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Mittens update:
Mr. Mittens, My neighbor's cat, doesn't pop over as often. But he does visit occasionally, enough to stay in touch. He knows he's not going to get any food out of me. He has a loving and caring family just a couple doors down.
I managed to get a couple of photographs over the last month or so.
Figure 1. Stealth-master Mittens. Natural light. He seamlessly blends into his surroundings.
Figure 2. Mr. Mittens questioning his decisions after being roused from a peaceful, late morning slumber. Natural light. He's behind a bay-window curtain where he has a good view of traffic and birds.
Mr. Mittens, My neighbor's cat, doesn't pop over as often. But he does visit occasionally, enough to stay in touch. He knows he's not going to get any food out of me. He has a loving and caring family just a couple doors down.
I managed to get a couple of photographs over the last month or so.
Figure 1. Stealth-master Mittens. Natural light. He seamlessly blends into his surroundings.
Figure 2. Mr. Mittens questioning his decisions after being roused from a peaceful, late morning slumber. Natural light. He's behind a bay-window curtain where he has a good view of traffic and birds.
DennisN
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A couple of previously unedited shots from two years ago on the topic of snow and ice:
And two shots of a piece of ice I was playing around with in the sun two years ago...
(I remember I posted one shot of it before in this thread)
A piece of ice with a colorful background:
Just ice against the sky:
And two shots of a piece of ice I was playing around with in the sun two years ago...
(I remember I posted one shot of it before in this thread)
A piece of ice with a colorful background:
Just ice against the sky:
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22 degree halo tonight:
At least, I'm pretty sure it's the 22 degree halo... the most amazing site that I would check with (Atoptics) is no more, unfortunately. Image taken with Nikon D810 + Zeiss 15/2.8 @ f/4.
Here's the star of the show (same lens, different exposure, 300% zoom):
At least, I'm pretty sure it's the 22 degree halo... the most amazing site that I would check with (Atoptics) is no more, unfortunately. Image taken with Nikon D810 + Zeiss 15/2.8 @ f/4.
Here's the star of the show (same lens, different exposure, 300% zoom):
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I would have a hard time not feeding that cat. It makes me wonder if Mr. Mittens gets a scolding at home for some reason when he comes to visit you. I've known people who grew up within walking distance of their grandparents house. A good scolding at home was a sure motivator to go see Grandma and Grandpa.collinsmark said:
DennisN
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Guitar modding continued...
My custom surf/dream pop guitar is now assembled, and it's nicknamed "Surfbird".
Here it is:
I still need to do neck adjustment, adjust string heights and then do intonation, and after that the guitar should be ready to go.
Schematics is highly recommended to do when you build custom guitars:
Some close-ups:
Left: Roller string retainers on headstock (decreases friction and helps with holding tune while bending
& using the guitar vibrato arm). Right: Lockable tuners. Bottom: Bridge roller saddles (decreases friction and
helps with the same as the roller string retainers).
Left: The three pickups (two Rockabilly single coils (GFS Surf 90) and one lipstick pickup); five pickup combinations are possible with my wiring. Right: The volume and tone controls with two top hat bell knobs, otherwise usually seen on Gibson guitars.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm having fun, so I will probably do another custom guitar...
I'm planning on doing a Telecaster-style guitar, since I haven't got one of those, but it will likely become a little "bastard" that doesn't look like a standard Telecaster; it will be a "Weirdocaster"
.
I'm thinking of fitting two Telecaster pickups into a Stratocaster body, along with a couple
of dual hot rail pickups. This will make it into a Telecaster which also has a vibrato system (standard
Telecasters haven't got any), and the extra dual hot rail pickups will make it possible for it
to double as a Stratocaster. So it will become sort of a lovebaby of a Tele and a Strat. The wiring will probably be quite tricky to do, but no pain, no gain.
Left: I've got an empty Stratocaster body and a neck, but unfortunately I will have to drill/carve out more space for the pickups. Top: Two Telecaster pickups (neck & bridge) I've got lying around. Bottom: I will have to do a custom pickguard, since my pickup combination will be very unusual.
A little extra guitar nerdiness, if I may...
Telecaster bodies are rather heavy (except Telecaster Thinlines) and not as comfortable as Stratocasters in my opinion, for instance Stratocasters have belly cuts (image) while Telecasters are usually completely flat (image). And I'm keen on comfortability and ergonomics, so I prefer Stratocaster bodies.
There are good reasons why Stratocasters are such extremely popular guitars, and it's not because Jimi Hendrix played one.
They may not be very sexy guitars, but the design is simply great; they are very comfortable and ergonomic, they are versatile and they usually sound from good to great. And if I'm not mistaken there are two Stratocasters on stage on the first photo @pinball1970 posted before, in front of what I guess is a Marshall cabinet and amp (?).
I've only played one guitar that I have found more comfortable than Stratocasters, and it's a PRS copy (a Harley Benton CST-24T) I bought cheap second hand which is incredibly comfortable. It's not a great guitar, but pretty good, and fun to play.
DennisN said:
My custom surf/dream pop guitar is now assembled, and it's nicknamed "Surfbird".
Here it is:
I still need to do neck adjustment, adjust string heights and then do intonation, and after that the guitar should be ready to go.
Schematics is highly recommended to do when you build custom guitars:
Some close-ups:
Left: Roller string retainers on headstock (decreases friction and helps with holding tune while bending
& using the guitar vibrato arm). Right: Lockable tuners. Bottom: Bridge roller saddles (decreases friction and
helps with the same as the roller string retainers).
Left: The three pickups (two Rockabilly single coils (GFS Surf 90) and one lipstick pickup); five pickup combinations are possible with my wiring. Right: The volume and tone controls with two top hat bell knobs, otherwise usually seen on Gibson guitars.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm having fun, so I will probably do another custom guitar...
I'm planning on doing a Telecaster-style guitar, since I haven't got one of those, but it will likely become a little "bastard" that doesn't look like a standard Telecaster; it will be a "Weirdocaster"
.I'm thinking of fitting two Telecaster pickups into a Stratocaster body, along with a couple
of dual hot rail pickups. This will make it into a Telecaster which also has a vibrato system (standard
Telecasters haven't got any), and the extra dual hot rail pickups will make it possible for it
to double as a Stratocaster. So it will become sort of a lovebaby of a Tele and a Strat. The wiring will probably be quite tricky to do, but no pain, no gain.
Left: I've got an empty Stratocaster body and a neck, but unfortunately I will have to drill/carve out more space for the pickups. Top: Two Telecaster pickups (neck & bridge) I've got lying around. Bottom: I will have to do a custom pickguard, since my pickup combination will be very unusual.
A little extra guitar nerdiness, if I may...
Telecaster bodies are rather heavy (except Telecaster Thinlines) and not as comfortable as Stratocasters in my opinion, for instance Stratocasters have belly cuts (image) while Telecasters are usually completely flat (image). And I'm keen on comfortability and ergonomics, so I prefer Stratocaster bodies.
There are good reasons why Stratocasters are such extremely popular guitars, and it's not because Jimi Hendrix played one
.They may not be very sexy guitars, but the design is simply great; they are very comfortable and ergonomic, they are versatile and they usually sound from good to great. And if I'm not mistaken there are two Stratocasters on stage on the first photo @pinball1970 posted before, in front of what I guess is a Marshall cabinet and amp (?).
I've only played one guitar that I have found more comfortable than Stratocasters, and it's a PRS copy (a Harley Benton CST-24T) I bought cheap second hand which is incredibly comfortable. It's not a great guitar, but pretty good, and fun to play.
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pinball1970
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It is Purple/Richie so yes on the strat. I'll check the amps and feedback.DennisN said:
DennisN
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Two tele shots of paddlers from a couple of years ago when I was down by the sea testing tele lenses. The paddlers were pretty far away from me; I used a manual Tokina 400mm lens and a tripod here.
DennisN
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A couple of previously unedited flower shots...
Persian cornflower
Poppy anemones
Poppy anemones
Wood cranesbill
A red tulip
...and an ivy (well, it's not a flower, is it?):
Persian cornflower
Poppy anemones
Poppy anemones
Wood cranesbill
A red tulip
...and an ivy (well, it's not a flower, is it?
):
Point Conception
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Shopping with Thai girlfriend. Father Chinese that's why her white skin . Two main ethnicities here: The wealthy Chinese Thai elites centered in Bangkok .That includes: the royalty, and high ranking military and government. Then the Lao Thais that make up the farming populations upcountry. As well as the factory and service worker across the country. By the way she is not part of the Chinese/Thai elite. Gold ? About $375 for that small necklace. Just looking.(All gold shops are Chinese/Thai)
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Napoli
Too much happened there and it's still too close so for now just some clouds and lights, before-, after- and between rains:
And: Pompeii is BIG.
Ps.: did anybody else noticed that at the end of a long, busy and exciting day somehow the morning suddenly feels kind of distant: not yet a yesterday, but like some kind of 'another today' already?
Really strange feeling.
Ps.: in case there is somebody here from Napoli, can I get a recipe for that traditional potato-pasta-cheese meal, please?... Somehow, on the Land of the Hundred Pizzeria Every Street the first restaurant we tried just did not serve any pizza, and the second outright declared 'no pizza' at the door. And, both was good...
Too much happened there and it's still too close so for now just some clouds and lights, before-, after- and between rains:
And: Pompeii is BIG.
Ps.: did anybody else noticed that at the end of a long, busy and exciting day somehow the morning suddenly feels kind of distant: not yet a yesterday, but like some kind of 'another today' already?
Really strange feeling.
Ps.: in case there is somebody here from Napoli, can I get a recipe for that traditional potato-pasta-cheese meal, please?... Somehow, on the Land of the Hundred Pizzeria Every Street the first restaurant we tried just did not serve any pizza, and the second outright declared 'no pizza' at the door. And, both was good...
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And hopefully, the Phlegraean Fields which are probably even more dangerous. Not that Santorini was an opening of something severe.jtbell said:At least Vesuvius stayed quiet, right?
DennisN
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A couple of European rabbits shot a couple of years ago:
(Gear: Sony A6000 + Sony 55-210mm*)
* Gosh, I would really love to have an autofocus zoom that goes up to at least 300mm, but they are really expensive.
(Gear: Sony A6000 + Sony 55-210mm*)
* Gosh, I would really love to have an autofocus zoom that goes up to at least 300mm, but they are really expensive.
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More snowflakes...
First 2 are re-sized, bottom one is a 1:1 crop. Nikon D810+ 55mm Micro Nikkor f/5.6, 1/400 shutter, auto ISO (EV + 3.0)
First 2 are re-sized, bottom one is a 1:1 crop. Nikon D810+ 55mm Micro Nikkor f/5.6, 1/400 shutter, auto ISO (EV + 3.0)
DennisN
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Gorgeous!Andy Resnick said:
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No, just overhead flood lights. I lay on the ground and searched (TTL) for flakes oriented at 'just the right angle' to give specular reflection.BillTre said:
pinball1970
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Somewhere Oz c.o. Hannah who we miss dearly. I will be bugging her for more as she travels around with her other half.
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From the recent eclipse taken in southern Missouri.
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"Recent" as in last April, right? That prominence looks familiar. 
https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...nnular-apr-08-2024-total.1051127/post-7075907 (and the following posts)
https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...nnular-apr-08-2024-total.1051127/post-7075907 (and the following posts)
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Late last October I was all set to regularly venture out with my new mirrorless and rangefinder cameras (and new leg) and get back into photography, rejoin local society in a way that was difficult before (with the bad leg), mingle, that sort of thing. But soon after, in early November, something happened that left me ashamed of, and mortified by, oh I don't know, about half the population of my country (US), more or less. So I didn't.
But moping on my couch replaying old video games for the dozenth time wasn't really solving anything.
So, a couple nights ago, near the end of an unseasonably chilly, Friday night, after being up with the telescopes through the wee hours, I had some energy left and decided to finally get out of the house and take some pictures. And what better place to start over once again than Balboa Park.
I showered, got dressed, and packed up my rangefinder and a couple lenses. I wore a warm leather jacket and a leather cowboy hat (the hat idea was recommended by my dermatologist), anticipating a chilly day. By the time I got to the park, I had missed golden hour, but it was still just early enough to find a parking space on a Saturday morning.
Figure 1. Moreton Bay Fig tree, mid-morning. This tree was planted as a small tree in 1914 in preparation for Balboa Park's 1915 Panama-California Exposition.
After taking a few shots of the fig tree, I decided to hike over to the other side of the Cabrillo Bridge, on the opposite side of the park. There was a vantage point I had in mind for a photo.
To my surprise during that trek, I realized that what was a chilly night was quickly becoming an unseasonably warm and sunny day. I'm talkin' tank-top, sandals, and shorts weather. And here I am lugging around my camera gear and bundled up in my warm clothes. Oh, well, too late to stop now, I thought.
The new leg is a godsend, but I do still have a significant limp. And the three months of nearly idle atrophy on the couch doesn't help matters. The walk across the park wasn't as easy as I had expected. So in addition to the warm weather surprise, I mostly realized how out of shape I am. Nevertheless, I pressed on.
Eventually I reached the other side of the bridge where an unpaved, dirt trail-head started. I hiked down the trail a few tens of meters to find disappointment: the vantage point I was counting on for the photo was obstructed by overgrowth.
I wasn't about to let some thicket of trees and weeds stop me. I've come this far. Off the trail and into the brush I ventured.
I crouched under some branches and weaved my way through some bushes and poop (human -- not recommended), and eventually pushed my way through to a partial view of the Cabrillo Bridge and California Tower.
Figure 2. Cabrillo Bridge and California Tower. Late-morning.
The vantage point for the shot wasn't what I was hoping for. Not just because of the poop; it doesn't really do the bridge justice. Next time I'll try some different vantage points possibly at different times of the day.
I zigzaged back through the weeds and poop, back under the low branches and climbed up the steep hill to the road.
On the way up I noticed a marked increase in pedestrian traffic on the road above. This is normal, given the time of day. I was quite winded by that point, being so out of shape.
Now mind you, I've barely stepped foot into the sunlight in months (astronomy hours and all) so my pale skin was as pasty as pasty gets. My white beard was getting pretty mangy. I haven't had a haircut in nearly forever; it just hangs long and scraggly. The warm jacket and leather cowboy hat didn't help with the heat; sweat was oozing down my brow, holding onto leaves and prickles from the brush. Also there were bags under my eyes due to not sleeping the night before.
So when I suddenly crawled up and out of the bushes onto the sidewalk like some sort of undead Lemmy, I can tell you that I got some serious looks. As I hobbled back to the main section of the park, people stayed out of my way, often crossing to the other side of the road. ...Which is great!
The first thing I did was limp back to my car to drop off my jacket. Parking was all full-up by that point. My traversing the lot and not leaving with my car peeved a few drivers who were playing the parking game.
Second order of business was to find some water. Dehydration was kicking in. Sitting at a restaurant's bar I drank some coffee and after the fifth glass of water I felt much better. It gave me some time to cool off, casually chimp the photos I took earlier, and make plans for what's next. The servers were quite nice but I think they felt sorry for me. Just as I was leaving I overheard a couple of them talking about me. "The guy in the hat looks like he's had a rough day, huh," one smirked. The other replied, "I think he looks kinda punk."
That was the nicest compliment I've overheard in years.
Next up was the newly renovated Botanical Building. This building had been under construction/renovation for what must have been about 3 years. They finally finished the phase 1 of the project, and it's reopened to the public.
Figure 3. Botanical Building. Mid-day. Built in 1915, this building recently completed renovations.
By the way, that pond in the picture is the Lilly Pond: The same pond as in the pictures I posted back in July (e.g., post 2061), but from the opposite direction. The July post photos were taken from the white bridge facing south. This photo here is from the other side facing north.
I kinda wanted to head inside the Botanical Building, but I decided to save that for another day.
Instead I paid a relaxing first visit to the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA), which also happens to be in Balboa Park. (https://mopa.org)
Then I headed back to the parking lot (a.k.a., carpark). On the way back, there was somebody else's car that looked kind of interesting, parallel parked on the street.
Figure 4. Somebody else's car. Mid-day.
I've never been much of a car person. I've always said I'd rather have a fast computer rather than a fast car. Still, some cars are pretty photogenic. So there's that.
Figure 5. Torus shaped objects. Mid-day.
That wraps it up for this outing. I purchased an annual pass for all the museums in Balboa Park, so I'm sure I'll be back before long.
But moping on my couch replaying old video games for the dozenth time wasn't really solving anything.
So, a couple nights ago, near the end of an unseasonably chilly, Friday night, after being up with the telescopes through the wee hours, I had some energy left and decided to finally get out of the house and take some pictures. And what better place to start over once again than Balboa Park.
I showered, got dressed, and packed up my rangefinder and a couple lenses. I wore a warm leather jacket and a leather cowboy hat (the hat idea was recommended by my dermatologist), anticipating a chilly day. By the time I got to the park, I had missed golden hour, but it was still just early enough to find a parking space on a Saturday morning.
Figure 1. Moreton Bay Fig tree, mid-morning. This tree was planted as a small tree in 1914 in preparation for Balboa Park's 1915 Panama-California Exposition.
After taking a few shots of the fig tree, I decided to hike over to the other side of the Cabrillo Bridge, on the opposite side of the park. There was a vantage point I had in mind for a photo.
To my surprise during that trek, I realized that what was a chilly night was quickly becoming an unseasonably warm and sunny day. I'm talkin' tank-top, sandals, and shorts weather. And here I am lugging around my camera gear and bundled up in my warm clothes. Oh, well, too late to stop now, I thought.
The new leg is a godsend, but I do still have a significant limp. And the three months of nearly idle atrophy on the couch doesn't help matters. The walk across the park wasn't as easy as I had expected. So in addition to the warm weather surprise, I mostly realized how out of shape I am. Nevertheless, I pressed on.
Eventually I reached the other side of the bridge where an unpaved, dirt trail-head started. I hiked down the trail a few tens of meters to find disappointment: the vantage point I was counting on for the photo was obstructed by overgrowth.
I wasn't about to let some thicket of trees and weeds stop me. I've come this far. Off the trail and into the brush I ventured.
I crouched under some branches and weaved my way through some bushes and poop (human -- not recommended), and eventually pushed my way through to a partial view of the Cabrillo Bridge and California Tower.
Figure 2. Cabrillo Bridge and California Tower. Late-morning.
The vantage point for the shot wasn't what I was hoping for. Not just because of the poop; it doesn't really do the bridge justice. Next time I'll try some different vantage points possibly at different times of the day.
I zigzaged back through the weeds and poop, back under the low branches and climbed up the steep hill to the road.
On the way up I noticed a marked increase in pedestrian traffic on the road above. This is normal, given the time of day. I was quite winded by that point, being so out of shape.
Now mind you, I've barely stepped foot into the sunlight in months (astronomy hours and all) so my pale skin was as pasty as pasty gets. My white beard was getting pretty mangy. I haven't had a haircut in nearly forever; it just hangs long and scraggly. The warm jacket and leather cowboy hat didn't help with the heat; sweat was oozing down my brow, holding onto leaves and prickles from the brush. Also there were bags under my eyes due to not sleeping the night before.
So when I suddenly crawled up and out of the bushes onto the sidewalk like some sort of undead Lemmy, I can tell you that I got some serious looks. As I hobbled back to the main section of the park, people stayed out of my way, often crossing to the other side of the road. ...Which is great!
The first thing I did was limp back to my car to drop off my jacket. Parking was all full-up by that point. My traversing the lot and not leaving with my car peeved a few drivers who were playing the parking game.
Second order of business was to find some water. Dehydration was kicking in. Sitting at a restaurant's bar I drank some coffee and after the fifth glass of water I felt much better. It gave me some time to cool off, casually chimp the photos I took earlier, and make plans for what's next. The servers were quite nice but I think they felt sorry for me. Just as I was leaving I overheard a couple of them talking about me. "The guy in the hat looks like he's had a rough day, huh," one smirked. The other replied, "I think he looks kinda punk."
That was the nicest compliment I've overheard in years.
Next up was the newly renovated Botanical Building. This building had been under construction/renovation for what must have been about 3 years. They finally finished the phase 1 of the project, and it's reopened to the public.
Figure 3. Botanical Building. Mid-day. Built in 1915, this building recently completed renovations.
By the way, that pond in the picture is the Lilly Pond: The same pond as in the pictures I posted back in July (e.g., post 2061), but from the opposite direction. The July post photos were taken from the white bridge facing south. This photo here is from the other side facing north.
I kinda wanted to head inside the Botanical Building, but I decided to save that for another day.
Instead I paid a relaxing first visit to the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA), which also happens to be in Balboa Park. (https://mopa.org)
Then I headed back to the parking lot (a.k.a., carpark). On the way back, there was somebody else's car that looked kind of interesting, parallel parked on the street.
Figure 4. Somebody else's car. Mid-day.
I've never been much of a car person. I've always said I'd rather have a fast computer rather than a fast car. Still, some cars are pretty photogenic. So there's that.
Figure 5. Torus shaped objects. Mid-day.
That wraps it up for this outing. I purchased an annual pass for all the museums in Balboa Park, so I'm sure I'll be back before long.
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Last fall I visited the Southeastern Railway Museum, near Atlanta. One of the more interesting exhibits is not a rail vehicle, but an Atlanta city bus.
Note the trolley poles at the rear. It's an electric trolleybus (trackless trolley) built in 1949. Around that time, Atlanta replaced all its streetcars (trams) with these. In 1963 they were in turn replaced with diesel buses.
This notice is above the right front window, next to the door.
A seat-back sign separates the two sections.
I was reminded of this while watching a TV documentary last night that includes a photo of a World War I era Atlanta streetcar with a similar seat-back sign.
Note the trolley poles at the rear. It's an electric trolleybus (trackless trolley) built in 1949. Around that time, Atlanta replaced all its streetcars (trams) with these. In 1963 they were in turn replaced with diesel buses.
This notice is above the right front window, next to the door.
A seat-back sign separates the two sections.
I was reminded of this while watching a TV documentary last night that includes a photo of a World War I era Atlanta streetcar with a similar seat-back sign.