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Evaluating the new Google Pixel 7 Pro smartphone cameras.
Lightroom reports this as a 13mm equivalent lens (0.5x, cropped to 64:27, Magic Eraser to takeout people, lamp post, and sculpture).
The CN TEST train sits in the siding at Entrance, AB for four as Q116 storms past with an ex-Oakway SD60 on the point. This is the first time in probably 30 years that I have shot a GP-9 on the mainline.
After an evaluation on the Keighley-Leeds 'Aireline' 60 service which is facing overcrowding issues (due to somebody with amazing ideas deciding it would be great to run the former double deck route with Versa's instead), a demonstrator Streetdeck was sent across to the York depot on December 30 2018 and was pressed into service the very next day in order to allow other double deckers to have some issues looked at. Whilst this looks like an ordinary StreetDeck, SK18 TKX is in fact a hybrid / microhybrid vehicle which utilises technology from the Volvo B5LHC hybrid. Underneath the luggage space (front nearside) there is a compartment to house batteries which propel the vehicle when electric traction only is required up to 1500rpm, whilst regenerative braking then charges these batteries - above the initial 0-1500rpm aceleration the bus is then powered by a standard 5.1 litre Daimler Mercedes engine. In many ways this is mechanically similar to SK17HHD (35100) which was used by First York for 14 months - the only mechanical difference is the additional battery capacity; visually this demo is different from the First example due to having glazed A-pillar windows and a fully glazed staircase on the offside, as well as LED spot lighting for the saloons compared to the LED strips inside 35100. To match the vivid livery, this demonstrator has red moquette cloth Estaban Civic V3 seating fitted.
In use here until Jan 11 this will operate on the CityZap route between York and Leeds and is seen here at the rail station. The Zap service started off simply testing the concept of express travel between the two cities, and so used double deckers already in the fleet in case the service didn't work; however this is something of a success story but is being marred by the existing double deckers which work the route being unreliable (and have been since their refurbishment well over 8 years ago back in Harrogate). Trialling this StreetDeck on the Zap could go some way towards finding suitable replacements for the existing B7TL's... though doubts have been cast as to whether the turbo on a Streetdeck can cope with daily fast running long distance as is required on this route, one of the higher-level managers within Transdev gave a somewhat unprofessional reply to the person who said such a doubt.
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm BAe Sea Harrier FA.2 ZD582/712 with the (Operational Evaluation Unit) OEU/899 Squadron on the 'SHAR' line at RNAS Yeovilton back in October 1997
Scanned Kodak 35mm Transparency
For the 50 layers project I noted that quite a few people we're going for a 'post-apocalyptic' theme where I decided to go for something a little more subtle, I decided upon a' jungle' theme as I believed it would look nice and work well. Before reaching the final design, I noted a few imperfections and was able to act upon them with the help of class feedback, some of those imperfections being: the size and scaling of the bee on the front-right in comparison to the dolphins at the back, the lack of individuality with the lotuses, being only duplicates and also the sheer amount of lily pads in the back left. The comments on Thinglink stated that:
"It would look more realistic if you used different images for the lily pads and flowers, instead of just the same one over and over".
"the bee is the same size as the dolphins".
"It's a great picture with nice colours. Perhaps take out some of the lily pads".
I acted upon the feedback by deleting several lily pad images, adding and editing a second lotus image by changing the colour using the 'colour replacement tool' and resizing the bee image.
As well as feedback, their we're additional comments stating what was liked on the design, such as:
"The birds look subtle but when you see them, they are awesome"
"I like how you've made the dolphins look realistic jumping out of water"
"Really well done with the colours as they are vibrant and exciting, this makes your image stand out and makes it look good, well done"
"Good way of using ripples in your work maybe use shadows, but other than that it's perfect".
Editing the images on the document was particularly easy as I have only needed to use basic tools such as the 'magic wand', 'eraser' and 'colour replacement'. The magic wand I used in most if not all my layers to remove the background, the eraser I used like the magic wand but to do a more precise and careful job and the colour replacement tool I used to make the images of the water ripple blend in with the water in the background.
My favourite piece of the document was the water ripples under the leaves as it was easy to edit and looked naturally realistic.
Sample image taken with a final production Sony Cyber-shot RX10 II. These samples and comparisons are part of my Cyber-shot RX10 II review at:
www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Sony_Cyber-shot_RX10_II/
Feel free to download the original image for evaluation on your own computer or printer, but please don't use it on another website or publication without permission from www.cameralabs.com/
Arista II film. Its been 35 years since I have played with ortho lith film. I forgot how picky this stuff is.
Tooled-up Panavia Tornado GR.1 ZG706/E from the 'TOEU' (Tornado Operational Evaluation Unit) on short finals to home-base at Boscombe Down, 19th July 1990
The GR.1's had the single sensor pod to the right of the nose-wheel leg. The later GR.4 variant sported two - one either side. In addition the Air-to-Air refuelling probe housing stands out well in this shot.
Scanned print
"Like everyone else I have at my disposal only three means of evaluating human existence: the study of self, which is the most difficult and most dangerous method, but also the most fruitful; the observation of our fellowmen, who usually arrange to hide secrets where none exist; and books, with the particular errors of perspective to which they inevitably give rise."
(Quotes from "Memoirs of Hadrian" by French writer Marguerite Yourcenar)
This marble statue of Antinoüs stands at Le Louvre museum, it allowed me to try a Canon EOs 500D and to take a few pictures where there is no edition.
Memoirs of Hadrian (French: Mémoires d'Hadrien) is a novel by the French writer Marguerite Yourcenar about the life and death of Roman Emperor Hadrian.
The book was first published in France in French in 1951 as Mémoires d'Hadrien, and was an immediate success, meeting with enormous critical acclaim.
Antinous was born to a Greek family in Bithynion-Claudiopolis, in the Roman province of Bithynia in what is now north-west Turkey.
He joined the entourage of the Emperor when Hadrian passed through Bithynia in about 124, and soon became his beloved companion who accompanied him on his many journeys through the empire.
Although some have suggested the two might have had a romantic relationship, it is uncertain if this was true.
In October 130, according to Hadrian, "Antinous was drowned in the Nilus."
It is not known whether his death was the result of accident, suicide, murder, or religious sacrifice.
After his death, the grief of the emperor knew no bounds, causing the most extravagant respect to be paid to his memory abd he decreed his deification.
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I've had a week of evaluated highs and incredible lows within my art. I go through stages of feeling inadequate and not having a worthy voice to feeling inspired and confident in the things I am saying through my work. I think sometimes I need to remind myself that worshipping your own ideas isn't a self-indulgent motion, it's a human beings right to enable life through creative channels.
I guilt myself into thinking I'm not 'normal' and I don't 'fit in' but really I just need to stop giving a shit and just create for the sake of my own sanity.
Anyway, with that being said, I've vlogged the making of this image and it's going to be posted on the 23rd Dec. I created the halo using an old coat hanger wrapped in fairy lights and then suspended it from above on a backdrop stand!
25/52
GWR 387131 seen here on test runs for the final time before entering into service the following Monday(05/09/2016)
Well, are you?
Abby Kroke Photography ©
Do not use my work without my permission on any website, blog, or for personal use.
Airmen provide care to a victim during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive exercise at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 7. The Air Force Materiel Command evaluation exercised the Airmen’s ability to meet wartime and contingency taskings of employing and sustaining the force and the ability to survive and operate. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Sample image taken with a Sony Alpha A7s Mark II. These samples and comparisons are part of my A7s Mark II review at:
www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Sony_Alpha_A7s_II/
Feel free to download the original image for evaluation on your own computer or printer, but please don't use it on another website or publication without permission from www.cameralabs.com/
Camera Panasonic G3 purchased yesterday from Ffordes.
1st test shots to evaluate it over my old G1.
So far I like it, but wouldn't say some of the mods made to the camera were for the better. Like the loss of the auto evf/vf sensor for switching between the 2.
I'm not a big fan of touchscreen either prefering knobs and buttons instead. But maybe that's just me!
Only really bought it for the 1:1 aspect ratio option! Crazy eh! But cheaper than Hassy!
Lens: my old G1 kit lens.
Thanks for looking and enjoy!
Oh and a quick mention to Ffordes, 1st class service as always. Thanks guys!
I was evaluated yesterday for the first time in 3 years and, although I worried a bit, I didn't worry near as much as I used to. I used to be evaluated every year - so once every three years makes it harder, I think! The worst thing about it all is that you are given a two week "window" in which you can be observed at any time, so although you know you're doing your job, it makes you a little nervous knowing someone is going to come into your castle and watch you with a check list in his hand. What's he looking for? He wants to know if you have control and rapport with the kids. All administrators at my school know if students like you or not because nowadays the kids go directly to them and tell them so. There are even websites where students can rag about their teachers! Can you believe that? omg! So far I've been lucky because I've had to be real firm with my 3rd period and I'm surprised they don't hate me- dang! Nevertheless - he is looking for signs that you're effective. Bookwork is not the kind of thing your students should be doing. He's looking to see if there is learning going on and more than one engaging activity. I knew I had to keep the kids busy from bell to bell and I knew I had to show my students using technology in the classroom. It didn't take me long to remember QRCodes, so I made stations with tasks and created groups and the kids were amazingly engaged because they got to use their phones. They were absolute angels, but they always are. Thank God it happened 1st period. I am proud to say I received those hard to get "exceeds expectations" - music to my ears and from an administrator I didn't really know well. I am planning to bring donuts to class one morning for 1st period just because. That's not really fair because I won't let my 3rd period eat anything, even a mint! Wow!
As for my challenging 3rd period class, I've made some headway. They're very cute kids but every time I spend a period with them, I find myself having to mentally cool off. (There are good students in there, but they don't demand my attention, bless them.) And any fun activity with the class is like trying to herd cats - lol! BUT, yesterday we had a special moment in time together, one to remember when I feel like assigning them extra work. It started like this ...
I was standing in front of them, doing nothing but guiding them through whatever we were learning - no - actually coaxing them is what I what I was doing as they seemed very reluctant to to learn!!!! I've learned they don't like to do anything on their own. So I'm standing there holding their folder because I cannot trust them with it (heeeee!) and this kid asks me if I would play music for them. I told him I would, but I would get to choose the music and it would be in Spanish, since this was Spanish class. (I have to be very firm and business like in that class *giggle*) He agreed and I grabbed a Spanish CD of Abba singing "Dancing Queen." I didn't think they would recognize it - they were born in the 90's. But they surprised me to almost a faint when I heard those kids singing along, but in English. I stopped the music and told them that I would allow them to sing if they did it in Spanish, and then I handed out lyrics ... I'm so prepared hahahahaah! To my amazement, they all sang along. Then I chimed in, too and it was so much fun!! It was a magical moment which may never happen again.
Hope you're having a great week! Tomorrow is Thursday and I'm so looking forward to the weekend. It's gong to be a great one!
I am so far behind - I am def coming back later to catch up. Now I am about to get ready to leave for work. Love y'all!
Kodak Ektar 100 | Mamiya RZ67 | negative processed at home and photographed with my Sony A7R-iii
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This is a quick summary of my observations using Negative Film Lab to perform the surprisingly non-trivial conversion from color negative to finished image.
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1. TLDR; I was impressed enough after playing with Negative Lab Pro this morning I purchased a license. That says it all.
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2. The film was processed by me back in May 2018. I had not yet thrown those twirling stick agitators into the recycle bin yet, so the film is unevenly developed. There was more activity at the edges of the strip than the middle because the edges got exposure to fresher chemistry. TLDR? Inversion is the only way to agitate. YMMV. This is what works for me. Inversion agitation totally stopped the uneven development problem.
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3. Compared to my prior workflow using Silverfast, this plugin is a breeze. I can stay in one program all the way from camera raw file to print ready image file. I’ll compare workflows in the comment area so you can decide for yourself.
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4. Digitizing the image consists of carefully doing a macro photo of the negative on a light table. Any modern DSLR or mirrorless camera will work, but if you plan to print big, the 40+ megapixel cameras are ideal. A quality macro lens is also vital, as is a means of securely mounting everything. I use heavy duty woodworking clamps from Lowes to mount a Kirk ballhead to a sturdy workbench; thinking hardware store rather than camera store saves you a lot of cash! A scanning mask is strongly advised as stray light can enter the edges of the film. Reflections can also be an issue, as can lens flare. A mask helps with all of these. Stray light will wreck your results.
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5. Follow the instructions that come with the Negative Lab plugin. If you do it right, the end result will be an image which requires only minor corrections and spotting in Photoshop/Lightroom to finish it off.
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I’ll let the image speak for itself. Because of the ridiculous amount of compression Instagram uses, I will be posting these images to my Flickr account as well. The link is in my bio. More info in the comments area.
I want it to be known that I am not trying to sell anybody anything. One of the biggest problems for a film shooter in 2019 is how to actually do something useful with the film once you’ve shot it and developed it. Quality scanners are expensive and slow. Hiring a company to handle the job is also expensive and slow, plus it takes the photographer out of the loop as far as the overall look of the resultant images. Color negative scanning offers a massive amount of latitude for one’s artistic vision, you don’t really want to leave that in the hands of someone else.
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After studying every affordable option for scanning medium format film, I concluded that scanning with a high megapixel digital camera was the best option. Once everything is set up, it’s undeniably fast, much faster than high-quality medium format scanners. As for results, if you carefully scan a 6 x 9 negative (or positive for that matter), you end up with a 42 megapixel image in the case of the Sony A7R-iii that I use. That’s more than enough information to create high-quality 24” x 36“ prints.
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Honestly, the resolution isn’t the problem. The problem has always been converting a color negative into a color positive.
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Last winter when I began seriously looking into this problem, I tried everything that was on the market at that time. I quickly settled on Silverfast as the best of a not so perfect lot. It wasn’t perfect because the software is expensive, the user interface is downright hostile, and the whole thing feels like a Windows 98 era program ready to crash and burn at any given moment.
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Even with the issues it has, Silverfast undeniably does produce quality output. At a license cost of $250 for a basic version and $400 for one that actually doesn’t go out of its way to slow you down at every opportunity, it had damned well better at least deliver good output. So why am I so excited about this new Lightroom plugin? Take a look at the workflow for the two solutions:
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Silverfast HDR 8.8
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1. Copy raw files from memory card into temp directory on computer
2. Install the Adobe DNG converter
3. Install MakeTiff from color perfect
4. Convert your camera raw files into linear tiff files
5. Import linear tiff files into Silverfast
6. Perform the necessary adjustments to each photograph inside of Silverfast to get optimal output
7. Kick off Silverfast batch job to create positive tiff files
8. Import tiff files into Lightroom (jumping into Photoshop as needed for heavy lifting) for cataloging, dust spotting, cropping, and creation of final output files
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Negative Lab Pro
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1. Import raw files from memory card into Lightroom
2. Crop images and perform a white balance with the eyedropper on orange mask as instructed in the Negative Lab Pro video
3. Start the plug-in and again follow the directions in the instructional video
4. Perform final edits such as dust spotting, color tweaking, cropping and so on. Edit in Photoshop for heavy lifting tasks like content aware fill. Export final output files from Lightroom as needed.
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It’s up to you, both methods work just fine. I am keeping Silverfast around because there are a few tasks it excels at, such as getting optimum results from seriously expired film. That said, with excellent image quality plus the speed and simplicity advantages, the Negative Lab Pro plug-in will be taking over my medium format camera scanned work.
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I hope this information helps you enjoy the art of analog photography as much as I do.
The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain and Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north.
It is about 12.5–14.0 cm (4.9–5.5 in) in length; the male and female are similar in colouration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upper-parts and a whitish belly.
Names
The distinctive orange breast of both sexes contributed to the European robin's original name of "redbreast", orange as a colour name being unknown in English until the 16th century, by which time the fruit had been introduced. The Dutch roodborstje, French rouge-gorge, Swedish rödhake, German Rotkehlchen, Italian pettirosso, Spanish petirrojo and Portuguese pisco-de-peito-ruivo all refer to the distinctively coloured front.
In the 15th century, when it became popular to give human names to familiar species, the bird came to be known as robin redbreast, which was eventually shortened to robin. As a given name, Robin is originally a smaller form of the name Robert. The term robin is also applied to some birds in other families with red or orange breasts. These include the American robin (Turdus migratorius, a thrush) and the Australasian robins of the family Petroicidae, the relationships of which are unclear.
Other older English names for the bird include ruddock and robinet. In American literature of the late 19th century, this robin was frequently called the English robin.
Taxonomy and systematics
The European robin was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Motacilla rubecula. Its specific epithet rubecula is a diminutive derived from the Latin ruber, meaning 'red'. The genus Erithacus was introduced by French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1800, giving the bird its current binomial name E. rubecula. The genus name Erithacus is from Ancient Greek and refers to an unknown bird, now usually identified as robin.
The genus Erithacus previously included the Japanese robin and the Ryukyu robin. These east Asian species were shown in molecular phylogenetic studies to be more similar to a group of other Asian species than to the European robin. In a reorganisation of the genera, the Japanese and the Ryukyu robins were moved to the resurrected genus Larvivora leaving the European robin as the sole member of Erithacus. The phylogenetic analysis placed Erithacus in the subfamily Erithacinae, which otherwise contained only African species, but its exact position with respect to the other genera was not resolved.
The genus Erithacus was formerly classified as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae) but is now considered to belong to the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), specifically to the chats (subfamily Saxicolinae) which also include the common nightingale.
Subspecies
In their large continental Eurasian range, robins vary somewhat, but do not form discrete populations that might be considered subspecies. Robin subspecies are mainly distinguished by forming resident populations on islands and in mountainous areas. The robin found in the British Isles and much of western Europe, Erithacus rubecula melophilus, occurs as a vagrant in adjacent regions. E. r. witherbyi from northwest Africa, Corsica, and Sardinia closely resembles melophilus but has shorter wings. The northeasternmost birds, large and fairly washed-out in colour, are E. r. tataricus. In the southeast of its range, E. r. valens of the Crimean Peninsula, E. r. caucasicus of the Caucasus and northern Transcaucasia, and E. r. hyrcanus southeastwards into Iran are generally accepted as significantly distinct.
On Madeira and the Azores, the local population has been described as E. r. microrhynchos, and although not distinct in morphology, its isolation seems to suggest the subspecies is valid (but see below).
Canary Islands robin
The most distinct birds are those of Gran Canaria (E. r. marionae) and Tenerife (E. r. superbus), which may be considered two distinct species or at least two different subspecies. They are readily distinguished by a white eye-ring, an intensely coloured breast, a grey line that separates the orange-red from the brown colouration, and the belly is entirely white.
Cytochrome b sequence data and vocalisations indicate that the Gran Canaria/Tenerife robins are indeed very distinct and probably derived from colonisation by mainland birds some 2 million years ago.
Christian Dietzen, Hans-Hinrich Witt and Michael Wink published in 2003 in Avian Science a study called "The phylogeographic differentiation of the European robin Erithacus rubecula on the Canary Islands revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequence data and morphometrics: evidence for a new robin taxon on Gran Canaria?". In it they concluded that Gran Canaria's robin diverged genetically from their European relatives as far back as 2.3 million years, while the Tenerife ones took another half a million years to make this leap, 1.8 million years ago. The most likely reason would be a different colonisation of the Canaries by this bird, which arrived at the oldest island first (Gran Canaria) and subsequently passed to the neighbouring island (Tenerife).
A thorough comparison between marionae and superbus is pending to confirm that the first one is effectively a different subspecies. Initial results suggest that birds from Gran Canaria have wings about 10% shorter than those on Tenerife. The west Canary Islands' populations are younger (Middle Pleistocene) and only beginning to diverge genetically. Robins from the western Canary Islands: El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera (E. r. microrhynchus) are similar to the European type subspecies (E. r. rubecula).
Finally, the robins which can be found in Fuerteventura are the European ones, which is not surprising as the species does not breed either in this island or in the nearby Lanzarote; they are wintering birds or just passing through during their long migration between Africa and Europe.
Other robins
The larger American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a much larger bird named for its similar coloration to the European robin, but the two birds are not closely related, with the American robin instead belonging to the same genus as the common blackbird (T. merula), a species which occupies much of the same range as the European robin. The similarity between the European and American robins lies largely in the orange chest patch found in both species. This American species was incorrectly shown "feathering its nest" in London in the film Mary Poppins, but it only occurs in the UK as a very rare vagrant.
Some South and Central American Turdus thrushes are also called robins, such as the rufous-collared thrush. The Australian "robin redbreast", more correctly the scarlet robin (Petroica multicolor), is more closely related to crows and jays than it is to the European robin. It belongs to the family Petroicidae, whose members are commonly called "Australasian robins". The red-billed leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea) is sometimes named the "Pekin robin" by aviculturalists. Another group of Old World flycatchers, this time from Africa and Asia, is the genus Copsychus; its members are known as magpie-robins, one of which, the Oriental magpie robin (C. saularis), is the national bird of Bangladesh.
Description
The adult European robin is 12.5–14.0 cm (4.9–5.5 in) long and weighs 16–22 g (0.56–0.78 oz), with a wingspan of 20–22 cm (8–8.5 in). The male and female bear similar plumage: an orange breast and face (more strongly coloured in the otherwise similar British subspecies E. r. melophilus), lined by a bluish grey on the sides of the neck and chest. The upperparts are brownish, or olive-tinged in British birds, and the belly whitish, while the legs and feet are brown. The bill and eyes are black. Juveniles are a spotted brown and white in colouration, with patches of orange gradually appearing.
Distribution and habitat
The robin occurs in Eurasia east to Western Siberia, south to Algeria and on the Atlantic islands as far west as the Central Group of the Azores and Madeira. It is a vagrant in Iceland. In the southeast, it reaches Iran the Caucasus range.[1] Irish and British robins are largely resident but a small minority, usually female, migrate to southern Europe during winter, a few as far as Spain. Scandinavian and Russian robins migrate to Britain and western Europe to escape the harsher winters. These migrants can be recognised by the greyer tone of the upper parts of their bodies and duller orange breast. The continental European robins that migrate during winter prefer spruce woods in northern Europe, contrasting with its preference for parks and gardens in Great Britain.
In southern Iberia, habitat segregation of resident and migrant robins occurs, with resident robins remaining in the same woodlands where they bred.
Attempts to introduce the European robin into Australia and New Zealand in the latter part of the 19th century were unsuccessful. Birds were released around Melbourne, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin by various local acclimatisation societies, with none becoming established. There was a similar outcome in North America, as birds failed to become established after being released in Long Island, New York in 1852, Oregon in 1889–1892, and the Saanich Peninsula in British Columbia in 1908–1910.
Behaviour and ecology
The robin is diurnal, although it has been reported to be active hunting insects on moonlit nights or near artificial light at night. Well known to British and Irish gardeners, it is relatively unafraid of people and drawn to human activities involving the digging of soil, in order to look out for earthworms and other food freshly turned up. The robin is considered to be a gardener's friend, and from the traditional association of the red breast with the blood of Christ, the robin would never be harmed. In continental Europe, on the other hand, robins were hunted and killed as were most other small birds, and are therefore more wary. Robins also approach large wild animals, such as wild boar, which disturb the ground, to look for any food that might be brought to the surface.
In autumn and winter, robins will supplement their usual diet of terrestrial invertebrates, such as spiders, worms and insects, with berries and fruit. They will also eat seed mixtures and suet placed on bird-tables.
Male robins are noted for their highly aggressive territorial behaviour. They will fiercely attack other males and competitors that stray into their territories and have been observed attacking other small birds without apparent provocation. There are instances of robins attacking their own reflection. Territorial disputes sometimes lead to fatalities, accounting for up to 10% of adult robin deaths in some areas.
Because of high mortality in the first year of life, a robin has an average life expectancy of 1.1 years; however, once past its first year, life expectancy increases. One robin has been recorded as reaching 19 years of age. A spell of very low temperatures in winter can, however, result in higher mortality rates. The species is parasitised by the moorhen flea (Dasypsyllus gallinulae) and the acanthocephalan Apororhynchus silesiacus.
Breeding
Robins may choose a wide variety of sites for building a nest. In fact, anything which can offer some shelter, like a depression or hole, may be considered. As well as the usual crevices, or sheltered banks, other objects include pieces of machinery, barbecues, bicycle handlebars, bristles on upturned brooms, discarded kettles, watering cans, flower pots and hats. Robins will also nest in manmade nest boxes, favouring a design with an open front placed in a sheltered position up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) from the ground. Nests are generally composed of moss, leaves and grass, with fine grass, hair and feathers for lining.
Two or three clutches of five or six eggs are laid throughout the breeding season, which commences in March in Britain and Ireland. The eggs are a cream, buff or white speckled or blotched with reddish-brown colour, often more heavily so at the larger end. When juvenile birds fly from the nests, their colouration is entirely mottled brown. After two to three months out of the nest, the juvenile bird grows some orange feathers under its chin, and over a similar period this patch gradually extends to complete the adult appearance of an entirely red-orange breast.
Vocalisation
The robin produces a fluting, warbling song during the breeding season. Both the male and female sing during the winter, when they hold separate territories, the song then sounding more plaintive than the summer version. The female robin moves a short distance from the summer nesting territory to a nearby area that is more suitable for winter feeding. The male robin keeps the same territory throughout the year. During the breeding season, male robins usually initiate their morning song an hour before civil sunrise, and usually terminate their daily singing around thirty minutes after sunset. Nocturnal singing can also occur, especially in urban areas that are artificially lit during the night. Some urban robins opt to sing at night to avoid daytime anthropogenic noise.
Magnetoreception
The avian magnetic compass of the robin has been extensively researched and uses vision-based magnetoreception, in which the robin's ability to sense the magnetic field of the Earth for navigation is affected by the light entering the bird's eye. The physical mechanism of the robin's magnetic sense involves quantum entanglement of electron spins in cryptochrome in the bird's eyes.
Conservation status
The European robin has an extensive range and a population numbering in the hundreds of millions. The species does not approach the vulnerable thresholds under the population trend criterion (>30 per cent decline over ten years or three generations); the population appears to be increasing. The International Union for Conservation of Nature evaluates it as least concern.
Cultural depictions
The robin features prominently in British folklore and that of northwestern France, but much less so in other parts of Europe. It was held to be a storm-cloud bird and sacred to Thor, the god of thunder, in Norse mythology. Robins feature in the traditional children's tale Babes in the Wood; the birds cover the dead bodies of the children.
The robin has become strongly associated with Christmas, taking a starring role on many Christmas cards since the mid-19th century. The robin has appeared on many Christmas postage stamps. An old British folk tale seeks to explain the robin's distinctive breast. Legend has it that when Jesus was dying on the cross, the robin, then simply brown in colour, flew to his side and sang into his ear in order to comfort him in his pain. The blood from his wounds stained the robin's breast, and thereafter all robins carry the mark of Christ's blood upon them.
An alternative legend has it that its breast was scorched fetching water for souls in Purgatory.[49] The association with Christmas more probably arises from the fact that postmen in Victorian Britain wore red jackets and were nicknamed "Robins"; the robin featured on the Christmas card is an emblem of the postman delivering the card.
In the 1960s, in a vote publicised by The Times, the robin was adopted as the unofficial national bird of the United Kingdom. In 2015, the robin was again voted Britain's national bird in a poll organised by birdwatcher David Lindo, taking 34% of the final vote.
Several English and Welsh sports organisations are nicknamed "the Robins". The nickname is typically used for teams whose home colours predominantly use red. These include the professional football clubs Bristol City, Crewe Alexandra, Swindon Town, Cheltenham Town (with Bristol City, as of 2019, Swindon Town, and Cheltenham Town also incorporating a robin image in their current badge designs), and, traditionally, Wrexham A.F.C., as well as the English rugby league team the Hull Kingston Rovers (whose home colours are white with a red band). A small bird is an unusual choice, although it is thought to symbolise agility in darting around the field.
Michael Buchanan
Deputy Chief Investment Officer, Western Asset Management Company
Richard Hunter
Chief Credit Officer, Fitch Ratings
Purnima Puri
Governing Partner, HPS Investment Partners
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background
The history of Focke Wulf's Fw 190 in Japan started with a rejection: in 1943 a single FW 190 A-5 had been supplied to Japan for evaluation, but at first, the type was not put into production by the Japanese. Anyway, the results of the study by Japanese engineers were incorporated in the design of the Ki-61 fighter. This evaluation did not go unnoticed, since the type received the Allied code-name 'Fred'.
By that time, the teething development problems of Mitubishi's J2M ‘Raiden’ (Thunderbolt) 'Jack' led to a slowdown in production. Biggest issues were the Kasei engine, an unreliable propeller pitch change mechanism and the main undercarriage members. Another drawback of the type was that its design put emphasis on performance and pilot protection rather than maneuverability. By the time the Fw 190 was tested, only fourteen J2M had been completed.
To make matters even worse, the Mitsubishi A7M 'Reppu' fighter was also behind schedule, so that replacements for the A6M 'Zero', backbone of the IJN’s air force, were overdue.
This situation left the Imperial Japanese Navy without a land-based interceptor. The first few produced J2M2 were delivered to the development units in December 1942 but further trials and improvements took almost a year, and it took until June 1944 that the ‘Raiden’ could make its combat debut, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
While the Raiden was to be developed further for the high-altitude interceptor role, the IJN decided in January 1944 to adopt the highly effective Fw 190 as a supplementary interceptor for medium heights - only as a stop-gap at first, but the type quickly evolved into various sub-variants, much like in Germany.
License production of the adopted Fw 190 started at Hitachi in May 1944. The original airframe was modified to cater to Japanese needs and customs, and the most obvious difference of the J10F1, how the plane was officially called, was the use of the Mitsubishi MK4R Kasei 23c radial engine instead of the original BMW 801. It was a modified version of the engine in the J2M, but simplified and made more reliable. The engine produced 1.820hp and drove a four-bladed propeller. Another distinctive feature was a small fin fillet, which compensated directional instability due to the longer forward fuselage.
By its pilots, the J10F quickly became called “hueruge” (フエルゲル), a transcription of the Fw 190's German nickname "Würger" (=Shrike).
Variants:
J10F1
The original main variant with the MK4R Kasei 23e and armed with 2× 13.2 mm Type 3 machine guns and 4× 20 mm two Type 99 Model 2 cannons, 354 aircraft produced.
While no official sub-variant was developed or designated, single machines differed considerably in equipment. This included field-modifications like reduced armament for better performance or ground-attack equipment, e .g. racks for a total of four unguided 60kg air-to-air missiles under the outer wings.
J10F1-G
In late 1945 a few J10F1 were modified for the anti-ship role and night attacks, and they received the "-G" suffix for their new land-based bomber role. These planes had a reduced gun armament, flame dampers and an IR sight, similar to the German “Spanner” device.
Most of these planes were to carry special weapons, like a single indigenous Ke-Go 110 heat-seeking guided bomb under the belly, or, alternatively, a copy of the German Bv 246 "Hagelkorn" gliding bomb, which had been delivered to Japan in 1944 for tests and adopted for production. To allow more space under the fuselage while carrying these bombs on the ground, some of these aircraft had a longer tail wheel strut fitted. Additionally, tests were made with a torpedo on the centerline hardpoint. It is uncertain if these weapons were actually used in combat, though.
J10F2
The only variant that was developed so far that it entered service, incorporating many detail modifications and improvements. These included thicker armored glass in the cabin's windshield (from 5.5 cm/2.2” to 7.6cm/3”) and extra armor plating behind the pilot's seat. The wing skinning was thickened in localized areas to allow for a further increase in dive speed. A water-methanol engine boost was added, which allowed an engine output of 2.050 hp for short periods, which boosted the top speed to 695 km/h. 52 were produced.
J10F3
High altitude project with a pressurized cabin, a larger wing span of 11.96 m (39 ft 2 in) and a turbo-supercharged MK4R-C Kasei 23c engine, with the turbo-supercharger mounted behind the cockpit (itself made wider). This doubled the altitude at which the engine could produce its rated power, from 15,750ft up to 30,185ft. The J10F3 only carried two 20mm cannons in the wing roots, but had two extra oblique-firing 20mm cannon installed aft of the cockpit for use against high flying American B-29 bombers (much like the German "Schräge Musik" installments). Two prototypes were completed in June 1945, but the turbo-supercharger proved troublesome, and no further aircraft of this type were produced.
From late 1944 on, the J10F1 was quickly thrown into service and became a nasty surprise for Allied aircraft. The modified Focke Wulf design proved to be agile, fast and much tougher than earlier Japanese fighters, coupled with a relatively heavy armament. Beyond interception duties, the J10F1 was frequently employed in close support and anti-shipping tasks, since its low level handling and ordnance load was excellent.
Its only drawback was - as with the original Fw 190 - that performance dropped at heights above 6.000m. This should not have posed a problem with the J2M, but that type's delay left the Allied high-altitude bomber attacks relatively unharmed, so that the J10F3 version was hastily developed, but failed to realize. In Germany, the similar situation resulted in the Fw 190 D-9 variant and finally in the superb Ta-152.
J10F1General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 9.29 m (30 ft 6¾ in)
Wingspan:10.51 m (34 ft 5 in)
Height: 3.95 m (12 ft 12 in)
Wing area:18.30 m² (196.99 ft²)
Empty weight: 3,490 kg (7,694 lb)
Max. take-off weight: 4,840 kg (10,670 lb)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 656 km/h (408 mph) at 19,420 ft (5,920 m)
Rate of climb:17 m/s (3,300 ft/min)
Range: 800 km (500 mi)
Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,370 ft)
Engine: 1 Mitsubishi MK4R Kasei 23e radial engine with 1.820hp
Armament:
2 × 13.2 mm Type 3 machine guns, 300 rpg, in the nose
4 × 20 mm two Type 99 Model 2 cannons, 200 rpg, two in the wing roots, two outside of the landing gear.
Three hardpoints, one under the fuselage (max. 500 kg/1.102 lb) and one under each wing for 250 kg/550 lb each for bombs or fuel tanks. Total external ordnance load of 1.000kg (2.205 lb).
The kit and its assembly
The 'Japanese Fw 190' is a popular what-if topic, so I wanted to add my interpretation to the plethora of whifs and replicas of the real test machine. Actually, a clean Fw 190 looks pretty Japanese with its radial engine and sleek lines. When I recently came across a similar build at britmodelers.com, I thought that painting a Fw 190 green/grey and putting some Hinomarus on is logical and simple, but there's more in the subject than just cosmetics. I wanted a bit more... And while the concept remained simple, I had enough ideas and spare parts for a twin combo! In the end, the J10F was built as a pure interceptor and as a 'special purpose' night strike aircraft.
Basically, my limiting design idea for the J10F's design was the idea that Japan would not have received the Fw 190’s original BMW 801 radial engine, so that an alternative powerplant had to be fitted. I had hoped that this would have set the 'new' plane outwardly a bit apart from its German ancestor, and also make you look twice because the result would not be a 1:1 "Japanized" Fw 190 A/F. I tried, but I suppose that the effect is not as 'powerful' as intended – but judge for yourself?
The basic kits for both conversions come from Hobby Boss. It is a simple and clean kit, but with very good fit and engraved details. In an attempt to change the plane's look a little, I tried to transplant other engines - radials, too. Donation parts for both kits come from an Italeri Ju 188, which features two pairs of engines. The radials I used are actually BMW 801’s, too, but they lack the typical cooling fan and the cowlings are 3-4mm longer because they'd carry the engine mountings on the Ju 188's wings. Actually, the fuselage is minimal longer now, maybe 4-5mm, but the shape is still very close to the original Fw 190, so I think that this mod hardly is recognizable at all?
The change was a bit tricky, due to the massive fuselage of the Hobby Boss kit, but it worked. The new cowlings received new cooling louvres and exhaust pipes. New, four-bladed propellers were added, scratch-built from leftover Mosquito NF.30 propellers from the Airfix kit and drop tank front halves.
Otherwise, though, not much was changed, the two kits just differ in equipment details and received Matchbox pilot figures in order to cover up the bleak and very deep cockpit.
The interceptor:
As an interceptor I left the plane clean, without external ordnance. I wanted to emphasize its elegant look, which makes it look like a Ki-43 on casual glance, or even an A6M. The plane carries the normal gun armament (from a Fw 190 A-8), this is supposed to be the original/standard J10F mentioned above.
The night attacker:
The J10F1-G variant saw more modifications, including a new exhaust system with flame dampers built from scratch. Other special equipment comprises an IR sight in front of the canopy, flare protectors, the fuselage hardpoint and the scratch-built Ke-Go 110 bomb. In order to cover the deleted gun access panels under the wings, I added streamlined bomb shackles for two Japanese 60kg bombs each, donated from a Matchbox Ju 87 kit.
About the Ke-Go bomb
This bomb, which looks like a penguin, is a fantasy derivate of a real Japanese development series until summer 1945. In a nutshell, the Ke-Go bomb actually was one of the first “fire and forget” weapons I have heard of. With the guidance of a bolometer seeker and a self-correcting steering mechanism, the bomb would (only) be useable against strong and clear heat sources – a ship’s kettle at night, when surrounding heat level was low, would qualify, and the bomb would be guided by deviation and correction from that heat source - if it locked on correctly, though! My Ke-Go 110 is a smaller version of the original Ke-Go bombs, suitable for lighter planes.
Painting
Being an IJN plane, paint scheme choices for the J10F were rather limited - and since it is a whif plane I stuck to my policy that I rather use a simple/subtle paint scheme.
The interceptor:
For the clean and rather conservative interceptor I settled for a simple IJN Green/Gray livery (N. 2 ‘Aomidori-iro’, a bluish, very dark green and N.10 ‘Hairyokushoku’, respectively), with Testors 2116 and 2117 as basic tones. Yellow wing leading edges were added, cut from an aftermarket decal sheet. As a design twist I painted the engine cowling black, A6M-style. The propeller spinner was painted in red brown (typical Japanese WWII primer color), with an orange tip, matching the arrow symbol decal on the tail fin. The propeller blades were painted with Testor’s ‘Rubber’, #1183.
A slightly worn look was achieved through a light wash with black ink and some dry painting with paler shades of Green (Humbrol 91 and 185) and Aluminum, plus light exhaust marks and gun smoke residues with flat black. Some bare metal spots were added, which also highlight some details and add to the worn look.
All decals for the green fighter come from a Hobby Boss A6M, only the arrows come from the Hobby Boss He 162. Finally, everything was sealed under a semi-matte varnish, for a light shine to the surface – typical IJN machines appear to be rather shiny?
The night attacker:
This variant received a more fantastic and stealthy paint scheme - I wanted to set the plane apart from the clean and shiny interceptor: a grunty, desperate strike aircraft against overwhelming sea forces.
AFAIK, there had not been specific nocturnal cammo schemes at the IJNAS, except for all-green aircraft? A bit boring, I thought, esp. with a typical green/gray sister plane.
So I made up a personal variant: In a first step, upper surfaces were painted in a brownish-grey basic tone, AFAIK called ‘Ameiro’ – it is the color which was used on early Zeroes which were based on carriers, and the tone faded quickly to a light gray. This color is very similar to RAL 7014 ‘Fenstergrau’ and reminds of B.S. ‘Hemp’. I improvised it with a mix of Humbrol 141 (60%), 83 (35%) and a bit of 155 (5%). On top of that a dense array of dark green blotches (Humbrol 185, Chrome Green, at first, and later also with Humbrol 116 for more contrast) was applied, breaking up the plane’s lines and covering the light gray tone almost completely.
Undersides originally sported ‘Ameiro’, too, but they were painted as if they had been covered with a very dark gray tone in the field (Humbrol 67), even leaving out the hinomarus and flaking off everywhere. The black engine cowling was retained.
Hinomaru and squadron emblems come from the same Mitsubishi A6M from Hobby Boss as mentioned above, featuring even less markings. As a side note: I have never seen Hinomaru with a black(!) rim before? I am not certain if this is correct or an authentic modification - it matches the night fighter role perfectly, though. This time I chose a matte varnish, except for the cowling which received some streaks with more shiny semi-matte varnish.
In both cases, cockpit interior surfaces and landing gear wells were painted in ‘Aodake Iro’, simulated with a base of Aluminium (Humbrol 56) and a coat of translucent blue lacquer on top.
All in all, these pair of rather simple model kit was built in a couple of days, taking the pictures and waiting for good light took almost the same time! I am not 100% happy, because the engine mod is not as obvious as I expected, even though the four-bladed prop and the slightly elongated fuselage give the J10F a menacing and fast look, like a “Baby Tempest”.
Sample image taken with a Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II. These samples and comparisons are part of my PowerShot G7X Mark II review at:
www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_PowerShot_G7X_Mark_II/
Feel free to download the original image for evaluation on your own computer or printer, but please don't use it on another website or publication without permission from www.cameralabs.com/
Some students in one of my graduate classes had problems understanding a printed evaluation scale. Well, the Word document did mangle the formatting. Effortlessly uploaded by Eye-Fi
This stairwell is of part of the riverside approach to the National Theatre.
The Royal National Theatre (generally known as the National Theatre) in London is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly-funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. Internationally, it is known as the National Theatre of Great Britain.
From its foundation in 1963 until 1976, the company was based at the Old Vic theatre in Waterloo. The current building was designed by architects Sir Denys Lasdun and Peter Softley and structural engineers Flint & Neill and contains three stages, which opened individually between 1976 and 1977. It overlooks the River Thames in the South Bank area of central London.
The style of the building was described by Mark Girouard as "an aesthetic of broken forms" at the time of opening; however, architectural opinion was split. Even enthusiastic advocates of the Modern Movement such as Sir Nikolaus Pevsner have found the Béton brut concrete both inside and out overbearing. Most notoriously, Prince Charles described the building in 1988 as "a clever way of building a nuclear power station in the middle of London without anyone objecting". Sir John Betjeman, however, a man not noted for his enthusiasm for brutalist architecture, was effusive in his praise and wrote to Lasdun stating that he "gasped with delight at the cube of your theatre in the pale blue sky and a glimpse of St. Paul's to the south of it. It is a lovely work and so good from so many angles...it has that inevitable and finished look that great work does."
Despite the controversy, the theatre has been a Grade II* listed building since 1994. Although the theatre is often cited as an archetype of Brutalist architecture in England, since Lasdun's death the building has been re-evaluated as having closer links to the work of Le Corbusier, rather than contemporary monumental 1960s buildings such as those of Paul Rudolph. The carefully-refined balance between horizontal and vertical elements in Lasdun's building has been contrasted favourably with the lumpiness of neighbouring buildings such as the Hayward Gallery and Queen Elizabeth Hall.
It is now in the unusual situation of having appeared simultaneously in the Top 10 "most popular" and "most hated" London buildings in opinion surveys. A recent lighting scheme illuminating the exterior of the building, in particular the fly towers, has proved very popular, and is one of several positive artistic responses to the building.
Béton brut is architectural concrete left unfinished or roughly-finished after casting and left exposed visually. The imprint of the wood or plywood formwork used for forming is usually present on the final surface.
The use of béton brut was pioneered by Auguste Perret and other modern architects. It flourished as a part of the brutalist architecture of the 1960s and 70s. - details from Wikipedia.
CN's Budd RDC 1501 crosses Rock City Rd. A few miles east of Freeport, IL on Canadian National's namesake sub. This little grouping of houses here my Great Grandfather always called "Evarts". Not sure if it had a station or not.
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Three One (VX-31) "Dust Devils"
NAWS China Lake
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Three One (VX-31), "Dust Devils", China Lake, California, provides aircraft, test pilots, project officers, and flight test planning oversight for research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) of weapons and platform-related systems.
The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division (NAWCWD) is an organization within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), dedicated to maintaining a center of excellence in weapons development for the Department of the Navy (DoN). NAWCWD has two locations in sunny Southern California; China Lake hosting the land test range and Point Mugu hosting the sea test range.
Nestled in the quiet Indian Wells Valley at the south eastern foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, China Lake is the premier land range and weapons development laboratory for the Department of the Navy (DoN). Roughly two and a half hours north of Los Angeles, China Lake is within easy driving distance of Southern California's most beautiful country. The Weapons Division at China Lake is hosted by the Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS).
The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century. British Aerospace rejoined the project in the early 1980s, and it has been managed by Boeing/BAE Systems since the 1990s.
Developed from the earlier Hawker Siddeley Harriers, it is primarily used for light attack or multi-role tasks, typically operated from small aircraft carriers and large amphibious assault ships. Versions are used by several NATO countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and the United States.
The aircraft is known as the AV-8B Harrier II in United States Marine Corps service and the Harrier GR7/GR9 in British service. Though it shares the designation letter-number with the earlier AV-8A/C Harrier, the AV-8B Harrier II was extensively redesigned by McDonnell Douglas. The AV-8A was a previous-generation Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1A procured for the US Marine Corps. These models are commonly referred to as the "Harrier Jump Jet".