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Mesmerising moments from 2023 Sony World Photography Awards

<p>The World Photography Organisation has announced the winners of the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards in their Open competition. </p> <p>The awards, founded in 2007, received over 415,000 images from over 200 countries and territories for their 2023 competition. </p> <p>200,000 images were entered into their Open category, and the 2023 National &amp; Regional Awards Winners have been showcased for the world to see, with work representing a diverse range of images from all around the globe. </p> <p>For the hopeful photographers - across the four categories of Professional, Open, Student, and Youth - entries are free to submit, with a tempting top prize of $25,000. Winners of the National &amp; Regional Awards receive Sony digital imaging equipment and international exposure.</p> <p>“The Awards are regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious photography competitions by elevating photographers’ careers – from established to emerging – since it started 16 years ago,” the World Photography Organisation has said. </p> <p>Of the National &amp; Regional Awards programme, they state on their website that “expert judges uncover the best single images from each of the countries” and that the category “celebrates and rewards local photographic talent across the world.”</p> <p>This year’s winners are no exception, with a photographer from each nation honoured for a standalone image. The remaining overall winners are set to be announced at the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in April. </p> <p>If the National &amp; Regional Awards are anything to go by, the judges will have their work cut out for them narrowing down the record entries. </p> <p><em>All image credits: Sony World Photography Awards</em></p> <p> </p>

International Travel

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"Mesmerising" James Bond-style mega-home hits the market

<p>The owners of a luxury home in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Mosman that's just hit the market went so far as to call in miners from Lightning Ridge just to build an incredible tunnel – that is now wowing interested buyers.</p><p>“It’s very James Bond and high-tech,” says Di Jones Mosman agent Jacqui Rowland-Smith of the 25m tunnel on the property, which has $10m expectations in an expressions of interest campaign.</p><p>“You come out of the garage and walk into the tunnel, the lights come on and there’s music … it’s mesmerising.”</p><p>The five-bedroom home with four bathrooms also boasts a heated pool and stunning views taking in the Opera House and city skyline.</p><p>Owners Robert Procter, an electrical engineer, and his wife, Wendy, say it’s the addition of the tunnel four years ago, from the street and double garage to a lift taking them to both levels of the home, that’s been a game-changer.</p><p>“It means we don’t have to walk up 63 steps, which is particularly difficult in the pouring rain,” says Robert.</p><p>They even included a home gym in the tunnel. Their builder had put them in touch with the Lightning Ridge miners, who were prepared to move to Sydney for the six-month long project.</p><p>The Procters even gave them free board and three meals a day.</p><p>“It’s a big house and the five of them stayed downstairs … the only thing we didn’t supply was alcohol – which would have cost more than the tunnel,” Robert said.</p><p>The miners used jackhammers for the vertical lift shaft and a special machine that cut through the rock for the tunnel. He said that, including the lift and landscaping, there wasn’t much change from $1m for the work, which he declares was well worth it.</p><p>The miners went on to do similar work at other homes around Sydney, and WestConnex even offered them a job.</p><p>But the miners ended up knocking back the work, says Robert.</p><p>“They looked at the government contract — penalties if they were 10 minutes late? They decided to give it a miss,” he said.</p><p>The Procters moved into the home 40 years ago, when it cost them $290,000. Times have certainly changed.</p><p>Images: Real Estate.com.au</p>

Real Estate

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Mesmerised by Monet in Basel

<p><strong><em>New Zealand travel writer Justine Tyerman upsets the men in black at one of the world's finest art museums, the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland.</em></strong></p> <p>The men in black suits get highly agitated when you get too close to a Monet, and if you accidentally bump a Rodin while zooming in for a close-up, they have an apoplexy. Even the walls are alarmed — they beep at you when your iPhone swoops in to photograph the name tag beside the artwork.</p> <p>But after an hour of following me round, the museum minders realised I was no danger to their precious artworks — nor was I an art thief. Just a clumsy ingénue who was over-excited at being in one of the finest art museums in the world. In fact, Melih became quite chatty after a while and told me all sorts of interesting facts about the museum.</p> <p>It’s a small miracle I got to the Fondation Beyeler at all. The trip to the museum near Basel in Switzerland was cancelled because our group was disbanding earlier than expected and there would be too few left to make the visit worthwhile. I was bitterly disappointed. There was a Monet painting there I had always longed to see, not to mention the opportunity to see works by Picasso, Degas, Rodin, Matisse, van Gogh, Klee and Warhol.</p> <p>However, in Switzerland, all things are possible and accessible. I picked up a ticket from the concierge at Les Trois Rois, my historic hotel — which is a museum in its own right — jumped on the tram across the road and, 15 minutes later, I was at the Beyeler.</p> <p>The gallery, a beautiful piece of modern architecture set in lovely gardens, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and has mounted three special exhibitions.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7264645/image__500x333.jpg" alt="Image_ (35)" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Le bassin aux nymphéas, Water lily pond by Claude Monet. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>Fifty Claude Monet masterpieces from private collections and renowned museums including the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the Art Institute in Chicago were on display from January to May.</p> <p>Wolfgang Tillman’s studio pictures, still lifes and portraits were exhibited from May to October, and from October to January 2018, 100 pieces of Paul Klee’s work dating from 1913 — including some of his rarely-exhibited works — are on display.</p> <p>I was sad to have missed the major Monet exhibition but there were still two of his famous works hanging, including the luminous six-metre-long Le bassin aux nymphéas, which had me utterly mesmerised.</p> <p>However, it did mean I paid more attention to the exhibition of the moment and learned all about Klee and his contribution to the development of abstract art in Europe.</p> <p>I also learned about the founders of the museum, celebrated art dealers Ernst and Hildy Beyeler, who assembled a collection of fine works of classical modernism over a period of 50 years.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7264644/image__500x333.jpg" alt="Image_ (34)" width="500" height="333" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Fondation Beyeler gardens. Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>Looking for a suitable place to build a museum to house the works, Beyeler found it in his hometown of Riehen near Basel, the art and culture capital of Switzerland. He commissioned Renzo Piano to design the Fondation Beyeler museum which was opened in October, 1997. It is now one of the most important and beautiful art museums in the world.</p> <p>Attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year from all over the world, the Fondation Beyeler aims to encourage young people to learn about modern art.</p> <p>I was mightily impressed to see many family groups at the gallery and children showing animated interest in the artworks. There were workshops going on too, involving hundreds of very young children. </p> <p>The Fondation Beyeler is one of 40 museums in Basel within 37sq km making the city an absolute paradise for art and history aficionados. A compact metropolis dissected by the beautiful Rhine River in the north-west corner of Switzerland, Basel (population 200,000) is the country’s third most populous city.  </p> <p><em>* Justine travelled to Switzerland with Switzerland Tourism: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.myswitzerland.com/" target="_blank">www.myswitzerland.com</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em>* Fondation Beyeler <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.fondationbeyeler.ch/en/" target="_blank">www.fondationbeyeler.ch/en/</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em>* Les Trois Rois, Basel <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.lestroisrois.com/" target="_blank">www.lestroisrois.com</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em>* Swiss Travel Pass: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.myswitzerland.com/rail" target="_blank">www.MySwitzerland.com/rail</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em>* Swiss International Air Lines: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.swiss.com/ch/en" target="_blank">www.swiss.com/ch/en</a></strong></span></em></p>

International Travel

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Mesmerising video of Liz Taylor applying make-up re-surfaces

<p>Newly-surfaced footage has been released of legendary screen starlet Elizabeth Taylor very adeptly applying her own make-up before shooting a scene for the 1974 film <em>The Driver’s Seat</em>. And we must say, it’s quite mesmerising to watch.</p> <p>The Hollywood icon, who sadly passed away in 2011 at the age of 79, was allegedly so well-known for her beauty skills that she would often go without one of the studio’s make-up artists, instead opting to do it herself. And, after seeing the video above, we don’t blame the talented starlet.</p> <p>It’s rumoured that Liz’s trademark blue smoky eye was actually to help make her eyes look extra white. We wouldn’t be surprised if it were true, as her peepers certainly do pop in this glamourous clip.</p> <p>What's your favourite memory of Elizabeth Taylor? Share it in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2016/04/elizabeth-taylors-granddaughter-shares-candid-details-on-their-relationship/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Elizabeth Taylor's granddaughter shares candid details on their relationship</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/02/best-elizabeth-taylor-looks/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Our favourite Elizabeth Taylor looks</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2016/02/elizabeth-taylor-memorable-wedding-looks/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Elizabeth Taylor’s most memorable wedding looks</span></em></strong></a></p>

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