By Vladimir Brezina
Seasonally appropriate: sunny days after the big snowstorm in NYC’s Central Park—






(More photos are here, here, and here)
A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Shadowed. A second contribution is here.
By Vladimir Brezina
Seasonally appropriate: sunny days after the big snowstorm in NYC’s Central Park—






(More photos are here, here, and here)
A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Shadowed. A second contribution is here.
Posted in Nature, New York City, Photography
Tagged Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Shadowed, Shadows, Snow, Weekly Photo Challenge, Winter
By Johna Till Johnson
Suspended lion face
Spilling at the centre
Of an unfurnished sky
How still you stand,
And how unaided
Single stalkless flower
You pour unrecompensed.The eye sees you
Simplified by distance
Into an origin,
Your petalled head of flames
Continuously exploding. …
—Philip Larkin, Solar
.
What’s the longest-running scientific experiment in history?
I bet you didn’t think of monitoring sunspots.
And I can’t definitively say it’s the longest-running experiment —there may be others I haven’t heard of yet. But the first recorded systematic observation of sunspots in the West was by astronomers Thomas Harriot, Johannes and David Fabricius in 1610 (Chinese astronomers observed them as far back as 300 BC). Scientists have been monitoring sunspots ever since—which means that sunspots have been monitored for the past 405 years!
Posted in Culture, Nature, Science and Technology, Society
Tagged Leif Svalgaard, Science, Scientific Experiments, Sun, Sunspots
By Vladimir Brezina
Do not watch if you are prone to nightmares involving swarming insects! (However, more than 8 million people have not been able to resist watching this classic YouTube video…)
I particularly like the way they carry off the skull in the end… :-)
Some background and explanation is here.
By Vladimir Brezina and Johna Till Johnson
Picking Vlad’s photos for our calendar is an annual ritual for us. It’s harder than it sounds, because you’re looking both backwards and forwards at the same time: remembering the past while wondering about the future. And, like most artistic endeavors, you’re never sure how it will turn out.
This year the task was particularly challenging, for various reasons. So we were both pleased and surprised at the result. Our theme, as you can see, was “water”. But the selection of photos carried a greater-than-usual sense of whimsy. It also included some of our favorite photos (you’ll probably recognize at least one).
See what you think:
(Story and more photos are here)
If I were called in
To construct a religion
I should make use of water.
Philip Larkin, Water
Posted in Life, Photography
Tagged 2015, Calendar, Kayaking, Nature, New Year, New York City, Photography
By Vladimir Brezina
Each morning is a new morning—
(click on any photo to start slideshow)
A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, New.
Posted in Nature, Photography
Tagged Dawn, Morning, New, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Sunrise, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Vladimir Brezina
We’ve just had Twinkle as a Photo Challenge—and now we have Sparkle. And, indeed, there is a difference!
Here’s some Sparkle—


From the 2014 Everglades Challenge
Now I am looking forward to Glitter, or perhaps Shimmer, Glimmer, or Flicker…
Posted in Kayaking, Photography
Tagged Everglades Challenge, Kayak Expeditions, Kayaking, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Sparkle, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge