View allAll Photos Tagged Variance
2 sp. redpoll
Left (back) bird
Hoary Redpoll HORE (Acanthis hornemanni)
& Common Redpoll CORE (Acanthis flammea)
On Mom & Dad's Feeder
Carmichael,
Saskatchewan,
Canada
DSCN1911
I had this one (HORE) double checked by Daniel Sawatzky, who is one of the ebird reviewers in SASK (and a family friend , as it turns out)
Before i ebirded it as such
Field Mark Cues ^i^
Comparatively (VS CORE)
Overall Whiter-Often cited as "Frosty or Frostier Tones"
Diminutive Bill
There is a lot of variance of appearance in CORE so a lot of study can be poured into the "tolerances" within these (presently designated) species which are reputedly going to be lumped into one sp.
Valley of the Moon, La Paz, Bolivia.
Valley de la Luna (Moon Valley), isn’t actually a valley at all, but a maze of canyons and giant spires. The formations, composed mainly of clay and sandstone, were created by the persistent erosion of mountains by the area’s strong winds and rains. What remains is a serene setting, full of wonder and intrigue.
One of Valley de la Luna’s most breathtaking features is its varied pallet, ranging from clear beige tones to sections of red and dark purple. This natural phenomena is due to the great variance in mineral content between each individual mountain, creating colorful compositions and impressive optical illusions on the eroded hillsides.
For video, please visit youtu.be/SWuXnwAdfrY
This is a gorgeous Asian shape using the Lelutka Simone Head.
Comes with 4 body variances for Maitreya, Belleza Freya, Slink Hourglass and TMP Legacy
We're familiar with the saying that An apple a day keeps the doctor away, I think... Well, during the long, dark, cold Fennoscandian winter, perhaps a Selvino crystal a day - with it's Italian sunshine inside - can keep the mental doctor away, :-)
The variance is nearly endless, because each beautiful crystal can be tipped onto one of its many crystal faces, and yet another peek can be taken into this beautiful inner world. Reflected polarised light, FOV=2,7mm.
A little bit lucky to get a tour guide that dabbles in photography, and that has grown up in the Mojave region. I mentioned Antelope canyon in Arizona to him, and he was quick to point out a few spots that are similar. This is one of those spots. via 500px ift.tt/2whuFx7
Pato de la Florida, Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)
Status Migrante Comun (Mc)
pato de Florida o yaguasa aliazul, también conocida como pato media luna, pato de alas azules, barraquete aliazul, es una especie de ave anseriforme de la familia Anatidae nativa de América.
Es pardo manchado y punteado de negro, con diseño alar como el del pato pico cuchara sudamericano, cabeza y cuello ceniciento oscuro, notable medialuna en la cara y mancha blanca en los flancos, en los machos. La hembra no tiene la medialuna en la cara, pero tiene una leve ceja loreal clara.
sta especie de pato vive en lagunas, lagos y pantanos de agua dulce. No teniendo preferencias durante el invierno habita aguas salobres. Se alimenta de vegetación, insectos, y crustáceos acuáticos. Complementa su dieta con semillas, incluyendo las de campos cultivados.
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The blue-winged teal (Spatula discors) is a small dabbling duck from North America. The scientific name is derived from Latin Anas "duck", and discors, "variance", which may refer to the striking face pattern of the male
The adult male has a greyish blue head with a white facial crescent, a light brown body with a white patch near the rear and a black tail. The adult female is mottled brown, and has a whitish area at base of bill. Both sexes have sky-blue wing coverts, a green speculum, and yellow legs
Blue-winged teal inhabit shoreline more often than open water and prefer calm water or sluggish currents to fast water. They inhabit inland marshes, lakes, ponds, pools, and shallow streams with dense emergent vegetation.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Anseriformes
Family:Anatidae
Subfamily:Anatinae
Genus:Anas (disputed)
Species:S. discors
Binomial name
Spatula discors
The SanXing (三星, Three Stars) deities are honoured at the main altar at Fatt Hwa Gong Temple. These three Taoist deities have come to symbolize the three elements that can lead to a 'good/successful' life. .
It was during the the Ming dynasty when these gods were first represented in human form, usually in some variance of the images here. Arranged from left to right here, they are: Lu (禄) symbolizing prestige/status/influence, Fu (福) symbolizing Fortunate Outcomes/Luck, and Shou (壽) symbolizing Longevity/Health.
Semenyih; September 2023
The Greek letter "sigma" stands for "standard deviation" in statistics, in other words, the amount of uncertainty associated with an outcome.
I prefer maximum sigma in my photographic outcomes. It's the outliers that are interesting. (Explore--PS Explore likes randomness too!)
Right this should be the last of the paint shots I do for a little while so there's a bit more variance. Must give credit to [https://www.flickr.com/photos/31843304@N02/] for his photo from his last 365 with a shot slightly similar to this.
Strobist:
Canon Speedlite 430EX II 1/2 50mm right of camera through DIY softbox.
If you are visiting Melbourne, you have to stop by Big Mouth at Luna Park. Built in the early 1900's and located a short walk from St Kilda Beach, this is a landmark you don't want to miss. And if rides are your thing, then those are still operational, including the Scenic Railway, which is the oldest continuously-operating roller coaster in the world. via 500px ift.tt/1Mit1vg
Cherry Avatar, Avatar shapes has just opened it's doors!
Hena, a beautiful shape using the Korina head by Lelutka.
Comes with 4 body variances for Maitreya, Belleza Freya, Slink Hourglass and TMP Legacy
An LA storm always helps me appreciate the sunny days.
Every time a storm hits in this town, the first thing out of someone's mouth is "well, we do need it," a grudging appreciation for the rain, despite the inconveniences it causes.
I check the patio equipment, make sure they're covered. I check the upstairs ceilings, make sure the recently re-surfaced roof is doing its job of preventing Further leaks.
I find myself looking out the window not infrequently, marveling at the cloud formations. Listening to the storm.
Town needs the water the storm provides, sure, but I need the change, the variance in environment a storm provides. Those sounds, that color from a light grey mid-morning. The way it prods me to just sit and soak in the moment.
Much like I instructed Shelbie to do, here.
N8 - One of the quintessential American Railroad watches - produced in 1944, toward the end of the Elgin production of railroad watches, this watch is a typical watch that a railroad employee would have been able to afford. Still a daily watch keeping time within a few seconds daily, and able to maintain the 30 seconds variance per week requirement.
There are five paintings in Paul Cézanne's series on Card Players. Some consider them to be among the artists most iconic work.
The Courtauld's version (circa 1892-1895) depicts two players immersed in their card game. The models for the painting are said to have been farmhands from the Cézanne family estate. There is a variance of this version at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
At the Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House.
London, July 2005
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The Courtauld has a video on their exhibit in 2010 on this series of paintings:
Hi all Chubbybots back here again with another alternate build for the recently launched creator set 31073. This alternate build is a dragon mech called Rathalos. Do take note i did not account for the extra pieces that came with the set when i build this so there might be some variance in the parts that I have compared to yours. Overall this is a fantastic set full of very useful joints for mech. If you are new to mech and want to start with something small to mid size i highly recommend getting multiple copies of this and doing alternate builds with it ^^
Youtube build tutorial youtu.be/7_dn9VHO4jM
The Spanish version of the common Blue, with slight variances, such as blue lunules on the hind wing of the Female and an extra spot on the underwing of the Males.
At the end of the pier there is a cafe - So you can do what Melbournians love to do.... Drink Coffee. Camera Settings: 24mm, f9.0, ISO200, 30sec. via 500px ift.tt/1UmZIh8
This is a 2 minute and 30 second long exposure of a cool little dock near Dunedin, Florida. This weekend was just gorgeous for long exposure photography. There were thick contrasty clouds which were moving quickly on account of the storm that had just passed through.
I've seen this spot before, but this is my first time actually photographing it. I am so pleased with the result. This is exactly what I had pictured as I was shooting. Here's a link to more of the story and a behind the scenes video - andrewvernonphotography.com/variance-florida-long-exposur...
The famous Brighton Beach or bathing boxes. I call them beach sheds. If you would like to purchase this image, please contact me. ift.tt/1BtUarP Camera Settings: 24mm, f10, ISO200, 15sec. via 500px ift.tt/1UzoOYv
From the lookout point up at Dinorwig quarry, looking down over the town of Llanberis and Llyn Padarn on the right, and then Llyn Peris on the left. I quite like the variance in colour in the sky here from left to right too.
This is a panorama made of 3 images, with each image being a HDR image made of 5 seperate exposures, which means there's 15 images in the panorama above.
Please take a moment to view on black
D750
AF-S 24-85mm VR @ 24mm
Aperture Priority Exposure Mode
ƒ/8 @ 100 ISO
Shutter Speeds ranged from 1/50th sec to 30 seconds
WB: Auto
FILE STRAIGHT FROM THE CAMERA
I was in Portland, Oregon this week for an event. While there, I was lucky enough to get a pretty cool view from my hotel room. Even better: I had a small balcony, which means that I was able to put a tripod outside and catch some Time-Lapses.
The D750 Time-Lapse Photography mode was calling my name! This is the mode that allows me to create a "finished" Time-Lapse in camera.
(Not to be confused with the Interval Timer Shooting mode that produces a pile of still images, the Time-Lapse Photography mode produces an actual movie... not computer needed!)
So, I set the camera to record a 1080/24P HD Movie. Then I went to the Time-Lapse Photography mode and selected a 30 second interval and a five hour shooting time.
The camera was set to Auto WB, 100 ISO, Aperture Priority, manual focus and VR set to: OFF.
Once mounted to a tripod and the image framed, I only had to check on one more thing...
Returning to the Time-Lapse Photography menu, I made sure that Exposure smoothing was turned ON.
Exposure Smoothing helps reduce the slight flickering that can sometimes happen in Time-Lapse captures. Flickering can be caused by slight variances in the exposures. Exposure Smoothing does exactly what it sounds like it does. It smooths out the different exposures and help make the final movie more consistent frame to frame.
Oh yea... one last thing. I got too impatient and really wanted to see the results, so after two hours, I stopped the capture manually by hitting the "OK" button.
Whitecross Green Wood NR, Oxfordshire, UK
Family : Hesperiidae
Subfamily : Hesperiinae
Species : Ochlodes sylvanus
This is a far ranging species that is found throughout a large part of Europe, extending eastwards through the Caucasus and Russia, to China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan. It is a small butterfly with a wingspan of around 34mm. It is single brooded and the flight period is from May to September with some variance according to location. Eggs are laid singly on the underside of a grass blade of the larval foodplant. The larvae feed on a variety of grasses but have a distinct preference for Dactylis glomerata (Cock's Foot) and Molinea caerulea (Purple Moor Grass).
The species is found in a variety of grassland habitats including woodland clearings, calcareous grassland, wild meadows, heaths, and riversides. Both sexes nectar on a number of different flowers including Ericaceae spp. (Heather), Rubus fruticosus (Bramble), Asteraceae spp. (Thistles), Lotus corniculatus (Bird's-foot Trefoil), Trifolium sp. (Clover) and Vicia sp. (Vetch). Males are very territorial.
All my insect pics are single, handheld shots of live insects.
It was a dark and rainy night, not ideal for the Vivid festival. I managed to get a few good shots in colour, but I like this design in black and white. via 500px ift.tt/20Ea3u1
The yellow-banded poison dart frog (Dendrobates leucomelas), also known as yellow-headed poison dart frog or bumblebee poison frog, is a poisonous frog from the genus Dendrobates of the family Dendrobatidae.
Distribution and habitat: Dendrobates leucomelas is found in the northern part of continent of South America, most notably in Venezuela. It is also found in parts of Guyana, Brazil, and the extreme easternmost part of Colombia. This amphibian is normally found in very humid conditions in tropical rain forests, close to fresh water. It is often found on flat rocks, trees, plants (notably bromeliads), and the leaf litter of the forest floor. During the dry season, specimens are known to congregate in damper places, such as under rocks or fallen tree trunks.
The D. leucomelas' natural habitat is tropical, and not subject to great seasonal temperature variations. Typically, temperature variances are related to elevation and time of day, and range from the low 20s to the low 30s °C. In captivity, care must be taken not to overheat the frogs, as they can be sensitive to higher temperatures.
Although preferring high humidity levels, this species can handle lower humidity levels much better than other species in the genus. Specimens can also be found in the seasonally drier forest islands in its natural range, and at elevations ranging from sea level to 800 metres AMSL.
Morphology: Adult D. leucomelas next to scale object (UK 2p) coin.
Dendrobates leucomelas is one of the largest species in the genus Dendrobates, with a snout-to-vent length between 3.1 and 5 cm (1.2 and 2.0 in). Average adult size, however, rarely exceeds 4 cm (1.6 in). Their average weight is reported as being around 3 g (0.11 oz). Females tend to be slightly larger than the males, but otherwise, little in their appearance can be used to determine the sex of the species.
Like most poison dart frogs, the yellow-banded poison dart frog has evolved aposematic colouration as a warning to potential predators that it will make an unpalatable or toxic meal.
Predominantly, these frogs have a bright yellow colouration with varying numbers of broad black stripes and/or spots that extend over the whole body. Some morphs are orange in colour, and variations exist within the species (naturally occurring and not morphs solely within the exotic pet community) that dictate the extent of these markings ranging from fine spots to thick, unbroken banding.
They have glandular, adhesive pads on their toes (which aid in climbing and positioning) and, in common with other species in their order, they have a short, protrudable, unnotched, sticky tongue, which extends to catch prey.
Behaviour: Dendrobates leucomelas frogs are diurnal by nature, and are known to be fiercely territorial. They live in small groups in the wild, and will attack neighbouring groups with surprising ferocity for creatures of their size. They will also warn off rivals by emitting loud calls; D. leucomelas is known to have one of the loudest calls among poison dart frogs; theirs can be heard from some distance and is described as an innocent-sounding, bird-like trill. D. leucomelas, as with all frogs, can also call to attract members of the opposite sex. Uniquely, it is also the only poison dart frog to estivate during dry spells.
Toxicity: Like all Dendrobatidae, D. leucomelas frogs secrete toxins from their skin, which they gain from eating certain unspecified arthropod prey. It is uncertain precisely which arthropods lend their toxicity to which genus of Dendrobatidae, but one such arthropod is thought to have been identified as a possible source of the toxin for Dendrobatidae Phyllobates terribilis (aka the golden poison frog), and it is a local variant of the Melyrid beetle.
Dendrobatidae toxins vary from species to species, but some are extremely potent neurotoxins. The alkaloid toxins, secreted from the frogs' skin, interfere with nerve impulses, which can lead to heart failure or fibrillation.
Further information: Poison dart frog § Toxicity and medicine
See also: Allopumiliotoxin 267A, Batrachotoxin, Epibatidine, Histrionicotoxin, and Pumiliotoxin 251D
Pato de la Florida, Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)
Status Migrante Comun (Mc) NoIG
pato de Florida o yaguasa aliazul, también conocida como pato media luna, pato de alas azules, barraquete aliazul, es una especie de ave anseriforme de la familia Anatidae nativa de América.
Es pardo manchado y punteado de negro, con diseño alar como el del pato pico cuchara sudamericano, cabeza y cuello ceniciento oscuro, notable medialuna en la cara y mancha blanca en los flancos, en los machos. La hembra no tiene la medialuna en la cara, pero tiene una leve ceja loreal clara.
sta especie de pato vive en lagunas, lagos y pantanos de agua dulce. No teniendo preferencias durante el invierno habita aguas salobres. Se alimenta de vegetación, insectos, y crustáceos acuáticos. Complementa su dieta con semillas, incluyendo las de campos cultivados.
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The blue-winged teal (Spatula discors) is a small dabbling duck from North America. The scientific name is derived from Latin Anas "duck", and discors, "variance", which may refer to the striking face pattern of the male
The adult male has a greyish blue head with a white facial crescent, a light brown body with a white patch near the rear and a black tail. The adult female is mottled brown, and has a whitish area at base of bill. Both sexes have sky-blue wing coverts, a green speculum, and yellow legs
Blue-winged teal inhabit shoreline more often than open water and prefer calm water or sluggish currents to fast water. They inhabit inland marshes, lakes, ponds, pools, and shallow streams with dense emergent vegetation.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Anseriformes
Family:Anatidae
Subfamily:Anatinae
Genus:Anas (disputed)
Species:S. discors
Binomial name
Spatula discors
Fortunately, we had three "clear" nights around the new moon this month. I say "Clear" because the skies had no clouds, but it was hot and humid and the sky transparency was not at all great! But if you have no clouds and no moon - you collect photons!
This time of year is a little tough in that the nights are also mighty short. I really could not start capture until 11pm and I had to shut down shortly after 3am.
This clearly reduces productivity!
On the other hand, I recently got my portable Astrophoto rig up and running, so I had 3 platforms capturing 3 targets at the same time! That's a first for me!
Three times the capture! (or… three times the likelihood of really screwing things up!)
This is the first image to come from that session. This was shot with my with my Astro-Physics 130mm OTA sporting an ASI2600MM-Pro camera and this is the second target have tried with that combination.
My first attempt at capturing M51 was done almost one year ago with an OSC camera and I captured about 70 minutes of data.
This time around I was able to capture on the nights of June 4th, 5th, and 6th and ended up with just short of 10 hours of data.
I collected Luminance, and RGB data, but I also collected some shots through my narrowband Ha filter. I then created two versions of this image. In this version, folded in the Ha data - which provides the red blobs and highlight along the spiral structure of the Galaxy. These are regions of intense new star formation.
I'm reasonably happy with the result - the Ha filter data lends some better structure to the arms of the galaxy and the mistiness of the companion galaxy looks to me like a big thumps-up emoticon!
I also created a version without the Ha data, and I will post that one too, in case your are curious.
Which one do you like better?
I continue to be impressed with this new camera - however I did find that the 2600 cooler could not handle the hotter weather and could not get down to -15C as I desired. (note my two other ASI1600MM-Pros) had no trouble doing this). I assume the larger format APC-C sensor just generates that much more heat when operating. So I ended up running them at -10C.
Here is some background on M51 from Wikipedia:
The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a, M51a, and NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici, and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. Its distance is estimated to be 31 million light-years away from Earth.
….
What later became known as the Whirlpool Galaxy was discovered on October 13, 1773, by Charles Messier while hunting for objects that could confuse comet hunters, and was designated in Messier's catalogue as M51.[ Its companion galaxy, NGC 5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Méchain, although it was not known whether it was interacting or merely another galaxy passing at a distance. In 1845, William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, employing a 72-inch (1.8 m) reflecting telescope at Birr Castle, Ireland, found that the Whirlpool possessed a spiral structure, the first "nebula" to be known to have one.[ These "spiral nebulae" were not recognized as galaxies until Edwin Hubble was able to observe Cepheid variables in some of these spiral nebulae, which provided evidence that they were so far away that they must be entirely separate galaxies even though they are seen close together.
I always thought this galaxy had a pretty cool history - it really helped us to understand the scope of the known universe….
Thanks for looking!
Pat
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Here are the details for this image:
*Number of frames is after bad or questionable frames were culled.
67 x 90 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II L Filter
77 x 90 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, 0 gain, ZWO Gen II R Filter
63 x 90 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II G Filter
62 x 90 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II B Filter
11 x 300 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, Astronomiks 6nm Ha Filter
Total of 9.9 hours
30 Darks at 300 seconds, bin 1x1, -10C, gain 100
30 Darks at 90 seconds, bin 1x1, -10C, gain 0
30 Dark Flats at Flat exposure times, bin 1x1, -15C, gain 0
Flats done separately for each evening to account for camera rotator variances:
30 L Flats
30 R Flats
30 G Flats
30 B Flats
30 Ha Flats
Capture Hardware:
Scope: Astrophysics 130mm Starfire F/8.35 APO refractor
Guide Scope: Televue 76mm Doublet
Camera: ZWO AS2600mm-pro with ZWO 7x36 Filter wheel with ZWO LRGB filter set,
and Astronomiks 6nm Narrowband filter set
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI290Mini
Focus Motor: Pegasus Astro Focus Cube 2
Camera Rotator: Pegasus Astro Falcon
Mount: Ioptron CEM60
Polar Alignment: Polemaster camera
Software:
Capture Software: PHD2 Guider, Sequence Generator Pro controller
Image Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop - assisted by Coffee, extensive processing indecision and second guessing, editor regret and much swearing…..
“A small fish is carefully sliced along the length of its body, split open and arranged so that its exposed tissue presses against a photographic plate. After several hours the fish is removed and the film developed. This whole process is carried out in complete darkness without the aid of an enlarger or light source to generate the negative imprint of the object as might be expected when producing a contact print . Instead the ghostly apparition that emerges out of the developing solution is a direct capture of the gradient levels of radioactivity present within the soft tissue of a tropical puffer fish caught in the aftermath of the atomic testing in the Bikini Atoll in 1946. Its contaminated flesh is the energetic source of its own radiological recording.
Inside the fish’s stomach sits a deposit of radioactive algae or ‘hot’ supper, which has yet to be digested and redistributed to the regions around the gills, liver, intestines, and reproductive organs where toxicity settles in greater concentrations. The variance in light and shadow produced by the nuclear signature of such tropical fish was used during the post-war period as a kind of bio-calculus for measuring the degree to which radiation exposure could accumulate within living tissue . Designated radio-autographs, nuclear scientists used these natural species as atomic test prints because their planar morphology and relatively consistent tissue depth made them ideal living analogues to the photographic image plate. Not only could their irradiated tissue render the nuclear visible, but it was also the source of its spontaneous illumination, in that, radioactive decay and the emission of energetic particles was capable of lighting the object from within.”
Susan Schuppli, “Radial Contact Prints.” In Camera Atomica, ed. John O’Brian, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2015.
Yearlong Pinhole, August 9 2020-August 9, 2021, Negative: Lumen Print on Photo Paper, Soviet-manufatured single weight warmtone photo paper, expired October 1990, appx. 2"x3". Nike Missile Site SF-88, Fort Barry, California.
Have you ever wondered how Flickr ranks your pictures according to Interestingness? I did a statistical study of my own 50 most Interesting images, similar to a study I did 18 months ago. The resulting model was quite good- (85% of the variance explained) so I am fairly confident in results.
So what matters in Interestingness?
1. Views, comments, and faves (no surprise!). A view is worth the least; a view and a comment and a view and a fave are about equal is worth; and a view and a comment and fave is worth the most. Of course to get good exposure outside your contact network, you need good title, tags, and text.
2. Notes added by others matter, a lot… although once you're over 5 or so I am not sure more matter. Galleries did not seem to matter, but that's a pretty new Flickr feature my sample is too small to observe its effect.
3. Posting to more groups is good, not bad, for Interestingness. My sample only includes images posted to between 1 and 30 groups. I'm not sure what happens when you post to 50 or 75 groups.
4. Posting to award groups is NOT good for Interestingness, all other things being equal.
5. Older pictures are less Interesting. Even if the image continues to pile up views and comments and faves, older images will be ranked lower in Interestingness, all else equal.
My results only pertain to differences in Interestingness between one's own photos. The question of why your image today is more Interesting than mine, or why your photo did or didn't end up in Explore, are more complex topics for another day…
Have a great New Year's Day everybody!
The unmistakable shape of Sydney Opera House. A splash of colour thanks to the Vivid festival. Voila ;) via 500px ift.tt/2rB2tUi
A scene I have photographed numerous times throughout 2016. Sometimes different lenses, sometimes film, and sometimes digital. Always a slight variance in the play between light and shadow.
The primary elements remain unchanged and challenge me to discover a new composition - so far I can't.
From elaborate and ornate branches to the tiniest hexagonal crystals, snowflakes of all sizes can spark your curiosity – especially when there are interesting colours to discover inside of the snowflake itself! A simple snowflake but with some of my favourite features, view large!
Some features of this snowflake are close to symmetrical, but even the tiniest variance in accumulation along different sides can break the symmetry early. This snowflake is fighting for a unique kind of symmetry – three fold – where alternating sides are more similar. This is often caused by the aerodynamic properties of how a snowflake is spinning (or falling in a very stable pattern) which can result in more dramatic triangular crystals. While the symmetry is interesting, by far the best part of this snowflake is the colour.
The brighter and mostly coloured areas of this snowflake are caused by bubbles in the ice. These bubbles create multiple surfaces to reflect light back to the camera, which is why they are brighter than the surrounding ice. They don’t just become brighter, in certain circumstances they also become vibrant. The physics is basic: thin film interference. Soap bubbles, oil, and even some inks can create this visual effect; if you’ve ever seen a rainbow pattern in a soap bubble, you’re seeing the same phenomenon at work here.
If some light reflects off of the front surface, and some also reflects off of the internal surface within the right thickness, the two beams of light are now out of sync because passing through ice slowed one of them down. The exact thickness of the ice will determine how far out of sync they are, resulting in optical interference that generates colours from white light. I’m not a scientist, but I find such things fascinating – all in the tiny world of a single sub-millimeter sized snowflake.
Photographing snowflakes at this scale can be difficult, but not impossible. I’m using the Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens coupled with extension tubes as well as a Canon Lifesize Converter (basically a 2x teleconverter for macro magnification) to push all the way up to 12:1 magnification, 12 times closer than a regular macro lens goes. The image still needs to be cropped in considerably, and this is 20 separate images stacked together to get everything in focus… shot entirely handheld.
I’m often asked why I shoot my snowflake images handheld, and the answer comes in two parts:
Time. A snowflake is actively sublimating and I need to work as quickly as possible to shoot all of the necessary frames. Give this tiny crystal five minutes and the outer outline will be considerably smaller. You can already see signs of the edges evaporating back into this are!
Angle. I need to rotate the camera around the subject to get the right angle of light from my ring flash to see surface reflections, like glare on a window. This surface reflection is required to reveal features like the colour, and often showcases surface details with far more accuracy. Because the camera needs to rotate in this way quickly, where no tripod mount can accommodate, I need to shoot freehand.
If you’re curious how exactly that’s done, you should consider picking up a copy of Sky Crystals, a book I published that gives away all of my secrets for creating images like this: www.skycrystals.ca/book/ - 304pg hardcover book that makes a perfect Christmas gift for any macro photographer! :)
As winter nears, the nice days are fewer and further between. So when the forecast was for a sunny Sunday and Monday, I made the pilgrimage to Rye back beach for a little bit of lizard hunting. To be honest I wasn't sure how much colour I was going to get as the skies were a very pale blue when I got there. But after sunset, magic hour kicked in, and here is the resulting image. Camera Settings: 24mm, f14, ISO100, 1.6sec. I used an ND-Grad filter on the sky, then fixed the white balance in LR. via 500px ift.tt/1TdhEyw
A Variance of path for 6m56 led to the service arriving 1718 (3e) and ticked over in P6 until departure at 1755 (4e), the same time our train was heading south homeward bound.
Fortunately today we had a lovely pair of growlers! Tractors 37419 and 37259 were in charge of load 2, finally arriving back at base, Crewe Coal Sidings DRS 1904 (18L).
Fumbling for his cha atched a moment and asked him thus: "Squire, should thou be thus?"
I squirmed at the uncomfortableness of it all...finally nge, I sn erupting, "Goddamni w could you?"
He sunk back down and I attempted repargese...it is a kind of French word that means one mu t! Ho st retreat into a shell, or coc ng. I balked and he said, "I could because I must."
He thrust himself forwa oon-type thi rd and declared a Bonapart part, witho sh ,ut all the fla "Why would I not be thus."
It was not a question, I am not a wALRus.
Eventually, the skies cleared and it became clear what a mother-of-a-two-timing-liver-of-fantasies-lover-of-liver he was. How does one combat fatigue...you know, that one associated with labouring under a heavy weight, or lumbering along the path and discovering that love wasn't what it was all tarted up to be? I could have chosen an entity of some sort, oh like nights in the pub with the lads, swirling and swishing long lost dreams in our pint glasses of rose-coloured ale but, I thought I ought not and got a job selling ladies 'pleasurables'. My friend here, on the other hand wore a ring and trumpeted it with flash and bravado (not uncommon for his particular generation). I shifted over to let a young lady sit, poofing and panting from the extra person she was carrying. She glanced a thank you smile and I cranked out some tune from the 40's that sounded remarkably like, 'June I am Your Man' by Thomas Squelchbinder of Kenmore, "Smelcome."
Soon on the fourth day, not long after the variances had fled at the first rumblings of Conga's war dance, a light rain began to fall. It was no matter to us, we three of the Brigada 1974. For equally, light and frilly artwork hung here, dangled upon a string over there, flitted amongst the tired and downtrodden in the next room, whilst meandering and letting off playful cooing somewhere on the floor above. So it could be said, a light fall of the same again was no more than what was had last Thursday but, this was Friday and that meant it was party time! Yeehaw! I stood to sashay, he shifted uncomfortably at first, a forbidding loom of calamity in his thoughts and threatening to charge forth, ramshackle chains and all but, upon request, returned to a slightly wobbly stance, unsure of his haunches, kicking out a jig ensemble akin to stove pipes and our lady friend merely gave a gesture of 'whatever, dude!' with that classic wave-sort-of-thing done by using your hand with nonchalance parlance sans vocal accompaniment. My facial expression must have suddenly paused at befuddlement station, as the corresponding body language went all limp with perplexity trimmings. I cast my gaze reflecting all these recent changes towards her. She was facing away, holding her swelled midriff and kept glancing upward wondering when the skies would clear again. First, I looked up to see if there were some kind of gigantic sunroof in the ceiling and then slowly turned to look at my friend; who stood slightly to the East of her weather-seeking probes. He had a somewhat similar look to mine, with just a dash of flabbergast and a slight hint of incredulity added for flavour. We both turned to take one last look at her - the same, "hmm, I long for snow...oh, the fall of snow...".
"Hmpft! Then we..." he says.
"Shall take our business elsewhere!" I say.
A common Buckeye.
I am no guru on butterflies, nor do I know much about them. Only for the past three-ish years have they been victims of my camera, and my knowledge of them does not go far beyond what I personally have noticed in my own little world. I've seen many of these buckeyes this year, but only one prior, whereas the fritillaries are down, monarchs and swallowtails seem to be up, and a couple other of the types of butterflies seem to be down. I would have guessed a fair consistency year after year, but maybe variances occur significantly, are just regional, or it just happens to be my narrow path of experience and awareness?
722 E Broad St.
More info on Vanishing Georgia: vanishinggeorgia.com/2024/03/10/savannahs-last-historic-a...
"The old East Side Theater is the last survivor among several historic venues which once catered to African-Americans in Jim Crow-era Savannah. Others, including the Star and the Dunbar, have been lost to history, while the nearby Melody Theater was repurposed as the St. James AME Church. The 675-seat Streamline Moderne structure was designed by local architect Oscar M. Hansen and opened on 14 March 1946. It cost its owner, the Bailey Company, $100,000 to build, which was quite extravagant at the time. Over the years, it also hosted live performers, including James Brown. It closed in 1969, and other than housing Hungry World Missionary and a storage warehouse for a few years, has been empty ever since.
"In recent years, there has been some talk of saving the structure but many references about that effort have mysteriously disappeared as development of the immediate area appears to be going forward. Possible renovation and re-use could come with a new residential development slated to be constructed around it, this is dependent on zoning issues involving height variances. Who knows what the future holds."
Estes Park, CO - The Historic Park Theatre is the oldest motion picture theatre in the United States.
Construction of the theatre was begun in 1913 by J.L. Jackson, and it was completed by C.H. Bond. Fred Jackson operated the theatre until 1922, when he sold it to Ralph Gwynn. In 1926, Gwynn added the landmark tower and lobby. This structure became known as the Tower of Love, because Gwynn built it to represent the beautiful love of his life. Gwynn operated the theatre until his death.
When Gwynn died in 1963, businessman Vic Walker bought the theatre from Gwynn's estate. Not knowing much about the theatre business, he enlisted the help of Gwynn's long time friend and associate, John Ramey, to keep the theatre running.
Ola & Mickey Stanger began operating the Park Theatre in 1968, when they did some significant renovations. They initially leased it from Vic Walker, and later purchased it from him in 1982. Mickey and Ola passed away in 2003 and 2005, respectively. Through the collaborative efforts of the Stanger descendants, the Park Theatre continues to operate seasonally as a family-owned business.
Mickey and Ola Stanger started out in the cinema business when they bought the Windsor Theatre (Windsor, Colorado) in 1946. In 1954, they moved to Denver to build the Evans Drive-In Theatre, which they operated (with their 2 children, Sharon and Andrew) as a family business for many years. And in 1964, they purchased the Lake Estes Drive-In Theatre in Estes Park, which was also family-operated.
The Park Theatre has survived a variety of hazards throughout the years, including wind, lightning, and flood damage. After the Lawn Lake flood of 1982, Estes Park passed a new sign code that banned all neon signs in Estes Park. The Stangers were able to restore the neon lights on the Park Theatre tower by getting a special variance (via a city ballot initiative).
The Park Theatre was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. We gratefully welcome any and all donations to help preserve the on-going operation and restoration of this unique historic site.
One of my favorite places in Poland is Wroclaw. A beautiful market square surrounded by rivers, friendly people and a photo opportunity on every corner. via 500px ift.tt/2eyE4ZM
One of the Super Trees at Singapores Supertree Grove. There are 18 of these trees in total, but this was my favourite one to photograph. There is an amazing light show every evening, with tourists from all over the world standing at ground level staring up at the canopies. via 500px ift.tt/1jsTrUl
Concrete jungle on the other side of the bay, while this side is a lush green. The contrast of Doha. via 500px ift.tt/2c9qoEi
Whitsand Bay, South East Cornwall.
In late December, just a week after the Winter Solstice, as the haunting mood of dusk rolled in to take over from a blustery, overcast afternoon, I stood on the cliff tops at Sharrow Point looking across the bay towards Freathy and beyond and then ultimately over to the remote and isolated beauty of Rame Head in the far distance.
The wind was blowing strongly against the grass both around my feet and out there in front of me as I watched, admired and hoped to capture, all that is wild and untamed about the sea and its surf, open as it is to the swirling air elements and subject to the vicissitudes of the weather. This particular long exposure shot was one which I felt particularly emphasised the ghostly ambiance of the scene in the way that I experienced it at the time.
It is on rejuvenating occasions such as this when the bystander will experience a very real feeling of perspective and insignificance against the sacred vastness of the ocean, whilst its timeless and mystical aura brings about a wonderful healing contentment which serves to free the mind and clear the thoughts of unwanted adversity.
Watching the sea will leave you in no doubt as to the awe inspiring power within its possession, coupled with a primeval desire and excited eagerness to encounter and witness one of its many mercurial moods again very soon. There is something intangible about the sea and its shoreline that speaks to everyone who cares to listen and the majestic energy from the ebb and flow of the tide can truly move us all….
Stand still and hear its mystical music and song as the frothy, white capped waves break and intermingle with the variances of the strandline, sense the distinctively enchanted air of centuries of superstitions and lingering legends, the torment of winter storms and the memories of special summer days filled with peaceful serenity when the warm rays of the sun dance in glimmering pleasure across its gentle swell.
Don’t rush back to the soul destroying frustrations of the 21st Century; instead, stay awhile, be fortified by, and at one with your surroundings as you let the wild sea whisper you its ancient and captivating secrets….
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Thank you to all of my contacts and, of course, anyone else within the Flickr community who has visited my photostream and viewed, commented on, or selected as a favourite, any of the images which I have chosen, out of many thousands, to display. I hope that 2016 has treated you all well and with respect so far and wish everyone a happy, contented, healthy, peaceful and creative year ahead.
Thank you for your continuing support and the ongoing inspiration of the myriad of photographic talents that you all display and share; I very much look forward to seeing more of your soul enriching artistry during the coming months…..
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Cherry Avatar, Avatar shapes has opened its doors!
The beautiful Aisling uses the Genus Project Classic head.
Comes with 4 body variances for Maitreya, Belleza Freya, Slink Hourglass, and TMP Legacy.
I have lost count how many times I've been to Brisbane, but I can count my images of this city on one hand. Last year when the weather was rubbish I felt like it was an opportunity lost, well I certainly made up for it this year....as did the weather. Shot at sunrise from Kurilpa Pedestrian Bridge. via 500px ift.tt/1RY3bAT
Organized in 1889, the Wayman African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church moved into the former home of the First Swedish Baptist Church in 1920. The Swedish church, founded in 1853, constructed the building in 1889. The church at N. Cleveland Ave. and W. Elm St., a lone survivor in this Cabrini-Green area now surrounded by townhouse developments, was sold in 2018 (listed price: $3.25 million) but the deal fell through. The2.72-acre mostly vacant property was listed again in October 2021 at $2.95 million.
NOTE: As of January 2024, it's still standing. This month, a demolition permit was issued for the two-story addition to the west on W. Elm Street. NOTE 2: Petitions before the May 2024 Chicago Zoning Committee meeting by Cabrini, LLC are requesting variances to allow conversion of the church to a 7-unit residence and construction of a 5-story, 12-unit residence on the site of the former school that was demolished in earlier this year.
An experiment with hdr.
I don't usually do hdr, but the exposure variance was just too great for this scene. (That's what you get for climbing up there in the middle of the day I suppose - dusk would be much better).
This spot is no longer publicly accessible (well not easily anyway), but is very well known with anyone who's been to Cedar Creek prior to 1997 or so when the road was closed by council due to stupid youths plummeting to their doom from on high.
Another new species for me, but saw three differnet females on the site, quite widely spread. They clearly have a variance in colour forms too, This
A unique Boeing “SATURN V APOLLO TEAM” decal. Possibly created/released ICW with the construction, rollout, etc., of the SA-500F Facilities Integration Vehicle? The SWAG at the time period is based on the exaggerated LM porch, (partially) round hatch & Astronaut’s space suit (which actually looks pre-‘64 to me).
3” x 3”. The gold/brassy colored area exhibits a noticeable sheen & variance in shading when viewed from different angles/lighting conditions.
See also:
www.spacepatchdatabase.com/patches/apollo/boeing-apollo-t...
Credit: Space Patch Database website
Now there's apparently this. Note the write-up; "the largest rocket ever built." More like "the largest rocket if/when actually ever built, let alone flown - SAFELY". Although not quite as catchy, it's more accurate. Oh, and the decal is ‘imported’:
www.boeingstore.com/collections/boeing-stickers/products/...
"Credit": Boeing Store website
When was the last time you stepped into a library? If you are ever in Melbourne, do yourself a favor and check out the State Library of Victoria. via 500px ift.tt/2q9civH