

This made for a worthy Monochrome picture. That central rock stood out nicely, but I lost the wonderful splashes of green and the intensity of the summer sunlight (which I really like).

The only reason I would see, appreciate, and even attempt such a scene is due the the industrial walls of Lewis Baltz, many of them quite difficult to visually digest.

It’s not about the sign, but the presence of the image.

Ricoh FF 3-AF

cheap Fujifilm 200 from Walmart

Traffic beacon markers leading visually towards the image of a motorcyclist on a hot summer morning with very high air temperature.

Photograph taken in Alcalá street, next to the El Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain.

TRÁFICO VERANIEGO EN MADRID, 2023

Marcadores de baliza de tráfico que conducen visualmente hacia la imagen de un motociclista en una calurosa mañana de verano, con una temperatura del aire muy alta.

Fotografía tomada en la calle Alcalá, junto al Parque del Retiro, Madrid, España

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

This is an image of the lunar eclipse .. put together with a photo of a flock of Western jackdaw .. I think it is safe to say that the end result is visually dark ..

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.

In my face...

Two visually identical species have been introduced into the north-west Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Although identification information is given below, this was derived for specimens from the native range. Lionfishes in the invaded range may differ significantly from native range specimens. At this time, positive identification can only be achieved through genetic analysis.

Pterois volitans Red Lionfish

The Red Lionfish has greatly elongated dorsal-fin spines. The membranes of all fins are often spotted. The body is white or cream coloured red to reddish-brown vertical stripes. The vertical stripes alternate from wide to very thin (with the thin stripes being more numerous) and sometimes merge along the flank to form a V-shape.

Pterois miles Devil Firefish

A closely-related species, the Devil Firefish (Pterois miles), is similar to the Red Lionfish. The Devil Firefish is found primarily in Indian Ocean and Red Sea (as opposed to the Red Lionfish, which is predominantly a Pacific species); however, its range extends to Sumatra where the two species co-occur. Although it appears very similar to the Red Lionfish, the Devil Firefish has fewer dorsal- and anal-fin rays. The Devil Firefish generally has 10 dorsal-fin rays and 6 anal-fin rays; the Red Lionfish usually has 11 dorsal-fin rays and 7 anal-fin rays. (USGS.gov)

Nuweiba, Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt

An Potpurri (french) is a pot with dried plant material, increasing the room smell. This is the same, visually.

To make it perfect, listen to

soundcloud.com/marillion/power

Visually appealing for a photographer, but a regrettable loss of another small crumbling piece of history.

Thanks for viewing.

© All rights reserved. Please do not use without my permission.

This is the reading hall inside the Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum (central library of Humbolt University). It's the biggest freehand library in Germany and contains 2 million books, all of which public accessible and not in closed depots.

The building is a well worth a visit as architecturally its very creative and a fun design. That said, I found it much too busy visually, so not somewhere I would consider a place to study. It's just a bit too open plan and so any small noise seems to echo around the hall. Obviously my shutter seemed to resonate around the hall at each press so I was mindful of those who were actually there to study.

Thanks for all your comments and faves on my previous upload. :-)

When you’re exploring a city as visually rich as Barcelona, it’s easy to get caught up taking the same classic architecture shots. For this frame, I wanted to try something completely different and play around with perspective using the mirror in a make-up compact left on a wall right near the bustling Ronda de Sant Antoni.

I took this shot right on the border between El Raval and L'Eixample, an area known for its beautiful, classic 19th-century residential buildings with those iconic wrought-iron balconies. Instead of shooting the facade straight on, I used the small mirror to invert and isolate the architecture, trapping a slice of the city inside a small, self-contained frame.

What I love about this shot is the dreamlike, painterly quality. The extreme shallow depth of field completely blurs out the foreground and background into a soft, textured grey, making the warm, sepia-toned reflection inside the sphere pop. The glow at the base of the mirror adds a touch of warmth, contrasting beautifully with the cooler, muted tones surrounding it. It almost feels like looking at an old vintage postcard of Barcelona suspended in mid-air.

The history of photography is neither innocent, nor is it a fairy tale, it rather is, like history in general, extremely complex with its heroes and anti-heroes. And it is not yet over. One might think that the arrival of AI in photography would be the end of photography as we know it. I believe, however, that AI rather provides photography with a new technology that can be creatively integrated in the process of image-making. AI itself is not creative, but he human imagination using it, can be. I am saying this in defence of meaningful AI imagery even if I myself will continue to use my imagination in ways that are visually conventional. Leica M8, Voigtlander AS 2.8/90.

Visually, the sky meets the earth. Figuratively, something is likely to soon occur. Literally, leaving this tropical island north shore beach of calcareous limestone layered with volcanic tuff, the next landfall would be the Aleutian Islands about 2,400 miles distant. Don’t fall off!

Not sure why, but I've always found Mimosa trees and ferns to be some of the most visually interesting plants. Something about the small leaves and symmetry of them, maybe. At any rate, this was a pretty cool way to capture one and show off the bokeh of the famous Minolta "beer can" lens.

Sony A7RIV

Sony LA-EA5

Minolta AF 70-210mm f/4

visually impaired in left eye?

A partial VW Beetle adorns the front of this body shop in Ophiem, Illinois.

- We Don’t See Things As They Are, We See Them As We Are.

Although we look at the same thing, not all of us always see the same thing.

- This song has absolutely nothing to do with the photo, but with my feeling today! You and I can be little heroes today ... by being good people and generous with others! I hope you have a very good Friday! www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTzcaEpvQec

Thank you very much for your visits, faves, and kind comments.

In what is visually a mix up of heritage, former Canadian Pacific SD40-2F 9017 splits the old CP ABS signals at Tarratine, on the old CP Moosehead Sub... while adorned in Bangor & Aroostook colors. Apparently with their other engines down for various maladies, they were short of power enough to put the freshly repainted 9017 on the point of Job 1 today, instead of waiting for the PR shoot to send it west. The 9017 is leading (and fortunately hiding) LTEX GP35u 2535, and twenty-eight cars, as they head west for Canada.

This type of image has always seemed visually very attractive to me, I know that this is not my best shot but I decided to try this in a new place and this is the result. Looking at the photograph on my computer, I realize that, it seems that I was in the very center of the road taking the photograph, that is the sense that it transmits to me when I see it ... but obviously I was on the bridge, capturing and observing the speed , the lights and that loud noise of cars, trucks, motorcycles ... that great daring of the day to day. I was there between 30 and 45 minutes ... you realize the madness of life that people in general lead, we run to all places, many of the times angry or upset with this or that ... and why ? In my opinion, not at all ... because if you stop to think calmly, everything is much simpler ... but it seems that this great inertia that we carry cannot be stopped!

I hope they are all well and I also hope they do not run as much as everyone I saw go by on this highway!

And remember:

"Speed ​​is not an advantage in a vicious circle"

Thank you very much for your visits, faves and kind comments.

The visually spectacular red-crested cardinal is hard to miss. Despite the resemblance and common name, the red-crested cardinal is a tanager and not taxonomically classified as a cardinal. Also called the Brazilian cardinal, this South American species was introduced to Hawaii in the 1930s and has become naturalized and abundant. This beauty is commonly observed in urban areas of Oahu, Kauai, and Maui.

La Torre Satrustegi se sitúa en la ladera del monte Igueldo, formando parte del conjunto residencial que, envolviendo la playa de Ondarreta, constituye una de las zonas más significativas tanto física como visualmente de la ciudad de Donostia-San Sebastián. Se trata de una construcción representativa de la arquitectura ecléctica de corte historicista, que se rodea de un jardín con arbolado, rotondas y caminos. Fue construida entre 1883 y 1885, y, aunque se han perdido los planos originales, según tradición militar, sabemos que fue proyectada y dirigida por el arquitecto Seldon Wornun...The Satrustegi Tower is located on the slope of Mount Igueldo, forming part of the residential complex that, surrounding the Ondarreta beach, constitutes one of the most significant areas, both physically and visually, in the city of Donostia-San Sebastián. It is a representative construction of the eclectic architecture of the historicist court, which is surrounded by a garden with trees, roundabouts and paths. It was built between 1883 and 1885, and, although the original plans have been lost, according to military tradition, we know that it was designed and directed by the architect Seldon Wornun.

a faint and ancient planetary nebula located in the constellation Camelopardalis, also known as the Giraffe. With an expansive diameter of over one light-year, HFG1 is the remnant of a dying star that has shed its outer layers. Due to its age, it is relatively diffuse and faint, making it a challenging target for observation. The nebula is of particular interest due to the binary system at its core, consisting of a white dwarf and a companion star, which produces a prominent wake as the system moves through space.

Nearby, Abell 6 is another planetary nebula, cataloged in George Abell’s survey of planetary nebulae. Like HFG1, it is located in Camelopardalis, though it is visually smaller and slightly younger. Abell 6 is known for its spherical structure and distinct shell of ionized gas. Both HFG1 and Abell 6 offer unique insights into the late stages of stellar evolution, contributing valuable data for astronomers studying the life cycle of stars.

Espirt 120mm, QHY268M, Ioptron CEM70 mt.

HaORGB 51 total integration. Starfront observatory

Sunrises and sunsets are cheap and easy opportunities to get a visually appealing photo. I'm ok with that. Nothing wrong with appreciating the beauty of them.

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."

Visually it speaks for itself!

The top of the truck's tire is about as high as the cowl of the Triumph sports car. The entire belt line of the truck is higher than the roof of the TR7 by maybe 10-11 inches!

Also compare the Ram to the Tahoe 2-door (1988-2002) next to it!

Happy Truck Thursday!

It thrills me to conceptualize visually things that exist only in my perception. Inevitably this leads down some dark and lonely metaphorical roads. Literally, desolation is a key ingredient. I spend much of my creative time with the camera exploring very lonely places. It heightens situational awareness and makes me keenly aware of the nuance of the environment. There's an element of risk as times. I don't actively pursue it, but thrill to the sense of adventure that ensues when the adrenaline kicks in. Makes me feel very alive. Anyway I'm off on another tangent here. My point is conceptualization of imagination. And a springboard for that is the feeling of an unseen presence I often feel around crop fields. There's some sort of energy there to be sure. Not something that can be gauged on a scientific basis, but we're talking about my mind here, and anything goes. Since childhood I've fantasized about apparitions that exist on one plane that momentarily become visible in our realm. Wraithlike female forms is one of my favorite incarnations. I prefer my terror in beautiful forms that somehow coexist with nature. More subtle than a chainsaw wielding monster, but every bit as terrifying.

a rainy afternoon

------------------------

In essence this is a color photograph. But the door is black and the siding is white and the window and rain appear visually colorless.

The black oystercatcher is restricted in its range, never straying far from shores, in particular favoring rocky shorelines. It has been suggested that this bird is seen mostly on coastal stretches which have some quieter embayments, such as jetty protected areas. It forages in the intertidal zone, feeding on marine invertebrates, particularly molluscs such as mussels, limpets and chitons. It will also take crabs, isopods and barnacles. It hunts through the intertidal area, searching for food visually, often so close to the water's edge it has to fly up to avoid crashing surf. It uses its strong bill to dislodge food and pry shells open.

#AbFav_A_LOT_OF

#AbFav_PHOTOSTORY

how visually literate are you??? LOL

These are the tops and bottoms of colour felt pens/ colour markers!

Sometimes I just have some fun in the studio and play with some props...

A bit more info here:

Lee Newman patented a felt-tipped marking pen in 1910.

A marker pen, fineliner, marking pen, felt-tip marker, felt-tip pen, flow marker, texta (in Australia), sketch pen (in India) or koki (in South Africa), feutre (in FRANCE),is a pen which has its own ink-source and a tip made of porous, pressed fibers such as felt.

I wish you all a very good day and thanks for all your kind words, time, comments and likes. Very much appreciated. Magda, (*_*)

For more here: www.indigo2photography.com

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

Colourful, backs, tops, "Felt Pens", triangle, design, graphic, minimalism, "conceptual art", square, colour, black-background, "Magda indigo"

After I held this tiny toad in my hand, I made it a point to place him on the pleated leaves of a Mexican fan palm that is in our backyard since I thought the lines might "work" well visually.

What was unexpected was that the red color background in the upper left corner would create a visual impression that he was escaping from a red boiling cauldron....

(This handheld shot was taken in RAW and I then blended two different exposures - one exposed for the frog and one exposed for the leaf)

© All Rights Reserved - No usage allowed in any form without the written consent of

Jeff R. Clow

Spider Rock might be one of the most visually arresting landmarks in the entire National Park Service- a massive stone tower, shining in the sun and surrounded by the walls of an undulating and bending canyon. What a delight.

Much like Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly isn’t just part of the iconic landscape of the American Southwest, it is still a living and breathing and active community within the Navajo Nation- it is the only National Monument that is not on Federal Land, but instead, on Navajo Nation land. Spider Rock, a towering monolith of sandstone in the canyon is believed to be the home of Spider Grandmother, a spiritual figure who gives advice, medicinal cures, and help. Mindfulness of the privilege of being here is the way to go.

Across Utah and Arizona, you are in the Navajo Nation. In Navajo, sacred land is referred to as Diné Bikéyah. This land belongs to the people. Hopitutskwa, Pueblos, and Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) land is also found across these two states and at archeological sites. It is an honor to see them.

The visually spectacular red-crested cardinal is hard to miss. Looking like a flame shooting from its head, the red crest is magnificent. This South American species, also called the Brazilian cardinal, was introduced to Hawaii in the 1930s. Despite the resemblance and common name, the red-crested cardinal (Paroaria coronate) is not taxonomically classified as a cardinal.

Wild geraniums and poppies can create a visually appealing and ecologically beneficial combination in a garden. Geraniums provide ground cover and foliage, while poppies offer showy blooms and can attract pollinators. Their different flowering times also ensure a longer period of color in the garden

The whole world,

as we experience it visually,

comes to us through

the mystic realm of color

(Hans Hofmann)

Taken in a Wild Garden in West Wales (Ceredigion)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200

ƒ/8.0

5.6 mm

1/3200 Sec

ISO 100

Dedicated to C.F. (ILYWAMHASAM)

Mellow Blue had a severe eye infection when he was a baby and has vision damage as a result, He can see but not very well.

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. 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.

As part of an extensive urban development program in the city of Aarhus (Denmark), a total of 21 'bath houses' (tiny houses concept) were constructed adjacent to the apartment blocks. The reflections in the windows on this cloudy day were impressive and created some visually strong interesting patterns.

DDC-Visual Interest

This is a twist on the theme, but it's pretty obvious where Shizandra's visual interest lies.

From this perspective, the spoon-bill's left eye appeared to be injured. Some photographers (w/ large zoom lenses) nearby also confirmed the fact as well. Meanwhile, the great white egret seemed to keep an eye on his/her unfortunate friend too.

Have a peaceful day, everyone...

Visually this view reminded me of a placenta and fetus- symbolic of life on the islands in a sea of salt.

Aerial flight with Doug Sprigg from Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary

Visually, the world transforms: a soft and muted play

Of shadows bending gracefully, of light that slips away.

A photograph in quiet tones, a shape carved from the air,

A moment made of contrast, drifting weightless, unaware.

~

www.flickr.com/groups/recreatingmasters/

AIA Challenge -2026 August- Black & White & Grey

~

nightcafe/pixlr

Visually appealing clouds captured thru a traffic jam.

Der Azaleen- und Rhododendronpark Kromlau ist ein ca. 200 ha großer Landschaftspark im Ortsteil Kromlau der Gemeinde Gablenz im Landkreis Görlitz. Er gilt als die größte Rhododendren-Freilandanlage in Deutschland und ist bei freiem Eintritt immer geöffnet. 1842 erwarb der Großgrundbesitzer Friedrich Hermann Rötschke das Gut Kromlau. Ab 1844, mit den ersten Anpflanzungen einheimischer und fremdländischer Gehölze in diesem Gut, stellte Rötschke fast die Hälfte seines Besitzes zur Gestaltung des Parks zur Verfügung. Es wurden Basaltsteine mit Ochsenkarren aus verschiedenen Steinbrüchen der Sächsischen Schweiz und Böhmen herbeigeholt. Aus den sechskantigen Basaltstelen entstanden Höhlen, Grotten und Pyramiden, der Richterstuhl, die Orgel, Himmel und Hölle, im Wasser und zu Lande. 1875 tauschte Friedrich Herrmann Rötschke sein Rittergut gegen Bauplätze in Wilmersdorf bei Berlin ein. Das Kromlauer Schloss hatte von hier an sieben Besitzer in vierzehn Jahren. 1889 erwarb Graf von und zu Egloffstein-Arklitten das Rittergut und beauftragte ab 1893 den Gartenbauinspektor Georg Eichler mit der Parkpflege. Dieser begann neben den bisherigen Baum- und Strauchgewächsen in größerem Umfang Rhododendren und Freiland-Azaleen anzupflanzen. Sie sollten zu einem harmonisch abgerundeten Erscheinungsbild der Parkanlage beitragen. Außerdem legten die Gartengestalter in den Moorsenken eigens zum Verkauf bestimmte Blumenzüchtungen an, die einen einträglichen Nebenverdienst erbrachten und der Entwicklung des Parks zugutekamen.

Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg wurde der Kromlauer Park aufgrund der Bodenreform in Volkseigentum überführt und 1948 zum Naturschutzgebiet erklärt. Erst ab 1966 begannen die zielgerichtete Pflege und Rekonstruktion des Parks. Heute ist die Gemeinde Gablenz Eigentümer des Kromlauer Parkes.

Zu den interessantesten Bauwerken im Kromlauer Park zählen das Kromlauer Schloss und die von 1863 bis 1882 aus Basalt- und Feldsteinen errichtete Rakotzbrücke (Rakotz = Sorbisch für Krebs, denn Kromlau liegt im Siedlungsgebiet der Sorben), die im Volksmund auch Teufelsbrücke genannt wird. Mit einer Spannweite von 35 m quert sie den Rakotzsee, kann jedoch nicht betreten werden. Ihr Halbkreis spiegelt sich im See und bildet so optisch einen vollständigen Kreis. Die im See angeordneten Basaltsäulen werden „Orgel“ genannt. Eine Reihe von Wanderwegen erschließt den Park und die weiteren Sehenswürdigkeiten.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azaleen-_und_Rhododendronpark_Kromlau

Kromlau Azalea and Rhododendron Park is a landscaped park covering around 200 hectares in the village of Kromlau, part of of the municipality of Gablenz in the district of Görlitz in east Saxony. It is considered the largest open-air rhododendron park in Germany and is always open with free admission. The large landowner Friedrich Hermann Rötschke acquired the Kromlau estate in 1842. From 1844, with the first plantings of native and non-native trees and shrubs on the estate, Rötschke allocated almost half of his property to the creation of the park. Basalt stones were brought in with ox carts from various quarries in Saxon Switzerland and Bohemia. Caves, grottos and pyramids, the Judge's Seat, the Organ, Heaven and Hell, in water and on land, were created from the hexagonal basalt steles. In 1875, Friedrich Herrmann Rötschke exchanged his estate for building plots in Wilmersdorf near Berlin. From then on, Kromlau Castle had seven owners in fourteen years. In 1889, Count von und zu Egloffstein-Arklitten acquired the manor and from 1893 commissioned the horticultural inspector Georg Eichler to maintain the park. He began planting rhododendrons and azaleas on a large scale alongside the existing trees and shrubs. They were to contribute to the harmonious appearance of the park. In addition, the garden designers planted flower cultivars in the bog depressions specifically for sale, which generated a lucrative side income and benefited the development of the park.

After the Second World War, the Kromlau Park was transferred to public ownership as a result of the land reform and declared a nature reserve in 1948. It was not until 1966 that targeted maintenance and reconstruction of the park began. Today, the municipality of Gablenz is the owner of Kromlau Park.

The most interesting buildings in Kromlau Park include Kromlau Manor and the Rakotz Bridge (Rakotz = Sorbian for crab - Kromlau is part of the settlement area of the recognised slavic minority of the Sorbs), which was built between 1863 and 1882 from basalt and fieldstone and is also known locally as the Devil's Bridge. With a span of 35 metres, it crosses Lake Rakotz, but can not be walked on. Its semi-circle is reflected in the lake and thus visually forms a complete circle. The basalt columns arranged in the lake are called ‘organs’. A series of hiking trails provide access to the park and the other sights.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azaleen-_und_Rhododendronpark_Kroml...

I was presented with my British Empire Medal today by the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire. It was awarded in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's final Birthday Honours for my voluntary work helping other blind and visually impaired people to live their lives more fully and independently by helping them select the right technology and then training them to use it. It has been very rewarding, especially over lockdown and the BEM was a huge, delightful surprise.

This is Jackie and me in the gardens of Beaumanor Hall after the presentation. Photo by our daughter, Michelle.

If you are interested in the work I do with iPhones and iPads please take a look at

www.blindios.uk

and here's a Gallery of photos taken by the official photographer

flic.kr/y/3LevYEf

*

(adj.) Picturesque

1. visually charming or quaint, as if resembling or suitable for a painting

2. (of writing, speech, etc.) strikingly graphic or vivid; creating detailed mental images

3. having pleasing or interesting qualities; strikingly effective in appearance

Picturesque Solitary Tree, Nicolet, Quebec, Canada.

PixQuote

"Working myself into a position of total versatility, so that I can do anything I want to do at the time I want to do it. Whether I do it or not is another question."

-Elliott Erwitt

PixNote

Digital painting created from from an original picture.