By Vladimir Brezina
On the first dive, a novice diver immediately encounters a new and astonishing feeling, one of utter weightlessness, of floating in space, gently rising by inhaling more deeply and descending by exhaling… I still remember how amazed I was by that feeling.
On our trip to Australia last August we only went snorkeling, but still were able to recapture some of that feeling…
(Great Barrier Reef, Australia, August 2015)
A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Weight(less).
Posted in Photography, Sports, Travel
Tagged Australia, Diving, Great Barrier Reef, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2016, Snorkeling, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weight(less)
By Vladimir Brezina
Under the Brooklyn Bridge in the East River, the waves are always fun… ;-)
For more photos from this Manhattan circumnavigation see here.
A contribution to Ailsa’s travel-themed photo challenge, Waves.
Posted in Kayaking, New York City, Photography
Tagged East River, Kayaking, New York City, New York Harbor, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2016, Travel, Waves, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Vladimir Brezina
‘Tis the season for the annual holiday gathering!
A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Gathering.
Posted in Nature, Photography
Tagged Gathering, Insects, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Vladimir Brezina
Milkweed pods, in NYC’s Central Park the other day…
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(click on any photo to start slideshow)
More photos are here.
By Vladimir Brezina
I know this is a new, original design, but isn’t the kayak supposed to stay on top of the water?
(But they do get points for well- synchronized paddles.)
(2015 Cardboard Kayak Race. Full story here.)
A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Oops!
Posted in Kayaking, Photography
Tagged Cardboard Kayak, Kayak Race, Kayaking, Oops!, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Weekly Photo Challenge
By Vladimir Brezina
Kayaking in open waters far from land, there’s not much to photograph except endless waves—and yourself!
These are photos from a kayak-sailing trip, with the camera mounted at the top of the mast.
A contribution to Ailsa’s travel-themed photo challenge, Self.
Posted in Kayaking, Photography
Tagged Feathercraft, Kayak Sailing, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Sea Kayaking, Self, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge
Posted in Nature, Photography
Tagged Birds, Eye, Eye Spy, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Weekly Photo Challenge
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.
(Belize, 2010)
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—
and three of the smallest—
— 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
... kayaked the waters around New York for more than 15 years in his red Feathercraft folding kayak. He was originally from (the former) Czechoslovakia and lived in the U.K. and California before settling down in New York. He was a neuroscientist at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He died in 2016.
... is a kayaker and technology researcher at Nemertes Research. She's an erstwhile engineer, particle physicist, and science fiction writer. She was born in California and has lived in Italy, Norway, Hawaii, and a few other places. She currently resides in New York City.
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