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A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
I personally like this shot because it shows that no matter who you are, where you are, or what you look like a wave and a smile always translates to good times for all.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming around with sandwiches and cool drinks for everyone.
Sorry, haven\'t seen any cathouses yet although there were a couple of places in Nevada......
This was shot in Florence Oregon, down on the Siuslaw river. There were several of these bird condos around but this was the only one that was occupied.
I\'m hoping that Jim Frazier or another of the birder ilk can identify the inhabitants. Whatever they are they seemed to be scrapping with the seagulls that were divebombing their shack!
For those who are interested the color is SOOC. Did a little crop since this was a LONG shot!
Had a storm pass by last night that took the usual path from East to West, totally bypassing me. Good thing about this is I don't have to worry about getting rained on, bad part is I've got to zoom a bit which limits the real estate that the lens can catch. You could be pointed in the right direction and have a bolt that hits right out of frame so this truly is a hit or miss situation!
This is a single shot, f/14 with 50mm of zoom, ISO 100 and 25 seconds on the clock. The sky was full of lightning but it hitting all around, not focused in one place.
Since we're technically tourists I thought I'd shoot a tourist type shot!
Niccy and I just got back from a cruise that took us to Puerto Vallarta Mexico, Huatulco Mexico, Puerto Chiapas Mexico, Puntarenas Costa Rica, Puerto Amador Panama, through the Panama Canal, on to Aruba and ending up in Fort Lauderdale.
Our trip style is to bypass the tourist spots and try to get a feel for the city/state/country we're in but being on a cruise it's difficult since cruises are all about "tourist spots". Hence, this shot.
Maybe that's something I'll try out in the future, shooting "tourist type shots" but with a little artistic flair. Something that sets them apart from the typical Iphone shots you'll see here on Flickr. Always trying to expand my repertoire....
There weren't any grocery stores in the neighborhood so they had to grow their own.
This is the gate and path to the old orchard at the Mission San José de Tumacácori. Like I said above there wasn't any infrastructure here in the 1800s so if they wanted to eat they had to grow their own.
"Between 1801 and 1828, a 4.6 acre orchard and garden was in use at San José de Tumacácori. Historical evidence such as missionary records and journals from ‘49ers on the way to California indicate that fruit trees, including peach, quince, pear, apple, pecan, walnut, fig, mulberry, and pomegranate, contributed to the sustenance of mission communities along with grape vineyards, grain fields, vegetable and pharmacy gardens, and livestock.
www.nps.gov/tuma/learn/nature/heritage-orchard.htm
The National Park Service has worked with the "University of Arizona, and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to launch a collaborative effort called the Kino Heritage Fruit Trees Project. The objective of this project was to locate historical documents in Mexico and the United States to identify communities where fruit trees descended from the Spanish Mission System might still grow. The results identified 21 towns in Arizona and Sonora which fit the criteria. During visits to these towns eleven fruit cultivars were identified as being appropriate for the project. Seeds, cuttings and grafting material were then collected for propagation from the suitable trees.
www.nps.gov/tuma/learn/nature/heritage-orchard.htm
Pretty cool that they went repopulated the orchard with heirloom varieties of fruit that would have been grown there at the time.
The Vincent Thomas Suspension Bridge (background) opened in 1963 & used as a location in "Gone in 60 Seconds..
The vessel NYK JOANNA (IMO 9387449, MMSI 563119000) is a Container Ship built in 2009 (16 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Singapore. Her length overall (LOA) is 210 meters and her width is 30.1 meters.
Niccy and I just got back from a cruise that took us to Puerto Vallarta Mexico, Huatulco Mexico, Puerto Chiapas Mexico, Puntarenas Costa Rica, Puerto Amador Panama, through the Panama Canal, on to Aruba and ending up in Fort Lauderdale.
This trip I decided to actually start learning how to use my camera and to wrap my head around the whole exposure triangle thing. If you're curious I can tell you this was shot following the Sunny 16 rule!
If you like ship shots then I've got a bunch of them to post. If you're looking for vacation snaps then you're going to be disappointed!
Not in the Al Bundy sense!
Had a storm blow by to the East at about 10 last night, put on a really good show. There was lightning bolts-a-plenty with thunderclaps to match! It was a pretty slow mover and gave me lots of opportunities to see the show!
I got a new tripod at the thrift store the other day and I believe it's going to be a great addition to my arsenal. It's an old Vivitar tripod, pretty sure it was made for an old school Video Camera, the kind that recorded on a VHS tape. It's much heavier than my other tripods and so far it's been rock steady in the rain.
This is a composite of 2 shots. I started shooting at f/3.5 and it was overwhelming the camera. I bumped it up to f/7.1 and tried a shot, better but still a little blown out so I bumped it up to f/10 and that seemed to work OK. Between the 2 shots I had a total of 29 seconds on the clock and I was using M mode (BULB) with a wired remote.
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
MAERSK WILLEMSTADT (IMO 9362401) is a Container/Intermediate ship built in 2007 and is sailing under the flag of Singapore. She has an overall length (LOA) of 254 meters and a width (beam) of 32 meters. Her summer deadweight capacity is 53,160 tonnes.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming around regularly offering up cool drinks, sandwiches, and such.
After 10 days at sea we made landfall in Ponta Delgada, Azores.
While all the sea days were nice and relaxing it was good to finally set foot back on terra firma.
Ponta Delgada, on São Miguel Island, is the capital of the Azores archipelago of Portugal. The striking, 3-arched city gates and the Gothic-style Church of St. Sebastian are near the harbor. The Convent and Chapel of Our Lady of Hope houses a revered image of Christ. The Carlos Machado Museum offers diverse artifacts of Azorean culture. The city is a gateway to the crater lakes of Sete Cidades, to the northwest.
This was a good trip in that I really stepped up and out when it came to taking control of my camera. The majority of the shots I got were done in manual (M) and I'm trying to keep any editing down to just a crop or two.
I guess I was still in an Auto frame of mind when I shot this looking at the EXIF. I promise there are some (M)anual shots coming though! This shot is SOOC other than a crop to remove some bits that added nothing to the shot.
This is a real photograph taken with a real camera, and not created by AI.
I found the source of the sound@
A couple of shots back I said we were in a church that creeped me out with the sound inside. Well, I found out where it was coming from, thanks to Niccy.
When we went outside I told her I was creeped out by the sound and she said it was just the monks singing. Monks? What Monks? The ones up on the balcony over the door, didn't you see them? No, I did not. BTW, I'm pretty sure there's a name for that balcony, I just don't know what it is.
The Convent of Santa Bárbara, situated in the very heart of A Coruña, is home to a community of Poor Clare nuns who have been dedicated for centuries to prayer, work, and service to others. Founded in the 17th century, the convent preserves a rich tradition of contemplative life and Franciscan spirituality that remains alive to this day.
The Poor Clares live under the Rule of Saint Clare, based on the principles of the Rule of Saint Francis of Assisi. This spiritual path emphasizes humility, evangelical poverty, and a deep connection with nature and the most needy. In their daily lives, the sisters combine prayer with work, making every act an expression of praise to God.
Now this says nothing about it being a monastery but if you zoom in on the picture you can see a sign on the upper left hand wall that says Monastero De Sta Barbara. I'm no religious scholar but I'm pretty sure that the Nuns live in a Convent and the Monks live in a Monastery, and it definitely wasn't Nuns that were making that racket!
It does make sense though that it's connected to St. Francis of Assisi since Niccy was pulled into lighting candles for all of our Doggos who have gone over the Rainbow Bridge.
Shot in (M)anual with a small crop. Lack of color courtesy of Canon.
This is a real photograph taken with a real camera, and not created by AI.
The storm finally ended but it went out with a BANG!
Had a somewhat typical monsoon storm blow through last night. The usual pattern is they build up fast, move pretty rapidly, dump buckets of rain, then move out.
This one was a little different though. Barely any lightning ahead of the storm which is where we usually see it. Came through, dumped buckets, then headed East. I sat through the downpour and once it quit I started looking for anything at all.
There was a small cloud on the backside that kept blinking at me. No bolts, just in the cloud lightning. I set up with the thought that I could at least get a nice lighted cloud. Well, Mother Nature was feeling magnanimous I guess because she dumped several bolts out and I was lucky enough to catch them!
This view is looking towards the Southwest. The lights in the shot are from the Arizona Dept. of Corrections complex that sits just outside of Tucson.
This is a REAL photograph, taken with a REAL camera. It's not a Computer Rendered Artificial Photo
She's the second Naval ship to be named after the 16th President of the United States.
As the ship left San Diego we passed by NAS North Island, home to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Abe is sitting at the old dock for the USS Kittyhawk (CVA 63) where I did my time in the Navy.
The Abe Lincoln suffered a minor fire that injured 9 sailors on 29 November 2022. The cause is unknown and an investigation was launched. This may be repairs from the fire or just scheduled maintenance, don't know for sure.
In the background you can see the Coronado Bridge that connects Coronado Island and NAS North Island to downtown San Diego.
This was shot at 5:19 PM, hence the reason for the smoggy dull sky. I can remember sitting on the Kittyhawk, looking over at San Diego and seeing a huge grey smog cloud hanging over the city. That was many years ago and it doesn't look like that cloud has moved at all!
More commonly known as Independence Day or 4th of July here in the US.
Went shooting because there was a real good looking storm headed my way, hoping to get my first of the season bolt. Well, the storm fizzled but the surrounding neighborhoods sizzled with 4th of July fireworks aplenty.
I actually got my first bolt on the 3rd of July and didn't know it till I looked through my shots. Not very impressive but I may post it just because it is the first!
Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America.
The delegates to the Second Continental Congress declared that the Thirteen Colonies were no longer subject (and subordinate) to the monarch of Britain, King George III, and were now united, free, and independent states.[1] The Congress voted to approve independence by passing the Lee Resolution on July 2 and adopted the Declaration of Independence two days later, on July 4.
Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches, and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.
This was offered as a ship's tour in Aruba, thanks but no thanks!
From their website:
Discover the wonders of the Caribbean Sea with Atlantis Submarines Aruba. Descend 130 feet below the surface aboard our state-of-the-art submarines and immerse yourself in a world of vibrant marine life and stunning coral reefs.
I never wanted to be a Submariner even when I could have gotten paid to do it so I'm certainly not going to pay for the experience. There's also that little thing called OceanGate and their Titan Submersible:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_submersible_implosion
In the background is the Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort with rooms starting at $480 USD a night, no AARP or AAA discounts but the $69 USD resort fee IS included!
BTW, if you do happen to go here I would suggest not walking down to the end of the cruise ship pier unless you'd like to have a conversation with a couple of big security guards! Yeah, one of those "personal experiencs" that I seem to have on a regular basis!
A tribute to the original Goose and Gridiron, open to the public.
We made a stop on our walkabout at the United Grand Lodge of England Museum. Since I am a Mason it was very nice to discover some of the history that we're always building on.
The original Goose and Gridiron Ale-House, located in London’s St. Paul’s Churchyard, was the site of a pivotal moment in Masonic history. On June 24, 1717, four local Masonic lodges met there to formally establish the Grand Lodge of England. This meeting, which was also the Annual Assembly and Feast, was a follow-up to a provisional meeting held the previous year at the Apple Tree Tavern.
At the Goose and Gridiron Ale-House, the four lodges elected Anthony Sayer as their first Grand Master. They decided on two main objectives: to hold an annual “Grand Feast” and for lodge officers to meet quarterly. One of the original four lodges even took on the name of the ale-house where they met.
This was shot in (M)anual, I did have to do some serious color correction in post, my White Balance was waaay off!
Yes, this is a real photograph taken with a real camera, not a Computer Rendered Artificial Picture!
Something we don't get to see very often here in the desert!
It seems that overnight Mother Nature decided to bless Tucson with a dusting of snow! Locally in Tucson, the National Weather Service reported 1.5 inches of seasonal snowfall—more than some east coast cities this year including Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
Supposedly a persistent blocking pattern over the Pacific Ocean plus cold air migrating south from the Arctic have created the conditions for widespread snowfall along the West Coast.
The nice part for us is that when it does snow it usually falls in the late evening and once the sun comes up it melts off real quick, so no worries about shoveling!
You can see how the sun was already out and the skies were a gorgeous blue. We're supposed to be looking at 71F (21.6C) by Friday which is all right by me!
Almost exactly kinda close to the shot I was looking for!
To my old eyes the water looked pretty still so I thought I'd try to get one of those mirrored off the water shots and this was the result.
Didn't see the little bit of ripples that distorted everything in a funhouse mirror sort of way. If I'd had my ND Filter with me I would have thrown it on for a shot or two but without it there was no chance of a slow shot, even at f/32. The sun was just too much!
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
LOS SANTOS is a Tug boat with IMO number 9256573 and MMSI number . It was built in 2002 and has a deadweight tonnage of 145 metric tons. This vessel was constructed at the EAST ISLE SHIPYARD - GEORGETOWN, CANADA shipyard..
It really was a treat to see so many tugboats on this journey! I feel a real connection to them, they're what I'd call a real blue collar boat.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming aro
A summer getaway from the Phoenix heat!
Houseboats moored on Lake Roosevelt, AZ. A great place to escape from the summer heat and enjoy a riparian aside.
Were we filthy stinking rich we'd have a boat here ourselves. Either here or down in Grand Cayman (my preference) Since we're not all we can do is stand by and admire the opulence.!
Thought I'd keep the Police theme going for one more shot.
Saw these lovely ladies cruising down Horse Guards Road, right next to St James Park. Little did I know they would lead us on to my next shot!
Now when I saw them I wanted to run up ahead and get a shot of them riding toward me, which I think would have made for an interesting shot. Niccy on the other hand just knew in her heart of hearts that as soon as I did they were going to arrest me, throw me in the hoosegow, and toss away the key!!! (Empahsis added( so I deferred and took this shot instead. She just doesn't appreciate suffering for your art I guess!
This was shot in(M)anual mode. I did do a small crop to eliminate some distracting bits on the right.
This is a real photograph taken with a real camera, not a Computer Rendered Artificial Picture!
We were in the right place at the right time to see the Artemis II launch but unfortunately it got pushed back.
Our first stop on this adventure was to visit the Kennedy Space Center. Pretty cool place to visit if you're into all things space related. There is an included bus tour of the facility that I would highly recommend. If you do go and decide you want to do the tour, be sure to get in line early as possible since it fills up real quick!
One of the stops on the tour was at Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry, a great place to see the size of KSC and supposedly a great place to watch a launch from. You can also see the SpaceX facility from here which was interesting. This is as close as you can get without official permission, guess Elon likes to keep his surprises hidden?
This was a good trip in that I really stepped up and out when it came to taking control of my camera. The majority of the shots I got were done in manual (M) and I'm trying to keep any editing down to just a crop or two. This shot for example is SOOC other than a small crop to lose some extra grass at the bottom and to clone out a couple of dirty spots on the lens. One of those things I tend to forget is to clean my lens!
This is a real photograph taken with a real camera, and not created by AI.
Better if listening "Evening star" from the motion picture soundtrack of the "Lord of the rings - The two towers".
Dedicated to all those people who always see the light in love, even when the clouds are threatening rain and pain.
A shot from the storm that blew through on 11 July 2023.
The monsoon season officially started on June 15 and lasts through September but up until last Tuesday we've had nothing but the hot!
The rest of the week was forecast to be dry with little chance of any rain (and it certainly was) but that's just a forecast and Mother Nature doesn't pay any attention to forecasts. Everything I've seen and heard is saying tonight might be a good night, we'll have to wait and see.
I've found myself a new place to shoot from that should give me a better view of the storms as they roll through Tucson. No guarantees since lightning hits where and when it wants but with any luck I'll get a few more good ones!
The thing I found interesting about this is how it's much brighter from the middle down to the ground. From what I've read a powerful negative charge (called a step leader) shoots down and makes contact with a positively charged object on the ground (called a positive streamer) reaching up.
When the two connect, a strong discharge occurs with a loud cracking sound. This causes a powerful and violent current, resulting in a return stroke, racing back to the cloud at 60 000 miles per second. The return stroke is the bright flash we observe as a lightning strike. Maybe it's the junction where the the leader and the streamer met?
For those who are interested this shot is SOOC other than a conversion from RAW to JPG. I had 26 seconds with the shutter open to catch this bolt.
It was more like a wet firecracker than it was thunder!
If I told you we were going to the Thunder and Lightning Over Arizona Air Show what exactly would you expect? Lots of screaming jets, incredible acrobatics, maybe a Wing Walker and a couple of sonic booms that rattled all the windows in town? Yeah, that's not going to happen, not even close.
On the weekend of March 22-23, Davis Monthan AFB opened the gates and invited everyone to enjoy a free, weekend-long event packed full of entertainment. You could come out and see dynamic aerial displays, memorable planes, and SO much more!
Now I didn't go to the base to see the show, in the years past I didn't have to. All the flights passed right over the house so we could sit outside and enjoy but not this year.
I don't know if it's because of budget cuts, environmental issues, or malaise on the part of the organizers but the flight pattern was changed to keep everything pretty much centralized over the base. Maybe people complained to the city council about the noise? You know how those NIMBY people can get.
Whatever the cause it sure put a damper on the show for those of us who chose not to fight the madhouse of the base to find a parking space and spend the day sitting in the blazing sun to see a couple of jets putting through the sky.
This is the best shot I got of the whole show. Look at the EXIF and you'll see I had my 200mm lens pushed out as far as I could and the speed at a nominal 1/320 of a second.
One thing is true on a cruise, they will definitely accommodate you!
After my leisurely breakfast I went and wondered the ship, looking for things to shoot. I came across the end of a towel animal folding demonstration where I saw this scene play out.
The crew was packing things up, trying to get out of the way of whatever was coming up next on the agenda, the passengers were all crowded around oohing and aw-wing at their creations, taking pictures on their phones to show all their friends, and generally getting in the way.
This was a good trip in that I really stepped up and out when it came to taking control of my camera. The majority of the shots I got were done in manual (M) and I'm trying to keep any editing down to just a crop or two.
This shot unfortunately was done in the (P)rogram or Auto mode. It was too early in the AM to be thinking about buttons and dials and such. I did do a crop on this to remove some bits and bobs that added nothing to the shot, the Mono was done in the camera.
This is a real photograph taken with a real camera, and not created by AI.
Exactly what I did since it wasn't time for them to eat yet!
The dogs always seem to want to be wherever I am so I've put a dog bed down next to my PC. It's large enough for both and they'll share it after grousing at each other for a bit.
I had my new lens on the camera and decided to give it a go. I'm still trying to figure out the focusing on it though. It seems to like a single point of focus much better than multiples but getting the single point in the right spot to fit everything in is a challenge. I suppose that with time, patience, and endless shots I'll find a happy medium.
Niccy and I just got back from a transatlantic cruise so I've finally got some shots to post!
We arrived real early in Cadiz at a working part of the port. Nothing touristy to see here. There's a Royal Caribbean ship buried in the background but I don't know which one it is. There's also a Spanish Navy ship in the foreground, again I'm not sure which one it is.
Cadiz is a beautiful place and if I were to live in Spain I'd certainly consider living there. Very walkable but we did have to take a shuttle bus to get out of the port.
One of the few shows that Niccy wanted to see onboard.
Every night onboard there's a performance in the theater. Sometimes It's a comedian, maybe a ventriloquist or magician, or possibly a production show. The production shows aren't too bad for the most part, think way, way off Broadway or maybe Far East End London! This was one that Niccy "thought" she wanted to watch but after a few minutes she decided her time would be better spent at the Adult Arcade, aka the Casino.
This was a good trip in that I really stepped up and out when it came to taking control of my camera. The majority of the shots I got were done in manual (M) and I'm trying to keep any editing down to just a crop or two.
I'm pretty proud of this shot since it was shot handheld in a dark theater with a high ISO, f/5, and 1/30s on the clock. Yeah, I did have to do some work in post since my camera is super noisy at high ISOs and I did change the RAW to Mono.
This is a real photograph taken with a real camera, and not created by AI.
Some happy little trees, a happy little mountain......
This is Mount Shasta, shot on 15 May 2025. We were flying up I-5 and saw a pullout that said viewpoint. This is the view they offered us and I decided to take it.
Nothing special about it, kinda looks like the other 28,985 shots of Shasta you can find here on Flickr!
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
AAL SINGAPORE is a General cargo/Heavy Lift vessel built in 2011 by HUANGHAI SHIPBUILDING - RONGCHENG, CHINA. Currently sailing under the flag of Liberia. Formerly also known as AAL SINGAPORE. It's gross tonnage is 23930 tons.
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming aro
Hopefully no one got hit with a direct splat!.
The USS IOWA represents the largest — and last — class of battleships built by the United States Navy. The IOWA class battleships served in every US conflict from World War II through the Gulf War in 1991.
I knew about the Iowa being a museum and right next door to where we were docked in the port. My plan was to check in on the Coral Princess then jump off and walk over to the Iowa to spend a few hours. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men....
In my planning I forgot to factor in one crucial element, that being we were docked in a working port. Evidently the government doesn't exactly like everyday folks just wandering around on the docks and they put up some BIG fences to prevent it so I had to settle for a couple of photographs.
The Iowa is definitely on our (actually my) list of places we need to visit once we get on the road.
I shot this in AP, wasn't quite using Manual Mode yet so there's some motion blur from us sailing by. At least now I know how to fix it!
Niccy and I just got back from a transatlantic cruise so I've finally got some shots to post!
SAR MASTELERO (IMO: 9525730) is a Tug and is sailing under the flag of Spain. Her length overall (LOA) is 40 meters and her width is 12 meters.
She belongs to the Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima (literally: Maritime Safety and Rescue Society), also known as SASEMAR or Salvamento Marítimo, is a sea search and rescue agency that operates in Spain.
SASEMAR is the body in charge of maritime traffic control, safety and rescue operations, and protection of the maritime environment but lacks any law enforcement responsibilities.
The agency runs 20 rescue coordination centers (RCC), employs a staff of 1,500, and operates a fleet of 19 vessels, 54 boats, 11 helicopters, and 4 airplanes.
It really is a great time of year to be in the Southwest!
Niccy is on the mend from having some back surgery and starting to get a little cabin fever so I suggested a short trip out of town. We wound up going to Saguaro National Park on the East side of Tucson:
The weather today was lovely, 80 degrees and sunny with a slight breeze that kept us cooled down. The park wasn't too crowded so we were able to drive the 8 mile loop with ease. We stopped about half way through and had a picnic lunch while looking at the desert starting to bloom out. All in all a good day for us (and the doggos enjoyed it as well)!
My birthday is on the 7th so this is an early present!
Finished watching the local news and it didn't look good. Weatherman said there's only a 10 percent chance of any storms so it looks like another dry night. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.
Took the trash out and saw a couple of clouds and flashes to the South. Hmm, maybe that will turn into something so I packed up and headed to my regular spot, just in case.
Ran into a guy named Mike who was packing up and heading out. He said it didn't look like a good night, clouds were falling apart as quick as the formed so he was heading home. I told him I was going to stick around for awhile in case something developed, he said Good Luck but the storms just aren't there today. Mike, it looks like you missed the mark on this one!
Set up my camera and waited, waited, waited with little to no luck. Thinking about calling it a night when a huge bolt announced it's welcome with a thundering CRACK!!! Well, thank you very much, may I have another? CRACK!!! Your wish is my command. Wound up being a pretty good show, a perfect present for me that I know my Dad arranged for me. This was the grand finale, after this things just kind of petered out.
This is a combo of 5 shots that just happened to fall in the right place, with a combined total of 240 seconds between the five. These were shot @ f/7.1 with ISO 100 and 52mm worth of zoom. The bolts seemed to be hitting in the same general area so I thought I'd chance the zoom, probably would have been a great place to use my Nifty Fifty!
The lights in the background are a bit blurry since I was fighting with outflow winds and trying to handhold the tripod steady. I can live with a little blur!
Louie LIghtfingers got caught applying the tools of his trade!
We came out of Westminster Cathedral and were just walking into Victoria Station when my ever vigilant eye caught this scene. There were some concrete benches close by so I sat down and fired off a couple of quick shots. Of course, Niccy was on me immediately, telling me I was going to get arrested myself but I wasn't a bit worried. The police were much more interested in seeing what purloined pieces Louie had in his pockets!
This was shot in(M)anual mode. Sitting on the bench I had the time to check and double check my settings to get things the way I wanted them. I did do a small crop to eliminate some distracting bits on the right.
This is a real photograph taken with a real camera, not a Computer Rendered Artificial Picture!
Apologies to DEVO and their No. 14 Billboard chart hit Whip It!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_QLzthSkfM
Monsoon storms are like a box of Cracker Jack, there's always a prize inside but it may be at the bottom of the box (or end of the storm). This storm was fast moving and blew over quickly, really didn't pick up until it was well past me and my camera. I hung around for awhile just in case something decided to pop off and this is what I came up with.
When I saw the shot on my monitor the first thought I had was Mother Nature cracking her cat o' nine tails, ready to inflict some punishment on the City of Tucson which might not be a bad thing. I luckily live outside the city limits so I'm not affected by the cities decisions which are quite often misguided and every now and then just flat wrong.
This was shot with 25 seconds on the clock @ ISO 100 and f/9. For those who are curious the glow on the horizon is lighting from the city of Tucson.
GOOD EVENING, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, THE APOSTLE OF NONVIOLENCE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT HAS BEEN SHOT TO DEATH IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. A WHITE MAN WAS SEEN RUNNING FROM THE SCENE. OFFICERS ALSO REPORTEDLY CHASED AND FIRED ON A CAR CONTAINING TWO WHITE MEN.
DR. KING WAS STANDING ON THE BALCONY OF A SECOND-FLOOR HOTEL ROOM THE NIGHT, WHEN ACCORDING TO A COMPANION, A SHOT WAS FIRED FROM ACROSS THE STREET.
From the CBS News Broadcast, Walter Cronkite was the anchor.
Clock is part of a static display at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia
Mother Nature finally decided to give us a show but not everyone appreciated it.
I love shooting lightning and I could watch it for hours but last Friday night (2 August) I was reminded of how bad a storm can be.
We had a storm blow through Friday afternoon/evening that caused a lot of damage here in the park where Niccy and I live:
https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/mobile-home-park-recovering-from-friday-night-storm-damage
I'm not posting any damage pictures out of respect.
We were lucky in that we only lost a few shingles off the roof, others weren't as lucky. What was good about this though is that it showed how a community can come together to take care of it's own. People were driving the streets, checking on damage and neighbors were checking on neighbors. Our clubhouse was left open all night as an emergency shelter for those who had no electricity so they could have a cool place to sleep and plug in any medical devices they might need and right now neighbors are out helping neighbors clean up the mess.
You might hear that this country is divided and being torn apart. If so, come on by our park and you'll see just exactly how our country is coming together.
BTW, this shot is from a storm that blew by last night, not the Friday night storm. I'll post a few more from last night shortly. The wind and rain was so bad on Friday that there was no way anyone was getting a shot.
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
GLOBAL JOURNEY is a Bulk carrier built in 2013 by OSHIMA SHIPBUILDING CO. LTD. - SAIKAI, JAPAN. Currently sailing under the flag of Panama. It's gross tonnage is 31872 tons.
The GLOBAL JOURNEY was making her way out and on to foreign ports. I've got a shot coming of another Japanese ship that surprised me a bit!
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming aro
Looks like the hills West of town took a hit or two!.
Had a storm blow through yesterday evening but it stayed well to the South and was headed West. There was nothing going on here at the ranch but I headed up to my shooting spot just in case something strayed our way.
Well, true to form the storm stayed South and headed West, put on a pretty good show that I was able to catch a little of. Very weird set of clouds, they were real flat and real spread out.
This is a combo of 2 shots with a combined total of 42 seconds on the clock, f/7.1, ISO 100 and 200mm worth of zoom! I had my Tamron 18-200mm glass on and had it sticking out as far as it would go. Rough measurements in Google Maps say these bolts were about 10 miles away (as the crow flies) so I'm pretty happy with the results!
promenade /prŏm″ə-nād′, -näd′/
noun
1. A leisurely walk, especially one taken in a public place as a social activity.
2. A public place for such walking.
3. A formal dance; a ball.
Holland America Line has a Promenade Deck on all their ships that goes completely around. A nice, quiet place to go for an evening stroll. Many people also go out during the day to read, I guess the sunlight and waves make great companions for bodice rippers!
When I first saw this shot it just spoke to me. I can't tell you why or define what it is that I like, it just spoke to me and I knew I had to post it. For me.
A series of shots I got during our passage through The Big Ditch!
Vessel PANAMA XIV is a Tug ship sailing under the flag of Panama. Her IMO number is 9363596 and MMSI number is 356342000. Main ship particulars are length of 27 m and beam of 12 m. I got the chance to see a LOT of tugs on this trip!
Going through the complete Panama Canal was definitely a bucket list item for me. I spent the entire day (8 hours) outside on the deck along with a bunch of other folks, my shutter happily clicking away!
We had a Canal Guide onboard who pointed out all the interesting locations, couldn't tell you one thing he said because I wasn't listening I was too busy shooting!
Have to commend Princess Cruises, they were really nice to us outside in that they had stewards coming around regularly offering up cool drinks, sandwiches, and such.
"A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or "rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloop-of-war."
Thanks to Wikipedia for this:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette
Niccy and I took another long weekend over to the Point Loma Annex where I was lucky enough to get this shot!
This is actually called a "Jetcar":
which looks like a real eye catcher! Great if you're out to get the chicks I suppose. Supposedly you can do 60 MPH with no worries but I don't think I'd take a chance with it!
PS:
For those in the Show Your EXIF group you should note that the actual lens used is a Tamron AF 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II VC All-in-One Zoom for Canon APS-C Digital SLR. For some crazy reason it always shows up as a Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8, a lens I've never owned or used!
I love all boats and I can't deny!
Pilots have a duty to ensure the safety of ships, crews and cargoes entering the waters they're in charge of. I can appreciate that and say Thank You for making my passage as safe as possible! This was the pilot that took us into Mazatlan, Mexico.
When life gives you lemons take the advice of Richard Harvey and just shoot them!
The clouds were building up last night and they looked real good for a storm so I packed up and headed out.
No storm, but I took Richard Harvey's advice and shot what I had and this is the result.
This is a pano of 4 shots, hopefully this will give you an idea of what an Arizona sunset can look like during the monsoon season.
In case you want to see an example of Richard's advice:
www.flickr.com/photos/bigharv/53102660726/in/dateposted/
BTW, this shot is NOT posted in YCPTPH, I've had enough of Jim's wrath for the month!
Kind of like a Magic Tee for RF!
When you get to the Grand Canyon you get an opportunity to traverse the Y, something that made no sense to me until I took a good look at it on Google Maps.
Since there's no turntable at the Grand Canyon and only one way in they've got to have a method to get you turned around and that's the Y. If you look at the Y on Google Maps:
36.05477145405851, -112.14325235407148
and follow the tracks out you can see how they accomplish the turnaround. Pretty interesting feat of engineering and much easier to understand than an RF Magic Tee:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_tee
Unless you're an RF Engineer I would recommend not checking out the link above, you'll probably wind up more confused than when you started...you've been warned!
She's the second Naval ship to be named after the 16th President of the United States.
Getting close to our dock we passed by NAS North Island, home to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Abe is sitting at the old dock for the USS Kittyhawk (CVA 63) where I did my time in the Navy.
The Abe Lincoln suffered a minor fire that injured 9 sailors on 29 November 2022. The cause is unknown and an investigation was launched. This may be repairs from the fire or just scheduled maintenance, don't know for sure.
In the background you can see the USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), the Navy's newest John Lewis-class fleet oiler. I've got a better picture of her that I'll post!
Again, that early morning light in San Diego was beautiful!
Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word!
Our walk along the waterfront finally led us down to the docks where the fishing boats were. I saw the Margaret, thought she was a fine example of a fishing boat and snapped the picture.
It wasn't until I looked at the photo on the computer that I saw a seagull had decided to photobomb the shot, probably hoping to go viral and become rich and famous. Sorry bird, that's just not going to happen here!