Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 66

2 December 2020 - ABANDONED PALACE IN POLAND

 

ABANDONED PALACE IN POLAND 

 

G'day folks,

The Rzewuski Palace was built in the years 1921–1922, and it was designed by the famous Warsaw architect Juliusz Nagórski. 

The Rzewuski family lived permanently in Warsaw and it was this palace that was to become their summer residence. In 1945, an agricultural school was established on the premises of the palace. After 1969, offices and apartments for school employees were located here. 

Unfortunately, in 1985, a fire broke out in the palace, after which the monument fell into disrepair. Attempts were made to save it, but it was to no avail and the renovation of the palace was interrupted.

Clancy's coment: Wow. Imagine what it was like in its heyday.

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4 December 2020 - STUNNING URBAN PHOTOGRAPHS OF UK STREETS

 

STUNNING URBAN

 PHOTOGRAPHS OF UK STREETS

 

G'day folks,

Welcome to serendipitous, unstaged urban and street photography moments captured around the streets of London and around the UK. 

These were taken by Dan Morris, using available light to create images that can never be replicated. Using pleasing compositions, juxtapositions, incorporating different layers to the images, and also working with shadows and contrasts to capture these candid moments. 

These were photographed either using the Fuji X100V, Sony a7iii, or the Ricoh GR111.

 

Clancy's comment: Very clever. Thank you for sharing, Dan. 

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1 December 2020 - CREATIVE COSTUMES AND MAKEUP AT RIO CARNIVAL

 

CREATIVE COSTUMES 

AND MAKEUP 

AT RIO CARNIVAL

 

G'day folks,

For years now, Patrick Sister has been photographing people during the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. 

Despite what most people know, the best part of Carnival is not the samba schools, but the street blocks where people put on costumes and makeup, and party all day long.

Being a participant of the Carnival in the street blocks for over 20 years, he created a project called Humanos do Carnaval (Humans of Carnival), and for 5 years, he has been taking portraits. Hope you enjoy them!

 

Clancy's comment: Wow, Patrick has captured some stunning, and pretty, faces. 

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26 November 2020 - AUSTRIA'S MAGNIFICENT LAKE DISTRICT - A PLACE TO VISIT

 

AUSTRIA'S MAGNIFICENT LAKE DISTRICT 

- A PLACE TO VISIT -

G'day folks,

Europe is decorated with so many splendid places that chances are you haven't heard of many of them, let alone seen them all.

Let's take a longing gaze at Austria, because it's one of the countries with the most spectacular of natural wonders, coupled with hundreds of years of culture and architecture. Perhaps Austria's most amazing region is that of Salzkammergut, the glorious Lake District.

Austria has so many wonderful regions full of incredible natural beauty. But perhaps the most spectacular is the Salzkammergut, or, in English, the Property of the Salt Chamber. Once upon a time, it was used for salt mining, but today it has become a popular destination for local and foreign tourists keen to enjoy the lovely lakes, lush greenery, giant mountains and charming local culture.

What makes it such a good tourist destination is the surprisingly easy access from cities located in the Salzkammergut to the natural wonder of the lakes. This region was originally mined for salt way back in Roman times, before local Germanic tribes known as the Bavarii and Otakari began to dominate. These ancient salt mines are now thought of as relics of former days now that tourism has taken over and transformed Salzkammergut's economy.

Now let’s check out this stunning area …

 

Clancy's comment: Truly a stunning place. I can vividly recall many weeks spent in this country with my first camera.

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19 October 2020 - BAKERS MAKE PARADISE ISLAND CAKES

 BAKERS MAKE PARADISE ISLAND CAKES 
G'day folks,
I've posted some pretty weird stuff over the years, but here are some weird, and stunning, cakes.
Some cakes are too cool to eat. And these heavenly delights definitely fall into that category. Bakers from all over the world have been sharing photos of their cakes that look like paradise islands and they're so gorgeous, I just had to make a post about them.
Whether you're craving colorful corals or sandy beaches, forget that holiday package you're saving up for. These cakes have everything you'd expect from a $10K trip for a fraction of the price, and you can eat them too!



















  Clancy's comment: I've been on a lot of tropical islands, and these are extraordinary.
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20 November 2020 - ARTIST USES PENCILS TO CREATE BRILLIANT WORK

 

ARTIST USES PENCILS TO CREATE BRILLIANT WORK

G'day folks,

This artist named Shaun Mckenzie creates amazing hyper-realistic drawings only using colored pencils. 

He's known as Neeyellow Art on his social media platforms and has gathered up a decent following.

Shaun usually draws celebrities, YouTubers, and even some characters from movies. He uses Faber-Castell colored pencils on Stonehenge paper to create the portraits. It usually takes Shaun from 60 to 80 hours to complete one drawing, depending on the techniques he uses. His hard work really does pay off, because it's hard to believe that his portraits are not photographs.

"I have been drawing since I was young. A few years ago, when I saw a video called 'drawing Harry Potter' by Heather Rooney, I was inspired and decided that I could do that as well. After a lot of failed attempts over the years, I finally managed to achieve my goals," the artist said. 

Now, let's see his brilliant work ...

 

 

 

Clancy's comment: Wow. Brilliant work.

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13 November 2020 - EARLIEST CASES OF SMALLPOX IN HISTORY

 

EARLIEST CASES OF SMALLPOX

 IN HISTORY

G'day folks,

Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases the humankind has known. It is estimated to have killed 300-500 million people in the 20th century alone.  A global vaccination program led to the eradication of the disease in 1980, and the virus is now stored in only two laboratories in the world. However, despite the mark it left, the origins of Smallpox remain murky. Recently, researchers have found the world’s earliest confirmed case of smallpox, revealing that the disease was widespread across northern Europe during the Viking age. Before this, the earliest case of smallpox confirmed by genetic data was of a 17th-century hold in Lithuania. 




The researchers detected the variola virus (the virus causing the infectious disease) in the teeth and bones of 11 men and women from Denmark and Russia, dating from about 600 to 1050. While these 11 individuals were infected with the virus when they died, it is not clear if this is what caused their deaths. “I think it is fair to assume the Vikings have been the superspreaders,” said Eske Willerslev, professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Cambridge, who led the research. Most importantly, these findings could shed light on the evolution of variola virus and even provide clues on how other pox diseases in animals could mutate and potentially pose a risk to humans.

Clancy's comment: And here we are centuries later, and still suffering from awful diseases. Stay safe!

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12 November 2020 - MUMMIES RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN EGYPT

 

MUMMIES RECENTLY 

DISCOVERED  IN EGYPT

 

G'day folks,

While most of us were only able to gaze at Egypt’s pyramids online, some major archeological findings accrued in the country, in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.  In May 2020, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced the unearthing of five limestone sarcophagi (a stone coffin, typically adorned with a sculpture or inscription) and four wooden coffins containing human mummies. These incredible archeological finds were inside a burial shaft stretching nine meters below ground and located in Saqqara, an ancient burial ground about 20 miles south of Cairo. Also excavated from the shaft was an incredible array of small artifacts, including 365 figurines, some inscribed with hieroglyphics. These small statues are called Ushabti, and they were usually buried in Egyptian graves to aid the body in its afterlife. 

Another exciting excavation was that of mummy dating back to Egypt's 17th dynasty, circa 1550 BCE. A joint Egyptian-Spanish archeological mission discovered the coffin in Southern Egypt, in a necropolis called Draa Abul Naga. The mummified young woman is believed to have been around 15 or 16 years old at the time of her death.

Clancy's comment: Amazing that they keep on finding treasures from the past.
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19 November 2020 - ABANDONED LUXURY HOTELS IN DUBROVNIK

 

 ABANDONED LUXURY HOTELS IN DUBROVNIK

G'day folks,

Filip Molcan  spent a few days this year in Dubrovnik exploring surrounding places and villages, not to capture the beauty of the Adriatic sea, but looking for abandoned places after the conflict in former Yugoslavia. He used his iPhone to shoot one of the most luxurious hotels in Dubrovnik before the war and other hotels in Kupari only a few minutes from Dubrovnik.

When you’re exploring abandoned hotels in such a touristic location, you realize that the conflict ended just a few years ago (1995). One of the hotels is famous as a film location in Game of Thrones. 

 Here are his photographs ...

Clancys' comment: Sad, eh? What a superb view, but these look so lonely now.

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6 October 2020 - NEWS ABOUT STONEHENGE

NEWS ABOUT STONEHENGE
G'day folks,
The question of how Stonehenge came into being is one that has baffled archeologists for centuries, and monuments like this have always fascinated me. 

The prehistoric monument is located on Southern UK’s Salisbury Plain and is comprised of roughly 100 upright stones placed in a circular layout. While the complete story remains a mystery, exciting recent findings allowed archeologists to add a piece to the puzzle. According to the study published in the journal Science Advances Stonehenge's builders dragged most of the 50,000-pound (22,700-kilogram), 20 feet (9 meters) tall sandstone boulders, called sarsens, from a woodland area in Wiltshire. The area, called West Woods, is located more than 15 miles (25 kilometers) from the monument.




"Our results suggest that most of the sarsens at Stonehenge share a common chemistry, which is why we're saying they come from the same area," David Nash, the lead author of the study, said in a statement to Business Insider. The new findings don’t reveal what Stonehenge was used for, but speculations include burial and cremating grounds and a place of ancient healing. However, knowing where the sarsens came from could at least help experts figure out how the monument's builders erected it and the route they took to transport their building materials. 




The new study also supports the idea that the sarsens were carved and put into standing position by the builders at the same time, about 2,500 BC. The work was done in Stonehenge's location after the rocks were transported en masse. 


Clancy's comment: Fascinating stuff. I visited Stonehenge many years ago on a cold and miserable day, and spent hours there  wondering how it got there. Plus, how did they drag these massive things that far?
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