Not quite what it seems.
Part of a themed hotel masquerading as an 18th century hamlet.
Behind the glass is the bar area.
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Short of cash? or maybe a limb?
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Sunset
At last the cloud cover rolled away and I was able to get the sunset I had been trying for since the beginning of the week.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Space Saver
Books have always been a significant part of my life ever since I learnt to read. However a lifetime of accumulated reading material finds me running short of space to store any additions to my library, so an alternative solution had to found.
Books, by their physical presence, provide me with more than their text. Their smell, surface texture, weight and the requirement to actually turn the page add much to my reading pleasure.
I have resisted the idea of the ebook for some time, but now space pressures force me into trying one. I have been pleasantly surprised. The Kindle has its own physical presence, provides an acceptable tactile experience and an adequate replacement for the page turn. Above all it allows me to continue accumulating volumes without worrying where I am going to store them. Add to that the instant gratification of downloading a new book in seconds and the availability of thousands of free books via Project Gutenberg and I am more than satisfied.
Books, by their physical presence, provide me with more than their text. Their smell, surface texture, weight and the requirement to actually turn the page add much to my reading pleasure.
I have resisted the idea of the ebook for some time, but now space pressures force me into trying one. I have been pleasantly surprised. The Kindle has its own physical presence, provides an acceptable tactile experience and an adequate replacement for the page turn. Above all it allows me to continue accumulating volumes without worrying where I am going to store them. Add to that the instant gratification of downloading a new book in seconds and the availability of thousands of free books via Project Gutenberg and I am more than satisfied.
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Napoleons Tomb, Paris
Napoleon's remains were brought to Les Invalides from St. Helena on 15/12/1840. On 14/4/1861 they were moved to the crypt of Les Invalides, where they were housed in a tomb designed by Visconti.
The tomb, crafted in red porphyry from Russia, placed on a green granite base from the Vosges, is circled by a crown of laurels and inscriptions, reminders of the great victories of the Empire. In the round gallery, a series of low-relief, sculpted by Simart, represent the main actions of his reign. The remains of the emperor, inside the sarcophagus, are protected by six concentric coffins, built from different materials, including mahogany, ebony, and oak, all one inside the other.
Black and White conversion using Lithograph preset in Topaz Detail
The tomb, crafted in red porphyry from Russia, placed on a green granite base from the Vosges, is circled by a crown of laurels and inscriptions, reminders of the great victories of the Empire. In the round gallery, a series of low-relief, sculpted by Simart, represent the main actions of his reign. The remains of the emperor, inside the sarcophagus, are protected by six concentric coffins, built from different materials, including mahogany, ebony, and oak, all one inside the other.
Black and White conversion using Lithograph preset in Topaz Detail
Friday, 1 October 2010
'Ware serpent
Took Griff to Beacon Fell Country Park yesterday During our stroll round the park we came across this giant serpent. This is one of the sculptures scattered through the park, all made from materials within the park.
Friday, 24 September 2010
Kats Image
This was an exercise based on an image from a friend. I suggested turning it B&W which she did and Istill thought it could be stronger so I had a go myself.
Converted to B&W using a Black & White adjustment layer in CS5. (Although you can use other tried and tested methods to turn the image into B&W)
I first set the overall brightness and contrast based on the foreground then selected the sky from the horizon up (with plenty of feather) and used Curves to darken it further.
Duplicated the layer, masked out all but the sky on the dup and set the blend mode to multiply. This darkened the sky even further. The wet sand was then too light to be a reflection of the sky as it now was so a further selection of that area and use of Curves to darken it slightly.
The jaggies on the horizon are artifacts caused by using a small copy of the file as a starting point and not the original.
Converted to B&W using a Black & White adjustment layer in CS5. (Although you can use other tried and tested methods to turn the image into B&W)
I first set the overall brightness and contrast based on the foreground then selected the sky from the horizon up (with plenty of feather) and used Curves to darken it further.
Duplicated the layer, masked out all but the sky on the dup and set the blend mode to multiply. This darkened the sky even further. The wet sand was then too light to be a reflection of the sky as it now was so a further selection of that area and use of Curves to darken it slightly.
The jaggies on the horizon are artifacts caused by using a small copy of the file as a starting point and not the original.
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Orchid
I am a very reluctant gardener, preferring to looking at it to looking after it. However, I adore orchids and I am prepared to lavish time and TLC on them. This is a photograph of my latest acquisition. Minimal processing, just Raw conversion and a little sharpening.
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