Random Photos

[Ibix]

When the moon HITS your eye, not "is" you eye.

In the song, yes, but not the picture.

 

[jtbell]

When the moon is your eye
Like a big pizza pie, that's... amore?!

 

[symbolipoint]

Not a still-image, but because of the prospect of some movement to occur, done as a video. Unplanned little hunt to find something like this since these guys are not too plentiful:

See here in about 15 minutes from now:

 

[jtbell]

Continuing southward down the eastern side of Indiana, I passed through Pennville, and spotted this storefront.

What was it? A restaurant made to look like a railroad-car diner? I looked inside and saw only debris. I couldn't tell whether it was currently under construction or abandoned. No notices on the door, just the name next to it.

A Google search revealed that there was indeed a railroad named the Cincinnati, Bluffton and Chicago. It passed through Pennville, was never completed, and lasted only 1903-1917.

Maybe this is or was an attempt at a museum about it.

I spent the following night in northern Kentucky, near the Cincinnati airport. For supper, I stopped at a Skyline Chili parlor for the area's signature dish: five-way Cincinnati chili (spaghetti, chili sauce, beans, onions and shredded cheese).

 

[Ivan Seeking]

In 2015, wildlife photographer Christophe Courteau took this close up of a 6ft 6, 400lbs silverback gorilla, right before it punched him in the face.

 

[BillTre]

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The good ole days...

 

[morrobay]

Ko Rin island 20 km West of Jomtien.

 

[DennisN]

Some shots from the courtyard showing the remarkable background blur capabilities of
the lens Jupiter-37A 135mm f/3.5:

Leaves:

Plant:

More leaves:

Hydrangea:

Spider web:

(all shot with tripod, except #4 (Hydrangea) which was shot handheld)

 

[Ivan Seeking]

 

[Ivan Seeking]

This is one of my favorite photos.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

My new neighbor getting the mail.

 

[BillTre]

Soccer ball, the car:

 

[morrobay]

These few months have the best over land+water sunsets

 

[DennisN]

Some various shots...

I've always liked dragonflies and damselflies, but I've definitely have got a whole new appreciation for them after I've taken photos of them. I find them amazing, almost magical, because of e.g.

1. They look cool
2. It's not often I see them, and they are quite difficult to shoot
3. They do as they please, very much like butterflies. They decide where to go, what to do, how long to stay and you as a photographer are just at the mercy of their whims . A bit annoying, but also thrilling.
4. They have amazing, truly amazing flying skills (see e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly#Flight).

Some time ago I spotted a dragonfly (or a damselfly) flying around over a path in a park. It seemed to be quite large since I could clearly hear it whizzing about.

It flew very fast, backwards and forwards along a ca 10 meters long flying path in a repetitive pattern, and I just stood there with camera in hand waiting for it to land. But it didn't, it just kept flying back and forth along this path, and sometimes doing sudden shifts left/right/up/down in mid-air. I stood and watched it for a couple of minutes, being amazed of the flying capabilities and after a while I grew tired of waiting for it to land, so I left. No luck that time .

I wondered what it was doing, and I think it might have been hunting smaller insects.

Anyway, here's a damselfly I managed to shoot:

Small red-eyed damselfly (Erythromma viridulum)

(Lens: Pentacon 50mm f1.8, not the best one I've got for these things, but it's what I had at the time .)

A hanging branch with leaves

(Lens: Canon FD 135mm f/3.5)


And three shots of western jackdaws taken some years ago:

(Lens: Canon FD 135mm f/3.5)

 

[BillTre]

Once dragon flies land they can stay put for a while.
I have a pond in the back yard. They come from aquatic larvae and seem to like hanging out around it.
Here are couple I was able to walk up to and photograph as I wanted to over several minutes.

 

[DennisN]

Here are couple I was able to walk up to and photograph as I wanted to over several minutes.

Gosh, they look fantastic!

Amazing wing details, and cool colors. I don't think I've ever seen an orange or red one.

 

[BillTre]

Gosh, they look fantastic!

Amazing wing details, and cool colors. I don't think I've ever seen an orange or red one.

I think the red ones are red skimmers.
In the US, state extension services will often have ID guides for their local insects. Among other things, this is an aid to farmers.

There is nothing cooler looking than an invertebrate under high magnification:

 

[DennisN]

I've always liked dragonflies and damselflies

They have amazing, truly amazing flying skills

Once dragon flies land they can stay put for a while.
I have a pond in the back yard. They come from aquatic larvae and seem to like hanging out around it.
Here are couple I was able to walk up to and photograph as I wanted to over several minutes.

Sidenote: Some clips I found on youtube for anyone who wants to be amazed by the flying skills of dragonflies:

Dragonfly in Slow Motion | BBC Earth Explore


Epic Footage of Dragonflies Hunting


And here's a little longer clip with a very passionate guy who goes all in with a lot of gear trying to film dragonflies, and he gets amazing footage. It seems he found a way to attract dragonflies by using some weird mixture of substances (banana peels, warm beer and sugar ):

Dragonflies hunt by predicting the future (AlphaPhoenix)

 

[berkeman]

On a recent MTB ride I was coming back down from a winding dirt road climb, and noticed a shadow in the dirt by my front wheel of what looked like a small plane following me from above. That seemed pretty weird and I kept noticing the shadow for probably a minute or two until I realized that it was a dragonfly flying along with me as I descended the mountain. Pretty cool actually.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Was he drafting you?

 

[berkeman]

Was he drafting you?

LOL, no. Even though it was downhill he was still faster than I was.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

LOL, no. Even though it was downhill he was still faster than I was.

If he was drafting you, it would make sense that he would stay with you. But I guess you have a special kind of appeal to a dragonfly.

 

[nsaspook]

ROSE CITY COMIC CON!​

Fond memories.

 

[berkeman]

ROSE CITY COMIC CON!

I've worked several shifts at Comic-Con events in San Jose. Was this the 72 hour straight version? Those get real interesting, especially near the end...

 

[pinball1970]

There is nothing cooler looking than an invertebrate under high magnification:

Arrgh! Put a biologist in charge of a camera, horror will ensue!

 

[pinball1970]

Swansea, a charity gig this time. I have imaged the bass drum in a lot of different places which does not make an interesting gallery granted.

Look at the light on this though, it plays on the sparkle and rims.

 

[pinball1970]

Trust, when you let the band change in the cellar.

These guys kept an eye on us just make sure.

 

[DennisN]

Swansea, a charity gig this time. I have imaged the bass drum in a lot of different places which does not make an interesting gallery granted.

Look at the light on this though, it plays on the sparkle and rims.

It looks like thorough miking of the drums.
I see a bass drum mic, a hi-hat/tom mic, one more tom mic, and maybe there's a snare mic too (?) behind that giant of a bass drum, hard to tell from here .

 

[pinball1970]

It looks like thorough miking of the drums.
I see a bass drum mic, a hi-hat/tom mic, one more tom mic, and maybe there's a snare mic too (?) behind that giant of a bass drum, hard to tell from here .

The kit the pub had for such a smallish venue was impressive. Usually it is one mike per drum and the snare mike can pick up the hi hats, those high frequencies usually cut right through anyway.
The bass drum is 26 inches, Bonham and Paice had one, I had to get one and it had to be Ludwig.
All these newer expensive kits I've tried have no boom, DM, Mapex, Pearl. Old Ludwigs boom!