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Quicksand!


Quicksand!
Photo Information
Copyright: Alberto Piubello (albertopiubello) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 360 W: 46 N: 847] (2491)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-11-23
Categories: Nature
Exposure: f/2.8
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-01-08 3:11
Viewed: 1522
Points: 28
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
During a visit to Messamena, a little village in the East Province of Cameroon, we had to reach coffee plantations besides the swamps that are all around the village. Our guide stopped us here.... in front of quicksand!!! He told us that everybody in Messamena knows perfectly this swamp and they can cross it also in the night, being drunk!!!
How many times have you watched a movie where the hero is sucked down into a pit of quicksand, only to be saved at the last minute by grabbing a nearby tree branch and pulling himself out? If you believed what you saw in movies, you might think that quicksand is a living creature that can suck you down into a bottomless pit, never to be heard from again. But no -- the actual properties of quicksand are not quite those portrayed in the movies.
Quicksand is not quite the fearsome force of nature that you sometimes see on the big screen. In fact, quicksand is rarely deeper than a few feet. It can occur almost anywhere if the right conditions are present. Quicksand is basically just ordinary sand that has been so saturated with water that the friction between sand particles is reduced. The resulting sand is a mushy mixture of sand and water that can no longer support any weight.
If you step into quicksand, it won't suck you down. However, your movements will cause you to dig yourself deeper into it.
Quicksand is an interesting natural phenomenon -- it is actually solid ground that has been liquefied by an oversaturation of water. The "quick" refers to how easily the sand shifts when in this semiliquid state.
The worst thing to do is to thrash around in the sand and move your arms and legs through the mixture. You will only succeed in forcing yourself farther down into the liquid sandpit. The best thing to do is to make slow movements and bring yourself to the surface, then just lie back. You'll float to a safe level.
vonp, JVS, brevbrev14, vincz, lestans, Silvio1953, grigand, Mistral, Wanda1, VeeJayCee, iapain, Flavia, AdrienneClaire, imarinopulos, smarcell, ang25 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • vonp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 369 W: 0 N: 290] (2187)
  • [2007-01-08 3:21]

Buona Settimana Alberto!
Questo posto è un mix tra il bello e l'inquietante...
La foto mi piace: bravo.
Buona, come sempre, la tua nota dettagliatissima.
A prestissimo
Paolo

Hi Alberto
Nice capture of this corner. Great colours and reflections.
Regards

ciao!
mamma mia le sabbie mobili!!!
roba da film!e invece lì è pura realtà!
impressionanti se ci penso!
bella foto!hai fatto proprio bene a mandare una realtà del genere!
bravo!
ciao e buona giornata!
Valeria

  • Great 
  • vincz Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2999 W: 87 N: 5049] (17510)
  • [2007-01-08 4:23]

Note tres informative, je saurai ce qu'il faut faire si jamais je tombe sur des sables mouvants! J'avais comme tout le monde la vision des films sur le sujet. la photo est tres interessante par ses couleurs, ce marron brillant dans cet ecrin vert. Bien vu!

Interessantissimo! Grazie per questa foto e per la nota così ben esplicativa. Chissà perchè nei film hanno inventato questo mostro che ti inghiotte in un istante, dato che le cose non stanno così; ma il cinema deve sempre esagerare: sabbie mobili, automobili che prendono fuoco come fiammiferi...

Ricordo anch'io un cartello con scritto "quicksand" in una spiaggia dalle parti di Hermanus (Pringle Bay) vicino a Capetown: non avevo con me il vocabolario, e non ci ho fatto caso, e ho camminato su e giù senza accorgemi di niente di strano. Poi a casa ho controllato la parola, dato che mi era venuto un certo dubbio... :-))

Livia

I like the colours and composition, thanx

Bellissima Alberto, mette quasi paura, è una foto da cui mantenersi a debita distanza, grazie per averci fatto vedere un altro pezzo di africa insolito, almeno per me, e per la tua interssante nota, ciao Silvio

Ciao Alberto
Bellissima e interessantissima ... qui con questo "gioco" mi sembra di continuare a viaggiare da casa! Grazie e complimenti.
Ciao
Andrea

Ciao Alberto!
brrrr sabbie mobili!!!
Bella la nota ma anche l'immagine è ben centrata e i riflessi sembrano persini inquietanti adesso che so cosa c'è sotto.
Un sorriso.
Luca
PS: se ti servissero informazioni sulla Birmania o anche sull'India... ma il luogo che hai commentato nella mia foto non è visitabile in estate, piove troppo!!!

Hello Alberto !
Really great capture. Amazing colors and perfect compo.
Thanks for sharing
MESUT ILGIM

  • Great 
  • Wanda1 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1208 W: 21 N: 1410] (7572)
  • [2007-01-09 13:58]

Hi Alberto,
A very interesting shot with great colours. And some good advice in your note if I ever get stuck in quick sand.
Regards
Wanda

Good notes that could well save a life Alberto. I guess these swamps and the humidity is the price paid for the wonderful lush vegetation you show here.

  • Great 
  • Flavia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1693 W: 96 N: 1824] (7417)
  • [2007-01-10 22:35]

Ola Alberto,

Que aula! Sujeito interessantissimo. Fiquei intrigada com a cor ocre, pensei que fosse um lago com propriedades minerais especificas.

Abracos,

Flavia

Bellissimo il colore dell'acqua, l'atmosfera misteriosa, e molto interessante il commento. Ne approfitto per ringraziarti per il commento positivo alle mie foto, e per farti i complimenti per il tuo lavoro. CIao Stefano

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