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Video available: youtu.be/AyKQHItm8Z4
The Lambda Class Shuttle is one of my favorite spaceship designs with its birdlike look. I like the elegant curves and the transformative wing mechanism, furthermore the landing gear setup with just two legs is exciting!
With the introduction of all the recent new parts I was able to create the round forms and fluent lines of the original studio model.
It is difficult to find exact reference material for this ship, most of the blueprints and imagery, which are available online, are not correct to the original studio models. I've ended up using my own photographs I've managed to take at the amazing Star Wars Identities exhibition.
The model is a scratch build MOC, there are some familiar elements to the LEGO UCS model as well as Dmac's www.flickr.com/photos/dmaclego original design. My main focus was an accurate cockpit design (it’s still not perfect but I like my solution), the inclusion of play features, a full interior completed with PF functions, lights and more.
The model features:
- motorized foldable wings
- boarding ramp
- retractable landing gear
- detailed cockpit and interior
- turning canons
- landing lights
- working sublight engine
It is bigger than the official set with 94 cm in width and 102 cm in hight (on the stand). I've used up to 6000 parts for the model including an PF medium motor and 7 PF lights.
For the scenes I've used secondary builds, the Death Star ll and a midscaled Star Destroyer based on Brickdoctors www.flickr.com/photos/legoarts/ design both of which are adding several hundred parts. For the Endor scene I've used around 10000 parts. Even the planets used for the space scenes are based on LEGO parts (Planet series: Endor and Tatooin for the red Planet).
I'm happy how my build came together, I hope you like it as well! Thanks.
This little marble Angel is the "twin" to the one linked below, both found on a marble bench in a cemetery in Colma, California. The opposite end of the bench has a pair of Devils heads, all four interesting and a bit unusual, and all four different.
The top edge of this photo would be the bench top and the detailed edge as it rolls down to the legs.
Taken in Colma, California, USA.
The angel "twin"-
www.flickr.com/photos/35353520@N02/12298042625/in/datepos...
One of the Devils heads-
www.flickr.com/photos/35353520@N02/21839098820/in/datepos...
Super detailed airplane view of a low-rise Waikiki looking Diamond Head from above the Ala Moana area. You can really see where the name “Blue Hawaii” came from. Unbranded and undated transparency.
Photo details
- 1955 10 story Reef Hotel on the beach, center
- 1955 12 story Rosalei Apartments next to the Ala Wai Canal, left center
- 1951 Central Branch YMCA on Atkinson Drive, lower left corner
- 1952 Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, lower right
- 1955 8 story Edgewater Lanais Apt Hotel on Lewers Street, left of Reef
- 1951/53 7 story Edgewater Hotel on Beach Walk, left of Reef
- 1955 10 story Waikiki Biltmore Hotel
- 1955 12 story Princess Kaiulani Hotel
- 1955 Hawaiian Village Hotel lagoon construction not started yet, area immediately above Ala Wai Harbor (where the 1928 Niumalu Hotel was located)
- 1955 Waikiki Shell in Kapiolani Park, below Diamond Head
- 1899 Castle Mansion “Kainalu” on the shore at the tip of Diamond Head, by then the Waikiki Elks Club
- 1931 Ala Wai Golf Course, center left
- Island of Molokai on the horizon, upper left
You can search for topics of interest in my Photostream:
PENTAX K-1 • Crop Mode • Pixel Shift • 100 ISO • Pentax DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 fisheye
Pixel Shift
Bouillon • Ardennes • Belgium
I know this is a pretty common shot of these new architectural details in new Fantasyland, but how can you avoid this shot? I must say, and this is seeing it all not quite done, but new Fantasyland is absolutely stunning thus far. The level of detail and subtle touches to blend it well with the surrounding areas I think has been done exceedingly well. The inclusion of these castle walls and arches I think adds a very good touch to the area. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!
Detailed photo of Mount Lewis. Mount Lewis is a 12,350-foot-elevation mountain summit located along the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in Mono County of northern California, United States. It is situated in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest. Wikipedia
Detailed look of the LatinGents 1960 Chevrolet Impala as seen at the Port of LA's Stars and Stripes evening .
Fully detailed interior and engine bay. Engine designed by Ewok Master.
M3 Medium tank used by the British 7th Armored in Desert Camouflage during the North Africa Campaign. 6,258 were built during 1941 and 1942, weighing in at 27 tonnes and a crew of 6. The speciality of the Grant was the 75mm mounted in the hull (46 rounds) and the second gun, a 37mm mounted in the turret (178 rounds) as well as up to 4 Browning M1919s. It was powered by a Wright (Continental) R975 EC2.
Finally, it is finished. After atleast a good three months of building, modifying and collecting pieces it can join my collection of AFVs. The Model has numerous playability features, including 9 hatches, a rotating turret, two guns which can move up and down, a fully detailed engine and interior and moving tracks. This is probably my most expensive project to date due to the colour (Tan 24 tooth gears x4, 2x 2x4 left wedge plates, 1x1 plates with vertical clips (non-production) and several other rare pieces jacked up the price quite a bit.)
Big thanks to Ewokkers, who gave me helpful criticism, RumRunner for supplying several of the Tan pieces and the tracks, as well as designing the front (not completely accurate for this model-) slope and Brickmania for parts of the design.
So, I come to an end and say: Enjoy. It's before the end of the day, yay :D
I'm back! Here is the trip report I posted to Birding-aus. It is very long and detailed, for those of you who want to read it:) Highlights were 4 lifers for me, taking me up to 372 in Australia.
There were around 30 Budgies near the Woolshed Camping area at Cocoparra NP. I was pretty lucky to get these shots: two birds flew up into a low tree, in full view of the setting sun. Beautiful lighting.
This was probably the best shot of the trip. I hope you like it. These birds look a LOT brighter and greener in the wild than they do in the cage. This one is a male, told by the bright blue cere.
Hi all,
Just came back from a five night camping trip to the Griffith area in the Riverina, southern central NSW. We were based at the camping area [Woolshed Flat] in Cocoparra NP, and did several visits to Fivebough Wetlands [Leeton], Binya SF [just south of Cocoparra NP] and one outing to Oolambeyan NP [SW of Cocoparra NP]. The weather was mostly fine, partly windy and partly rainy, although the rain was mostly restricted to a light drizzle. One day was very windy, but apart from this the conditions generally were fairly acceptable.The birding was great, and we ended up getting 148 species for the trip.
We headed out at midday on Tuesday from Canberra, pretty much heading straight out to Cocoparra NP [which took about five hours]. We picked up the usual suspects on the way out, including 9 Australian Kestrels in total. We got onto a Major Mitchell's Cockatoo flying over the road earlier than I had expected [I can't remember exactly where it was, but it was a decent way before we got to the Griffith area]. This was the only Major Mitchell's Cockatoo for the trip, although we didn't try the Griffith golf course. We also got Superb Parrot and Spotted Harrier on the drive out.
Upon arriving at the NP that evening we still had one hour of daylight, so I went birding out to a clearing a couple of hundred meters from the Woolshed camping area. It is a partial clearing in the surrounding gum forest, near a dry creek. It is a couple of hundred meters further along the road that runs past the Woolshed camping area [towards the Pines or something, I think]. This area proved to be the best place for birding and photography throughout the trip in the NP. Throughout our trip, I got onto several Crimson Chats [at least 10+], good numbers of Brown Treecreepers [I found two nests in this area alone], Black-eared Cuckoos passing through, a pair of Red-backed Kingfishers, 2 Hooded Robins [one female, one immature male], lots of Jacky Winters, 20+ Budgerigars [nice photos of these], a couple of Yellow-plumed Honeyeaters high up, a large flock of mixed White-browed and Masked Woodswallows [200+ birds], lots of Southern Whiteface [found a nest of this one too], White-browed Babblers, Speckled Warblers, good numbers of Mulga Parrots, lots of White-winged Trillers etc. This is a really good area, and I wood recommend it to anyone visiting the area. There were also a pair of Varied Sitella nesting near the campsite.
The next day [Wednesday], we headed down to Binya SF [south of the Highway] to look for Painted Honeyeater and White-browed Treecreeper. Initially, I found lots of Yellow Thornbills [including nesting], several Mistletoebirds, quite a few Singing Honeyeater [certainly more than I expected], a party of Splendid Fairy-wrens and of course lots of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters and Red-capped Robins. After about 1 1/2 hours I lucked onto a male Painted Honeyeater calling from the top of a native pine, and was lucky to get good views of him over the next 20 minutes. He was rather hard to hear due to the racket being made by the abundant Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters. This was in an area in the central part of the SW part of the SF south of the Highway. Despite spending a lot of time in the area, this was the only Painted Honeyeater I saw. Also Double-barred Finch, Little Eagle, Cockatiels mating, Striped Honeyeater. However there was no White-browed Treecreepers to be found, in spite of all the time spent looking for them over the course of the trip.
The following day [Thursday] we headed out to Fivebough Wetlands, just north of Leeton. Here we got Swamp Harrier, lots of Glossy Ibis, Little Grassbird, lots of Black-tailed Native-Hens, heaps of Red-kneed Dotterels, one Baillon's Crake, a group of 11 Marsh Sandpiper, several Whiskered Terns, Intermediate Egret and hundreds of Australian Shelduck. We then headed out to the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area [MIA SF], where we kicked back and relaxed on the banks of the 'Bidgee [near Golgedrie Weir]. Here there were views of Yellow Rosella, Tree Martins, Sacred Kingfisher, an immature White-bellied Sea-Eagle flying over, a group of White-breasted Woodswallows and two Little Friabirds. From here we moved on to Tuckerbill Swamp near Leeton, getting a nesting Banded Lapwing on a dry paddock opposite the swamp. The woodland just before the swamp was very good, producing a large flock of Zebra Finches, two Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoos, and a Red-backed Kingfisher. The Swamp itself was very dry.
On Friday I spent pretty much the whole of the day around the camping area at Cocoparra NP [mostly at the paddocck to the east of the camping area]. Of birding note, there was a male Crested Bellbird calling on a firetrail that runs north of the camping area. That afternoon was very windy, and a stint at Binya SF produced White-eared and Brown-headed Honeyeaters (but no White-browed Treecreepers).
Saturday was probably the best day of the trip. We headed out to Oolambeyan NP [maybe a bit over 2 hours drive from the camping area at Cocoparra]. Just after hitting the first stretch of dirt road leading into Oolambeyan NP, we came across a flock of Black-faced Woodswallows, hovering and feeding amongst White-winged Trillers and Australian Pipits. I was surprised by how beautiful they were, in comparison to other woodswallows. The open grasslands around the area was chocker block full of Brown Songlarks, calling everywhere. Once we got to the homestead at Oolambeyan, we headed out on a road that stretches south. Over the next hour or two, I had the best bit of raptor birding in my whole life, I reckon. First of all, we obsered a female Australian Hobby hunting [and eventually successfully catching] a juvenile Blue Bonnet. As a flock of 3 Blue Bonnets flew out over the paddocks, the Hobby set out in persuit, flying very low and accelerating very fast. Just at the tree line, it banked up and succeeded in catching one of the Blue Bonnets. It lost control of it, but we assume it got it again, because we soon saw it heading back towards us. On closer inspection, we saw it had got a young Blue Bonnet. Soon after, we were set upon by 2 Black Falcons, soaring above the area. They got very annoyed when a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles flew in, and we had great views of one of the birds dive-bombing the Wedgies [including with wings half-closed: a very impressice sight!]. We also had nice views of a Spotted Harrier, Nankeen Kestrel, 2 Black Kites, a pale morph Brown Falcon. This all happened within 300m and half an hour; it was a truly amazing experience, with at least 7 raptors viewed. There was also Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Falcon and Australian Hobby nests in the area.
We then hit the paddocks, managing to flush a Little Button-Quail [showing very conspicuous white flanks]. On our way out [just within the NP border] we hit upon a great little feeding flock. There were 30+ Crimson Chats, 4+ White-fronted Chats, 2 Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoos, 30+ Budgerigars, Rufous Songlarks, Brown Songlarks, Australian Pipits etc. The real highlight was a male and two female White-winged Fairy-wrens; I hadn't expected these in the area. In all, a great day, although I somehow managed to miss Horsfield's Bushlark [despite lots of searching].
That evening we dropped in at the Fivebough Wetlands on the way back. This time there were lots more waders, including Red-necked Stints, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Marsh Sandpipers, possible Common Greenshanks and a Bar-tailed Godwit. The last mentioned was associating with a flock of Black-winged Stilts. I am 95% sure it was a Bar-tailed, as I saw it fly in and would have noticed it if it was a Black-tailed [although I gather the Bar-tailed is the rarer of the two out there: anyone know why??]. Also a possible Wood Sandpiper, but I didn't have a scope, so couldn't confim this.
Sunday we started to head home, dropping in at Fivebough again. The waders were not as good as yesterday, but the sharpies, stints and marshies were still there. We also added Yellow-billed Spoonbill and one Black-fronted Dotterel amongst the hundreds of Red-kneed.
In all, an excellent trip. We recorded 148 outside of the ACT border [following customary Canberra birding procedures]; 4 of these were lifers for me.
I know I have written a lot, but it was certainly a great trip, and we found lots of birds. I hope this can be of some use to people intending on heading out to the area.
If you have any questions [or would like to see the bird trip list], please feel free to contact me.
Cheers
Tobias
Bunny Thumpers
Detailed stomper boots with thigh high socks layered with knee socks, legwarmers, and long bunny ears and fluffy tail.
There are 8 individual variations available.
Fatpack includes exclusive textures and a full HUD to change other options.
Rigged for Legacy/Legacy Maze, Reborn/Reborn Maze, Lara X/Lara X Maze
Event opens today
Demo is available
TP: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Liberty%20City/78/134/32
Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Baja%20Sands/199/127/25
“So what is your story?” Nahla asked while idly and in bored fashion flipped through a random book sitting upon one of the desks.
“I’m just an Elf.” Solarawen replied, eyes shifted slightly over her left shoulder to the tiefling. “Don’t touch that.”
“Well, to look at you one would guess that but there is something a bit more about you. I see the scars along your shoulders and hands, what caused those?” Of course not listening to being told to stop touching things, she continued to flip through the pages while plopped into one of the not so comfortable wooden chairs. A soft protest of a squeak came from her shoulder where a small primate did it’s best to hide from the large white owl upon the elf's shoulder. Though Thalk’s golden eyes never left the small morsel’s position. Solarawen closed the book she had in her hands, a hesitant glance at the scars spoken of before she placed the book back and pulled another. “I mean, if I am going to be doing work for you the least you could do is give me a little information.”
“Information you would then turn and sell to someone else? After I am paying you gold to give me information on others?” Her tone did not sound accusatory, in fact it was rather even and blase throughout most of the conversations Nahla had with her.
“Gold is easy for me to come by,” A slight wave of the tiefling’s hand to dismiss the idea. “I’m curious and want a story instead. Your story. I mean, it isn’t like anyone is going to ask about you. No one even knows you yet nor do they probably care to. You’re just some random student so far. And even if they did, What would I tell them? A pretty elf had some curiosity but lacked the social skills to get to know them? I’d probably die and your story would die with me in the process of asking around. So why not? It is all the payment I am asking for. I’d say that is fair.” There was a sigh, that caused a smirk to curl on Nahla’s lips. She knew that sigh well enough to know she was about to get what was asked for.
A clap of the book and Solarawen turned around walking over to the table with an expression that Nahla couldn’t quite read. It wasn’t exactly annoyance nor was it amusement. In fact, something about it seemed almost sinister or devious in a way. That couldn’t be right, elves weren’t like that. So she thought.
“So what do you want to know?” The question posed as she settled down in a chair across the table. “About the scars? Or about where I am from? You have my name and my general information already. What is it you so desire that you would refuse gold in turn?” The tiefling licked her lips and leaned forward. The book in front of her was already forgotten and shoved to the wayside.
“Tell me about the scars. I’ve not seen scars like those before. How did you get them?”
“By meddling in magic before I was ready.” Nahla’s eyes squinted at the answer.
“Come on… More details, please.” Another sigh and the tiefling’s smile would grow to show her pointed teeth.
“When I was young I fell in love with a male who, in turn, fell in lust with me. All he wanted to do was have relations. Meanwhile I was trying to think of a future we both could have. Perhaps the naive nature of a younger self. While he was feeling me up, I was planning children and a home. I was daydreaming about how the introduction of him to my family would go. While that introduction got postponed time and time again. His choice of course. Until it could no longer be postponed because I was with a child.” Nahla raised a brow but was now intently listening.
“Everyone in Silverymoon knows my family are purists. Only elven blood in the family. As it turned out, my… choice in a male partner was not full elven blooded. He knew this of course, but chose to have his fun and when it came to the consequences… Well, he did not want to face the wrath of my mother for a child that would be… impure.” By this point of the story Nahla’s features changed slightly. Brows furrowed and head tilted with a hint of confusion in the expression on her face. She’d never heard of such a thing. The elves she had met throughout her life, at least the ones above ground, seemed to be tolerant if not loving of all life.
“So, this… partial elf decided that instead of facing down life as an outcast with me… because I would be exiled due to my child of course and lose everything. He decided to attempt to erase his mistake. To defend myself and my child I attempted to protect myself with magic I had not yet mastered. My mother caught us in the midst of battle and threw a chain lightning spell. She couldn’t have known what it would have done. At least I tell myself that. She was just trying to separate us. It killed him.” Solarawen nodded slightly. “And the baby. It went through one of my hands and out the other, which is where these scars came from. Instead of having me healed she insisted that the marks be left as a lesson. To what, I am not sure of. She claimed to not attempt magic without properly studying it first. Of which is true, had I studied it things might have gone differently. I might have chosen different spells or just misty stepped away and escaped with my and my baby’s life.” There was an awkward silence that followed before Solarawen stood back up and returned to the shelves she had been looking through already.
“I’m so sorry, Solarawen…”
“Don’t be. You now know I am not a simple naive elven maiden. Now, to business. I want to know of all the deity priests and priestesses within waterdeep. Just general information. I am not one for detailed stories.”
“As you wish.” Nahla stood up and brushed herself off. Though she agreed to it, she most likely would not seek out Solarawen again. Something about her didn’t seem right, and that instinct was what kept the orange haired tiefling intact for most of her life thus far. “You’ve a pleasant evening.” A polite bow of her horned head as she started to make her way out of the tower library. Thalk’s golden eyes stayed upon her and her little friend until they rounded the corner of a bookshelf.
“You too.” Solarawen muttered into yet another book. She was not a fool. She knew she’d never see the tiefling again. She’d have to find another way to gather information.
I have finished!
Credit to Amy, Irish Warrior, and Wiikling.
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A good deal of effort went into this mermaid's body paint.
During the Mermaid Parade in New York City, on 6-23.13.
Noted for a style of customization that gave rise to the chopper motorcycle style, Harley-Davidson traditionally marketed heavyweight, air-cooled cruiser motorcycles with engine displacements greater than 700 cm³ — and has broadened its offerings to include its more contemporary VRSC (2002) and middle-weight Street (2015) platforms.
Pentax K-5 • 80 ISO • Pentax DA 40mm F2.8 XS
On the road again driving near...
Imbringen • Luxembourg
I used a blue gel to light the inside of the this car to show the details on the dash (still in great shape) and a soft amber light on the side of the car to get these spider cracks to show in the glass. This is a zoomed in crop from the original image.
Catalogue reference: WO 95/2931 (6)
Detailed report showing the activity of all units within the 168th and 169th Infantry Brigades on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Really wish i could have get him looking at the camera, he has the most brilliant head color i have ever seen
This is my last shot for a few days as i head to the Redding Airshow tomorrow.
Look for a lot of uploads from this event. Maybe evan 50 if my friends don't get tried of see so many aviation shots.
There is a steep learning curve when it comes to photographing reflective subjects, especially small ones like rings. We have been shooting this engagement ring in our latest video, watch it here >>> youtu.be/qCH2eIRJxt8
Wedding photographers, collectors and product photographers all need to get detailed, creative and hassle-free shots of rings and jewellery, but lighting reflective subjects can be a pain. Controlling where the reflections fall is often very tricky with conventional lighting.
The answer is to scale your lighting down with the subject. Don't try to eliminate reflections all together, but control them. The Adaptalux Studio makes this an absolute dream. With the flexible arms and adjustable brightness, precise adjustments are easy and fast.
The image you see here is a pretty stylistic one, but adding even the smallest amount of colour can create some amazing bokeh and highlights in a shot that would otherwise be plain!
We like to demo the studio with reflective subjects for this exact reason. We were showing off rings and pocket watches at The Photography Show this year (thanks again to everyone that came to see us at our stand!).
Showing off what the Studio can do got us thinking about rings in more detail, you can read our thoughts on our blog here >>> bit.ly/adaptaluxrings
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpback_whale
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. An acrobatic animal known for breaching and slapping the water with its tail and pectorals, it is popular with whale watchers off Australia, New Zealand, South America, Canada, and the United States.
Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they repeat for hours at a time. Its purpose is not clear, though it may have a role in mating.
Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 kilometres (16,000 mi) each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, humpbacks fast and live off their fat reserves. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the bubble net feeding technique.
Like other large whales, the humpback was and is a target for the whaling industry. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a moratorium was introduced in 1966. While stocks have since partially recovered, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution continue to impact the 80,000 humpbacks worldwide.
Taxonomy
Humpback whales are rorquals (family Balaenopteridae), a family that includes the blue whale, the fin whale, the Bryde's whale, the sei whale and the minke whale. The rorquals are believed to have diverged from the other families of the suborder Mysticeti as long ago as the middle Miocene.[3] However, it is not known when the members of these families diverged from each other.
Though clearly related to the giant whales of the genus Balaenoptera, the humpback has been the sole member of its genus since Gray's work in 1846. More recently, though, DNA sequencing analysis has indicated the humpback is more closely related to certain rorquals, particularly the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), and possibly to the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), than it is to rorquals such as the minke whales.[4][5] If further research confirms these relationships, it will be necessary to reclassify the rorquals.
The humpback whale was first identified as baleine de la Nouvelle Angleterre by Mathurin Jacques Brisson in his Regnum Animale of 1756. In 1781, Georg Heinrich Borowski described the species, converting Brisson's name to its Latin equivalent, Balaena novaeangliae. In 1804, Lacépède shifted the humpback from the Balaenidae family, renaming it Balaenoptera jubartes. In 1846, John Edward Gray created the genus Megaptera, classifying the humpback as Megaptera longipinna, but in 1932, Remington Kellogg reverted the species names to use Borowski's novaeangliae.[6] The common name is derived from the curving of their backs when diving. The generic name Megaptera from the Greek mega-/μεγα- "giant" and ptera/πτερα "wing",[7] refers to their large front flippers. The specific name means "New Englander" and was probably given by Brisson due the regular sightings of humpbacks off the coast of New England.
Description
A humpback whale can easily be identified by its stocky body with an obvious hump and black dorsal coloring. The head and lower jaw are covered with knobs called tubercles, which are hair follicles, and are characteristic of the species. The fluked tail, which it lifts above the surface in some dive sequences, has wavy trailing edges.[8] The four global populations, all under study, are: North Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern Ocean humpbacks, which have distinct populations which complete a migratory round-trip each year, and the Indian Ocean population, which does not migrate, prevented by that ocean's northern coastline.
The long black and white tail fin, which can be up to a third of body length, and the pectoral fins have unique patterns, which make individual whales identifiable.[9][10] Several hypotheses attempt to explain the humpback's pectoral fins, which are proportionally the longest fins of any cetacean. The two most enduring mention the higher maneuverability afforded by long fins, and the usefulness of the increased surface area for temperature control when migrating between warm and cold climates.
Humpbacks have 270 to 400 darkly coloured baleen plates on each side of their mouths.[11] The plates measure from a mere 18 inches (46 cm) in the front to approximately 3 feet (0.91 m) long in the back, behind the hinge. Ventral grooves run from the lower jaw to the umbilicus about halfway along the underside of the whale. These grooves are less numerous (usually 14–22) than in other rorquals but are fairly wide.[11]
The stubby dorsal fin is visible soon after the blow when the whale surfaces, but disappears by the time the flukes emerge. Humpbacks have a 3 metres (9.8 ft), heart-shaped to bushy blow, or exhalation of water through the blowholes. Because humpback whales breathe voluntarily, the whales possibly shut off only half of their brains when sleeping.[12] Early whalers also noted blows from humpback adults to be 10–20 feet (3.0–6.1 m) high.
Newborn calves are roughly the length of their mother's head. At birth, calves measure 20 feet (6.1 m) at 2 short tons (1.8 t) The mother, by comparison, is about 50 feet (15 m). They nurse for approximately six months, then mix nursing and independent feeding for possibly six months more. Humpback milk is 50% fat and pink in color.
Females reach sexual maturity at the age of five, achieving full adult size a little later. Males reach sexual maturity at approximately seven years of age. Humpback whale lifespans range from 45–100 years.[13] Fully grown, the males average 13–14 m (43–46 ft). Females are slightly larger at 15–16 m (49–52 ft); the largest recorded specimen was 19 metres (62 ft) long and had pectoral fins measuring 6 metres (20 ft) each.[14] Body mass typically is in the range of 25–30 metric tons (28–33 short tons), with large specimens weighing over 40 metric tons (44 short tons).[15] The female has a hemispherical lobe about 15 centimetres (5.9 in) in diameter in its genital region. This visually distinguishes males and females.[11] The male's penis usually remains hidden in the genital slit.
Identifying individuals
The varying patterns on the tail flukes are sufficient to identify individuals. A study using data from 1973 to 1998 on whales in the North Atlantic gave researchers detailed information on gestation times, growth rates, and calving periods, as well as allowing more accurate population predictions by simulating the mark-release-recapture technique (Katona and Beard 1982). A photographic catalogue of all known North Atlantic whales was developed over this period and is currently maintained by College of the Atlantic.[16] Similar photographic identification projects have begun in the North Pacific by Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks, and around the world.
Life history
Social structure
The humpback social structure is loose-knit. Typically, individuals live alone or in small, transient groups that disband after a few hours. These whales are not excessively social in most cases. Groups may stay together a little longer in summer to forage and feed cooperatively. Longer-term relationships between pairs or small groups, lasting months or even years, have rarely been observed. Some females possibly retain bonds created via cooperative feeding for a lifetime. The humpback's range overlaps considerably with other whale and dolphin species—for instance, the minke whale. However, humpbacks rarely interact socially with them, though one individual was observed playing with a bottlenose dolphin in Hawaiian waters.[17]
Courtship and reproduction
Courtship rituals take place during the winter months, following migration toward the equator from summer feeding grounds closer to the poles. Competition is usually fierce, and unrelated males, dubbed escorts by researcher Louis Herman, frequently trail females, as well as mother-calf dyads. Male gather into "competitive groups" and fight for females.[18] Group size ebbs and flows as unsuccessful males retreat and others arrive to try their luck. Behaviors include breaching, spyhopping, lob-tailing, tail-slapping, fin-slapping, peduncle throws, charging and parrying. Whale songs are assumed to have an important role in mate selection; however, they may also be used between males to establish dominance.[19]
Females typically breed every two or three years. The gestation period is 11.5 months, yet some individuals have been known to breed in two consecutive years. The peak months for birth are January, February, July, and August, with usually a one- to two–year period between humpback births. They can live up to 48 years. Recent research on humpback mitochondrial DNA reveals groups living in proximity to each other may represent distinct breeding pools.[20]
Song
Both male and female humpback whales vocalize, but only males produce the long, loud, complex "songs" for which the species is famous. Each song consists of several sounds in a low register, varying in amplitude and frequency, and typically lasting from 10 to 20 minutes.[21] Humpbacks may sing continuously for more than 24 hours. Cetaceans have no vocal cords, so whales generate their songs by forcing air through their massive nasal cavities.
Whales within a large area sing the same song. All North Atlantic humpbacks sing the same song, and those of the North Pacific sing a different song. Each population's song changes slowly over a period of years without repeating.[21]
Scientists are unsure of the purpose of whale songs. Only males sing, suggesting one purpose is to attract females. However, many of the whales observed to approach a singer are other males, often resulting in conflict. Singing may, therefore, be a challenge to other males.[22] Some scientists have hypothesized the song may serve an echolocative function.[23] During the feeding season, humpbacks make altogether different vocalizations for herding fish into their bubble nets.[24]
Humpback whales have also been found to make a range of other social sounds to communicate, such as "grunts", "groans", "thwops", "snorts" and "barks"
Ecology
Feeding and predation
Humpbacks feed primarily in summer and live off fat reserves during winter.[26] They feed only rarely and opportunistically in their wintering waters. The humpback is an energetic hunter, taking krill and small schooling fish such as Atlantic herring, Atlantic salmon, capelin, and American sand lance, as well as Atlantic mackerel, pollock, and haddock in the North Atlantic.[27][28][29] Krill and copepods have been recorded as prey species in Australian and Antarctic waters.[30] Humpbacks hunt by direct attack or by stunning prey by hitting the water with pectoral fins or flukes.
The humpback has the most diverse feeding repertoire of all baleen whales.[31] Its most inventive technique is known as bubble net feeding; a group of whales swims in a shrinking circle blowing bubbles below a school of prey. The shrinking ring of bubbles encircles the school and confines it in an ever-smaller cylinder. This ring can begin at up to 30 metres (98 ft) in diameter and involve the cooperation of a dozen animals. Using a crittercam attached to a whale's back, some whales were found to blow the bubbles, some dive deeper to drive fish toward the surface, and others herd prey into the net by vocalizing.[32] The whales then suddenly swim upward through the "net", mouths agape, swallowing thousands of fish in one gulp. Plated grooves in the whale's mouth allow the creature to easily drain all the water initially taken in.
Given scarring records, killer whales are thought to prey upon juvenile humpbacks, though this has never been witnessed. The result of these attacks is generally nothing more serious than some scarring of the skin, but young calves likely are sometimes killed.[33]
Range and habitat
Humpbacks inhabit all major oceans, in a wide band running from the Antarctic ice edge to 77° N latitude, though not in the eastern Mediterranean or the Baltic Sea.They are migratory, spending summers in cooler, high-latitude waters and mating and calving in tropical and subtropical waters.[21] An exception to this rule is a population in the Arabian Sea, which remains in these tropical waters year-round.[21] Annual migrations of up to 25,000 kilometres (16,000 mi) are typical, making it one of the mammals' best-traveled species.
A large population spreads across the Hawaiian Islands every winter, ranging from the island of Hawaii in the south to Kure Atoll in the north.[34] A 2007 study identified seven individuals wintering off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica as having traveled from the Antarctic—around 8,300 kilometres (5,200 mi). Identified by their unique tail patterns, these animals made the longest documented mammalian migration.[35] In Australia, two main migratory populations have been identified, off the west and east coasts, respectively. These two populations are distinct, with only a few females in each generation crossing between the two groups.[36]
Whaling
Humpback whales were hunted as early as the 18th century, but distinguished by whalers as early as the first decades of the 17th century. By the 19th century, many nations (the United States in particular), were hunting the animal heavily in the Atlantic Ocean, and to a lesser extent in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The late-19th-century introduction of the explosive harpoon, though, allowed whalers to accelerate their take. This, along with hunting in the Antarctic Ocean beginning in 1904, sharply reduced whale populations. During the 20th century, over 200,000 humpbacks were estimated to have been taken, reducing the global population by over 90%, with North Atlantic populations estimated to have dropped to as low as 700 individuals.[37] In 1946, the International Whaling Commission was founded to oversee the whaling industry. They imposed rules and regulations for hunting whales and set open and closed hunting seasons. To prevent extinction, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial humpback whaling in 1966. By then, the population had been reduced to around 5,000.[38] That ban is still in force.
Prior to commercial whaling, populations could have reached 125,000. North Pacific kills alone are estimated at 28,000.[8] The full toll is much higher. It is now known that the Soviet Union was deliberately under-recording its catches; the Soviet catch was reported at 2,820, whereas the true number is now believed to be over 48,000.[39]
As of 2004, hunting of humpback whales was restricted to a few animals each year off the Caribbean island Bequia in the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.[31] The take is not believed to threaten the local population. Japan had planned to kill 50 humpbacks in the 2007/08 season under its JARPA II research program, starting in November 2007. The announcement sparked global protests.[40] After a visit to Tokyo by the chairman of the IWC, asking the Japanese for their co-operation in sorting out the differences between pro- and antiwhaling nations on the Commission, the Japanese whaling fleet agreed no humpback whales would be caught for the two years it would take for the IWC to reach a formal agreement.[41]
In 2010, the International Whaling Commission authorized Greenland's native population to hunt a few humpback whales for the next three years.[42]
Conservation
The worldwide population is at least 80,000 humpback whales, with 18,000-20,000 in the North Pacific,[43] about 12,000 in the North Atlantic,[44] and over 50,000 in the Southern Hemisphere,[45] down from a prewhaling population of 125,000.[8]
This species is considered "least concern" from a conservation standpoint, as of 2008. This is an improvement from vulnerable in 1996 and endangered as recently as 1988. Most monitored stocks of humpback whales have rebounded well since the end of commercial whaling,[2][46] such as the North Atlantic, where stocks are now believed to be approaching levels similar to those before hunting began. However, the species is considered endangered in some countries, including the United States.[47][48] The United States initiated a status review of the species on August 12, 2009, and is seeking public comment on potential changes to the species listing under the Endangered Species Act.[49] Areas where population data are limited and the species may be at higher risk include the Arabian Sea, the western North Pacific Ocean, the west coast of Africa and parts of Oceania.[2]
Today, individuals are vulnerable to collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, and noise pollution.[2] Like other cetaceans, humpbacks can be injured by excessive noise. In the 19th century, two humpback whales were found dead near sites of repeated oceanic sub-bottom blasting, with traumatic injuries and fractures in the ears.[50]
Once hunted to the brink of extinction, the humpback has made a dramatic comeback in the North Pacific. A 2008 study estimated the humpback population, which hit a low of 1,500 whales before hunting was banned worldwide, has made a comeback to a population of between 18,000 and 20,000.[51] Saxitoxin, a paralytic shellfish poisoning from contaminated mackerel has been implicated in humpback whale deaths.[52]
The United Kingdom, among other countries, designated the humpback as a priority species under the national Biodiversity Action Plan. The sanctuary provided by US National Parks, such as Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and Cape Hatteras National Seashore, among others, have also become major factors in sustaining populations.[53]
Although much was learned about humpbacks from whaling, migratory patterns and social interactions were not well understood until two studies by R. Chittleborough and W. H. Dawbin in the 1960s.[54] Roger Payne and Scott McVay made further studies of the species in 1971.[55] Their analysis of whale songs led to worldwide media interest and convinced the public that whales were highly intelligent, aiding the antiwhaling advocates.
In August 2008, the IUCN changed humpback's status from Vulnerable to Least Concern, although two subpopulations remain endangered.[56] The United States is considering listing separate humpback populations, so smaller groups, such as North Pacific humpbacks, which are estimated to number 18,000-20,000 animals, might be delisted. This is made difficult by humpback's extraordinary migrations, which can extend the 5,157 miles (8,299 km) from Antarctica to Costa Rica.[20]
Whale-watching
Humpback whales are generally curious about objects in their environments. Some individuals, referred to as "friendlies", approach whale-watching boats closely, often staying under or near the boat for many minutes. Because humpbacks are often easily approachable, curious, easily identifiable as individuals, and display many behaviors, they have become the mainstay of whale-watching tourism in many locations around the world. Hawaii has used the concept of "ecotourism" to use the species without killing them. This whale-watching business brings in a revenue of $20 million per year for the state's economy
A powerful storm swept across the Midwestern U.S. late on June 12, 2012 and is continuing to move across the Mid-Atlantic. Around 0700z (3am EDT), the Suomi NPP satellite passed over the storm as the most intense areas were along the Ohio-West Virginia-Pennsylvania border. The line of strong storm activity associated with this bow echo system is seen at the leading edge. Other pockets of convection and overshooting cloud tops can be seen across Pennsylvania and in southern Maryland.
Credit: NASA/NOAA
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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Detailed birdseye view from Punchbowl Crater looking down on Honolulu Harbor. Vintage real photo postcard.
Photo details
- White Matsonliner, either the SS Lurline or SS Matsonia, entering the harbor, left
- Sand Island, right
- 1907 Fort Armstrong, below the ocean liner
- 1879 Iolani Palace, bottom right
- 1922 Federal Building and Post Office, above Iolani Palace
- 1928 Honolulu Hale city hall, bottom left
- 1926 Territorial Bldg, right of Honolulu Hale
You can search for Hawaii photos of interest in my Photostream:
My previous photograph detailed the Leyland Olympian double-deck bus chassis. I mentioned in the caption that British Leyland developed an integral double-deck bus coded B15 which was first shown as sketches in 1973, then in November 1975 was revealed to the trade press who were given a ride the first prototype B15 to be registered NHG 732P, which went on loan to London Transport. Rather than me write 1000s of words about the B15, I will attempt to write a short overview about the B15.
British Leyland launched the integral Leyland National single-deck city bus in 1970, three years later BL decided that to complement the National, they should design a rear-engined integral double-deck bus, even though the National was not that well received because it was too standard, with only one engine. What Leyland wanted was a number of operators, or one operator to go into partnership with them to design and develop the new double-decker coded B15, in the same way that the National Bus Company was the partner in the Leyland National project and the major customer.
The NBC made it very clear indeed that they did not want an integral double-deck bus and were happy to continue to purchase to Leyland Atlantean and Bristol VRT. A number of the PTE companies showed interest in the B15, but not prepared to go into any kind of partnership. London Transport the largest customer to purchase double-deck buses in the UK, told Leyland if they incorporated certain features into the B15, they would take it as their standard double-deck bus, but could not enter any partnership in bus manufacturing because of the Greater London Council (GLC). LT were taking the Daimler Fleetline DMS as their standard double-decker, but they found the Fleetline not to their liking, because it could not be taken to bits like their beloved Routemaster!
The features that LT requested to be incorporated into B15 were Lockheed power hydraulic brakes, power assisted steering, independent front suspension and a fully automatic gearbox which the driver could hold the gears. These features would make the B15 too complex, and expensive both to purchase and to maintain. Leyland unwisely threw caution to the wind, and pressed ahead with incorporating these features into the B15. Park Royal in north London was chosen to build the prototype B15 buses and production models. Four prototype B15s were built numbered B15.01-B15.04, along with one pre-production model B15.05 between 1975-1977. I know that B15.05 is on BLOTW as a prototype, but a Leyland engineer told me it was a pre-production bus, built nearly to what the production buses would be. Only two of the prototypes would be registered along with the pre-production B15. The two unregistered B15 buses were loaded with test weights and driven around Leyland and Preston as if in service, one was in a green livery, the other in a red livery. LT had B15.04 NHG 732P on loan and it operated from Chalk Farm (CF) depot mainly on the busy crew operated 24 service. The other B15 to be registered was B15.02 FHG 592S which had a single doorway and was used as a demonstrator and spent time with a number of PTEs. B15.05 was registered BCK 706R and loaned to LT entering service on February 1978, after spending time with LT it returned to Leyland to take up demonstratation duties.
Regarding the engines fitted to the prototypes, I understand they had a mixture of engines the first choice was the 8.2-litre turbocharged Leyland 500 engine de-rated to produce 170bhp which B15.01 and B15.03 had, B15.02 and B15.05 both had 10.45-litre natural aspirated Gardner engines. LT and some of the PTE companies made it clear to Leyland that they did not want the 500 engine, plus the fact that later Leyland decided to cease building the 500 engine by 1979, the replacement engine would be the 11.1-litre turbocharged TL11 engine, which would not be available until 1979. The B15 was the first new Leyland model to be offered with a Gardner engine as an option.
While Leyland were developing the B15, MCW developed the Metrobus in half the time, it to was developed to meet LT's requirements. Unlike the B15, it was semi-integral, with the chassis offered to be bodied by other bodybuilders. Leyland had considered offering the B15 underframe to be bodied by other bodybuilders, but this was dropped, Leyland even looked at allowing other bodybuilders to build the production B15 under licence, but these plans did not become a reality.
The B15 was launched on 30th June 1977 at the MIRA test track at Nuneaton near Coventry and named Titan with a price tag of £35,000, it was only available in one length 9.5-metres and one height 14ft. 5in, with single or dual doorways. Three engine options were offered the 8.2-litre turbocharged Leyland 500 engine (this option was dropped when production of the Titan commenced), the 11.1-litre turbocharged Leyland TL11 engine and the 10.45-litre Gardner 6LXB engine. Only one gearbox was offered, Leyland's own five-speed fully-automatic Hydracyclic gearbox, this was a new design of gearbox developed for the Titan. At the Titan launch were B15.04 NHG 732P which had covered 23,200 miles with London Transport, and B15.05 BCK 706R which was completed a few weeks before the Titan launch.
LT placed an order for 250 Titans to be delivered between 1978-1980. A number of the PTE companies placed orders including Greater Manchester Transport and West Midlands PTE. At the launch of the Titan, Marcus Smith, the General Manager of British Leyland Truck & Bus division announced that production of the Titan would commence in 1978 at Park Royal with the first 100 built there, but thereafter production would be transferred to a facility at the AEC factory at Southall. In 1978, the Chairman of the Greater London Council's Transport Committee let the secret out of the bag, that Leyland and a consortium of major operators planned to build the Titan at Southall in a joint venture.
The staff at Park Royal were unhappy about this, so slowed the production down to three Titans a week, Michael Edwards the Chairman of BL was appointed by the Government in November 1977 to oversee BL to be a profitable company and close any loss making factories. Both AEC and Park Royal were identify as loss making factories and destined to close, AEC in 1979, followed a year later by Park Royal. The future of Leyland's advanced double-deck bus the Titan looked doomed, operators who had placed orders were persuade to cancel, or only take a small percentage of their order, West Midlands PTE received five, and Greater Manchester received 15. LT received their order of 250 Titans and even put pressure on the Labour Government to persuade Leyland to keep the Titan in production.
Leyland now had a problem to find a new home to build the Titan, ECW was top of the list, but the staff wanted more money to build the Titan, next was the Leyland National factory at Workington, the management and staff at Workington were prepared to adapt and welcomed production of the Titan with open arms! A small extension costing £4 million had to be built at the Workington factory to allow the Titan underframe to be built before going into the main factory for the bodywork to be built. Production of the Titan at Park Royal ceased in June 1980, and restarted at Workington in April 1981! LT split their orders for double-deck buses between the Leyland Titan and the MCW Metrobus, in 1983 LT placed their last order for the Titan, which resulted in production of the Titan ending in October 1984, with 885 built there.
The Titan was a very expensive mistake for Leyland, costing over £40 million, with 1160 production Titans built which, LT purchased 1,125 Titans (T1-T1125). What the bus industry wanted in the late seventies was a second generation double-deck bus chassis, not a complex integral bus, they got that in 1980 with the Leyland Olympian chassis, which met all requirements.
My view taken in the summer of 1976 at Worden Park in Leyland shows prototype B15.03 in what I could describe as NBC poppy red livery, the green B15 looked like the NBC leaf green livery. To the left of B15.03 is the prototype Business Commuter Super Leyland National, and to the right is a Northern Counties ''Mancunian'' Leyland AN68 Atlantean for Greater Manchester Transport.
Operators who ordered Titans and received them:-
London Transport 1,125, fleet numbers T1-T1125, in 1983 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of LT, Leyland painted Titan T747 registered OHV 747Y in a gold livery, it carried the fictitious fleet number T1987
Greater Manchester Transport 15
Reading Borough Transport 12
West Midlands PTE 5
China Motor Bus Co 1 (they had ordered a 11-metre Titan which the underframe was built, before the order cancelled)
Leyland Vehicles Ltd demonstrator 1
Detailed interior with lighting from LifeLites, Rob is the best, he always comes through to make my builds just POP!!!
Camera Nerd Stuff:
Nikon Z9 (v.1.11)
Z100-400mm @ 360mm
Manual Exposure:
1/2,000th @ f/5.6 + Auto ISO (360 ISO) with Matrix Meter
Focus: AF-C + Wide-Area (S) + Subject Tracking (people). VR Sport.
Delkin Black 512GB CFExpress
JPG from camera
Nik filters
A return trip to the wedge produced some fun shots. When I got home and started to look, the Nik filters looked so good with these!
Almost identical versions, phone-processed with 2 different apps: SnapSeed and Hypocam. The later is usually better for realism and analog 'film' look, but in this case I tend to prefer the slightly more detailed Snapseed result.
(this is the Hypocam result)
D7000+85mm
SB900 in a beauty dish, from above. K-8 at camera right gelled red
YN467-II at camera left gelled green.
Ready for their CLOSE-UP
A gorgeous parrot-tulip
I don't talk to flowers, they talk to me and I gladly listen!
You can see for yourself what this Rococo tulip was saying!!!
I AM made to ENRAPTURE!
I am sensual,
Do I make your toes curl with pleasure?
For years I 'experimented' in the studio, to get that Flemish painter's light?
Well, I was born in Flanders, it must be in my blood? LOL.
With love to you and thank you for ALL your faves and comment on my winning image, M, (* _ *)
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
parrot, tulip, Rococo, bloom, red, petals, curves, flower, detail, feathered, bulb, studio, black-background, colour, design, single, square, Hasselblad, "Magda indigo"
Portrait, detailed shot of hand with silver rings at the edge of the image field. Color artefacts are absent with the Otus 1.4/85; the bokeh is balanced and has nice details, and due to the high opening aperture there is still plenty of room for increased performance.
D800, Otus 1.4/85, f/2, 1/125 sec, ISO 100
Detailed head bust for the reFX01 prototype reFrame.
Youtube 360 vid of the build
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MXqzronjHU
View the blog article for a step-by-step process here:
messymaru.wordpress.com/2016/01/12/refx01-mech-head-bust/
P.S. Minifig just for scale :P