Category Archives: Views

Lakeside Village Walks: Hallstatt In Austria (4K)

Hallstatt is a village on Lake Hallstatt’s western shore in Austria’s mountainous Salzkammergut region. Its 16th-century Alpine houses and alleyways are home to cafes and shops. A funicular railway connects to Salzwelten, an ancient salt mine with a subterranean salt lake, and to Skywalk Hallstatt viewing platform. A trail leads to the Echern Valley glacier garden with glacial potholes and Waldbachstrub Waterfall.

Views: Tahne Ancient City In Southeast China (4K)

Tanhe Ancient City, based on the Tanheli Site, is China’s first park themed on the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-256 BC).

The Zhou Dynasty was the source and heyday of the Chinese civilization, and it created a splendid culture. Ningxiang where the Tanhe Ancient City is located is known as the “Hometown of Bronze wares in South China.” It has been the source of a number of important bronze wares, including the Four-ram Zun Vessel, a vessel of the late Shang Dynasty (c. 16th-11th century BC), and the Bronze Ding with human-mask design. It is also the center of ritual and music culture in China.

The cultural genes of the Zhou Dynasty have been passed down from generation to generation, and are influential to this day. The scenic area of the Tanhe Ancient City has simple and solemn palaces and temples as well as noisy and bustling old streets. Chime bells, poems, and rituals here make the life of three thousand years ago come back again, and the civilization from a distant age seems to reappear.

Views: Water Jousting Tradition In Sète, France

Like a medieval duel, but on the water: Contestants use lances to try to knock each other out of their boats. Since 1666, water-jousting events have been held yearly in the port city of Sète, southern France.

After a two-year break on account of the coronavirus pandemic, the traditional fisherman’s jousting event has returned. It’s considered the most important event of its kind – the the sport’s world championships. Each year, thousands of spectators and fans flock to the city to take part in the spectacle. The competition rules haven’t changed since 1666!

Front Page: The New York Times – September 10, 2022

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Charles, in First Speech as King, Pledges a Reign of Service to Britain

On a day of mourning in Britain after the death of Queen Elizabeth, Charles’s ascent to the throne was a symbol of the continuity of the monarchy.

In London, Mourning, Remembrance and Tributes. And Some Shrugs.

Though mourning and grief were visible in Britain’s capital on Friday, some young Britons were more muted in their reaction to an institution that many called increasingly irrelevant.

Hilltop Village Walks: San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy

San Gimignano is an Italian hill town in Tuscany, southwest of Florence. Encircled by 13th-century walls, its old town centers on Piazza della Cisterna, a triangular square lined with medieval houses. It has a skyline of medieval towers, including the stone Torre Grossa. The Duomo di San Gimignano is a 12th-century church with frescoes by Ghirlandaio in its Santa Fina Chapel.

Top Scenic Drives: Tromsø to Kristiansand In Norway

Norways most scenic roads from Tromsø to Kristiansand.

Tromsø, town, northern Norway. It is located on two islands, Troms (Tromsøy) and Kval (Kvaløy), just west of the mainland. Because Tromsø is located well north of the Arctic Circle, the sun is visible continuously from late May to late July.

Kristiansand, town and seaport, southern Norway. Located on the Skagerrak (strait between Norway and Denmark) at the mouth of the Otra River, it has a spacious, ice-free harbour, protected by offshore islands, and is the largest community of Sørlandet region. 

Design: ‘Sunrise House’ In Melbourne, Australia

Designing an architect’s own home and office space, Jolson architecture and interior design studio combines two distinct spaces that remain inherently separate. With a fascination of blurring lines between architecture, interior design and landscape design, Sunrise House becomes an exploration of how each discipline crafts a sense of space within.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Masterworks Advertisement 00:11 – Introduction to Sunrise House 00:42 – The Original 1950s Confectionary Factory 01:01 – Combining A Family Home and A Commercial Office Space 01:17 – Placing An Emphasis on Natural Light and Garden Space 01:27 – A Sanctuary with Sculptural Elements 02:19 – A Connection Between Outside and Inside 02:52 – Moving Vertically Through The House 03:32 – Connection to History Through The Gym and Courtyard Space 04:14 – Living With Colour, Texture and Memories 04:55 – A Reaction to The Original Facade 05:25 – Masterworks Advertisement

Sitting on the edge of an industrial commercial zone, Sunrise House by Jolson architecture and interior design studio was once a 1950s sweet factory before becoming an architect’s own home. Greenery covers the building’s façade, offering a dynamic sense of style not often seen within Melbourne’s cityscape. Yet inside, the connection from inside to out is made through an open floor plan that allows for the family to easily transition between living areas.

From the entrance, the office and ground level of the house honours the original build by keeping the concrete, paring it back to expose the aggregate. Although, in spaces where new concrete was poured, Jolson celebrates the new markings with memories of his own family, establishing the structure as an architect’s own home as well as a workplace. Retaining as much of the honesty and texture of the original building was key to bringing forth vibrancy.

The main design idea in the open living space was to insert three walls. Black joinery adorns one wall containing a concealed kitchen, another a large artwork that celebrates the history of the building and a third wall containing a luxurious fireplace. Through optimising the entirety of the volume within, Sunshine House becomes more than an architect’s own home, it becomes an art form. Jolson balances life, texture and colour – further complementing the minimal design aspects of an architect’s own home.

Thailand Views: Haad Rin Peninsular Beach (4K)

Hat Rin is a peninsular beach area and town on the southern tip of Ko Pha-ngan, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. Its two main beaches are Sunset Beach to the south and the larger Sunrise Beach to the north. A Full Moon Party takes place on Sunrise Beach each month. 

Front Page: The New York Times – September 9, 2022

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The queen’s death comes at a moment of great uncertainty for Britain.

There is no analogous British figure who will be mourned as deeply, or whose death will provoke a greater reckoning with the identity and future of the country.

Long an Uneasy Prince, King Charles III Takes On a Role He Was Born To

Once an awkward, self-doubting young man, he comes to the throne, at 73, as a self-assured, gray-haired eminence.

Views: The Natural Beauty Of California In Timelapse

California, home to lush forests, mountains, deserts, and hundreds of miles of coastline. From the redwood forests in the north, to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the east, to the Mojave Desert in the south. California has some of the most amazing scenery in the United States. The state claims the tallest point in the lower 48 with Mount Whitney to the lowest point at Badwater Basin in Death Valley, only about 85 miles apart as the crow flies. California also has some of the oldest, tallest, and largest trees in the world.

This film was shot over the span of almost five years beginning in late 2018 and is my first attempt at a full length timelapse film. Being a California native I found the subject of my own home state as the perfect project. During that time I shot over 43,000 images as part of this project producing over a hundred individual timelapse clips from some of my most favorite locations in the state. And while there have been many timelapse films on California, this is my version which I’m proud to share.

Special thanks to the many friends who accompanied me on many of the shoots, often to help carry heavy camera gear over miles of hiking trails and spent many hours waiting around while my cameras clicked away. Their help and support it greatly appreciated.

Filmed and Edited by: Jason Refuerzo