Cat's eye

Parisian icons

c.flessen — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:05:28 +0000

A trip to Paris would never be complete without visiting the Eiffel tower, or Tour Eiffel as the French call it. Built to serve as the entrance arch to the 1889 World Fair and named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel tower has become the icon for France and is one of the most recognisable structures in the world. It is also the single most visited paid monument in the world. In fact, revenues generated from it alone also pays for the maintenance of other Parisian monuments— yes, this includes the Louvre

“remembering Quasimodo…” © c.flessen

Another must-visit is the Notre Dame de Paris. Immortalised in Victor Hugo’s novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the cathedral is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in Europe. It is also among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports).

“eternally busy streets…” © c.flessen

And still another must-see (and visit, depending how much time you can spare for the long queues to get to the top) is the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile. Located on the western end of busy Champs Élyseés, it was erected to honour those who fought for France, primarily during the Napoloeonic Wars. Beneath the arch is the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War I; here the inscription on the floor reads:

ICI REPOSE UN SOLDAT FRANÇAIS MORT POUR LA PATRIE

1914 – 1918

Snowdrops!

c.flessen — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:36:57 +0000

I finally identified the flowering plant, a photo of which I took in the Spring of 2008

It’s called the common snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis. It grows from a bulb and flowers in the early Spring (January-April/May), and has medicinal properties—it contains galantamine, which helps in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

>> more info

“Snowdrops” © Catherine Flessen

The Flavian Amphitheatre

c.flessen — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:04:24 +0000

“Colosseo”

More popularly known as the Colosseum, the Flavian Amphitheatre is perhaps the most famous of Rome’s monuments. Its construction started between 70 and 72 A.D. under Vespasian but was completed and inaugurated by Titus in 80 A.D. It also underwent several modifications (e.g. construction of the hypogeum and the addition of the upper gallery) under the reign of Domitian between 81 and 96 A.D.

“Where once there were roaring crowds, only silence…”

With an estimated capacity of 50,000 seats, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles, which includes executions as well as animal hunts. Indeed it has also been estimated that half a million people and about over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.

“If only these walls could speak…”: The hypogeum underneath the arena, where animals and slaves were kept for the games.

The popularity of the building as an entertainment venue eventually waned, however, probably as a result of the increasing Christianisation of the Roman empire. During the Medieval period, it underwent a series of drastic changes in function: a small church was built into its structure and the arena converted into a cemetery around the 6th century; the vaulted spaces in the arcades under the seats were used as workshops and houses up until the 12th century; and around the beginning of the 13th century, it was fortified and used as a castle/fortress by one of the powerful local clans, the Frangipani. In 1349 it was severely damaged by an earthquake; consequently, much of the stones which have tumbled out of the collapsed outer south side were re-used in the construction of other buildings elsewhere in Rome. The bronze clamps which held the stoneworks together were also pulled out, leaving pockmarks that are still visible on the building’s facade.

At present, the Colosseum is considered one of the major tourist attractions in Rome, if not in Italy as whole. It figures prominently in Roman Catholic religious ceremonies: the Pope leads the annual “Stations of the Cross”, a procession through the amphitheatre’s various levels, each Good Friday. In recent years it has also become a symbol of the international campaign against capital punishment (death penalty).

Sailing into the sunset

c.flessen — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:07:36 +0000

Another re-make of a photograph I took earlier (sailing into the sunset…). This one was edited using ACR and Photoshop CS4—levels adjustments were made to balance the sky and foreground as well as give it a yellow-orangey tint; highlights and shadows were strengthened using the dodge and burn tools.

“Sailing into the sunset” © Catherine Flessen

Tranquil sailing…

c.flessen — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:06:53 +0000

Another re-make of a photograph I took earlier (aflernoon sailing). This one was edited using ACR and Photoshop CS4—levels adjustments were made to balance the sky and foreground; highlights and shadows were strengthened using the dodge and burn tools.

“Tranquil sailing…” © Catherine Flessen

Dapit-hapon: time to go home…

c.flessen — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:06:05 +0000

Another re-make of a photograph I took earlier (giving up…?). This one was edited using ACR and Photoshop CS4—levels adjustments were made to balance the sky and foreground as well as give it a yellow-orangey tint; highlights and shadows were strengthened using the dodge and burn tools.

“Dapit-hapon: time to go home…” © Catherine Flessen

Washed ashore…

c.flessen — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:05:00 +0000

I took this picture last year while on holiday in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. The driftwood sort of got me into a pensive mood, reflecting on the tumultous relationship between land and sea—the sea always gives back what the land throws at it…

Something that is rare in Boracay…

c.flessen — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:04:03 +0000

What with Boracay being one the Philippines’ hottest tourist spots, a peaceful sunset with the beach devoid of swimmers and strollers is indeed a rare treat

A similar photograph (Going for a last dip…) was published earlier—that one was taken about 10 minutes before this one, so there were still people

Looking out into the fjord

c.flessen — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:03:14 +0000

This is actually an old picture (one of the first ones I took with my Nikon D80) I never got to publish. There’s nothing particularly special about it—I just liked the play between the skies and the fjord/sea. It was taken during our class field visit to the burial mounds (cairns) in Valseidet. Perhaps it was precisely for this mystic play between the skies and the sea that the people who lived here during the Iron Age chose it as a place for burying the dead?

Palawan birdwing butterfly on bird-of-paradise flower

c.flessen — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:37:13 +0000

Another re-make of an earlier photo (20080116_0229s).The image was cropped to focus on the butterfly and was further edited in ACR and Photoshop CS4 to bring out the colours and accentuate details.

This photo was also submitted in Digital Camera Magazine August 2009 issue’s "Mission this month: It’s a small world”