View allAll Photos Tagged Reducing
SNRs got clearer after StaNet++v2.0 application. Detail of Monoceros Loop is fantastic. I am satisfied at this result taken with the small equipment on the ground in not so dark area.
Equipment: Takahashi FSQ-106ED, F3 Reducer 0.6x, IDAS Clear Filter or IDAS NB12 Dual Narrowband Filter, and EOS R-SP4, modified by Seo San on Takahashi EM-200FG-Temma2Z equatorial mount, autoguided with Fujinon 1:2.8/75mm C-Mount Lens, Pentax x2 Extender, ZWO ASI 120MM-mini, and PHD2 Guiding
Exposure: 4 times x 480 seconds, 5 x 240 sec, and 5 x 60 seconds at ISO 1,600 and f/3.0, focal length 320mm with Clear Filter and 8 times x 900 seconds, 5 x 240 sec, and 10 x 60 seconds at ISO 6,400 and f/3.0, focal length 320mm with Dual Narrowband Filter
site: 1,467m above sea level at lat. 35 55 54 North and long. 138 24 25 East near Volcano Yatsugatake 東沢大橋展望台駐車場. Ambient temperature was around -7.0 degrees Celsius or 19 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind was mild. Atmospheric turbulence was bad, and guide error RMS was 1.33". Sky Quality Meter indicated 20.77 at the night.
Budapest
Tomb of Guttmann Family
Architect: Béla Lajta, 1908
Secession - premodern style
View the architect's works in my set: www.flickr.com/photos/37578663@N02/sets/72157645708831478
About Lajta Béla: lajtaarchiv.hu/az-archivumrol/?lang=en
Lajta Béláról: lajtaarchiv.hu/az-archivumrol/
"His mature work, striving to look beyond the eventualities of the fin-de-siècle and to create a modern yet enduring style is characterised by reducing mass to basic geometrical shapes, arriving at monumentality through the simplicity of form and the refinement of the choice of materials as well as clearly projecting the interior arrangement of the building onto the divisions of the facade. Lajta arrived at simple geometrical monumentality partly through studying historic architecture, so his work often uses abstract allusions to typical elements of the architecture of the ancient Middle East, Greek and Roman antiquity and other historic periods. He never gave up using ornamentation, thus his characteristically transformed, mostly folk art inspired motifs make a significant contribution to the general character of his buildings."
Sounds Rivulet, Murdunna > Tasmania
6 February 2016
4 shot panorama stitched in Lightroom CC
Nikon D7200, ISO 100, f22, 1/8, 50mm, Hoya Circular PL
Candidate ‘green’ satellite propellants within a temperature-controlled incubator, undergoing heating as a way to simulate the speeding up of time.
Today hydrazine is the most common propellant employed by thrusters aboard satellites: it is highly energetic in nature but also toxic and corrosive, as well as dangerous to handle and store. ESA initiated a study with European Astrotech Ltd in the UK to look into greener propellants and propulsion systems, to provide comparable performance with reduced toxicity and handling costs.
The testing investigated the compatibility between a variety of current and future materials and weld combinations with two propellant candidates in detail while checking others as well. By using materials already present in propulsion systems, the aim is to help to reduce any necessary modifications needed, shrinking costs and development times.
An eight-month test cycle became the equivalent of 5.33 years on-orbit by elevating temperature, hunting out for any degradation in the welds, materials and propellants – such as broken welds, material mass loss or etching.
Two green propellants called LMP-103S – flight-tested on Sweden’s Prisma formation flying mission – and HTP – high-test peroxide, previously used in past UK rockets – were shown to have compatibility with up to ten welded materials (while HTP was incompatible with titanium).
The project was supported through ESA’s Technology Development Element, investigating promising innovations for space.
It comes in response to the European Commission’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical Substances (REACH) regulation, that seeks to limit industry’s use of chemical substances that may be hazardous to human health or the environment.
Credits: European Astrotech Ltd
A less fortunate Olympian seen a couple of hours after my previous upload is R837OVN, an Alexander R type bodied example new to Cleveland Transit in 1998 which was later absorbed into the Stagecoach fleet as their 16837.
Last in service with Golden Eagle Coaches of Salsburgh, it's seen here reduced in height and about to head off to the fragger after having had its mechanical units removed.
Inside Salisbury Cathedral.
Yes, I know there are ways to stop this photo having cathedral walls looming at the angle they are, but doing that reduces the impact of the image, with the organ pipes on either side and the impressive vaulted ceiling, looking down the nave to the bright altar (there's probably a metaphor there).
Taken in February 2018, but recently unearthed whilst trying to reduce the amount of storage space my archive occupies.
Bandon, Oregon
Open lot for sale on the bluff edge above Bandon Beach affords open view of Face Rock.
(homeless woman, sf, 11/12/06)
homeless rebecca from detroit. rebecca doesn't fit. as though she's not where she's supposed to be. i see her as i pass. she is almost ghostly. she sways and bends like the only tree on a hill; unprotected. she seems resigned to a losing battle.
she is panhandling as i pass. or she is praying or mourning. but she is not seen. i turn the corner and watch her for a moment. she grimaces her mouth as though swallowing some new resignation and moves away from the season's passing throng; in my direction, but floating by. i seem to snap a trance when i say hello.
she's been homeless since 1998. she sleeps sometimes in shelters. but says there's not enough beds for women. the men have many more. she went to the shelter this afternoon to put her name in for a bed this evening. there's a lottery, and she didn't get one.
says she has no family and no children. she's the only one. but she has one girlfriend who got a place from the city finally after years. says she's trying to stay there with her friend tonight, if she can make up the guest fee. she's about a third of the way. it's been cold and she clearly doesn't want to be on the street tonight.
she was an accountant not so long back. she had a good job. she worked for kgo. but in '98, they were downsizing her group and she was let go. she thought she'd get another job easy. but she never did. they all wanted someone younger. and now she's 54, and says it's too late for her.
("news" about shows etc.)
EDIT 12-9-21: The links included in the description below won't work. I'd recently noticed that Walter's account had been reduced from hundreds of photos to just thirty, and he informed me today that it's because he got hacked.
I'm sure this must be a miserable experience for Walter, and he has my sympathy. I am going to leave the links in place for the time being; if the photos are restored at some point, I will update the links.
************
This is the space station I built at Build Day at Walter's House, a Steel City LUG meetup that he hosted on November 23, 2019. I improvised it that afternoon using pieces I pulled from his storage bins.
After we were done building, we went in the basement where he has lights and backdrops for photos, and I wanted to see how my pics would come out with a fancy setup and hifalootin lights. Pretty good, considering this is a phone pic. But I really didn't expect this photo to be of interest to anybody except maybe the people who were there that day, although I did post a few pics to the LUG website.
But tonight I was once again looking through Walter's photostream, and I discovered that his own (inferior :P) photo of this build has been favorited by 26 different people. That's a bigger number than any of my photos currently has (Walter does have way more followers than I do), so I figured if people like it that much, I might as well post it here. You're welcome.
Made from 16 light frames by Starry Landscape Stacker 1.6.2. Algorithm: Min
and four images of the Perseids.
Took hours to merge due to the amount of memory it took up.
If you do view in the original size it is quite grainy due to having to reduce the size considerably.
WELCOME!
“Dungeness, a strange land of extremes, one of the most valuable and yet vulnerable nature conservation sites in Great Britain”
Firth, 1984
Dungeness is unique – no boundaries, a desolate landscape with wooden houses, power stations, lighthouses and expansive gravel pits. Yet it possesses a rich and diverse wildlife within the National Nature Reserve in one of the largest shingle landscapes in the world.
IT IS A FRAGILE HABITAT
The communities of plants and animals living at Dungeness are unique, precious and exceptionally fragile. The diverse wildlife, complex land form and sheer size of Dungeness make it one of the best examples of a shingle beach in the world, home to many uncommon plants, insects and spiders. It is also a great place to see migratory birds in the spring and autumn.
NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE
Dungeness has been designated as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). It is home to 600 species of plants which is a third of all plants found in the UK. The National Nature Reserve stretches across Dungeness to encompass the vast RSPB reserve and is intended to help protect the landscape and its wildlife.
To find out more about National Nature Reserves in Britain you can visit the Natural England website.
If you come to visit please help look after Dungeness by only driving on the roads, not on the shingle and walking on the established footpaths and roadways.
Click here if you would like to contact the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership. If you’d like to find out more about what the project does you can also visit our website.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Reserve and Visitor Centre
The RSPB reserve is important for many migrant birds and a haven for breeding and wintering birds. The RSPB manages the reserve not only for birds but for the many plants and invertebrates that make their home there. There are hides, nature trails and a visitor centre. To find out more information about this and details of the visitor centre visit the RSPB website.
Dungeness Bird Observatory
The Dungeness Bird Observatory aims to share information about the natural history of Dungeness and has be running for over 50 years. The observatory run a website for people to access information on flora and fauna which is updated daily.
Lifeboat Station
The lifeboat station at Dungeness is home to the RNLI’s ‘The Morrell’ lifeboat, which regularly assists those in distress at sea off the coast of Dungeness. There are events at the station throughout the year visit the station website for more information.
Water Tower
The water tower at Dungeness is not open to the public but is a distinctive landmark. The tower was built alongside a gravel pit in the 1900s to provide water for New Romney, Littlestone, Greatstone and Lydd.
Old Lighthouse
The Old lighthouse is a Historic Grade II building and was opened by the Prince of Wales in 1904. If you would like to visit from April to October or find out more information your can visit the Old Lighthouse website.
Trinity House
The new lighthouse at Dungeness was officially bought into operation in November 1961. This lighthouse is unusual as the whole tower has been flood lit, this has been shown to reduce the bird mortality rate. The lighthouse is not open to visitors but if you want to find out more you can visit the Trinity House website.
Power Stations
Dungeness A power station ceased to produce electricity on the 31st of December 2006. When it was operational on a typical day it supplied enough electricity to serve the energy needs of the South East of England. Dungeness B power station is still operational and due for closure in 2018. To find out more about Dungeness A visit the Magnox website. Dungeness B station began generating power in 1983 and is capable of producing enough electricity to power 1.5 million homes. To find out more about Dungeness B you can visit the EDF website.
Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway terminates at Dungeness and is a popular tourist attraction for the region. This narrow gauge railway was built in 1927 and claimed to be the smallest railway in the world. The track was extended from New Romney to Dungeness in 1928, where there is now a café and gift shop at the holt. To find out more visit the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway website.
The Pilot Pub
As well as parking and fine views The Pilot offers real ale and is well know for its local fish and chips. The Pilot is said to have been built in the 17th century from the remains of a Spanish ship looted by local smugglers. You can find out more at The Pilot’s website.
The Britannia Pub
The Britannia is a few minutes walk from the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. There is disable access to the beach opposite and the pub has its own garden. The Britannia serves food and specialises in local fish. You can visit The Britannia Inn's website to find out more.
M & M Richardson
This family owned fish supplier have run a fish shop for over 70 years. Their fresh fish is caught by local Dungeness boats. To find out more you can visit their website.
SURROUNDING AREA
Romney Marsh
When walking on the Romney Marsh it is easy to get a feeling of remoteness that is difficult to find elsewhere in the south east of England. The farmland of the Romney Marsh has hundreds of miles of footpaths which, together with the quiet country lanes and bridleways, make it simple to organise walking and cycle routes that suit you. Alternatively the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership has produced a pack of self guided walks and a pack of self guided cycle rides. To find out more about the area you can visit the RMCP website.
Royal Military Canal
Whatever the weather or season there’ll be something to see or do along the canal. You can walk the Royal Military Canal Path which runs for 28 miles along the entire length of the Royal Military Canal from Seabrook, Kent to Cliff End in East Sussex, there also a pack of self guided walks available. A five mile stretch of the Royal Military Canal Path has been surfaced and makes an excellent cycle route along the canal banks. To find out more about the wildlife and history you can go to the Royal Military Canal website.
New Romney Warren Country Park
The country park is home to a number of rare species such as the great crested newt and great diving beetle. Habitats for these and many other species are managed by the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership. There is a Romney Marsh Visitor Centre, run by the Kent Wildlife Trust, based in the grounds of the Country Park. At the visitor centre there is a shop and an exhibition where you can find out more about the local area. To find out more about the centre you can visit the Kent Wildlife Trust website.
Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
The Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and bird hides are open to visitors at all times. There are a network of footpaths and entry is free. To find out more about this reserve and the rare plants and animals that thrive here you can visit the Rye Harbour Reserve website.
Camber Castle
Camber Castle was built to protect the towns of Rye and Winchelsea. The main structure of the castle remains largely intact. There are footpaths that run alongside the castle which you can use at any time. To see inside the castle itself details of opening hours are available on the English Heritage website.
WILDLIFE
Dungeness is a hostile landscape but it has many distinctive plants which favour the pebble habitat close to the sea. Blackthorn grows in a prostrate form as do the yellow flowered broom bushes which hug the shingle landscape. The blackthorns in particular can be smothered in lichens due to the clean air.
Dungeness is rich in an array of insects, notably its moth species. One speciality is the Sussex emerald moth, which is a night flying green moth which appears in July. The caterpillar feeds on wild carrot which is a relatively common plant in Britain. However, Dungeness is the only place in Britain where this moth is found. Another rarity is the pygmy footman moth which is supported by the lichen community at Dungeness. To find out more about the moth population you can look at The Moths of Dungeness website.
If you would like to find out more about recent wildlife sightings at Dungeness, from the latest migrant bird or the complete plant list, to butterfly and moth sightings, visit the Dungeness Bird Observatory website or the RX wildlife website which includes sightings from Hastings to Romney Marsh, both websites are updated daily.
PLANTS
Sea kale Crambe maritima
This plant is similar to cabbage both in it’s appearance and in its properties. Sea kale grows in clumps of waxy grey-green leaves similar in shape to cabbage leaves. In the past people used to blanch the leaves by piling shingle on top of them, then cooking and eating them as we would cabbage. This plant produces dense clusters of white flowers from June to August.
Viper’s bugloss Echium vulgare
The name ‘bugloss’ is Greek in origin meaning ox’s tongue and the likeness can be easily seen. Not only are the leaves of similar shape but they are rough like an ox’s tongue . This plant is particularly useful for some invertebrates as its hollow stems provide a place for them to over-winter. Humans have found uses for this plant including boiling the seeds in wine, the resulting concoction was said to ‘comfort the heart and drive away melancholy’.
Nottingham catchfly Silene nutans
The Nottingham catchfly is no longer in Nottingham, but Dungeness does support a large community of this rare plant. Nottingham catchfly’s habitat is limestone rocks and shingle and was famous for growing on the walls of Nottingham castle until the 19th century. The fragrant drooping white flowers of this plant open at night between May and August.
Wild carrot Daucus carota
Wild carrot is a common plant growing in various habitats and is an ancestor of the cultivated carrot. The plant produces no edible root but has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries as it is believed to have diuretic and stimulant properties. The scientific name is suggestive of this as Daucus originates from the Greek ‘dais’ meaning to burn.
INVERTEBRATES
Emperor dragonfly Anax imperator
The adult male emperor is bright blue and the largest dragonfly in the UK. It is one of the fastest flying insects and can often be seen patrolling over the gravel pits at Dungeness. With it’s delicate wings beating 30 times a second, the male emperor is rarely still as he fiercely defends his territory.
Small copper Lycaena phlaeas
This small butterfly can be seen from late April to the end of October and is common at Dungeness. The small copper is also very territorial and the adult male can often be seen perching on or near the ground ready to purse any passing butterfly.
BIRDS
Common Tern
A summer visitor to the UK, it breeds on the islands at the large gravel pits on the RSPB reserve and feeds offshore diving for fish.
Smew
Dungeness is one of the best places to see this striking white duck which arrives for the winter months. The smew is a small duck and can be seen diving to search for underwater food such as fish and insects.
Wheatear
One of the earliest migrants returning from Africa, the wheatear can be seen from March to October. It is a small bird that spends much of its time on the ground where it nests and hunts for insects and larvae.
RSPB
The RSPB manage large areas of gravel pits, reed beds and shingle habitats which have strong colonies of seabirds, breeding duck and wintering wildfowl.
To discover more and explore the Dungeness RSPB reserve, why not visit the reserve with its visitor and education centre. Facilities include a large car park and toilets. You can also explore a number of nature trails and hides around the gravel pits of Dungeness.
Contact the RSPB on 01797 320588. email dungeness@rspb.org.uk or visit their website.
AMPHIBIANS
Great-crested newt
This is the rarest and largest of the three species of newt found in the UK. Many of the flooded pits at Dungeness hold healthy populations. Up close these creatures look almost prehistoric with warty skin, a shaggy crest and large tail and a bright orange belly.
ANNELID
Medicinal Leech
The largest of the leeches in Britain, it feeds on the blood of fish, amphibians, birds and mammals. The medicinal leech is the only leech in this country able to suck blood from humans. The belief that these leeches could extract bad blood and leave the good behind lead to over collecting across Europe and a severe decline in the leech populations. Dungeness is now one of the best areas in Europe to find them.
HISTORY
Geology
The pattern of shingle ridges have built up at Dungeness over 5,000 years. The height of a shingle ridge can be used to determine the sea level at the time it was formed. Across Dungeness the ridges have been used to produce a series of records showing how sea level has changed naturally over the past 5,000 years.
Gravel extraction
Dungeness has attracted the gravel extraction industry for generations. Today, the legacy of this extraction can be seen in the number of gravel pits across the landscape. These pits are home to a plethora of wildlife from breeding seabirds, wintering wildfowl, to the rare great-crested newt and blood sucking medicinal leech.
Lydd Ranges
The vast Lydd Ranges have been owned by the Ministry of Defence since 1881, with the Royal Irish Rifles forming the first garrison there. The first permanent buildings were erected in 1906 in what are today very busy firing ranges stretching from Camber to near the power stations.
Lighthouse
There have been five lighthouses built at Dungeness over the centuries. Today, the Old Lighthouse which was built in 1904 still stands adjacent to the Round House, which once had a lighthouse on the top of it, the round house was built in 1792. The New Lighthouse (the stripy one) was built in 1961 to aid shipping further out to the Point. The New Lighthouse remains operational, while the Old Lighthouse is a tourist attraction.
Concrete Mirrors
At the back of two gravel pits at Lade on an island are the three concrete listening mirrors, built in the 1920’s and 1930’s to detect enemy aircraft as they approached Britain. This is the only site in Britain where all three designs are situated in one place. This early warning system with a range of 20 miles became obsolete by the outbreak of the Second World War. The site is now managed by the RSPB. Please see here for details of guided tours.
Houses
There are nearly 100 homes across the Dungeness Estate of many different shapes and sizes. Some near to the lighthouses originate from old railway carriages dragged across the shingle nearly one hundred years ago. Houses near to the Lifeboat Station are larger and are inhabited mainly by local fishermen, which are able to dry nets in the loft spaces.
CONTACT
Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership
Romney Marsh Day Centre,
Rolfe Lane,
New Romney,
Romney Marsh,
Kent. TN28 8JR,
Telephone & Fax: 01797 367934
Mobile: 07770 670316
Email: mail@rmcp.co.uk
Website: www.rmcp.co.uk
MAIN OFFICE
White Cliffs Countryside Partnership,
c/o Dover District Council,
White Cliffs Business Park
Dover,
Kent. CT16 3PG
Telephone & Fax: 01303 241806
Email: wccp@whitecliffscountryside.org.uk
Website: www.whitecliffscountryside.org.uk
OK - so, tell me my friends - colour or B&W? Which do you prefer?
I have increased the saturation a bit and reduced the luminance on the blue and aqua colour channels, but otherwise it's pretty much untouched.
The Trevose Head Lighthouse was built in 1847 to cover ships trading in the Bristol Channel off the coast of Cornwall, UK. Full details of the lighthouse can be seen on the Trinity House web site at www.trinityhouse.co.uk
I took this picture in September 2009 on a very windy day.
Please respect my copyright.
To the unaided eye the moon does not look colorful; it appears to be just different shades of gray. However, the rocks that make up the lunar surface are not the same everywhere, and different minerals have slightly different colors. With a digital photo we can make the differences obvious by strongly amplifying color saturation without changing hues or brightness levels. The lunar highlands become yellow and orange while the basalts of the maria turn blue (fitting, given that they were once thought to be oceans). Only large craters and the material ejected from them are neutral gray or white.
For this picture 50 frames were captured. The camera was on a tripod; it did not track the sky. Aligning the frames and computing the mean yielded a single image with a higher signal to noise ratio. One copy of the mean image was strongly sharpened to reduce blurring caused by atmospheric distortion. This produced the version of the moon seen on the left. In a second copy of the mean image color saturation was amplified, but no sharpening was applied. Combining the luminance of the sharpened image with the colors of the saturated image produced the version of the moon seen on the right.
Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse 2 seen here in Chester le Street providing a reduced capacity Angel 21 service.
This vehicle was new to East Yorkshire as their 372 / YX10 EYY.
Happy Earth Day, ya'll
Reuse more, waste less.
Keep them bushes tidy
and above all don't litter!
Every little bit helps :)
These are the last pics from a couple of days ago.
Due to me actually starting gainful employment this week; I anticipate a greatly reduced service for my followers for the foreseeable future.
And before you ask, no I will not be going to work wearing a dress!
Thanks to all for your continued support.
KT xXx
BARN OWL (TYTO ALBA) NEST BOX, EGGS, YOUNG AND ADULTS PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE NEST UNDER A SPECIAL LICENCE OBTAINED BY MYSELF FROM THE LICENSING AUTHORITY.
I also record nest details (e.g. nest building, habitat, number of eggs and young and dates of these, as well as fledging dates) of many species of birds for the BTO (British Trust For Ornithology) to help them look at trends in the success or failures of nesting birds. This data helps them assess the long term trends and target some species with the help of other conservation bodies to help (by conservation measures) reduce declines in many bird species. I also had to obtain a separate licence from the BTO to continue with this valuable recording work for this particular Barn Owl nest.
Barn Owls are one of several species that are fully protected under Schedule 1 of the 1981 Wildlife & Countryside Act so a special licence had to be obtained from Natural England before I could photograph them at or near the nest in a farmer friend’s barn.
15.5.2018 1st egg laid 21.5.2018 4 eggs now 1.6.2018 5 eggs now 18.6.2018 3 chicks & 2 eggs 30.6.2018 4 chicks
Female Barn Owls can normally be distinguished from male Barn Owls as their white underparts have dark speckles. This is not 100% reliable though as 5% of males do have dark speckles on their underside. The chances are though, that speckled undersides will show a female Barn Owl. Another good distingushing feature to separate the sexes is that male Barn Owls have a white collar which extends from the chest past the front of the folded wing and past that up its neck area. In the females there is no collar and the speckled orange/light yellow/brown colouring extends from the whole of the wing and back along the neck to the head.
Having already supplied some copies of my photos, I want to reiterate that my photographs are still available free to any conservation bodies (e.g Natural England, BTO, RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, The Woodland Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Naturalists Unions) that want to use them for any purpose, especially if it helps in their conservation work.
Mark Joy 15.7.2018
Stacked photo consisting of:
- 20 x background star shots stacked in Sequator to reduce noise
- 1 x light painted foreground shot
Something else I've had kicking around for years. Updated my Interceptor, reducing the whole thing by 2 studs in height, and adding my custom decals. Also improved the interior and back section to make the gas canisters less janky.
Since these two ships were almost brand new and very modern, they were quickly converted by the Nationalists into auxiliary cruisers, armed with four 152mm guns on single turrets, four 88mm and four 20mm Anti-aircraft guns.
In this role, they patrolled the seas and captured or sunk a large quantity of Republican cargo ships in the Mediterranean and as far as the North Sea. It´s estimated that the Nationalist Navy reduced the war by one year due to the huge quantity of ships captured or sunk with weapons and supplies for the Republicans.
Since it was so simple to convert an existing cargo-ship into a reasonably capable auxiliary combat ship, some Nations with a smaller number of combat ships saw them as a cheap alternative to a Cruiser. The Germans and the Italians for example had used with great success commerce raiders ships during World War One and they took notice of the Spanish success with these ships, which probably led to the use of this kind of ships during the Second World War (again with great success)
After the war, the ships were returned to their previous owners and continued to transport cargo until the seventies.
To know more about this MOC, click here for the next photo:
www.flickr.com/photos/einon/52047409144
Eínon
A DRS owned Skoda Yeti 4x4 takes the foreground while DRS operated 66 433 passes behind on Eskmeals Viaduct at Newbiggin with 6C21 13.05 Drigg LLW Repository to ABP Barrow Cavendish Dock.
This wasn't my intended shot here as I wanted the old red wooden boat in the scene to the west side of the viaduct but it has been reduced to a pile of firewood from the winter storms so without my telephoto lense the firms car became the foreground interest. Despite a cloudless blue sky a worrying bank of sea mist was looming ever closer to the shore but with the tide out I was spared the train being shrouded in fog.
T45 Leyland Roadtrain B429APP- Showing a few battle scars but otherwise ready for work around the yard.
We are stardust
We are golden
And we've got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
The words comes from Joni Mitchell and they concern the music weekend that defined a generation: Woodstock. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock
In July of 1969 we landed the first men on the moon and it seemed that even outer space was no longer a limit to human achievement. On August 15-18, exactly a month later, nearly half a million young people arrived on Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, New York (40 miles south of the eponymous Woodstock). They were there as Joni Mitchell’s song describes it,
I'm going on down to Yasgur's Farm
I'm gonna join in a rock and roll band
I'm gonna camp out on the land
I'm gonna try and get my soul free
“Try and get my soul free”. The Hippies were known for wanting to explore their inner space, and Woodstock was going to be the pinnacle of Hippiedom (“An Aquarian Festival of Peace and Music”). It turned out far from that ideal. The weather was terrible, the planning haphazard, facilities dangerously inadequate, and serious drug abuse was rife. The only thing these festival attendees seemed to have in common was an opposition to the Vietnam War. But you can’t build a viable culture merely opposing something. The Garden of Eden that Joni Mitchell envisaged turned quickly into a pile of mud, overflowing toilets, and drug overdoses.
If that description seems a little harsh then look up the Isle of Wight Festival that took place in Britain a year later (26-31 August, 1970). That ended in a full scale riot. 1970 was also the year that Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin died of drug overdoses in close succession. But if we’re really looking for a marker of the end of Hippiedom, then look no further than the free Rolling Stones concert at Altamont in California (6 December, 1969). www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFJPdpwVaWk
300,000 people were there and the security hired was the infamous Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang. In the literal bloodbath that followed, the dream of a generation of peace and love came crashing to the ground.
Why is it that we can’t find our way back to Paradise? Perhaps that’s the fatal flaw of Ego, believing in the first place that we have the resources to achieve the impossible dream. One of my pet hates is the motivational phrase, “You can achieve whatever you want. There are no limits.” Well the physical universe says otherwise. And in fact if we try to defeat the laws of gravity, entropy and thermodynamics we’ll find ourselves reduced to the stardust that Joni Mitchell was alluding to. In the end death awaits us all. It’s not a question of if, but when and how, and we can’t even always choose the latter.
But one day two thousand years ago, a Jewish teacher named Jesus of Nazareth was arrested and nailed to a Roman cross. Beside him were two thieves. One of them dared Jesus saying, “You say you are the Son of God. If so then, save yourself and us.” The other thief in a moment of repentant reflection answered him, “We deserve our fate, but this man has done nothing wrong. Now is the time to fear God.” And Jesus looked over to this man and said to him these words of hope, “This day my friend, you will be with me in Paradise.”
We’ve just got to get ourselves back to the Garden.
“Woodstock” performed by Crosby, Still, Nash and Young (still the best version).
Tradewinds Motel
2844 Auburn Blvd
Sacramento, California
It took an extra month due to asbestos abatement, but this motel was finally taken down. Now only the sign, front garden, and pool remain. The Maita auto dealership group bought this property and the adjacent Welcome Inn. Reportedly the Subaru dealership further down the street will be moving here.
Images derived from photos of dollar store items using Photoshop's Generative Fill at reduced opacity
I keep uploading the same mini series work - "The view from CN Tower". This time I wanted to present different angle and monochromatic tones. Shooting condition was not really good, lots of people, light reflections, finger prints on the windows and so on...
Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF 16-35 f/2.8L USM II. F/11, ISO 400, focal point 16mm.
Handheld three exposures processed in Photoshop HDR pro, noise reduced on Topaz DeNoise, B & W effect added on Silver Efex Pro 2 and completed work on Photoshop CS5.
Monster High Venus McFlytrap didn't have to use her pollen persuasion to convince these ghouls to reduce, reuse, recycle.
I like Venus a lot, but she hasn't been much of a muse to me yet for pictures. Luckily, I got the Barbie Recycling Time accessory pack with I ordered the Create-A-Monster torsos from Mattel Shop online, and that inspired this pic. :)
Mildread (Skeleton), Meriel (Sea Monster), Andromeda (Three-Eyed), Falkora (Dragon), and Beetina (Bee) are all decked out with their new torsos, Monster High fashions, and Liv wigs. So happy to have them complete! :D
INGREDIENTS:
12 oz fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
METHOD:
Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan.
Bring to a boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally.
Cover and cool completely at room temperature,
Makes 2 1/4 cups
Quark Chromosphere on Altair Astro 115mm triplet.
Mono Chameleon camera with 1.25" focal reducer.
Stacked in AS!2, de-convoluted in Astra Image.
Final processing in Photoshop
We are really trying to do our part to reduce plastic use. I got these bags for the grocery store and Anna bought some bags for lunches so we can phase out our Ziploc use.
These are the last pics from a couple of days ago.
Due to me actually starting gainful employment this week; I anticipate a greatly reduced service for my followers for the foreseeable future.
And before you ask, no I will not be going to work wearing a dress!
Thanks to all for your continued support.
KT xXx
This is the weather event that started off this weeks postings related to sunsets under a cloud layer and what can happen. Sunday evening a storm cell was showing on weather radar as moving slightly South of Grimsby, Ontario in such a location and direction as to potentially provide some dramatic light over a horse farm’s paddock atop the Niagara Escarpment on Wolverton Road just South of town. The potential for a dramatic light opportunity arose because the cloud layer above me was associated with a storm that ended further West leaving an open gap along the horizon (as seen from this area). I had pictured a photo of this particular paddock because this early in the Spring, the small pond was still full of water and would reflect any sky colour that might form. I headed up there and set up along the fence line and waited. One small rain shower later, the sun cooperated and provided this image of the farm, pond and colour-dappled clouds lit from below. Sadly, it turned out that another cloud bank was sitting further West (not visible here) and my hoped-for fully coloured base of the cloud layer above me failed to materialize. Take what you can get and hope for another opportunity. - JW
Date Taken: 2016-05-03
Tech Details:
Taken using a tripod-mounted Nikon D7100 fitted with a Nikkor 12-24mm lense set to 24mm, ISO100, WB set to daylight, Aperture priority mode, f/8.0, 1/10 sec. PP in free Open Source RAWTherapee from Nikon RAW/NEF source file: scale image up to 9000x6000, enable Graduated Neutral Density/GND filter tool and darken sky to better balance its tones with the nearby foreground, set exposure to about 2/3 stop over as-shot, boost vibrance, slightly boost contrast and Chromaticity in L-A-B mode, sharpen, enable micro-contrast, enable noise reduction, save. PP in free Open Source GIMP: adjust colour balance to reduce slight green cast, boost saturation overall and then decrease green channel saturation, use dodge-burn tool to locally brighten the horse in the middle of the frame, enable the shadows-highlights tool and significantly recover the highlights and then pull up shadows (crazy wide dynamic range that is simply impossible to manage entirely), sharpen slightly, save, scale to 6000x4000 (my preferred working size for prepping images intended to be posted online), sharpen slightly, save, add fine black and white frame, add bar and text on left, save, scale to 1800 wide for posting, sharpen, save.
These are the last pics from a couple of days ago.
Due to me actually starting gainful employment this week; I anticipate a greatly reduced service for my followers for the foreseeable future.
And before you ask, no I will not be going to work wearing a dress!
Thanks to all for your continued support.
KT xXx
The lion (Panthera leo) is a species in the family Felidae; it is a muscular, deep-chested cat with a short, rounded head, a reduced neck and round ears, and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. The lion is sexually dimorphic; males are larger than females with a typical weight range of 150 to 250 kg (330 to 550 lb) for males and 120 to 182 kg (265 to 400 lb) for females. Male lions have a prominent mane, which is the most recognisable feature of the species. A lion pride consists of a few adult males, related females and cubs. Groups of female lions typically hunt together, preying mostly on large ungulates. The species is an apex and keystone predator, although they scavenge when opportunities occur. Some lions have been known to hunt humans, although the species typically does not.
Typically, the lion inhabits grasslands and savannas but is absent in dense forests. It is usually more diurnal than other big cats, but when persecuted it adapts to being active at night and at twilight. In the Pleistocene, the lion ranged throughout Eurasia, Africa and North America but today it has been reduced to fragmented populations in Sub-Saharan Africa and one critically endangered population in western India. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1996 because populations in African countries have declined by about 43% since the early 1990s. Lion populations are untenable outside designated protected areas. Although the cause of the decline is not fully understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are the greatest causes for concern.
One of the most widely recognised animal symbols in human culture, the lion has been extensively depicted in sculptures and paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature. Lions have been kept in menageries since the time of the Roman Empire and have been a key species sought for exhibition in zoological gardens across the world since the late 18th century. Cultural depictions of lions were prominent in the Upper Paleolithic period; carvings and paintings from the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves in France have been dated to 17,000 years ago, and depictions have occurred in virtually all ancient and medieval cultures that coincided with the lion's former and current ranges.
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Once again the Rosette Nebula!
But this time with the 0.8x reducer of the Askar APO 140.
The reducer makes even finer stars and images flawlessly right into the corners.
On the second photo you can see the fine structures of the star formation.
Equipment:
ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
Askar APO140
10MICRON GM1000
Antlia 3nm narrowband filters
#astrophotography #skyphotography #sky #zwo #asi2600mm #askar #astrography #nebula #wintersky #primalucelab #eagle #pixinsight #photography #photoshop #rosetta #nebula #winter #wintersky #apo #refractor #astrography
Exif:
S: 15 x 300 secs
H: 15 x 300 secs
O: 15 x 300 secs