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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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…

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

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?

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”

Another re-make of an earlier photo (Palawan birdwing butterfly?).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”

Another re-make of an earlier photo (beads and roses). This time around I zoomed in and cropped the original image to focus on one flower and did some adjustments in ACR and Photoshop CS4 to convert it to b&w and heighten some details.

A coloured version of this image was also submitted in Digital Camera Magazine August 2009 issue’s “Mission this month: It’s a small world”