How did it happen that their lips came together? How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill? A kiss, and all was said

~Victor Hugo

♪♫♪♪♫♪

I've been reading back through old poems lately, and realizing that so many things now make sense.

Like the way that I felt here but couldn't articulate, because I didn't realize how special it was; and the dreams that I had but couldn't explain; because I didn't know how to admit them to myself.

And also the fact that I'll never be able to describe this. But I don't think I want to anymore.

Just being here is a gift.

Thank you.

#sweeterpoetry

Hummingbird Pulse; poem 60

|| Crossing borders again tomorrow after 3 weeks on familiar soil. City and Colour concert in Canada, here we come! ||

Japanese designed articulating PVC figure 1/12th scale.

“let’s just keep going.” she said

“it’s probably better that we don’t know the way”

then she smiled and said “ besides if we’re lucky maybe we’ll get lost.”

only a few remaining days we'd be staring at each other before we part for good, his look seems to get ever so slightly more articulate even since last time I shot him

Joint from the articulating lamp arm. Was testing a Samsung mirrorless camera that I obtained. I was in Dominican for work and couldn't bring my normal camera gear because of weight. Neat little camera that is good for travelling

Time is the substance from which I am made. Time is a river which carries me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger that devours me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire that consumes me, but I am the fire.

Jorge Luis Borges

“Goodness speaks in a whisper, evil shouts”

Tibetan Proverb

Looking up the main living room of the palace, you see this painting. The articulate designs of the palace was amazing, and this picture too. To think this was done in an age of no modern machinery makes it even better.

Pas de FAV sans commentaire.

No FAV without comment

"Galileo", un spectacle de la compagnie Deus Ex Machina.

Tous acrobates, les membres de la compagnie exécutent des figures autour d'une structure articulée, perchée à 30 mètres du sol.

La compagnie Deus Ex Machina nous conte la prise de conscience de la position de la Terre tournant autour du Soleil...

Bonne journée à tous.

Merci pour vos visites et commentaires

en ---------------

"Galileo", a show of the company's Deus Ex Machina.

All acrobats, the members of the company perform tricks around a structure articulate, perched 30 meters above the ground.

The company Deus Ex Machina, tells us about the awareness of the position of the Earth revolving around the Sun...

Good day to all.

Thank you for your visits and comments

de ---------------

"Galileo", eine show der compagnie Deus Ex Machina.

Alle akrobaten, die mitglieder der gesellschaft führen sie tricks um die struktur artikuliert, thront 30 meter über dem boden.

Die firma Deus Ex Machina erzählt uns, das bewusstsein für die position der Erde um die Sonne drehen...

Guten tag an alle.

Danke für eure besuche und kommentare

es ---------------

"Galileo", un espectáculo de la compañía de Deus Ex Machina.

Todos los acróbatas, los miembros de la compañía de realizar trucos en torno a una estructura articular, situado 30 metros sobre el suelo.

La empresa de Deus Ex Machina, nos habla de la conciencia de la posición de la Tierra la que giraba alrededor del Sol...

Buen día a todos.

Gracias por sus visitas y comentarios

nl ---------------

"Galileo", een show van de vennootschap Deus Ex Machina.

Alle acrobaten, de leden van de vennootschap, het uitvoeren van trucs rond een structuur verwoorden, ligt 30 meter boven de grond.

Het bedrijf Deus Ex Machina, vertelt ons over de bewustwording van de positie van de Aarde die rond de Zon...

Goede dag allemaal.

Dank u voor uw bezoeken en opmerkingen

it ---------------

"Galileo", uno spettacolo della compagnia il Deus Ex Machina.

Tutti gli acrobati, i membri della società di eseguire tricks intorno ad una struttura articolata, arroccato 30 metri da terra.

L'azienda Deus Ex Machina, ci racconta la consapevolezza della posizione della Terra attorno al Sole...

Buona giornata a tutte.

Grazie per le vostre visite e commenti

pt ---------------

"Galileu", um espectáculo da companhia do Deus Ex Machina.

Todos os acrobatas, os membros da empresa, executar truques em torno de uma estrutura articular, localizada a 30 metros acima do solo.

A companhia de Deus Ex Machina, nos fala sobre a consciência da posição da Terra em torno do Sol...

Bom dia a todos.

Obrigado por suas visitas e comentários de

I wanted to make a suit with legs that would articulate with a mini-fig’s legs, (as seen here) as well as try my hand at a mech with a little more of an Eastern style compared to my usual fare, and this was the result.

Heavily influenced by this beauty by deviantart user ukitakumuki.

"i am covered in skin

no one gets to come in

pull me out from inside

i am folded, and unfolded, and unfolding

i am

colorblind...."

~counting crows

Cristo Redentor, Christ The Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is difficult to articulate how happy, grateful, and spiritually fulfilled I felt when capturing this image from above the clouds via helicopter. It is certainly an experience my wife and I will never forget. Helisight Helicopter Tours

The Security Building is a historic site in downtown Miami, Florida. It is located at 117 Northeast 1st Avenue. On January 4, 1989, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The building has 16 floors with a height of 225 feet (69 m) and was built from 1926 to 1927.

The Dade County Security Company was organized in 1901 and moved to a nearby headquarters in 1923. By the mid-1920s the company needed a larger headquarters. In 1921, the Dade County Security Company had acquired the McKinnon Hotel which occupied a mid-block parcel on Northeast 1st Avenue and renamed it the Security Hotel. Dade Security had considered adding stories atop the hotel but opted in 1925 to raze the hotel and construct a new headquarters on the same site under the direction of architect Robert Greenfield.

Construction on the Security Building began in 1926. The building was known as the Security Building from its opening in 1927 until 1945. Upon opening, the first level and mezzanine were devoted to banking offices. The floors above provided 275 office suites and were reached by four "high speed" elevators.

The Security Building faces west onto NE 1st Avenue. It is located in mid-block with buildings on either side. Those buildings are considerably shorter than the Security Building. The building maintains a zero-foot (0 m) setback, and the entry doors open directly onto the sidewalk. There are no landscape features on the property. The building is composed of a main block parallel to the street, and a second block connected perpendicularly that extends to the east.

With only a 50-foot (15 m) frontage, the architect made a grand statement by creating an almost temple-like base, consisting of the first three stories. Engaged pilasters, that also frame the center bay, articulate the corners creating three distinct bays. Spandrels between the floors are bronze and feature relief ornament. The pilasters carry the entablature, with the name “Security Building” in incised letters. A dentilled molding ornaments the cornice that terminates this division of the building.

The fourth floor begins the transition to the high-rise portion of the building. Stone panels with a similar relief accent the corners and separate the bays. Above the windows of the fourth floor is another projecting element, a stringcourse that is ornamented with a guilloche pattern in relief.

Floors five through 13 continue the three bays with window arrangements that are grouped in pairs on each of the end bays, and are grouped in three in the center bay, emphasizing the importance of the center bay to the entire composition. The windows are a metal casement type.

Security Building (Miami) South and West Facades, top floors with mansard roof and cupola.

The 14th and 15th floors function as the base for the great mansard roof, which terminates the building. To balance the composition, the two floors are treated as if they were one by the use of a round arch at the 15th floor that is carried by the pilasters of the 14th floor, so that the two floors are visually united.

A bracketed cornice separates the building from the roof form that is so decidedly different from roof treatments in Miami during this period. A mansard roof is a double-pitched roof with a steep upper slope. The mansard roof was named for architect Francois Mansart (1598–1666). Mansart worked in the 17th century and introduced the roof form that extended attic space to provide additional usable area. The mansard roof is a character-defining feature of the Second Empire style that was named after Napoleon III, who took on major building projects in Paris during the 18th century.

The mansard roof of the Security Building is clad in copper and terminates in a series of antefixae. A series of arches containing windows and serving as dormers penetrates the roof. Bull's-eye windows are placed between the arched windows. An eight-sided cupola that extends from the center of the roof is fenestrated on each side with a multi-paned arched window. The dome of the cupola also is clad in copper.

The north and south ends of the building are not ornamented. The windows are a metal casement type. The quoining on the corners of the west elevation is repeated in the north and south elevations of the building. The extension to the east is flat-roofed and is terminated by a defined cornice. The majority of the wall surface contains windows that are either square or rectangular in shape. They contain metal casement windows.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Building_(Miami,_Florida)

miami-history.com/security-building-in-downtown-miami/

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

The Security Building is a historic site in downtown Miami, Florida. It is located at 117 Northeast 1st Avenue. On January 4, 1989, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The building has 16 floors with a height of 225 feet (69 m) and was built from 1926 to 1927.

The Dade County Security Company was organized in 1901 and moved to a nearby headquarters in 1923. By the mid-1920s the company needed a larger headquarters. In 1921, the Dade County Security Company had acquired the McKinnon Hotel which occupied a mid-block parcel on Northeast 1st Avenue and renamed it the Security Hotel. Dade Security had considered adding stories atop the hotel but opted in 1925 to raze the hotel and construct a new headquarters on the same site under the direction of architect Robert Greenfield.

Construction on the Security Building began in 1926. The building was known as the Security Building from its opening in 1927 until 1945. Upon opening, the first level and mezzanine were devoted to banking offices. The floors above provided 275 office suites and were reached by four "high speed" elevators.

The Security Building faces west onto NE 1st Avenue. It is located in mid-block with buildings on either side. Those buildings are considerably shorter than the Security Building. The building maintains a zero-foot (0 m) setback, and the entry doors open directly onto the sidewalk. There are no landscape features on the property. The building is composed of a main block parallel to the street, and a second block connected perpendicularly that extends to the east.

With only a 50-foot (15 m) frontage, the architect made a grand statement by creating an almost temple-like base, consisting of the first three stories. Engaged pilasters, that also frame the center bay, articulate the corners creating three distinct bays. Spandrels between the floors are bronze and feature relief ornament. The pilasters carry the entablature, with the name “Security Building” in incised letters. A dentilled molding ornaments the cornice that terminates this division of the building.

The fourth floor begins the transition to the high-rise portion of the building. Stone panels with a similar relief accent the corners and separate the bays. Above the windows of the fourth floor is another projecting element, a stringcourse that is ornamented with a guilloche pattern in relief.

Floors five through 13 continue the three bays with window arrangements that are grouped in pairs on each of the end bays, and are grouped in three in the center bay, emphasizing the importance of the center bay to the entire composition. The windows are a metal casement type.

Security Building (Miami) South and West Facades, top floors with mansard roof and cupola.

The 14th and 15th floors function as the base for the great mansard roof, which terminates the building. To balance the composition, the two floors are treated as if they were one by the use of a round arch at the 15th floor that is carried by the pilasters of the 14th floor, so that the two floors are visually united.

A bracketed cornice separates the building from the roof form that is so decidedly different from roof treatments in Miami during this period. A mansard roof is a double-pitched roof with a steep upper slope. The mansard roof was named for architect Francois Mansart (1598–1666). Mansart worked in the 17th century and introduced the roof form that extended attic space to provide additional usable area. The mansard roof is a character-defining feature of the Second Empire style that was named after Napoleon III, who took on major building projects in Paris during the 18th century.

The mansard roof of the Security Building is clad in copper and terminates in a series of antefixae. A series of arches containing windows and serving as dormers penetrates the roof. Bull's-eye windows are placed between the arched windows. An eight-sided cupola that extends from the center of the roof is fenestrated on each side with a multi-paned arched window. The dome of the cupola also is clad in copper.

The north and south ends of the building are not ornamented. The windows are a metal casement type. The quoining on the corners of the west elevation is repeated in the north and south elevations of the building. The extension to the east is flat-roofed and is terminated by a defined cornice. The majority of the wall surface contains windows that are either square or rectangular in shape. They contain metal casement windows.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Building_(Miami,_Florida)

miami-history.com/security-building-in-downtown-miami/

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

This old Road Warrior figure was a gift. It's not very articulate, but I'm really enjoying it in combination with the Extreme Sets sewer 2.0 pop-up for a Fallout kind of vibe.

The ghoul pack are Marvel Legends figures.

Otherwise…. Thanks for getting a look at this with me.

So yeah, throwing photo quality to the wind here. Who really has time for that anyway?

But yeah, it gets its namesake from the quadruped configuration, not the biped.

The Usual Suspects:

MGS4 Gekko

Aaron Beck

Tromas

J5N

Drywall

Boston Dynamics Big Dog

Dane

Lemon Boy

Guerrillas

etc..

male choir 'De Zank', Beegden

I keep choking on these captions. Some photos perfectly articulate how I'm feeling, but I can't seem to support it with words. I used to write all the time, it came very naturally to me, but lately I feel stopped up inside.

I want to be generous with who I am, not just to the wonderful people who are following my 365, but to the world in general. But right now, I just feel stuck. Locked in my brain and trapped in my skin.

I'll find a way out one of these days.

A 2025 University of Wisconsin (Madison) graduate in the lap of the Abraham Lincoln statue in front of Bascom Hall on campus.

The statue was placed in June of 1909, so Abe has been waiting 116 years for this graduate to make the climb up and tell him her hopes and dreams for the future.

The future is indeed bright for this young lady. Smart, articulate, ambitious and beautiful, she will find great success and make a difference in the world. You can see by Abe's facial expression that he has every confidence in her too.

Abraham Lincoln signed three acts during his presidency that hugely enhanced the quality of universities across America, including the UW. One of the three was the Morrill Act, signed in 1862 after it had been vetoed by President Buchanan. This act granted parcels of land to all states to fund universities that would “promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life.” This act has been called the “Education Bill of Rights,” and it was instrumental in helping more students to attend college. W.D. Hoard, a former Wisconsin governor and president of the Board of Regents, spoke at the statue’s unveiling ceremony and accepted the gift “because of our deep and lasting gratitude as a commonwealth for the character and services of Abraham Lincoln; because of the faith and pride we have in the purpose and achievements of our noble university … with the promise that nothing shall be lacking on their part to maintain and preserve it as a sign to all future generations of the high ideals of American citizenship that are taught here to the young of the land.”

The title is a nod to Wisconsin's own Pat MacDonald. Pat is the only person from Green Bay to have a top 40 hit - that with his song "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" (1986), with his group at the time (he and his wife), Timbuk3.

Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion, is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant of the family Asteraceae. It can be found growing in temperate regions of the world, in lawns, on roadsides, on disturbed banks and shores of water ways, and other areas with moist soils. Wikipedia

74 images images were stacked and processed through Helicon Focus 7 and CS6

will return later this evening

in the meantime I wish you all a wonderful Friday and weekend!

:~)

Flower: cottage pot

Textures: borealnz and mine

Solitude

While studying photography in Pathshala, I developed new technical and aesthetic skills at an academic level and gained a fresh perspective on seeing the world around me. However, I still felt that something was missing. That missing piece was the ability to articulate aesthetics through language and to experience aesthetics with the basis of life itself.

During this time, I developed a deep desire to understand philosophy. Within a few months, I decided to pursue academic studies in philosophy. There were two main reasons behind this decision: first, to gain knowledge of philosophy, and second, to reshape my photographic view point through a philosophical angle—essentially, to integrate aesthetics with philosophy.

As I delved into this complex subject, I found myself particularly influenced by three philosophical ideologies: the philosophy of Nihilism, Engels and Marx’s materialism, and Gautama Buddha’s theory of Functionalism. These perspectives began shaping my understanding of life, humanity, society, and aesthetics. My way of seeing the world started to transform.

Nihilism and materialist philosophy argue that humans are not a special species. According to Buddha, life itself is full of suffering. Since humans are not inherently special and life has no predetermined purpose, people often experience restlessness. My photographs reflect this idea through landscapes, where excessive negative space in the frame symbolizes despair, purposelessness, and solitude in human life. Most people live under the illusion that they are unique compared to the surroundings. This belief prevents them from feeling truly connected to nature.

Lalon once said, "He and Lalon exist together, yet they are separated by infinite distance." Even though humans exist within nature, they somehow remain detached from it. In my frames, vast negative spaces with tiny human figures symbolize this very detachment. Here, nature is immense, and humans are small—serving as a reminder that humanity is not any superior to nature.

The mist in my photographs enhances the minimalist effect, further detaching people from their surroundings. The presence of human-made structures in the background represents our ongoing struggle to prove our superiority. However, the blurred, barely visible architecture behind the fog reflects the failure of this pursuit. Humanity is trapped in this endless contradiction, deepening its existential despair. Meanwhile, the fog thickens, and the distance between humans and nature continues to grow.

that love, peace, and joy...may hopefully become our life to be lived...

.

Note the red doors which are commonly seen. They traditionally signal a place of sanctuary, refuge, and safety.

This was a picture from 2013 that I revisited for a friend. The original that I first posted is in the first comment below... hopefully my processing skills have improved over the past five years!

Darrell and I were walking back to our offices on campus after a portrait photoshoot in the studio when we came across a patch of dandelions that had gone to seed. The sun was setting and I put my camera on the ground. Using live view, I was able to position the articulating screen on the Canon 60D to frame the shot.

_MG_7809-4

© Stephen L. Frazier - All of my images are protected by copyright and may not be copied, printed, distributed or used on any site, blog, or forum without expressed permission.

Looking for Steve Frazier's main photography website? Visit stevefrazierphotography.com. Contact me at stevefrazierphotography@gmail.com

Submitted to: !!! BEST PICTURES ● MASTERPIECE (HQ only)

To me , nothing made by man is more beautiful

than a sailboat under way in fine weather, and

to be on that sailboat is to be as close to heaven

as I expect to get. It is unalloyed happiness.

ROBERT MANRY (1918)

Cammino sul pendio d’una collina verde.

Erba, tra l’erba fiori

come in un quadretto per bambini.

Il cielo annebbiato, già tinto d’azzurro.

La vista si distende in silenzio sui colli intorno.

invited to linger.

Wislawa Szymborska, Chwila, Moment, Attimo.

'Over the top'

The bell tower of the church is the uppermost structure of the town, which articulate underneath it in progressively larger and lower arches. Pontito, Pescia (PT), Italy. © Michele Marcolin, 2010. © Michele Marcolin, 2010. E-3 + Zuiko 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0

-----

The fortified town of Pontito (749 meters above sea level), known since the 9th century as a possession of the bishops of Lucca, stands close to the source of the Pescia river. The village has retained its structure of fortified town intact over the centuries; inside it, the built-up area is organized according to a particular pyramid shape, where at the top stands the Church of SS. Andrea e Lucia, a robust stone construction of Romanesque origin. A walk inside this town, whose shape resembles an inverted fan lying on the soft uncontaminated nature, reveals to the eye of the visitor artistic signs of a remarkable level that once expressed the dignity of the place. Of the surrounding walls and the keep that used to stand behind the church, very little remains. The town lies at about 15 km from the city of Pescia, far into the deep of the mountains, thing that preserved it in time, but which also marked its fate, making it today a ghostly town which wakes up only in summer, due to its difficult access.

View On Black

"and love is not the easy thing

the only baggage that you can bring...

and love is not the easy thing...

the only baggage you can bring

is all that you can't leave behind

and if the darkness is to keep us apart

and if the daylight feels like it's a long way off

and if your glass heart should crack

and for a second you turn back

oh no, be strong

walk on, walk on

what you got they can't steal it

no they can't even feel it

walk on, walk on...

stay safe tonight

you're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been

a place that has to be believed to be seen

you could have flown away

a singing bird in an open cage

who will only fly, only fly for freedom

walk on, walk on

what you've got they can't deny it

can't sell it, or buy it

walk on, walk on

stay safe tonight

and i know it aches

and your heart it breaks

and you can only take so much

walk on, walk on

home... hard to know what it is if you've never had one

home... i can't say where it is but i know i'm going home

that's where the hurt is

i know it aches

how your heart it breaks

and you can only take so much

walk on, walk on

leave it behind

you got to leave it behind

all that you fashion

all that you make

all that you build

all that you break

all that you measure

all that you feel

all this you can leave behind

all that you reason

all that you sense

all that you speak

all you dress-up

all that you scheme..."

~ u2

-- Leonardo da Vinci

A dusting of snow in the noon sun made a great bokeh backdrop for this little mossy plant in the woods. I was trying out my new camera's articulating LCD screen in live view ...so I didn't have to lie on the ground :-)

A Rosenbauer 115' T-Rex Articulating Platform

On display at FDIC 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Photo By Derek J. Ewing

Copyright 2019 - All rights reserved.

He's finally complete! I used real sand I got from the beach today after a failed attempt of trying to use Ruskoline I decided to just use the real thing and here we go! He is Hulk sized and is still just as articulate as before!

Tell me what y'all think! Also my version of his backstory is below!

LC Verse Spider-Man

Sandthing - Flint Marko

- Flint Marko was once a military soldier in the army, he under went an experimental procedure for "natural camouflage". Which allowed the subjects body to fuse to its surroundings and become the material temporarily. The experiment was highly risky however Flint agreed to it, after weeks of experimental treatments Flint was ready to put the camouflage to the test. He was placed in a sandy environment in order to take the appearance of it . Unfortunately the experiment didn't go according to plan and Flint deteriorated to a sandy pulp, the experimental procedure was covered up and the remains of Flint were dumped and recycled to a construction company for a cheap price. Unawares that Flints consciousness was still active in the sand mess they abandoned him, he soon awoken and began to take form. Due to him lacking facial features etc he couldn't communicate nor see or hear at the time. He began to rampage through the city in fear until he was defeated by Spider-Man who lured him to the ocean and caused him to deteriorate once more. The remains were then scooped up by Norman Osborns scientific workers disguised as "Damage Control" where they put him under procedures and allowed him to take his abominable form once more giving him the name "Sandthing".

I watched this scene for five or ten minutes, but from the other side of Broadway where my view was somewhat limited. There were one or two moments where I could see the blond woman's face, and that should have been the "decisive moment" when I took a photograph of the scene. But for reasons that I can't explain or even articulate now, I did not take the photo at that point ...

And now, days later, it makes me wonder: how many times do (does?) each of us see a "decisive moment" out on the street -- or at work, or in our home, or anywhere else -- that we don't even recognize as such until later on, when we replay that scene in our minds? Consequently, how many such moments are lost forever, at least in terms of being able to share it with others? Mediocre as this photo is, I suppose it's better than nothing; without it, it would have been something that only I, alone, saw and experienced; and like all memories, it would have faded over time.

In today's world of "free" digital images, I suppose it's a good argument for photographing almost everything you see in your day-to-day life, if it has any chance at all of being such a decisive moment. If the moments turn out to be boring or blasé, you can always delete the digital images, and it will have cost nothing ...

Of course, to do something like that, you have to have a camera with you; but while I've been celebrating (in this Flickr album of iPhone6s photos) the fact that an iPhone-camera is better than no camera at all, it is an embarrassing reminder to me that I should have had a better camera with me, and I should have been ready to use it at a moment's notice, even if a particular scene like this one is an unexpected surprise. I've just come back from a photography workshop (about which I'll blog or write separately at some other time and place) in which we were reminded that we should be pleased if we managed to make one really good photo in a month ... and maybe this could have been that one photo for me. Or maybe not. But (a) I won't know unless I actually take the shot, and (b) in order to take that one fantastic photo each month, I have to be willing to carry a camera bag for the other 29 or 30 days of the month even if I never see any great shots to take. C'est la vie.

A couple of other minor points about this photo: I first noticed the old woman about an hour earlier, when I was walking from my apartment to lunch at the Earth Cafe (scenes of which you can see in this Flickr album), and while I "registered" the scene in my mind, I didn't stop to think about it, or consider taking any photos of it.

I didn't really pay any attention to the scene until a little later in the afternoon, when I noticed the woman with long blond hair bent over and talking to the elderly woman, and occasionally reaching out to stroke her face. At first, I thought the blond woman was someone I know, and the juxtaposition of the two startled me ... and then I saw the little boots, which I realized "my" blonde friend probably would not be wearing. Even so ... what I should have done is walk over to the two women, introduce myself, and try to find out what was going on. I'm convinced that something extraordinary was going on, simple and innocent as it may have been, as indeed it probably was. But I don't really even know what was happening...

... because I was on the wrong side of the street, with nothing but my puny little camera-phone. I guess I should be content with the fact that at least I got something, even if it was only a mediocre snapshot of a moment in life.

But I deserve, you deserve, and we all deserve, better than just "snapshots." So I've renewed my determination to always have my camera bag with me, with at least two cameras in addition to the iPhone6s+ that's always in my pocket. With today's technology, even the "advanced" cameras are so compact and light-weight that there is no excuse for someone like me to do otherwise.

In any case, the moment is now past: there is nothing more I can do about it at this point, other than trying to be better prepared for the future ...

***********************************

Sometime in 2014, I created Flickr album for photos that I had started taking with my iPhone5s; and a year later, in the fall of 2014, I started a new Flickr album for photos that I’ve begun taking with my iPhone6, and iPhone6+. But progress doesn’t stop (at least with Apple): as of October 2015, I’ve upgraded once again, to the iPhone6s and 6s+ (yes, both of them) and this new album contains photos created with those camera-phones

In last year’s Flickr album, I wrote, “Whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer, it’s hard to walk around with a modern smartphone in your pocket, and not be tempted to use the built-in camera from time-to-time. Veteran photographers typically sneer at such behavior, and most will tell you that they can instantly recognize an iPhone photo, which they mentally reject as being unworthy of any serious attention.

“After using many earlier models of smartphones over the past several years, I was inclined to agree; after all, I always (well, almost always) had a “real” camera in my pocket (or backpack or camera-bag), and it was always capable of taking a much better photographic image than the mediocre, grainy images shot with a camera-phone.

“But still … there were a few occasions when I desperately wanted to capture some photo-worthy event taking place right in front of me, and inevitably it turned out to be the times when I did not have the “real” camera with me. Or I did have it, but it was buried somewhere in a bag, and I knew that the “event” would have disappeared by the time I found the “real" camera and turned it on. By contrast, the smart-phone was always in my pocket (along with my keys and my wallet, it’s one of the three things I consciously grab every time I walk out the door). And I often found that I could turn it on, point it at the photographic scene, and take the picture much faster than I could do the same thing with a “traditional” camera.

“Meanwhile, smartphone cameras have gotten substantially better in the past few years, from a mechanical/hardware perspective; and the software “intelligence” controlling the camera has become amazingly sophisticated. It’s still not on the same level as a “professional” DSLR camera, but for a large majority of the “average” photographic situations we’re likely to encounter in the unplanned moments of our lives, it’s more and more likely to be “good enough.” The old adage of “the best camera is the one you have with you” is more and more relevant these days. For me, 90% of the success in taking a good photo is simply being in the right place at the right time, being aware that the “photo opportunity” is there, and having a camera — any camera — to take advantage of that opportunity. Only 10% of the time does it matter which camera I’m using, or what technical features I’ve managed to use.

“And now, with the recent advent of the iPhone5s, there is one more improvement — which, as far as I can tell, simply does not exist in any of the “professional” cameras. You can take an unlimited number of “burst-mode” shots with the new iPhone, simply by keeping your finger on the shutter button; instead of being limited to just six (as a few of the DSLR cameras currently offer), you can take 10, 20, or even a hundred shots. And then — almost magically — the iPhone will show you which one or two of the large burst of photos was optimally sharp and clear. With a couple of clicks, you can then delete everything else, and retain only the very best one or two from the entire burst.

“With that in mind, I’ve begun using my iPhone5s for more and more “everyday” photo situations out on the street. Since I’m typically photographing ordinary, mundane events, even the one or two “optimal” shots that the camera-phone retains might not be worth showing anyone else … so there is still a lot of pruning and editing to be done, and I’m lucky if 10% of those “optimal” shots are good enough to justify uploading to Flickr and sharing with the rest of the world. Still, it’s an enormous benefit to know that my editing work can begin with photos that are more-or-less “technically” adequate, and that I don’t have to waste even a second reviewing dozens of technically-mediocre shots that are fuzzy, or blurred.

“Oh, yeah, one other minor benefit of the iPhone5s (and presumably most other current brands of smartphone): it automatically geotags every photo and video, without any special effort on the photographer’s part. Only one of my other big, fat cameras (the Sony Alpha SLT A65) has that feature, and I’ve noticed that almost none of the “new” mirrorless cameras have got a built-in GPS thingy that will perform the geotagging...

“I’ve had my iPhone5s for a couple of months now, but I’ve only been using the “burst-mode” photography feature aggressively for the past couple of weeks. As a result, the initial batch of photos that I’m uploading are all taken in the greater-NYC area. But as time goes on, and as my normal travel routine takes me to other parts of the world, I hope to add more and more “everyday” scenes in cities that I might not have the opportunity to photograph in a “serious” way.”

***********************************

Okay, so now it’s October of 2015, and I’ve got the iPhone 6s/6s+. The the camera now has a 12-megapixel lens (instead of the older 8 MP version), and that the internal camera-related hardware/firmware/software is better, too. Obviously, I’ve got the newer iOS9, too, and even on the “old” phones, it now supports time-lapse videos along with everything else.

I’ve still got my pocket camera (an amazing little Sony RX-100 Mark IV, which replaces the Mark III I had last year), and two larger cameras (Sony RX-10 II, and Sony A7 II), but I have a feeling that I won’t even be taking them out of the camera bag when I’m out on the street for ordinary day-to-day walking around.

That will depend, obviously, on what kind of photos and videos the iPhone6s/6s+ camera actually capable of taking … so I’m going to try to use at leas one of them every day, and see what the results look like …

Like I said last year, “stay tuned…”

Sleep

Sleep tonight

And may your dreams

Be realized

If the thunder cloud

Passes rain

So let it rain

Rain down on him

Mmm...mmm...mmm...

So let it be

Mmm...mmm...mmm...

So let it be

Sleep

Sleep tonight

And may your dreams

Be realized

If the thunder cloud

Passes rain

So let it rain

Let it rain

Rain on him

MLK - U2

Listen

The development of steam locomotives has seen many strange designs put into service, with the double-Fairlie being one such design. Built to Fairlie's Patent, the locomotive superstructure rests on two articulating power units housing the wheels, cylinders, and drawgear. This design allows large locomotives to navigate the sharp curves typical of most narrow gauge railways.

This example, "David Lloyd George" (or "Dafydd Lloyd George" in Welsh) was built brand new in 1992 at the Ffestiniog Railway's workshops at Boston Lodge. Thanks to the way the Ffestiniog Railway was preserved - it is now the worlds oldest surviving railway company, and one of few remaining companies brought into existance by acts of parliament - David Lloyd George can rightfully be considered the sixth double Fairlie class member, and not a replica.

Subfamily Melanoplinae. For more macro photos beyond 1:1 magnification check out my website.

This is not a focus stack, just a single exposure using flash mounted off-center on an articulating arm, fired through a DIY diffuser. I don't use f/11 when I can do a focus stack b/c diffraction starts to set in at that point on m4/3, but the DOF of f/11 is necessary on a single shot.

what’s in store for me in the direction i don’t take?

Jack Kerouac

This is a great little AF. Very articulate and easy to pose.

"Hi Paul!"

"Jack! Hey man, how are you?"

"Good, good real good! And you?"

"Ya, well, you know, work is a hassle, with all the arguments, agreements, advice and answers that no one in their right mind would give a toss about.. My boss, who is an ass between you and me and Neal, comes up with articulate announcements that could only make sense to small pygmies in the forest!"

"Ha! Ya, it's only talk."

"Talk! Talk! Oh, I tell you... here, lets sit here for a sec... bartender! Two beers!"

"I'll take two beers too."

"Umm... things seem to be getting better around the country."

"Ballyhoo! Tell that to my grandma! Bicker, bicker, banter, brouhaha, the politicians talk till they're blue in the face. It's all babble here and burble there and balderdash in the ashtray, if you ask a stray like me. It's only talk,"

"But what about..."

"Don't give me no back talk! I know what I speak of."

"Okay, well... yes thank you bartender. I wonder how he sleeps with those big buttons on his pyjamas?"

"Nice place, this. I just popped in to look for someone."

"Ya, bit noisy though, at this time of day. All the chit-chat, chit-chat, chit-chat, conversations everywhere, everyone has got comments, criticism, contradiction and controversy in their conversation. To use an old cliche, chatter for the mad hatter."

"Ha! Ya, I heard that before. Just cheap talk. Anyway, this guy I was looking for, you don't know who it is, do you?"

"It's a funny thing, it just slipped my mind. What letter did his name start with?"

"It started with D, like as in dialogue, duologue, or diatribe,

maybe even dissension or declamation."

"No, there can be no debate or discussion about it, I never seen the guy, I never seen the guy."

"Why the double talk, double talk?"

"I don't know, I don't know."

"Why you looking for him?"

"We had an argument and he pulled a knife on me."

"No! Don't talk that trash! It is a true editorial of our times. You want to express yourself, explain with a tinge of exclamation thrown in for effect, maybe even a tad bit of exaggeration. All that, and what do you get in return? I ask you, what do you get in return?"

"Elephant Talk"

_______________________________________________

The musiKcal link above is the video that began all this conversation with Richard and seemed appropriate to end off the Frame by Frame series with.

The magnifier is strongly reKcommended! Otherwise, you gotta squint.

© Paul Boudreau - 2016. All Rights Reserved. This image is not for use in any form without explicit, express, written permission (even Richard, since we decided in a private Flickrmail to trade the Original PANO-Vision shots instead of re-imagining the final produKcts in the series. If he's got to write me a note or something, that;s ok too).

Here you will find Richard's Fifth entry into our challenge: The King Crimson Series: Red