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

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

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 :-)

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

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

I did a writeup about the Konica C35 here.

Check out all of my Species a Day writeups here.

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

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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/

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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-...)

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.

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

I did a writeup about the Konica C35 here.

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.

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.

I chose a closeup portrait of the brides sister to show the fantastic detail included by Makovsky in this work ! Here is an interesting writeup about this amazing painting .

cejournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Bride.pdf

Catching the low rays of early morning sunlight.

Blooms in late summer/early autumn usually responding to heavy rains. A tendency that has earned it the name Hurricane Lily in some areas. Very poisonous bulbs. Interesting writeup in wikipedia.

Red spider lily (Lycoris radiata)

These are Yaks. On the road to Tawang, or anywhere near the high meadows, you eventually meet a yak.

Yaks (Bos grunniens) are cold-adapted, long-haired bovines found above ~3,000 m. In Tawang, Dirang, Zemithang, and the high ridges leading towards Tibet. They’re central to life in high-altitude pastoral zones. They thrive where almost no other livestock can survive - thin air, sub-zero temperatures, and rugged terrain.

I realised the importance of the yak to the Monpa people when I read a writeup at the War Memorial at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

The yak is not just an animal; it’s an entire ecosystem and way of life.

Yaks produce rich, high-fat milk used to make chhurpi, butter, ghee, and sometimes cheese. Yak meat is an important winter protein source and is often dried or smoked to last through long cold months.

Historically, yaks were the pack animals of the Monpa highlands before motor roads reached the region. They carried salt, wool, timber, grains across mountain passes. Caravans connected Tawang and Tibet via the ancient trade routes. Even today, in remote high-altitude herding routes (e.g., around Zithang, Bumla, Chumi Gyatse region), yaks are still used for carrying loads.

Almost every part of the animal is honoured. Hair becomes ropes, blankets, and tents that can withstand Himalayan winters. Hide becomes boots for monks and bags for travellers. Dung becomes fuel, glowing softly in hearths where firewood is scarce but warmth is life. It is said that a house with yak butter lamps will always find its way through the dark.

For high-altitude Monpa communities, yaks represent wealth (owning a herd is a sign of economic stability); security (steady supply of food and goods); trade (wool, butter, chhurpi are still bartered in some areas). Even now, yak-based products (butter tea, meat, chhurpi) are part of the local economy connecting Tawang with Dirang, Bomdila, and Assam.

And then there is the spirit of the yak — the way it walks through Monpa culture. During festivals, dancers in brilliant robes mimic the proud, swaying gait of the Yak Chham, a dance meant to bring protection, strength, and good fortune. In some villages, a yak skull stands at the doorway, watching over the household, reminding everyone that the mountains listen to those who respect them.

AT 70 going on 71 , Sun Set Time....Nostalgia of Sun Rise Days....Returns..

It Is Very Natural To Reach Sun Set Time,,,,In Life...... A Shot Made During Our Week End Visit few years ago to this Beautiful Corana Del Mar Beach, Pacific Coast, Orange County,,California...

Time To Relax,,,Time To Have Flash Back Of The Good Times And Bad Times...Time To Recall The Happenings,,,,...Sufferings,,,,Learning,,,,Toiling.....Wandering.....Travelling....Earning..... Romancing.....Wedding.....Child Rearing.....Travelling The World,,,Building....Relationships and Assets.... Contentedness .Retiring .....Helpings..... Socializing.... Serving Not So Fortunate ......Serving God.....Seeking The Blessings Of "HIM".... And Of Course....Clicking And Flicking, Enjoying And Sharing The Joy.....With The World...Especially With You Our Dear Flickerians.....

Thank God ...Memories Are Indeed Sweet...In Spite Of Sickness, hospitalisation, Surgery

and recuperation, rejuvenation...and so on......

www.myspace.com/trickola

Other (non textured) photos and writeup by Dan Morgridge up on Gaper's Block:

gapersblock.com/transmission/2009/03/15/tricky_logan_squa...

It looks like presenting this model goes nothing like I thought it will.

First of all, many thanks to Carter for featuring the model on TBB! I almost wish the writeup came a little later, as I'm preparing an extensive set of images on the Falke. Part of the images in the set will be used on Cuusoo, as I'll take my chances there with this model - so those interested, get your clicks ready!

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But the actual purpose of uploading this picture now is to answer one question that I've been asked a lot in the last couple of months (this morning, the most recent), and that is how do I make my bricks to look so polished and shiny... So here goes the answer:

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No, I do not polish them. I wish I had the time for such things but unfortunately I don't. Instead, I do the following:

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1. I never light my models directly or perpendicular. Because I use articulated desk lamps, the lights become "mobile". That means I can position them anywhere I want and I can search for the angles that give me the best effects, the least glares and so on. The white side panels that I use to direct the light back into the scene contribute a lot, they can be moved simply by hand when taking the picture so you can get particular shines and reflections. So no direct light on the model, but angled, side and deflected lighting. Many of the "shines" you see on my models are in fact the white panels themselves, reflecting onto the model. Using the right angled light and the panels usually hides most imperfections on the bricks, simply because the light/shadow contrasts tend to flood the scratches and the uneven surfaces.

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2. I ALWAYS take my pictures in RAW format. That means the images come with ALL the available color and detail the camera is capable of. When opening a RAW format, you can control color balance, shadow depth, tonal curve, sharpening and so on and so forth. The best way to describe this is, most hilariously, using a Lego example: you get a box filled with multicolored bricks - those would be the pixels. Using these bricks, you can build a red ship, or a yellow one, or blue... Or, in my case, almost always a black one due to my unexplainable Batman addiction. By the way, since I'm here, I want to set the record straight. Although you might think Batman is my favorite, he's not. Spidey is. Forever.

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Taking pictures in RAW format also means you'll take the pictures in the highest resolution your camera is capable of, which is related to point 4., image resizing. Also, on many occasions, surfaces that look overexposed, even white and completely burnt, actually DO CONTAIN the raw pixel information and color/detail can be recuperated in RAW mode, using tools like "Recover" - this is an option which any RAW opener should have.

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3. Surfaces control and smoothing, where needed - there are a lot of methods to do this. For those inexperienced, there are simple tools like "Dust and Scratches", "Despeckle", "Reduce Noise" and "Surface Blur". These are Photoshop tools, but any image processing software should have similar toys. Be careful how you use these - sometimes, reducing noise or blurring the surfaces will "wipe" or smooth the imperfections, but will also destroy the detail. The right use of these tools comes in time and by experiencing. Remember, always use these tools in the largest size of the image, where all of the pixels are. This way, when you'll reduce the image size (point 4), only the "good" ones will remain. Again, I can give the Lego example: if you build something in large scale, you'll get the studs, inevitably. If you build in micro, you'll get surfaces. That's why resizing is sometimes important (or not).

For surface control - scratches removal, dusting - I almost always use the "Clone Sampling" tool. It's something I also use in my work so I'm a lot more accurate with it than the automatic tools described above. In order not to destroy the details, I make selections on the areas that need a little touch using the "Bezier" (path) tool. The combination of the two methods provides surgical precision when used properly.

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4. Image Resizing. In most cases, you have absolutely no reason whatsoever for uploading images in the original size your camera is capable of. Flickr, with its, ahm... "clever" internal code will re-size it anyway so it can fit the user's screen resolution (attention, "user" means here the viewer!). Furthermore, uploading in original size means images load slower and sometimes they don't show in your frontpage. It's much like trying to swallow the whole cookie at once. Flickr has a sweet, yet sensitive and messed up little mouth and will inevitably choke. I RARELY upload images larger than 1024px (width).

But most important, image resizing means pixel reduction. The less scratches you've left at point 3, even lesser you'll get by resizing. Sometimes, they even disappear. Like... Magic!

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5. Sharpening. Now here's where the cool thing happens. If you have used by now the magic of image resizing, this is where "The Prestige" happens. You have by now reduced the image to the best pixels and by sharpening them a little, you'll get them to shine - not too much though, as you don't want the image to look coarse!

I use a special filter for this (this is my dirty little secret and I'll keep it this way) because not only it gives me the sharpen I want, but also allows me to control the "grain" in the image, which is something I particularly like. Still, simple sharpening is all you really need for a nice result and it's a tool available in any image processing software.

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If you've got this far, it means this was somewhat interesting for you. Try to remember, any "software" trick means precisely zero without the photograph itself, which provides the "box of bricks" for using the tricks. Other than that, I would only add that in most of the cases, I build my models using a box of "stock" parts in whatever color they come, and it's only when I'm sufficiently decided that's the final result I put on the "good bricks". I also don't play and do not display my models, so they don't really turn... "used". And when it comes to photographing the thing, the tripod is mandatory, of course.

Phew, this was quite an English exercise, I hope you'll understand the lacks, if any. And as I previously commented - joking of course - I hope this will get blogged or shared to death, just so I won't have to answer the damn question anymore :P

If you like the model, please take a moment to support it on Cuusoo:

lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/55846

Lots of pictures in the dedicated set, for those interested.

Goal: to create two new crafts you've never tried before.

Full writeup here: www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/10719

So, I made a dotee, and a fabric pincushion, whee! It was like this big thing for me to sew, I wonder why so much anxiety?

The machine did fight me with the dotee fabric, but flew through the pincushion; its other side is a thick tan fabric. I learned a lot, like that I can't sew a circle well, even with there is a big thick line made with a sharpie! So it wasn't very even of a shape from the start!

Then I accidentally sewed it shut, ARGG.

Then I stuffed and the hole I left was too big, so my hand-sewn area was prominent and FLAT. When I made the partitions, the didn't some out as evenly as I wanted...but flowers don't grow perfectly in nature, right?

I hope the recipient doesn't make the same faces I did at the poor thing. Please stab it with pins for me hon!

I imagine the process of learning was more important than perfection, but yeesh nothing wanted to go well for these two!

On the trip I was reading the latest wired mag (maybe best publication out there right now). There was a short writeup on a camera toss contest so I thought I would give it a try. You need surprisingly little velocity to get some great trails, this was about a 6 inch toss and spin in front of the xmas tree. Should have gotten a video of me spinning the d3... 350 ... wonder what it will be like in 16 days??

View On Black

Here is the link to the flickr group and the wired writeup www.flickr.com/groups/cameratoss/discuss/72157622742032127/

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."

I know him only thru his wonderful captures posted in Flickr. A talented fotographer, Shabbir has no limits when it turns to fotography. Recently he has presented me with a valuable comment n de form of a writeup and was just wondering where I stand when compares to his photographic talents!!! Thank you dear friend.

His great captures can be seen here: Shabbir