View allAll Photos Tagged scope
23 MAY 13
I totally called it. I was talking about this just the other day, that I knew this client was going to cancel on me for the now 3rd time, but I had hope that for once, things would run smoothly and we’d finally get a chance to do this engagement photo shoot after all this time. Initially I was planning to go downtown yesterday to scope out some new spots to go with her theme, but I talked myself out of doing it because I just didn’t want to waste my time, money, energy on doing this if it wasn’t going to work out for Thursday, so I stayed home. Today was looking good. I confirmed in the morning via email, sent a back and fourth around midday, and it was looking like it was going to happen, and then just 2 hours before the shoot, I get an email, that she’s cancelling and is having to re-schedule. I AM NOT in a good mood after last weekend’s triple cancellations, 2 of which rescheduled, and one who never returned my final emails. So this was like the icing on the WTF cake. So I angrily punched in the numbers on my cell phone, steaming mad, just wanting to reschedule and hang up, when she answered the phone. It wasn’t her usual voice. It was slow, and tired, and upset. I said her name into the speaker, double checking on the caller ID, to make sure I’d dialed the right number, but it was her. Instantly, I felt bad. Have you ever had a moment where you were about to dog someone out and then you realized something terrible had happened, like their dog was run over by a car, or their car was broken into, or…I thought someone had died by the tone in her voice. Instantly my anger and frustrations just vanished.
At 3pm I’d made a last check of things in my four bags. The camera bag, the “bathroom” bag, the cooler, and the props bag. I’d made sure everything was there, charged, in tip top shape, and I had plans to go pick up a couple of balloons to add yet another element to the already full props bag. This was going to be my first dusk to night shoot so I was amped and nervous, but trying to remain as confident as ever. I know her, but I’ve only met her fiancé before once. That’s where the nerves came from. I was running through my checklist gnawing on a piece of the focaccia bread I’d made yesterday, when I decided to give it one last check. Sure enough, there was the email. We need to reschedule. I spoke to this voice, which seemed much too emotional for one simply answering the phone. What’s wrong I inquired hoping nothing terrible had happened to make her sound this way. Her voice perked up, but not in a happy way, in a way that had an edge to it, a hard edge. She answered the way I’d intended to when she picked up the phone, with my frustration and anger at the day.
An hour later, I no longer felt any of the earlier frustration. That had long ago been replaced with a kind of pity and an understanding. Long story short, in the wedding planning scheme, she’d learned the tough lessons that sometimes friends are not who they appear to be, and she’d learned for sure which family was there for her, and which weren’t, and even her fiancé had learned from his job that employers don’t always give you the whole truth. A lot had been raining down on her head from these three arena’s in her life and her support system was not a nice sturdy nylon bag. It was a net filled with many many holes. I offered her my help in anyway I could give it after hearing her story. There is a point where you know that someone is reaching their breaking point, and it sounded like she was rounding that corner. She more than apologized for cancelling, and knowing the whole back story for previous cancellations, made me understand what all was happening. I've known her for a while and she is a very real person, not one to make things up, or come crashing down, so we just talked, and talked for hours. She vented about life, I vented about life, and the next thing I know, its five hours later. I don't know who felt better after the conversation, me or her, but I think we both needed to release some things into the universe and I think we both left feeling like the burdens of life weren't all on our shoulders.
This whole situation has brought me to a certain realization and that is that I must go back to the days where I used to charge a sitting fee. A sitting fee is a fee you charge basically to reserve a time and date on your schedule so that the client(s) knows that you wont' schedule anybody else, their time is reserved, and you will honor the times listed. What it really does is ensure that if like me, you've put all this time and effort into scouting a location, or prepping for a shoot, or showing up and they cancel 20 minutes before a shoot, you are still guaranteed that sitting fee whether they show up or not. I used to do it, but I didn't really like the practice, but now---you know, hindsight is always there----I know why so many photographers use this. I could have booked someone else, I could have spent time and effort on someone that showed up. Like I said, now knowing her situation, I can't be mad or upset at her, and she is a friend of mine before being "just a client" in any case, but going forward, given the sheer amount of time/energy going into just the prep, the sitting fee is coming back or I may require 50% deposit, one of the two. I'm sure someone out there is groaning, and shaking their head furiously, like, you idiot, but fool me once...you know the rest.
In other news, I was clicking through my photo stream and I notice an inordinate amount of people have looked at my image of the sun in the puddle. I hadn't put the image in any groups, hadn't advertised in anywhere, so I had no clue what was going on, so I went to Explore via Fluidr, and searched through it to try and see if I'd made it to explore, I mean, there really couldn't be any explanation for it, other then that, but I couldn't find it. I searched and searched on the date I took it, the day after that, and by that time after going through nearly a thousand images, and not seeing it, I couldn't figure out what was going on. Turns out it made it to explore on the day I had posted it, not taken it (my mistake). As of now, an amazing 905 people have looked at the image in just one day. I find this to be really amazing because the image is somewhere near the end of the list for that day. I even thought, well, I guess that's the reason for so many views, but the images surrounding my own, don't have as many. You know what---this is now the 5th image that has made it to Explore. I don't get it. I really don't. I read up a while back on what images make it in, and one person said you know you have to put tags, and put it in popular groups, but not too many, or be a photographer with not that big of a rep, and all these things, but this was an image I certainly didn't post in any group or advertise with tags, or do anything aside from post it up and talk about a book I was reading that day which has gotten to be really interesting, and it makes it in. Of course I love the image and was amazed even as I took it, but so too do I love a lot of stuff I do, but it never makes it in. I'm happy I made it to Explore. It's like the Paparazzi spotting you and taking your picture for 10 minutes and then they're gone like you never existed.
Image: My mammoth sunflowers are on their way up to the sky, soon to be 12 feet. From growing the 6 foot variety, I know that these things are so weak at the stage. They fall over, they don't stand straight, the wind and any drops of water knock them over, so I put down the bottle tops of some empty plastics. I use these as tiny green houses when the plants are younger then this and remove them when thy get too tall. They also serve to keep squirrels from walking through and digging up their roots to bury their pecans.
credit:
R4mos for the base
PoketheHyena- Recons = Fags for the fire selector
The Iron Shock • PMG Avenger for the inspiration for the mount to the RDS
comment, note please!!!!
The vast number of birds, both migratory and resident, allows anyone who enjoys the wonders of these winged friends a great experience whenever visiting Mill Creek Marsh, a quiet, almost hidden, sanctuary of wildlife. The variety of bird and plant species is incredible, so if one is appreciative of such, then learning something new is the norm. In addition, there are some furry, adorable critters and several kinds of turtle, including quite large snappers. Seasonal changes always keep things fresh and interesting . . .
While returning to the main path near the northern end of the park, coming from a short extension that leads to a platform overlook, came so close to stepping on this very young Praying Mantis—perhaps about an inch in length. At first, as this tiny light green insect hopped and landed right in the spot of my next step, I had seen it just in time, and stepped back a little. My first thought was that it had to be a very small grasshopper. So, I called out to my wife ahead of me, and said, “Check this out . . . a very tiny grasshopper!” Then, within a split second, I realized what stood before me—before my foot, actually. It was a pretty young Praying Mantis. It looked up at me, then noticed Elaine approaching. I placed my sunglasses on the ground for size reference, then allowed it to walk up the arm. The little bugger seemed quite content as it groomed itself every few seconds. It would then explore the arm and hair follicles. I had my wife put out her arm, and the green creature instantly went to her. There it continued to preen at every opportunity, and again, would proceed to scope out her arm. After taking a few shots and very gently petting it, now and then, which it somehow seemed to enjoy, we tried to lower the arm by a tree in which the egg casings are often seen. Trying a variety of new destinations for it to board, each attempt would result in an almost refusal like reaction . . . as if it wanted to remain on our being. Eventually, I had to pry it off of her arm in a gingerly manner, before it would finally step onto a vegetated area, only to disappear within seconds, right in front of us. After some careful search between the two of us, we would spot it. With every trial in securing a photo in it natural element, once the camera was lifted toward my eye seeking the view finder, it would be gone. So, we had no luck with the return to home photo(s) . . .Until, out of the blue—or green, in this case—we got a glimpse as we preceded to depart. Luckily, the setting on the camera was almost right for the conditions, but no time was wasted in trying to make any final adjustments. Given that you are seeing a closer version in the comfort of your home, it does not appear to be nearly impossible to see, but in the real world scale, believe me, it is really tough to pin point where it might sit. To make matters worse, they often like to hang on the underside of leaves.
All images in this album are renderings.
Select renderings show customs items which would need to be individually quoted by project.
Finish Disclaimer:
No details on finishes can be provided. Finishes on computer screens can appear different than in person. Dealers should order samples through the Dealer Resource Center (DRC) to determine what works best for their needs.
All images in this album are renderings.
Select renderings show customs items which would need to be individually quoted by project.
Finish Disclaimer:
No details on finishes can be provided. Finishes on computer screens can appear different than in person. Dealers should order samples through the Dealer Resource Center (DRC) to determine what works best for their needs.
FORT STEWART, Hinesville, Ga., June 23, 2011 - Looking through the scope of the M119A2 as Soldiers from the 1-118th Field Artillery send shells downrange during certification and qualification training.
For full story: www.flickr.com/photos/ganatlguard/5934238176/in/set-72157...
President Tsai is warmly welcomed by Miss Chinese Panamanian 2015, Jessica Michelle Pereira Chong. (2016/06/25)
La Presidenta Tsai recibe la bienvenida de la Reina China de Panamá, Jessica Michelle Pereira Chong. (2016/06/25)
授權方式及範圍：中華民國總統府│政府網站資料開放宣告
Authorization Method & Scope:
That is a wind indicator flag about 100 yards downrange looking through a Nightforce Scope. Ordinarily you wouldn't be sighting in on a wind flag. I was at my gun club, Riverbend, north of Atlanta, last week for a competition.
Nightforce scopes are a little pricey and heavy but very popular because they are rugged, reliable and don't shift point of bullet strike when they are jarred, like lesser scopes do.
Rifle competitors just hate it when they spend many $thousands on their gear and hundreds of hours in practice and load development only to lose badly because their scope is dancing around. But not Nightforce.
EL Nikkor 75mm f4 enlarging lens, PB-4 assembly, Spotting scope zoom lens.
Aquiring the subject.
This was a bit of a problem when I came up with the MkI. As magnification increases above 1:1 this becomes an ever greater problem due to the ever lessening depth of field.
Option one was to put a spike on a mount to bayonet on the front of the bellows, but that idea was discarded as unless sthe subject distance was within the coarse focus movement of the bellows sliding plate it could still take time to aquire the subject.
Back in the 1980's I bought a 'lens scope converter' from Jessops. Quite a handy bit of kit. Simply attatch to a lens and you can use it as a monocular. So in use, a 50mm camera lens becomes a x5 monocular, 100mm lens x10 and so on. Sounds impressive, but in reality the exit pupil is only about 2.5mm so the image is quite dim unless used with lenses with an aperture greater than f2.8 or in bright conditions. Next option was to try a spotting scope eyepiece and due to its far larger exit pupil, and that gives a really bright image. The image is not erect image ( upside down ) but never the less a significantly brighter image than that from the lenscope.
With that mounted and set to 20x and the bellows at minimum extension I found the subject would be dead on when the bellows was at full back extension using a 75mm lens. As the reversed 50, 28 and 24 have only a few mm between them in terms of lens to subject distance, the subject aquisition problem well and truely solved. Use that with a reversed lens and you have a seriously good bench magnifier.
Velbon Sherpa 750R Tripod in use at the Tindale Tarn viewing screen...plus a few defects.
I initially wrote this review for Amazon as I bought my third 750R through them, but as usual they didn't publish it. So I thought I'd publish it myself here, in a slightly expanded form, along with the above composite photo.
The tripod specification can be found here . This link includes a few images illustrating its versatility.
I bought my first Velbon Sherpa 750R tripod in November 2006 (from Hilton Photographic, priced £88), my second in February 2010 (from Briston Cameras, priced £90), and my third In June 2011 (via Amazon, priced £80). The only difference is that this last one didn't come with a carry case, which I never wanted anyway. It's been used mainly for digiscoping with my 80mm Opticron scope and compact digital camera, which together weigh about 2kg - well within the 4kg load specification. The fact that I'm on my third one in about five years indicates that they're not particularly reliable when subject to hard use.
The first trivial problem I encountered is when I lost one of the rubber feet after using the tripod on a muddy shore. To be fair, I contacted the manufacturer and they sent me a replacement free of charge. Over the next few years I lost five of the six feet on my first two tripods under similar circumstances, and soon stopped bothering about them, just taping over the ends of the legs to avoid trapping mud (see photo, top right). A more serious problem is that after a few months of use, I found it progressively more difficult to lock the tripod head at a steep angle (eg when attempting to photograph birds perched in trees). To be fair again, I think it's probably asking a bit much of the relatively cheap tripod head to cope with a heavy-weight scope used in this way, but I think this should be spelled out in the specification.
As I couldn't find anything better on the market for my purposes, I eventually bought a second one; but within a few months one of the plastic lever-type locks on one of the legs snapped off (see photo, middle right). In theory I could of course have sent the unit back for repair, as there's a two-year guarantee, but as I didn't want it to be out of service for any length of time, I just swapped the damaged leg with one from my old tripod. But within six months the same thing had happened to the other two legs, and so I had to replace those as well. If that wasn't bad enough, after about 15 months some sort of lubrication problem seemed to develop making it impossible to rotate the scope smoothly in the horizontal plane. So I replaced the head as well, meaning that I was now virtually back to using my original tripod...and so I bought another one.
I've been using my third 750R for about six months now, and all was going well till a few weeks ago when the plastic latch that secures the quick release plate to the tripod head sheared (see photo, bottom right). Again, rather than sending it back for repair, I just replaced the latch with a spare from one of my old units.
Other than these reliability issues, I've found the tripod to be fit-for-purpose for the vast majority of applications. Additionally, I often walk long distances when out digiscoping, and so although I need something fairly sturdy to support an 80mm scope I don't want anything too heavy: the 750R is just about the ideal weight. Also, I don't like to advertise the fact that I'm carrying optical equipment, and as the tripod packs down to 55cm it can easily be carried along with my scope in an averaged-sized rucksack.
My only substantial operational gripe is that there are no fine controls on the tripod head, which makes it difficult to get the framing right when viewing images at very high magnifications (for all I know, this comment might apply to other, more expensive models as well). Although this isn't generally important for stills photography, as the resulting photos can easily be cropped, it can be crucial when shooting video: on some occasions it's taken me several minutes of fiddling about with the crude locking mechanism before I've been able to centre an image in the camera frame - and birds don't always hang around that long!
In my original Amazon review, which I wrote several months ago, I gave this product a three-star rating (out of five). Despite my subsequent experience with the sheared latch, I'd probably stick with that assessment, taking everything into consideration. (See subsequent updates.)
18 November 2011
Update 28 April 12: The replacement latch, which I'd taken from my second tripod, sheared today; also one of the leg locks will now only half close - although it currently still performs its function. I'm beginning to think that my three-star rating was far too generous!
Update 18 June 12: Yet another of the leg locks sheared today - this is in addition to the one that will not fully close. I've therefore now experienced five failures on the nine legs from my three tripods! In view of this - and the second latch problem reported above - I'd now give this product a ONE STAR rating on the Amazon system, largely in view of its appalling reliability record.
Update 9 January 13. Following a further failure today (panning action jammed) I thought it might be useful to list all the faults experienced on my three Velbon Sherpa 750R Tripods over a period of about six years:
RUBBER FEET: Nine out of nine lost.
LEG LOCKS: Five out of nine legs rendered useless due to sheared latches.
QUICK-RELEASE PLATE LATCH: Two out of three sheared.
TRIPOD HEAD PANNING ACTION: Jammed on two out of three units (An attempt to fix the most recent failure in-the-field resulted in the bolt connecting the tripod head to the leg unit shearing).
After this last failure I finally gave up on the 750R and instead bought a Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 Carbon Fibre Tripod with 804RC2 head. See photo in my Digiscoping (Equipment etc) Flickr set for details.
Note added 20 February 13: Although I'm now happily using Manfrotto kit for my digiscoping, I thought I'd see if it would be possible to replace some of the sheared leg locks so that I could use the Velon 750R as a backup tripod. I emailed Velbon about this, and after sending them a photo of the affected part I was sent two replacement latches free of charge. Unfortunately there was no instruction provided as to how to carry out the repair. It would appear that a special tool is required in order to remove the pin that acts as a hinge for the latch (I tried tapping it out, but without success). If anyone is thinking about buying a 750R it might be worth finding out about this beforehand.
The Venice Rookery features an island where multiple bird species nest cheek-by-jowl, seeming to get along well enough most of the time. The rookery is so close to the shoreline viewing area that a scope view doesn't allow the photographer to capture the full tableaux. Here a Great Blue Heron Chick badgers one of the parents to get a feeding.
Philippe Clabots (#PhilippeCPhoto - photos@philippec.be) - photos.philippec.be/
PCLA-20200412-_MG_7296.DNG
¹⁄₃₅₀ sec at f/6,7 - ISO ISO 320 - 40mm
Canon EOS 6D Mark II - EF40mm f/2.8 STM
Author : Philippe Clabots (#PhilippeCPhoto)
Facebook Page : www.facebook.com/PhilippeCPhotographie
Photoblog : photos.philippec.be/
This work by #PhilipppeCPhoto (Philippe Clabots) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at photos.philippec.be/.
Copyright #PhilippecPhoto
Up close you can see the custom wooden knobs and brass fittings.
The pushbutton on the left is fairly standard but it has been dressed to hide the nut behind the brass plate. The original plastic knob was discarded in favor of the wooden disc.
On the right, the joystick is completely custom built using microswitches from old computer mouses. The mechanical shaft and spring-loaded slide mechanism were constructed from VCR guide wheels.
Night Vision goggles
ak side rail
vertical grip
shotgun ranges
airsoft
airgun
red dot sight
green laser sight
rail mount
handgun
gun parts
gun rang bags
tactical rifle
laser grips
Plz visit www.gl-st.com
or contact gl-st@hotmail.com
A "There Will Be Blood Vignette. Daniel and Henry survey the land for the pipeline.
Credit for tripod design: www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=260081
Night Vision goggles
ak side rail
vertical grip
shotgun ranges
airsoft
airgun
red dot sight
green laser sight
rail mount
handgun
gun parts
gun rang bags
tactical rifle
laser grips
Plz visit www.gl-st.com
or contact gl-st@hotmail.com