View allAll Photos Tagged difficult
A very difficult photo. I used some fill flash to capture the North Window Arch. I then used a few Color Efex Pro filters to work with what I had from the shot. First a brown bi-color filter than a little bit of a brown vignette to balance out the photo edge. Looking back a day later, I decided to add some contrast and darken the right portion of the arch.
Taken last weekend when we had some good weather at St Abbs near the harbor.
Difficult to get the colours right with the B&W ten stop and a Lee Grad filter.
Been raining all day here and doesn't look good for the weekend so probably not much shooting.
Still waiting for the Hitech Pro ND10 filter. Just hope its a good as the reviews
Update - got my Hitech filter today as hadn't checked the post, but could be a few days before i can use it properly, but will try and test the colour cast this eve.
Further Update- Tried the filter for a test shot and the cast looks somewhere in between the Lee and B&W which is great news, but the filter has a flaw as there is a dark patch in it. I can't see it with the naked eye but it will be going back... Apart from that it looks promising
It was difficult getting a good angle here. This was shot at the Swayambunath Temple in Kathmandu.
Read all about it here Swayambhunath Temple
I just waited till I got a few shots of people walking in near the staircase. Used the white dome as the backdrop.
This whole place is in white. The string of little flags /flutters were colored .....taking away the attention from the monk. Hence I decided to convert this to B&W and leave the monk in red as is.
The dome was freshly painted and some of that paint spilt across the floor.
This is off a single exposure
It's difficult to come up with an unusual take on a well known subject such as this old gun-post which stands on the beach at Kimmeridge on the Dorset coast. But I thought the setting sun, cloud formation and low viewpoint was interesting. Let me know if you agree or disagree.
I have been trying to avoid hdr's as they are in my opinion overdone on Flickr (that's probably a controversial statement but its my view :-) !) but this was so contrasty that I had no choice really but to process it as a 'gentle' hdr in Photomatix.
It needs to be viewed on black.
I captured this at Difficult Run, right around the corner from Great Falls Park in Virginia... I love this place!
So difficult to photograph because of their camouflage coloring and they are always moving and hiding in the bushes. Finally this one stopped for about five seconds. Cabrillo National Park
How difficult would it be for you and your very lovely lady to take the 48 Hour Challenge and restrict yourselves only to the Resorts World property? Would it be difficult at all! Perhaps the 48 Hour Challenge would be no challenge at all! Would the 72 Hour Challenge be anymore difficult? 🤔
There's only one way to find out for sure! 😏😎
Certain things can be difficult to tell when looking at others' images. Scale, for instance, or brightness. I headed to Portland Bill to find out for myself what impact the lighthouse would have on the otherwise vivid night sky.
Having shot through the night the fingers of light which, if I'm honest, proved a little frustrating in the absolute darkness went on to provide a defining feature in this early dawn shot.
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» LongExposures website and blog
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Where: Sweden, Östergötland, Bjärka säby. google maps
When: 20101129
How and why: The lone straw in a sea of blue snow.
Editing: Minor
The most difficult photo is now done ! Now I only have to walk in the streets with my printed photo to approach people.
I met Cédric because I liked his style, and his light blue eyes.
Cédric is out of work. He is searching for something in nautism (canoe if I remember well).
I was satisfied by this photo, but I had to do a specific post-treatment on the embebbed frame: as I had focus on the framing, I forgot to look at the reflection on the embebbed frame itself…
It’s something I have to think about for the next photo.
By the way, I did not care about the colours, and I was surprised afterward to see that Sarah and Cédric wear similar color ! The result is quite interesting ! :)
Thank you Cédric !
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This picture could have been the #102 in my 100 strangers project ! Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the. Find out more photo of strangers on the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
Projector lenses are quite fun to use, but with no focusing part, they are a bit difficult to handle.
My lens (a Liesegang Sankar 85mm f/2.5) has a nice long flange distance, which gives me some room betweeen the lens body and the camera mount to place an M42-E adapter, the lens is niclely fitted in a M42-flat ring (then screwed on the adapter). That M42-E adapter includes a focusing helicoid wich makes focusing then possible ! I can still add extension tubes if the minimal flange distance is still too short (I actually have one here).
It goes without saying that using a mirrorless camera makes everything a lot simpler because you have a short flange distance to begin with, much shorter than most of the 35mm film projector lenses (except if their body extends far behind the actual rear element...).
Picture taken with my Sony A68 / Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm f/1.8
Difficult to take picture on this bird during the day. Perhaps more easy in the night when it's staying on a branch. Pic taken in Los Amigos biological station.
This is a fish watching me try to get her (his?) photo at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, California. The original looked like a black cat in a coal mine at midnight but the pixels were all there and came out. My respect for people who get great photos at aquaria skyrocketed.
When you drive up into the hills above Laguna Beach it's difficult to get an open view past the beautiful homes up here on these narrow, winding streets.
I was up here this day, high above the ocean, by invitation. As I was leaving, my host suggested I drive higher up for this one rare, spectacular view. As a rule I'm prepared with gear including a tripod; I wished I'd brought it.
At first I was shooting the orange-sunset area for a panorama, but quickly realized I had to photograph all of this incredible sight. So I tried to 'fill-in' the top and bottom in order to make a composite in some detail -- Look close, you'll see an oil platform, along with the row of lights along the Long Beach shoreline, 30 miles distant. Catalina Island hides in those brooding clouds hugging the sea.
As you can see, there are many 'empty' areas in my panoramic composite made-up of 19 photos.
I can crop this, though I always hate to sacrifice any part of the beauty. And when I tried to edit the shadows and contrast (etc.), I failed because the image is just too large for Flickr's abilities. The 'jump' between sizes is 2048 to 17,994! I realize I need to use photoshop and other tools.
So, we'll see what I can do here. I will definitely return to this spot more prepared. It is an absolute photographer's dream.
For putting X Film 320 into a difficult situation, with a standard developer, I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. Sure the contrast is pretty high, but so were the conditions in the field. These are clean results, some visible grain, amazing sharpness but lacking some tonal seperation in some cases which I'll blame on the snow. But not a bad choice. I think these are better than the results if I had gone with a stock dilution.
The full review drops in February 2023!
Nikon F5 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D - CatLABS X Film 320 Pro @ ASA-320
Kodak D-76 (1+1) 9:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)
Scanner: Epson V700 + Silverfast 9 SE
Editor: Adobe Photoshop CC
It is quite difficult to work out the physics of the Edge Hotel in Tromso. Quite quirky inside as Andy Rouse mentioned on Flickr, and I expect there is a reason for the shape - like this strip of land is for sale what can fit on it?
But here is the result in this image - an edge going out towards the harbour and the edge is on stilts over the pavement area.
Tromso is a small town but a main centre for medical needs, and with fast access from the airport to bigger centres for very serious injuries.
We met one poor lady at the airport on our return who had a broken wrist, all bandaged up.
She arrived on her first day, slipped on the ice and broke her wrist before she had event checked into her hotel !!
End of holiday back home to get it treated.
Snow cleats and slip on soles with ice studs are so important in the winter time. Tromso is well above the Arctic Circle so expect plenty of snow and ice...... You can buy snow boots with retractable studs to save you falling. ( Amazon does them in the UK even.)
On Cassia fistula or Golden shower tree.
For the last two weeks we have had Catopsilia pomona or Lemon Migrant butterflies flying around our Golden shower tree. There are only a few flowers left but the butterflies are not interested in the flowers but only in finding a mate and laying their eggs on the young leaves of the plant.
You see the larva or caterpillars of these butterflies will live only these leaves in our garden. The adults feed on nectar from other flowers.
The eggs are laid on the underneath of a young leaf and on hatching the larva will eat a hole in the leaf, allowing it to pass through to the top where it can sit and feed close to the leaf vein. The colours nearly match and as the larva grows it darkens and moves up the stem to darker leaves matching the colour. They can be very difficult to see.
It seems that during the last wind storm that lasted 3 days, the larva were blown off the tree as I couldn't find them when I went back after the wind stopped. I'll be checking again as I did see quite a few eggs on leaves before the storm and we have more butterflies flying around the yard still.
The real sky view. This shot is very difficult to display in correct position, because of its huge size and upward position.
Taken with Celestron CGEM DX C11HD + hyperstar lens + Canon T3i mod . Guiding scope Lunt ED 80mm + Celestron Nexstar guider. Processed in DSS and PS 6 - 80 x 180s RGB subs processed in DSS . Total exposure 4h. Calibrated with 25 dark, 10 bias and 30flat frames
Difficult to capture with wings spread, as it was constantly flapping... One of my favourite moths, I found this one at work on the nightshift...
This work, which used to be just difficult and dirty, is now what we call in English "3-D work"---difficult, dirty, and dangerous. The streets of L.A. at night are far more dangerous these days than they were a few years ago. And the prospect of being robbed is not far-fetched at all. The food trucks serve working-class neighborhoods throughout L.A. and the bad guys know there is cash in that truck and likely not a police car anywhere near by.
Los Angeles, Southern California
Nikon F801S with Nikkor 28-80mm lens on Portra 400.
March 11, 2012
I always tend to miss a few albums here and there each year. It is difficult to keep up with so many bands out there in so many different countries. There are also a couple of albums I'm waiting to be more widely available in the States, such as the newest Juana Molina album and the newest Colleen album. Feel free to share your own here! So far, here's mine:
***NOTE: I initially somehow forgot The Terror by The Flaming Lips so that is now tied for a #3 spot. I realize that's not how Rolling Stone would probably do that but, hey, I'm my own woman****
1. Chelsea Wolfe: Pain is Beauty
This album is just so lush, dark, and wonderful. It's melodies sink into the depth of your organs. Pretty soon, your dreams are part echoey bliss and part dark nightmare. One thing is for sure, it's difficult to get it out of your head for any amount of substantial time. Chelsea Wolfe has created something rich in texture, quite bizarre, and intricately memorable.
2. Jacco Gardner: Cabinet of Curiosities
Though Jacco Gardner is from The Netherlands, Chicago is very lucky to have a local record label, Trouble in Mind, release this! This album is perfect for any fan of psychedelic music. It's complex layers and arrangements are incredibly interesting and also quite lovely. The album posesses an element of beautiful melancholy and has certain sound samples that make each song quite unique. A great album to see performed live, too!
3. Sigur Rós: Kveikur
I tend to love everything related to this band so it's probably no surprise to anyone that I loved this one. I think the difference between this album and earlier releases is that this has a much more turbulent and challenging aspect to it. The opening of the album as a whole itself has a much different sound, too, and it's disorienting at times to think of it as the same band. Still, there's a real strong sense to these tracks and this band continues to grow in a way that makes it very worthwhile to follow their releases.
3. The Flaming Lips: The Terror
You know what happened? The Flaming Lips put together such an amazing live show..I mean, they kept all the confetti and balloon companies in business. But, on the flipside, they started being seen as less real and less influential..more as a party than as a long lasting friendship. Well, people kind of forgot how amazing the band really was and when they forgot they also didn't include them on best of 2013 lists initially because their memories failed them and the musicians they loved.
One of those people is me. I listened to this album, The Terror, and I felt the first feeling I'd gained from the band since I heard Zaireeka and, this time, it seemed even more realized. I can't quite say whether I'll like it as much as I liked Soft Bulletin 10 years later but it's a good bet that I will. This album is under-rated and under-realized and it's time that changed.
www.flaminglips.com/peacesword/index.html
4. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Push the Sky Away
There are some musicians out there who have had a career like Nick Cave and just don't have any more to give. You just kind of have to accept that this is the way it is.
With Nick Cave, the man just doesn't ever seem to run out of inspiration either in terms of his lyrics or any of the musical arrangements. The man is on fire and, even in the songs you have to wait for the fire to burn, they are well worth the wait.
5. Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Both MBV and GY!BE put out albums this year that I was impressed by, as if no time had gone by since their last release. I've loved both bands for so long and was so happy when GY!BE started playing live again. Interesting to note, they won the Polaris prize for this album and gave their winning monetary amount to fund music programs in Quebec prisons.
I'll sing a Tra La La to them for that.
6. Julianna Barwick: Nepenthe
At the end of a really impossible day when your heart is frozen to your shoes and you wonder if all the blood in your veins has finally stopped flowing, it's really lovely and reassuring to listen to this album like a mother lovingly cradling her child and saying, "I promise it's going to be all right. I promise it's going to be all right." I believe her.
7. My Bloody Valentine: MBV/Self Titled
If you're a fan of shoegaze music, this band won't let you down. If there are those out there who would criticise this newest release by saying that the band's sound hasn't evolved since their release of Loveless in 1991, that would be a fair statement. However, this release seems like it could have literally come out in 1992 or 1993 and perhaps be hailed in a better light. Back in thoe times, their sound seemed revolutionary and Loveless helped change the face of music forever to inspire so many other bands. That said, if you like Loveless, changes are you'll also like this album quite a bit! I hope that MBV fans won't overlook it's release!
8. Mikal Cronin: MCII
Is it possible that I would be nostalgic about an album when it hasn't even been out for an entire year? Well, that's how I feel. These melodies make my heart and soul a little sick but all in a good way. You'll want to belt out these lyrics as they become a strong part of you. Some who follow the music of Ty Segall may already know of Mikal Cronin's music but may not have looked into hearing his solo work even when it's fuzzy and catchy in all the most perfect places. I'd highly recommend this album and you can hear it on Bandcamp.
9. Tim Hecker: Virgins
I'll be excited to see Tim Hecker play Tomorrow Never Knows festival on January 16th, 2014 at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. I've missed the last couple of times he's played as I wasn't feeling so great and my friends have raved about how amazing it was. Most of the musicians and bands I listen to are really pretty removed from the mainstream (Nick Cave is probably the most well known on this list) and that's because I feel overall less challenged and inspired by the bulk of music played over mainstram radio waves. There's an amazing underground of independent musicians who just do it better and I'd rather support them than a label any day of the week. This album by Tim Hecker is probably going to end up being my favorite release by him and it's a good example. It's music that makes you think and feel and that is always a good thing, even when it hurts.
10. Mary Lattimore: The Withdrawing Room
Mary manages to create some intriguing soundscapes with this release from the jarring to the whimsical. Some are edgy and make you wonder if the world is going to collapse and others make you feel so light hearted that everything is going to be ok. Listen to this if you want to be challenged by a very creative female musician in a genre of experimental music where males tend to dominate.
www.desirepathrecordings.com/releases/mary-lattimore-the-...
>>>>Other albums I liked<<<<<<<
Cinchel: Sometimes You See Yourself Through the Cosmos
Pink Frost-(s/t)
pinkfrost.bandcamp.com/album/pink-frost
Ty Segall-Sleeper
Deerhunter: Monomania
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qIqC7jjHfw
Waxahatchee: Cerulean Salt
Kwaidan: Make the hell of Dark Metal Bright
Le Berger: Variations on Not Too Much Really
leberger.bandcamp.com/album/variations-on-not-too-much-re...
Nicholas Szczepanik: Entre los Árboles
nszcz.bandcamp.com/album/entre-los-rboles
Circuit Des Yeux: Overdue
Julia Holter: Loud City Song
Yamantaka Sonic Titan: Uzu
yamantakasonictitan.bandcamp.com/
Frankie Rose: Herein Wild
Federico Durand – El idioma de las luciérnagas
www.desirepathrecordings.com/releases/federico-durand-el-...
**All photos are copyrighted. Please don't use without permission**
It was difficult morning, we waked up with the voice of the bombing. The regime Army was shelling this area and many of the civilians were there.
Jobar one of the damaged areas, the situation there very hard for the people, no safe no food. Everything is happening for them now just because they supported the revolution against the dictator regime.
Date : 22\ 7\ 2014
Sabah Trip 2
Garnet Pitta (Erythropitta granatina) is found in Peninsular Malaysia while Black Crown Pitta (Erythropitta ussheri) is found in Borneo.
Pittas are diurnal, requiring light to find their often cryptic prey. They are nevertheless often found in darker areas and are highly secretive, though they will respond to imitations of their calls.
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Diet: Earthworms, snails, insects and similar invertebrate prey, as well as small vertebrates.
Habits & migratory pattern: Pittas are monogamous and females lay up to six eggs in a large domed nest in a tree or shrub, or sometimes on the ground. Both parents care for the young.
The movements of pittas are poorly known and notoriously difficult to study. Four species of pittas are fully migratory, and several more are partially so, though their migrations are poorly understood. Fully migratory pitta are the Indian pitta, the African pitta, the fairy pitta and the blue-winged pitta.
For a number of reasons, Damselflies are more difficult to photograph well than Dragonflies. They are, for the most part, about a third the size of a dragonfly. They hover just above the water making the background "busy" and distracting and, with PowerShot cameras, makes focusing problematic - just as a Marsh Wren IN reeds would be.
This shot is not an anomaly. It's good but it's one of perhaps 50 over a 10 year period. I set the camera to get a black background ... and succeeded! And I had to get down on my knees to get relative size and almost eye-level.
I think you can see the difficulties if I explain the minor differences between dragons and damsels.
Look at Damselfly wings when they are at rest. Damselflies close their wings and dragonflies spread them. This creates a small problem when taking a shot: in the image I have here, the wings are nothing but a little blur just above the thorax.
Now, the eyes of the Damselfly. If you get a close look at dragons and damsels, you will see that dragonflies have very large eyes that are close together, while damselflies have, though still large, smaller eyes with a gap in between.
Dragonflies have "broader" and shorter bodies, while damsels are have much longer and narrower bodies.
The shape of the wings is also quite different, different enough so that you can tell the difference just by looking at the images I've been posting for the last three weeks.
A bit of advice taking pictures. Damselflies are difficult to get in focus. The perch on grassy or reedy stems close to the water. The water usually has duckweed or other flora (being kind to the crap that's in the pond) and viewfinders have difficulty knowing which you want in focus. I've found that - for both - if you have the equivalent of a Canon Powershot with EVF, focus until the reed itself is clear, then move the camera until you find the damselfly, and shoot! I don't know about anyone else, but focusing with the LCD is impossible! Move half an inch, and you no longer have the dragon or damsel in the frame. And if your hands shake even a little even if you're good at holding your breath (as the sweat runs down from your forehead into your eyes - remember these are summer creatures and they like heat), you will be lucky to have a blur. Never use the "Automatic" setting on these cameras: "A" actually stands for "average" i.e., the quality of the image that you'll come out with.
I have found that 1/640 is an ideal speed with an ISO of 200 especially for damsels. But damsels in shade, well that's going to take 1/250 or even 1/100th. I don't deal with ISOs beyond 200 because the Powershots are prone to noise above 200. I should mention that it has been years since I was able to manage a four-pound camera on a five or six mile dragonfly hunt. And that was 35mm and the results were usually unsatisfactory even though the camera's capabilities were as good as digital. But the cost of taking 35mm with a motor drive was prohibitive. True story: my Olympus OM-1 with 18mm macro (a fisheye, too), 55mm, and 350mm with extension tubes led me to a chiropractor every summer for almost two decades. Now, chiropractor or no, I simply cannot handle all that equipment and, even if I was guaranteed a Evening Grosbeak, an eastern Blue Jay, or a female Northern Cardinal, there has come a point in my life when I know my limitations. Remember, there comes a point in life when nothing works they way it used to. If you can still kneel to get a shot of a damsel, but it takes 15 minutes to stand up straight again, you know exactly what I mean.
I wish you well. Few things have been as satisfying as seeing a damsel that is sharp on your large monitor and just as you intended. Luck only goes so far. I seem to have mastered luck although it took two decades with a digital camera starting with an A620 (look that one up).
'Oh no. Please, God, not that!' Vincent silently prayed as he turned to see what it was that had crashed beside him. There it was: his treasured wooden and copper compass broken into two pieces upon the floor.
Gazing up from the broken compass, Aiden saw the look on Vincent's face. He looked as if something had broken inside of him. The pain in his eyes for that split second was so palpable! For some reason, it was as if for that split second he could feel the captain's pain, himself! He felt a deep sense of guilt. He cleared his throat and leaned down, picking up the pieces and gently turning them in his hands to inspect them. Luckily, it didn't seem to have taken a lot of damage. In fact, the break was not a difficult fix!
Aiden stood, holding the two pieces to his chest and gazed at Vincent empathetically. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you were right behind me." Vincent looked up from the floor and at the compass at Aiden's chest. Before he could think of something to say, Aiden continued, "It just needs a bit of tweaking. Come on. I'll fix it!"
"Wait! Just....hold on!" Vincent looked up sharply and a stoic expression spread over his face as he shook his head. "I'll take it to get it fixed at a real mechanic's shop. Don't worry about it. Just give it-"
"But that's what I do!" Aiden responded, gesturing with his head towards the door. "My father runs an engineering workshop not far from here. I'll fix it for you, free of charge. It's my fault it's broken." Vincent stared now at Aiden's face. He could see the pleading look in his eyes and that partial hopeful smile. There was no way he was gonna let this kid work on his compass! He opened his mouth to demand the compass back when Aiden pleaded, "Please?" Vincent clenched his teeth as he felt his will suddenly break. What the hell?! He gave a sigh and closed his eyes before responding in a resigned tone, "Fine. Lead the way."
Aiden led Vincent out of the tavern and turned down the street away from the city square. It was a short walk and soon they were heading down Craftsman Alley. As they walked, Aiden heard his name called a couple of times by some of the smiths and merchants. He would always smile and wave back. He led Vincent down towards the end of the street towards a sturdy looking two story house. The sign above the stairs read: Anderson & Sons Engineering.
Aiden was surprised to find that the shop was locked up. His father must be out running errands. Or maybe he was having lunch with Ms. Moore from down the street! He let himself into the shop and held the door open for Vincent before walking straight to his working station by the window. Aiden set down the compass and turned to light the lantern so he could work. Once he did that, he turned to the windows and opened them so they could get some fresh, cool air in here!
While Aiden began setting up, Vincent stepped hesitantly into the workshop. He glanced around, taking in the appearance of the place. It was a good size and definitely had the look of a successful engineer’s shop. He heard the sounds of a tool case being unlatched and his attention returned to the compass. He'd not spoken a word since they’d departed the tavern. He watched as Aiden began to inspect a piece of the compass under the lamplight.
Aiden selected a tiny hammer and felt a touch surprised to hear the captain finally speaking a moment later. "You said this is your father's shop?" Aiden smiled a bit as he began to tap gently on the copper with the hammer. "Yeah. He's been doing it his whole life just like me." Aiden began to fix the tiny dents, working diligently and quickly. "He even created his own unique design with the jetboard. It's a big hit with the youth out here. Heh. Other people have tried to copy his skills but they can't come close." Vincent stared at him silently, his expression giving nothing away regarding his thoughts. Though truth be told, he felt a small headache coming on again. He could tell that Aiden was a rambler. And indeed, Aiden continued to speak.
"I remember when I was a wee lad I was fascinated by old engineering books I found here in Papa's workshop. Mama taught me to read and soon enough I was building my own toys. My favorite was when I made my first paper lantern." Aiden set down the hammer and began digging in the desk for screws. "Papa was impressed and I'd even figured it out on my own and he made me his apprentice right then and there. I wanted to be like him."
"Then why do you want to go so much? You have your parents and dreams of following in your father's footsteps. Why take the chance that you'll never return home?" Vincent's question weighed on Aiden but he knew his answer already. His eyes remained focused but his mind drifted slightly. "Very recently I was reminded that you only have one life to live. My mama would say that we all go about our lives living out our own stories but rarely do we get the chance to turn it into an adventure. So when she died a few years ago, she reminded me that it's okay to follow my dreams and reach for the stars. There is so much out there and I hear the call; I want to experience more than these four walls. I've loved airships and have been fascinated all my life. So even if I don't make it, at least I tried. I love my home but there's something missing and I'm hoping I'll find it out there." Aiden licked his lips, glancing at Vincent who just stared right back at him, a touch of intensity in that oceanic blue eye of his as if he almost didn't know what to say at all to this. "I'm going to get my chance. If not today, then one day I will." He gave a small shrug, a satisfied smile on his lips as he took the needed screw and set it, grasping a small screwdriver that he needed and began to tighten it.
Vincent's gaze lowered to the compass as he listened to Aiden's long winded speech. Aiden continued, "The idea of flying the skies, working every day with the engines and finding new, creative ways to make it better sounds like heaven to me. I don't consider anything a failure because no matter what, I learn. I am an engineer. I don't want to just be a deckhand. So if today's not the day, then that's okay, you know? Every day is a gift and I plan to make the most of it."
Aiden set down the screwdriver and checked the compass. He gave a small grin and held it out to Vincent who was now staring at him once more; always so stoic. Vincent reached out to take the compass, gazing down at it and to his relief found it looked as good as before! This kid was...good. Very good. He opened it up and gazed at the inscription before gazing back at Aiden and closing it. "Thank you." "It's my pleasure, Captain. And I am very sorry about the compass. Please accept my apologies." Vincent inhaled slowly and let it out before saying, "It's fine." He stared at the boy for another few seconds then turned to go, heading for the door.
Aiden let Vincent be the one to break their gaze, that small smile upon his lips. He wasn't going to let all this get him down. He began packing up his tools once more as he heard the door opening, the captain letting himself out. However, he didn't hear it close.
Vincent stood at the door, hand on the jamb as he stared at the opposite wall and warred with himself. Oh, he was going to regret this! He turned slightly and glanced at Aiden over his shoulder. "Tomorrow at eleven o'clock, be at the South Dock at bay four. Leon's Claw is the name of the ship. Don't be late."
Aiden's eyes widened as he stared at the captain. "R-really?!" he asked in a barely contained excited voice. Vincent sighed and responded, "Really." He looked ahead, walking through the open door and closing it behind him. As he closed the door, he heard Aiden shout "YES!" through the door. Vincent shook his head and left, heading for Leon's Claw to inform his First Mate of their newest addition to the crew. "You're gonna be the death of me, kid."
***
Next Part: www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/50772816831/in/datepo...
To read the rest of the story, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
***
Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
~
DISCORD SERVER: That's right! The Captain and the Engineer has a Discord Server! If you would like to join and chat with other crewmates and see what's new and happening before it gets posted to Flickr, click the link!
***NEW!!!!***
The Captain and the Engineer now has a FACEBOOK PAGE! Please come Like, Follow, and join the crew! Thank you so much for all your support!
FACEBOOK PAGE:
A difficult warbler to sight and shoot. Just the size my thumb, they are incredibly agile and always in action on the branches, looking for small insects, larvae and caterpillars. They have streaked crown which makes it easier to identify from the right angle, otherwise its a bit of confusion.
The birds are migrants from Central Asia to South India during winters and found in thick canopy - usually on the upper canopy.
This wasn't my first sighting, but don't have a better shot than this. After 100s of shots, this is one of very few that is usable.
Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.
I've been hoping to find one of these green forester moths (Adscita statices) for quite some time and then I find one (a female) in Åva-Stensjödal in Tyresta National Park and she was most accomodating. Staying on her thistle and trying out multiple poses.
I am however not entirely pleased with the end results. The gorgeous metallic colours coupled with the dark head and underside made it difficult to light properly. Maybe the next one?
This is a manual focus stack of two images. There was too much movement for Zerene to make it work, but doing it by hand in Photoshop worked out better.
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51425542387/
Part 2 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52729881829/
Part 3 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53480926976/
I always find it difficult to explain to people what type of pictures I like to capture. It always comes up, especially on this trip, since I run into so many people that are also on the road. They always want to know what I'm doing while traveling, since after a while of traveling, usually you're not ONLY traveling. So people ask what I'm doing, I say I like to take photos, and then it's always, oooh, what kind of photos?
Once upon a time I would say something boring like 'fine art photos', but I started to ask myself, what exactly is fine art? And who is saying it's fine? Do I really need to add a modifier to the type of art that I'm making? What's the difference between art and fine art? I'm now of the opinion that saying 'fine art' is as silly as saying that I print my images via giclée (which at best means to squirt in French and usually refers to something that makes French people blush and/or giggle).
So now I say that I like to take art photos, since that helps people understand it's not for the purpose of capturing a moment for posterity, or to sell a product, or make someone look a certain way. Art still seems in some ways pretentious, but maybe that's just my own perspective on it, even though I do have a degree in art photography (fine art photography, at that).
Just makes me happy that wherever I go, I have my iPhone or iPad with me where I can just show my photos when people ask, it's so much easier to show a series of photos than to explain them. I mean, what would I say about this latest series, that I take pictures of rocks in the water? I've tried that and usually it elicits a raised eyebrow at the most. Once you show someone, most of the time they get it. I guess I could say this series is about island portraits, but that sounds as ridiculous as 99% of artist statements that are hung at coffee shops.
How do you describe your photos? Any weird hangups that you have when describing your own work?
Technical Info
Nikon D800E with 80-400 AF-S at 135mm. 6 minutes at f/32 with 13 stops and a 3 stop soft grad of Formatt-Hitech ProStop IRND filters.
Processed in Silver Efex Pro 2 and Adobe Photoshop CC.
In our county, ruffed grouse are pretty difficult to spot. Their camouflage colors of brown, gray and white helps hide them in our wooded areas as they blend almost perfectly with the undergrowth.
To help them stay out of danger, grouse have an explosive take-off that helps startle their predators and gives the grouse a temporary advantage.
During our winters, grouse grow special comb-like structures on their feet that have the effect of snowshoes that helps them walk on deeper snow. Their natural enemies include owls and in some areas of the state, lynx.
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, hunters typically harvest between 200,000 and 500,000 ruffed grouse each year, about the same numbers of pheasants meeting the same fate.
Fluctuations of the numbers for each bird species depends heavily upon environmental factors. Mild winters help the survival rate of adults while wet springs and summers affect the number of chicks that make it.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
This rock hopper penguin was poised right in front t of me for a great shot. She was more interested in preening herself which she did at great length before I gave up.