Random Photos

[morrobay]

Cattails from a swamp in back beach area

 

[DennisN]

Me: "I'm going to open up a lens and do some servicing."
My cat: "I don't care."

Me: "I'm going to play with my cameras a bit."
My cat: "I don't care."

 

[BillTre]

Lucky shot:

 

[morrobay]

Amazing photo ^ BilTre

 

[BillTre]

Amazing photo ^ BilTre

From the internet.

 

[DennisN]

Three windows on a church:

 

[DennisN]

A yellow rose (taken earlier this summer during a fine day):

 

[morrobay]

 

[DennisN]

It's grey and cold outside, so I've been inside playing a bit with macrophotography.

A small spring:
(focus stacked)

Foam and soap bubbles:

Lens used: Canon nFD Macro 50mm f/3.5.

Note: I think I can do a bit better than this. There were a lot of reflections in both subjects, so I'm going to try with a CPL filter next time too see if it helps with clarity/sharpness. Regarding soap bubbles, I had completely forgotten how short-lived they can be . I had to act really quickly when I shot them!

 

[morrobay]

Jomtien beach. This time of year many Russians and Scandinavians spend several months here.

 

[morrobay]

 

[morrobay]

Balmy Jomtien beach before the rain.

 

[gmax137]

Balmy Jomtien beach before the rain.

I'm surprised to see the palms so close to the waterline. Are the tides there very mild?

 

[morrobay]

Physically the palms are stable close to the waterline since their roots can extent 50-100 feet from base. Also some palms have adapted to salty water by converting salt water to fresh water by reverse osmosis.

 

[epenguin]

Ah, I see we have church windows as a subject, I have a few of those, I expect many of us do. No great photos but here is one with an interesting story. Or, well maybe an interesting non-story.

This is in the Cathedral at Ripon, Yorkshire. If you've never heard of it it's because cathedrals were built in important towns - but these may not be very important any more now. Anyway, the guide showing us round commented on the fourth pane at the bottom right. The whole looks as if it has to do with some very well-connected family, and she said the pane had to do with the Washington family. Do you notice, do you think, could it be, some people say.... she ventured.

So if I was going to post it here I thought today I had better look it up and see if I found anything about it. I found nothing about this particular one, but a certain amount about other Washington coat of arms found around about a bit all over England. Today I learned that that family had been important and powerful feudal lords. Always came out on top eh? Aristocratic bastards! Still, you can't win every time every century, and it turns out that the Washingtons were in America due to having been seriously pauperised for supporting the King! The wrong one that is.

However "despite some visual similarity there is no evidence whatsoever" to support the connection which has been many times claimed. Furthermore my guide's misinformation may itself be further garbled. GW did take a great interest in these family badges of nobility. he had them all over the place in his home at Mount Vernon, even getting them confirmed by the College of Arms in London, and displaying them on the on the livery uniforms of his servants "as this was a common practice prior to the American revolution among wealthy plantation owners". However the Washington colours are not those of the American flag, but red stars on a white field, i.e. just as in the middle of the second column on the left.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_the_Washington_family

It survives currently in the flag of Washington, DC (and also on the US Purple Heart Medal). I suppose therefore some of you knew that - I didn't till today.

Altogether this was the biggest nonstory to come my way for a certain amount of time.

 

[pinball1970]

Ah, I see we have church windows as a subject, I have a few of those, I expect many of us do. No great photos but here is one with an interesting story. Or, well maybe an interesting non-story.

View attachment 317890

This is in the Cathedral at Ripon, Yorkshire. If you've never heard of it it's because cathedrals were built in important towns - but these may not be very important any more now. Anyway, the guide showing us round commented on the fourth pane at the bottom right. The whole looks as if it has to do with some very well-connected family, and she said the pane had to do with the Washington family. Do you notice, do you think, could it be, some people say.... she ventured.

So if I was going to post it here I thought today I had better look it up and see if I found anything about it. I found nothing about this particular one, but a certain amount about other Washington coat of arms found around about a bit all over England. Today I learned that that family had been important and powerful feudal lords. Always came out on top eh? Aristocratic bastards! Still, you can't win every time every century, and it turns out that the Washingtons were in America due to having been seriously pauperised for supporting the King! The wrong one that is.

However "despite some visual similarity there is no evidence whatsoever" to support the connection which has been many times claimed. Furthermore my guide's misinformation may itself be further garbled. GW did take a great interest in these family badges of nobility. he had them all over the place in his home at Mount Vernon, even getting them confirmed by the College of Arms in London, and displaying them on the on the livery uniforms of his servants "as this was a common practice prior to the American revolution among wealthy plantation owners". However the Washington colours are not those of the American flag, but red stars on a white field, i.e. just as in the middle of the second column on the left.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_the_Washington_family

It survives currently in the flag of Washington, DC (and also on the US Purple Heart Medal). I suppose therefore some of you knew that - I didn't till today.

Altogether this was the biggest nonstory to come my way for a certain amount of time.

I never went to Rippon but I should have done. York Minster stained glass windows are spectacular. I have photos from the 70s taken on a school visit somewhere. Quality not very good.

 

[epenguin]

I never went to Rippon but I should have done. York Minster stained glass windows are spectacular. I have photos from the 70s taken on a school visit somewhere. Quality not very good.

Ah yes, York Minster, a glory. My photos too not very good, just to give an idea. You can easily find better on the web no doubt.

I missed something not looking up Ripon yesterday - which is that this it year celebrated its 1,325th year! That its crypt, still in use, is the oldest building of any English Cathedral. It was the home base of St. Winifred. Winifred was the person who triumphed at the Synod of Whitby (AD 633-4), much reported as key event in every history of the time (and of which the tourist will also hear much). It was the event that decided whether England follow the doctrines, disciplines, liturgy etc. brought from Rome directly, or else the traditions developed in relative isolation in Ireland and brought to England by missionaries from there. About the biggest issue from all accounts was the date to celebrate Easter! Everything was decided in favour of the Roman tendency.

This key stage in the Christianisation of England is almost topical. Today results of the national census were published showing the proportion of people in England who identify as Christian has fallen for the first time to below half. Whatever that means. About which discussion immediately started. It has occurred to me however that maybe even in the age of faith not everybody took everything over-seriously, and perhaps some of them have tried to tell us.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

celebrated its 13,250 year

Er, 1350 years.

 

[epenguin]

Er, 1350 years.

Yes thank you, not 13,250, obviously a typo - I would not have put a date before Creation.

 

[DennisN]

Ah, I see we have church windows as a subject, I have a few of those, I expect many of us do.

More on the church theme...

A couple of photos from a tour I did with a couple of friends in Europe in 2004, where we visited a lot of historical places.

(I checked the info in the files and they were taken with a Canon PowerShot A310 compact camera (3.2 MP), a quite early digital camera . Poor focus on some of the shots too, regretfully, but anyway.)

The Metz Cathedral (in France):

The Trier Cathedral (in Germany):

Entrance:

The baroque west choir ceiling (which was amazing):

The ceiling from another angle:

Another beautiful place in the church:

And the cool church organ:

 

[dextercioby]

 

[morrobay]

Latitude 13 ,3-12-22 , 1600, one clear day

 

[morrobay]

Samae beach, Ko Larn island off Pattaya

 

[Tom.G]

Enticing!

 

[DennisN]

Autumn berry

Lantern outside a restaurant

 

[DennisN]

Frost on plant:

More berries:

 

[Rive]

Afternoon walk around some nearby hills

 

[jtbell]

Foggy twilight on campus:

 

[Ibix]

Snowy night (taken with mobile phone through a window, so sorry about the quality)

Snowy night (taken with mobile phone through a window when I forgot to turn off the flash)

 

[Andy Resnick]

Went for a night hike a few days ago, shooting 3s exposures @ 105/1.4, handheld. Because it was so dark (heavy overcast, rural area), I could not focus with intention. That, and the amount of camera shake from the long exposure time result in images that (I think) accurately convey the atmosphere of being in the woods at night:

One of the weird optical effects is the lack of shadows:

One part of the path is actually near a road, gently rocking back and forth with the shutter open as cars drive by gives this result:

And near one end of the path there's and old oil pumpjack, not sure when it was active:

 

[Ibix]

Following up on the snowy night, Rochester castle this morning:

Unfortunately some haze came in and hid the moon, which was just visible over the battlements a few minutes earlier.

 

[jtbell]

Sunset over a farm at the edge of town:

 

[jtbell]

Hi-yo Silver! Away!

The Pacolet River Horse in Pacolet Mills, SC.

 

[DennisN]

Moonlight over the Baltic Sea:
(taken earlier this year in June. A couple of ships can also be seen on the horizon.)

 

[DennisN]

Merry Christmas, everyone!

A couple of shots taken yesterday...Christmas lights outside an art museum:

A candle outside a church:

Snow in the park:

A Christmas tree in the snowy park:

 

[morrobay]

Nice dry North East offshore winds today in Jomtien.As opposed to the more humid South Westerlies during summer months.Water 28 C

 

[pinball1970]

Co @Astranut from his solstice trip yesterday sunrise

 

[morrobay]

Solstice photos

 

[Rive]

Just the old lament again.

When you have time and gear, you don't get a theme
When you have gear and theme, you don't have the time
When you have time and theme, you don't have the gear...
... and sometimes, you have no time and no gear ...

 

[morrobay]

Hit the tracks Jack. Vietnam.

 

[jtbell]

Merry Christmas!

This is not our house, by the way. I usually pass by it on my nearly-daily walks.

 

[Astranut]

An inverted mirror view of Canada Geese on the frozen Ashton Canal at Portland Basin England.

 

[nsaspook]

Someone put an ice rink in the street.

Can't drive, it's time for cooking.

 

[gmax137]

Can't drive, it's time for cooking.

What time do you want us there, and what can we bring?

 

[nsaspook]

What time do you want us there, and what can we bring?

Right after dinner, and a bottle of VSOP Cognac would be great.

 

[dlgoff]

Someone put an ice rink in the street.

Same here. Even my yard is like that. Dang cold:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/random-thoughts-part-6.875108/post-6835448

 

[berkeman]

What time do you want us there, and what can we bring?

Be sure to leave your ice skates outside the front door.

 

[nsaspook]

Let it 'rest' for a bit while the other fixins are made.

 

[Borek]

 

[morrobay]

View attachment 319342

Evidently a Google scholar image search is required for this.