Kihnu lies 12 km (7 mi) off the coast of Estonia and is the largest of more than a dozen islands in the reefs and shallows of the Gulf of Riga. It is 16 sq km (6 sq mi) in area with a low ridge running down the middle and only 9 m (30 ft) [...]
Monthly Archives: August 2009
Using a Flash Indoors
August 30, 2009 – 12:09 pm
Over the years, you’ve probably seen plenty of indoor flash pictures that have a pitch black background and a washed-out, overexposed foreground. Many factors conspire to produce these stark, unflattering shots, but one of the major contributors is, once again, your camera thinking on its own. You’re letting it decide when to turn on the [...]
People Pictures: How to Really Get Rid of the Dreaded Red Eye
August 20, 2009 – 11:56 am
For years now, film and digital camera makers have been inflicting red-eye reduction settings on their customers. Its a series of bright, strobing flashes that’s not only annoying to the people you’re photographing, but doesn’t even work very well.
What causes red eye? In a dimly lit setting, the subject’s pupil expands, revealing more of the [...]
Rottnest Island Western Australia
August 19, 2009 – 2:43 pm
Sitting on the edge of the Australian continental shelf near Perth in western Australia, Rottnest Island is just 11 km (6 mi) long and 4.5 km (2.7 mi) at its widest point. An iconic holiday destination for Perth residents, with 70 per cent of visitors coming for a day out, the entire island is run [...]
Norfolk Island
August 18, 2009 – 2:33 pm
A tiny jewel set in the azure seas of the South Pacific, Norfolk Island is just 8 km (5 mi) long, and 1,600 km (994 mi) northeast of Sydney, Australia.
It is the biggest of a cluster of three islands on the Norfolk Ridge, fringed by coral reefs and crowned by pristine rainforest and some of [...]
The Republic of Mauritius
August 18, 2009 – 11:22 am
Part of the Mascarene Islands, the Republic of Mauritius is off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, 900 km (560 mi) east of Madagascar. The republic consists of five islands: St Brandon, Rodrigues, two Agalegas Islands and Mauritius itself.
The latter was originally uninhabited, but the Dutch named the island and established a colony [...]
Elephantine Island of the Nile River
August 18, 2009 – 6:44 am
Known to the Ancient Egyptians as Abu or Yabu, meaning elephant, Elephantine Island is a truly ancient site resting as it does at the First Cataract of the Nile, and creating a natural boundary between Egypt and Nubia.
Being the largest island at Aswan, it was easily defensible and at one time was thought to be [...]
Aldabra Atoll
August 16, 2009 – 1:13 pm
Aldabra Atoll is a member of the Aldabra Group, one of the archipelagos of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles. The second largest atoll in the world after Kiritimati, Aldabra is the coraline tip of a volcanic sea mount, rising from depths of 4,000 to 4,500m (13,120 to 14,760 ft). At 34 km (21 mi) [...]
The Canaries - Islands of the Dogs
August 12, 2009 – 4:08 pm
The Canaries are a group of seven volcanic islands off the Atlantic coast of North Africa. They cover a total area of 7,450 sq km (2,900 sq ml) containing some of the world’s most stunning scenery. Each island has its own individual landscape and flora and fauna, ranging from the desert of Fuerteventura to the [...]
The Lake Islands of Sweden
August 8, 2009 – 4:08 pm
Lake Malaren is the third largest lake in Sweden, adjoining the city of Stockholm. The lake’s area is 1,140 square km and its greatest depth is 64 metres. Its numerous islands contain an incredibly rich heritage, a beautiful lush historical landscape with palaces, old churches, rune stones, forty castles, and two World Heritage Sites - [...]