World Photojournalist / Journalist at Work
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Taken at the end of August 2020, in a field. I was originally trying to photograph some cows and calves, but they were on higher ground and I couldn't get close enough for my camera to do them justice. Looking around, my eye was caught by this beautiful foxglove hiding at the edge of a hedge. Did a bit of editing in Topaz and the new PicMonkey - hope you like it !
I would like to thank everyone who takes the time to have a look, you're really appreciated. I am sorry I am so slow to respond these days - lockdown has increased my workload on Flickr as I'm sure you can imagine !
Thank you to you all for helping this image reach Explore on January 19, 2021. How kind you are !
I have not been able to go out for a shoot over the last weeks, given the end of year workload. So I looked into the series of Terschelling made this summer. This dyke shot of a sheep just reminds me to always look around as the prime scene was actually taking place at the other side of which I posted a few seascapes earlier. Have a great weekend and thank you so much for your visit!
Released from our 25 km limit, I headed down to the Western Treatment Plant (Better known as the Poo Farm)- our birding hot-spot. As I rounded the corner I saw two Brolgas take flight. Damn, I politely thought (more like a swear word). I watched them fly away as my heart sank thinking I'd missed my chance and of photographing one of my favourite birds.
But wait. What's that at the end of the road? Two of the four resident Brolgas remained! Yay. I take back my swear words.
I knelt down and waited. I couldn't believe my luck as they started walking straight towards me, not a care in the world, busy discussing the weather and the peacefulness of the morning.
I am going to upload birds this week I think and have a few more Brolgas to post. Hope that's Ok for my non birder followers.
I will be abit hit and miss on Flickr at the moment. I have a heavy workload and haven't been well with Migraines again. It's a viscous circle really but on a good note I tried a new migraine drug and it really helped. I hate posting if I can't comment but I may not get around to everyone at the moment.
This oldie but goodie employs a red metal hog house as a backdrop. I guess it stretches the definition of a truck but it is a hatchback. Also uncertain is if the hogs appreciate its rustic charm.
Interesting fact,we used this then modern hog building to house feeder pigs about 20 years ago. It turned out to be not modern enough to cut back on our workload as it involved loading up and hauling the hogs 10 miles from our main location. The old car wasn't around then....
As I sit here drowning in my own workload, my mind drifts to places i'd much rather be.
Bruny Island, Tasmania.
Well I enjoyed the wavy image I posted last week and just wasn't finished playing with it so I took the original images from last week and added a few of my favorites in. Stirred a bit and there you go!
I may be a little off and on for a bit (even more so than lately) due to my fall workload with school committments and the Marching Band. Please accept my apologies and I'll still be trying to keep up as always and as always, I appriciate every fave and enjoy reading every comment!
For Slider Sunday Group - HSS
Highest Position - Explore #1 | 26.02.2009 ( thank u all for ur support!)
Its past 11pm here. Just a quick post here to say that i'm still alive :) but almost dead from all the work stress & the amount of workload this week :( i'm so tired now but can't wait to catch up more tomorrow & over the weekend. Thanks to many for your emails too! Please take care & seeya later! :)) Good nite!
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About
The Sunset at West Beach
The Shot
Standard 3 exposure shot (+2..0..-2 EV) with tripod using Sigma DC HSM 10-20mm lens
Photomatix
- Tonemapped generated HDR using detail enhancer option
Photoshop
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'curves' to increase the contrast
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'saturation' (master) to tone down the foreshore & sky
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'saturation' (yellows) to slightly tone up the sunset
- Blended a 0 EV tonemapped hdr for the water at the foreshore
- Used 'unsharp mask' (as always) on the background layer
You
All comments, criticism and tips for improvements are (as always) welcome
Music
Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence
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I have really been missing my time here and so supportive and great friends over Flickr. This is just one quick check-in to say friendly and warm Hi to everybody here with a little road scenery from my few days' trip to Scotland about a month ago.
I am still walking the roads of too intense workload, trying to manage and deal with numerous tiny project works at the same time instead of one decent permanent work (that I could only dream about). It sometimes even takes skills close to those of a magician and time more than 24 h daily. I almost have to "steal" the time from myself to have some rare free moment for things that I enjoy and that let me a little bit relax, like taking photos and enjoying those of others, reading and writing, travelling, spending time with my friends... But I hope that some day I get to a more balanced road and can walk back into the regular Flickr world as well.
Have a good and balanced spring, dear Flickr friends!
Will try to be back as much and as soon as I can!
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
Street photography from Glasgow, Scotland.
Previously unpublished shot from July 2019. Enjoy!
Flickr removing the 'You/People' drop down option to view uploads from people you follow is a major step backwards in my opinion. It took me ages to find the new 'Activity Feed' as there is no menu option and no icon for the link. You have to click on the Flickr Home icon to get there which is not immediately obvious. Yet again I find myself leaving my disgust with pointless changes on the Flickr Help Forum, for what it's worth.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You have to click on the Flickr Home icon TWICE to update the 'Activity Feed'. This is ridiculous.
I predominantly use Flickr on PC and these changes just keep making it a pain to use that way. They appear to be favouring mobile devices over PC users and increasing the workload just to do simple tasks for those using a keyboard and mouse.
Change is not always good.
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
Street photography from Glasgow, Scotland.
Black and white re-edit of a shot from June 2018 after Glasgow had installed these ridiculously tall waste bins with an ashtray area that anyone short of 5ft 8ins would not be able to reach.
If, like me, you are annoyed with some Flickr changes today then make some noise about it. I have been Tweeting Flickr and using their Help Forum to express my frustration.
Replying to comments was a simple 'one click per comment' process before today with separate reply and delete icons in each comment box. Today there is a single three-dot icon that needs one extra mouse button click to get to 'reply'. Workload DOUBLED needlessly.
Editing tags is even worse. Before you just typed into a text box on the same page, you could scroll back up to the photograph for reference and it took no time at all to add tags. Now a pop-up box opens that is incredibly slow, unresponsive and makes it impossible to reference back to your photograph or previously added tags during the process. On top of that it keeps freezing and hanging. Workload TRIPLED in time taken.
Change can be good - change is essential in fact... change for changes sake when something works perfectly is completely pointless though. Change should lead to improvement not detriment. Yes I am furious and yes I have let Flickr know about it, and I am not the only one.
I hope you enjoy this black and white re-edit. Stay safe everyone.
In trackless deeper snow, going old school with the larger beaver tail snowshoes works better. They are heavier than the aluminum variety but that weight is offset by the lighter workload of being able to stay on top of the snow.
The MD Helicopters MD Explorer is a light twin-engined utility helicopter designed and initially produced by the American rotorcraft specialist McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems.
On 18 December 1992, the maiden flight was conducted, initial certification for the type followed roughly two years later. The initial model, the MD 900, was joined by an improved successor, the MD 902, during the late 1990s. The Explorer is currently produced by MD Helicopters.
The MD Helicopters MD Explorer is a twin engined utility helicopter; it is equipped with a fully-articulated five-bladed main rotor system as well as bearingless composite flexbeams and rotor hub. The fuselage is composed of composite materials, such as carbonfibre, that are resistant to corrosion even in hostile marine environments, it also incorporates lightning strike protection measures. The tail features similar construction. It is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada-built PW200 turboshaft engines. It can be flown by a single pilot, and carry up to six passengers at a time.
A key feature of the MD Explorer is the NOTAR anti-torque system; instead of a traditional tail rotor, a fan exhaust is directed out of slots in the tail boom, thus using the Coandă effect for yaw control. The benefits of NOTAR have reportedly included reduced pilot workload, greatly minimised external noise levels, and significant improvements in safety, particularly when operating in confined areas and from offshore platforms, along with general performance and controllability enhancements. It is disputed which of the fenestron and NOTAR approaches produces less noises.Boeing retains the design rights to the NOTAR technology despite selling the former McDonnell Douglas civil helicopter line to MD Helicopters in early 1999.
© All rights reserved. Use without permission is illegal.
It hardly seems possible that another year has gone by. Although workload demands keep me from Flickr more than I’d like, please know how much you all continue to mean to me. Thank you for your generous spirit in sharing your art and your know-how. This is one heck of a community, and I’m honored and delighted to be a part of it.
In case you’re interested, here are some stats:
Photos posted: 1,466
Views: 348,106
Most views (from having been blogged): 82,354 -- www.flickr.com/photos/mimbrava/449347175/
Most faves: 317 -- www.flickr.com/photos/mimbrava/23533975/
Most comments: 192 -- www.flickr.com/photos/mimbrava/10160787/
Number of people who call me a contact: 2,658
Number of photos I have faved: 7,353
The pleasure of your company and inspiration: Priceless.
For the latest on how Jim (Garnite) is doing, please check here:
flickr.com/photos/garnite/1195744982/page10/
(The outpouring of prayers, love and support from around the globe for Jim is one of the reasons I love this community so much.)
See my shots on flickriver:
Cochin (Inde) - Le portrait de ce Dhobi-Wallah est une illustration de l'absence de retraite en Inde pour la très grande majorité de la population. Quel âge à cet homme ? Impossible de le dire. Il pourrait avoir une cinquantaine d'année ou 70 ans. En tout cas, même s'il avait 70 ans, il serait toujours au travail.
L'avantage de travailler pour la coopérative des Dhobi-Wallah, est que la charge de travail affectée par le contremaître -fonction remplie à tour de rôle -, tient compte de l'âge et de l'état de santé des membres. A Fort-Cochin la communauté à même un caisse de solidarité pour ceux qui ne peuvent pas travailler momentanément. Mais pas de caisse de retraite.
Cochin (India) - The portrait of this Dhobi-Wallah is an illustration of the absence of retirement in India for the vast majority of the population. How old is this man? Impossible to tell. He could be in his 50s or 70s. In any case, even if he was 70, he would still be at work.
The advantage of working for the Dhobi-Wallah cooperative, is that the workload assigned by the foreman - a function filled in turn - takes into account the age and state of health of the members. In Fort-Cochin, the community has a solidarity fund for those who cannot work temporarily. But no pension fund.
When we decided To do our kitchen it had to be like professional Baking space, our island bench is 8 foot long and it can handle my workload. it is also equipped with electrical outlets from all sides, great convenience to charge the phones.
Im Lichtermeer. EInfach nur schweben.
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From now on I can take off a bit ;-) I finally have holidays after a long-lasting workload! As this little doll floats in the sea of light of the decoration chain in my olive tree, so I would like to do it ... The sweetness was given to me by two friends. And best of all, she's also been crafted by another friend to be put up for sale at the Christmas market in our village. I wish you all a beautiful and bright Christmas season!
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Ab jetzt kann ich ein bisschen abheben ;-) ich habe endlich Ferien nach lang anhaltendem Arbeitsaufkommen! So wie diese kleine Puppe im Lichtermeer der Dekorationskette in meinem Olivenbaum schwebt, so möchte ich es halten ... Die Süße wurde mir von zwei Freundinnen geschenkt. Und das Beste ist, sie ist auch noch von einer weiteren Freundin gebastelt worden, um auf dem Weihnachtsmarkt in unserem Dorf zum Verkauf angeboten zu werden. Ich wünsche Euch allen eine schöne und strahlende Adventszeit!
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Looking close... on Friday! Christmas Decoration / #CrazyTuesday / #Festive
Yeah life's a puzzle... just like this sculpture ..almost there is no beginning & no ending. A bit like my life in a uni now. When school is quiet & students are getting past the exam weeks, that's when most would think that its the time to relax.. not quite the same here, in fact that's when our workload gets fairly high instead as a staff. Just thought i will share something with u all tonight.. something near the uni which i get to see almost everyday when i go to work.
View LARGE On Black to get looped!
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About
The Art Sculpture Outside the University of Adelaide, South Australia
The Shot
Standard 3 exposure shot (+2..0..-2 EV) taken handheld using Sigma DC HSM 10-20mm lens
Photomatix
- Tonemapped generated HDR using detail enhancer option
Photoshop
- Added 2 layer mask effect of 'curves' to increase the contrast
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'saturation'(master) to decrease the overall saturation
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'saturation'(reds) to adjust the lightness
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'saturation'(blues) to darken the sky
- Added 1 layer mask effect of 'saturation'(greens) to adjust the tone
- Used 'unsharp mask' (as always) on the background layer
You
All comments, criticism and tips for improvements are ( as always ) welcome
Music
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Yesterday's dull morning was not the best time to test-drive my new camera and lens. I traded in all my old Canon DSLR stuff at the end os last year and pre-ordered the new Canon RF 200-800mm f 6.3-9 lens to go with my Canon R6. It has taken a while for these to filter through to Scotland and I got my email on Saturday to say it had arrived so I popped off to Edinburgh to pick it up. Also picking up an R7 body to help out with the workload I headed off to Musselburgh and Port Seton to test them out. Not a lot of subjects about and the weather was that flat grey that doesn't help. Still a lot of work to do and a read of the manual and tweaking of all the settings and we should be OK for another session in, hopefully, better light
New from Scarlet Creative the Xander Skybox. Comes in two versions. Ground Version and the Skybox Version. Beautiful open floor plan with lovely wood texturing. I'm showcasing the porch area because it's the perfect place to do some entertaining or relaxing! Built in planters lessen your workload! Perfect place to get some spring gardening started! Find the Xander build now at faMESHed!
Pictured:
Scarlet Creative Xander Skybox - Ground Version
faMESHed: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/FaMESHed/226/144/1001
Scarlet Creative Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Scarlet%20Creative/245/20/33
Scarlet Creative Flickr: flic.kr/ps/KAmaN
Nutmeg previous release items pictured (available at the mainstore):
Nutmeg. Attic Hideout Armchair Lightgrey Adult
Nutmeg. Warm Respite Console Table/V1
Nutmeg. Countryside Dream Wooden Chest
Nutmeg. Farmhouse Brunch Bread Tray
Nutmeg. Dacha Old Oriental Rug Decor
Nutmeg Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/REKA%20NUTMEG/233/125/21
Nutmeg Flickr: flic.kr/ps/Yr6Sn
From Kraftwork:
KraftWork Montmartre Dining Set . Chandelier
KraftWork Montmartre Dining Set . Chair A,B
KraftWork Montmartre Dining Set . Table
KraftWork Rustic Garland Bottle . Green
KraftWork Rustic Garland Bottle . Terracota
KraftWork Rustic Garland Bottle . Rose
KraftWork Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Zazi/188/32/1242
KraftWork Flickr: flic.kr/ps/2Tqjs4
Other decor/landscape items used:
hive // cone boxwood topiary . lighted
Mithral * Caged String of Hearts (White)
Mithral * Sansevieria Trifasciata (Copper Pot)
Heart - Wild Exotics - Snake Plant - 1-3 Flowering
Foxwood - Fox Fountain
.:revival:. sisal rug
Heart - Wild Exotics - Mother-in-law's Tongue 1-3
hive // potted plants . swiss cheese plant . pot a
NOMAD // Little Garden Shed // White
Yugen.// young linden. 04.// low LOD
dust bunny . darling hanging plant
+Half-Deer+ Country Rose Chandelier - Antique White
HPMD* Sweet Garden Grass08 - a
Heart - Forest Undergrowth - Clover and Daisies - Large
ionic : Hanging Lace Drapes
West Village Field Wellingtons - Katya's Green
West Village Classic Watering Can - Copper
Thanks for your support and have a fantastic week! ❤️
Crazy Tuesday - theme of March 12, 2019 - Blue is the colour
I was grocery shopping yesterday evening when I saw this blue creature (called "Blue Moon" on the tag)
Although I don't have a sweet tooth (besides beeing "crazy" for dark chocolate - see my last image for Crazy Tuesday) I couldn't resist to buy this blue treat so I could take a quick pic for Crazy Tuesday
(I initially planned to skip this week - like MM - due to heavy workload - but here you are: just for fun ;)
This is a very close up of this iced donut: the sprinkles are 1 mm in diameter
Happy Crazy Tuesday, everyone!
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für die Gruppe "Verrückter Dienstag" - Thema: Blau ist die Farbe
Ich habe derzeit leider nicht so viel Zeit für Flickr... hätte fast eine Runde ausgesetzt...
Dann war ich Lebensmittel einkaufen und sah diesen blauen Donut (vom Verkäufer liebevoll "Blue Moon" getauft). Ich stehe so gar nicht auf Süßes (mit Ausnahme von dunkler Schokolade) oder Kuchen / Gebäck, aber für das Dienstagsthema habe ich dann doch eine Ausnahme gemacht ... und freiwillige Abnehmer finden sich auch ;)
Sehr starke Nahaufnahme - die Streusel haben einen Durchmesser von nur 1 mm
In a plane exactly like the one in the picture we will be flying tomorrow from Madrid to Toronto to begin our Fall vacations in Ontario.
It has been a hard summer at work, many days, much hours in the office, a lot of workload, and always waiting for this moment to arrive, dreaming with new horizons, new colors, new experiences....
During the next fifteen days I will not upload any picture, but I promise to come back with many pictures to show you, to share with all my friends here in Flickr.
I wish all of you the best for the next weeks and I hope you enjoy the magic of this Fall season.
My best wishes to you.
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En un avión exactamente como el de la foto estaremos volando mañana desde Madrid a Toronto para comenzar nuestras vacaciones de Otoño en Ontario.
Ha sido un duro verano en el trabajo, muchos días, muchas horas en la oficina, mucha carga de trabajo, y siempre deseando que llegase este momento, soñando con nuevos horizontes, nuevos colores, nuevas experiencias.
Durante los próximos quince días no subiré ninguna foto, pero prometo volver con muchas fotos para mostraros, para compartir con todos mis amigos aquí en Flickr.
Os deseo a todos vosotros lo mejor para las próximas semanas y espero disfrutéis de la magia de esta estación del Otoño.
Mis mejores deseos para vosotros.
The OWLs workload keeps piling up.
Otter sought some space away from the common room as he tried to get his mind around the more complex assignments due this month. He'd left it late and struggled deep into the night, only to fall asleep on a window seat in the sixth floor corridor; thereby, missing the commotion due to the 'thing'.
We were going out for a summery lunch and I thought the hat I bought in Singapore, might match her outfit. When she put it on, I saw an opportunity for a quick image before we left. This is the result.
She is feeling better than last week but after the lunch, needed lots of rest. She goes back to Uni next week so I am hoping she will be able to cope with the increased workload of a double degree.
I always feel hesitant in putting up portraits as I don’t have many skills in this area so am under no illusion they are anything other than average. However, when they are of special people, I am always happy to look back on them and appreciate the moment they captured.
The title is a song by the Arctic Monkeys, one of her favourite bands.
Main gears off the ground in well under 4,000 feet of roll with this obviously lightly-loaded Western Global 747 that was brought in to augment UPS' peak-season workload for the 2018 holidays.
15th June 2017 - McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II '01512' of the Hellenic Air Force's 338 Squadron taxi's back after a sortie.
You can see the spotters enclosure in the background. Every congratulations must be extended to all the pilots based at Florennes, as it was them that organised the spotters day in their own time and after their hefty workload as participants and hosts of the 2 week exercise..
Cochin (Inde) - La femme à droite, si j’ai bien compris ce qui se passe, demande à l'homme chargé de faire la lessive, s'il accepte ce nouveau paquet de linge. Il semble calculer le temps qui lui sera nécessaire pour ce travail supplémentaire. Il est arrivé à 5 h du matin et doit terminer son service dans une heure. La femme semble être la chef d'équipe et son rôle est de répartir équitablement la charge de travail entre les "blanchisseurs".
La communauté Dhobi Wallah est organisée en coopérative. Une partie de la rémunération des membres est issue de la répartition égalitaire des bénéfices dégagés par la communauté. Rémunération à laquelle s'ajoute une part variable, liée à la charge de travail réalisée individuellement.
Cochin (India) - The woman on the right, if I understood correctly what was going on, asks the man in charge of doing the laundry, if he accepts this new package of laundry. He seems to be calculating the time he will need for this extra work. He arrived at 5 a.m. and was due to finish his shift within an hour. The woman seems to be the team leader and her role is to distribute the workload fairly among the "launderers".
The Dhobi Wallah community is organized in a cooperative. Part of the remuneration of the members comes from the equal distribution of the profits generated by the community. Compensation to which is added a variable part, linked to the workload carried out individually.
Music (Open link in new tab) / Música (abrir en nueva pestaña): Gwendal - Date prisa.
Aqueste maese logró ahorrarse la mitad del suyo trabajo en el arrozal, gracias a acertadamente buscar la colaboración del suyo propio reflejo en el agua :-)
-English:
This peasant managed to halve his work load in the rice paddy with the help of his own reflection on the water :-)
Imagen protegida por Plaghunter / Image protected by Plaghunter
© Francisco García Ríos 2017 All Rights Reserved / Reservados todos los derechos.
El contenido de estas imágenes no puede ser copiado, distribuido ni publicado por ningún medio, bien sea electrónico o de cualquier otra naturaleza.
Su utilización en otras páginas web sin el consentimiento expreso del autor está PROHIBIDO y es sancionable por ley.
Cualquiera que quiera usar mis fotografías debe ponerse en contacto conmigo primero para acordar los términos de uso; así pues, para informarse acerca de copias, licencias, utlilización en blogs o cualquier otro uso, por favor, envíe un mensaje o correo electrónico (recesvintus(at)yahoo.es).
Gracias.
The content of these images cannot be copied,distributed or published for any media, electronic or otherwise.
The utilization in other web pages without the express written consent of the author is PROHIBITED and punishable by law.
Anyone wanting to use my photographs should contact me first to discuss the terms; so to enquire about prints, licensing, blogging and so on, please send an e-mail or message (recesvintus(at)yahoo.es).
Thank you.
The blue hour are in full swing on this pleasant late summer evening as 536's crew stopped, after their switching chores done, in front of the Coteau yard office.
Once the required paperworks will be set up and sent and maybe a side trip to the station's assigned vending machine later, the daily road switcher job will leave the yard for their usual 20 miles round trip to Valleyfield wharf.
The usual small week-end workload will be done in under two hours but there's not gonna be any blue left in the sky when the crew of three will come back into the yard to finish their shift.
CN L53621-03
9523 - 9410
Milepost 46.9 Valleyfield subdivision
Coteau-du-Lac,QC
September 3rd, 2022
Taken a year ago (June 2024) with a manual Rollei Planar 50 mm f1.8 HFT on a Pentax K-70.
This lens belonged to my father, along with a Rolleiflex SL35 E. I was allowed to use both when I was a teenager to take part at a photography project at school ("my" first "real" camera)
After my last upload I wanted to be more active on Flickr again, but life had other plans. My husband had to undergo surgery (he is on the mend), and I also have a heavy workload at the moment due to holiday cover, grrrr : ))
So here's a new attempt.
Thank you so very much for your kind comments on my last photo. Please stay safe !
Autumn may be beautiful, but with it comes a lot of work--raking the leaves, blowing off the roof, and cleaning out those gutters. We moved into our new house yesterday (not the one shown above) and there's a giant black oak increasing my workload by the minute, by depositing tons of acorns and bushels of leaves in our backyard. Now, if I could only find those garden tools in our suburban warehouse of unpacked boxes.
Nevada City CA
Moving forward with another Nordic Re-Finance (T)ME locomotive that has recently been given a new identity. A former blue-loco, ME 1526 is now known as "The Wild Swans" (De vilde svaner) which is yet another fairytale of H. C. Andersen. What's curious about the design is that its base is a gradient between lighter and darker shades of marine blue, resulting in two different cab ends.
The locomotive was spotted running light (and late) through Nordhavn in Copenhagen. The empty steel train is missing behind it as the factory will be soon closing for summer vacations and the workload is thus decreasing. Later in the night, the ME came back with several loaded Samms cars.
There is the third special ME loco that NRFAB stylized for DB Cargo. But we'll get to it once it's caught in front of the camera...
I´m a weirdo. When I´m tied up and can´t catch a breath cause of the heavy workload, I yearn for more spare time. But when I have a few hours off, I still can´t sit back and enjoy the silence. Always looking for new tasks, challenges and activities. I just can´t help myself.
Hmmmm, guess it will take me some time to get used to the new Flickr layout :-/ But if I think twice...no, it just sucks.
One of the sadnesses of the lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic is that there is so little movement from place to place. Having spent the last year in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, I anticipated seeing very much more of the area. Instead, I have remained largely in one place, my contribution to not spreading the virus; that, and a heavy workload have meant that I have seen less of the world than I intended this year.
The silver lining to that cloud is that one sees so very many shades of one place. One sees things anew, even as they seem to pall. It reminds me of a photographer I read of once, I forget the name, who had spent much of his life photographing a nearby beach in numerous seasons, finding subtleties that others might miss. There is a venerability and wisdom in it which is appealing in a world that normally moves far too much.
Here is a bridge, seen most days for the last nine months, half shrouded in mist one recent morning. I am not sure that I matched the medium and the subject. Rollei Superpan 200 is, I discovered belatedly, effectively an aerial photography film; developed in stock ID-11 (around 9'30, with frequent agitation, as I could find no precise information on this pairing), the film is one of very strong contrasts and precise detail. My initial excitement at such stark negatives wavered when I realised how many images had been rather marred by camera shake - a combination of shorter days, a slower film speed, the near-weightlessness of the Zeiss Ikon Nettar, and a deep press of the shutter button had conspired to defeat me.
This one, however, was salvageable. Originally 6x6, the unbroken grey of the sky and the less than interesting grass have been cropped out to give a greater prominence to the lake, bridge, and reflections.
Zeiss Ikon Nettar, Rollei Superpan 200, ID-11 stock. Cropping and reduction of contrast in Photoshop.
If you like my photographs, why not consider buying a print at captures.life? I haven't yet finished building the site and putting in all of the terms and conditions and policies, but the bits that involve buying a print, having it delivered, and contacting me if anything isn't working or goes wrong are functioning just fine...
A hot, hazy summer day is nearing to a close while the sky comes alive in a dazzling array of vibrant colors, fireflies have began their nightly dance across the darkening sky, while bullfrogs endless chanting take over the evening noise. One of Norfolk Southern’s heritage paint schemes to honor predecessor railroads that created the modern Norfolk Southern, The Interstate Railroad, is leading an empty southbound coal train slowing to a stop at the once booming coal terminus of West Brownsville, PA.
You wouldn’t know it today, yet 20 years ago there wasn’t an empty track to be had in this scene of the mostly barren yard. King coal has had a long, and arduous decline here, a similar story throughout much of the coalfields in the eastern United States. Most trains staged here today are just overflow due to Shire Oaks yard, 27 miles to the north, being too full to handle the trains. It wasn’t always that way. Both yards would often struggle to find places to stage trains in the better days of past. Despite the steep decline in coal usage across the country, there’s still some coal moving on the former Monongahela Railway, at only a whisper to what it once was. Meets at every siding were not uncommon, if not the standard, now scarce in occasion. Mine names that once were an everyday mention: Clyde, Emerald, Blacksville No.1, Blacksville No.2, Federal No.2, gone. The West Division that once boasted 6 different coal mines is now down to one: Core Resource's (formerly Consol Energy) Bailey Mine Complex, a gargantuan facility producing a jaw dropping 12.7 million short tons of coal annually.
This empty export train from Baltimore is waiting for a meet with another, Baltimore bound export train to come northbound from further south on the former Monongahela, fresh from being loaded at the massive Bailey Mine complex outside of Waynesburg, PA. The West Brownsville yard office sits empty and derelict, occasionally used by MofW employees. Norfolk Southern spent a fortune building the modern yard office before the PSR era cuts made its use redundant and expendable by combining jobs to increase workloads on fewer employees.
Before long the northbound loudly makes its presence known, its blaring horn sounding as it commandeers itself through the half mile stretch of trackage running down the middle of Main Street in town. After the northbound clears, the process repeats itself. It's now well after dark and the stillness of the night is only briefly interrupted by the occasional passing train. By dawn this train will be loaded and returning north for its journey to Baltimore. Export coal is big business these days, its coals last, strong hold out, where the quality is good enough, the quantity large enough and cheap enough to efficiently mine for market. Soon to be loaded onto another ocean going ship across the Atlantic, bound for somewhere else in the world. Perhaps Eastern Europe, or India, for usage in power generation where pollution standards are not as stringent, and beneficial for their coal fired power stations.
My old and trusty 'kanji' dictionary supports a very handsome papier-mâché red bull (akabeko), with nodding-head facility - the must-have souvenir from Fukushima Prefecture, this one from Aizu-Wakamatsu. Folklore relates that during construction of a local temple, circa 17thC, only could a single red bovine tolerate the strenuous workload of shifting heavy timber. With temple complete, the creature baulked at leaving site; needless to say, growing in eminence, replicas were inevitably fashioned. During a smallpox epidemic years later, those children possessing such a replica reportedly escaped infection; hence the red bull's manifestation as a symbol of health and happiness. Though why its head should nod, I never discovered.
15th June 2017 - McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II '01512' of the Hellenic Air Force's 338 Squadron taxi's back after a sortie.
You can see the spotters enclosure in the background. Every congratulations must be extended to all the pilots based at Florennes, as it was them that organised the spotters day in their own time and after their hefty workload as participants and hosts of the 2 week exercise..
At first these two old girls may seem a little odd paired together. However their working life's where very similar.
Pilot 813 (built in 1900) working for the NCB’s Backworth Colliery Northumberland. 7714 (built 1930) again working for the NCB but at Penalta Colliery in South Wales. Thanks to steam preservation, today we see them sharing the work load on the climb to Eardington summit on the Severn Valley Railway.
Yesterday's dull morning was not the best time to test-drive my new camera and lens. I traded in all my old Canon DSLR stuff at the end os last year and pre-ordered the new Canon RF 200-800mm f 6.3-9 lens to go with my Canon R6. It has taken a while for these to filter through to Scotland and I got my email on Saturday to say it had arrived so I popped off to Edinburgh to pick it up. Also picking up an R7 body to help out with the workload I headed off to Musselburgh and Port Seton to test them out. Not a lot of subjects about and the weather was that flat grey that doesn't help. Still a lot of work to do and a read of the manual and tweaking of all the settings and we should be OK for another session in, hopefully, better light
...in too much workload! The preparation for the new school year is always so busy and stressful! I won´t be around much for the next few days!
These are fishing traps that were stored in Sagres fishing port! I loved the pattern of these ones!
See you soon, I hope!
My workload has been very high since the spring, absurdly high frankly, and being outdoors with a camera is part of what balances my life. But the higher the workload the more infrequent (and shorter in duration) my trips into the woods or along the water.
So special moments are all the more valuable, and spending time with this Osprey was a super fun way to spend an hour on the River.
Mud Lake is immediately south of the Ottawa River, and so a few hours can easily be spent in a variety of habitats: shoreline, lake, woods, meadows, etc. And immediately north of Mud Lake there is a small land mass in the River, creating a kind slower, shallower side channel. This is a favourite place for ducks in the winter, as the moving water stays open from ice and provides good access to crustaceans and other delights.
It is also a favourite place for Osprey, and to a lesser extent Bald Eagles. The Osprey hunt fish in the channel, and routinely swoop down to pull something out of the water.
I found this bird at about 8:30 in the morning. It had found a perch from which it was staring at the water, stretching, preening, and doing everything but hit the water. I was okay with that. The height of the perch and its location on the channel meant I could very very close in height and a reasonable distance away. The sun was shining, it was warm, and a morning of birding around the Lake was waiting for me. Instead I spent a half of the morning watching and photographing this bird.
The Osprey has a broken primary feather. I checked with my friend Paul who stressed that this was not a big deal and that it would grow back. The image is cropped to remove the (lovely but distracting) mixed foliage.
Empty Alcans from Fort William passing Cambois Depot heading for the lower yard. As more and more local pits closed Cambois Depots workload reduced and during September 1994 the depot closed any remaining work and staff were transferred to Tyne Yard. With the recent demise of imported coal traffic the Fort William Alcan workings now handled by GBRf have become the only remaining traffic on the single line section leading to the Alcan loading point at North Blyth
15th June 2017 - McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II '01512' of the Hellenic Air Force's 338 Squadron taxi's back after a sortie.
You can see the spotters enclosure in the background. Every congratulations must be extended to all the pilots based at Florennes, as it was them that organised the spotters day in their own time and after their hefty workload as participants and hosts of the 2 week exercise..
Work keeps me from getting out in the woods and meadows, and this summer was the heaviest workload in a long while. As a result I had to be a lot more deliberate about where I went and when on the few occasions I was in Ottawa with some downtime.
One of my goals was to find and photograph some more dragonfly species. Some of these I have already posted and others will come over the fall.
This was one of my favourites. Most people in the northern part of the US and in Canada would recognize the Autumn Meadowhawk as a fairly common species, often the last one flying in the late fall (I saw one on the weekend in Toronto). But it’s closely related and less common species is the Band-winged, hard to distinguish except for the fact that its rear wing has a broad amber patch.
It behaves, eats, and reproduces in ways well-known to those interested in Meadowhawks. It is found in the places where meadows and wetlands abut - not as common a type of location as it might seem. But that amber band is very striking in the field.
And ten points for the bonus insect!
A sunny Saturday in February requires no negotiation for an outing, only careful planning to get ahead of the week’s activities to justify subtracting a day from the workload. It’s even better when you can be pleasantly surprised about something you see. On BNSF’s GE Sub that is the Gorge, it’s really challenging to be surprised by anything. The real highlight of every outing are the sunsets, and anything else is just a bonus.
H ROOEVE1 24A
February 25, 2023 - 4:22PM
Maryhill, WA // BNSF Fallbridge Sub
African women have always been active in agriculture, trade, and other economic pursuits, but a majority of them are in the informal labour force. African women are guardians of their children's welfare and have explicit responsibility to provide for them materially. They are the household managers, providing food, nutrition, water, health, education, and family planning to an extent greater than elsewhere in the developing world.
This places heavy burdens on them, despite developments such as improved agriculture technology, availability of contraception, and changes in women's socioeconomic status, which one might think would have made their lives easier. In fact, it would be fair to say that their workload has increased with the changing economic and social situation in Africa. Women's economic capabilities, and in particular their ability to manage family welfare, are being threatened. 'Modernization' has shifted the balance of advantage against women. The legal framework and the modern social sector and producer services developed by the independent African countries have not served women well.