Vizualsbynick

Slice number 3 is upon us and I have a bit of a hate-love relationship with this view and location. I love this shot, but I kinda hate (it's a strong word I know, but I want you to get the point) this location because it's so difficult to capture in a good way. It's either always extremely crowded or the lighting is just off. But at the same time I love this location because of the absolutely gorgeous architecture, the beautiful history and of course the distorted leading lines. Also, if you watch closely, this shot was taken during sunrise. The view is towards the North, so the sun comes up to your right and it perfectly lights up the buildings to your left. 

So yeah, I love this location but it has also frustrated me more than once when trying to capture it in a way I felt did right by the beauty of it. 

Some statistics...

Amsterdam Centraal Station (Dutch: Station Amsterdam Centraal [stan mstrdm sntral]; abbreviation: Asd) is the largest railway station in Amsterdam, North Holland, the Netherlands. A major international railway hub, it is used by 192,000 passengers a day, making it the second busiest railway station in the country after Utrecht Centraal and the most visited Rijksmonument of the Netherlands.

Amsterdam Centraal was designed by Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers and opened in 1889. It features a Gothic, Renaissance Revival station building and a cast iron platform roof spanning approximately 40 meters.

Since 1997, the station building, underground passages, metro station, and the surrounding area have been undergoing major reconstruction and renovation works to accommodate the North-South Line metro route, which was opened on 22 July 2018. Amsterdam Centraal has the second longest railway platform in the Netherlands with a length of 695 metres.

A little bit of history...

Amsterdam Centraal was designed by Pierre Cuypers, who is also known for his design of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. While Cuypers was the principal architect, it is believed that he focused mostly on the decoration of the station building and left the structural design to railway engineers. The station was built by contractor Philipp Holzmann. The new central station replaced Amsterdam Willemspoort Station, which had closed in 1878, as well as the temporary Westerdok Station used from 1878 to 1889. The idea for a central station came from Johan Rudolph Thorbecke, then the Netherlands Minister of the Interior and responsible for the national railways, who, in 1884, laid two proposals before the Amsterdam municipal council. In the first proposal, the station would be situated between the Leidseplein and the Amstel river. In the other, it would be built in the open harbour front allowing for the station to be connected to the existing main lines in the area to the west and the south, but also to a projected new northern line.

Cuypers' design of the station building in many ways strongly resembled his other architectural masterpiece, the Rijksmuseum, of which the construction had begun in 1876. It features a palace-like, Gothic/Renaissance Revival facade, with two turrets and many ornamental details and stone reliefs referring to the capital city's industrial and commercial importance. Cuypers' station reflects the romantic nationalistic mood in the late nineteenth-century Netherlands, with its many decorative elements glorifying the nation's economic and colonial power at the time.

As with the Rijksmuseum, the station's overall architecture reminded many contemporaries of medieval cathedrals. For that reason, as well as for the fact that it became increasingly clear that the national government wanted the station to be built at the city's waterfront effectively separating the city from the IJ lake, the plan was highly controversial. In his book on the history of city, Amsterdam historian Geert Mak writes that:

Almost all of Amsterdam's own experts and others involved thought this to be a catastrophic plan, 'the most disgusting possible attack on the beauty and glory of the capital'. Nevertheless, the building of the Central Station in front of the open harbour was forced through by the railway department of the Ministry of Transport in The Hague, and the Home Secretary, Thorbecke. Finally, the plan made its way through the Amsterdam municipal council by a narrow majority.

Construction works started in 1882. The station is built on three interconnected artificial islands in the IJ lake. These islands were created with sand taken from the dunes near Velsen, which had become available as a result of the excavation of the North Sea Canal. The islands together are known as Stationseiland (Station Island). Like many other structures in Amsterdam, the station was built on wooden piles (8,687 pieces). The construction of the station was delayed because of the instability of the soil, which set back the completion of the work by several years. The station building was completed in 1884, but the commission to Cuypers did not include the roof work of the platforms. Therefore, the station did not yet feature its distinctive station roof. This roof, consisting of 50 curved trusses and a span of almost 45 meters, was designed by L.J. Eijmer, a civil engineer with the private railroad company Staatsspoorwegen. The roof was manufactured by Andrew Handyside and Company of Derby, England. Cuypers did design the decorations for the trusses and the gable ends. On 15 October 1889, the station was officially opened, drawing large numbers of crowds. The visitors were charged 0.25 guilders to see the station; in the first two days after the opening, several dozens of thousands paid. The opening of the central station marked the city's transition from a waterfront city to an inland city, spurring further redevelopment activities in the city centre which included the realignment of streets and the filling up of canals. The waterways would soon be replaced by tramways and cars as the primary modes of transport in the city.

In 1920, the East Wing of the station (the lower end of the building) was demolished and replaced by "The East", a postal service building designed by Cuypers' son Joseph. A second, narrower, and longer but similar roof on the north side of the station was completed in 1922.

Early expansions and modernization  
In the 1950s, a pedestrian tunnel was created between the station and the road in front of it, which terminated inside the station. With the construction of the metro tunnel in the late 1970s, both the pedestrian tunnel and the road in front of the station disappeared. In the early 1980s, the central hall and middle tunnel were considerably widened and modernized. In the 1990s, a new signaling post was built on the western side of the station. In addition, the number of tracks on that side was expanded in order to increase capacity in the direction of Sloterdijk station. In 1996, a third, 'centre roof' designed by Jan Garvelink, architect at Holland Rail Consult, was built between the two existing roofs, whereby all platforms at the station were now covered.

Later reform and expansion  
Since 1997, the station has been continuously undergoing reconstruction works because of the development of the North-South Line of the Amsterdam Metro, which was originally planned to be completed in 2014. Due to several setbacks, some at the Amsterdam Centraal building site, the line was fully completed in 2018. Construction works at the station include a renovation of the station building, including the reconstruction of original station features which had disappeared over the years, a redevelopment of the Stationsplein (Station Square), and a new bus station on the north side of the station. In 2000, the new western passenger tunnel opened replacing the main tunnel in the centre of the station which was shut down enabling the construction of the new metro line. In 2004, platforms 10-15 were extended to accommodate international high-speed rail services. Construction works for the bus station commenced in 2003, opened in 2009 and finished in 2014. It includes the construction of a fourth station roof and a station hall with space for shops and restaurants. It replaces 5 small bus stations and several isolated bus stops across the Station Island. With all buses eventually moving to the new bus station on the north side, the Station Island should only be accessible to pedestrians, cyclists and trams.

The three passenger tunnels underneath the station were upgraded and provided with convenience stores and kiosks. In addition, two new passageways were created enabling the hosting of larger retail stores, geared towards passengers who have more time to spend at the station.

On 4 February 2020, the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, and the UK Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, announced that juxtaposed controls would be established in the station. According to the announcement, starting from 30 April 2020, Eurostar passengers travelling to the UK would clear exit checks from the Schengen Area as well as UK entry checks (conducted by the UK Border Force) in the station before boarding their train (without having to disembark at Brussels-South station, go through the juxtaposed controls there, and re-board the train before continuing their journey to the UK).[12][13] However, the launch was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The inauguration of juxtaposed controls in the station subsequently took place on 26 October 2020.

From 2017 there will be further reconstruction works at the station. A number of platforms will be widened making use of the tracks which do not currently have platforms. This means that alterations will be made in the tunnels under the platforms again. Furthermore, the eastern tunnel will be made wider, based on the example of the middle tunnel. The old railway bridges to the east of the station will also be replaced.



AMS#3 Central Station

Damrak 

The second piece of my "Slices of Amsterdam" collection is also one of my favorite locations to photograph. Of course, Im not alone and this location is literally the most photographed spot in Amsterdam. Its a challenge to come up with something original, so I decided not to go for the straight line shot of the crooked houses, but instead choose an angle showing more of the surrounding area. 

What you see in the image here is really the beginning point of Damrak and if you would continue walking alongside it, you would see that Damrak is an avenue and partially filled-in canal at the center of Amsterdam, running between AMS central station in the north and the Dam Square in the south. 

Between 2002 and 2018, the North-South underground line was built to connect Amsterdam North with Amsterdam South and create an easy passage through Central Station. A part of the North-South line runs underneath Damrak which has caused some of the foundations of the house to sink in. This is clearly visible when looking at the houses that have become crooked due to their foundations sinking in. 

The street used to be located on a rak (reach), a straight part of the Amstel River near a dam; hence the name Dam Rak, Damrak. In the 19th century, a section of it was filled in. Because of the former stock exchange building, the monumental Beurs van Berlage, and several other buildings related to financial activities erected there in the early 20th century, the term Damrak has come to be a synonym for the Amsterdam Stock Exchange in the same way Wall Street is synonymous with the New York Stock Exchange. 

Creator: Vizualsbynick  
Code: AMS#2 
Artwork: Damrak 
Collection: Slices of Amsterdam 

his photo was taken on May 4th, 2022.

Damrak; an edition by Nick van Eijk

LICENCING: The Edition NFT Holder is free to use this image for displaying privately in non-commercial settings.

Where displayed on social media, in virtual galleries and virtual rooms the creator, Nick van Eijk, should be credited.

The Copyright remains with the creator, Nick van Eijk  


AMS#2 Damrak 

OpenSea Shared Storefront

The reason I change my career has some to do with the burn out of being a chef. Yet everything about trying to build a better relationship with our local food and environment.  

During covid  I watch my industry crumble with no real plan and my ideals close their Legacies (restaurants) . Which was the same time I picked up a camera. I started document everything around and in-between the farms I supported over the years.  Supporting local food is a lot more then just supporting our tummy's and one business. It a whole state that depends on the power of local small business.

This is a Mulefoot breed hog. And a moment of Gm, through a  electric fence at Raven Micro farms.  With out help of small local farmers , this breed and others would be extinct by now due to the increase in commercial farming. Commercial Farming isn't farming and it doesn't support land conservation,  local communities or respect of products and their life.

This Hog and her family will be grown solely to help repopulate this breed not for production of meat. So no worries there

Supporting this edition is supporting my journey in making local food more knowledge and showcasing the impacts it has on local communities and our enjoinment . I'm just trying to  help to make healthy food more equal and easily accessible to all, while  highlighting what food and beverage really does.

Helping Hand

DOID: Decentralized OpenID

banthafodderdan.doid, a decentralized OpenID.

banthafodderdan.doid

Syn City

Syn 129

Syn 40

Syn 131

Daydream

During the day, I often let my mind wander...

Under the waves, below the surface, there is a whole world to be discovered. 

Beware, you're not the dominant species down there... be kind, be humble.

Take a deep breath...

Enter the realm and meet the giants.

Daydream #19/100

Polar Vortex

Collection: Polar Vortex 
Artist: Dewucme  
Airdrop: Against the Odds Collectors

Limited Quantities 

This version is only for those who collect "Against the Odds" as a Free Airdrop.  
Moten Exodus was a vision I had if the world succumbed to extreme heat & environmental issues.

I wanted to recreate the frozen version "Against the Odds" but in a more heated environment. 

As the world heats up, the environment changes. Extremes appear & disappear, but we must always realize we are only visitors on this planet & Mother Nature is the owner. We must all do our part and take care of our home, it"s the only one we have!!

Molten Exodus 

All The Mingo Ladies

A collection of MINGO ladies inspired by those you love.

All the MINGO ladies #54

Dreamers exploring phygital self-expression 
 We Are All Made Of Stardust 
 
~Moon-Aligned Minting for .04 eth -> https://mint.stardustsociety.io 

~Earn Stardust Space Cadet badges ( https://opensea.io/collection/stardustspacecadets ) 

~Redeem them in the Stardust7 Shop! -> https://shopstardust7.com

*Based on the 1/1 collection Stardust Society by artist @c0c0stardust , Stardust Generation is a collection of 7777 Dreamers floating in the Ethereum orbit*

Stardust Generation

Stardust Generation #222

NFT CAR GIRL

"CHROMOTICA" - crafted in Riga, Latvia. // October 10, 2023 //

- Crafted using Blender 3D and enhanced with Photoshop  
- Size - 4000px x 5000px (300 DPI)

X - https://twitter.com/cartist00

CHROMOTICA

Cazando Cielos  Editions Contract

Hurricane Norma unleashed its wrath upon our communities in Sinaloa, my lens bore witness to the agony and resilience of my home state. This image, "Rebuilding Hope," encapsulates a moment of devastation and, more importantly, a call to action.

Sinaloa, the place where I was born and where I found my love for capturing the hidden wonders of our world, was under siege. The relentless rain and unyielding winds left homes submerged, power lines severed, and communications disrupted. The very essence of our daily lives was shaken to its core.

As I ventured into the heart of this natural disaster, I was not a mere observer; I became a participant in a story of compassion and recovery. The world may see an image of turbulent waters and submerged streets, but I see the indomitable spirit of our people rising above the adversity. It"s the resilience in the eyes of those who have lost everything yet stand undeterred.

"Rebuilding Hope" is not just a photograph; it"s a lifeline. It"s a reminder that in times of crisis, humanity must come together. It serves a greater purpose80% of the proceeds from this Open Edition will go directly to those communities most affected by Hurricane Norma. We aim to provide mattresses, clothing, clean water, sustenance, and the basic necessities to help our neighbors rebuild their lives.

This image, awash with the pain of loss and the promise of a brighter tomorrow, is a call to action. It urges you to become a part of the solution, to join us in supporting those who have lost it all. With every purchase, you become an agent of change, a symbol of hope for those who need it most.

As you contemplate "Rebuilding Hope," let it touch your heart and awaken your empathy. Let it be a visual testament to the compassion and unity that can emerge from the darkest of times. Together, we can rewrite the story of Sinaloa, turning a tale of tragedy into one of triumph.

Your acquisition of this photograph is not just a gesture of art appreciation; it"s a declaration of humanity, a commitment to rebuild what has been lost, and a powerful reminder that compassion knows no boundaries.

## ABOUT ME

Alfredo Juarez, a renowned photographer, first gained recognition through his captivating Astro photography work in Sinaloa. His celestial masterpieces have graced exhibitions across four countries and adorned the pages of prestigious magazines and newspapers. However, this year, as he delved into storm chasing, he discovered a new calling, a profound mission that could become his lasting legacy.

In the heart of Sinaloa, where the most powerful storms ever recorded brew, Alfredo found his purposeto use his storm chasing art as a catalyst for change. He recognizes the critical need for more weather stations to gather crucial data for accurate forecasts and, ultimately, to save lives. With unwavering dedication, Alfredo aims to be the one who fully documents the raw power of the Sinaloan Monsoon and uses his art to raise awareness for this pressing matter.

Alfredo"s career is a kaleidoscope of passions, from being an art and sunset enthusiast to an accomplished Astro photographer with international acclaim. Now, as a storm chaser about to showcase his art, he embarks on a journey to inspire others through his lens, leaving an indelible mark not only on the art world but also on the lives he can potentially save.

## LICENSE  
Extended Editorial License: Can be used to display privately, or in commercial and non-commercial settings, or in groups with an unlimited number of participants. The License includes unlimited use and display in virtual or physical galleries, documentaries, and essays by the NFT holder. Provides no rights to create commercial merchandise.

Rebuilding Hope

fragilis vita | lucis evolutio

in splendore lucis, "lucis evolutio" per imagines quatuor, immobilis ad motum, serenitatem vitrei floruit ostendit

Created using GPT, MidJourney, Topaz Photo AI, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, Pika Labs, Topaz Video AI, Mubert and DaVinci Resolve

evil twin

Floral Notes

Morning symphony of bird song with woodpecker percussion. Soft pink orange clouds glimmer with first morning light. Sweet sun, sweet lover who laid herself down, like a blanket of love her soft curls unfurl to caress the trees tops. They glow from her love & warm the birds nest. Theres something so calming & soft that the first light brings. The sky, her colors, her clouds & the evaporated rain sing, a song of the earth, a sonnet, an ava of light, life & dreams.
The day has begun
dont you see?

BLURRED by Donna Martinez

This image is from a series of images created on my first road trip out after fighting cancer for 6 months. The first half of the year seems like a blur.

I have won this battle. I have a newly found appreciation for life and everything in general and do not intend on taking it for granted.

BLURRED #9

BLURRED #3

Content of My Heart 

She was Lithuanian! 

Artist: Aida Boldeanu
Style: Color Polaroid Photography
Format: .jpeg
Date: 10/12/2023