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The weather forecast predicted rain, rain and more rain for the weekend, so when I noticed a brief break in the clouds early this morning, I grabbed my camera and drove off in search of a composition or two... I didn't find much...
I processed this in B&W just to be different... :)
Nikon D300, Sigma 18-200mm at 80mm, aperture of f11, with a 1/250 second exposure.
Click here to view this one large.
Click here to check out my Vertorama tutorial.
ODC-That's Life
Some believe the Woolly Bear Caterpillar can predict whether or not we'll have a mild/severe Winter. The bigger the orange band the milder the winter. If it's true I think winter is going to be a little more severe, though they're predicting a milder winter for us up here in the Finger Lakes.
The Metoffice random forecast generator predicted this day would be the best of the week, with long sunny spells on the tops, so we parked half way down the Honister Pass and walked down to Buttermere and along the shoreline path and climbed up Red Pike
It's been a strange but nice Saturday. The weather forecast had predicted a cloudy day, with possible rainstorms in the afternoon. Nothing strange, it was the trend of the entire week. My summer vacation were going to end, and It was my last chance for a serious hike. I left the house at 6 AM and I started to hike on the trail that leads into Otro valley. Cloudy sky, but the clouds were high and it was windy. I did not know where I wanted to go. In the end, following a tradition of the last five years, I thought I had to reach Zube pass, despite the elevation gain, almost 1.800m (5,900ft), and the lack of a serious training. I had been at Zube at the end of every summer since my child was born. On the top of the pass there is a small chapel of the Virgin, dedicated to the protection of families all over the world. I am not a religious person, but that small chapel, in that place, always had a sort of mystic call for me. If the weather was bad, moreover, I had already taken so many shots up there, in the previous years, that I would not have cried for the missed photographic opportunity.
Thick clouds started to roll in at 8.30 AM, but they created an effect that was similar to thermal inversion, that is much more common during fall and winter. At an elevation of 2.400m (7,870ft ) the clouds were below my feet, and the summits of the high mountain were all there, clearly visible.
I reached Zube pass, 2.876m (9,436ft), at 9.30AM. Three hours and an half, not that bad at all. I was there, and I was alone, with a breath taking view. Despite the fact that you can use two cable lifts to shorten the trail (but starting from other valleys), and in the good season many people hike to the pass, I was the first one to reach the summit.
I have many shots with the most spectacular summits of Valsesia (and I will post many of them in a time to come), but I choose this one because it reminds me of how long the trail is.
I stood up there for an hour, with the Virgin, without caring of the temperature, that was close to Zero Celsius, and the fact that I had just a light jacket, shorts and a bottle of water. Probably the major discomfort was for Mary the Virgin, alone up there with a sinner and an unbeliever... but the Maker has a lot of pity.
E' stato un sabato strano, ma simpatico. Le previsioni del tempo avevano previsto una giornata nuvolosa, con possibili temporali nel pomeriggio. Niente di strano, è stato il trend di tutta la settimana. Le mie vacanze estive stavano per finire ed era la mia ultima possibilità per una camminata seria. Sono uscito di casa alle 6 del mattino e ho iniziato a fare un'escursione sul sentiero che porta nella valle di Otro. Cielo nuvoloso, ma le nuvole erano alte ed era ventoso. Non sapevo dove volevo andare. Alla fine, seguendo una tradizione degli ultimi cinque anni, ho pensato di raggiungere il passo Zube, nonostante il dislivello, quasi 1.800 m, e, molto peggio, la mancanza di allenamento. Sono salito a quel passo alla fine di ogni estate da quando è nato mio figlio. Sulla cima del passo c'è una piccola cappella della Vergine Maria, dedicata alla protezione delle famiglie in tutto il mondo. Non sono una persona religiosa, ma quella piccola cappella, in quel luogo, ha sempre avuto una sorta di mistico richiamo per me. Se il tempo fosse stato brutto, per di più, ho già fatto così tanti scatti da lassù in altre occasioni che non avrei pianto per l'occasione fotografica mancata.
Le nuvole spesse hanno iniziato a farsi vive alle 8.30, ma hanno creato un effetto simile all'inversione termica, che è molto più comune in autunno e in inverno. Ad un'altitudine di 2.400m erano sotto i tuoi piedi e le vette più alte erano tutte lì, chiaramente visibili.
Ho raggiunto il passo Zube, a 2.870m, alle 9.30. Tre ore e mezza, non così male alla fine. Ero lì ed ero solo, con una vista mozzafiato. Nonostante sia possibile utilizzare due funivie per accorciare il sentiero (salendo però da altre valli), e nella buona stagione molte persone camminano fino al passo, sono stato il primo a raggiungere la vetta.
Ho molti scatti con le vette più spettacolari della Valsesia (e ne posterò molte in un momento a venire), ma scelgo questo perché mi ricorda la strada fatta.
Sono rimasto lassu' per un'ora, con la Vergine Immaccolata. Senza preoccuparmi troppo della temperatura, che era vicino a Zero, e del fatto che avevo solo una giacca leggera, pantaloncini e una bottiglia d'acqua. Probabilmente il disagio maggiore e' stato per Maria, sola lassù con un peccatore e un miscredente ... ma il Creatore è misericordioso.
Sunrise at home. Some sunrises are colourful and some are just blah. I tend to miss most of the good ones (nothing to do with wanting to stay in bed ofcourse). Pretty hard to predict, and sunsets seem even more difficult. Then there are the times when you pack up and think you've wasted your time, only to find that 3 minutes later the sky fires up with unbelievable colour, but you are now not in position for a shot.
On February 9, 2011
According to legend, if Pelican Pete does not see his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does see his shadow, there will be an early spring.
P.S. I just started this legend ;-)
Have a nice weekend!
Sky Guide predicted this flare at 21:39:09 at my location. So I setup my Canon 1100D using Backyard EOS for a 45 second exposure and ISO400. I collected RAW and JPEG data. I only used RAW as the JPEG seems very much inferior. I kicked off the exposure 20 seconds earlier. EXACTLY on time the flare appeared which I find astounding.
To avoid trailing stars I decided to use my guide camera using PHD2. Was difficult to obtain accurate focus on my main camera but 10-12 test exposures seemed to do the trick. Future focus attainment should be easier as I have now marked the point on my lens which is a 18-55mm. Using 18mm. And in case you wondered, No, you can't use infinity. I have used a LP filter but I was a bit up against it as a distant street light was directly casting light onto the Lens.
You can also see Andromeda Galaxy in the bottom centre part of the image. There is also another object in the picture that I think is some sort of space debris but I am unable to confirm. The mottled effect to the left of the flare is part of the Milky Way, our own Galaxy.
Processing was done in Pixinsight (DBE and NR) and Photoshop.
Skyfire predicted a beautiful sunrise. Clear sky and Intellicast predicted heavy clouds. Well, there was a sliver of pretty pinkish sunlight... that ended about 30 seconds before I got my camera set up for this shot. Oops!
A sunny early afternoon swim in a crystal-clear turquoise body of water.
Staring at my original photograph has triggered memories from the Minority Report film, with Tom Cruise. I think this is one of the best creations of Steven Spielberg and one of those movies I would definitely watch more than once.
The three young women holding hands in the water, making a star formation, resemble the Precogs (Precognitives) in the movie. Their powerful psychic abilities are key in predicting and projecting premeditated murders... but I'll let you watch the movie, if you haven't already.
I changed the water look, altered the daylight, added the rays, and gave the image more pop.
...Canoe Boy will be posting some Greenies and Tri-Colored Heron shots from Horsepen Bayou in the future.
Taken around Myvatn area in Northeastern of Iceland.
Just coming back from Akureyri, the Capital of the North, for the last night and last chance in Iceland to see the stunning display that had been predicted. Finally the stunning show began to start while I was driving back to the hotel. This appeared suddenly, unexpectedly and I was very happy to see this kind of nature show again and again.
Due to atrocious weather in the North Atlantic we have had to stay at Bergen till tomorrow.10 metre high waves were predicted today so we had a catamaran trip on the inner fiords around Bergen.
The rare Tau Herculids meteor shower predicted for May 30/31, 2022 as a possible meteor storm, but instead produced a modest "normal" meteor shower. The meteors appeared yellowish (as in the bright meteor) and were slow-moving, and often had a sparkling effect as they moved, again as per the irregular brightness of the bright meteor streak. The meteors were from remnants of the Comet 73P/Schawassmann-Wachmann 3 which broke apart in 1995.
This is a blend of exposures taken over 90 minutes from 11:24 pm MDT to 12:52 am MDT, capturing 15 meteors, including a very bright one, the best of the night, which left an orange ionization "smoke" trail expanding away from the meteor over the next few minutes. Another fainter meteor below centre also left a short "smoke trail."
This shows the radiant point of the Tau Herculids, actually located in Böotes above the bright star Arcturus below centre. The Coma Berenices star cluster is below the bright meteor. Corona Borealis and Hercules are left of Arcturus, while bright Vega in Lyra is at far left. The Big Dipper is at top.
This is a blend of 29 exposures for the meteors and smoke trails, stacked onto the sky background taken just before the very bright meteor occured earlier in the night when the sky was still blue from lingering twilight.
All were with the Canon R6 for 15 seconds each but at ISOs from 800 to 3200, increased through the night as the sky darkened, and with the 15mm Venus Optics lens wide open at f/2. The camera was on a tracking mount to keep the stars stationary over the sequence to aid in aligning and stacking the images, so the meteors appear in their correct positions relative to the background stars. Shot from home in Alberta on a very clear and fine night, a pleasant change for a celestial event!
Sunsetwx.com predicted a decent sunrise for this morning, so my 10 year-old and I planned last night to get up and out to familiar territory, the arboretum, for today's picture. Right back smack-dab in my comfort zone, winter sunrises at The Tree with the sun coming up in the gap. Felt good, man.
We saw this guy and his dogs at another part of the arboretum while scouting potential shooting locations, and I was delighted when we got to my usual spot and I saw him and his pooches ambling down the road toward us.
He noticed us taking pictures and started to walk out of the frame, but I asked him to please not go out of his way, and so he kept walking toward us and we got to pet the dogs and chatted with him for a few minutes. He said he hoped he hadn't messed up our photos, and I said of course not, because honestly, though the best colors of the sunrise hadn't happened yet when he happened by, this is far and away my favorite picture I got today.
I checked the aurora predictor site I used and it called for activity this evening. Peeking outside, I could see faint moving light to the north, even with maladjusted eyesight. So I quickly bundled up (it was -26 C) and hopped in the car to zip down to my usual north-facing lakeshore view.
I set up very close to the shore because despite a few weeks of cold, there was still slush on the ice and I felt and heard frequent booms of the ice cracking.
This image is a panorama comprising 8 vertical shots using my manual 24mm Bower lens which handles night shots beautifully. The lights were dancing somewhat., and pretty brihgt, so I could use nice short shutter speeds.
Hugin didn't know how to stitch this image automatically, so I had to manually select individual stars in each image to use as control points. I'm pretty pleased with this, although I will try again with another set of shots which were darker but had more distinct aurora lines.
I wasn't sure this shoot would work because of the waxing moon, but it lit the snow nicely.
Skin colour is usually gray, and may be masked by soil because of dusting and wallowing. Their wrinkled skin is movable and contains many nerve centers. It is smoother than that of African elephants, and may be depigmented on the trunk, ears, or neck. The epidermis and dermis of the body average 18 mm (0.71 in) thick; skin on the dorsum is 30 mm (1.2 in) thick providing protection against bites, bumps, and adverse weather. Its folds increase surface area for heat dissipation. They can tolerate cold better than excessive heat. Skin temperature varies from 24 to 32.9 °C (75.2 to 91.2 °F). Body temperature averages 35.9 °C (96.6 °F).
Intelligence
Main article: Elephant cognition
Asian elephants are highly intelligent and self-aware. They have a very large and highly convoluted neocortex, a trait also shared by humans, apes and certain dolphin species. Elephants have a greater volume of cerebral cortex available for cognitive processing than all other existing land animals, and extensive studies place elephants in the category of great apes in terms of cognitive abilities for tool use and tool making. They exhibit a wide variety of behaviours, including those associated with grief, learning, allomothering, mimicry, play, altruism, use of tools, compassion, cooperation, self-awareness, memory, and language. Elephants are reported to go to safer ground during natural disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes, although there have been no scientific records of this since it is hard to recreate or predict natural disasters
The Britain's WWII aircraft positional predictor with two operators. They always sold this model with one operator but in reality this needed about six people to operate it.
I was given one of these as a small child and it was always with my military models but, at that time, I did not know what it did.
See here for a Youtube video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG6Rr5Kg6Qk
There was no Youtube when I was small !!!!!!!
TE1742 (SN09CFX) blinded for Route 207 to White City, which could happen if this batch transfers to HZ
Tinderbox
Elton John
Nostradamus said "I predict
That the world will end at half past six"
What he didn't say, was exactly when
Was he listening to the radio?
Was he listening to the government?
Well he got us spooked anyway
We'd been running hot up until today
But a wind of change blew across our sails
We were coasting on a winning streak
We were kings until the power failed
We've been living in a tinderbox
And two sparks can set the whole thing off
Rubbing up together around the clock
Lately we've been getting more roll than rock
You and me together in a tinderbox
We've been shooting this great old barn for a few years now, and during the week, we got the sad news that it had succumbed to a grassfire.
My mate Paul did some investigation, and to our relief, and I'm sure the owners, it somehow escaped the fire relatively unharmed.
I've had a look back at some of my past images of it, and it looks like it held up pretty well.
In the unpredictable land and climate that we live in, this is one of the reasons I spend so much time looking for and photographing these beautiful character filled buildings. You just never know when they will be razed to the ground and gone forever.
This is why I love photography so much.
Capturing moments in time, and preserving memories.
Hope you like "Tinderbox"
Cheers, Mike
I have photographed this pine for 20 odd years and many of the creatures that lived in, on and around it. In recent times it has formed a texture layer in my multiple exposure adventures in-camera.
I know that our youngest granddaughter will be really upset when she learns that her old tree friend is no more.
A sad day.
They say the weather is very changeable in Scotland , which I've always found to be true, today being no exception, the day started off in a full on blizzard in Glencoe and I didn't even get the camera out at sunrise as you couldn't see a thing, driving was hazardous to say the least as well as just narrowly missed an oncoming lorry on the A82 which had swerved onto my side of the road to avoid a large ice deposit off a previous lorry right into my path, luckily it missed me.
Headed out again after breakfast through it once again and decided to head South towards Taynuilt and Oban, once out of the snow it just didn't stop raining, all day apart from a few moments at Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe where I managed a few shots. After spending the afternoon in Oban I decided to scout out the best vantage point for Castle Stalker for a better day as the advertised viewpoint is really poor in my view, once I found my spot the rain was easing off but the weather was still pretty poor with low cloud, and hardly any light apart from a promising tiny patch
over towards Mull, with nothing spoiling I decided to just wait here on the offchance of a break.
about 40 minutes it really picked up and I was rewarded with what turned out to be a phenomenal sunset, this image was just the start of it before the sun had fully dropped under the large bank of cloud at the top of the frame, the light was just sublime, there is no way you could have envisaged this sunset at the start of the day or even an hour before, just goes to show you really cannot predict the changes in the weather up here off sight alone, I'll post a few more of these images in the coming weeks as they are quite different, the afterglow after sundow was a stunner as well with some great pinks and purples kicking off over the loch. Spent about 2.5 hours here and loved every minute of it, only realised how cold I was once I'd got back to the car!
Cameras under different angles give the biggest room for playing around with the probable results. However the cylindrical shape of the paper makes it extremely difficult to predict the sun path.
Sven is always a calm quiet hiking pal. We went out to enjoy some sun and fresh air before the predicted storm.
I tried imaging of the object at another site open toward west. The frame got clearer resulting longer stream length than before.
The date was specially good for imaging of sodium ion stream from Mercury. The planet passed the perihelion on March 31, 2023 or 16 days before the date. The sodium ion density was predicted to be highest on April 17, 2023, when Mercury passed 60 degrees, true anomaly angle of the orbit around Sun. Mercury was at the greatest eastern elongation on April 12, 2023, and the elongation was not so less yet on the date resulting relatively easy observation from Earth. And furthermore, solar activity has been higher than usual recently.
"Photoionization Loss of Mercury's Sodium Exosphere: Seasonal Observations by MESSENGER and the THEMIS Telescope" by Jasinski JM et al 2021:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8243941/
Sodium ion stream looked bilateral near Mercury and long, more than one degree beyond the left edge of the frame including faint part on this exaggerated noisy frame, though the length was limited due to low transparency here in higher air humidity area in Eastern Asia. Surrounding stars got trailed during the exposure due to differential atmospheric refraction. Trailing length and vertical distance from the object were related to positive correlation.
North is up, and east is to the left.
Here is a trial JPG frame with longer telescope on April 13, 2023:
www.flickr.com/photos/hiroc/52817928781
equipment: AstroPhysics 130GTX "Granturismo," Field Flattener at f/6.7 focal length 873mm, 22.1mm Spacer, EOS Adapter, Kipon EOS-EOS R adapter, Edmund Optic 50mm 589nm Bandpass Filter, and Canon EOS R-SP4II, modified by Seo-san on ZWO AM5 Equatorial Mount, autoguided at Mercury with Fujinon 1:2.8/75mm C-Mount Lens, Pentax x2 Extender, ZWO ASI 120MM-mini, GPUSB, and PHD2 Guiding
Exposure: one shot 480 seconds at ISO 6,400 and f/6.8
The exposure started at 10:17:23UTC April 16, 2023. The object was at 6.0 degrees above horizon at the moment, 53 minutes after sunset and 31 minutes before the end of twilight.
site: 1,160m above sea level at lat. 35 24 24 North and long. 138 38 28 East near Mt.Fuji in Asagiri Shizuoka 静岡県朝霧高原. It was a calm evening. Ambient temperature was around 9 degrees Celsius or 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind was mild. Atmospheric turbulence was bad at the low elevation less than 6 degrees above horizon, and guide error RMS was more than 2".
Previously in Chapter 6 The Two Societies
This piece gave me the title to this chapter and was what I listened to much of the time when writing. It perfectly sets the tone for these scenes and the events that take place in our story.
⚜️The voyage had been long, just as Tabitha Kinkade had predicted. And while not terribly eventful overall, there was one mystery that troubled them throughout their journey. Quite often they were watched by an ominous, dark figure. A man in a dark, hooded cloak. He always kept his distance, holding to the shadows. And while he never approached, he loomed over them the entire trip. At one point, Prince Jelani grew tired of the enigma and decided to confront the man. However, Tabitha advised caution, as situations such as these would usually reveal themselves in time. Tabitha had learned long ago in her training, that without provocation most things or people that lingered around her, would eventually proclaim their identity. And if provoked they might flee or be lost, which could result in a costly delay. Besides, he'd done nothing thus far that would warrant a confrontation. And so, they would allow circumstances to run their course.
⚜️Once safely landed at the port in Calcutta both Tabitha and Lexington needed a warm bath and some much-needed rest away from the constant bumping ride of the ship's cabins. One of their porters was from Algeria and spoke Tamazight, a native tongue of the Berber people. It was obvious that Lexington was delighted to talk to someone from his native lands, which made Tabitha smile watching her friend speak in a language she had not heard for so long.
⚜️When the two travelers finally arrived at their hotel, both Tabitha's and Lexington's multilingual skills came into play when dealing with her pets and the porter's fears. Tabitha had taken just two of her wolves on the journey, Rolf and Kiva, as they were natural mates. Neither offered any hostility toward the porters or anyone else for that matter without Tabitha's command. However, aside from their daily walks on board the ship, they'd spent a great deal of time in their cages and were quite restless. Fortunately, with some gentle persuading, they were able to calm the porters and settle into their rooms.
⚜️The next morning was Easter. It was Sunday and their contact from the Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary had sent a carriage to pick them up for services.
"We're to attend the Christian services, my lady?" Lexington inquired as he held his hand to help her into the carriage.
Tabitha grinned politely before answering him with a lofty and nonchalant demeanor, as was her custom when jesting with her friend,
"But of course, Dear Lexington. It's Easter! You didn't believe we were going to escape services today of all days, did you?"
At which point, she patted the seat next to her in the carriage.
"Now, come along."
Lexington's grumbling, as the rickety carriage made its way along the bustling streets of Calcutta, nearly made her laugh aloud as they rode toward the church. Not having the heart to tease him farther, she looked over at the handsome Berber while placing her gloved hands around his arm.
"Dear Lex, I've gone too far this time."
At which time she did laugh.
"The look on your face.... oh, dear Lexington, I adore you so!"
Lexington began to smile a little himself watching Tabitha giggle then asked. "What has brought this on my lady?"
Tabitha finally composed herself and assured him that she didn't expect him to attend the Easter services at the church as it was not his faith. While Catholic herself, she nor her parents had ever forced Lexington into their religious beliefs. They believed the workings of the soul were God's work.
Lexington breathed a sigh of relief at the news but in the end decided to attend anyway, out of respect for Tabitha and for their host.
⚜️Father Thomas Haskell was a lean man in his sixties. His bald head looked slick and shiny in the bright sun and his white hair gleamed. When he shook Tabitha's hand, she felt how rough and callused they were, and his skin was leathery tan. It was obvious Father Haskell spent much of his time in the gardens around the church. He wore the traditional robes of a parish priest and as with most Catholic holy men of that day, he appeared humble and somewhat trite. After introductions were made, he did not hesitate to reveal to the duo that he not only believed in the evil beings that scoured the earth but were unfeigned in his support of the Shadowhunters.
"You and your kind my dear are destined to rid the world of these heinous creatures. I am at your disposal of course."
As the bells of the church rang and the church doors began to open the priest looked at the church and then smiled when he turned back toward his guest.
"It is a delight to have you both visit us this morning and if you'll forgive me Lady Kindake I must attend to my flock. Services are about to begin, and I am expected inside. I've reserved seats for you both, won't you follow me."
Tabitha nodded and smiled as did Lexington
"Of course, Father Haskell," she responded.
And with that, they both followed the priest toward the grand doors that opened to the church's foyer.
As they approached, both Tabitha and Lexington noticed a striking man standing near a fountain. His hair was dark as a raven's wing and his equally dark beard was neatly trimmed. He wore a very smart-looking cutaway coat and silk vest that gave away his social status and as the man began to walk in their direction Tabitha could see that he was of average height and appeared to be in his peak years. She also noted how mysterious and mesmerizing his eyes were, and it was at that moment a commotion could be heard at the entrance to the church which caught all their attention.
Father Haskell began to walk faster and broke into a run with Tabitha and Lexington close behind him. When they reached the onlookers, the priest was determined, but not overly aggressive as he made his way through the congregation that had gathered there. Once through the crowd, Tabitha was surprised to see that the mysterious man she'd noticed outside was already just inside the large doorway. Lexington reached to touch her arm quietly, his way of letting her know he'd noticed as well. Turning quickly to rejoin the priest, they were greeted with the most morbid sight. At the top of the staircase, hanging from her neck, and high into the massive, vaulted ceiling was a young woman. Her face, though discolored and contorted was still beautiful as her lifeless body swung several feet above the top of the staircase.
Wanting desperately to help, Lexington started to climb the staircase but quickly came back to his senses realizing the poor woman's body was well out of reach. Looking over at Father Haskell, Tabitha watched as he moved his hand over his chest making the sign of the cross. His eyes were filled with dread and tears as he gazed up at the woman's corpse. She thought he might be in shock as she walked over to him.
"Father! Father Haskell!"
Shaking his head, he looked at Tabitha and then back at the woman's corpse.
"Dear God, whatever shall we do?!"
Tabitha motioned for Lex to join her and as he approached, she responded.
"This is your church Father and your congregation. They're depending on you. I'd suggest you postpone services this morning or at least move them to another location as quickly as possible."
Father Haskell nodded, still bewildered when he gazed back up at the woman's body hanging there, but when he looked back at them both again, he appeared to be himself.
"Quite right Lady Kinkade. We can set up chairs and move services to the garden."
Lexington looked back up at the girl's body and then back to Tabitha.
"My lady, the local authorities will be here soon. I'd suggest, well, if Father Haskell would allow us to represent the church in this matter, we could begin an investigation."
Tabitha looked at the girl again then back at Father Haskell.
"Father, do you know this woman?"
He nodded as he answered.
"Yes, she came to me about a week ago, she told me she was having nightmares, very vivid nightmares that were very real to her."
Tabitha and Lex looked at each other then back at the priest.
"She said she'd been sleepwalking as well. I.. well, I just can't think. I must get this situation under control!"
Tabitha nodded, reaching to hold the priest’s hands. "That's quite alright Father. From what you've told us this young woman may hold clues to the mystery that's brought us to Calcutta and you. Will you allow us to represent the church and aid you?"
Father Haskell nodded as he knew the Kinkade name very well and Tabitha's father had been a friend. He also trusted Cardinal Antonio implicitly.
"Yes, yes of course. Cardinal Antonio has sent you to us after all. And as I said before, if there's anything you need, anything at all. Please let me know. For now, however, I have much to do and must leave you."
⚜️Her name was Malini Gadhavi. She had been a mother and wife and her father and mother owned a bakery in town. She helped her parents with the business as did her children. Her husband, Harshad worked on the docks. They had all been notified of her death. Malini's body was taken to a crypt beneath the church where so many people in the community had been taken for decades. Out of respect, Tabitha and Lex had not examined the body yet. When the family arrived, they both bowed their heads, watching as they were escorted to the undercroft. Neither Tabitha nor Lexington were looking forward to questioning them.
⚜️The afternoon wore on and with their interrogations near completion, they'd learned very little. That was until the woman's mother told them about one of Malini's dreams. Sitting with them in Father Haskell's office the poor woman stared blankly at a candle's flame as Tabitha held her trembling hands, listening. She said that on one occasion her daughter had been able to remember one of her dreams completely. Melini had said it was so clear in her mind, and unlike most dreams, it felt as though it had happened. In this nightmare, she had emerged from a cave not far from her home. She also told her mother there was a man there with her in a cloak and a hood over his head. This dark, ominous being followed her to the mouth of the cave. Malini said the man never came close but watched her from the shadows. Her daughter told her that in the dream she roared like an animal and when she peered into the trees, she could feel the forest come alive with the heartbeats and movements of every living creature. And then she told her mother that even at that distance she could not only hear but smell the people in town. It was then her mother began to cry. Tabitha comforted her, giving a nod to Lexington and Father Haskell. The interrogations were now over.
⚜️It had been a long day. Nighttime was upon them, and they all needed rest. Standing there in the small tomb, the air was cool, and the smell of old dirt filled their nostrils as they began to examine Malini Gadhavi's body. Her fingernails and toenails showed no signs of dirt, blood, or flesh. Her body, as well as her hair, was clean as though it had just been washed. There were also no injuries, not even a scar, and when they turned her on her side to look at her back there was no tattoo, no brand of any kind. Holding a candle over the young woman's corpse, Lexington glanced over at Tabitha.
"This is peculiar my lady. She should have some sort of brand on her even if she wasn't a member with the pack we seek."
Tabitha nodded but didn't look up as she continued to scan the woman's body for any evidence and clues.
"Agreed Lex, this is odd. Melini's dream was not an uncommon one for a werewolf, other than the presence of the dark man of course. And yet, I do not see a brand anywhere on her. Or any physical evidence she was Lycan for that matter. We must be missing something."
Lexington pulled his candle away to poor some of the melted wax onto the dirt floor and as he did, Father Haskell brought his lantern closer to help Tabitha see. Then just as Lex brought the candle back Tabitha gasped and cried out.
"Wait! I saw something. When you brought your candle back Lex. It was yellow like, like... It was something on her skin!"
Lexington and the priest looked at each other then back at Tabitha as she continued.
"The lights... somehow. Father, bring your lantern back to where you had it, and Lex you take the candle away, and then bring it back just as you did before."
Both did as instructed but Tabitha only sighed with disappointment asking them both to try again. Shaking her head, she was both exhausted and frustrated when she pounded her fist on the stone slab. After which time she folded her arms to lay her head down for a moment. Lexington watched her and then offered some sound advice.
"My lady let us retire for the evening and come back in the morning with rested eyes."
Tabitha looked up at him but didn't raise when she answered.
"No Lex, not yet. I know I saw something. We must find it!
With her head still laying on her arms, she looked at them both.
"Now let's do this again. And Lexington when you bring the candle back, do it very slowly please."
Lexington nodded unenthusiastically, then began to move the candle away from the woman's body when Tabitha screamed out.
"Stop! Don't move! Do you see it?! It's there on her shoulder. You must not move, either of you. It's the lights!"
Both men looked at each other, each wondering if the trials of this day had finally gotten the best of the hunter, then listened as she explained.
"It's the lights! Look see, the glass of Father Haskell's lamp is red, and so the flame gives off a deep red hue, while the candle's light of course is much brighter. Obvious of course but, if you carefully peer into the candle's blue flame and with the help of the red glow from Father Haskell's lantern you can see it!"
Taking a candle in hand she invited Lexington to take her place.
"Now as I hold the candle look through the blue of its flame Lex. Can you see it?"
Lex nodded and gasped, then excitedly scrambled for his journal. As he did, Tabitha looked at the priest's bewildered face and offered further explanation.
"My guess is it's phosphorous under the skin Father. The lights set off some sort of chemical reaction allowing it to be seen. Once Lex has studied the tattoo and made a drawing, we'll hold the lantern and candle so you can observe for yourself."
Having to peer through the flame made the study of the tattoo quite difficult, however, Lexington was able to examine it thoroughly.
"How very interesting Ms. Tabitha. The ink leaves no protrusions on the skin, and it's entirely undetectable under normal light conditions."
Tabitha smiled as she listened and nodded.
"Is it our pack Lex?"
"Yes, my lady. She was a member of the pack we're tracking.
Tabitha nodded once more and raised an eyebrow as she spoke.
"I think it's obvious that Malini Gadhavi was not a willing participant. The poor woman. Such torment."
Gathering herself she redirected her attention toward Father Haskell.
"Father, do you know of any caves in the area?"
The priest nodded as he spoke, the radiant red hue of his lantern causing his face to look very macabre under the low ceiling of the underground chamber.
"Why yes of course. There are several smaller caves, but Mawsmai Cave is the largest in the area. It's not far but it will easily be a day’s journey there and back."
Tabitha and Lexington listened intently,
"Could you show us on a map Father?"
"Of course. If you'll follow me to my office, I can set you on the right path."
Gathering their things, they followed Father Haskell from the dank black corridor where Malini Gadhavi's broken body lay. As they wearily made their way up the stone stairwell Tabitha muttered to herself.
"We will avenge you and your children Melini. Whoever did this to you will pay. I promise you."
A soft beam of light showed across the young woman’s corpse from the top of the stairs. From deep in the vault their faint voices could be heard and then the door closed, and all was dark, and all as silent, forever.
🐺🐺🐺🐺
⭐This capture and this chapter of this story could not have been possible without the help of some truly wonderful people who I'm honored to know as friends
.
⭐First of all I'd like to thank my dear friend and mentor Morgan Talbot who not only opened up his beautiful sim to me to I could take this shot but provided the build itself and many of the characters. He also took the time to model for this shot. Morgan's advice and support are always so very special to me. But perhaps calling him my friend is the most remarkable treasure of all. Thank you babes.💓
⭐Next, I would like to thank my dear friend Harper Blackwood for her help and for enduring my rough drafts for this chapter. Thanks for being the lab rat this time babes. Not a rat but like...in a lab. She gets it. lol But mostely I'd like to thank Harper for her support, her encouragement, and her precious friendship. You're the best girl.💓
⭐Lastly and as the say, certainly not least, I want to thank my very dear friend and mentor Marcus Strong. His unwaivering support and encouragement is precious to me. He's has always there to help in any way he can, whether thats advice, modeling, or just to tell me I'm doing a good job. I can never repay this man for all he's done for me. I'm honored to call him my friend. Thank you babes.💓
May 2, 2012 - Kearney Nebraska US
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If you LUV Structure in Thunderstorms then this video is for you. Updrafts & Thunderheads on Flickr Click Here
South Central Nebraska, early May 2012. No chasing this day due to work late. Afternoon Storms were predicted that afternoon & evening. Slow movers they were to be.
Off work & I was in luck. The dryline had stalled right over south central Nebraska that afternoon & the explosion of billowing thunderheads erupted. Billowing picturesque Thunderheads. Some of the most photogenic cells I caught in 2012.
Wicked Photogenic Severe Storms developing just to my east and & another batch of developing severe storms right over my head & moving the northeast. What a afternoon of Light & Severe Storms... Click Click Click!!!!
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Captured at the predicted end of totality. This eclipse was moderately dark at totality and the colors of ozone band were muted for this event. I like the almost total time better than mid totality for photography as the solid red ruddy color gives way to other colors of blue and purple that grade across the Moon's disk. A bit more challenging to photograph but for me much more interesting. How the Moon sits in the Earth's shadow and as it moves through it results in a dynamic change in color that is fascinating to watch.
Captured with a Questar Telescope and Nikon Z8 in Tucson AZ. Tucson had severe weather rain high wind clouds that cleared as totality begin resulting in a quick set up when it was practical to do so. The Questar with its optics facilitates capturing the color gradation with its slower optics and high resolution.
Warm rich red, oranges and golds predict leafy new life to this unusual tropical tree that has delicate powderpuff flowers and dark foreboding chard-like bark.
Witches, trolls, ghosts... they seem to belong in this tree's world.Such a contrast to the rows of delicate new-red, orange and gold leaves that emerge from these fractured trunks. And the red and green mobile clusters that float about as they grow in the breeze.
Sabicu wood or sabicu comes from two species of the genus Lysiloma. Lysiloma sabicu (L.) Benth. occurs sparingly in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. It was named by George Bentham (1800-1884) from a Cuban specimen examined in 1854. Bentham went on to identify a second species, Lysiloma latisiliquum (L.) Benth., which grows best in the Bahamas. The latter is commonly known as 'wild tamarind' or 'false tamarind'.
The wood of both species is similar, mid-brown in color with a reddish hue, heavy (specific gravity of 0.40-0.75) hard and durable. Some timber is well figured, but most relatively plain. The wood has been used in construction, shipbuilding and furniture making, although its weight is a distinct drawback for the latter purpose. The stairs of The Crystal Palace in London, in which The Great Exhibition of 1851 was held, were made of sabicu due to its durability. Despite the enormous traffic that passed over them, the wood at the end was found to be little affected by wear.
Seen on my morning walk in Biscayne Park, a neighborhood in Miami FL
As predicted, the California central coast was hit by high surf this morning. The big waves were 20 to 30 feet high, and the ocean was extremely unsettled.
The sky was blue, and fortunately the tide was low and the gentle wind was coming from the east. Otherwise, our house would be in danger.
Pacifica had a huge number of visitors, many from inland. Despite warning signs, one person, yet to be named, climbed down on the rocks and was taken by a sneaker wave, apparently while his family watched.
One wonders how anyone could fail to sense the danger that nature sometimes displays.
I observed that you could watch the waves and get an idea of what might be safe. HOWEVER, an area that is dry and for 20 minutes never gets hit, can be the next target of a surprise wave. These conditions are very dangerous, and people not familiar with the ocean can be fooled to death.
A 4 hour search by the Coast Guard, with 2 helicopters and 3 boats, turned up nothing.
I feel so sad for this man's family.
It has been a while since I shoot the ocean last time. When weather forecast predicted some light while the sunset was at negative tide, I had no hesitate to shoot the ocean to start this season.
About a mile down the road from my house, this farm is always so neat and orderly looking! Happy to say that the next several days are predicted to be Sunny! I was getting weary of the rain, ice and overcast skies so seeing the sun is a good boost in spirits! :) Have a great day everyone!
First Leeds have invested in over 30 of these Wrights Streetdeck vehicles primarily for busy routes 1 & 6. They carry this bright new livery with Leeds City fleetname, the red being the specific corridor brand. No 35266 is seen here fresh from the wash departing for a publicity appointment in the city. Of course it reintroduces two tone green to the streets after many years, something many couldn’t have predicted.
With clear skies predicted for lots of my shooting locations on Friday night, my decision wasn’t one of “should I go out and risk it being cloudy”, but more the case of deciding which location I should visit. Although I was faced with a drive of over two hours each way, it had been a couple of years since my last trip to these silos south of Goulburn, Australia, so that’s where I went. Despite two different cloud-forecast services indicating cloudless skies all night, there was a large cloud bank to the south, and southeast of the silos, seen here at the bottom right-hand corner of the photo.
Even though this is a rural locality, there is a car speedway off to the east, and its carpark lighting seems to be left on all night. That was frustrating, but one of the lights did provide a nice “starburst” effect through the support structures that hold up the silos.
Almost as bright as that light below the silos is the planet Jupiter, rising into the heavens and situated above the line between silos two and three (counting from the left). Like all photographs this one doesn’t convey the smells that were assailing my nostrils as I stood outside the compound, clicking away to try to get a few good shots.
For this single-frame photo, I used a Canon EOS 6D Mk II camera, a Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 lens @ f/2.4, with an exposure time of 15 seconds @ ISO 6400.
Very memorable sunset on Martin's Beach in Half Moon Bay Jan 2014
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Thursday 26/09/13 had been predicted as the clearest day on the mountains, and it appeared the case, as we drove north up Highway 1 The road and railway mainly follow the Prahova River valley though the mountains towards the summit near Predeal. After that a considerable drop towards Brasov. Much of the higher sections of the line is very wooded. It was clear from the start there is much potential for AM shots than PM because of the terrain. There are, of course, less trains during the PM period!
As predicted, a more painterly edit of the Chinook pass Superpano. I'm to close to it to tell if I like it now, but I think I do. Compare to here
I think this will look probably look superb on my Hahnemuhle Fine Art Baryta
(and for goodness sake compare it large on black... its an epic landscape after all!)
Every photo walk is different - On the way home, it is never easy to predict what a Nikon Z8 memory card will carry. Sometimes you press the shutter within the first minutes and the card fills quickly; sometimes you wait patiently without taking a single frame, imagining the photograph long before it exists.
Wildlife follows its own rhythm — and occasionally, it takes you along with it.
This pre-Christmas morning at Bradgate Park began as the rising sun broke through dark, scattered clouds. As the light softened, the landscape slowly revealed itself. At times, gentle morning light becomes incredibly effective; at other moments, you work more technically, placing the strength of the light behind you and allowing experience to grow with every frame.
The first encounter came from the rocky hilltops: a young male fallow deer, standing still, looking directly into my lens with wide, unblinking eyes.
“Young Fallow Deer in Morning Light.”
After meeting two fellow photographer friends, I joined them along the River Lin, which flows through Bradgate Park in North Leicestershire. A small group of hinds crossed the river, resisting the powerful current — a moment of shared instinct and determination.
Later, while searching for Stonechat, as on previous visits, a herd of red deer appeared, spreading calmly across the greenery. The majestic stag once again became the natural favourite of our lenses, and I worked to capture several compelling poses from different angles under direct sunlight.
The Grey Heron ultimately defined the photograph of the day. Under clean, softly broken sunlight, framed against the River Lin, the scene felt complete.
After a 3.5-hour photo walk, as I returned to the car park, my favourite bird — the tiny Robin — seemed to offer a quiet farewell. Shot in direct sunlight, the background bokeh remained simple, while the feather details glowed beautifully. With the NIKKOR 500mm and 1.4x TC at ƒ/8.0, its poised and noble stance emerged clearly.
Good evening and thank you for looking.
I've captured some unforgettable moments with my camera, and I hope you feel the same joy viewing these images as I did while shooting them.
Thank you so much for visiting my gallery, whether you leave a comment, add it to your favorites, or simply take a moment to look around. Your support means a lot to me, and I wish you good luck and beautiful light in all your endeavors.
© All rights belong to R.Ertuğ. Please refrain from using these images without my express written permission. If you are interested in purchasing or using them, feel free to contact me via Flickr mail.
Lens - With Nikon TC 14E II - hand held or Monopod and definitely SPORT VR on. Aperture is f8 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.
I started using Nikon Cross-Body Strap or Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod - Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm /5.6E PF Lense -
Your comments and criticism are very valuable.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and explore :)
I've never been particularly happy with any sunrise I've caught at St. Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay before, so when the conditions were predicted to be good on Friday morning I took the opportunity to head on down there.
As it was high tide I couldn't get into some of the rock formations I would have liked to, however it gave me the opportunity to use the road as a leading line, with the waves lapping over it...
Geeky stuff;
Lee 0.6 NDHG and 0.6 NDSG
Lee Sunset 2
Canon 5d mkIII
Canon 17-40mm L
A bit of dodge and burn on the waves, other than that just very basic adjustments to exposure, saturation, sharpening, etc...
I welcome constructive feedback but prefer no banners / awards, thanks.
All images are ©Paul Nelson.
This image may not be copied or reproduced without my prior permission.
www.paulnelsonphotography.co.uk