Contributions of the group lines and curves

Drowned Desert of Stone

nobody@ipernity.com (m̌ ḫ) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 18:58:56 +0000

m̌ ḫ has posted:

Hạ Long Bay is Vietnam's most famous sight. It is a big, wild desert of stone inside the water. Five hundred million years ago, this was a warm sea. Tiny sea shells fell down and made deep rock. Then the land went up and the ice melted. Now, these big green mountains sit trapped in the salty water. The stone is sharp and black because of heavy rain and a dark algae that eats the rock. The cliffs go straight up from the sea. They are very lonely islands. Seventy-seven kinds of plants and animals live here and nowhere else on earth. Inside the hollow rocks, there are secret lakes that move with the ocean tide through deep cave tunnels.

For thousands of years, ancient humans also lived inside these high cave fortresses. Archaeologists found stone tools and shells from the prehistoric Soi Nhu culture inside the rocks, showing people hunted here twenty thousand years ago. Later, legendary military generals like Ngô Quyền used these maze-like stone pillars to hide iron-tipped wooden stakes, trapping and destroying invading enemy fleets right at the bay's edge.

This image shows the true power of the landscape, where human history is built right into the stone. For generations, local families have lived directly on the sea, constructing unique floating fishing villages tucked safely inside the calm waterways between the karsts. They built houses on bamboo rafts, created floating schools, and even traded by boat without ever needing to touch dry land.

Today, the government is working hard to balance tourism with heritage. They are moving permanent homes closer to the mainland to protect the water, while opening cultural centers to preserve the traditional net-weaving tools, pearl-farming methods, and deep maritime folklore of the bay's original people. New rules ensure that modern tourist ships must use specialized oil separators and cut back on plastics, keeping the emerald water clean so that the history, the culture, and the wild species remain safe inside this legendary stone labyrinth.

Komponistensitz

nobody@ipernity.com (Karl Hartwig Schütz) — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 19:10:03 +0000

Karl Hartwig Schütz has posted:

Gesehen in Schwetzingen. Euch einen gechillten Wochenbeginn.

Iuventa @accidentallywesanderson

nobody@ipernity.com (m̌ ḫ) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 17:12:28 +0000

m̌ ḫ has posted:

You know, I grew up around here, in the shadow of this thing. For years, it was just part of the daily scenery. I must have traveled around it thousands of times, a massive white shape cutting into the skyline at the edge of the sídlisko — which is what we call our socialist style housing estates. But our part of Karlova Ves felt different; it wasn't just a brutalist canyon of concrete panels. It felt a bit more human, warmer, and tightly woven into the hills.

Honestly, my memory of what I actually did inside back then is a bit of a blur. I know I went swimming there a few times, but mostly, it was just ‘there.’ It’s only lately, walking around it with a camera in my hand, that I’ve truly started to look at it. To me, it is, and always has been, a radical building. I feel it in its scale — it doesn’t try to please anyone with delicate beauty. It’s brutal enough, massive, heavy with concrete, and unapologetically raw.

Looking through the lens the other day, framing those sharp lines against the landscape, I started thinking about how unique it really is. I decided to look up its history. The Iuventa building was completed in 1988 and designed by architect Ladislav Bauer. It originally served as the Klement Gottwald Central House of Pioneers and Youth. After the 1989 (in our words) Gentle Revolution, it was renamed the Slovak Children and Youth House. Architecturally, it is a prominent example of Slovak late-modernist architecture, defined by its expansive layout and distinct white-clad concrete facades. But it is also a Smart Monolith. Bauer didn't just dump concrete on the hill. He split the complex into three asymmetrical wings to perfectly separate the loud public spaces, like the swimming pool and theater halls, from the quiet educational clubrooms.

That brilliant design choice is exactly what makes its location truly wild. Through my viewfinder, I always see it colliding with the dense, tangled woods of the Little Carpathians forest. You stand in front of this aggressive, towering monument of human design, and then you turn around and look into the trees. It’s a beautiful, strange contrast where the city just stops and the wilderness takes over. It’s completely normal to clip the edge of the concrete and catch the silhouette of owls high in the branches. You might lock eyes with a wild boar, a roe deer, foxes, or rabbits hiding behind those trees.

Now, the loop has closed. Decades after I spent my childhood just passing by this place, my own kid goes to school here now. They walk through those massive, raw concrete doors every single morning. A radical spaceship on the edge of the woods, now just a part of our everyday life.

A Fujara Player

nobody@ipernity.com (m̌ ḫ) — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 06:05:50 +0000

m̌ ḫ has posted:

Wood carving is part of Slovak folk handicraft. Wood has always shaped the economy and daily life of the mountain people, here in Liptov, in northern Slovakia.

The statue depicts a player of the fujara, a distinctive overtone flute with a sound found nowhere else. Its main tube measures 160 to 200 cm, which is why it is often called the queen of the flutes; it was proclaimed a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005 and inscribed on the Representative List in 2008.

The statue stands in the protected, still-inhabited wooden mountain village of Vlkolínec, about which I wrote before.

Here you can see the stance, and the distinctive way this long flute is played.

The Iron Canopy (Under the Shadow of the Eiffel Towel)

nobody@ipernity.com (m̌ ḫ) — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 20:21:43 +0000

m̌ ḫ has posted:

Instead of shooting the classic, postcard view from Trocadéro, I tried to capture the geometric power of the Eiffel Tower from a less common perspective. This view transforms the familiar image into an imposing architectural crown.Choosing a high-contrast black-and-white style puts the focus entirely on the texture of the iron latticework against the dramatic flare of the afternoon sun.

If you look closely through the center base arch, you can see the distant silhouette of the Tour Montparnasse perfectly framed in the background.

Fun fact: intestingly, the grand, sweeping arches that frame this shot were actually a late addition. They were added purely for aesthetics to reassure the 1889 public of the tower's stability, rather than for structural support!

An Unexpected Londoner in Bratislava

nobody@ipernity.com (m̌ ḫ) — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:29:00 +0000

m̌ ḫ has posted:

I came across this iconic red double-decker bus sitting quietly in a deserted winter parking lot right next to an industrial zone in Bratislava. Seeing one of these out here is incredibly rare — it seems someone likely purchased a wreck of this vintage machine to restore it to its former glory.

This isn't just any ordinary red bus; it's a genuine AEC Routemaster. Originally designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC), these front-engined legends saw production from their first prototypes in 1954 until the final deliveries in 1968.

To capture this moody winter scene, I shot it using a modified large-format lens adapted to my Nikon DSLR. The foreground branches add a nice layer of isolation to this stranded British classic.

The Haussmann View

nobody@ipernity.com (m̌ ḫ) — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 19:37:00 +0000

m̌ ḫ has posted:

The Galeries Lafayette rooftop terrace is the ultimate proof that you don't need to pay a single euro to get a million-dollar view of Paris — you just have to pay with your patience instead.

As you ascend through the department store, you are treated to a masterclass in Art Nouveau architecture. The building is an absolute stunner, anchored by a century-old stained-glass dome that makes you feel like you've stepped back into the Belle Époque. But the moment you step out onto the 7th floor, reality hits. You won't be finding any quiet, hidden romance here. Instead, you will find yourself in a sea of hundreds of tourists, all aggressively jockeying for the exact same selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower. There is absolutely nothing unique or exclusive about it; it is a beautifully packaged tourist trap.

And yet, it is still incredibly nice. Because the building sits at the exact historic height of the surrounding Haussmann architecture, you aren't staring down at the city from a detached skyscraper. You are right there among the iconic zinc rooftops, close enough to practically touch the ornate dome of the Opéra Garnier.

Is it crowded? Absolutely. Is it a cliché? Completely. But when you are standing there looking out over the Parisian horizon without having spent a dime, it is simply rewarding.

Spinning Tops

nobody@ipernity.com (Keith Burton) — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 07:01:07 +0000

Keith Burton has posted:

I'm guessing that some of you might remember these wooden toys from your childhood. I found these in a charity shot and couldn't resist buying them to photograph.

God of All Gods

nobody@ipernity.com (honeyj) — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 22:01:30 +0000

honeyj has posted:

Slave! I need you!
Yes, lord Ba’al.
I’ve finished by autobiography. You may examine it.
Ok. Wait. What's this? You're calling it 'God of All Gods'?
Indeed! An accurate title, if I do say so myself!
Pretty self-important, even for you, lord.
My people love me!
Based on what evidence?
Your point?
May I be frank?
If that’s your name.
Actually it’s Kothar-Wa-Khasis. But you can call me Kevin.
Whatever.
Anyway. You may recall that your godly ass was kicked out of heaven ages ago.
And look at all the suffering mankind has endured since! When I think of what might have been!
You mean from here at the used car lot?
The miserable souls and tortured wretches I could have saved!
Except those you suckered into buying a shitty used car, right?
Yes, of course. Except for them.

No name

nobody@ipernity.com (m̌ ḫ) — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 11:05:16 +0000

m̌ ḫ has posted:

Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris. [#3]

nobody@ipernity.com (polytropos) — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 12:52:00 +0000

polytropos has posted:

Detail von innen (Mechanik).

Das Institut du Monde Arabe wurde 1980 auf Veranlassung des damaligen Staatspräsidenten Valéry Giscard d’Estaing gegründet, um das Verständnis zwischen Frankreich und der arabischen Welt zu fördern.
Verwirklicht wurde das Projekt von der französischen Architektengruppe Jean Nouvel (von dem u.a. auch das KKL in Luzern stammt), Pierre Soria und Architecture Studio.
Es ist seit Dezember 1987 der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich.
An der südlichen Fassade wird der Einfall des Sonnenlichts durch tausende Irisblenden hinter der Glasfassade reguliert, die sich computergesteuert stufenlos öffnen und schließen (oben ein Bild von der Mechanik auf der Innenseite).
In diesen kunstvoll strukturierten und in gleichmäßiger Reihung angeordneten Blenden griff Nouvel auf das Motiv der Maschrabiyya aus der arabischen Architektur zurück und erreichte damit eine Synthese aus traditioneller Ornamentik und High-Tech-Architektur.

(48.84898, 02.35707); [240°]

Trees

nobody@ipernity.com (m̌ ḫ) — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 16:51:48 +0000

m̌ ḫ has posted:

Wandelgang

nobody@ipernity.com (Karl Hartwig Schütz) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:17:32 +0000

Karl Hartwig Schütz has posted:

Gesehen in der Wallfahrtskirche Kappl. Euch einen gelassenen HWW!

Good Neighbor Sam

nobody@ipernity.com (honeyj) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 20:45:26 +0000

honeyj has posted:

Hey, Sam.
Oh, hi, Glen.
So, Sam. I noticed a new fence between our yards. You do that?
I did. Is there an issue?
Uh, no! As they say, good fences make good neighbors, right?
Actually, Glen, it's not a fence, per se.
No? Well then what is it?
It's a force field. A very powerful one at that.
Force field? What the hell is that?
While, as you say, good fences may make good neighbors, a good force field eliminates neighbors altogether. You see?
Ah, well, hmmm, yeah, I suppose so.
Have a nice day. I recommend not getting too close to the property line. Just to be safe. Capeesh?
Yeah, uh, thanks.
Don't mention it.

Not Jersey

nobody@ipernity.com (honeyj) — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 17:10:05 +0000

honeyj has posted:

I'll take it. Wrap it up for me.
Wrap what up, sir?
You know, the building. I'll take it.
But sir, it's a building. And it's not for sale.
You're not listening. I want it. I'm taking it.
You're not from around here, are you?
No, I'm from Jersey. Why?
This building is a beloved art deco icon.
Yeah? So?
So I suggest you walk out quietly. While you can.
Oh do you?
A few of my friends will be right behind you.
Right. I see your point. It should stay here. But I'll come back and visit, ok?
Please do. And be careful out there. This is Detroit.
Yeah?
Yeah, not Jersey.

Solar eclipse, ≈ 90%.

nobody@ipernity.com (polytropos) — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 12:28:13 +0000

polytropos has posted:

Sonnenfinsternis vom 12.08.2026, 20:16 MEZ.

Aufgenommen mit dem Handy direkt durch das Okular eines Teleskops Celestron Regal M2 100ED mit Solar-Filter.
An der oberen Seite der Sonnensichel sind noch Sonnenprotuberanzen zu erkennen.

(46.9512, 07.4389)

It's Not Working

nobody@ipernity.com (honeyj) — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 17:58:59 +0000

honeyj has posted:

What time's lunch, Eddie?
Looks like another 2 hours, Sy.
That can't be possibel! We've been here forever already!
That's true, isn't it. Well, shit! Look at that. The goddamn timeclock ain't working. We shoulda had lunch long ago!
Well what time is it then?
Lemme ask my phone. Oh my god! It says it's tomorrow!
You mean lunch?
No, you idiot! It means we been here all night and now it's tomorrow!
Gee. Well what time's lunch?

Mao was here

nobody@ipernity.com (m̌ ḫ) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 14:19:08 +0000

m̌ ḫ has posted:

Feng Shang Princess is a hand‑crafted floating pagoda restaurant moored on Regent’s Canal at Cumberland Basin, close to Regent’s Park and London Zoo, and was built in the 1980s as one of London’s earliest Chinese boat eateries. Its striking red, three‑tiered silhouette, strung with lanterns, has turned it into a small local landmark, much photographed from the towpath and favoured by canal strollers. As a bit of trivia, guests reach the restaurant via a narrow gangplank from Prince Albert Road, and some report that, on quiet evenings, sounds from the nearby zoo carry across the water into the dining room.

Speke Hall- Liverpool

nobody@ipernity.com (John Cook) — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 11:15:17 +0000

John Cook has posted:

A National Trust property on the outskirts of Liverpool

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/liverpool-lancashire/speke-hall
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speke_Hall

HWW: A Wall at Blenheim Palace

nobody@ipernity.com (John Cook) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:41:42 +0000

John Cook has posted:

Near Oxford. Birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

www.blenheimpalace.com/annualpass/?msclkid=a629b44d768f17c93c73de2775056840
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim_Palace