“Woman with Umbrella in Rain” by Raimund von Stillfried. Artist: Kusakabe Kimbei (Japanese, 1841–1934), 1870s. Commercial photography studios in Meiji-era Japan were renowned for the subtlety and refinement of their coloring techniques. This hand-tinted image of a young woman caught in a heavy rainstorm achieved its naturalistic effect by knitting together multiple strands of artifice: the greenery in the foreground was a studio prop; the flaps of the kimono were suspended by thin wires to create the impression of a strong wind; and long, diagonal marks were made on the negative to suggest streaks of rain. (Photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

A woman poses on the flooded St. Mark's square during an acqua-alta (high-water) alert in Venice, on November 19, 2013. (Photo by Andrea Pattaro/AFP Photo)

P.S. All pictures, as usual, are presented in high resolution. To see Hi-Res images – just TWICE click on any picture. In other words, click small picture – opens the BIG picture. Click BIG picture – opens VERY BIG picture (if available; this principle works anywhere on the site AvaxNews).

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has announced the winners of a UK national photography competition in which we challenged young people aged 14–18 for their unique take on society and the social sciences by asking them to take a picture on the theme of “Where Do I Belong?” – ESRC Press Office. Photo: “Society hurts”. (Photo by Grace Ridge/ESRC)

A pair of ice climbers have been snapped in front of a stunning aurora. Mike Stuart and Takeshi Tani were climbing the Athabasca Glacier in Alberta, Canada, when the aurora lit up the nights sky. They were photographed by famed night-time photographer Paul Zizka, who specialises in photographing auroras in some of Canadas most beautiful parks. (Photo by Paul Zizka/Caters News)

Amateur honorable mention | Common raven at Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Colleen Gara/Audubon Photography Awards)

Luis Hernan was always curious about how wireless technologies like radio are transmitted through the air. So after finishing up his studies in architecture, computer science, and design, Hernan decided to research these invisible signals through a PhD at Newcastle University. Hernan set up a system that turned the wireless signals around him into colourful, ghostlike images using long-exposure photography, allowing people to see the strength of the signals around them. (Photo by Luis Hernan)

Robots made by local enthusiasts and employees of an automobile repair workshop are seen during installation works on the outskirts of the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine, November 26, 2020. According to creators, who plan to open a robotics engineering park, 13-metre and 6-metre-high sculptures featuring transformer robots were made of waste metal including car components and weigh about 4 and 2 tonnes respectively. (Photo by Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)

This image released by Twentieth Century Fox shows Kristen Stewart in a scene from “Underwater”. (Photo by Alan Markfield/Twentieth Century Fox via AP Photo)