The First Sunset of 2013
Here goes the first picture of 2013. Quite a beautiful cloud in a beautiful sky. Happy New Year, folks!
0101, 2013
Author Archives: Joseph
2512, 2012
Magical
A visit home would not be complete if I didn’t stop by my favourite site on the planet: The Azure Window of Dwejra in Gozo. To me, this place is as close to magical as anything can get. Now, I am sure that many who look at this image will find it nearly too surreal to believe. There is warm light from a setting sun, stars visible in the sky (you need to enlarge the image to see them) and detail visible even underwater. At this point some might raise an
2512, 2012
Merry Christmas!
Hello folks! It’s been a while since I posted something here. Currently I’m fairly busy happily hopping from one side of the island (of Gozo) to the other shooting a short film. (Yes, that’s right, I’m trying my hand at moving pictures). This photo is a still from tonight while I was getting some footage for the said film. It was taken at about 3am from home. I wonder how many of you looked up and noticed the splendid view of the moon, Jupiter and the Pleiades lying fairly close to
0612, 2012
Let it Snow!
Ok, so I might end up regretting that title in a few minutes when I go to catch the S-bahn to get home, but anyway – here’s a snapshot of the view outside the office late this afternoon as the sun was beginning to set. Have a good evening, folks!
0512, 2012
Snow!
So here goes the first picture on this blog posted from my new home in Germany. I snapped this picture this cold morning upon arriving at work; most certainly can’t complain about the beautiful surroundings!
1411, 2012
My Favourite View in Leiden
Back from the Netherlands where I was attending the last ELIXIR network meeting. It was great to meet all the scientists in the network, the people who became such great friends over the last three years. Other than being an occasion to present the full results attained over the course of the network, it was a time for farewells as we have now dispersed all over the globe (literally). Here’s a postcard which shows my favourite view in Leiden; I think it should serve as a nice reminder of the last
2510, 2012
After the Storm
After a night of lightning and thunder came a splendid, sunny day. Here’s a picture I snapped in the afternoon of the view across the street.
1510, 2012
A view of Home
Here goes my best attempt yet at capturing the Milky Way Galaxy from home in Gozo, Malta. It’s an image that took a couple of hours to get right in camera, and many more were spent in painstaking post-processing to reveal all the subtle detail that lay hidden within the image. It is definitely one of the pictures I am most happy with and proud of. Can’t wait to make a large print of this one! (Click here to view how the Milky Way looks from the site where I captured
1410, 2012
My favourite place in the World
Here goes a picture which shows the location from where I took my previous picture of the Milky Way. This is, quite possibly, my favourite site in the world. For as long as I’m alive I will keep returning to photograph this magical place. (Click here for more pictures I’ve taken at this place in the past.) Make sure you click on the zoom button and view large. Have a nice start to the week, folks!
1310, 2012
The Milky Way Sets over the Sea
First proper astrophoto with the Nikon D800E. After a stormy day, the skies cleared – and I was waiting on the other side of the island… camera ready in hand (or rather, on a tripod)! The noise performance of the D800E’s sensor is just incredible. This was shot using my trusty Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @ 14mm.
0510, 2012
The “Last” Oxford Picture
How many experiences this place has brought to me! How many challenges, opportunities, hurdles, and fun. The last three years in Oxford have quite simply been some of the best of my life – and scribbling these few words conjure up the warmest of memories – and I haven’t even left yet! It is a strange place, Oxford. You arrive full of preconceptions and presuppositions about what the place should look and feel like – well, in that sense not quite unlike the feeling one would get prior to moving anywhere
0310, 2012
Oxford Rainbow
This afternoon a splendid rainbow appeared in the sky as the sun set in the West and shone through a break in the clouds whilst it was raining. Not only was it a fine rainbow, but a double one at that! (Hopefully I will find some time to upload more pictures showing the second order soon.) I could have missed this one completely, but by sheer luck I happened to have just arrived in college while it was at its best. Enjoy!
2909, 2012
Moon and Spires
I was on my way back home when a friend of mine texted me to let me know that the moon looked particularly interesting this evening. And indeed, right behind me the moon was peeping from behind some splendid Altocumulus floccus clouds. I spent the next half an hour or so waiting for cars to pass by so that I could hop right to the middle of the street as soon as it cleared momentarily. (I am sure passers by must have found this odd behaviour quite amusing.) Anyway, I wanted
1809, 2012
Telephone Box
That is no ordinary telephone box. I’m telling you, that’s a teleportation device. You pick the handset, speak the desired destination, and that’s it. As simple as that!
1009, 2012
Sinking Rays
A picture from a while back which I’ve just realized I hadn’t uploaded. This one was taken in Port Meadow at sunset.
0909, 2012
Sunset over St Aldates
This picture was made from the Christ Church study room, during a break from thesis writing. The sun emerged for a while from behind the clouds and the street and its buildings briefly assumed a surreal character, one which I thought would lend itself quite nicely to a high-dynamic-range (HDR) image. Five frames (two bracketed either side of the average exposure) went into the creation of this HDR image, allowing for the whole range of tones to be included in the final picture. I hadn’t employed this technique in quite a
0909, 2012
“You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.” ~ George Burns
A snapshot of a street encounter.
2308, 2012
The perfect weather for a photograph.
All in all, today was a good day – except for the fact that this afternoon I accidentally locked myself out of the office and had to cross town twice to get the key from an office mate who luckily was still around. (Perhaps these days’ stress is taking its toll after all.) As I walked (ran, actually) into town to fetch the key from my friend I couldn’t stop cursing my luck; here was such perfect weather, and my camera was locked inside whilst the sun’s last rays started retreating.
2108, 2012
Port Meadow
In between thesis writing and data analysis, I’m trying to make a little bit of time for photography when the weather is nice… you know, to keep my mental faculties sane, if for nothing else. So this afternoon, upon leaving the department and noticing that there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky (you’ve got to be an Oxford local to understand the importance of such a rare event!), I decided to go for a walk to Port Meadow, this time round trying my best to avoid all temptation of choosing
1308, 2012
The decisions one has to make. . . for a picture.
So… how do I even begin to tell the story behind this picture? Well, I think I’ll take the short route. It was a nice afternoon, so I went out to Port meadow for a walk, camera in hand. The locals were around, happily mooing and chewing away. But then one of them strayed from the herd and went to drink from the pond. I ran as quickly as I could to approach the animal before it moved away. There was only one problem: I soon realized that between me and
2907, 2012
Light Pollution
I took this picture, which you are encouraged to share, with the sole purpose of creating awareness about the problem of light pollution. The solution is not to switch off all lights, but rather to turn off what is not required and use properly designed lighting fixtures whenever illumination is needed. Properly designed (full cutoff) lighting sends the light where it is wanted, namely the ground, instead of wasting it up in our skies. Not only is poorly-designed lighting a waste of energy, it also blots out pristine starlight which has
2707, 2012
The next move…
“Do not be in a hurry to do something you can’t undo.” ~ Kelly Atkins
2607, 2012
St Aldates
A view of our college from St Aldates. I have been trying to get this street shot on a nice day and without too many cars, bicycles and pedestrians for the past three years. This week I was finally lucky.
2507, 2012
The Heart of the Galaxy
This is a quick snapshot of the very centre of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, taken from Malta. Since we ourselves lie in the Galaxy, we cannot see its grand spiral design from our point of view, just as we cannot perceive the Earth’s spherical shape whilst being bound to its surface. So in essence, this picture shows the point of view of a citizen of the Milky Way. Enjoy!
1907, 2012
Scene from a Village in Malta
Rarely does it happen that everything falls into place right at the moment when a photographer clicks the shutter. But when it does, the photographer instantly knows it. Right then, time seems like it has been suspended – and the feeling is one of incredible joy at having preserved a memory of a fleeting moment that will never come to be again. A moment etched for ever by the simple click of a shutter. It happened to me a few hours ago, when, camera in hand, I was casually looking around
1807, 2012
Of disappearing and reappering acts
I presume that last Saturday, at about 3am local (Maltese) time, most people were fast asleep, unaware of a magnificent spectacle going on above their heads. Jupiter and its moons slowly disappeared from the skies, as our own moon glided steadily in front of them, thus occulting the Jovian system, starting with icy Europa and and volcanic Io, then Jupiter itself, and finally large, rocky Ganymede and heavily cratered Callisto. Of course, the surface features of these moons are not visible with small ground-based telescopes; instead they appear as tiny dots
1507, 2012
Village Festa
I’m back home for a week… here’s a picture. Title says it all 🙂
1106, 2012
“Realising the Astronomy of the Future” ~ Philip Wetton Workshop
Here are a few pictures from a workshop held last week in Oxford, which saw some of the leading scientists working on the next generation of instruments and telescopes converging in one place to discuss the latest developments. The workshop was made possible by the generous support of Philip Wetton. The inaugural Philip Wetton lecture, associated with the workshop, was delivered this year by the Wetton Professor Roger Davies.
0606, 2012
Venus Transit ~ 5-6 June 2012
Here is a series of pictures of the transit of Venus, snapped from Port Meadow in Oxford early this morning. There was a huge patch of cloud right where the sun was rising – and I was sure that I was not going to see a thing. But then, luckily the clouds cleared for a brief moment, a bird decided to grace the sky, and here is the picture. I am happy to say that I’ve managed to observe both Venus transits of the century!
2805, 2012
Reflecting on a Dream
I’m convinced that I could stay in this place forever and still be exhilarated by new sights every day. Here’s the latest snapshot of our college; one that I had in mind ever since I came to Oxford, but which for some reason or other never quite had the opportunity to capture as I wished – until last Saturday, that is. I hope you enjoy the picture and I wish you all a good start to the week!
2505, 2012
Light returns!
Sunshine! Light, light, light! Oh glorious light! Here is a quick snapshot from this afternoon, showing Christ Church staircase bathed in light, after many days of bleak, gloomy weather.
1005, 2012
Richard Dawkins in conversation with Daniel Dennett
This evening I attended a conversation between Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett held at the Examination Schools in Oxford. The discussion between the two ranged fairly freely, but highlights from the evening included a brief discussion of language (arguably, the defining feature of humankind), the application of the meme concept to religious belief, and The Clergy Project. If I were asked to pick one enduring idea from the discussion, I think it would have to be Dennett’s suggestion for atheists to stay cool, as in his view religion is bound to
3004, 2012
The Moments I live for ~ Take 2
Yesterday evening, we had another of those rare and lucky moments of weird lighting. Here goes the result. I fully understand if you find it hard to believe that this scene actually occurred for real. It’s no wonder that everyone who happened to be in college at the time could not help but pause and take in the moment – and perhaps even attempt to snap a picture for posterity. Enjoy and have a nice start to the week!
2904, 2012
The Moments I live for
Recently, the weather has been acting quite strangely, with instances of heavy rain followed by brief spells of sunshine, in turn occasionally leading to the fairly surreal experience of simultaneous rain and sunshine (although mostly, it has been just raining). This picture was snapped right at the time when one such swift change in weather conditions occurred. Initially, it looked very bleak and the sky was uniformly dark. Then, for a very brief moment the sun started breaking, albeit weakly, through some clouds, in so doing shedding some light upon the
0404, 2012
Boats at Mgarr Harbour
Since I’m short on time, I’ll leave you with the title, which says it all really.
0304, 2012
Venus and the Pleiades
Anyone who looks up at the evening sky over the coming days will see a bright gem shining brilliantly in the West. But this is no star. It’s actually the planet Venus (aptly known as the “Evening Star” or the “Star of the West”) which is currently dazzling us every evening as its dense atmosphere reflects back light from the sun. But this evening was even more special as Venus moved across the open star cluster commonly known as the Pleiades. It was an event that reminded me of the brilliant
0104, 2012
My village
I think that when one returns to a place which they have left for some time, the views which were previously seen as ordinary suddenly stand out and seem special. This scene from my own village is definitely one such view.
0104, 2012
Blue Inviting Waters
Sea, sea, sea… and more sea!
3103, 2012
In the midst of the Mediterranean
This picture is a quick snap taken this afternoon during a short walk around the island of Gozo.
3003, 2012
Maltese Balcony
A traditional Maltese balcony at sunset.
2903, 2012
Ramla l-Hamra Bay
Another quick snapshot from home.
2603, 2012
Gozo Harbour
A quick snap from home.
0603, 2012
The Landing of the Swan
So yesterday very late afternoon, I went out for a walk by the river with the intention to mull over a math problem in my head. But I took my camera with me just in case. And I’m really glad I did so. After lingering by the river bank for a while, this splendid swan swooshed by, wings spread out as its feet touched down and created a splashy rift in the water, gleaming as the sparkling droplets caught the last rays of the setting sun. I snapped this photo with
0503, 2012
Cold & Bright Afternoon
A late afternoon picture taken in Christ Church meadow on a cold but very nice day.
0203, 2012
The Cyclist
This is a recently captured street candid photo. Happy weekend to all!
0103, 2012
Silhouetted Tree Addiction
Yes, you got it. It seems like I’m currently addicted to this kind of scenery. The thing is that this sort of imagery evokes in me such serenity that it’s hard to resist posting. Enjoy the explosion of colours!
2902, 2012
Night descending and Lights Flickering
This picture was taken on the same day as the previous two. It shows the Meadow Building of Christ Church at nightfall, after the grounds emptied of people and it all became very quiet. Those little orange lights seemed to be the only apparent signs of life in an otherwise silent setting completely devoid of any activity. This picture comes with thoughts about a person whose light still flickers in the hearts of all those who happened to cross paths at some point. An inspiring person who encouraged and cheered up
2802, 2012
“The wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more”
Those words by Ralph Waldo Emerson never rang so true to me than after capturing this frame. By now, I guess you must have guessed that the scene of silhouetted bare trees is one which I particularly like. To me, such a sight tends to instill a sense of peace and tranquility, which I hope that this picture conveys.
2702, 2012
Sunset Trees
Well, yesterday the late afternoon light was beckoning and the scene slowly turned into this. Have a good start to the week!
2402, 2012
The nature and origin of human beings: Richard Dawkins and Rowan Williams
It has certainly been a week of discussions, although admittedly, in Oxford it always is. On Monday, Richard Dawkins spoke at the Oxford Town Hall about secularism in the UK. Thursday afternoon, on the other hand, saw a much anticipated debate between Richard Dawkins and Rowan Williams, chaired by Sir Anthony Kenny. The Sheldonian was packed, the physics department’s live screening tickets sold out and many colleges ended up streaming the event live as well. In a way it felt as if Oxford slowed down for an hour and a half
2202, 2012
In Conversation with Richard Dawkins
A photo taken on Monday during the conversation with Richard Dawkins about Secularism in the UK.
2102, 2012
(One of) my favourite place(s) on the planet
Ah well, simply looking at a mere picture of this place makes me want to go there and spend a couple of hours flipping through the pages of whatever book grabs my attention, which is precisely what I’ve done uncountably many times over the past couple of years.