Happy New Year - X for Xenium

I couldn't come up with an x word for today so I looked through the list that Yankee-in-Belgrade linked to to see if anything fit these photos I took today. The best I could come up with is xenium, which means "a gift made to a guest or ambassador; any compulsory gift." x=h in the Cyrillic alphabet but I decided not to go there. :-) ABC Wednesdays

People were doing some last minute shopping here today as gifts are typically given on New Year's, not at Christmas. Check out this gentleman's bag.


Aaand music was echoing on the streets..

Here's a video put together by polypheme photo from the Guča brass band festival. It's a slideshow of pictures with music.

More New Year's fun for kids

There are pony rides next to the ice-skating rink. It's so cute.

Dizdar Tower and Despot Gate

This is a path leading to Dizdar Tower and Despot Gate at the Kalemegdan Fortress. According to the history books, they were both built in the 15th century. Dizdar Tower currently houses an observatory which is open to the public on weekends. (This picture is from a few weeks ago.)

We're having a bit of a cold snap here. I did get out to take some pictures today and by the time I put my camera away my fingers were numb, even with gloves on. You know what I'd like to get one day? A pair of photo gloves like these from LowePro. The main difference between these and regular gloves is they have rubber dots on them to help grip your camera. I image they probably sell these at hardware stores for people working construction out in the cold, or just where hand protection is needed but where it's also important to have a good grip. I've almost dropped my camera a few times from holding it with gloves on! Not good.

A winter tree and vertorama tutorial

I'm kind of obsessed with this courtyard in Vračar (that's the name of the neighborhood in Belgrade). I have at least four other photos of it at this blog:

1. October 25th, 2007 - A Courtyard in Vračar
2. December 8th, 2008 - December Courtyard
3. December 18th, 2008 - Sorry Cat Haters
   
4. December 23rd, 2008 - One of My Favorite Courtyards

Have you ever heard of a vertorama? I must be behind the times because I only heard of it recently, and when I did I thought "Now why didn't I think of that?" It simply means a vertical panorama. Instead of stitching photos together horizontally, you stack them vertically. The picture above was my first try doing it, not exactly spectacular, but some people, like these at flickr really make some INCREDIBLE images that way. If you're interested in a vertorama tutorial, here's one. I think the author makes it sound a bit more complicated than it needs to be, but it's a very good, thorough tutorial all the same.
P.S. Some of the vertorama picks at the flickr link above were taken in Serbia and Belgrade.

Dogs go crazy for the click of a camera

These three little dogs were waiting for their owner outside of a cafe (they're not strays). I thought they looked so cute sitting there I took out my camera, got down low, pressed the shutter button of my SLR camera and...they all came running! I've had it happen before where dogs think I'm calling them when they hear my camera click, so far it hasn't had any negative repercussions. These three were actually jumping up and giving me doggie "kisses".

Go here if you'd like to join camera critters.

Skywatch Friday and How to Add Blogger Label Cloud

This was taken earlier in the week at Kalemegdan Park.

I'm trying a new blog layout! I wanted more columns but still wanted to keep my pictures at 700px. And I'm thrilled with the labels cloud for blogger, where instead of a long simple list of tags (i.e. labels) they're displayed in a "cloud" with a larger font for tags used more frequently. There are ready-made widgets that will do that, but usually they'll make tags from any of the text on your blog and you'll wind up with some screwy keywords. I found (and followed) these instructions for changing the blogger list of labels to the cloud here: phydeaux 3. If you're not used to customizing your blogs' html/xml settings it might look complicated on first glance, but actually it's pretty step-by-step, cut-and-paste. And then visitors to your blog can browse by topic without having to scroll down a long, long list of tags! :-)

Skywatch Friday

Happy Holidays

We had some snow today, you can see it here on Beogradska (that's the name of the street).
I've been messing around with the size of the pics I upload to try for faster loading times but I think it's starting to look too pixel-y. :-(

Wings - ABC Wednesdays

Here's a picture of a crow taking off from a tree branch. We don't have many squirrels in Belgrade (though you can find them in less populated areas of the city) but we have plenty of crows that I think do a good job providing a little comedy relief.
Some studies say that crows are as intelligent as primates. I've seen crows here dropping nuts from the top of streetlamps in hopes that the nut will break open on the pavement. Here's a segment from David Attenborough showing this and other behaviors(the best bit is towards the end!):


ABC Wednesdays

One of my favorite courtyards

I love this courtyard and try to imagine how it might have looked when it was first made. It looks like maybe there is one 'ring' that was meant to be a small pool. (???)

City of Ice - Ice Skating

I stopped to take some pictures as I was passing through Nikola Pasic square and I couldn't choose just one to share today. This is a temporary ice-skating rink that runs until January 18th, free if you bring your own skates, or 150 dinars (about $2.60) to rent a pair of skates for the day. It was funny to see the kids learning to skate, and to be reminded of what a harrowing experience that was (as seen on the face of the boy in the picture on the left).

How's this for a joke:
"While ice-skating, my friend had a nasty fall, sliding face-downward 20-feet across the ice. The rink doctor examined the large bruise on his forehead and said, "You should put some ice on that."
*groan*

Monochrome Mondays

Old house with graffiti

This is from late November. Usually I might say it's a shame to have graffiti on such a charming old structure,
but in this case I think it works.

Did you know: the word graffiti came from the Italian word "graffiato," which means "scratched." Obviously
back when the word was coined there were no spraycans around.

Holiday Lights

Some of the holiday lights put up by the city. The building you can see is the main post office.

Sparks Fly

This picture is soooo blurred, but at least the sparks look sharp. :-)

By the way, this was in front of the space where it looks like someone is opening a COIN OPERATED LAUNDROMAT!!! *faints*

27 Marta

Work in progress

Sorry cat-haters

It's another cat pic

Telefon stone

In the New Cemetery

It's not only ghosts that haunt the cemetery

Blustery Days

It's been so windy here!

Outside of a travel agency!

ABC Wednesday - U for Umbrella

I was going to submit 'U is for Upside Down' but then I was getting a headache looking at the picture (of a dog rolling on it's back). So instead I defaulted to U is for Umbrella. The motion blur in this picture is from panning, in-camera, not Photoshop.

ABC Wednesdays

Qbert

I feel a sudden urge to play Q*bert.

December Courtyard

My Misty Dawn

I've posted a few photos of this neighborhood cat in my blog over the last year+.
I guess you could say she's my Misty Dawn ;)
Camera Critters Meme

Kalemegdan Park

It was a perfect afternoon for taking pictures, there were dramatic clouds, sunshine, and even a rainbow. I didn't get all of that into this photo though. There are always lovebirds at Kalemegdan Park and here are two of them.

Yesterday in Tasmajdan Park

Rainy Day

Today's been a rainy one.

T is for Threes - ABC Wednesdays

Three men and three dogs in Tasmajdan Park. :)

Here's the link to the main ABC Wednesdays portal

old/new cliche

To see some incredible city photography (and post-processing) you've got to check out Poland's Andrzej Furs.

Monthly Theme Day - Circles

Some orb-shaped planters in Tasmajdan Park

Red lamp at noon

I think this is an old gas street lamp? (recently painted red)
One day soon I might share some photos with actual human beings in them.

Sunset Reflection

Hope your Saturday is going well...

Skywatch Friday

What looks like a crow flying across a lovely sky, last week.
Thanks for stopping by.
Skywatch Fridays

Creatures Week

Well, it looks like it's turned into Animals Week at this blog. Here's a crow high in a tree at Tasmajdan Park. And to all the folks reading this from the USA: Happy Thanksgiving. :)

S is for Silhouette

Well, the railing is in silhouette even if the cat isn't completely, so it still counts as an S, right? :)
ABC Wednesdays
Thanks for stopping by.

Two cats

It's been a while since I've posted a cat picture here. I took this through a fence which is why the image is dark on both sides, and I did take this very recently in spite of what the wildflowers might lead you to believe. :)

It's a bird, it's a plane,

it's Belgrade public transportation.
P.S. This was done by panning with a slow shutter speed (not Photoshop).

Saint Mark's Church earlier tonight

This picture is blurry, it's distorted, but it's a little slice of life on the church steps.



Something extra: Can you see a difference between the squares labled 0 and 10? If not, your monitor's screen is too dark and needs adjusting. Similarly, if you can't see a difference between the squares labeled 95 and 100, your screen is too light.

Specialty boutique

"For pregnant and fuller-figured ladies."
Why target only one or the other when you can get both customers at once?

Near Slavija Circle tonight

After a gloomy, rainy day we had the most beautiful deep blue twilight.

Tripod practice

I was out using a tripod again this eve trying to get some slow shutter speed pics. It sure would be nice to have a tripod with a level built into it. Sigh.

R is for Reflections - ABC Wednesday

Each car has its own interpretation of the apartment buildings across the lot. This was on 27 Marta (street).
ABC Wednesdays

Kalemegdan Park

I went to Kalemegdan Park to practice getting some lower-light shots using a *gasp* tripod. For some reason park security wanted to know if I was filming or merely snapping photographs. Hm...