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Browsed through photos from Italy and found this one unedited. I just wish there was a more interesting foreground.
IID 435811 Islands Barrier Reef IM0169 Misc Dept No.A4110
Image source: Queensland State Archives Item ID ITM435811 Islands - Barrier Reef
Google is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence,[9] and consumer electronics. It has been referred to as "the most powerful company in the world"[10] and one of the world's most valuable brands due to its market dominance, data collection, and technological advantages in the area of artificial intelligence.[11][12][13] Its parent company Alphabet is considered one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft.
Google was founded on September 4, 1998, by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were PhD students at Stanford University in California. Together they own about 14% of its publicly listed shares and control 56% of the stockholder voting power through super-voting stock. The company went public via an initial public offering (IPO) in 2004. In 2015, Google was reorganized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Google is Alphabet's largest subsidiary and is a holding company for Alphabet's Internet properties and interests. Sundar Pichai was appointed CEO of Google on October 24, 2015, replacing Larry Page, who became the CEO of Alphabet. On December 3, 2019, Pichai also became the CEO of Alphabet.[14]
The company has since rapidly grown to offer a multitude of products and services beyond Google Search, many of which hold dominant market positions. These products address a wide range of use cases, including email (Gmail), navigation (Waze & Maps), cloud computing (Cloud), web browsing (Chrome), video sharing (YouTube), productivity (Workspace), operating systems (Android), cloud storage (Drive), language translation (Translate), photo storage (Photos), video calling (Meet), smart home (Nest), smartphones (Pixel), wearable technology (Pixel Watch & Fitbit), music streaming (YouTube Music), video on demand (YouTube TV), artificial intelligence (Google Assistant), machine learning APIs (TensorFlow), AI chips (TPU), and more. Discontinued Google products include gaming (Stadia), Glass,[citation needed] Google+, Reader, Play Music, Nexus, Hangouts, and Inbox by Gmail.[15][16]
Google's other ventures outside of Internet services and consumer electronics include quantum computing (Sycamore), self-driving cars (Waymo, formerly the Google Self-Driving Car Project), smart cities (Sidewalk Labs), and transformer models (Google Brain).[17]
Google and YouTube are the two most visited websites worldwide followed by Facebook and Twitter. Google is also the largest search engine, mapping and navigation application, email provider, office suite, video sharing platform, photo and cloud storage provider, mobile operating system, web browser, ML framework, and AI virtual assistant provider in the world as measured by market share. On the list of most valuable brands, Google is ranked second by Forbes[18] and fourth by Interbrand.[19] It has received significant criticism involving issues such as privacy concerns, tax avoidance, censorship, search neutrality, antitrust and abuse of its monopoly position.
In March 1999, the company moved its offices to Palo Alto, California,[52] which is home to several prominent Silicon Valley technology start-ups.[53] The next year, Google began selling advertisements associated with search keywords against Page and Brin's initial opposition toward an advertising-funded search engine.[54][22] To maintain an uncluttered page design, advertisements were solely text-based.[55] In June 2000, it was announced that Google would become the default search engine provider for Yahoo!, one of the most popular websites at the time, replacing Inktomi.
In 2003, after outgrowing two other locations, the company leased an office complex from Silicon Graphics, at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway in Mountain View, California.[59] The complex became known as the Googleplex, a play on the word googolplex, the number one followed by a googol zeroes. Three years later, Google bought the property from SGI for $319 million.[60] By that time, the name "Google" had found its way into everyday language, causing the verb "google" to be added to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary, denoted as: "to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet".[61][62] The first use of the verb on television appeared in an October 2002 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[63]
Additionally, in 2001 Google's investors felt the need to have a strong internal management, and they agreed to hire Eric Schmidt as the chairman and CEO of Google.[49] Eric was proposed by John Doerr from Kleiner Perkins. He had been trying to find a CEO that Sergey and Larry would accept for several months, but they rejected several candidates because they wanted to retain control over the company. Michael Moritz from Sequoia Capital at one point even menaced requesting Google to immediately pay back Sequoia's $12.5m investment if they did not fulfill their promise to hire a chief executive office, which had been made verbally during investment negotiations. Eric wasn't initially enthusiastic about joining Google either, as the company's full potential hadn't yet been widely recognized at the time, and as he was occupied with his responsibilities at Novell where he was CEO. As part of him joining, Eric agreed to buy $1 million of Google preferred stocks as a way to show his commitment and to provide funds Google needed.
Google generates most of its revenues from advertising. This includes sales of apps, purchases made in-app, digital content products on Google and YouTube, Android and licensing and service fees, including fees received for Google Cloud offerings. Forty-six percent of this profit was from clicks (cost per clicks), amounting to US$109,652 million in 2017. This includes three principal methods, namely AdMob, AdSense (such as AdSense for Content, AdSense for Search, etc.) and DoubleClick AdExchange.
In addition to its own algorithms for understanding search requests, Google uses technology its acquisition of DoubleClick, to project user interest and target advertising to the search context and the user history.
In 2007, Google launched "AdSense for Mobile", taking advantage of the emerging mobile advertising market.
Google Analytics allows website owners to track where and how people use their website, for example by examining click rates for all the links on a page. Google advertisements can be placed on third-party websites in a two-part program. Google Ads allows advertisers to display their advertisements in the Google content network, through a cost-per-click scheme.[138] The sister service, Google AdSense, allows website owners to display these advertisements on their website and earn money every time ads are clicked.[139] One of the criticisms of this program is the possibility of click fraud, which occurs when a person or automated script clicks on advertisements without being interested in the product, causing the advertiser to pay money to Google unduly. Industry reports in 2006 claimed that approximately 14 to 20 percent of clicks were fraudulent or invalid.[140] Google Search Console (rebranded from Google Webmaster Tools in May 2015) allows webmasters to check the sitemap, crawl rate, and for security issues of their websites, as well as optimize their website's visibility.
Consumer services
Web-based services
Google offers Gmail for email, Google Calendar for time-management and scheduling, Google Maps for mapping, navigation and satellite imagery, Google Drive for cloud storage of files, Google Docs, Sheets and Slides for productivity, Google Photos for photo storage and sharing, Google Keep for note-taking, Google Translate for language translation, YouTube for video viewing and sharing, Google My Business for managing public business information, and Duo for social interaction. In March 2019, Google unveiled a cloud gaming service named Stadia. A job search product has also existed since before 2017, Google for Jobs is an enhanced search feature that aggregates listings from job boards and career sites.
Some Google services are not web-based. Google Earth, launched in 2005, allowed users to see high-definition satellite pictures from all over the world for free through a client software downloaded to their computers.
Software
Google develops the Android mobile operating system, as well as its smartwatch, television, car, and Internet of things-enabled smart devices variations.
It also develops the Google Chrome web browser, and Chrome OS, an operating system based on Chrome.
Hardware
In January 2010, Google released Nexus One, the first Android phone under its own brand. It spawned a number of phones and tablets under the "Nexus" branding until its eventual discontinuation in 2016, replaced by a new brand called Pixel.
In 2011, the Chromebook was introduced, which runs on Chrome OS.
In July 2013, Google introduced the Chromecast dongle, which allows users to stream content from their smartphones to televisions.
In June 2014, Google announced Google Cardboard, a simple cardboard viewer that lets user place their smartphone in a special front compartment to view virtual reality (VR) media.
Other hardware products include:
•Nest, a series of voice assistant smart speakers that can answer voice queries, play music, find information from apps (calendar, weather etc.), and control third-party smart home appliances (users can tell it to turn on the lights, for example). The Google Nest line includes the original Google Home (later succeeded by the Nest Audio), the Google Home Mini (later succeeded by the Nest Mini, the Google Home Max, the Google Home Hub (later rebranded as the Nest Hub), and the Nest Hub Max.
•Nest Wifi (originally Google Wifi), a connected set of Wi-Fi routers to simplify and extend coverage of home Wi-Fi.
Enterprise services
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite until October 2020) is a monthly subscription offering for organizations and businesses to get access to a collection of Google's services, including Gmail, Google Drive and Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides, with additional administrative tools, unique domain names, and 24/7 support.
On September 24, 2012, Google launched Google for Entrepreneurs, a largely not-for-profit business incubator providing startups with co-working spaces known as Campuses, with assistance to startup founders that may include workshops, conferences, and mentorships. Presently, there are seven Campus locations: Berlin, London, Madrid, Seoul, São Paulo, Tel Aviv, and Warsaw.
On March 15, 2016, Google announced the introduction of Google Analytics 360 Suite, "a set of integrated data and marketing analytics products, designed specifically for the needs of enterprise-class marketers" which can be integrated with BigQuery on the Google Cloud Platform. Among other things, the suite is designed to help "enterprise class marketers" "see the complete customer journey", generate "useful insights", and "deliver engaging experiences to the right people". Jack Marshall of The Wall Street Journal wrote that the suite competes with existing marketing cloud offerings by companies including Adobe, Oracle, Salesforce, and IBM.
Internet services
In February 2010, Google announced the Google Fiber project, with experimental plans to build an ultra-high-speed broadband network for 50,000 to 500,000 customers in one or more American cities.[178][179] Following Google's corporate restructure to make Alphabet Inc. its parent company, Google Fiber was moved to Alphabet's Access division.[180][181]
In April 2015, Google announced Project Fi, a mobile virtual network operator, that combines Wi-Fi and cellular networks from different telecommunication providers in an effort to enable seamless connectivity and fast Internet signal.
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes, its name comes from the face book directories often given to American university students. Membership was initially limited to Harvard students, gradually expanding to other North American universities and, since 2006, anyone over 13 years old. As of July 2022, Facebook claimed 2.93 billion monthly active users,[6] and ranked third worldwide among the most visited websites as of July 2022.[7] It was the most downloaded mobile app of the 2010s.[8]
Facebook can be accessed from devices with Internet connectivity, such as personal computers, tablets and smartphones. After registering, users can create a profile revealing information about themselves. They can post text, photos and multimedia which are shared with any other users who have agreed to be their "friend" or, with different privacy settings, publicly. Users can also communicate directly with each other with Facebook Messenger, join common-interest groups, and receive notifications on the activities of their Facebook friends and the pages they follow.
The subject of numerous controversies, Facebook has often been criticized over issues such as user privacy (as with the Cambridge Analytica data scandal), political manipulation (as with the 2016 U.S. elections) and mass surveillance.[9] Posts originating from the Facebook page of Breitbart News, a media organization previously affiliated with Cambridge Analytica,[10] are currently among the most widely shared political content on Facebook.[11][12][13][14][15] Facebook has also been subject to criticism over psychological effects such as addiction and low self-esteem, and various controversies over content such as fake news, conspiracy theories, copyright infringement, and hate speech.
Zuckerberg built a website called "Facemash" in 2003 while attending Harvard University. The site was comparable to Hot or Not and used "photos compiled from the online face books of nine Houses, placing two next to each other at a time and asking users to choose the "hotter" person". Facemash attracted 450 visitors and 22,000 photo-views in its first four hours. The site was sent to several campus group listservs, but was shut down a few days later by Harvard administration. Zuckerberg faced expulsion and was charged with breaching security, violating copyrights and violating individual privacy. Ultimately, the charges were dropped. Zuckerberg expanded on this project that semester by creating a social study tool. He uploaded art images, each accompanied by a comments section, to a website he shared with his classmates.
A "face book" is a student directory featuring photos and personal information. In 2003, Harvard had only a paper version[ along with private online directories. Zuckerberg told The Harvard Crimson, "Everyone's been talking a lot about a universal face book within Harvard. ... I think it's kind of silly that it would take the University a couple of years to get around to it. I can do it better than they can, and I can do it in a week."[29] In January 2004, Zuckerberg coded a new website, known as "TheFacebook", inspired by a Crimson editorial about Facemash, stating, "It is clear that the technology needed to create a centralized Website is readily available ... the benefits are many." Zuckerberg met with Harvard student Eduardo Saverin, and each of them agreed to invest $1,000 ($1,435 in 2021 dollars[30]) in the site.[31] On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched "TheFacebook", originally located at thefacebook.com.
Six days after the site launched, Harvard seniors Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra accused Zuckerberg of intentionally misleading them into believing that he would help them build a social network called HarvardConnection.com. They claimed that he was instead using their ideas to build a competing product. The three complained to the Crimson and the newspaper began an investigation. They later sued Zuckerberg, settling in 2008 for 1.2 million shares (worth $300 million ($354 million in 2021 dollars[30]) at Facebook's IPO).
Membership was initially restricted to students of Harvard College. Within a month, more than half the undergraduates had registered.[36] Dustin Moskovitz, Andrew McCollum, and Chris Hughes joined Zuckerberg to help manage the growth of the website.[37] In March 2004, Facebook expanded to Columbia, Stanford and Yale.[38] It then became available to all Ivy League colleges, Boston University, NYU, MIT, and successively most universities in the United States and Canada.
In mid-2004, Napster co-founder and entrepreneur Sean Parker—an informal advisor to Zuckerberg—became company president.[41] In June 2004, the company moved to Palo Alto, California.[42] It received its first investment later that month from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. In 2005, the company dropped "the" from its name after purchasing the domain name Facebook.com for US$200,000 ($277,492 in 2021 dollars). The domain had belonged to AboutFace Corporation.
In May 2005, Accel Partners invested $12.7 million ($17.6 million in 2021 dollars) in Facebook, and Jim Breyer added $1 million ($1.39 million in 2021 dollars) of his own money. A high-school version of the site launched in September 2005. Eligibility expanded to include employees of several companies, including Apple Inc. and Microsoft.
Facebook was sued by the Federal Trade Commission as well as a coalition of several states for illegal monopolization and antitrust. The FTC and states sought the courts to force Facebook to sell its subsidiaries WhatsApp and Instagram.[183][184] The suits were dismissed by a federal judge on June 28, 2021, who stated that there was not enough evidence brought in the suit to determine Facebook to be a monopoly at this point, though allowed the FTC to amend its case to include additional evidence. In its amended filings in August 2021, the FTC asserted that Facebook had been a monopoly in the area of personal social networks since 2011, distinguishing Facebook's activities from social media services like TikTok that broadcast content without necessarily limiting that message to intended recipients.
In response to the proposed bill in the Australian Parliament for a News Media Bargaining Code, on February 17, 2021, Facebook blocked Australian users from sharing or viewing news content on its platform, as well as pages of some government, community, union, charity, political, and emergency services.[187] The Australian government strongly criticised the move, saying it demonstrated the "immense market power of these digital social giants".
On February 22, Facebook said it reached an agreement with the Australian government that would see news returning to Australian users in the coming days. As part of this agreement, Facebook and Google can avoid the News Media Bargaining Code adopted on February 25 if they "reach a commercial bargain with a news business outside the Code".
Facebook has been accused of removing and shadow banning content that spoke either in favor of protesting Indian farmers or against Narendra Modi's government. India-based employees of Facebook are at risk of arrest.
On February 27, 2021, Facebook announced Facebook BARS app for rappers.
On June 29, 2021, Facebook announced Bulletin, a platform for independent writers.[197][198] Unlike competitors such as Substack, Facebook would not take a cut of subscription fees of writers using that platform upon its launch, like Malcolm Gladwell and Mitch Albom. According to The Washington Post technology writer Will Oremus, the move was criticized by those who viewed it as an tactic intended by Facebook to force those competitors out of business.
In October 2021, owner Facebook, Inc. changed its company name to Meta Platforms, Inc., or simply "Meta", as it shifts its focus to building the "metaverse". This change does not affect the name of the Facebook social networking service itself, instead being similar to the creation of Alphabet as Google's parent company in 2015.
In November 2021, Facebook stated it would stop targeting ads based on data related to health, race, ethnicity, political beliefs, religion and sexual orientation. The change will occur in January and will affect all apps owned by Meta Platforms.
In February 2022, Facebook's daily active users dropped for the first time in its 18-year history. According to Facebook's parent Meta, DAUs dropped to 1.929 billion in the three months ending in December, down from 1.930 billion the previous quarter. Furthermore, the company warned that revenue growth would slow due to competition from TikTok and YouTube, as well as advertisers cutting back on spending.
Analysts predict a "death spiral" for facebook stock as users leave while ad impressions increase, as the company chases revenue.
On March 10, 2022, Facebook announced that it will temporarily ease rules to allow violent speech against 'Russian invaders'. Russia then banned all Meta services, including Instagram.
White Castle
Harold and Kumar aren't the only loyal customers who keep coming back to White Castle for some of those iconic sliders, and now, there is even an Impossible Slider on the menu.
Boston Market
From the rotisserie chickens to the delectable mac and cheese, Boston Market is always a great stop for a hearty meal. Here are The Best & Worst Menu Items at Boston Market.
Papa John's
Papa John's is always boasting about its better ingredients, and it seems like there are plenty of customers who continue to order these pizzas.
Little Caesars
"Pizza, pizza" has plenty of loyal fans, thanks to the "cheap and fast" vibe of the food. Speaking of pizza, do you know what the most popular pizza topping is in your state?
Starbucks
Starbucks has gathered a reputation for being the go-to place when you're in the mood for a pumpkin coffee drink once fall rolls around. And with their decadent Frappuccinos, there are plenty of sweet treats for non-coffee drinkers, too.
Quizno's
Quizno's offers up classic sandwiches, and who can resist the fresh pepper bar?
Five Guys
While Five Guys has some top-notch burgers and fries, this is a spot for peanut lovers, too. You can munch on peanuts that are available all over the restaurants while you order your meal.
Cold Stone Creamery
This ice cream shop serves up cold customized treats for whatever your heart desires, so it's basically a dream come true, right?
Sonic
Sometimes, you just want one of Sonic's frozen drinks and a burger to go along with it. Yum!
Burger King
While it may not be the most popular dining brand in the country, the King is still a top choice for many. Those Whoppers are still as tasty as ever, especially if you go for the Impossible Whopper.
Want to chow down on more juicy hamburgers? Here's where you can get The Absolute Best Burger in Every State.
KFC
The Colonel is still going strong! Who doesn't want to eat their chicken right out of a bucket?
A&W Restaurants
Yes, the root beer chain sells food! Here are The Best & Worst Menu Items at A&W.
Mrs. Fields
Those giant chocolate chip cookies that just call your name as you're walking by? They are a staple of all Mrs. Fields locations, so we don't blame you for having one now and then.
Subway
People surveyed described this sandwich shop as a "good value for money." If you're a Subway fan, you're not alone! Headed to Subway? Here's Every Subway Sandwich—Ranked for Nutrition!
McDonald's
Are you still McLovin' it? You might've expected Mickey D's to claim a spot closer to the top, but those golden fries and Big Macs seem to have some more competition.
Domino's
Domino's is hailed by fans for being well-made and a good value. With wings and yummy chocolate lava cakes to go alongside a pizza, Domino's is simply beloved.
Popeyes
Plenty of loyal Popeyes fans eat there on the reg, and we know the chicken sandwich was truly worth all the hype.
Panera
From its house-made lemonade to that tasty mac and cheese to those fresh-baked bagels, Panera has it all. No wonder it ranked so highly on YouGov's list!
Taco Bell
This taco joint rings its loyal customers' bells for being "everywhere and good quality." By the way, You'll Never Guess What Taco Bell Uses to Season Its Beef.
Chick-fil-A
Although loyal customers can't satisfy their fried chicken cravings on Sunday, Chick-fil-A still is a top spot to go when you're in the mood for a chicken sandwich and some waffle fries.
Pizza Hut
With a plethora of crusts, cheesy toppings, and grilled veggies to choose from, it's no surprise pizza lovers keep coming back to the Hut.
Arby's
For all the meat-lovers out there, Arby's is your place, especially if you're a fan of their staple, roast beef sandwiches.
Dunkin'
America actually does run on Dunkin', doesn't it? Those Munchkins are rather irresistible.
Cinnabon
No mall trip is ever done without a pit stop at Cinnabon for a warm, gooey, perfectly sticky cinnamon bun.
Wendy's
Ranking higher than McDonald's and Burger King is the beloved redhead! The real question is, which flavor Frosty do you get: chocolate or vanilla?
Krispy Kreme
From the affordably priced cups of caffeine to the hot-out-the-oven classic glazed doughnuts, it's easy to see why Krispy Kreme has such a devoted following.
Baskin-Robbins
Craving ice cream? Baskin Robbins comes in the first-place spot. And they have so many delicious scoop flavors!
Dairy Queen
Majority rules! Customers raved that the fast-food chain is "good quality," "never gets old," and is a "good value for money." That sounds like a winning combo to us! DQ even sold more than 175 million Blizzards the first year they introduced them in 1985—who knew?
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Nikon D810 Fine Art Landscape Photos John Muir & Ansel Adams Country-- Eastern and Western Yosemite! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Nature Photography!
Nikon D810 Fine Art Photos John Muir Country-- Kings Canyon & Sequoia! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography during a Breaking Thunderstorm with Majestic and Interesting Skies!
I always love getting away and photographing John Muir Country--Yosemite, Kings Canyon & Sequoia in California I also shot it all with the Sony A7r as well as the Nikon D810 and the wonderful Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens as well as the new Tamron AFA012N700 15-30 mm f/2.8-Di VC Wide-Angle Lens for Nikon F (FX) Cameras and the Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens !
I hope that you enjoy browsing through my photos and comparing and contrasting the Nikon D810, Sony A7r, Sony A7rII, and the various lenses!
Long story short, you can't go wrong!
The Sony A7r and the Nikon D810 have the same sensor! While the D810 saves the RAW in 14bit lossless compressed (or uncompressed0, the A7r performs a bit of lossy compression, which I have never noticed, but which some say they have!
At any rate, I am super excited for the Nikon's next camera as well as for the recently released Sony A7rII Mirrorless Digital Camera which I now own! Some highlights include a 42 MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor, a
BIONZ X Image Processor,
Internal UHD 4K Video & S-Log2 Gamma, and a
5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization system! You can see some of my fine art photos from the amazing camera in my photostream, with many more to come!
And I have a feeling that Nikon will be releasing something epic soon--a 50mp+ camera with awesome dynamic range!
An important thing to remember is that even though pixel sizes keep getting smaller and smaller, the technology is advancing, so the smaller pixels are more efficient at collecting light. For instance, the Sony A7RII is back-illuminated which allows more photons to hit the sensor. Semiconductor technology is always advancing, so the brilliant engineers are always improving the signal/noise ratio. Far higher pixel counts, as well as better dynamic ranger, are thus not only possible, but the future!
Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! I worked on phototranistors and photodiodes as well as an artificial retina for the blind. :)
You can read more about my own physics theory (dx4/dt=ic) here: herosodysseyphysics.wordpress.com/
And follow me on instagram! @45surf
Facebook!
www.facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken
www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology
Compare these D810 shots with the photos taken with the Sony A7r and new Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens!
After looking through my work,what do you think about Nikon vs. Sony? Do you prefer the Nikon D810 and Nikkor / Tamron / Sigma lenses /glass, or the Sony A7r and Sony Sonnar Carl Zeiss e-mount glass/lenses? I love them both! And I am so excited about the Sony A7rII !
Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography!
I love shooting fine art landscapes and fine art nature photography! :) I live for it!
45surf fine art!
Feel free to ask me any questions! Always love sharing tech talk and insights! :)
And all the best on Your Epic Hero's Odyssey!
Join me on instagram! @45surf instagram.com/45surf
El Capitan & Half Dome!
Nikon D810 Fine Art Landscape Photos: Ansel Adams & John Muir Country-- Eastern and Western Yosemite! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Nature Photography!
45surf photography! :)
45SURF Hero's Odyssey Fine Art Landscape Photography! :)
I get asked a lot of questions (I love questions--ask away!), and one of the more common ones is "What kind of camera shoul I buy?" Begin with anything, and then, when it falls short of the beauty you are trying to capture, invest in a new one! The important thing is to think of it as buying not something for yourself, but a gift for the world, who will witness all the magnificent photos you shoot with it! Then, the next most important thing to do is to shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot! For each and every epic shot on an awesome camera helps justify its cost! I shoot with the awesome Nikon D810, Sony A7R, and now the Sony A7RII! And in the long run, the cost of the camera is a very small entity, when conpared to the cost of life and time. So buy a great camera, and then give the gift of epic photography to the world! View your artistic mission into photography as an epic odyssey of heroic poetry! Take it from Homer in Homer's Odyssey: "Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them. " --Samuel Butler Translation of Homer's Odyssey
All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
Best seen on black - press L or click image above. Also, best viewed on a color-aware browser like Firefox, on a color corrected monitor that can fully support at least the sRGB color gamut.
Test shot with Nikon D4 + Nikon AF DC-Nikkor 135mm f/2D. The primary goal was to test the sharpness of the older 130/2 lens with the 16MP sensor in the D4.
At a distance of 1m, the DoF with this lens at f/2 is only 5.7mm, much less than even some of the famous shallow DoF lenses such as the Nikkor 85/1.4G, Nikkor NOCT 58/1.2, or even Leica Noctilux 50/0.95. At a distance of 3m (~10 feet), the DoF increases to 5.7cm or 2.25 inches.
So it is easy to see large areas of the image apparently OOF, but the reality is, sharpness is highly contained to the area of focus, unless the lens is stopped down.
For anyone interested in the image quality from this camera/lens, I have uploaded the full 16.2MP high-res version of the image at 90% JPEG quality.
D40_2662
Taken in 2019.
A couple enjoys some hands-on browsing at a prints and jewelry vendor on Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay.
DAY THREE. To download with phone browsers, force them into the "PC" or "Desktop" mode and you'll see a download arrow. Tag your photographer! Requests to Instagram or waterbloggged at mail dot com
I had been putting off a switch to Firefox mainly because I couldn't find a theme that I liked as much as the look and feel of Safari. Then Rick pointed me to the Safari Theme for firefox. After much gnashing of teeth in the bookmark-wrangling arena, I have it up and running and like it pretty well.
That's Safari on the top, Safari-themed Firefox on the bottom.
Checking out the goods in a Newcastle antiques and secondhand store.
smc PENTAX (K) 200mm f4 wide open.
Day 13 of Pentax Forum's Single in May 2018 Challenge.
Browsing at the new GuitarGuitar shop in Camden today. Good to see a music shop opening rather than closing. Saw some beautiful guitars, in particular these from Suhr, as much works of art as musical instruments.
Dogs browse around derelict equipment at the track side, Jinja, Uganda, Sept. 14, 2010.
U.S. Army photo by John Hanson
Railways, the technology that transformed Europe and America in the 19th century, may yet play a significant role in the future economic development of Uganda.
Two U.S. Army logisticians, John Hanson from U.S. Army Africa’s G-4 Programs and Policy Branch, and Lloyd Coakley, from the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command’s Transportation Engineering Agency, conducted a four-day assessment of Ugandan railway infrastructure Sept. 13-17 at the request of the Uganda People’s Defense Force’s Engineer Brigade.
The mission was to determine the current operational status of the Uganda railway system and its rolling stock, to assess the capability of UPDF personnel to rehabilitate the network, and to identify potential sites for training and repair operations. USARAF and SDDC were invited to contribute their expertise by Brig. Gen. Timothy Sabiiti, commander of the Uganda People’s Defense Force’s Engineer Brigade, Hanson said.
“He’s been charged with assisting in the rehabilitation of the railways. It would have a very positive economic impact, including natural resource development. It’s a five-year plan, a complete rehabilitation of the railroad. That’s why they’re doing it. It’s all civil development, but the railroad would be used by the military, too. It would enhance their mobility,” Hanson said.
Ugandan assessment team members included Engineer Murungi Daudi, Brig. Gen. George Etyang, Nakaliika Rahmat, Lt. Col. Luke Arikosi, and Engineer Kyamugambi Kasingye. Hanson, Coakley, and their Ugandan hosts, accompanied by a representative of the U.S. Embassy in Kampala, assessed the railroad stations and infrastructure in Jinja, Tororo, Mbale, Kumi, Soroti, Lira and Gulu. They also toured the Nalukolongo Railway Repair Facility in Kampala, he said.
“It’s a significant percentage of the railroad, the majority of the rail lines. We saw almost the entire rail line that has not been completely abandoned,” Hanson said.
The assessment team found the condition of the Ugandan system to vary greatly by region. The railway is still fully functional and operating in the Jinja-Tororo area, Hanson said. Tororo is the easternmost link on the line before it crosses into Kenya, heading for the coast at Mombasa.
As the team progressed north, however, damaged rails were common place, and track along the western section, from Gulu to Pakwach, is in general disrepair, a result of the area being for years under control of the Lord’s Resistance Army.
“It’s been pretty much abandoned since then,” Hanson said.
Nonetheless, the Ugandan-American team could clearly see the potential for future reconstruction.
“The Ugandan government and the UPDF are committed to returning their railway system to a fully operational status. SDDC and USARAF can assist in this effort to help build capacity, not only in Uganda, but eventually throughout the region,” Coakley said.
“It was great to partner with another Army Service Component Command on the continent,” said Hanson. “The engineers from SDDC have a lot of experience and expertise that can assist USARAF in finding solutions to the transportation and mobility issues we face throughout most of Africa.”
The railroads came to East Africa just before the turn of the 20th century, in the hey-day of European colonial expansion, and England and Germany in particular were in competition to build systems to extract the natural resources of what are today Kenya and Uganda. Beginning in the 1890s, both countries undertook mammoth engineering projects to build railroads from the Indian Ocean coast to Lake Victoria in the interior.
The development had profound economic and demographic impacts on the entire region. The influx of workers from British India to build the railways resulted in thriving Indian diaspora communities in both present day Uganda and Kenya; the growth of rail construction centers and nodes stimulated the establishment of such urban centers as Kisumu (then called Port Florence) and Nairobi, both in Kenya.
The Ugandan rail line finally reached Kampala in 1931. The northern branch, beginning in Tororo, was extended to Soroti by 1929 and reached Pakwach only in 1964.
The presently serviceable rolling stock consists of approximately 1,000 wagons and 35 diesel hydraulic locomotives, said Hanson, and though activity has been dormant in some areas for decades, and clearly in need of rehabilitation, the Ugandan system holds great promise for the future.
“SDDC has produced numerous studies on African seaports and infrastructure in the past. USARAF needs to synchronize our efforts with SDDC as they identify future locations to conduct their analyses,” Hanson said.
To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil
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I first spotted Zat browsing in a shop I can't mention until after Mrs H&C's birthday on Sunday but I was in full-on present shopping mode at the time and running out of time so I let a clear opportunity pass. A while later though I spotted Zat coming out of another shop and no longer able to resist I pounced on him just before he dived into the next shop ...
... yeah sure, but keep it short ... and not embarassing!!! OK - I can do that (well the quick bit anyway) - although it did mean that I ended up taking the photo exactly where we stood despite the HUGE window with loads of natural light streaming in no more than 20 metres away so I took the shot at f/1.8 to ensure the busy background was thrown completely out of focus. Zat moved about quite a bit not knowing where to look and I couldn't get him to angle his head away but still maintain eye contact and every time the eyes came back to me so did his head and there was one occasion when he was looking to his right then just as I was about to take the shot he stepped to his right and looked to his left instead. Eventually I got a shot that showed off the mohican although it lacked the eye contact I was after. Nonetheless I was keen to talk to Zat as well so I put my camera away after checking the last shot was sharp and started to ask him a little about himself.
Zat is a window cleaner from Sunderland named after Emil Zátopek - a very famous Czechoslovakian runner that I had to confess to never having heard of ... although I obviously should have!
Pretty much the next thing that I learned is that Zat and his partner (wife/girlfriend - I don't know) were out shopping for her birthday today but at the moment they were looking for new running shoes for him as he has recently started running again after a long absence.
I also learned that they go to Thailand for a holiday every year - and whilst he rarely gets asked for a photograph in Newcastle it happens all the time on holiday.
They are in fact just back from Thailand and learned about a dog sanctuary Soi Dog that they have volunteered to raise funds for (by running).
Conscious that he didn't want to take too long over the photo I asked two final questions:
When I first spotted Zat I was struck that he had F*** the System emblazoned across his back - I have little doubt that is a very rare occurrence in the shop we were in at the time. I enquired if that was a band or a motto and learned that it is an album by The Exploited - but he does agree with it as a sentiment as well. It was easy to agree that the world is quite beyond repair at the moment - at least the supposedly developed part of it anyway!
Secondly, and many of you know the score by now, so my final question won't come as a shock ...
... the maddest thing he has ever done is hung from the top of the Eiffel Tower!!! Oddly his partner didn't seem impressed by this pointing out that there was still a platform beneath him. "50 feet below" he countered! Nonetheless ...
... the absolutely maddest thing that he has ever done is surf naked on top of a van racing through a Polish forest! Both seemed in agreement that that was pretty mad ;). I agreed ;).
During the maddest thing answer I learned that he used to be in a band called Snarling Horses which I Googled to have a listen to, which then led me to his next band Holy Racket which then led me to quite a cool wee anecdote ...
Was that the lad out the Snarling Horses?
I found a tape of them round my father in laws, thought it was a bit odd amongst his roy orbison and status quo. Turns out Zat(?) was his window cleaner and used to hand out tapes to his punters.:lol:
Zat,smashing lad,still does the windows,not sure mind.
... that made me smile - great initiative.
Zat, it was great meeting you today, you don't have the tallest mohican in my project but it certainly holds it's own in style! Hope you had a great day with your missus and good luck with the fund raising!
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Please feel free to provide constructive critique on the technical aspects of this photograph.
This picture is #87 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
NOT MY PHOTO. While browsing Wikipedia, this building popped up. It survived all of the destruction of war and is, I presume, still standing. What fascinated me was its style. It is a kind of Art Deco from what I can tell. Anyone know if it still stands. It is a beautiful style of architecture.
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The Army Ministry of Japan (陸軍省, Rikugunshō?), more popularly known as the Ministry of War of Japan, was cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). It existed from 1872 to 1945.
NOT MY PHOTO
REFERENCE FOR ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPH
FB Purity is a safe, free and very highly rated web browser extension that lets you clean up and customize Facebook, making it far less annoying to use.
It lets you filter out all the junk you dont want to see, such as Suggested Posts, Sponsored Posts, Games Your Friends are Playing, Shared Photos / Videos, Emoticons, etc etc.
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"Perennial, herb (with tuberous roots), ca 0.35 m high. Fl. blue, Dec. Grey sand with lateritic gravel." florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/13783 11/03/2022
Photo T McFarlane
Churchill's country house. I was having fun browsing the titles; thought others might too. The library is unfortunately not as Churchill left it; it was extensively disturbed as family members claimed books after his death. But this section seems to give an idea of the contents.
DAY THREE. To download with phone browsers, force them into the "PC" or "Desktop" mode and you'll see a download arrow. Tag your photographer! Requests to Instagram or waterbloggged at mail dot com
April 24, 2015 on our trip to the blipmeet at Wanaka, Central Otago in New Zealand. www.polaroidblipfoto.com/browse/me
Our 2rd morning in Cromwell. We woke to heavy fog and went for a walk along Lake Dunstan before making our way to Wanaka.
Lake Dunstan is a man-made lake and reservoir in the South Island of New Zealand.
The lake was formed on the Clutha River as a result of the construction of the Clyde Dam, filling in four controlled stages beginning in April 1992 and completed the next year. Parts of the town of Cromwell were relocated to a new area above the new lake. Between the town of Cromwell and the Clyde Dam the lake passes through what is called the Cromwell Gorge.
For More Info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Dunstan
Lawson Railway Station
Dated: c.31/12/1910
Digital ID: 17420_a014_a014000736
Rights: www.records.nsw.gov.au/about-us/rights-and-permissions
We'd love to hear from you if you use our photos.
Many other photos in our collection are available to view and browse on our website using Photo Investigator.
JUNIOR DAY. To download with phone browsers, force them into the "PC" or "Desktop" mode and you'll see a download arrow. Tag your photographer! Requests to Instagram or waterbloggged at mail dot com
Photography by me, Phantasmagorical Arts Photography
BUY PRINT/DIGITAL COPY HERE>>> www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1249296?__r=351053
JUNIOR DAY. To download with phone browsers, force them into the "PC" or "Desktop" mode and you'll see a download arrow. Tag your photographer! Requests to Instagram or waterbloggged at mail dot com
Bummer. I've just learned that they're pulling the plug on the Flock browser, which I've been using for quite a few years now. Flock was promoted as "the social browser" and came with many social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, integrated. Flickr was one of these ...my main reason for choosing Flock when I found that every third mouse-click on Internet Explorer brought some sort of security threat or malware alert. Mrs B also became a Flock user, but support and maintenance ceases on April 26th, so we're having to make other arrangements.
For some time I've had Google Chrome installed as an alternative, but have never particularly cared for it. Mind you, I've never used it much or gone into it very deeply. Yesterday evening I downloaded Mozilla Firefox, but it didn't seem to like me and I uninstalled it earlier today. So it looks as though I'll have to get used to Google Chrome. I've just spent several hours "migrating" my bookmarks which, unfortunately, can't be done automatically (only from IE or Firefox). You Tube favourites were the biggest pain in the neck, but I've now got them out of the way. Pity about Flock. Worked for me.