HDR shots

Quick HDRs chucked together from some holiday snaps this year. Who'd have thought black and white HDR looks so good?

Amy Winehouse RIP

I can't say it's that unexpected, drugs and alcohol addictions were her main vice.

Still, she was a superb talent and voice. She died aged 27.

Here's to you Amy, and may be you should have gone to rehab after all.

The Rise and Rise of Rameses II - Part 1

It was the beginning of the 19th century. King Rameses II, was leading his glorious Egyptian empire to a peaceful existence. Four cities made up his civilization, each city focusing on a peaceful endeavour: culture, knowledge, agriculture, and production. The crown in the jewel of this wonderful empire was Thebes, an ancient city founded by the original settlers and one of many wonders, great people, knowledge, and science.

The Egyptian people were enjoying the fertility of their land: many mountains, planes, and rivers ensured that they had access to all the essential resources they needed, as well as many luxury resources to keep them happy, not to mention to help their democratic needs.

To the North was an uninhabitable tundra; to the East some military city states and a sprawling Mongolian empire. The West was bordered by impassable mountains, and beyond them were the Persian people.

One morning, Rameses II ordered a scout to traverse the land to the West, in pursuit of inhabitable areas for his kingdom. The scout came back to his king's court with a worried look on his face. "I'm afraid there might be trouble your highness" he reported. Rameses II wasn't very concerned - after all, the Egyptian and Persian people enjoyed a friendly relationship.

"There are many troops just outside our borders your highness, and I fear they come for the worst". The king could hear the concern in the scout's voice, and invited King Darius to his court to reassure his people.

Darius attended personally, and after enjoying a lavish banquet and watching the famous Egyptian entertainers, he reassured Rameses II that the troops were just passing by, en route to other business. King Darius even addressed the people publicly, and all around the empire a massive cheer was heard, for the Egyptian people had great respect for their Persian neighbours. The rumours and nervous looks in the streets and markets of Thebes all but disappeared, and Egypt continued it's peaceful existence and continued its pursuit for culture.

But not for long.