Genshin Impact event gives Primogems for Fontaine wildlife photography

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Genshin Impact 4.0 just added a map expansion that players are still exploring, and HoYoverse wants you to see all of the new changes and additions to the anime game. This ‘Fontography’ photo contest wants you to take pictures of Fontaine’s wildlife for a chance to win free Primogems, so you might as well snap a few photos if you’re still discovering all of the new locations in Genshin Impact 4.0.

The Fontogrpahy event began earlier this week and it’ll be live until Wednesday, September 6. Unlike most Genshin Impact events, this one has no Adventure Rank requirement, so even the newest newcomers can participate with a chance to win a few extra Primogems.

To participate, you’ll need to post your photos of creatures native to Fontaine – crabs, seals, jellyfish – to HoYoLAB on social media with the hashtags #CreaturesofFontaine and #GenshinImpactFontaine along with your UID so that you can receive the reward if your submission gets chosen. You’re allowed to make multiple submissions, so you can post all of your best snapshots if you’d like.

200 winners will be chosen to win 160 Primogems each, and the list of winners will be announced on Wednesday, September 13.

160 Primogems isn’t very much, I know, but it takes little effort to submit a photo while running around Fontaine. And every little bit matters if you’re still trying to pull for Lyney or Yelan in the first half of Genshin Impact version 4.0.

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After the current Genshin Impact banners, Zhongli and Childe will arrive alongside the youngest Fontaine sibling, Freminet. There are plenty of solid characters to go for in version 4.0, but if you’re having trouble deciding, have a look at our Genshin Impact tier list for a bit of guidance.

And if you still don’t have enough Primogems for your pulls, don’t forget to redeem all available Genshin Impact codes to give yourself more chances on those wishes.

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Going To Catch Waves: Photo Of The Day

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IMPERIAL BEACH, CA — Patch reader Bridget Leiva captured this photo of a surfer headed out to catch waves in Imperial Beach.

Thanks for sharing!

If you have an awesome picture of nature, breathtaking scenery, kids caught being kids, a pet doing something funny or something unusual you happen to catch with your camera, we’d love to feature it on Patch.

We’re looking for high-resolution, horizontal images that reflect the beauty that is San Diego County, and that show off your unique talents.

Send your photos to [email protected]. Be sure to include photo credit information, when and where the shot was taken, and any other details about what was going on.

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NANLITE Unveils PavoTube II XR Pixel Tubes

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NANLITE, introduces the Nanlite PavoTube II XR Pixel Tubes with integrated CRMX. This revolutionary innovation enables photographers, filmmakers, and content creators to elevate their projects lighting to new levels of professionalism. These new lighting tubes feature animated pixel effects, versatile bi-color and RGB hues, and all the different lighting styles are fully controllable wirelessly, ensuring impeccable lighting control for a range of applications.

The XR series builds upon the well-established X-Series tubes, known for adaptability and sturdiness. The new XR lineup boasts enhanced durability through sturdy metal construction, making them ideal for both studio and on-location setups. With the addition of CRMX technology, these tubes provide exceptional reliability and seamless transmission, creating a resilient working environment.

Available in popular lengths – 2-foot 15XR, 4-foot 30XR, and 8-foot 60XR – the XR series offers a comprehensive range to suit various creative needs. All kits come complete with power supplies that charge internal batteries and ensure continuous power. The 15XR and 30XR kits are accompanied by rigging accessories, securely housed in padded carrying cases. The 60XR kit features a flight case with thoughtful design elements like foam cut-outs, swivel casters, recessed hand grips, and stackable wheel plates.

Key Features and Unique Selling Points

  • Retains all X-Series features with CRMX wireless DMX LumenRadio integration.
  • Impressive output and dynamic pixel effects for striking visuals.
  • Advanced seamless diffusion for expansive illumination.
  • Available in 2-foot (15X), 4-foot (30X), and 8-foot (60X) models.
  • High color accuracy with 97 CRI and 98 TLCI.
  • Intuitive onboard controls for easy adjustments.
  • Equipped with CRMX wireless DMX LumenRadio, Bluetooth, and 2.4G for seamless wireless control.
  • Ultrawide CCT range of 2700K-12000K, with precise green-to-magenta adjustment.
  • Comprehensive range of features, including dimming, HSI mode, practical and pixel effects.
  • Multiple mounting points and compatibility with an array of accessories.
  • Operable on AC, internal battery, or external battery.
  • Available waterproof housings for 15X, 30X, and 60X.
  • Designed with standard T12 diameter for compatibility with various mounts.

The XR series enables you to push your lighting with wireless precision. These tubes are equally adept as key lights, practical in-frame lighting, or for generating captivating pixel effects and with the ability to control them remotely the whole process of getting the lighting right should be far easier. Each of the new lights features an enhanced Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) engine, the XR tubes offer unmatched durability and longevity through multiple write-and-erase cycles.

Maximize Power Efficiency with 28nm Controller

The XR tubes incorporate a 28-nanometer controller, ensuring 37% improved power efficiency compared to previous models. This ensures extended usage without frequent recharges, enhancing device battery life and usability.

The Nanlite PavoTube II XR Pixel Tubes are available individually or in kits of varying sizes, these tubes offer a dynamic spectrum of lighting possibilities. Prices start from £425 Inc VAT for the PavoTube II 15XR, £595 Inc VAT for the PavoTube II 30XR, and £2095 Inc VAT for the PavoTube II 60XR.

For more information check out nanlite.co.uk.

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Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida’s Big Bend, the ‘Nature Coast’ far from tourist areas

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s Big Bend is one of the last truly natural places in the state. It’s not Disney World. It’s not South Beach. This is where people go to hunt alligators, fish for tarpon and search for scallops in the shallow waters. On Wednesday, it became the bull’s-eye of a major hurricane.

The Big Bend is where the peninsula merges into the Panhandle, just southeast of the capital, Tallahassee, and well north of the Tampa metro area. Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning near Keaton Beach in the lightly populated region as a high-end Category 3 hurricane, becoming the first major storm to hit the Big Bend region since Hurricane Easy in 1950, according to the National Hurricane Center.

This is where people go to appreciate nature and be left alone.

“The counties of Florida’s Nature Coast believe that many people — our residents, and those who travel here from far away — think having a good time involves more than expensive restaurants, theme parks, and crowded beaches,” a website devoted to the region says.

“When you want to get away, we have what you’re looking for. Forests to explore, blackwater rivers and crystal clear spring-fed streams to paddle, secluded spots to camp, and trails to ride and hike,” the website says. The counties in the region have more than 1 million acres (465,000 hectares) of unspoiled land.

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Idalia “an unprecedented event” since no major hurricanes on record have ever passed through the bay abutting the Big Bend region.



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The World’s Most Prestigious Art Fairs

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Explore The World’s Most Prestigious Art Fairs

Since human beings dwelled in caves, art has been a part of our species’ rich and storied history. It transcends cultures and generations, serving as a universal language through which we communicate emotions, ideas, and human experiences.

Throughout history, art has helped shape societies, reflected cultural shifts of the time, and inspired real change. Its influence extends far beyond mere aesthetics, even capturing the attention of the world’s wealthiest collectors who see art as more than an expression of creativity but as a valuable investment as well.

Whether you’re looking to celebrate art for its beauty and transformative power or you’re a savvy investor seeking to obtain a prized piece for your collection, the world’s top art fairs provide an irresistible opportunity to immerse yourself in some of the best humanity has to offer.

DragonSkin

A dry plain of alkaline mud is anodized by desert minerals into a celestial nebula of iridescent hues. The gold and indigo of the cracked causeway mimic the reptilian fauna that call these barren wastes their home. Fine Art Limited Edition of 100.

Art Basel Switzerland

Founded in 1970, Art Basel Switzerland is one of the most well-known and prestigious art fairs around the world. Held annually in Basel, Switzerland, this fair showcases over 200 premier galleries and nearly 5,000 artists from five unique continents.

For collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts, there are few better opportunities to immerse yourself in the latest the global art scene has to offer. The next Art Basel Switzerland event will be held June 13th – 16th, 2024.

ARCO Madrid | International Contemporary Art Fair

Spain’s International Contemporary Art Fair – first held in 1982 – has been established over the years as one of the best global platforms for exhibiting and experiencing cutting-edge art. ARCO Madrid places a strong emphasis on curatorial innovation and promoting lesser-known or emerging artists. Since its inception, it has facilitated greater cultural exchange and fostered the growth of the contemporary art scene in and around Spain. The next ARCO Madrid event runs from June 6th through October 3rd, 2024.

Falling Embers Panoramic

Transform your space with Aaron Reed’s luxury fine art photography print, Embers, from his Panoramic Wall Art collection. Order yours today! Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.

Frieze London | Frieze Masters

Initiated in 2003, Frieze London has rapidly risen to prominence as one of the leading art fairs in Europe. Its focus on contemporary art and dynamic, curated exhibitions make it a must-see for collectors and art enthusiasts alike.

Frieze London also includes Frieze Masters, which “offers a unique contemporary perspective on thousands of years of art history, from collectible objects to significant masterpieces from the ancient era and Old Masters to the late 20th century.” The next Frieze London & Frieze Masters event will be held October 11th – 15th, 2023.

Masterpiece London Art Fair

Deftly combining art, antiques, and design, Masterpiece London (founded in 2010) offers an expansive range of exceptional works spanning centuries and disciplines alike. What sets it apart from other fairs is the organizers’ commitment to showcasing both historical and contemporary art.

With a beautifully curated selection of exhibitors, Masterpiece London ensures that every piece on display is of the highest caliber. This is a rich and immersive experience for art connoisseurs, and its fusion of quality and artistic genres makes it a true gem among the world’s best art fairs. Due to escalating costs and a decline in international exhibitors, MCH Group chose to cancel this event for 2023 and will be contemplating future events.

The Empire

Iron columns of antique stone jut from the turquoise waters of Studlagil Canyon in Iceland. On their faces, the strange, geometric pillars bear the scars of millennia of erosion, chronicling the evolution of the very land itself. Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.

FIAC, International Contemporary Art Fair

Based in Paris since 1974, FIAC, the International Contemporary Art Fair has solidified its status as one of the world’s most exciting art fairs. Renowned for its vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere, FIAC is a beacon of contemporary art. It attracts a global audience of collectors, gallery owners, curators, and art aficionados – offering a diversified tapestry of innovative works from both established and emerging artists.

By offering a dynamic blend of art and decadent cultural experiences, FIAC has become a crucial bridge for artists and collectors worldwide, enshrining it as a must-visit event on the global art calendar.

ART STAGE Singapore

First established in 2011, ART STAGE Singapore has become one of the preeminent art fairs in the modern era. Its significance and pivotal role in advancing Southeast Asian art and artists onto the global stage have earned ART STAGE Singapore a well-deserved reputation as a catalyst for cultural exchange and artistic innovation.

ART STAGE facilitates cross-cultural understanding and propels emerging talents into international prominence. The fair’s commitment to showcasing the best Southeast Asia has to offer has broadened the global art market’s horizons while simultaneously positioning the region as a dynamic, roiling cauldron of creative energies. ART STAGE’s impact extends far beyond the annual event itself – it continues to shape our modern era of art, creativity, and cultural dialog in our increasingly interconnected world.

Diamonds In The Sky

The placid waters of a seaside lagoon reflect the fires of dusk along Iceland’s western coast. Suspended as if in midair, the verdant monolith of Kirkjufell sits like a forgotten ziggurat, guarding the land of auroras from the frigid waters of the Arctic. Fine Art Limited Edition of 100.

Art Dubai | International Art Fair | Dubai, UAE

Dubai has seen explosive growth and expansion in the past couple of decades which has also helped to make Art Dubai one of the most exciting art fairs on the planet due to its unique blend of culture, innovation, and dynamism. Founded in 2007, Art Dubai has become a nexus where artists, galleries, collectors, and enthusiasts converge from every corner of the globe. What sets Art Dubai apart is the organizers’ unwavering commitment to showcasing contemporary art from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia – regions rich in cultural diversity and artistic heritage.

In many ways, Art Dubai has become a platform for aspiring talents to shine and for established artists to explore new frontiers. The vibrant atmosphere and commitment to symbiotic cultural exchange make this a must-attend event for anyone seeking to see all the best of the best in the contemporary art world. The next Art Dubai International Art Fair will take place March 1st – 3rd, 2024.

TEFAF, New York

In 2016, TEFAF (the European Fine Art Fair) expanded to New York and swiftly established itself as one of the greatest art fairs around the world. TEFAF New York offers a curated selection of fine art, antiques, and other pieces, all meticulously vetted for their authenticity and excellence.

Collectors and connoisseurs are drawn to TEFAF for its unparalleled range of museum-qualities pieces that span various epochs and styles. When organizers brought this level of quality to the American art market, TEFAF redefined the standards for excellence and integrity. As such, this is another fair that you won’t want to miss if you’re a serious collector or even an amateur enthusiast. Its prestigiousness and organizers’ commitment to high standards solidify TEFAF New York’s status as one of the world’s greatest art fairs.

Stairway To Heaven

Ominous thunderclouds mix with the golden light of the setting sun producing a magnificent double rainbow rising from the top of half dome in Yosemite National Park. Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.

Melbourne Art Fair, Australia

For those of you who are interested in contemporary Australian, Pacific, and Oceanic art, the Melbourne Art Fair might be right up your alley. The focus on art from the Asia-Pacific region makes the Melbourne Art Fair a vital platform for artists from this corner of the world, allowing many of them to gain international recognition and global acclaim.

The fair’s dedication to supporting local talent and fostering cultural exchange is unlike any other in the world. It offers a diverse array of artworks that reflect the region’s history and culture, making the Melbourne Art Fair a worthwhile event for collectors and enthusiasts.

Art Basel Miami

An offspring of the renowned Art Basel in Switzerland, Art Basel Miami has become a beloved cultural phenomenon since it began in 2002. What sets this art fair apart is its fusion with Miami’s famous lifestyle, creating an electric atmosphere that blends high culture with Miami’s energy. Unlike its Swiss counterpart, Art Basel Miami’s appeal transcends the traditional art world. It attracts a diverse audience from serious collectors to curators and even curious partygoers, celebrities, and other art enthusiasts, truly reflecting the city’s multicultural essence.

This exciting amalgamation of art, design, and entertainment set against the stunning Floridian backdrop has turned Art Basel Miami into a real spectacle of the global art world. It not only provides an international platform for artists and galleries – it also celebrates the convergence of art and pop culture in an event unlike anything else on Earth.

Echoes Of Fall

A tangled web of skeletal branches lace together the ashen trunks of a grove of aspen near Leavenworth, Washington. Unfazed as yet by the chill of winter, the fiery hues of the autumn undergrowth bleed through a hush of fog. Fine Art Limited Edition of 100.


These fairs celebrate the creativity of some of the world’s best artists while serving as vital arenas for cultural exchange. They represent the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of the art world while showcasing the very best of human expression.

The world’s most prestigious art fairs continue to reflect the power of art to inspire, challenge, and unite us all in celebration of human creativity.

If you are unable to travel the globe in search of the finest art, or simply prefer to support local and up & coming artists along with the worlds masters, incredible contemporary photography and fine art can be discovered anytime, in the comfort of your own home thanks to the ever connected world we live in.

Shockwaves | Abstract Photography | Aaron Reed

A bed of colorful river stones glitters beneath the clear waters of a high mountain stream. The interference of crystalline ripples forms a web of light hung with jewels of emerald and amber. Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.

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118 kids participate in Caloocan LGU’s Dance and Photography Workshop

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The City Government of Caloocan, through the Cultural Affairs and Tourism Office (CATO), held an Art Workshop for children ages seven to twelve years old which included basic training in dance and art photography.

A total of 54 participants attended the photography workshop on Tuesday, August 22 at the People’s Park, while the three-day dance workshop at the Bulwagang Katipunan had 64 attendees from August 23 to 25.

City Mayor Dale Gonzalo “Along” Malapitan thanked the CATO, the trainers, and the participants for a successful event. He likewise showed appreciation towards the goal of the workshop which is to create new skills for the participants to develop their creativity and confidence.

“Layon ng Art Workshop natin ngayong 2023 na linangin ang mga talento ng mga Batang Kankaloo, lalo na sa pagsasayaw at sa pagkuha ng mga larawan, upang mas palakasin kanilang pagiging malikhain at mapataas ang kumpiyansa sa kanilang sarili,” Mayor Along said.

“Maraming salamat CATO sa pag-oorganisa ng makabuluhan at masayang aktibidad na tulad nito, gayundin sa lahat ng mga dumalo at sa mga propesyunal na nagbahagi ng kanilang kaalaman at galing sa mga nasabing larangan,” he added.

The City Mayor affirmed the city government’s commitment to protect the interests of the youth which is focused on providing a holistic approach to programs that tackle their well-being.

“Ang mga ito ay isa sa ating paraan upang mas mahubog at mapaunlad pa ang mga talento at kakayahan ng kabataan dahil naniniwala po tayo na ito’y mahalaga at kapaki-pakinabang. Asahan niyo po na nakatutok ang aking administrasyon sa pangangalaga sa kapakanan ng mga kabataan sa lahat ng larangang maaaring makatulong sa kanila,” Mayor Along stated.

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Photo gallery from Troy vs. Troy Athens boys soccer – The Oakland Press

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Troy Athens jumped out to a 3-0 first half lead before allowing the Troy Colts to find the back of the net early in the second half, but mother nature ultimately ruled the night with thunderstorms moving in with 24:12 left on the clock resulting in the Red Hawks picking up the 3-1 victory Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023 in Troy.

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It’s big! It’s bright! It’s a rare blue supermoon! Here’s how to check it out

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Amateur astronomers and idiom lovers will both have reason to rejoice this week: It’s the once in a blue moon when an actual blue moon will rise in the sky.

And it’s not just any blue moon. It’s a rare blue supermoon. The Earth’s lunar sidekick will seem extra big and bright as it reaches its fullest stage on Wednesday.

We won’t see this particular lunar twofer again until 2037, so here’s what you need to know to make the most of it.

First things first: What is a supermoon?

A perigean full moon, better known as a supermoon, happens when the moon is full during the closest point in its orbit around Earth.

According to NASA, the moon’s typical orbit ranges between 226,000 and 251,000 miles from Earth, but variances can bring it a bit closer or farther away. Only the closest three or four approaches each year qualify as supermoons.

The last supermoon fell earlier this month, on Aug. 2, inspiring photographers from all over the world to document the big and bright spectacle, from New York’s moody skyline to light-filled late night soccer matches in South Africa.

Yet the supermoon coming up this week will be even bigger and brighter — the biggest and brightest of 2023 — because the moon will be “exceptionally close” to Earth at 222,043 miles, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac — nearly 17,000 miles closer than average.

This means it’ll appear “about 8% larger than a normal full moon and 15% brighter than a normal full moon,” according to Dave Teske, the lunar topographic studies coordinator for the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers.

And while that might not make a hugely discernible difference to the naked eye, it’ll still be a sight to behold.

As Teske put it, “It’ll be big and bright and beautiful.”

But it’s not just a supermoon. It’s a blue supermoon

While the term “supermoon” references the moon’s orbit in relation to Earth, a blue moon has to do with frequency. Confusingly, it doesn’t have anything to do with color, either (though there was one time when a blue moon actually turned blue).

The moon takes 27.3 days to orbit the Earth, but because of how the sun’s light hits the celestial body, it takes 29.5 days to complete its lunar cycle from one new moon to the next. So it’s rare for us on Earth to see two full moons in the span of a single month. When we do, we call it a “blue moon.”

The term “blue moon” is also used in some circles to describe the third of four full moons in an astrological season.

And the idiom “once in a blue moon” is used to describe a rare but nonetheless recurring event. But according to NASA, blue moons aren’t actually all that rare, recurring every 2.5 years or so.

A blue supermoon, however, happens far less frequently. The last blue supermoon was in December 2009, and the next one won’t be until January 2037, NASA reports.

When and where can I see it?

This year’s blue supermoon will officially turn full at 9:36 p.m. ET on Aug. 30, according to Space.com, but to the naked eye, it’ll look just as full from Tuesday night to Friday morning, with the shaded strip appearing so narrow as to be virtually imperceptible.

And, if it’s an especially big moon you’re after, consider catching the moonrise in the east or moonset in the west. Experts say this is when foreground objects combine with a low-hanging moon to create the “moon illusion” — the time when the moon tends to look the largest.

(You can check the local rising and setting times for your area using the U.S. Navy’s Moonrise calendar).

Anyone looking to take in more detail of the lunar surface could use binoculars, a telescope, or an astrophotography lens. But astronomers like Teske say those tools aren’t necessary for a moving experience.

“Get out there and observe it. Just enjoy the beautiful view of the moon,” he said. “Really think about what you’re seeing out there.”

After all, this isn’t just a hunk of rock orbiting the Earth about a quarter of a million miles away. It could be the next frontier.

Just in the last week, the Indian Space Agency successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon’s south pole, where frozen water craters could fuel future missions. Japan’s space agency, JAXA, nearly launched a moon lander (but postponed the moonshot due to strong winds).

And the private company SpaceX paired with NASA to dock a crew of astronauts at the International Space Station, in order to perform experiments that might one day make it easier to travel to the moon and back.

“We’re doing things with the moon now that are building this slow and steady public interest,” said Noah Petro, a research scientist with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Petro said that the value of supermoons like these is that they “allow us to take a moment and revel, and enjoy that nearest neighbor and space.”

“It’s not so far away that we can’t see it. It’s effectively right there in our backyard,” he added.

One note of caution: This moon could bring an elevated risk for flooding

But those looking to observe the moon from a beach should consider checking conditions first.

The close proximity of the moon means that for several days this week, the range of tides will be greater than normal.

The moon will exert 48% more tidal force during the spring tides of Aug. 30 compared with two weeks earlier, according to Space.com. Higher tides could get more high, which could cause some coastal flooding.

That risk will be especially heightened along the gulf coast of Florida, where Hurricane Idalia is expected to make landfall early Wednesday.

NPR’s Dustin Jones contributed reporting.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.



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Sony launches FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II lens

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Sony has announced the FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II lens, price tag $2,299.99 / £2,400 / €2,799, a new wide-angle zoom that rounds out the company’s F2.8 zoom trinity, complementing the existing 24-70mm and 70-200mm options.

The Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II times to balance top-tier performance with user-friendly features and portability to satisfy the needs of both photographers and videographers. What’s more, its 16-35mm focal length is excellent for a variety of wide-angle applications like landscapes, architecture and group portraits. With an F2.8 maximum aperture across the range, it also allows for greater low-light capabilities and depth-of-field control.

The Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II boasts XD linear motors that provide a big leap in AF speed and precision, which is critical for capturing fast-moving subjects and for video applications where focus pulls need to be very smooth.

The new Sony lens also comes with an anti-reflective coating for reducing lens flare and ghosting, which can be particularly problematic in wide-angle lenses.

Portability is becoming more desirable for both photographers and videographers, and the compact FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II is the world’s smallest and lightesti wide-angle zoom lens with a total length of 111.5mm and a weight of approximately 547g, which is about 20% lighteriii than the first-generation model.

A minimum shooting distance of 0.22m and a maximum magnification of 0.32x offer very good close-up capabilities, expanding the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II’s versatility.

Other features include reduced focus breathing, an aperture ring that can be clicked on/off and dust and splash resistance.

Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II Price

At a price tag of $2,299.99 / £2,400 / €2,799, the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II is clearly aimed at professionals or serious hobbyists who are willing to invest in high-quality glass. The new lens will be released in the autumn 2023.

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On View: Edvard Munch at The Clark Institute

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Nature radiates, vibrates, mutates. It chants, sways and dances. Two shows at the Clark Institute illuminate this joy and complexity through the phenomenological renditions of Edvard Munch (1863-1944) and his intimate relationship with nature, as well as eight “positions” of contemporary artists reflecting on the Anthropocene.

A portrait of a man in paint
Edvard Munch, ‘Self-Portrait against a Blue Sky’, 1908, oil on canvas. Munchmuseet, MM.M.00536. © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Munchmuseet / Ove Kvavik

Half of Edvard Munch’s works engage with nature, yet he isn’t widely known as a landscape artist. The Clark Institute addresses this misperception in an authoritative new show, “Trembling Earth,” which centers Munch’s enduring longings with more than seventy-five paintings, prints and drawings that act as visual diaries.

“It reminds me of how I see the world when I’m sick,” one visitor says. Sick he was, but there’s much more to Munch than disorder and uncanniness. His acute awareness of nature’s potency may have induced an altered vision and experience—one that’s riveting.

In “Trembling Earth,” Munch’s nature sizzles and its colors, textures, seasons and folklore are deeply experienced by the cosmopolitan artist who visited and lived in the bubbling art capitals of Paris and Berlin, yet remained rooted in small Norwegian towns such as Åsgårdstrand, Ekely, Kragerø and Hvitsten.

A colorful painting of a landscape
Edvard Munch, ‘Children in the Forest’, 1901–02, oil and casein on canvas. Munchmuseet, MM.M.00317. © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Munchmuseet / Sidsel de Jong

These sites inspired much of his art at a time when industrialization, scientific discoveries and philosophical theories engaged in an evolving relationship with the natural world and our place in it.

Munch, a well-read artist curious about ideas, connected with the tenets of German thinker Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) who defended the notion of an evolutionary world comprised of spirit and matter. He represents his adherence to monism—the belief that everything is one, life is all, and thus interconnected—in a 1930 drawing that shows three concentric energy circles stacked on top of one another. At the bottom, a trembling earth propels the others.

“The soil of the earth longed for the air,” Munch wrote aphoristically. “Everything is alive and in motion.”

Munch questioned the nature of nature. Convoking the atmosphere of Grimm’s fairytales and folk traditions, forests are haunted, eerie kingdoms. We see this in Children of the Forest (1901-1902), The Magic Forest (1919-1925) and The Fairytale Forest (1927-1929), which depict woods as secret, impenetrable worlds, with human as well as nonhuman characters. Dreamlike, evergreen trees and skies espouse the shifting shapes of flames.

A painting of colorful rocks on a beach
Edvard Munch, ‘Beach’, 1904, oil on canvas. Munchmuseet, MM.M.00771. © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Munchmuseet / Juri Kobayashi

Munch also recognizes the sublime, a magnetic force revealed in The Yellow Log (1912), a mesmerizing composition of depth and vibrancy that invites us to consider differentiation, as well as cyclical time—growth, decomposition, death. The viewer walks into the painting like the inside of a nave, observing the texture of the tree barks enhanced with scale-like accents.

Nature is a place of nourishment and symbolic abundance (Fertility, 1899-1900) but also quiet desolation. These distinct qualities tend to fade and merge; nature, like Munch’s work, evades strict categorization. What Munch does is capture the edge of a continuous movement via swirls and determined undulations, sculptural brushstrokes, organic matter from his plein-air practice and a distorted lens that becomes elevated.

SEE ALSO: Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’ Found to Be at Risk of Damage by Human Breath

Munch is a master of vivid liminality which is exalted in endless moonlights that melt into the sea like the wax of an incandescent candle, totemic beach stones, diffracted suns, moody wintry nights and his ingenious pairing of hues. Novelist Karl Ove Knausgård, a fellow Norwegian and fervent admirer of Munch, speaks of his “physicality of color” in a book devoted to the artist. The result is unique, color and texture converge in a song of adoration and grief.

The impressive visual range presented in the show reminds of Munch’s singular approach; he pioneered expressionism (Spring Ploughing, 1916) and included proto-surrealist oneiric scenes, as well as impressionistic touches. The disturbing, destabilizing, dizzying curvature of The Scream permeates the show and reveals a complementary sensibility.

A lithograph of The Scream (1895) makes us wonder: is Munch a godfather of eco-anxiety? The iconic painting (and emoji) may have more to shout back at us than an inscrutable void. Munch reportedly felt “a vast, endless scream [that] passed through nature,” which helps us understand his attempt at articulating conflicts between outer and inner worlds.

In a different part of The Clark, the artists included in the contemporary group show “Humane Ecology” question their multifaceted relationship with nature through the lens of displacement, indigeneity, violence, love and death. Impermanence is a guiding thread of these mycelial conversations which stretch from Los Angeles to Thailand.

Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio, ‘Mano dura’, 2023. Cast rubber with ficus tree surface residue; latex paint, acrylic, and marker on found cloth; ceiba tree fiber; rope; wooden support. Courtesy of the artist and Commonwealth and Council, Los Angeles/Mexico City

Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio’s large-scale installation Mano dura (2023) and Pulmón #2 (2023) engages with uprootedness and bonding via the cultural and historical significance of the ficus rubber tree, brought to Los Angeles in the mid-20th century for its shade-friendly canopy. Aparicio turns the tree into a breathing, skin-like material in his installation that, like the Central American migrant workers who arrived around the same time (Aparicio is Salvadorian), is extracted for its sweat and blood—their two saps coalesce into a metaphoric stream of pain and healing.

Land and sovereignty unite the works of Carolina Caycedo’s Power to Nurture (2023) and Christine Howard Sandoval’s works on handmade paper. Caycedo’s meditative altars and calls to action contained in micro-manifestos anchor the trailblazing role and voice of eco-feminists, underpinning life as a desire, a choice and a responsibility to nurture. Medicinal plants underscore the healing properties of nature, the recognition of indigenous knowledge and science and the possibility of alternative models to exploitative capitalism.

Carolina Caycedo, ‘We Save Our Seed for the Following Season / When You Take from Mother Earth You Can Give Back by Sprinkling Tobacco (Ella)’, 2023, Jacquard weaving, UV acrylic printed cotton twill, wood, loose tobacco. Courtesy of the artist and Instituto de Visión, Bogotá/New York

Howard Sandoval, a member of the Chalon Indian Nation, remembers the destruction of ancestral land in contrast with indigenous care that she represents in material such as highly-saturated soot and bear grass, with line-work that channels dormant furrows and roads of exile. The burning marks symbolize controlled burns, a technique used to maintain indigenous habitats, as well as scars of erasure and dispossession.

The show also includes works by Allison Janae Hamilton, Pallavi Sen, and Kandis Williams. Across geography—whether urban, rural, developed or so-called developing—multiple mythologies and cosmogonies (Korakrit Arunanondchai’s breathtaking justice-driven video work Songs for Dying, 2021) and various mediums (an immersive sound-based sculptural work of Juan Antonio Olivares that re-creates a deconstructed shoreline) weave threads of kinship and community free from moralizing prescriptions.

A video still of a woman by a tree
Korakrit Arunanondchai, ‘Songs for dying’, 2021.
Single-channel HD video, color, sound 30:18 minutes. Courtesy of the artist; Bangkok City City Gallery; Carlos/Ishikawa, London; C L E A R I N G, New York/Brussels/Los Angeles; and Kukje Gallery, Seoul

Instead, they conjure new interrogations about what they see and experience. A beautiful Pissarro, such as The River Oise near Pontoise (1873) which is part of The Clark’s permanent collection, hints at the dawn of the Anthropocene Age with the ominous presence of a factory and its smoke. Other permanent collection pieces at The Clark, such as Romanticist bucolic landscapes untouched by human life, have often been used to visually justify colonial enterprises in land deemed “uninhabited” or under-exploited, but these aesthetic and political constructs are a fantasy. Instead, these images illustrate our collective denial of a two-way relationship and interdependency.

In Williamstown, MA, cows graze on a hill on land that belonged to the Mohican people. Beyond acknowledgment—which The Clark does, and Caycedo’s installation notably features a portrait of Ella Besaw, a herbalist from the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Tribe— the question posed is how can we crucially give back what we’ve taken, repair what has been broken? It feels too late in many ways. From Munch to contemporary artists, nature shrieks and what remains is a poignant loss.

Curated by Jay A. Clarke (who wrote a book in 2009 dispelling stubborn myths about Munch), Trine Otte Bak Nielsen and Jill Lloyd, “Trembling Earth” succeeds at channeling our gaze toward an artist whose troubled life has often overshadowed his art. Together with “Humane Ecology,” curated by Robert Wiesenberger, the two exhibitions translate our need to connect with humans and nonhuman species on deeper, affective levels of entanglement.

“Trembling Earth” is on view through October 15. “Humane Ecology” is on view through October 29.

The Scream of Nature: Munch and Reflections on the Anthropocene at The Clark



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