14 day old Baby rescued ALIVE!

Just got the news when I woke up.
After 46 hours under the collapsed rubble of the families apartment building
Azra Karaduman was rescued alive from her mother's protecting arms.
You can hear excited voices and clapping as they realize they have found their 5th survivor in the rubble so far since they began the rescue efforts.

 Imagine what this woman must be feeling right now holding the life of this precious girl in her arms after 2 days of being underground! Congratulations and good work ladies and gentleman! 

Shortly after rescue workers were able to pull both the mother and the grandmother to safety. This is one strong bloodline. All three generations survived the collapsing of the apartment building.

The heroic mother who kept her baby safe is carried to a hospital

Shortly after they reach the grandmother

 A very difficult day ends with a bit of hope and happiness as the heroic rescue workers hard work pays off and they continue looking for more survivors. 

In the meantime, little Azra Karaduman is finally getting some much needed rest. 

An amazing Photo! Lion coming at you

These are all "retweets" that I found through http://amazingpics.posterous.com/. I couldn't help but share some of my favorites I saw tonight.

Copyright: Marsel van Oosten
Camera: Nikon D3
Lens: AF-S 24-70/2.8
Focal Length: 40 mm
Shutter Speed: 1/5000 sec.
Aperture: 5.6
ISO/Film: 800

In the words of the Photographer:
"As with most wildlife shots, there was quite a bit of luck involved to get this shot - after all, with wild animals you never know what's going to happen. Most wildlife photographers use long tele lenses to photograph potentially dangerous animals, and that is probably a wise thing to do. However, wide angle shots are often more dynamic, more in your face, so that's what I wanted to try in South Africa with lions. I used a radio controlled remote and shot from a handheld monopod, turned upside down, without getting out of the car. It's my secret (well, not anymore) technique to get low level perspective shots with wide angle lenses, while remaining flexible and without running the risk of getting eaten. This male lion did not appreciate the clicks coming from the grass very much, and decided to charge the D3. I guess he was more the Canon type."

This man is pretty clever and a bit gutsy with using his equipment.

Earthquake in Turkey

I hadn't seen the news or heard about the 7.2 magnitude quake, which so far has 366 reported deaths and many more missing, until my surfer's sister had contacted her asking her if she was okay and that her mother was worried. We were both looking at each other puzzled as we spent a relaxing evening watching the latest Modern Family episodes and previewing Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

So when we got the news we didn't realize how bad it was until we saw live coverage on the tv at a restaurant. The extent of the damage was mind numbing.

Now, just to alleviate any further worries of friends or families, the epic center of the quake was in the city of Van which is in the far eastern part of Turkey, approximately 781miles away from Istanbul.  So really the only thing that will happen here in Istanbul are protests to the mistakes Turkey's Governing Administration may make during the recovery efforts as well as to why the housing was built so poorly in such a quake-prone area. We may also see a lot of National Pride marches as this coming weekend is Republic Day. However, this one will certainly be a somber one for Turkey.

The images sent from the field show the devastation.

Yunus Geray, 13, became a symbol of hope of the devastating earthquake in Van when a Reuters photographer captured the moment of his rescue. He lay beneath a dead man for hours. Unfortunately, he died on the way to the hospital of heart failure. 

Residents look at what's left of their collapsed apartments and homes

There was a lack of available machinery for recovery efforts which has led to some anger

At first, residents were left to their own devises to dig through the rubble.
It's a hard toll on all involved

Workers dig through the rubble for survivors

As with every natural disaster you get amazingly lucky stories of survivors saved. 

There has been some increasing controversy rising up in the last 24 hours as residents complain that the government isn't providing enough support for the victims. There are not enough tents for everyone as the support centers and the government are overwhelmed and refused aid from foreign countries (but a few minutes ago has reversed that order). Families like the one below are the ones that are suffering because of it. The nights are getting colder and colder now.

A family sits huddled in blankets around a fire after losing their home.
They're the lucky ones

Istanbul Photo Contest entries

Istanbul Photo Contest entries, a set on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
These are the photos I've chosen.
I need your help to choose 5 of the TOP photos to submit by Nov. 1st, 2011 for the Istanbul Photo Contest.

The winning entry will be used in advertisement and marketing materials for Istanbul tourism. So I'll get name recognition along with...

The grand prize of a 5 day all expense paid trip for 2 to Istanbul from anywhere. I'd like to bring my Dad and his wife over here to visit me. It's been almost 2 years since I've last seen them.

Come Help me choose the top 5 by Voting +1 or TOP 5 on the photo you think has the look!

Istanbul Photo Contest entries

Istanbul Photo Contest entries, a set on Flickr.

These are the photos I've chosen.
I need your help to choose 5 of the TOP photos to submit by Nov. 1st, 2011 for the Istanbul Photo Contest.

The winning entry will be used in advertisement and marketing materials for Istanbul tourism. So I'll get name recognition along with...

The grand prize of a 5 day all expense paid trip for 2 to Istanbul from anywhere. I'd like to bring my Dad and his wife over here to visit me. It's been almost 2 years since we last met.