Noetic Realities

Gyeongbokgung

2010-11-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

Trees fascinate me. I often think about how their canopy and root structures are so very similar in form with one living in the ground and the other in the sky and only a thin trunk to hold them together, they are life that is half buried and half reaching to the heavens. There is a much to be seen in their duplicity of forms.

Lindental

2010-06-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful area just outside of Lindental, Switzerland. Not only is the area gorgeous, but it is also an amazing place for bouldering.

2010-06-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

These are some of the local flora that grows around Tombstone Mountain.

Tombstone Mountain

2010-06-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

This a view of the Tombstone valley can be found on the Dempster Highway in the Yukon. It is said that one must never venture behind Tombstone mountain, for the soil is radioactive beyond fatal levels.

This rare and beautiful area of Canada's Arctic is under proposal for mining development, but with your help through the writing of a letter to the Yukon Government we can raise enough attention to stop this proposal before it is too late.

Please rally your support for this cherished environment. Use the link below to write a short letter that will be sent via CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) in protest of the mining that would forever destroy this area.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2463/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4403

Canadian National Railway

2010-06-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

This old CNR train is on display at the Alberta Railway Museum, in Alberta, Canada. Engine 9000 is their prime specimen. It is a lovely balance between power and design.

Paris

2010-05-08T04:55:00.001-07:00

It was a cold January day that held back the smog and opened this view to my eyes. This shot is taken from the top of the Arc de Triomphe.

Aphrodisias' Bathhouse

2010-02-08T07:49:00.000-08:00

The old back and white tiles still adorn the floor of the this once beautiful bath house in the city of Aphrodisias, Turkey.

Aphrodisias' Roman Stadium

2010-02-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

In the Ancient Roman city of Aphrodisias is a beautifully preserved Roman Stadium. The capacity of this stadium is said to be 130,000 people. It is a beautiful sight to behold, for as you walk, sit, and stand among the still well-formed rows of seating you get a strong sense of what it must have been like to be entertained in such a setting.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

2009-08-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

This is the rear entrance to the famed Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. It is a magnificent creation. As one approaches, the shear size of the temple confounds the senses. It is fascinating what religion can bring people to raise.

Banteay Srei, Cambodia

2009-08-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is a section of wall inside the Banteay Srei (Temple of Women) in Cambodia. This site is much older than Angkor Wat or Ta Phrom and is one of the first Angkorian Temples. The quality of the work is astounding given that it is carved of sandstone and is over a thousand years old. I marveled at it for a good long while before taking this shot.

Cambodia - Ta Phrom

2009-08-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

This bike was left outside the back entrance to the Temple area of Ta Phrom in Cambodia. The city area of Siem Reap which houses the temples of Angkor Wat and Ta Phrom once held a population of nearly a million people, and now all that remains are the thousand year old ruins left to remind us of how nature can undo anything humankind can build.

Seoul, South Korea

2009-08-05T12:15:00.001-07:00

This was taken while on a weekend walk with my good friend Nathan through downtown Seoul. This street used to be a concrete jungle with with a double-decker roadway as its primary eye sore. It was through a stroke of genius in city planning that it was transformed into the beautiful inner city parkway featured above. It opened a congested city street and breathed life back into the core area of downtown Seoul.

Victim of Urban Warfare

2009-06-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Sadly, this victim of urban warfare was the casualty of poisoning that occurs annually as city dwellers fend off these so called pests from their 'relentless onslaught' on their homes. Far too often we forget that we share this land with all the other living beings on this planet, and we focus not on respecting life in all forms, but rather we turn our heads to our meager and flippant possession of the land. In doing so many people presuppose their right to their possession of land, and yet no one has any more of an essential right to its ownership than does a squirrel.

2009-06-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

On cold Canadian winter days frost can turn itself into a forest mimicking and perhaps mocking the real one that stands frozen just outside and behind the ice on the window.

2009-06-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

This shot was taken on a beautiful January day at the very northern tip of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Behind the camera is no road only Ocean, and we stand looking back South towards the approach.

2009-06-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

This is a view of Ducal Stewart Monument found in Edinburgh, Scotland on top of Calton hill that overlooks the city's and its castle.

2009-06-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

This is a shot of the Arlington shortly after fire raged through its walls. Erected in 1909, it stood as Edmonton's first and oldest apartment complex for 95 years. Sadly, it was so badly damaged by the fire in 2005 that it had to be torn down, and it no longer stand as the beautiful edifice that it once was.

2009-06-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

Taken in Edmonton, on a cold Fall day, was this shot of a dried plant locked forever in its attempted to flower.

2009-06-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

The bridges from Halifax to Dartmouth are so scared by rust that they must be constantly repainted, however, only the rusting sections are repainted so as to save the cost of, each year, repainting the whole bridge. This results in an almost camouflage like effect caused by the mingling of the differing hues of green paint.

2009-06-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

These bridge workers were steadily repairing the damage of time that rust effects on one of the bridges connecting Halifax to Dartmouth.

2009-06-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Taken near the shores of the Halifax Habor was this shot of a man who seemed to be from another time.

2009-06-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

This is a shot taken from inside the Citadel that once protected Halifax from all outside threats.

2009-06-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

The famous Peggy's Cove is now in need of repairs. It has lost its splendor and no longer has the glory that it once did. I hope that funds can be raised to maintain this wonderful landmark.

2009-06-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

Two lovers siting quietly beside one another and staring off into the long gaze of the North Atlantic Ocean.

2009-06-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

This is a shot of a gun lock that once held in its grasp a huge canon that defended the Halifax harbor from invasions.

2009-06-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

I wonder if we will ever properly be able to gauge the impact that we, as humans, have had on our planet. This was taken in Halifax of the harbor looking onto Dartmouth.

Halifax Grain Storage

2009-06-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is a shot of the grain towers that still stand next to the sea in Halifax. They are now empty symbols that remind us of times more prosperous.

Ireland

2008-01-21T06:35:00.001-08:00

Three Koreans jumping on a windy beach on the southern east coast of Ireland, need I say more?

The Great Wall of China

2007-12-02T07:05:00.001-08:00

This was taken at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. It is a really beautiful place, and it offers views that other areas do not. It is a place not to miss.

2007-10-28T09:19:00.001-07:00

I came upon this ship while driving through the Highlands in Scotland. I was driving along one of the many lochs and as the end of it neared I spotted this beautiful old boat slumped over in the water. The water that day had a slight ripple to it and nothing this photograph can convey justly serves the quality of the sight. I sat and looked at this ship for a long while before continuing on.

2007-09-16T07:54:00.001-07:00

This is a photograph of a painting that sits behind the king's throne, found in the inner most building of the Palace of Gyeongbokgung (the Royal Palace of Korea). I took this shot and only later came to wonder how many faces this painting has seen, and what a history it would tell if only it could speak. A mighty good tale it would be, I'm sure.

Angkor Wat

2007-09-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of visiting Angkor Wat last year. It is a beautiful and amazing place, and one that just recently received even more acclaim. New research has revealed that most of the Angkor complexes were in fact linked into a city that held a population of around 1 million people. All this was accomplished 1000 years ago, and while the rest of the worlds cities struggled with populations in the thousands there were millions living here, but the real mystery is what happened to them. A simple truth that we should not let from our own modern minds.

Venice

2007-05-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

Venice is a magical place. It truly does seem that with every corner turned you encounter a new and amazing sight. This photo was taken in the Sam Marco district of Venice.

Palais de Versailles

2007-05-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

In a rare moment of luck when visiting the Palais de Versailles I was able to view maintenance being done to the fountains. It was a treat to see the ancient plumbing that runs the world famous fountains.

Notre Dame, Paris

2007-04-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

The beautiful and remarkable Notre Dame Cathedral is an amazing edifice. It rises out of its surrounding like few buildings can. I was truly impressed by its power.

Sections of a City, Paris

2007-04-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

While the Moulin Rouge is a less dignified landmark than most in Paris it attracts no less attention. It is set in a very interesting, and devious section of the city.

2007-04-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

This is the newest addition to the Louvre. The pyramid was added in 1989, and it is marked by some as a beautiful juxtaposition of old and new. However, not all share this same enlightened view of the structure. I will leave it up to you to take a view of your own.

The Catacombs in Paris

2007-04-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

I thought this shot was a particularly interesting shot as it clearly shows the lines that are formed in the skull when the skull's bone plates fuse together. I have always had a bit of a morbid fascination with the pattern of the lines created by the fusion.

2007-04-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

This shows the true lighting of the situation. It is very dark and these shots are taken at 800 ISO, at about 1/6th of second hand held, so you can only imagine how dark it truly is.

2007-04-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

This was taken in the catacombs of Paris. When visiting the catacombs one is astounded by the shear number of bones and how many of them have had to be moved several times to there present day resting place. It is a must see when in Paris.

Paris

2007-03-24T15:52:00.001-07:00

The day was lovely and the clouds were begging to be immortalized, so I obliged them.

2007-03-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

Inside the Arc de Triomphe you will find that you must walk a narrow yet beautiful old spiral stair case in order to reach the top. This shot was handheld at 1/6^th of a second.

2007-03-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

This shot of the Arc de Triomphe was taken at night, so that the busy traffic that surrounds the Arc everyday could be captured, so as to show the true nature of the scene one finds themselves in when visiting this popular monument.

The Skies of Korea

2007-03-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

This shot was taken during the summer of 2006, while on route to Jeju-do. The island of Jeju-do is a beautiful place. However, that day it was the clouds on route that stole the show.

Scotland, The Isle of Skye

2007-03-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

This is the tower that guards the little hamlet of Uig, on the Ilse of Skye in Scotland. This is a beautiful place to visit, but the roads are rather narrow, so be careful! The whole of the Ilse of Skye is amazing.

Paris, The Louvre

2007-03-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

I took this photograph while visiting The Louvre. The whole building is an amazing place, and yet there still are some subtle environments within it that perhaps when given the right attention can be transformed. I really like the light and detail in this particular exposure.

Jeju Island, South Korea

2006-09-23T00:10:00.000-07:00

This photograph was taken in Jeju Island in South Korea. It was taken at the water break of a wharf of a small town on the southern coast of the island. It was a beautiful day and Jillian had jumped up onto the water break and was perhaps pondering the sea... I think this photograph captures those moments where we are for a fleeting few seconds lost to the vastness of our lives.

2006-06-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

With this piece I wanted to create something completely abstract. I wanted to build and image that would serve many purposes at one time. There is a great deal of mixture here, but as a whole it focuses on the idea of searching.

2006-06-17T00:13:00.000-07:00

I took this shot for the particular alignment of all the lines and shapes found within the frames composition. This shot is meant not to simply focus our eye on the shapes found within the scene, but more importantly I had the intention of forcing the eye to perceive everyday common sights in new and specifically abstract way.

Halla Mountain, Jeju Island, South Korea

2006-05-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

This is a shot of the valley as you see it before you while you decent from Halla Mountain on the island of Jeju in South Korea. It is a beautiful place and one that is often surrounded by clouds. The cloud barrier that is visible had formed itself along the shore of the island. The scenery available to ones eyes at Halla Mountain is astounding.

Suburban South Korea

2006-05-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

This photograph was taken one night on a walk home after a nice long day in Jung Ang Park. It was odd that we decided to take a different route home, but our new path led us to stumble on this wonderful sculpture that I think works beautifully as a humerous depiction of a modern atlas.

2006-05-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Here we have a night time view of a busy six lane highway that runs through my neck of the woods. There is a non stop flow of traffic on this road, no matter what time of day or night. I picked this location for the bus stop as it is a bustling arena of taxi cabs, and local and Seoul buses.

2006-05-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

This photograph is just near my home and I have traveled this sidewalk many times! It walks you just past a nutty nightclub ( the verticle sign, the "Fana night club"). I was merely walking through this area when the idea struck me to have a mid air shot of someone jumping, so we quickly set-up and amused all the passers by. It was fun. I enjoy the life and energy that this particular shot lends us.

2006-05-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

This was taken in Jung Ang Park in Sunae dong, Bundang, South Korea. Jung Ang is a beautiful park with an overabundance of wonderful places to sit and relax. It is a great place to go and forget that your surrounded by 30 story apartments, and a sometimes blisteringly hot city.

Bijarim Nutmeg Forest, Jeju Island, South Korea

2006-05-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

This is a shot of some small bushes and leaves in the Bijarim Nutmeg Forest on the island of Jeju in South Korea. It is a beautiful place and there are many trees there that are 800 years old, some are even older.

Suburban Bundang

2006-04-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

The suburb of Bundang snakes its way through the small narrow mountain ranges that compress its expansion. Bundang is only about 15-20 blocks wide, and on either side of Bundang are mountains such as this. On good days when the smog is light, one is able to capture beautiful view of the valley being light up by the setting sun.

Suburban Bundang

2006-04-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

This is a lucky shot that I was able to capture of a thunder storm, in Yatap. Yatap is the Subway stop near my home and the area surrounding it is therefore called Yatap. Apparently, South Korea is famous for their monsoon thunder storms that occur every mid June and carry on through to August. This may only be the first of many such lightning shots.

Suburban Bundang

2006-04-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a view of the river valley that runs past Nathan's apartment. This same river further down stream passes by my apartment. It's a nice little piece of green in the urban metropolis of Bundang, which is a suburb of Seoul.

2006-04-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

I took this photograph to create an abstract visualization for the very real loss of Canadian talent to the outside world. Far too often Canadians have been leaving behind their country to explore alternative employment options within other countries. Most often this need to "look elsewhere" stems from an overabundance of educated individuals combined with the lack of financially acceptable career options. It is a terrible thing to lose so many bright minds.

Memories of Home

2006-04-25T20:17:00.002-07:00

This is a shot form a road found just south of Edmonton Alberta. It was Taken last summer, and I have just recently been able to share it. It was a beautiful day, and it wonderfully captures the openness of the prairie region of Alberta.

Gyeongbokgung Palace Seoul, South Korea

2006-01-26T04:58:00.000-08:00

The palace of Gyeongbokgung is an marvelous site to behold, for it is simply massive.

This is a view form inside the south gate. The south gate is the main gate into Gyeongbokgung Palace. Korean Palace construction, dictates that the south gate should always be the main gate and the north gate was to, always, remain closed. All traffic coming in or out of the palace would pass through these three main entrance ways, however, the middle entrance was reserved for the king and the sides entrances for everyone else. This gate is massive and does the rest of the palace justice for it is an impressive edifice blocking ones path, before you come to enter the royal palace of South Korea.

2006-01-26T04:50:00.000-08:00

This is a view of the entrance gate to the main inner palace. This is the third gate one encounters upon reaching the palace. The first gate is the one you’re just seen and then you enter a very large court yard, only to be greeted with another gate. Once you pass through this gate and make your way through the second inner court yard you are confronted with this gate! This is the third and final gate, it allows you to enter the inner court yard of the king’s throne. In this photo, you can see the stone paved road leading up to the main entrance way. That road has two levels, the tallest in the middle was reserved only for the king and no one else was allowed to walk on it. The lower was for government peoples and the final dirt is for everyone else.

Gyeongbokgung Palace Seoul, South Korea

2006-01-26T04:43:00.000-08:00

This is a shot of the many roof tops that are found in the main centre palace area. It is a wonderful area to visit and is an area where only a hundred years ago I would never have been able to see, for I would not be of the importance required to access such a deep position within the palace. This is the area where the King and his Queen would live, and no one other than servants or guests of the king would be allowed inside. It is a beautiful place to explore.

Gyeongbokgung Palace Seoul, South Korea

2006-01-26T04:31:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of the rear of the palace where one finds the rear garden. Beyond the inner wall is the rear garden, where ones a finds beautifully landscaped garden. That garden is just beyond this shot the left. This particular view provides nice detail of the intricate wood work put into the palaces buildings. Most of these buildings were rebuilt in the late 1800's, as the palace was burnt to the ground by the Japanese. However, they have been meticulously reconstructed to show the exacting details of the craftsmanship involved in the construction of the housing. It is a very impressive style of architecture that requires no nails or glues! The palace grounds are an amazing experience.

Climbing Adventures with Yin, Wallace and Sheldon

2005-11-20T22:47:00.000-08:00

This is a shot of Wallace making a very fluid ascent of "Spiderman". This vantage point was created by lying down with my back on the rocky earth, my head at Sheldon's feet while using a wide angle lens to shoot straight up the wall. I wanted, primarily, to convey the bareness, and skill of the climb, as one ascends from large cracks to smaller holds and on to mere dimples in the rock when approaching the crux. The amount of balance and grace needed to surpass the crux on this route is astounding, as it is a, not so simple, movement of replacing ones hand with a foot, where the hold upon which the swap is made is a miniscule depressions in the rock. At the moment this shot was taken, Wallace had just negotiated his way through the crux of the climb and is about to disappear from our view as he breaks the skyline. This is a wonderful climb for anyone who enjoys slab.

2005-11-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

Sheldon on "Spiderman" (5.11c)

This is Sheldon climbing "Spiderman". "Spiderman" is a nice 5.11 slab route found in Hidden Valley within Jasper National Park. Sheldon is on his first ascent of the route, and just about to find his way into the crux (crux: the most difficult portion of a particular climb). It is easy to see why the route was so aptly named as there are so very few obivious holds found on this climb. I was able to take this shot by climbing into a perch we had set-up using two adjacent routes. This is the very same perch that I was in long enough to cause the front half of my left big toe to go nerve def. Sheldon informed me this condition is commonly known as "Christmas toe", apparently since I would not have feeling return to my toe until sometime around Christmas. Well, I can happily report that Christmas has not yet come around and I have had a full recovery of sensation in my big toe, though it did take several months for the nerves to re-grow.

2005-11-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

This is a Remembrance Day series that demonstrates the age of our war monuments, for this is a photograph of the barracks that housed the defenders of the Halifax harbor during the Second World War. All of these photographs are of the barracks found in what is now Point Pleasant Park in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

by Palamarek

2005-11-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

This is the second photo in this series of photographs taken of the Barracks at Point Pleasant Park. This shot provides a closer view of the structure, and of its apparent state of disrepair, which is why fencing is now employed to keep people from exploring the hazardous buildings.

by Palamarek

2005-11-12T14:21:00.001-08:00

This is the third and final photograph of the Barracks at Point Pleasant Park. I took this shot with the intention of capturing the whole barracks and bunker area, so as to really provide a feeling of the working conditions of soldiers on the home front defense during WWII. Age, the elements, and time have really have had there way with this structure, and it is a shame it is not currently being preserved.

by Palamarek