By Vladimir Brezina
Exquisite sea shells, freshly cast up on the beach
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do not stay fresh for long.
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They fade and break and fuse back into solid rock.
A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Transition.
By Vladimir Brezina
Exquisite sea shells, freshly cast up on the beach
.
.
do not stay fresh for long.
.
.
.
.
.
.
They fade and break and fuse back into solid rock.
A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Transition.
Posted in Nature, Photography, Travel
Tagged Belize, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Sea Shells, Transition, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Vladimir Brezina
The Internet instantaneously connects many millions of people in all parts of the world into a vast network. And just like a natural ecosystem, it can serve up unexpected storms at any moment.
Recently we experienced a minor storm.
One day, Wind Against Current began to get thousands of hits on this old picture:
Over a day and a half, there were over 10,000 hits.
And they all came from a country where until then we hadn’t had many readers: Malaysia.
Johna said, “It’s an attack!” But closer inspection (for which WordPress has quite good tools) showed that all the hits came from a number of websites (such as this one) that published and republished a post that included our picture (and linked back to our blog, which was very nice of them!).
Things became clearer when we saw that many other Malaysian visitors came after searching for “2 suns” or something similar. And I had just happened to title this picture “Two suns over New Jersey”…
Some time later we received the following message from a stranger: “Your pic is making round on FB [Facebook] with Following details – “TWO SUNS AT A TIME in USA——The Miracle Has Happened Today USA And CANADA Saw Two Suns. This Is Called As Hunters Moon. Due To Change Of Orbit The Sun Sets And Moon Rises At the Same Time With Both Being Opposite To Each Other At A Particular Angle Or Degree Moon Reflects The Sun So Bright That It Almost Feel Like Another Sun…. Effects Stay For Couple Of Days…”
The stranger who sent us this message added: “LOL”. LOL indeed. Needless to say, this makes no sense whatever, and our picture just shows the sun’s rays reflected off the glass wall of a building…
But now we have some small insight into how the sausages of the Internet are made!
By Vladimir Brezina
Three of the largest—
— but they are all equal “vessels” in the eyes of the law.
“The word ‘vessel’ includes every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on water.” (U. S. Code, and similarly in the Rules of the Road)
A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Trio.
Posted in Kayaking, Photography
Tagged Cruise Ship, Feathercraft, Kayaking, New York City, New York Harbor, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Trio, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Vladimir Brezina
She did it!!
Blackburn Challenge, 2014. The full story is here.
A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Victory.
Posted in Kayaking, Photography
Tagged Blackburn Challenge, Kayak Race, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Sea Kayaking, Victory, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Vladimir Brezina and Johna Till Johnson
This year’s Halloween decorations were plenty scary. But in our neighborhood, they’re just the backdrop: Every year, Carnegie Hill Neighbors, the local neighborhood association, puts on “Spooktacular”, a Halloween block party that features entertainers (including a lively DJ/MC playing dance music) and a costume contest—and of course trick-or-treating, with lots, and lots, and LOTS of candy!
Whole families show up in costume, including mother, father, kids, pets, and—this being the Upper East Side—nanny. (For those who don’t know, the Upper East Side is home to financiers, top lawyers, and other Masters of the Universe.)
The party is open to the whole neighborhood, and it seems to be getting bigger, and better, each year. (Here are the photos from 2011, 2012, and 2013.)
The photographer stalking his prey (while being stalked by a giant floating spider)…
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… and here are some of his photos:
Posted in Art, Culture, New York City, Society
Tagged Block Party, Halloween, Manhattan, New York City, Photography
Posted in Nature, New York City
Tagged Autumn Leaves, Central Park, Fall Foliage Colors, Manhattan, New York City, Photography
By Vladimir Brezina
The new World Trade Center tower can be seen for miles out at sea, and at night it becomes a luminous beacon to guide sailors, and kayakers, in—
A contribution to Ailsa’s travel-themed photo challenge, Luminous.
Posted in Nature, Photography
Tagged Flowers, Lilies, Ornate, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Vladimir Brezina
Halloween 2015 is over—and it was quite a party! So much so that I didn’t even have time to post my photos of the Halloween decorations—if that is the right word—seen this year in our neighborhood on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Some of the old favorites made return appearances (here are the photos from 2011, 2012, and 2013), but there were many imaginative, even artistic, new additions. Many of the residents of our neighborhood obviously feel a strong need to keep up with the Joneses, no effort or expense spared, in this department as in many others… The huge crowds of trick-or-treating kids loved it all, of course!
(click on any photo to start slideshow)
Even more photos are here.
Part II, with photos of the costumes at the Halloween block party itself, is coming soon!
Posted in Art, Culture, New York City
Tagged Block Party, Halloween, Manhattan, New York City, Photography