A photo I've had in the works for a while...

From L-R: The Fisherman (Classic), Superman (Earth-30: Updated), Citizen Steel (DC's Legends of Tomorrow), Green Lantern (Aldo), Atrocitus (Updated), Darkseid (Zack Snyder's Justice League), The Cheetah (Updated), Green Lantern (Alia), & Clark Kent

Design Inspirations Below:

The Fisherman (Classic) - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Fisherman-DC-Comics-A...)

Superman (Earth-30) - (upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bc/Superman_in_...)

Citizen Steel (DC's Legends of Tomorrow) - (comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/scale_super/11121/111216...)

Green Lantern (Aldo) - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/c/c1/Aldo_01.j...)

Atrocitus - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/6/69/Atrocitus...)

Darkseid (Zack Snyder's Justice League) - (bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/snyder-c...)

The Cheetah - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/b/b2/DC%27s_Ye...)

Green Lantern (Alia) - (i.pinimg.com/originals/e5/16/de/e516de0926156fbf149020d98...)

Clark Kent - (lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ZlSZiw1Nften2cBwL1Is4Syzw...)

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Supervillains recruited from prisons and sent on covert suicide missions to shave off jail time. Nanite bombs in their necks to keep them on a short leash. Everyone's disposable. Nobody's accountable. And brutality and death is just another day at the office. From L-R there's The Atom (Ray Palmer), Doomsday (Containment Suit), Manhunter (Mark Shaw), Zizz, T.N.Teen, Doc Magnus, & Evil Star (Future State)

Design Inspirations below:

The Atom (Ray Palmer) - (imgix-media.wbdndc.net/cms/filer_public/69/4b/694b053a-cd...)

Doomsday (Containment Suit) - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/a/ac/Doomsday_...)

Manhunter (Mark Shaw) - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Manhunter-DC-Comics-M...)

Zizz - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/c/c5/Zizz_Prim...)

T.N.Teen - (cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2o-mLSuOC_eLKcUBpNhJA85RCV8=/480x...)

Doc Magnus - (cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-spu9tnbb8c/images/stencil/1280x12...)

Evil Star (Future State) - (media.comicbook.com/2021/01/future-state-suicide-squadd-1...)

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I went to the comic book store yesterday and picked up some cool comics, Future State: The Flash 2nd & last issue, Future State: Nightwing, & the first 3 issues of Future State: The Next Batman. I'm really excited that my local comic book store has a sale for $1.50 for every new comic on the rack through Feb. 12th-Feb. 14th. I also got LEGO 71718 NINJAGO Wu's Battle Dragon which I'll probably be showcasing my dresser again after adding the dragon, anyways let's get to it,...

From L-R: The Ratcatcher (First Appearance), Prometheus, Firebug (Joseph "Joe" Rigger: Updated), Batman (Thomas Wayne: Flashpoint Timeline), Amazo, Jeremiah Arkham, & Catman

Design Inspirations below:

The Ratcatcher (First Appearance) - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Ratcatcher-Batman-Rob...)

Prometheus - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Prometheus-DC-Comics-...)

Firebug - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Firebug-DC-Comics-Bat...)

Batman (Thomas Wayne: Flashpoint Timeline) - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/b/b5/Batman_Vo...)

Amazo - (comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_medium/3/31666/79...)

Jeremiah Arkham - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/1/18/Jeremiah_...)

Catman - (upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7e/Catman.png)

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I watched the Season 3 premiere episode of Final Space, it was awesome. Also thank you for all the support, I've been doing a lot of Marvel, I'll be doing some DC soon. I also made quite a few Quicksilvers for some reason...

From L-R: Quicksilver (Classic: Blue), The Vision (Human Form: WandaVision), Agent X, Super-Skrull, Blonde Phantom, Ralph Bohner (WandaVision), Alexander Pierce, Yondu (Classic), & Pietro Maximoff (WandaVision)

Design Inspirations Below:

Quicksilver (Classic) - (www.classicmarvelforever.com/cms/assets/images/profiles/c...)

The Vision (Human Form: WandaVision) - (i2.wp.com/www.tor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/wandavis...)

Agent X - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Agent-X-Marvel-Comics...)

Super-Skrull - (www.comicbasics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Klrt-the-S...)

Blonde Phantom - (comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_super/3/34310/251...)

Ralph Bohner (WandaVision) - (media.comicbook.com/2021/03/wandavision-evan-peters-ralph...)

Alexander Pierce - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/a/a2/Alex... & comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_small/0/5344/1168...)

Yondu (Classic) - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Yondu-Marvel-Comics-G...)

Pietro Maximoff (WandaVision) - (hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/wand...)

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... synonymt med mässa.

Troligen min mest långsökta tolkning hittills. Mässa = rabbla upp något om och om igen :)

Mitt bidrag till Fotosöndag och veckans tema "mässa".

Photo for this week's theme "fair/intone" for the group Foto Sunday.

DIY Lens mount conversion, results (see below for "how to")

Here is the completed Minolta 58mm f/1.2 modification mounted on my Sony Alpha DSLR. Originally the lens is for the Minolta MC mount, which can not adapted to the Minolta AF mount "passively", i.e. any adapter would need to have optical elements to maintain infinity focus (at the expense of image quality). I managed to replace the mount on the lens itself by substituting an M42 to Minolta AF adapter for the original mount. After readjusting focus on the lens, it now aligns perfectly with the original distance scale, all the way to infinity.

While I did this for the Sony/Minolta AF system, the guide to the modification (see below) applies to any current DSLR system for which you can get a suitable adapter, e.g. an M42 to Canon EOS or a glassless M42 Nikon adapter can be used.

The lens was chosen because there is no f/1.2 lens available for the Minolta AF mount and most other f/1.2 lenses available tend to be either extremely expensive, hard to find, and/or far inferior (e.g., the Tomioka 50mm f/1.2 for M42 is not very good in my opinion). This lens, on the other hand, cost me about €100 and has bokeh worthy of legends. It is not the sharpest of lenses wide open (still, quite decent), but it has very pleasant image characteristics and is a lot of fun to use.

I recently updated this modification by installing a microchip which identifies itself as a 60mm f/1.1 lens (closest setting available at the moment). The chip was kindly provided by James Lao, who makes custom chips and M42 to Minolta AF adapters. If you use an electric adapter for the mount, the exact same guide can be used, or you can later install the microchip on the adapter (as I did).

With electronics the focus confirmation and in-camera anti-shake both work with this beast. (Focus confirmation doesn't depend on reported focal length, and for anti-shake the slight difference doesn't really matter that much.) The in-camera anti-shake of Sony DSLRs makes this a low-light photography marvel.

See the pictures beginning from here for my complete writeup on doing the modification. This method can also be applied to some other lenses, and certainly for converting to camera mounts other than Minolta AF.

One of the first AFOLs I ever met was Cale Leiphart. I built and showed my first locomotive MOC when I met him, a UP Big Boy and it was a big mess, but Cale was still enthusiastic to meet another person interested in making Lego trains. I've kept at it for about 5 years now and, in a way, this is the culmination of all the work I've done thus far.

Since Joining PennLUG, I've built a lot of things, and I have been so grateful for the encouragement of Cale and everyone else in the club and the community as a whole. One of the things we do is push each other to finish those projects we always talk about, and to always aim for better than we've done before. That is what this post is really about.

For a long time, Cale has talked about building the largest engine owned by one of his home railroads, the Western Maryland Challenger. It might not have gotten done for a long time, as he has so many great projects going at any given time, but I really wanted to see another big engine from him. As it happened, I'd been wanting to make a large, articulated steam locomotive as well. I wanted to prove I could make one that not only looked the part, but was a real, reliable and powerful runner. My large steam engines have varied in running quality over the years, so I felt like I had something to prove. As I looked through photos of different engines, I settled on the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Challenger. That's how the Challenger Challenge got started. I put it to Cale that we should each build our Challenger, with minimal contact between us during the process and, at the end, put them head to head in a series of tests to prove we had made a solid, well-running engine.

As of today, the Challenge is officially over, and I humbled by the fact that I was able to win, albeit by a narrow margin.

We have been working on our engines for over 4 months off and on, and thinking about them for much longer. We first showed them to each other in a nearly finished state at PennLUG's November meeting. Our next show after that would be the Greenberg Toy and Train Show in York, PA in January, so we decided to hold the bulk of the Challenge there. Both engines were put through a series of tests on the PennLUG layout. First, we conducted a speed test, which I won. I built my locomotive for speed, so I was pleased it lived up to that design. Next, we conducted a pulling power test, by piling on as many cars to each engine as they could pull. I could pull more or less as much freight as Cale could, but only for a short time. My locomotive's higher speed wanted to constantly pull the heavy train apart, rather than hold onto the whole consist, so I was beaten there. Next, we did an end-to-end tractor pull, to see if one engine could pull the other. Cale won this easily. After that, we performed a yard maneuverability test, to demonstrate that we could navigate switches, as both engines were designed to do. However, with the spotlights on, neither managed to do it, though I have since seen them both pull it off, so no points there. Finally, we conducted a battery life test. Each engine was given ~6 cars to pull and fresh batteries, to see who could run longer. I won this test by a narrow margin.

The events at York left us tied, but we planned one final test. At the February PennLUG meeting, we had all of the club judge which they felt was the better model of its original, with photographs on hand to compare. By only a couple votes, I was crowned the victor. Our plan was to have the loser build the winner his trophy, which will be done in the next few weeks but, for now, bragging rights will have to do.

In the end, the point wasn't really to have a winner and a loser, but to, from the beginning, design the best engines we could, and prove that they were good runners and accurate models. Also, Cale and I wanted to push each other as we always do. I think both of us may have built our best steam engines yet.

I will leave it to Cale to explain about the WM Challenger, in the back of this photo, and use the rest of this space to talk about the details of my own, seen in the front.

I chose the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Challenger mostly on looks. I like the pumps on the front of the boiler, the length and the tender, especially. It also gave me an opportunity to learn about the engine and the railroad, neither of which I knew anything about.

SP&S was owned by both the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railroads at the time the challengers were built. As such, most SP&S equipment was gotten secondhand. The 8 Challengers were some of the few locomotives purchased new specifically for SP&S. The first 6, designated type Z-6 and numbered 900-905, were built in 1937, and featured an open cab and originally had the 6 axle tender I used for my model. The last two, numbered 910 and 911, and designated Z-8, were built in 1944. These featured an enclosed cab, larger tenders, and slightly more pulling power. All were built by ALCO.

The challengers were SP&S's most powerful locomotives, and served their mainline freight service for about 20 years before being retired and later scrapped. None survive today. In fact, no challenger types survive besides the two that UP have, although many railroads had challengers in the 1930s and 40s. This is another reason I wanted to build the SP&S Challenger. There have been many UP Challengers in Lego, but, as far as I have seen, no other railroads represented, although I'd be happy to be proven wrong there.

My model was a bit of an experiment in power, drawing on ideas from some other great builders, and everything I've learned about PF over the years. It features four PF L motors in the boiler, two driving each set of drivers. This layout was borrowed mainly from Jay Steinhurst's amazing Big Boy. The one difference was that four Ls is a bit much for one battery and IR receiver, so I have two and two. This was first done, as far as I know, by Scott Wardlaw on a UP, you guessed it, Challenger, but with XL motors. My four L motors are geared up for extra speed. flat out this is about the fastest locomotive I have built, and it can pull a decent train at speed. Additionally, it features standard Lego train drivers with applied boxpok decals that I made myself, and custom siderods by Benn Coifman

The real SP&S 900

So, if you read all that, thanks, and be sure to check out all the photos and videos in the set. And also Cale's excellent writeup here.

Also, the photo is courtesy of Cale, as well.

I'm really proud of this post, I decided I'd make some classic versions of the heroes of Marvel.

MARVEL Figs 125:

From L-R: Quicksilver (Classic: Green), Wonder Man (Classic), Spider-Man (Peter Parker: Classic), Mister Fantastic (Classic), The Punisher (Classic), The Human Torch (Classic), Doctor Strange (Classic), Daredevil (Classic: Red), Namor (Classic), Black Widow (Classic), Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell: Classic)

Design Inspirations Below:

Quicksilver (Classic Green) - (i.pinimg.com/originals/d4/73/c8/d473c8abce41f8076e66fc520...)

Wonder Man (Classic) - (static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11/117763/3121952-w...)

Spider-Man (Peter Parker: Classic) - (imgc.allpostersimages.com/img/print/u-g-PW8RGG0.jpg?w=550...)

Mister Fantastic (Classic) - (static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/4/49448/1695377-mrf...)

The Punisher (Classic) - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Punisher-Marvel-Comic...)

The Human Torch (Classic) - (storage.googleapis.com/hipcomic/p/0752e738a9aaa1878565d7b...)

Doctor Strange (Classic) - (static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11/114251/2960257-d...)

Daredevil (Classic Red) - (i.pinimg.com/originals/03/ae/56/03ae56ecc13f87da8bfacd0d2...)

Namor (Classic) - (i.pinimg.com/originals/c2/0f/c5/c20fc59607d6b97ee4f5f28bd...)

Black Widow (Classic) - (terrigen-cdn-dev.marvel.com/content/prod/1x/0_609e.jpg)

Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell: Classic) - (www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/captain-marv...)

Comment & fave to let me know what you think

My 2012 Family Photo - BTS photos and a writeup on my blog: www.JVLphoto.com

Strobist info: I started by filling the room with an "ambient" level of flash, which was with a Elinchrom Ranger Quadra asymmetric pack, one flash head was high and angled up at the ceiling to create an upper light that would fall downwards, and the other was positioned just below camera level, bounced off the wall & diffused through a 60" umbrella for fill (both at camera left).

To fill in a bit of the right, there is a LP160 bounced into a silver reflector and into the room to, basically, evenly light my feet & lower pants.

Window light is a 3x3' Lastolite Skylite with another quadra pack blasted through it to mimic sunlight (the day was overcast).

There's a Lastolite strip at camera left, behind my wife, providing some accent to her shoulders using a 580exII

Finally, everyone was "hit" with a 580exII through Lumiquest Softbox Ltp on a painters pole to give their face a bit of key.

www.JVLphoto.com | www.facebook.com/jvlphoto | twitter.com/justinvl

Clouds caught kissing the earth

Surely for every noticeable place I visit, I try to produce a writeup in the best manner possible. Babusar Top is one of the few places that made me do that pretty hard, seriously. I mean I really wanna tell the story about it

The place is a feast for wide angle shots and panoramas. People who wanna catch clouds kissing the earth would love it. The hugely spread deep terrain is awesome to view. The river paths, the curvy stream are awesome to watch from the top. Weather keeps rolliong and you may catch sunlight, heavy clouds, rain, sleet, almost everything in one day. By the way it was sunny when we reached and it was raining as we left.

I am not sure if there is camping site available as the story to follow would tell you how miserable I felt all the time photographing. Still I managed to spend an hour out in the cold, totally unprepared :-)

Reaching Babusar top made me go back in the car ASAP as the weather was so damn chilling. And to add to that, and as I was visiting it for the very first time, I had to cover alot of ground to make it to the view point. And that on foot :-)

The weather was seriously challenging. And I had nothing but a shirt jacket to cover my self. While me and brotgher Mujtaba (who had a decent Parka jacket with him) were trying our best to hide the killing chill, along with so many people in pretty much same condition, there were dare devilers wearing almost nothing. A white bearded old man was wearing a sea through thin cotton looked so comfortable to my surprise.

To add to the surprise was a shirtless bloke making pictures and in his own way challenging every body. And my palms, fingers, man everything was frozen :-)

Sponsored by:

.:Soul:. - .:Violetility:.

:[Petrichor]: :[Plastik]:

.:: Pink Cherry ::.

LM & Credits found on the main blog site.

Writeup on .:Violetility:. and helpful information on :[Petrichor]: Candelabras

Blog: spooderkitty8.wixsite.com/my-site/post/rehearsal-before-a...

Where can I get my fear fighting gear?

Head: LeLutka - EvoX - Ceylon

Body: The Shops! - Legacy - Classic

Eyes: LOTUS - Watermelon Eyes - #10 - Gacha

Hair: Foxy - Scorpion Hair - Vivids

Skin: .:Soul:. - [G3] Jayln [H-4] Toned Browless BoM

Freckles: LIVIA - Freckles No.3

Burns: Izzie's - Face & Body Burns

Eyebrows: Nuve - Crystal Eyebrows - Tintable

Eyeshadow: Lisa Walker - Pure Brightness With Eyeliner - Evo

Lipstick: Goreglam - Love Spell - Lip Plumper

Nails: VENGE - Stiletto Nails - Legacy

Nail Applier: VENGE - Strapped V2 - Stiletto Nail Applier

Hoop Earring: E.Marie - Hoop Earring 18K

Nose Chain: ~~Ysoral~~ - Luxe Nose Chain Ear Piercing - Lana

Outfit: .:: Pink Cherry ::. - Summer Outfit - Maya

Shoes & Stockings: No Cabide - Katarina Heels

Pole: .:Violetility:. - Barrel Drum Pole - [The Warehouse Sale - July/August 2021]

Couches & Cake Slice Ottomans: .:Violetility:. - Cake Couches

Toy Box Mat: .:Violetility:. - Bored Game Platform

Chaise: .:Violetility:. - Libertine Lounger - [Item from Bound Box] [Mystery Box Closed]

Candelabra Hand/Floor: !Reliquary! & :[Petrichor]: - Orryn Candelabra - [Midnight Order - July/August 2021] [Holdable is actual size of all candelabras]

Candles: !Reliquary! & :[Petrichor]: - Barrelcandels - [Midnight Order - July/August 2021]

Bed: .:Violetility:. - Chain Bed - RLV

Cage: .:Violetility:. - Cage Ball

Containers: .:Violetility:. - Cargo Containers - [Shrank down for side tables]

Room: *NeverWish* - Sin Box - Skybox

Italy, 28th June 2016. Konica C35 and Fomapan 400 Action film.

I did a writeup about the Konica C35 here.

New partssssss:

Killer Moth - cape from the DND CMF

Mad Hatter - hat from the Wicked sets

Onomatopoeia - head from the Dreamzzz sets

Ratcatcher - mask from Ninjago

Hush - torso from Ninjago

I am so happy to show you all the Marvel figs I have in store, all I have to do is upload them so expect that in the future. For now, I'll just be showing you'll some Olympians of Marvel, I don't really see many people make them so I thought I'd step up & do it...

MARVEL Figs 116: Olympians

From L-R: Bia, Zeus, Ares, Hercules, Hephaestus, & Huntsman of Zeus

Design Inspirations below:

Bia - (lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/wA3tpTAwOJOLEfuZv-41PUXgf...)

Zeus - (i.pinimg.com/originals/18/a6/f2/18a6f24efc472593f504a7949...)

Ares - (upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Aresherc.png)

Hercules - (i.pinimg.com/originals/f1/b7/0a/f1b70ad1dbbc4b175b97f0ff5...)

Hephaestus - (pbs.twimg.com/media/EdI-P2uXYAAn5dk.jpg)

Huntsman of Zeus - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Huntsman-of-Zeus-Marv...)

Comment & fave to let me know what you think.

Union Pacific's Worthington Local, Job 43, is seen here passing through Org, MN with three covered hoppers and a pair of former SP GP40-2's.

Once a small town, Org is largely abandoned now, although we did see one resident sitting on his front porch. There's a super cool, and largely treed-in grain elevator here as well; unfortunately we didn't have time to get in position to shoot it.

Wikipedia has an excellent writeup on this former metropolis, for anyone interested: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Org,_Minnesota

Side 3 annular dodecahedron: made up of modules like this

www.flickr.com/photos/karlhorton/917587002/

See writeup onwikia

Portraits Of Seattle Series #1: Artist Jesse Edwards in his home/studio

Click the Link to read my writeup/Andrew Matsons 3 Questions

For more photos and writeups on this LEGO creation:

alanyuppie.blogspot.com/2018/04/lego-transformer-delorean...

Follow me in FB!

www.facebook.com/alanyuppiebrick/

..and subscribe my youtube channel!

www.youtube.com/user/alanyuppie

...Instagram, anyone?

www.instagram.com/chingfatt78/

Not the most reliable or easy-to-operate of Blacktron vehicles, the BT7751, nicknamed the "Dark Dragster", was designed as a fast raiding rover armed with dual small-calibre omega particle cannons. The Blacktron Alliance frequently use dangerous and unstable technology in their equipment, but omega cannons produce sufficient background radiation that the designers were forced to place them at a distance from the pilot's position. After a design where they were positioned directly over the front axle proved too difficult to control, the current strutted design was produced. Dark Dragsters are rare in the Blacktron Alliance's hardware lists but are usually given a wide berth by both the Federation and the Alliance's own troops whenever they are rolled out.

~~~

FebRovery episode 7, and time for a silly-looking rover with a "serious" writeup.

From L-R: Alistair Smythe (Classic), Spider-Cop (Earth-19119), Molly Hayes, Marvel Boy, Francis "Ajax" Freeman (Deadpool), Thunderstrike, & Jewel (Updated)

Design Inspirations Below:

Alistair Smythe (Classic) - (upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/90/Alistair_Smy...)

Spider-Cop (Earth-19119) - (lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/nzKUy2pG3UHB7onvVBSzUpvCq...)

Molly Hayes - (static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/0/77/238466-29439-m...)

Marvel Boy - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Marvel-Boy-Noh-Varr-M...)

Francis "Ajax" Freeman (Deadpool) - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelmovies/images/b/b1/AjaxM....)

Thunderstrike - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/4/40/Migh...)

Jewel - (i.pinimg.com/originals/d0/44/f9/d044f969b81161db631abe903...)

Comment & fave below to let me know what you all think

I got the newest issue of Future State: Dark Detective #2 & #1 of Future State: Suicide Squad, both were equally awesome. Anyways let's get to it...

From L-R: Poundcakes, Ant-Man (Classic), Firebird, Captain America (Bucky Barnes), Malekith the Accursed, Spider-Man Noir (Earth-90214: Updated), Scream, & Captain Marvel (Empyre: Captain Marvel)

Design Inspirations below:

Poundcakes - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Poundcakes-Marvel-Com...)

Ant-Man (Classic) - (static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/0/7019/249752-16056...)

Firebird - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/8/88/Boni...)

Captain America (Bucky Barnes) - (www.comicbasics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Bucky-Barn...)

Malekith the Accursed - (i.pinimg.com/originals/89/e9/94/89e9944c51eaf199842946653...)

Spider-Man Noir (Earth-90214) - (i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/5/e0/5bc77a942112a/clean.jpg)

Scream - (www.ultimatecomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Photogr...)

Captain Marvel (Empyre: Captain Marvel) - (cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/25p2fxbv67CBonPLBkrHJc.jpg)

Fave & comment to let me know what you think

Scream based on lego_mc616 design from Instagram (www.instagram.com/p/CKb4AYipoIY/).

rest of the photos and a writeup here

www.dineshmaneer.com/dandeli-revisited/

'tis the season for creating beach portraits. I have a few tips -- outlined in my latest post. If a little advice seems like a good idea, I hope you get something out of my writeup!

www.vikkiq.com/post/7-tips-for-great-beach-portraits

I built this for the Jaeger vs. Kaiju building challenge over on Brick Mecha Division. Here's the lore writeup I made for it there:

The next generation of technology in the fight against the Kaiju, EUXO was designed to mirror a human's anatomy without using any organic material. The result is an incredibly complex synthetic organism that - by linking with the pilot's brain - functions as their surrogate body. This allows for reaction times and awareness unheard of in previous generation Jaegers.

The EUXO can also utilize optional Type-B equipment. This functions as extra armor and includes a number of stabilizers for extra maneuverability during air drops.

So yeah, obvious Evangelion inspiration here. I originally just wanted to add some optional shoulder parts containing ammo/missiles but that eventually grew into a full armor set. Note that the waist armor also includes extra braces for the hip joints so the whole thing doesn't topple under the added weight.

Not the most reliable or easy-to-operate of Blacktron vehicles, the BT7751, nicknamed the "Dark Dragster", was designed as a fast raiding rover armed with dual small-calibre omega particle cannons. The Blacktron Alliance frequently use dangerous and unstable technology in their equipment, but omega cannons produce sufficient background radiation that the designers were forced to place them at a distance from the pilot's position. After a design where they were positioned directly over the front axle proved too difficult to control, the current strutted design was produced. Dark Dragsters are rare in the Blacktron Alliance's hardware lists but are usually given a wide berth by both the Federation and the Alliance's own troops whenever they are rolled out.

~~~

FebRovery episode 7, and time for a silly-looking rover with a "serious" writeup.

Long-tailed tits feeding chicks at Millers wood.

More photos and writeup on my blog at www.johnstantonphotography.co.uk/long-tailed-tits-feeding...

Please take a look, thank you.

Image taken back in early August -- it is an image made up of 4 photos. In the photo the barge "Erie Trader" is coming up on the Two Harbors breakwater lighthouse. I think the Trader is being pushed by the tug "Clyde S. Van Enkevort."

Here is a writeup on the Erie Trader written by Roger LeLievre on the Boatnerd website (www.boatnerd.com/)

The self-unloading barge Erie Trader was completed at the Donjon yard in April 2012. She is mated with the articulated tug Clyde S. Van Enkevort, which was completed in February 2011 at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair LLC in Erie, Pa. Both are owned and operated by Van Enkevort Tug & Barge of Escanaba, Mich.,

Both units, which were owned at the time by Seajon, a joint venture between SEACOR Holdings Inc. and Donjon, were christened at ceremonies in Erie on April 10, 2012. The combined tug/barge unit entered service under charter to American Steamship Company in May 2012 under the names Ken Boothe Sr. (tug) and Lakes Contender (barge).

Lakes Contender was named by the builder to commemorate its entry into the Great Lakes shipbuilding industry. The Ken Boothe Sr. was named in memory of the former shipyard manager for Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair.

The American Steamship Co, charter was not renewed in 2017. Both are now owned and operated by Van Enkevort Tug & Barge of Escanaba, Mich.,

The Erie Trader is equipped with electric power generators for ballast pump operation and hydraulic power units for conveyor system operation. Self-unloading equipment consists of a single tunnel belt and loop belt system which elevates cargo to a hydraulically-actuated unloading boom. The barge is equipped with a 1,000 HP diesel-driven bow thruster.

Clyde S. Van Enkevort, the tug’s namesake, entered the marine industry in the late 1960s. He was a specialist in integrated tug/barge design, with one of his biggest accomplishments being the building of the tug Joyce L. Van Enkevort and the barge Great Lakes Trader. He died Feb. 20, 2016.

Written by Roger LeLievre.

Denver City & County Building, lit up for the holidays. Read all about it over on my blog. There's also a really nice writeup on the history of these lights over here.

This photo made it up to #133 in Flickr's Explore pages for December 14, 2008 -- thanks to all for your comments and favorites!

Copyright © 2008 Old Dog Photography, all rights reserved.

An experiment in panorama, with all my newest figures and updates!

L-R

Cisco Ramon (Updated)

Commissioner Gordon (New)

Deadshot (Updated)

Egghead (New)

Mime (Updated)

March Harriet (Slightly updated)

Kato (New)

Penguin Goon/Minion (Slightly updated)

Roxy Rocket (New)

Sheriff Bronson Stone (Repeat)

Sportsmaster (Technically updated)

The Judge (Updated)

EDIT: CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE

Egghead: Inspired by SFXminifigures' version.

Kato: Inspired by Random Panda's version.

Roxy Rocket: Inspired by both jpw51 and Plastic Man's respective versions.

Sheriff Bronson Stone: Inspired by what may or may not be Phil Korn's version.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cisco Ramon - Added new face, hair, hands and "Power Bolt" can since the vote.

Commissioner Gordon - Added a trench and the new CMF Gordon body, which wasn't available before.

Deadshot - My new design with wrist guns and LB3 weapons.

Egghead - Added a Angry Birds egg and new hips to SFXminifigures' version.

Mime - Removed one lightning bolt, added gun and bag to better mirror her character, as seen here.

March Harriet - Dual wielding!

Kato - Random Panda's version, albeit with an alternative leg/torso combo.

Penguin Goon/Minion - Changed the head and the pants from the original.

Roxy Rocket - A cross between jpw51 and Plastic Man's respective versions.

Sheriff Bronson Stone - Phil Korn's version, which I stole borrowed, and then knocked the 'stache off of.

Sportsmaster - Just a small head rotation on the YJ style Sportsmaster made by everyone and their mother. (Including me!).

The Judge - New torso from last time. Not that you can see it. :P

You may view the entire gallery here.

Stories and pictures: my writeup.

Photo courtesy Sebastien Barre, who did an awesome writeup of his experience with Living Walls: Albany here.

We painted this one in 6 hours.

From L-R: Black Widow, Silver Surfer, Toad, Yon-Rogg (Kree Suit: Captain Marvel), Tombstone (Updated), The Human Spider (Spider-Man 2002), Mary Jane Watson (Marvel's Spider-Man 2018), & Phyla-Vell

Below are my design inspirations

Black Widow - (i.pinimg.com/564x/61/ef/21/61ef213e1e62462b82adf40cc3592d...)

Silver Surfer - (images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/...)

Toad - (upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9d/Toad_%28Mortimer_T...)

Yon-Rogg (Kree Suit - Captain Marvel) - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelcinematicuniverse/images/...)

Tombstone - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/5/59/Dare...)

The Human Spider (Spider-Man 2002) - (carboncostume.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/hu...)

Mary Jane Watson (Marvel's Spider-Man 2018) - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/p__/images/8/8c/Mary_Jane_Watso...)

Phyla-Vell - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Phyla-Vell-Captain-Ma...)

Fave & comment to let me know what you think

Today, I was reading David Peterson's writeup on converting the picture into lab colour and adjusting the curves. So, I thought of trying it out here. I was looking at a old photo that I posted long time ago and I was thinking why that picture had not much "WOW" factor, so I decided to re-edit it to only focus on the good things. Now I have 1 more tool to use in my arsenal!

So what you think? Better with the sky or just concentrate on what is good?

Growing in Tilden Park, Berkeley. February.

The following writeup doesn't mention the Bay Area, but it's been returning to this spot for years.

www.thespruce.com/wild-ginger-plant-profile-4843271

"Wild ginger attracts a very specific pollinator: the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly. "

www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/asarum_cana... --from the U.S. Forest Service.

Went to the comic book store yesterday & got some raw comics Flash #750, Future State: Dark Detective #3, Batman Black and White #1 & #2, The Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #58 & #59, Man-Bat (2021) #1. Did a similar post to this last time, it was Iron Man (www.flickr.com/photos/189249091@N02/50665358097/in/datepo...), this is sort of my Valentine's Day post showcasing Cloak and Dagger & some of the enemies they've faced over the years.

From L-R: Tombstone (Updated), Thanos (Updated), Lorelei, Silvermane (Updated), Mister Negative, Carnage (Absolute Carnage), Cloak and Dagger (Updated), Shriek, Hellion (Updated), Nightmare (Updated), Avalanche (Updated), The Beyonder (Updated), & The Spot

Design Inspirations below:

Tombstone - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Tombstone-Marvel-Comi...)

Thanos - (static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11133/111330189/665...)

Lorelei - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/x-men/images/3/39/79773-130061-...)

Silvermane - (comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_medium/11/115365/...)

Mister Negative - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/e/e6/Mr._...)

Carnage (Absolute Carnage) - (comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_medium/11134/1113...)

Cloak and Dagger - (miro.medium.com/max/779/1*wRYKTyFe87K65xnJYzE1eg.jpeg)

Shriek - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/e/e0/Abso...)

Hellion - (comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_small/10/109227/2...)

Nightmare - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/8/80/Nigh...)

Avalanche - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/c/c6/Domi...)

The Beyonder - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Beyonder-Marvel-Comic...)

The Spot - (i.pinimg.com/originals/bc/df/39/bcdf39081b1c1ce91b23f9e3a...)

Credit to snowybricks on Instagram on the sword idea for Mister Negative (www.instagram.com/p/CK9nJutJ2G4/). Comment & fave to let me know what you think.

Just got back in school today, which means the second half of the end of the school year. Decided to showcase some of Spidey's foes

MARVEL Figs 98

From L-R: Demogoblin, Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Kravinoff: Updated), & Morlun

Below are my design inspirations

Demogoblin - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Demogoblin-Marvel-Com...)

Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Kravinoff) - (i.pinimg.com/736x/e3/62/ec/e362eca5da2d0e9a57f7359965b8a4...)

Morlun - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Morlun-Marvel-Comics-...)

YouTube | Blog | Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook | Patreon

Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f1.7 Sharpness Test - As Seen on YouTube! - youtu.be/Znar4ifNWgw

Full writeup - mrleica.com/voigtlander-ultron-35mm-f1-7-review/

Outstanding Tribute Band BLACKPINK SL

Got to catch this group today and do a little writeup with photos. Check them out.

slinsiderguide.com/blackpink-sl-tribute

Working Images of the Tanat Valley branch taken in the 1950s are extremely hard to come by. In this exemplary shot photographed by C.H.A Townley, on a summer afternoon, on August 7th 1957 the disturbance of the rural calm is broken as 89A Oswestry allocated 16xx class 0-6-0PT No 1603 pauses at Llansillin Road with the 2.45 pm Llanrhaeadr Mochant to Oswestry pick up goods.

Freight services along the Tanat Valley had been withdrawn between Llanrhaiadr and Llangynog as early as July 1952, while passenger services along the whole route ended in January 1951. The branch continued to be worked to Llanrhaeadr until the 4th of December 1960 when one of the piers of the bridge over the Afon Tanat, to the west of Llangedwyn, was undermined by floodwaters.

The branch in the period between July 1952 and December 1960 was worked by the electric token block system from Llynclys Junction to Llanrhaeadr Mochant. 'Only one engine in steam principle' Typically trains ran to Llanrhaiadr and Nantmawr on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays, while on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays they ran only to Nantmawr.

Far from being an out-and-back diagram engine crews had a busy time. An informative writeup by the late Mike Lloyd in his publication The Tanat Valley Railway gives a brilliant insight into how the branch was operated in the 1940s. The 1956 - 57 STT also tells us that there was no letup in freight operations A typical day in this period is as follows. Departing Oswestry at 6.50 am a class 'K' pick-up was due to arrive at Llynclys Junction at 7 .5 am. 30 minutes was given to knock and pull out any wagons that had been left in the sidings by the 'up' and 'down' mainline trains. This diagram then worked the morning from and to Porthywean, as required with traffic to and from The Steetly Lime and Basic Company's Siding. The branch train (class 'K' Pick up) left Oswestry at around 11.15 am arriving at Llynclys Junction at 11.27 am. An hour and twenty-three minutes were given to knock in or pull out any wagons, departing at 12.50 am.

Three minutes was given between Porthywean and Blodwell Junction for the opening and closing of the road gates. Booked to arrive at 1.10 pm, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, fifteen minutes was allowed at Llanduu while the subsequent Tuesdays Thursdays and Saturdays when the train was booked to Nantmawr a further 15 minutes was added Presumably to shunt wagons to and from Blodwell Junction. departing Llanduu at 1. 25 pm the next station Blodwell junction was a stop only when required. In this period Llanyblodwell and Glanyrafon halts were still officially listed in the STT, however, serving no purpose the next official stopping station was Llansillin Road. Booked to call in at 1.55 pm. Having no official departure time, from here the pace of travel subsequently matched that of the surrounding hinterland Llangedwyn the next station was a 'Stop When Required' while Pentrefelin halt which was still officially listed was just a name on a piece of paper. Finally, Llanrhaiadr Mochant was reached at around 2.18 pm, or thereabouts. However, how idyllic it may all sound, there wasn't much time to enjoy the scenery. Departure time was a mere twenty-seven minutes before they'd do it all again. I'm sure it couldn't have been a bad turn. Arriving back at Oswestry at 5 .25 pm I suspect any intercity suburban crew would have 'bitten their right arm off for a day out in the Mid Wales countryside and off the beaten track.

Llansilin Road in Llangedwyn. It had the "Road" suffix due to being 3 miles south of Llansilin and 4 miles by road. The station was located close to the hamlet of Pen-y-Bont Llanerch Emrys, two miles east of Llangedwyn village, where the road from Llansilin joins the valley. The station opened in 1904 and formally closed in 1951. The short platform was situated between the railway and the road and had a corrugated iron shelter with a forward-sloping roof, two lamps and a name-board. There was a loop on the north side to serve a cattle dock as well as a siding from the west end serving a wharf in the goods yard, all controlled by a ground frame. The platform is still extant in the goods yard site

Sorry for the lack of posting, I'll be posting more often from now on. Let me just update you all on what's been going on in my life, I started school as a freshman about 3 weeks ago at Kenwood Academy High School. It's been pretty good so far, one of my classes happens to be Photography (even though I wanted Art) so hopefully it'll help me improve on my photos. I also recently received a new LEGO order filled with various parts to make awesome figs (such as these) & I have also pre-ordered a full set of 12 of all the LEGO® Minifigures Marvel Studios 71031 from minifiguresplus.com/. I also decided to go back to my default background, just because I like it better. Now let me tell you'all about this post, all of these figures were inspired by www.instagram.com/moth_stories/ on Instagram. I was also inspired to even do this from Roman's Stealing things post on Flickr, he made a while back (www.flickr.com/photos/mypeanut/50940167036/in/dateposted/). I think I'll make an album about doing this. Now let's get to the figs...

DC Figs 201

From L-R: Firefly (Ted Carson: DC Rebirth), Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson: Classic), The Blue Snowman, Doctor Polaris (Neal Emerson), Planet Master II (Edward Burke), Agent Orange, Clayface (Basil Karlo: Classic)

Design Inspirations Below (moth_stories):

Firefly (Ted Carson: DC Rebirth) - (www.instagram.com/p/CPymbuwJR8U/)

Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson: Classic) - (www.instagram.com/p/CTfXoZRImbl/)

The Blue Snowman - (www.instagram.com/p/CTCqTEto4yg/)

Doctor Polaris (Neal Emerson) - (www.instagram.com/p/CTCqTEto4yg/)

Planet Master II (Edward Burke) - (www.instagram.com/p/CSEliFHIvXc/)

Agent Orange - (www.instagram.com/p/CRES5unpLu0/)

Clayface (Basil Karlo: Classic) - (www.instagram.com/p/CSJ5jWEIgUw/)

Design Inspirations Below (Comics):

Firefly (Ted Carson: DC Rebirth) - (comicnewbies.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/batman-vs-fir...)

Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson: Classic) - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/5/56/Doctor_Fa...)

The Blue Snowman - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/3/36/Byrna_Bri...)

Doctor Polaris (Neal Emerson) - (static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/3/31666/777634-dr_p...)

Planet Master II (Edward Burke) - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/e/e3/Edward_Bu...)

Agent Orange - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Agent-Orange-DC-Comic...)

Clayface (Basil Karlo: Classic) - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/dcvillains/images/c/c5/Clayface...)

Comment & fave below to let me know what you all think.

I do not have much of a writeup planned, but this is a Volvo B9TL, fitted with a Renault D9B260 engine and ZF Ecolife 6AP1403B gearbox.

This B9TL was spotted passing The University of Sheffield SuperTram stop in Sheffield.

A.K.A. Waller's Gazelle, at the Los Angeles Zoo. A quick writeup on this shot is over on my blog.

Copyright © 2009 Old Dog Photography, All Rights Reserved.

I built this for the Jaeger vs. Kaiju building challenge over on Brick Mecha Division. Here's the lore writeup I made for it there:

The next generation of technology in the fight against the Kaiju, EUXO was designed to mirror a human's anatomy without using any organic material. The result is an incredibly complex synthetic organism that - by linking with the pilot's brain - functions as their surrogate body. This allows for reaction times and awareness unheard of in previous generation Jaegers.

The EUXO can also utilize optional Type-B equipment. This functions as extra armor and includes a number of stabilizers for extra maneuverability during air drops.

So yeah, obvious Evangelion inspiration here. I originally just wanted to add some optional shoulder parts containing ammo/missiles but that eventually grew into a full armor set. Note that the waist armor also includes extra braces for the hip joints so the whole thing doesn't topple under the added weight.

Not the most reliable or easy-to-operate of Blacktron vehicles, the BT7751, nicknamed the "Dark Dragster", was designed as a fast raiding rover armed with dual small-calibre omega particle cannons. The Blacktron Alliance frequently use dangerous and unstable technology in their equipment, but omega cannons produce sufficient background radiation that the designers were forced to place them at a distance from the pilot's position. After a design where they were positioned directly over the front axle proved too difficult to control, the current strutted design was produced. Dark Dragsters are rare in the Blacktron Alliance's hardware lists but are usually given a wide berth by both the Federation and the Alliance's own troops whenever they are rolled out.

~~~

FebRovery episode 7, and time for a silly-looking rover with a "serious" writeup.

I'm so excited for the newest episode of Final Space this weekend & that next week is spring break! I decided I'd make some of the various characters from the Brotherhood of Mutants! Please comment & fave to let me know what you think, I'd love to hear the feedback on this post. Anyways let's get to it...

MARVEL Figs 122: Brotherhood of Mutants!

From L-R: Destiny, Mastermind (Martinique Jason), Empath, Dust, Nocturne, Crimson Commando, No-Girl, Peeper, Magneto (White Suit), Blob, Pyro (Simon Lasker), Rust, Omega Black, Super Sabre, Lady Deathstrike, Unus the Untouchable (Updated), & Blindspot

Design Inspirations Below:

Destiny - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/2/26/Iren...)

Mastermind (Martinique Jason) - (i.pinimg.com/474x/6e/66/78/6e6678b93774a5d108a75ab2935cf3...)

Empath - (www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Empath-Marvel-Comics-...)

Dust - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/d/da/Soor...)

Nocturne - (upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ab/Nocturnexcal...)

Crimson Commando - (comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/square_small/13/134753/...)

No-Girl - (crimsonquill.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/martha_example.jpg)

Peeper - (terrigen-cdn-dev.marvel.com/content/prod/1x/sword_underli...)

Magneto (White Suit) - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/b/bc/X-Me...)

Blob - (1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Qf973OXpJI/UZ8wm_PaXCI/AAAAAAAACME/fH...)

Pyro (Simon Lasker) - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/3/34/Simo...)

Rust - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/e/eb/Rust...)

Omega Black - (i.pinimg.com/originals/df/4c/77/df4c779e3cd0c738ee8407c9c...)

Super Sabre - (comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_medium/13/134753/...)

Lady Deathstrike - (i.pinimg.com/originals/26/7f/28/267f2868b1588be769ea23cf4...)

Unus the Untouchable - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/e/ee/Gunt...)

Blindspot - (static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/1/1a/Blin...)

Again comment & fave to let me know what you think. I might even make another one

Yesterday, I uploaded an image of the M13 which I felt rather chuffed with considering its taken in London on an Alt-az mount at my living room window. So I proudly showed my mentor, Rupert. (see my previous one in my gallery for comparison) .

Then he tells me, I can do better with the data I have. Throw away all of the ISO 3200s and ISO 6400s and just stack the ISO 1600s...then do my usual post processing. And bloody hell, sure enough, I get a hell of a lot more detail and colours from just using the ISO 1600 frames (420 X 4sec exposures). This is because the higher ISOs' higher noise levels serve as a bottleneck to extracting all the information possible. lower ISOs retain a wider dynamic range of colour information and less noise. Now I knew this about ISOs but I thought combining all the data from all ISOs with separate master dark frames for each ISO would give me even more data. But nope, my mentor, Rupert was right (as he always is), its the opposite.

So yesterday, I set about showing that we can do deep space astrophotography from inside the house at a bedroom or living room window in inner London but today, I humbly present a better example.

My original writeup on this restricted capture imaging project and my thoughts on The Great Hercules Cluster M13 is on my previous image.

Info:

Light Pollution Bortle grade (1 darkest sky, 9 highest light pollution) : 8-9

Telescope: 80mm Equinox APO refractor with a field flattener

Mount: Nexstar 6/8SE Alt Az on a sturdy table but on rickety floor boards!

Camera: Canon 650D unmodded

No light pollution filters

420 X 4 Sec Light frames

ISO 1600

50 Dark frames

Stacked with DSS (Deep Sky Stacker). Manually adjusted RGB levels.

Used curves and levels repeatedly with saturation in Photoshop and Camera Raw.

Cherwell, Oxford, 4th July 2016. Konica C35 and Agfa APX 100 film.

I did a writeup about the Konica C35 here.

When I begin writing the words that accompany my photos, I often leverage my knowledge of the location and my experience when I took the photo (e.g weather conditions, time of day, etc.). Depending on what the post is trying to convey, I may also augment this with some research on the location. For this photo of Spider Rock, I wanted to convey how it got its name. In my research, I found it wasn't just a name but rather a significant story in Navajo culture. So rather than try to summarize, I found this explanation on this website: www.weirdus.com/. I didn't think I could write anything better so here is the writeup - word for word.

"Canyon de Chelly National Monument, located in the northeast corner of the state, is one of Arizona's lesser known destinations, but one of its most dramatic and inspiring. Though much smaller than the Grand Canyon, visitors often say it can be just as spectacular with its extraordinary ruins and breathtaking features.

De Chelly (pronounced de SHAY-ee, or more commonly de SHAY) consists entirely of land owned by the Navajo Nation and still maintains a community of Native Americans who live and farm within the canyon's walls. While sightseers are allowed to explore the chasm's rim freely, visits to nearly all areas within the canyon itself are allowed only with a guide, as many sites are considered sacred to the Navajo people.

Notable among those sites is Spider Rock, a red-sandstone survivor of epic erosion. An 800-foot spire stabbing the air that flows between the canyon's walls, it stands as a sort of unofficial icon of Canyon de Chelly. It's also the address of the mythical Spider Woman, who has chosen its pinnacle as her home.

Spider Woman is considered an important deity in the Navajo culture. According to their creation story, when the Navajo people found their way here from the underworld, she gave power to those who destroyed the evil creatures that roamed this land. In addition, she's been responsible for protecting peaceful men who have found themselves in danger from others. In one story, a young Navajo was hunting in de Chelly when an enemy warrior began pursuing him. Chased deeper and deeper into the canyon, the hunter had run out of options until he saw a silk-like cord drop down the side of Spider Rock. He tied it around his waist, and with the help of Spider Woman, the young man escaped to the top, where he was allowed to stay until it was safe.

Yet, the legend of Spider Woman does have a darker side. Aided by a spirit snitch who resides on the lower, adjacent peak known as Speaking Rock, Spider Woman seeks out those who have been mischievous and disobedient. Whenever she hears of a child who has been badly behaved, she crawls down from her perch, snatches him up and carries him back to the top to meet his fate. The chalky color that caps Spider Rock is said to be the bones of the Navajo children she has devoured."

Yesterday, I posted a photo of a shelf of books located in the State Archives of Siena. In the writeup, I neglected to make mention of the amazing artwork that can be found on the walls and ceilings above the shelves. It is quite beautiful and you could tell that a master artist painted them. Looking up at this mural, you would swear that the columns and stonework were real, not a two dimensional rendering. I could only be impressed with the mastery of the painter who created it and how long it must have taken him.