View allAll Photos Tagged consistent
Happy Canada Day, everyone!
This image is called Liberty "II" because I shot this grain elevator back in 2016. Funnily enough, when I got home I realized this is almost the exact same composition (I guess I'm nothing if not consistent) although under different conditions and very different processing. If you've read my blog post about my Saskatchewan trip then you'll remember this is the elevator where the owner gave me a tour inside. What a wonderful treat that was!
Liberty, Saskatchewan, Canada.
I love photographing on the Canadian Prairies and I've been travelling there to do so since 2013. If you'd like to see my other Prairie images, feel free to take a look at the album.
At one time, grain elevators could be found every 8 to 10 miles along every railway line in western Canada. That allowed most farmers to make a round trip to an elevator to deliver and sell their grain with a horse and wagon in one day. From that elevator the grain would be shipped to ports on the Great Lakes or the west coast, across Canada and around the world. Grain elevators started appearing across the Prairies in the late 19th century, and the number of grain elevators peaked in 1938, when there were nearly 6,000 primary (country) elevators in the Prairie provinces. Many factors led to the decline of the primary elevator: the Depression, increased mechanization, improved roads for transportation, rural depopulation, the closing of branch lines of the railway and the buying out or merging of the grain companies and the building of large, concrete grain terminals. In 2023 there were only around 400 country elevators left in Saskatchewan and only about 100 are still in use. Many of the old, wooden elevators have been destroyed – burned down, struck by lightning, demolished - but some of them still remain - weathered but beautiful and stalwart.
Sources: Dommasch, H. (1986) Prairie Giants. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books and Farrell, I. (2023) Reflections on Wooden Grain Elevators. heritagesask.ca/news/reflections-on-wooden-grain-elevators
The Great Egret is consistent in appearance across all ages. It is easily identified by the combination of its large size, black legs, and stout orange-yellow bill, but some show a black-tipped bill. Slender, long necked, tall, and graceful in bearing, it is deliberate in its movements, frequently foraging with its bill held horizontal or tilted skyward. Great Egrets inhabit saltwater or freshwater, attend mixed heron flocks, and often associate with Snowy Egrets.
1953 Kaiser Manhattan
In 1951, Frazer debuted a new design that would continue until the company’s end of U.S. passenger car production in 1955. Designed by Howard “Dutch” Darrin, the cars were longer, lower, and swoopier. The top-of-the-line Manhattan cost just over $3,000, and fewer than 300 were produced in all.
For 1952, the Manhattan name was shifted to the Kaiser nameplate, and the car received a markedly different exterior that was consistent with the rest of the brand. Most notably, a pronounced dip adorned the center of the windshield and rear glass, and the grille had a simple top bar that curved around the front fenders. For this model year, body style choices were greatly revised, as the convertible model was removed, a club coupe and a two-door sedan were added, and Traveler configurations could be ordered. List prices dropped considerably, and production numbers were much higher.
The 1953 model year was mostly the same, though the Manhattan could be ordered with “Bambu” interior, and body choices were limited to a two-door club sedan, and four-door sedan, and a Traveler sedan. For 1954, Darrin redesigned the Manhattan’s grille in a new “jet air-scoop” design, supposedly borrowed from the Buick XP-300 show car. More importantly a McCulloch supercharger became standard on the Manhattan’s old flathead six, which boosted output to 140 hp. Even so, sales dropped to 4,325 Manhattans.
By 1955, it was all over. Only 1,231 supercharged Manhattans were built that year, with 1,021 being sent to Argentina. The tooling was sent down to Buenos Aires and the Kaiser Manhattans continued to be sold in South America until 1962 as the Carabella.
I often think this to be my favorite flower...but then I often change my mind... ;-) Nevertheless, it's the one that most consistently draws my eye and attention in all its spectacular variations.
ENGLISH
Rubus fruticosus L. is the ambiguous name of a European blackberry species in the genus Rubus in the rose family. The name has been interpreted in several ways:
The species represented by the type specimen of Rubus fruticosus L., which is also the type specimen of the genus Rubus.This specimen is considered to match the species R. plicatus, in Rubus subgenus Rubus, section Rubus.
Various species consistent with Linnaeus' original description of the species, which was based on a mixture of specimens now considered to match Rubus ulmifolius and R. plicatus
a species aggregate (group of similar species) Rubus fruticosus agg. (a nomen ambiguum) that includes most (or rarely all) of a group called Rubus subgenus Rubus (or less often: Rubus section Rubus [sensu latissimo]):
in a narrow sense, sometimes separated as the section Glandulosus (alternative name: subsection Hiemales), with about 289 microspecies. In this sense the species aggregate does not include the type of the genus Rubus.
in a broad sense: (1) (i) sections Glandulosus and Rubus [sensu stricto] (in non-British systems, these two sections are classified together as section Rubus [sensu lato], section Glandulosus being called subsection Hiemales and section Rubus [sensu stricto] being called subsection Rubus) or (ii) "most of" these sections; or (2) sections Glandulosus, Rubus [sensu stricto] and Corylifolii. Section Rubus [sensu stricto] (about 20 microspecies) are probably hybrids involving members of section Glandulosus with either R. idaeus or R. allegheniensis.Section Corylifolii (about 24 microspecies) are probably hybrids involving members of section Glandulosus with R. caesius.
even more broadly, including all the taxa in the subgenus Rubus.
CASTELLANO
La zarzamora (Rubus fruticosus) es una especie de planta perteneciente a la familia de las rosáceas. Es originaria de Europa, Asia y Norte de África.
Es una planta vivaz, leñosa y muy invasiva, con largos tallos flexibles llenos de espinas. Las hojas son pinnadas y se dividen en foliolos ovales, dentados, pubescentes por la parte inferior; están cubiertas de finas espinas, especialmente por la nervadura media. Las flores son de color blanco o rosado y se agrupan en racimos terminales. El fruto, denominado mora, es compuesto y globuloso. Los diversos colores que adopta determinan el grado de maduración (verde, rojo y negro, respectivamente). La planta presenta al mismo tiempo la floración y los diversos grados de maduración del fruto, hecho inusual en otras plantas.
WIKIPEDIA
For the past several weeks, Skyfire (the sunset prediction app you can purchase which works in conjunction with The Photographer's Ephemeris) has been striking out on a fairly consistent basis. For multiple weeks the app gave a prediction rating of 80% or higher for both sunrise and sunset here in Orange County only to have skies clear out at game time. My buddy Eric and I have taken to calling the app "Sky Liar" which seems like a much more a propos title for this service.
To be fair, Sunsetwx has also struck out on a number of occasions, but has been doing better than Skyliar. I should probably point out that I seldom head out for a shoot based strictly on these two apps. I almost always pull up the NOAA satellite imagery on the NWS website and have a quick look at the animation before setting off...just to make sure the folks behind Sky Liar aren't on crack.
But on this particular night, Sky Liar gave Corona Del Mar a 90 percent and Sunsetwx confirmed the prediction. For the first 40 minutes, I was pretty sure I was about to get skunked again, but suddenly I saw a bit of pink begin to glow in the West. 10 minutes later, the entire sky lit up and I set about trying to be in 10 places at once.
Add to that the fact that I caught it on a night when the tide was between 3-4 feet and it was a good night all around. Just when I was thinking I was the only one crazy enough to plow through waist high surf on my way out there, I ran into Joseph Chu who, as it turned out, was just as determined as I was to get a shot from Arch Rock during medium tide. I still haven't worked up the nerve to try that hike during a 5 foot tide or more...but maybe it's time to buy a kayak. :)
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Covid has put a dampener on going out shooting lately... not to mention the consistent rainfall and more to come from La Nina this summer.
My first time at Terrace Falls. It ia a 8 tier fall and I love the long leading lines of the water flow with a long exposure.
A bit of a long flat hike to get there and if there is a lot of rain then stay on the higher/eastern track to avoid walking through the stream on the way there. As it was, the water was deep enough to mid-calf height so I was glad that Terrace Falls was the last falls to hit that day.
A couple of other togs there which was surprising given how quiet the other locations were. A pair of thongs on the feet wasn't the ideal footwear for one of them though it did mean dry boots walking out.
in the Freezer of the Fridge, getting frostier than longer I had the door open to frame my picture.
For February Alphabet Fun Month: 2025 Edition
I did take a walk in the morning to capture some beautiful frost outside, as well as fog, fences and fields, but then decided on an indoor shot to be consistent with my previous photos. I hadn't planned on a theme, but maybe there will be one. G for garbage pail? No, I don't think so.
Over the years I've consistently photographed at my local spots, capturing some of our most common subjects. To some they may seem mundane and boring.. but for me it's purely about the photography. Anything can look good in great conditions. Here I used soft back-lighting and a dark background to capture this flight shot of a Black-headed Gull. Amazingly I didn't even notice the light rain until aftewerwards... what a bonus!! I'll be posting a YouTube video soon on the subject of using back-lighting in photography.
Unfortunately, I saw and was given bad info yesterday, so I missed the 4100 leading L565. Today we made chase with it trailing the CN 2285. Still, a merger is consistent, and the 2285 won't be around on this job long. The other 2 jeeps the Dubuque locals normally have are broken. That leaves an oddball consist for the jobs out of Dubuque, as they need 4-axle power to service Rentec in East Dubuque. Here the afternoon L565 climbs out of the Dubuque River Valley past Julien with cars bound for Cedar Rapids and customers on the Dubuque Sub. This is the 1st IANR unit to escape IANR property to work on CN.
First, my apologies for posting so infrequently lately. Everything is fine, I've just been a little busy and haven't had as much time to devote here as I would like to. Hopefully I can get more consistent again soon.
I didn't take many portraits of Scotch after his surgery in large part because I wanted him to just concentrate on getting better and was a bit stressed out from the whole ordeal. After 17 total trips to the vet and surgery facility in 2016, he's off to a great start here in 2017 at least. He's been healthy, going on multiple long walks a day and is generally just a really happy 13 year old. This portrait comes from the same shoot as my previous Scotch post and I was mostly very pleased with all the results. I picked an evening where he was both calm and alert and didn't have to rely on him napping or sleeping like the previous year. With a handful of tiny treats, I was able to move him around where I wanted. He may be deaf but he still knows a few hand symbols we've used since he was a puppy. He'll still go to where I point, will still sit when I hold up a fist and will lie down when I lower that fist.
For this capture, I held a treat by my face and let him stare away for a few shots before I threw it to him. All dogs look differently when they want a treat or food--my Rottweiler would stare at and inch closer to the food while drooling or snatch it when he thought he had an opening and my old miniature pinscher would growl and bark at me (he was a monster)--but Scotch either figured out my weakness when he was young or simply lucked out. What he does when I'm eating my own food or holding a treat is stare me right in the eyes--this is a dog who hates eye contact--and just look at me like this while I eat, never shifting his gaze to the food. it's impossible to ignore and say no to...and I rarely do. It's so effective, in fact, that I'l typically push aside on my plate the last bite and give it to him so he won't look sad when I put my fork down on an empty plate.
This was also the first time I got to test out my new manfrotto tripod and vanguard pistol grip head. The tripod was a christmas gift to myself and finally gave me a lightweight, sturdy and portable option. It also allows me to get the camera extremely low to the ground like my old vanguard Alta Pro 163AT which is what I've used for the majority of the photographs I've posted here. The head is a vanguard GH-300t which has a built in shutter release if I want an extra hand verses holding a wireless remote. Oddly, my old set up was a vanguard tripod with a manfrotto pistol grip but this new setup seems much better to me. Like the previous post, Scotch is up on a chaise in my brother's office with a black foam board behind him to create the background and let me use a quicker shutter speed. While previous portraits have been favorites as I learned to photograph him and figure out how to achieve the look I wanted, I think these last two have been my favorites overall. These shots have more detail and better poses and the remote shutter on the pistol grip worked surprisingly well and sped up the time needed between the focusing, arrangement and setup of each shot.
Again, sorry for the infrequent posts and I hope everyone is having a great weekend :)
SCOTCH
Age 13
Hollywood, California
January 18th, 2017
SETTINGS
40mm
ISO 400
f/5
1/13th second
SETUP
legs: Manfrotto 190cx pro4
head: Vanguard GH300-T
lighting: EcoGear FX pro LED flashlight with diffuser
compact LED flashlight offset on either side of his face.
black foam board backdrop
What began as a low growl, audible only in the lulls between the frequent gusts of wind, soon grew into a steady and consistent din. Even those with an ear unfamiliar to railroading could tell that the sound was a train, and one that was working hard to battle a grade.
That battle begins in earnest at Hackberry AZ, thirty six miles to the west, where eastbound trains dig in to challenge the third summit on their long journey up the Seligman Subdivision. While higher priority Z and Q trains charge up the 1.42% compensated grade with some speed to spare at the top, most manifests, and stack trains of marine containers grind up the hill at a steady 15-20 mph. The 12,000+ foot long land barge pictured above was a behemoth of mostly MSC cans, originating from Los Angeles Harbour, or the Port of Long Beach. A mixture of newer 'C4' type GE locomotives, and older Dash 9 series were spread out in a 4x2x2 configuration.
The head end passed my position, where my tripod was set up a few hundred feet before the true summit, with the four units roaring in a high throttle notch. The set of mid train distributed power passed three minutes later, still pulling, but either in DPU asynchronous mode, or with the engineer having notched back on the throttle. By the time the pair of rear DPU appeared the train was down to a crawl, with the power in front undoubtedly in dynamic braking, attempting to arrest the heavy train's five mile descent towards the hogback west of Pica.
I had based my camera settings off of a test exposure, taken of the mid train DPU. By the time that warbonnet clad rear DPU 790 passed me, I was almost at my time count to end the exposure. I anxiously held the shutter down until the dim headlight tucked behind the signal relay box for the crossing, hoping that I hadn't blown the image out. Luck was with me, and I only had to darken the exposure about an eighth of an EV to produce the result above. I hope you enjoy viewing the image as much as I did experiencing the making of it!
Two coyotes are consistently hunting some fields near my workplace. I got a couple of shots during golden hour today. Still not quite as close as I want but I hope my presence everyday might allow me to get some more detailed images in the future.
I hope everyone enjoys this image! :D
The local winter inversion has been fairly consistent over the last couple of years; the fog rolls in and settles for about a week. This makes it fairly simple to plan an evening photography walk out to a favourite viewing spot.
This year the opportunities have been elusive. When I am unavailable or don't expect it, the fog suddenly arrives but doesn't stick around. When the forecast calls for it and I pack my camera bag, the fog fails to materialize.
This week I finally went up to try out my backcountry ski gear. It hasn't been used in at least 2 years! There were hints of fog creeping in after work so I returned for my camera bag hoping I could go for a photography walk after skiing. But after an enjoyable skin up Seymour Mountain, the city was still clearly visible below.
I didn't realize however that East of Vancouver, the Fraser Valley was completely enveloped. Halfway down the mountain there is a decent viewpoint and I curiously parked there. The clouds were further away than my regular vantage but I pulled out the tripod and took a couple of quick shots. The thickness of the clouds led me to plan for a trip up the following evening. But the low clouds dissipated throughout the day and nothing was left to shoot.
In an effort to share photos more frequently than last year, I pulled this one from the Wednesday snaps. It was converted from RAW, added a little brightness, contrast, and removed some digital noise.
remember how she said that we would meet again
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i was inspired by pink floyd -- as i tend to be! -- and decided to portray my interpretation of "vera".
ok, i'm a dork who knows her stuff - vera is vera lynn, who was a singer during ww2. pink floyd (well, roger waters) is referring to her song "we'll meet again" when he asks, "remember how she said that we would meet again some sunny day?" in the film, pink (waters) loses his father in the war, someone he'll never meet again, as vera may have led him to believe. also, vera herself is a bit of an elusive character, since waters (pink) asks "what has become of you?" which implies that she, like her words, are no longer there, either not accessible or not applicable.
it's a sad feeling, because if you reject the belief that "we *will* meet again", you probably are left skeptical and feeling hopeless. in my photo, i tried to create that mood. the despondency, the heartache, the loss.. and it seems to me that those feelings would paint a pretty bleak picture of the future. even though MY vera has her eyes closed, she is not at peace with herself or her situation. instead, i'm having her revisiting memories, remembering the most beautiful times and reliving them over and over again. clinging to the blanket like she does to the past. lastly, i thought that with such a gloomy way of living/thinking, the pitchblack room save for the two floating lights was right on target... tiny lights, swallowed up in the sea of darkness and misery.
aaaand... that's me in the shawl blanket thing, perched atop the glass dining room table. you can't see the table, because it's glass, and the two green things are stone pillars that hold up the glass. i took all the chairs away from the table, switched off every light except for the three that hang from the ceiling over the table - those two (pictured) and another one that i cloned out because it was the closest to the camera, so bigger and kind of obstructive. i like these two little guys hanging out, hovering around me. it makes me look like princess leia :P
i'm actually really pleased with how this came out! pink floyd is my favorite band and i couldn't give them anything but (what i judge to be) my best.
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hmm. i'm really happy to explain all of the thoughts, plans, ideas, setting up the stage, etc. that go into my shots. of course i always have these silly mustache shots or grrrawrr clint shots, or just blah "look at my beautiful eyes and lips" close-up shots, but i really love when i try to create a scene. a mood. play a character, one who's real, who's been done a million times, or that i just make up as i go along. the most consistent compliment (at least, i think it is a compliment!) i get from you peeps and others who look at my portfolio is that i create a cast of characters, i put on a show for myself and the camera just happens to be there. i love using props, and i love paying tribute to my literary, artistic & musical heroes and heroines (and obama!), but only if i do it well. i do put an awful lot of pressure on myself, especially for tribute shots; i always end up thinking, well, thom yorke did it better! or whatever.. sometimes my safest bet is to aim for a certain style. noir, or vintage in general, outlandish, ethereal, surreal, rough/raw. i don't know what i'm talking about now, but i'm kind of having this renaissance with my 365... embracing it again, really excited about what i can do next and happy with what i've been doing.
(sorry, london, but you had some weeeeird effect on me! poo faces)
Keter-class SCPs are anomalies that are exceedingly difficult to contain consistently or reliably, with containment procedures often being extensive and complex. The Foundation often can't contain these SCPs well due to not having a solid understanding of the anomaly, or lacking the technology to properly contain or counter it. A Keter SCP does not mean the SCP is dangerous, just that it is simply very difficult or costly to contain.. ◊
Since this route got laid west of Pierre, it's been an ongoing battle to keep the rails above the unstable clay-like soil in the Bad River Valley. Be it CNW, DME, CP, or the current operator RCPE, each operator has had their fair share of tipped over trains on these very unstable tracks. From a scene taken this October, eastbound tonnage from Rapid City is doing the 10mph creep along the PRC (Pierre>Rapid City) passing some sleeping hoppers still laying in the ditch at this remote location known as Bovine, SD. I was quite shocked to come across at least six different locations between Wall and Pierre looking just like this, a handful of hoppers left to rot next to the ROW from previous derailments under G&W ownership.
M-RCHU03
RCPE 3421, 3482, 3436, 3420
October 4th, 2023
One of my consistent sources of enjoyment in wildlife photography is to photograph raptors in Minnesota. It never gets old for me. From the stately eagles to quick hawks we are privileged to have birds that ignore the vagaries of our weather or make an effort to return each spring.
My wife and I were tooling along a gravel road with trees on both sides when I saw a blur headed away from a tree near the side of the road. I stopped our vehicle, got out and started combing through the trees with my camera lens knowing I only had a few seconds to find it what I suspected was a hawk. Hawks rarely sit still for long if they see you in their territory and I knew he had.
Fortunately, I was able to get this early morning shot through a small opening in the tree branches as this Broad-winged Hawk was illuminated by the sun. Only when I had the photo up on my larger monitor at home did I see the black and white bands on its tail that called attention to its species.
Broad-winged Hawks migrate in groups, sometimes in flocks of thousands as many make a journey of over 4,000 miles as far south as South America. Once they reach their wintering destination, they normally stay in a 1-square mile area.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
A night of consistent gentle snow made for some really nice scenery on the next morning's walk/snowshoe. Quite a contrast from the prior day when there was not a flake of snow on the valley floor here.
The clouds and fog would dominate mostly in the morning. Occasionally the sun would peek through.
Atanzón (Guadalajara).
El rollo o picota es un símbolo jurisdiccional, consistente en una columna de piedra caliza basta cuyas piezas están unidas con argamasa de cal y arena; en la parte superior, tiene cuatro salientes en forma de cruz o ménsulas sencillas. Sus dimensiones aproximadas son de3 metrosde altura por 1,2 metros de diámetro (se supone debe tener una parte enterrada); está situado en un altozano a la entrada del pueblo, en el ángulo de la carretera a Valdegrudas y Caspueñas.
En el Ritual de otorgamiento del rollo y el villazgo, se decían frases como esta: “é vos damos poder, é entera fa-cultad para que podáis poder, y tener, é pongades, é tengades, Horca, é Picota, y Cepo, é Cartel, y Cadena, y Cuchillo, y Azo-te, y todas las otras insignias de Jurisdicción que las villas sobre si de estos Reynos pueden, é deben tener, y usar… ”
why should the worst men be consistent in evil..
Wilkie Collins
English novelist and playwright
AI manipulated via Gimp
Les Niches Parties égayent Augustijnenrei et consistent en une série de masques brillants, ornés de rubans colorés. L'installation reflète l'ambiance festive qu'a connue Naveau lors de son voyage au Mexique, où des drapeaux colorés animent les rues. Il fait également référence à la fonction communicative des drapeaux : en tant que diffuseurs d'un avertissement, d'un message ou d'une idéologie. A Bruges, elle remplit temporairement les niches au bord de l'eau de manière ludique avec une mascarade qui fait appel à l'imagination, un accueil chaleureux pour chaque passant.
Les Niches Parties brightens up Augustijnenrei and consists of a series of shiny masks, adorned with coloured ribbons. The installation reflects the festive atmosphere Naveau experienced during her trip to Mexico, where coloured flags liven up the streets. It also refers to the communicative function of flags: as disseminators of a warning, message or ideology. In Bruges, she temporarily fills the niches by the water in a playful way with a masquerade that appeals to the imagination, a warm welcome for every passer-by.
Data from the CRISM instrument shows a localized, unique spectral phase consistent with polyhydrated sulfate or zeolite here on the Mawrth Vallis channel floor, with implications for the regional history. We want to look for potential textural differences between new hydrated mineral and adjacent clays.
Image cutout is less than 1 km (under a mile) top to bottom and the spacecraft altitude was 285 km (177 mi) and north is to the right. For full observation details including images with scale bars, visit the source link.
www.uahirise.org/ESP_022578_2030
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona
First falls at Morialta seen from above after some consistent recent winter rains. I love this spot but it was almost not accessable due to the water level this time!
I have observed that Dolores Park is segmented into several distinct and (sub) culturally consistent sections.
A. Hipster Valley
The Northeast corner of the Park (Dolores and 17th) is the realm of the Hipster. I suspect this is because while they can manage the walk from Valencia to Dolores they are too hung-over to make it up the hill.
Do bring: Bike, Enormous Sunglasses, Skinny jeans that show your butt crack when you sit down, Wear black and more black something army-looking works too, Ipods, beer and small speakers are encouraged.
Tips: Sit directly on grass + look bored.
Suggested canine companion: Chihuahuas, mixed breed rescues, and friendly beer drinking pit bulls in bandanas
B. Jocks, Bros and Hos
Weekend warriors, dodge ball players, soccer fans, etc…
Do bring: Spandex, knee pads and some sort of ball to chase around.
Tips: be excessively perky and organized.
Suggested Canine Companion: Golden retriever
C. Latin American Club
The locals. Watching the scene and laughing.
Do Bring: Beer, your homies, your dog
D. The bathrooms
I have only had the pleasure once, but I heard nothing good happens in this place.
Do bring: protection, toilet paper (wet naps if you are tender), a sense of balance and humor
E. Gay cruising + Sunbathing section
Bring: a towel, multi-purpose oils, a thong.
Leave at home: your boyfriend or life partner
Suggested Canine Companion: Pug, French Bulldog
F. Kids and picnickers
bring: diapers, sporks + wet naps
Suggested Canine Companion: none, the kids are enough trouble
G. Geek Section
This seems to be the spot where the digirati can be found
Bring: Food to share, sunscreen, your laptop with VZAccess PCMCIA Card because the free wireless signals are crap and your best portable devices to show off.
H. Hipster overflow and family outing section
I. Scary drunks and Hobo section
Bring: Bags full of bottles for recycling, Old English or Night Train and your invisible friend.
Oscar-Claude Monet was a French painter, a founder of French Impressionist painting and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to "plein air" landscape painting.
The last Arctic trip was probably the best in terms of consistent evenings filled with aurora and clear skies I have had in many trips over the last few years. This solar storm was the result of a large solar flare on the sun, a flare that actually exploded as we made our way to the airport in the early hours of the morning on the 23rd January.
I was immediately getting excited and planning a location to ensure we got to clear skies to witness this event. We headed straight for the Lofoten Islands only to find the weather was looking too unpredictable so grabbed a few hours sleep before heading straight into Sweden to an incredible frozen forest. Some of the auroral formations and patterns were fantastic here, I spent ages trying to find relationships between the needles and needle type tree tops but this was the best burst I saw all evening for shape and structure.
It was stupendously cold here, the temperature hit -35C but it was worth it for the incredible display, crystal clear skies and the images we managed during the few daylight hours the next day.
Cant wait to do this all again in just two weeks time!
Canon 5dmkii Nikon 14-24 4 seconds @ f2.8 iso 3200.
My last hike of the season was along Rock Creek. I've posted plenty of photos from it, including one of this formation. One was taken with a Holga, while this one was taking with the 4x5.
If you're familiar with the Steerman Press developing tank, you'll notice the tab marks on the top and (especially) bottom of the frame. Sometimes they're very prominent. Sometimes they're very not. I haven't figured out why they're not consistent.
I assume it's got to do with the emulsion swelling, but maybe not. I don't think it's agitation since I'm pretty consistent with that. I'd like to somehow not have that happen.
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'Collateral'
Camera: Chamonix 45F-2
Lens: Schneider-Kreuznach Super-Angulon 8/90mm
Film: Fomapan 100
Exposure: f/22; 1/8sec
Process: 510-Pyro; 1+500; 60min
October 2023
Washington
Excerpt from mastrosrestaurants.com:
Consistently hailed by diners and critics alike as "masterful" (Los Angeles Daily News), "high end" ( Los Angeles Times), one of the "top 10 steakhouse in the U.S." (Gayot) and "the preferred steakhouse of celebs and locals" (944), Mastro`s Restaurants, LLC is a collection of sophisticated, classic steakhouses and sumptuous fish houses.
I see that some things haven't changed despite my long absence. My flowers are still a good solid month later than the rest of the town. All of my life I've seen Daffodils blooming in mid to late February, here is March and I'm just starting to see some buds at my house. Same goes for Crocus, those usually bloom early February. Today I say my first bloom.
From the archives.....
Tilted red tower marks entrance to Polish war museum by Kwadrat, Gdansk
An angled tower wrapped in red concrete panels and glazing contains the entrance to this second world war museum, which is mostly housed beneath the surface of a public plaza in the Polish city of Gdansk. A jury headed by Daniel Libeskind awarded Studio Architektoniczne Kwadrat the project for the Museum of the Second World War following an international competition in 2010. The studio, which is based in the nearby town of Gdynia, said it put forward a proposal that was "a bit risky", but also "something unusual, very distinctive and memorable".
A tower rising 40.5 metres above the new public square provides the dominant feature of the building, which is located next to a canal in a district called Wiadrownia that was destroyed during fighting in 1945. "The idea behind the design is simple enough," said the architects, "to position the main part of the museum underground so as not to completely use up the small plot of land intended for investment. We have concealed the other functions in a sculptural form. In this way, it was possible to find space for a vast square, and the whole premise became symbolic."
The project comprises three distinct but connected parts, with the underground spaces dedicated to the past, the plaza representing the present, and the tower symbolising the future. The monolithic tower features surfaces set at angles as much as 45 degrees from the vertical, lending it a dynamic appearance that alters when viewed from different directions. Three of its four trapezoidal facades are clad in terracotta-red panels, while the fourth side and kinked roof are filled in with glazing that allows natural light to flood into the interior.
"This simple sculptural form, devoid of literal meaning, evokes various associations," said the architects. "It has already been likened to a bastion, a barrier, a crumbling house or a bunker, and when illuminated at night, it resembles a burning candle. At the same time, it fits in with the city image and the geometry of shipyard cranes – the symbol of the port of Gdansk."
The glazed facade of the tower incorporates an entrance at its base, which is situated at basement level and is reached by a wide set of steps leading down from the plaza. The tower contains a library, lecture halls and a restaurant with a viewpoint looking out across the city skyline. The majority of the 23,000 m2 building is located beneath the paved public square, which aims to provide people with a place to meet, socialise and relax. Staircases descend from the entrance through a large void to the level of the ticket office, cloakroom and exhibition spaces dedicated to telling the story of the war in Poland. A corridor with a narrow skylight at its apex guides visitors through a series of austere exhibition rooms featuring a palette of concrete, steel and oak details.
In addition to digital displays and physical exhibits, the spaces include several recreations of places such as a pre-war shopping street, ruined buildings surrounding a Soviet tank, and the interior of a Warsaw apartment reflecting different stages of the conflict. At the level of the plaza, a bridge connects the tower with a long, narrow volume containing offices. A walkway that passes beneath the bridge is lined with gabion cages filled with red brick and rubble from Gdansk. A further wedge-shaped structure that emerges from the square contains the entrance to an underground parking garage. Both this volume and the offices are clad in the same red tiles as the tower to create a consistent aesthetic across the museum's different spaces.
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Days of consistently intermittent rain were delightful.
Short walks between showers. Lazy days of coffee and reading.
Just as we got back to camp from lakeside shooting the sunset, it rained again.
And all through the night again.
It got down into the 30s F (high 3s C) at night for a couple nights with highs in the 60s F (high teens C) during the day.
As the week progressed, the rains departed and the days got a little warmer.
Peak to Creek begins at the very top of Whistler Mountain and ends at the Whistler Creekside gondola. This is only a part of Whistler Mountain. They have another big Blackcomb Mountain side by side connected by Peak 2 Peak gondola
Fenómeno luminoso consistente en la aparición simultánea de varias imágenes del Sol reflejadas en las nubes y, por lo general, dispuestas simétricamente sobre un halo.
In recent times if someone has really impressed with variety of shots and consistent quality then its Amitesh , Photography to him is a special magic and he sure's turn the magic on us.
May be not having a pro account drives him to post his best shots to flickr but then again you be enthralled by what you see, he is pretty new to flickr just 3 months and he sure has gained lot of respect from fellow photographers including me.
Good luck Amitesh you among others will also make India proud.
1. «Explored» Her one glance, 2. Buddha of the Future., 3. «Explored #12» Being Footloose On Sundays, 4. Driving into the Sunset
Nel 1974 un restyling più consistente diede vita alla Nuova Super. A cambiare furono il frontale (nuova calandra in plastica nera, diverso scudetto Alfa Romeo, cofano motore liscio), i paraurti (più avvolgenti), la coda (cofano liscio, diverso layout delle luci) e gli interni (plancia rivista, consolle centrale con bocchette di ventilazione frontali, pavimento in moquette, sedili con poggiatesta). Per quanto riguarda invece la meccanica, non ci fu nessuna novità. La gamma rimaneva composta delle versioni "1300" da 89 CV e "1600" da 102 CV (DIN). Nonostante gli anni trascorsi, la Giulia continuava a distinguersi, anche in quest'ultima versione, per le doti motoristiche e dinamiche: una nota rivista specializzata annotò "la berlina 1300 più veloce del mercato", e ancora nell'accelerazione da fermo "il tempo sul chilometro da fermo [...] è ancora oggi il migliore ottenuto da berline 1300". In 1974 a more substantial restyling gave birth to the New Super. The change was frontal (new black plastic calender, different Alfa Romeo shield, smooth bonnet), bumper (more wrap), tail (smooth bonnet, different layout of the lights) and interiors (rear bumper, central console with front ventilation vents, carpet floor, seat with headrest). Regarding mechanics, there was no news. The range consisted of "1300" versions of 89 hp and "1600" of 102 hp (DIN). In spite of the years elapsed, Giulia continued to distinguish himself, even in the latter version, for motor and dynamic qualities: a well-known magazine magazine noted "the 1300 fastest car in the market", and still in acceleration from the standstill "the time on the kilometer from station [...] is still the best one ever from 1300 berlin. "
Peace Valley 7/18. I had a series of 29 shots of this guy in flight, approaching me - all were in sharp focus. Now I just have to learn to get my macros in focus consistently! My 100th image to be Explored!)
Different season, but here we are back on the Ottawa River, lying on our stomachs, staring at wildlife.
Freeze-up has been stop and start here, with consistently cold weather still not happening. Although the Ottawa River has many rapids that don’t freeze over, large sections of the River do, starting with the many small bays along its course. This Muskrat is using the mix of ice and open water to its advantage: it dives down to gather plants and mussels from the bottom, and then it resurfaces on sections of ice to eat them - rather than having to expose itself to land-based predators by returning to the shore.
The wind was blowing pretty hard from the east - weather was about to change again - and I was able to crawl through reeds downwind off the Muskrat. It couldn’t smell me or hear me with the wind blowing off the water, so I was able to get pretty close. A large piece of River detritus - a beached tree trunk - gave me cover at the water’s edge.
The real challenges were the light and the fact that the piece of ice the Muskrat was working from rose and fell with the increasingly active River water. One of the solutions was patience. I was lying on my stomach on the edge of the shore, the Muskrat was busy diving and eating, and the sky and the water would contribute as best they could. Hang in there. I got a lot of images, hoping that I would, in the comfort of my home, find something where the light in particular gave a good look at this hardy creature.
The dark oof horizon is a lovely area in Gatineau, Quebec, that is home to all kinds of birds and animals. The Ottawa River around here serves as the border between the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and I cross the River (along with thousands of other Ottawa residents) to get to my office in Gatineau.
I had always lived in cities on the edge of large lakes. Discovering the many areas and inhabitants of the Ottawa River over the past twenty years has been amazing.
Landscapes you can't take too much credit for. Landscapes are like a metaphor for life. You must consistently show up and put yourself in position for success. The sky and light changes daily and without daily persistence you will miss the opportunity given to you. The one thing you can admire about a person's landscape is the time and dedication that person took to be in the right place at the right time. A consistent grind to be in the moment that the heavens gift you for not being lazy.
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Interesting rock formation jutting out from the surface of Lake Biwa.
One of the world's oldest lake at over 4 million years old, an ancient lake is one that has consistently contained water for more than 1 million years.
The camera industry is dominated by 3 big names from just 1 country, they are worse than oligopolies since they also behave like a cabal. The lack of real, serious competition is a huge detriment to consumers, contrast this with the highly competitive smartphone market.
We now have cameras using the exact same sensor for 3 or more generations; Nikon D850 to Z7, then Z7ii and even the latest Z9 appears to be the same with just an additional stacked layer; Olympus E-M1 Mkii to EM-1X to E-M5iii to E-M1 Mkii. Olympus however imploded shortly after and is now OM Solutions.
The recent OM Solutions (previously Olympus) OM-1 came with a new stacked sensor touting 2 stops improvement in Dynamic Range plus 1 stop better in noise turned out to be nothing more than skin deep software tweaks giving better Straight Out Of Camera (SOOC) JPEGs only while the RAW file quality remained no better than the 2 generations older OMD E-M1 MKii. OM-1’s superiority over previous iterations is largely in subject tracking AF.
The Korean brand Samyang however managed to release their AF 135mm f1.8 FE just recently which more than matched the optical performance of the hallowed Sony FE 135mm f1.8 GM at less than 1/2 the price and 178g lighter! This is a good sign, hopefully more will come. The marketeers and shills meanwhile will be using their bullhorn to tell everyone why we need to spend much more instead.
Can’t help but agree with those who have been saying that a shakeup in the industry is long overdue especially if they continue with this trend of unfettered price escalation without any meaningful improvement in RAW quality, especially on the back of a declining market coupled with the highly competitive and progressive smartphone market involving major players from different countries.
In the world of HiFi and in particular the market for In-Ear-Monitors (IEM or earbuds), the entrance of so many quality manufacturers from China over the past few years brought down the prices such that very good quality IEMs can now be had for $100 when in the past one needs to pay many multiples more for the same level of performance.
There’ll still be some who will tell us we need that $1,000 special cable to be able to get the very best out of our IEM, no different from camera shills who like to tell us we need the latest lenses to get the best out of our high resolution cameras because the sensors out-resolved our existing lenses.
Just like the camera industry moving towards mirrorless, the IEM market has been transitioning to wireless bluetooth earbuds. The fundamental difference in the HiFi space is that serious audiophiles are not giving up their high end wired IEMs anytime soon. Contrast this with the innumerable incessant camera marketeers/shills that have infested the gear forums, DSLRs and especially DSLR lenses are now being declared as inferior, how else can camera companies sell us new stuff unless they move us all to a different (though not always superior) mount!?
Best be informed, improve our skills and avoid falling for the siren song of shills. See the tree from the forest to avoid getting lost in a sea of cameras and lenses…..
A consistent expectation for power upgrades (in the eyes of us railfans) to the annual Canadian CP spray train during its time west of Winnipeg was reinforced no less back in 2023, as the latest cowl to get a dunk in the second available golden beaver paint re-powered the train for its branchline runs. Starting from Vancouver to all-over the prairies via southern interior BC, it conducted spraying of the US-connecting Weyburn Sub in early July. Here it is passing Mile 40, whose post is almost perfectly centred relative to the Richardson International grain facility directly south of the main.
As CPKC painted power start to roll out of the ongoing Mayfield overhaul projects (at the time of writing, 3 Gevos and 1 GP38 have been subject to the latest repaint specs), CP 9014 seems more and more likely to be the last of 5 40Fs to recieve the 2-letter branding. Getting them checked off while the paint is still fresh will never fail to satisfy my capturing of the rare breed of GMD motive power.