Random Photos

DennisN · Oct 21, 2024

Borek said:

(setting focus in the dark is challenging), other than that reasonably good.

Yes, it sure is.

One thing that can be helpful is using a Bahtinov mask.
And I've built a DIY simple version of a star focusing mask which works pretty well.
(posted on PF here)

Edit:

Maybe it's not as helpful for wide angle shots, I'm not sure at the moment.
I don't remember which focal lengths I've tried it on.
But one additional trick is to find a reasonably bright star in the sky and then "digitally zoom/magnify" the image in the viewfinder/on the screen if the camera supports it, and use a focusing mask on that star.

Borek · Oct 21, 2024

DennisN said:

But one additional trick is to find a reasonably bright star in the sky and then "digitally zoom/magnify" the image in the viewfinder/on the screen if the camera supports it, and use a focusing mask on that star.

There was a full Moon on the other side of the sky, it helped with the focus (but interfered with the comet).

BillTre · Oct 22, 2024

pinball1970 · Oct 22, 2024

BillTre said:

Wow.

pinball1970 · Oct 22, 2024

While we still have autumn leaves.

Hyde.

Maple tree branches with green and yellowing autumn leaves, backlit by sunlight, above a dark stream with fallen leaves on the water.

Autumn scene of a mown green lawn in the foreground, with dry grass and weeds at the bottom, backed by trees showing orange and yellow autumn leaves under a pale blue sky.

Oldham

Photo looking down on a narrow stream running between trees with autumn foliage in yellow, orange and green, and fallen leaves on the bank.

Curving tarmac road lined with trees in autumn colours, with yellow and golden leaves overhead and fallen leaves on the road edge and verge.

pinball1970 · Oct 22, 2024

Daisy Nook Oldham

Woodland in autumn with bare branches overhead, green ivy and shrubs in the foreground, and orange-brown and yellow deciduous trees behind.

Photo looking down into a wooded valley in autumn, with green-leaved trees on the left and yellow and orange deciduous trees on the right.

Tarmac footpath in autumn running between trees with yellow and orange leaves, past a wooden five-bar gate and a low dry-stone wall, with fallen leaves on the path.

phinds · Oct 23, 2024

Every few years I take a short road trip around the back roads in my area to look at the fall leaves. Some years they are spectacular, others not so much. This year, not so much. For example:

Two-lane rural road curving right through a village, with a hillside covered in orange, red and yellow autumn trees under a clear blue sky, and a red car driving away.

I read that this is because we had a dry fall and that affects the vibrancy of the leaves.

I did see a couple of trees that were quite pretty but they were always at a spot where the road was narrow/curvy and had little to no shoulder (the road in the pic above is a highway by comparison) so no pics.

Around town, on the other hand, there were a plethora of bright red trees and bushes:

Four photos of bright red autumn foliage: a dense red shrub beside a green-and-tan building, a red tree above a parking lot, a red shrub in front of a white house, and a red shrub beside a dark sign.

and a few of varying colors

Large tree with bright yellow-orange autumn foliage beside a yellow house, under a clear blue sky with power lines crossing above, and a green Dead End street sign below.

Tree-lined residential street with maple trees in full autumn color, leaves in red, orange and yellow, a parked dark car on the road at right, and a sidewalk and grass verge on the left.

DennisN · Oct 24, 2024

Autumn sun (shot today):

Backlit tree branches with dark red leaves and a bright sun flare shining through them, with blurred apartment buildings in the background.

(Gear: Sony A7R + Canon nFD 50mm f/1.4 + CPL filter)

jtbell · Oct 24, 2024

This maple is always the fall vanguard in our neighborhood.

Suburban street lined with trees in autumn, with a bright orange-yellow maple on the left and green and yellowing trees on the right under a clear blue sky.

pinball1970 · Oct 25, 2024

From August.

Path through a wooded area lined with tall, slender tree trunks with brown bark, with dense green foliage behind them and a bed of fallen needles on the ground.

Cluster of bright yellow daisy-like flower heads with dark centres, growing among green grass and leafy plants, with brown seed heads visible.

Dried spiny thistle plant with brown, spiky seed heads and grey-white spiny bracts, surrounded by green leaves and grass.

collinsmark · Oct 26, 2024

Mittens update.

Mr. Mittens, my neighbor's cat, continues to pop over to visit occasionally.

Here he is looking out the window. I think he spies a bird or neighbor.

Tabby cat with white chest sitting upright and looking out a window to the left, with black window bars at right and a blurred green wall and wooden chair behind.

I was playing with negative space here. This image violates a couple of rules of photographic composition to the benefit of other rules. I think it still works.

Brown tabby cat lying on a light surface beside a white ruffled curtain, looking toward the camera against a green wall.

Mr. Mittens making himself comfortable.

collinsmark · Oct 26, 2024

One day, after saying hello to Mr. Mittens, I thought I saw him go upstairs. But later, after going up to check on him, I didn't find him in his usual spot.

It turns out he had found a new spot in the secret engineering laboratory* (pronounced: la-BOAR-a-tor-ee) taking a late-morning catnap.

*(It's not actually secret. And besides an old oscilloscope and multimeter, it's not even much of a laboratory. I just call it that.)

Tabby cat lying under a wooden table or chair, looking toward the camera with its whiskers spread, one front paw in the foreground.

"For what reason have you disturbed my slumber."

Tabby cat with gray and brown striped fur lying on a carpet beside a wooden furniture leg, looking toward the camera with a serious expression.

He looks a bit pensive here after stirring from his catnap. It turned out he just wanted me to pet him before returning to his sleep. I had already given him my "hello" affection, and I don't want to overdue it (tempting as it may be). He's not my cat after all, and I don't want him to become overly accustomed away from his real home.

Close-up of a grey tabby cat with half-closed eyes resting its head on a light carpet, one white paw stretched forward.

But I did scratch him on his head a little and reassure him that he's a very good kitty.

jtbell · Oct 27, 2024

jtbell said:

As I was driving towards downtown late Tuesday afternoon:

View attachment 350577

Most of downtown was blocked off, so I could only circle it and view the pillar of smoke from various directions. I could see that it was on the main shopping street.

When I got home, the TV stations in nearby cities were reporting that a restaurant had caught fire, and it was spreading to adjacent buildings.

Early the next morning (yesterday) I walked downtown for a closer look. Fire crews were still cleaning up. One building was completely destroyed, a restaurant where I've regularly eaten. Three adjacent buildings were severely damaged. Apparently the fire spread through the basements because of a lack of firewalls. Fortunately there were no casualties except for minor injuries among some firefighters.

View attachment 350578

The restaurant downtown that burned down nearly two months ago will re-open early next year, three doors from its former location, in the building at the right in the picture below.

Street scene of a downtown block with a fenced-off area of fire-damaged, burned storefronts on the left and an intact two-story light green brick building with a blue awning on the right.

The college bought this building more than 20 years ago, and moved its bookstore there to encourage students to visit downtown more. The 2008-09 recession caused the college to close the store completely, and switch to an online textbook store. Around 2020 IIRC the college opened a cafe and pub there. It suffered only smoke damage in the fire, but has not re-opened. Last week the college sold the building to the restaurant's owners. A TV report showed the college's president handing over the keys.

It's a win-win transaction. The restaurant gets a new home. The college has been in financial difficulties, and has been selling properties that aren't central to its academic mission, in order to raise cash.

jtbell · Oct 29, 2024

Several sprinklers spraying water arcs across a green lawn beside a tree, with a wet paved path curving along the left edge and a brick building in the background at sunrise or sunset.

jtbell · Oct 29, 2024

I wonder if anyone has set up "synchronized sprinklers": all shooting in the same direction and oscillating at the same rate?

berkeman · Oct 29, 2024

jtbell said:

I wonder if anyone has set up "synchronized sprinklers": all shooting in the same direction and oscillating at the same rate?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountains_of_Bellagio

jtbell · Oct 29, 2024

berkeman said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountains_of_Bellagio

Ah, Vegas of course!

Borg · Oct 29, 2024

berkeman said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountains_of_Bellagio

LOL This was my immediate thought.

collinsmark · Oct 29, 2024

I took a rangefinder camera to San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter last Saturday evening for some street photography.

Street photography is the art of documenting society at a particular place and time. While there is overlap with other forms of photography, such as architecture, photojournalism, and portraiture, the emphasis is different. The emphasis in street is on societal and cultural aspects. Rather than a photo focusing on a building's structure, a newsworthy event, or a particular person, street photography emphasizes how the building gets used (or doesn't), the culture at that time and place, or individualism. (But yeah, there is some overlap.)

Street view of a historic facade in a downtown city block, with a check cashing and payday loans storefront at left, a Restaurant For Lease sign on the tan building, and a decorative bay-windowed building at right.

While I'm not a huge fan of San Diego's architecture in general, there are exceptions.

Close-up of a dark metal railing with riveted brown wooden or leather-capped rail along a brick sidewalk, blurred city street and a pedestrian in the background.

I like the brick sidewalks in the Gaslamp.

Two people in Day of the Dead style face paint walk along a brick sidewalk at dusk, one in a black hat and polka-dot shirt looking at a phone, the other in a skeleton-print cape.

Couple considering their options for the evening. Oh, by the way, this is the Saturday before Halloween, just so ya know.

Street scene in a downtown city block with red-brown bicycles parked on a brick sidewalk, a man in a green shirt walking past, and a bike lane with cars and a Hotel Z sign beside it.

Right outside Tivoli's bar. I used to live about a block away from here before moving to a different neighborhood in San Diego.

Woman in a pink tie-dye shirt and pink leggings rides an electric scooter on a brick sidewalk, leading two small dogs in pink and blue outfits on leashes; a grey SUV and a stop sign are visible.

Puppies!

Street scene of a brick hotel building with ornate bay windows and iron balconies, signage reading HORTON GRAND HOTEL; a woman with a rolling suitcase crosses a street at a crosswalk.

I like the indirection.

Continued in part II. ...

collinsmark · Oct 29, 2024

... Part II

Sunlit city street with crosswalks and parked cars, a sunstar burst over a tree on the left, and a domed white building in the background.

The 35 mm Summilux-M produces some nice sunstars (a.k.a. diffraction spikes) off of it's iris/aperture blades.

Entrance of a bar with white and blue painted facade, brick doorway and a sign reading SALT & WHISKEY on the pillars; a person in a blue dress stands on the stairs inside, lit by a chandelier.

Some days just call for salt and whiskey.

A smiling woman in a grey t-shirt and jeans stands on a red step ladder, arms raised, in front of a blue storefront sign reading THE FIELD authentic Irish restaurant, with string lights overhead; a man in a navy jacket steadies the ladder.

The Field (Irish pub). She was changing a bulb in the decorative string light. I was letting my feet rest with a Guinness.

Wooden coin-operated fortune-telling machine in a shop doorway, lit panel reading ZOLTAR above a painted turbaned figure, brick floor and shop displays behind.

Zoltar. My manual focus rangefinder felt right at home here.

Smiling woman in a sheer white lace top, light denim cutoff shorts and grey knee-high suede boots walking on a brick pavement outside a venue, holding a phone.

Outside The Tipsy Crow.

Man wearing headphones and a dark jacket walks a small fawn French Bulldog on a leash along a brick sidewalk at night, past a black metal railing and lit storefronts.

Puppy!

Continued in Part III ...

collinsmark · Oct 29, 2024

... Part III

Four women in Halloween costumes walk along a brick sidewalk at night past bars; one wears a lime slice costume and neon-green sneakers, another a white nurse outfit with a red heart badge.

I love this time of year.

Two men walking on a brick sidewalk at night past a bar with a Bud Light sign. The man on the left wears a tall patterned top hat, a blonde curly wig, and a colorful plaid vest; the man on the right wears a bandana, a long full beard, and a denim vest over a black shirt.

"Screw the box. I think outside the straight jacket."

Night photo of a tattoo shop storefront behind a folding metal security gate, with red and orange neon lighting inside and a sign reading MASTER TATTOO above.

I like the fence/gate, and of course the brick sidewalk.

A smiling young woman in tinted glasses and a pink headband walks a small scruffy brown dog on a retractable leash through a store aisle lined with shelves of colorful merchandise.

Very photogenic. And a puppy!

A small scruffy brown dog standing on its hind legs, pressed against the leg of a person in loose pink sweatpants and sandals, inside a store with shelves and sunglasses displays.

How adorable!

Night photo of a multi-storey historic building lit in magenta and pink, with a flag and a one-way street sign, and a parked grey car in the foreground.

I like the lamp in the window.

Continued in part IV (last part) ...

collinsmark · Oct 29, 2024

... Part IV

Two people in fantasy costumes walk holding hands along a city street at night; one wears a long white beard, wig and red cape and carries a staff with a glowing purple orb, the other wears a dark gown with a gold circlet.

Definitely outside the Gaslamp Quarter.

Night view of a city street with a lit bus shelter on the left, a lone person in a red jacket walking down the sidewalk, and car headlights on the road ahead.

This is a keeper. I was crossing the street on the way to the trolley station and I spotted this person just standing motionless, basically in the middle of the street. 'Just standing there. After I got to the sidewalk, the person did move. I think they were just waiting for the bus. -- It's for shots like this that I keep my camera in my hand and not in my bag.

Night view of a row of tall fluted columns along a building facade, lit from above with warm light, with a pedestrian walking on a brick sidewalk to the left.

This building is named the "Hall of Justice." Super Friends (DC Comics) fans will know the name from childhood. Yes, San Diego has a "Hall of Justice" where the courthouses are. There's also a cafe/foodcourt on the ground floor that serves a good Justiceburger with cheese and fries (menu items may vary).

Red San Diego Trolley car at a platform, with a single passenger seated alone by a window at the centre of the car.

Back to the trolley station. 'Good thing too, my feet were getting sore. I need to exercise more often.

Red light-rail tram blurred in motion past a tram platform at night, with a ticket vending machine under a wooden-roofed shelter and palm trees and city buildings behind.

It was getting late by this time, so I had to wait a half-hour for my trolley, but it was a pleasant wait.

jack action · Oct 29, 2024

collinsmark said:

Puppies!

Back to another time, getting a dog was an excuse to force yourself to exercise. Ah well!

DennisN · Oct 31, 2024

Some more autumn shots...

An ivy in lovely autumn colors:

Red and purple autumn foliage of climbing ivy covering the top of a red brick wall against a clear blue sky.

An autumn leaf:

Close-up of a single bright red autumn leaf on a thin dark branch, backlit against a blurred background of red foliage on a dark ground.

A small autumn tree:

Small tree with reddish-orange autumn leaves growing from a round rust-colored planter, with green ivy trailing over its rim, on a city street beside a grey building and parked bicycles.

Another leaf:

Single reddish-brown autumn leaf with pronounced veins hanging from a thin bare twig, against a blurred green and brown background.

Leaves...

...and more leaves

:

Close-up of red autumn leaves on thin dark branches against a blurred pale sky, with one leaf in sharp focus at right.

(Gear: Sony A7R + Canon nFD 50mm f/1.4 + CPL filter)

Point Conception · Nov 1, 2024

Arranging a speedboat day trip out to a remote island (ko khram) about 30km off shore... Finally found some people I can trust out there if you know what I mean.

A man in glasses and a maroon shirt sits at a blue tiled table by the water, looking at a phone, with maps and a blue tray on the table and wooden stilt houses and a boat behind him.

nsaspook · Nov 1, 2024

Random driving to work images.

Street at dusk under a vivid red and orange sunset sky, with traffic signals, power lines, a green light, and a street sign reading 185th.

Street scene at sunrise or sunset with a sky streaked in orange, red and pink clouds, power lines overhead, a blue commercial building on the right and cars on a two-lane road.

nsaspook · Nov 1, 2024

10Hr smoked Brisket.

A dark, bark-covered smoked brisket resting on a grill grate, partly wrapped in crumpled aluminum foil.

A large smoked brisket with a dark, bark-covered crust resting on a wooden cutting board beside a long slicing knife with a black handle.

Two slices of smoked brisket on a wooden cutting board, with a dark, peppery bark on top and pink smoke ring visible at the edges of the meat.

Two thick slices of smoked brisket on a blue and white paper plate, with a dark bark edge and pink smoke ring visible in the meat.

Hands using tongs to lift smoked brisket pieces from a foil tray onto a plate, with dark bark visible on the meat.

Rive · Nov 2, 2024

Airing cat TV:

A black cat sits on a white windowsill, watching two small birds on a feeder tray behind a red-framed screen window with autumn foliage in the background.

jtbell · Nov 2, 2024

I'm finally approaching the end of my August road trip. This stop was actually early in the trip, on my way north, but I passed it again in the other direction, during the next to last day.

Entrance building of Luray Caverns in Virginia, with the sign 'BEAUTIFUL CAVERNS OF LURAY, VA.' above an arched door labelled 'EXIT ONLY' and another labelled 'ENTRANCE'; visitors walk on a brick plaza.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luray_Caverns

On one of my first road trips with my parents as a 7-year-old, we passed many billboards for this place. I wanted to stop here, but we didn't. This time I finally made up for it. Admission is a bit expensive at $34, but I think I got my money's worth.

Visitors walk along a lit path and a metal railed overlook inside a cave with dense white stalactites and rock formations on the ceiling and walls.

Interior of a limestone cave with tall stalactite columns, rounded rock formations and lit draperies on the walls, with a stalactite-covered ceiling visible at upper right.

An underground pool mirrors the ceiling.

Interior of a limestone cavern with stalactites hanging from a ceiling and columns rising from the floor, mirrored in still water that covers the cave floor.

The "stalacpipe organ's" keys trigger hammers that tap against stalactites that resonate at specific frequencies. Sensors pick up the vibrations and amplify them. I got to hear the end of a performance for a tour group ahead of me. Spooky!

Interior of a limestone cave with dense stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites rising from the floor, lit by warm spotlights, with a few visitors standing on a brick path beside railings.

The beginnings of ~~stalactites~~ stalagmites:

Cave formations including draped stalactites and rounded calcite formations labeled "Fried Eggs" with sign number 117 beside a flat pool.

This pool was specifically designated for donations to charitable causes. I guess tossing coins isn't enough nowadays because of inflation.

Turquoise underground pool in a cave, littered with scattered paper bills and coins, with stalagmites and rock formations rising from the edges.

There are several other attractions here, including a classic car exhibit, a garden maze, and a regional heritage museum, all covered by the admission fee. One could easily spend most of a day here.

(skip to the next post in this series)

Rive · Nov 3, 2024

A hike in a national park

Plains in close view:

Open grassland with dry tan grass over rolling sandy hills, bare sand patches in the foreground, and scattered pine and deciduous trees under a pale blue sky.

'Plain' is not always 'flat', as it seems...

Strange and pretty unique view on this continent:

Sandy open ground dotted with rounded clumps of reddish-brown grass, with a line of pine and deciduous trees along the horizon under a clear blue sky.

Sandy hillside with sparse reddish-brown grass, scattered dead tumbleweed bushes, small young trees and dead pine branches in the foreground, with pine trees and a clear blue sky in the background.

May seem tragic, but in historical context it's actually not that bad. Once upon a time (two or three centuries ago) these were actual sand dunes, but then by some effort and stroke of luck they were tied down by vegetation. In the latter part of the XX. century somebody had a great idea to plant pines there, further distorting the landscape.
By the changes in the last decades, the pines are drying and dying in large patches, so now it's about cleaning up the site and replacing them with trees compatible with the area.
The new trees right now are still smaller than those tumbleweed-like weeds (they are not the actual/original tumbleweeds of North-America). But the new trees are striving there, even with the sand out in the open again.
In the background, some living pines left there to guard against the wind.

The original vegetation of the sand dunes is still there in patches and the goal of the project is to protect, preserve and restore them as much as still possible:

Sandy path in the foreground leading into a hillside of mixed trees, with green conifers on the left and yellow autumn-coloured deciduous trees behind under a clear blue sky.

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