Friday Photography - Egyptian Manhole Cover in Hobsonville

… and other random stuff while using my new camera.

I am really enjoying the square format again. I believe it is still the format I feel most natural using.

I hope you’re all looking forward to an enjoyable weekend.

Magiamma, I wondered if overexposing a landscape photo would help in drawing. What do you think?

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surprising

The Geneva city parliament has adopted a motion demanding that the Swiss government offer asylum to controversial WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The somewhat surprising resolution was the result of an hour-long debate on Wednesday evening, framed in the context of providing better protection for whistleblowers.

The text was proposed by Eric Bertinat of the conservative right People’s Party - a party not usually known for backing acts of “civil disobedience”, in the words of Social Democratic politician Albane Schlechten.

Nevertheless, the proposition picked up enough support from left-wing politicians to withstand opposition from the centre-right Radical Liberals.

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janis b's picture

@gjohnsit

Hopefully it will become a reality for Assange.

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Looks like the new camera is working well. Seeing all kinds of psychedelic peacock plumage in the foliage on the third shot. Thanks Janis.

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janis b's picture

@QMS

I think you're brain is working better than the camera. Together, they make it more enjoyable. Thanks QMS

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magiamma's picture

thanks for Friday POT

Raining here again, but cold. The new normal.

I like your idea of over exposing. the drawing site yesterday was back lit and the trees far away, so almost silhouetted. Hard to see much detail. I took a couple of pics without really being able to see what I was shooting. will try over exposing in photoshop and see what happens.

Sunrise at Ocean View Park while there was a break in the rain
ocean park sunrise.jpg

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@magiamma

Let me know what happens in photoshop.

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snoopydawg's picture

@janis b

I like how it turned out. Good idea for making it look like a painting. Without using an app.

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janis b's picture

@snoopydawg

which was still set (exposure) for the image I shot before, and when I pointed it at the tree it showed me the image, overexposed. Often when that happens I see impressions of things, and I like the effect. I've thought about doing that more intentionally to see where it goes, but then I forget about it again.

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magiamma's picture

@janis b
in your second photo. It looks like an abstract sculpture of a woman to me.

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@magiamma

because it has a massive trunk and it looks like the growth of the other trees around it might be sprouting from its cut trunk. It's actually a Macrocarpa (Monterey Cypress!) that was cut down. Why is unclear. My friend thought it might be to open the view to new townhouses were being built behind it. Behind this piece of natural beauty we walked through is a new, somewhat artificial town being built. It was an eye opener.

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Socialprogressive's picture

@magiamma
It's been cold here in San Diego too, and the rain you have there today will be here tomorrow.

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When I offer to wash your back in the shower, all you have to say is yes or no.
Not all this "who are you, and how did you get in here?" nonsense.

Bollox Ref's picture

I believe Jeremy Corbyn has a 'thing' for manhole covers.

Not much here, what with the Polar Vortex.

Here's Fred, from yesterday. He assures me that he loves to sleep with legs akimbo.

And one from last year. Falls below Mt. Gundabad in Angmar.

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

janis b's picture

@Bollox Ref

It really is a beautiful form, and Angmar looks truly magical.

Where would you rather be, in Angmar or at home with Fred ; ).

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Bollox Ref's picture

@janis b
carrying my sabres. Woe betide the witch kings.

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

janis b's picture

@Bollox Ref

but somehow I am not surprised. I looked at some of the other covers made by the same firm. This was was especially beautiful. Maybe I'll join the ranks of Corbyn and lots of others. Maybe when the snow melts you too can photograph the manhole covers. Would love to see more.

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magiamma's picture

@Bollox Ref
sweet dreams to Flexible Fred. Love the waterfall, especially the movement of the water at the base. B&W really highlights the movement nicely. Were you hiking?

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@magiamma

A long climb.

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

Socialprogressive's picture

@Bollox Ref
look just like Fred when I sleep.
Nice shot of the falls. It looks a lot like Yosemite.

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@Socialprogressive

is especially appreciated by San Diegons (sp?)

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magiamma's picture

@janis b
sandy eggyons?

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@magiamma

; )))

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Bollox Ref's picture

@Socialprogressive

Just west of the Misty Mountains.

Smile

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

dystopian's picture

@Bollox Ref Is that like Misty Mountain Hop, where the spirits go... ?

https://youtu.be/2cOYzDtpEmI?t=138

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Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

janis b's picture

@Bollox Ref

On walks as a young child with my grandma or grandpa in Brooklyn I remember my fascination with manhole covers. To me they had a visual attraction, and the steam that somehow surprisingly rose at times from them was mysterious. Then the knowledge of what they were about just made them more interesting. I still find them fascinating, and on a casual walk the other day with a friend I commented about my experience of them, as we passed one. He encouraged me to photograph the one we walked over and maybe even start a collection. I think we could all add to that collection.

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snoopydawg's picture

Does your camera shoot full frame? I'm guessing that you are enjoying it bigly. Love the tree. I find something different in it each time I look at it.

This was taken with my binoculars camera at Yosemite. It takes full frame photos and great quality, but I no longer have a PC to get the pictures off it. I've cropped this because the water falling shows up better.

IMG_0363.JPG

Oh my gawd. Charlie just came in with the ice cream container that she buried last week. It full of the dirt that she used to bury it. She's looking for a place to bury it in the house. She is very proud of herself and her whole body is wagging.

She loves to find things at the cemetery to bury. In winter the guys don't pack the dirt down on the new graves until spring so I have to make sure that she doesn't bury things there. Smile

IMG_1224_1.JPG

IMG_3190.JPG

Edited for grammar and clarity. Sheesh.

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janis b's picture

@snoopydawg

Did she take Big Bird her wherever she wanted to lie her head? My sister has a dog that takes his stuffed dog with him to cuddle. He treats it so gently it is still in one piece after 14 years.

I can set my camera to one of four different formats. Cool, huh?

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snoopydawg's picture

@janis b

Can't wait to see more of your photos with it.

Charlie found the bird and of course had to bury it and she buried the thing in the first photo. She wizzed by me today with something in her mouth, but I didn't see what it was. It's funny watching her trying one place after another until she finds just the right spot.

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@snoopydawg

in watching my and other family dogs looking for a place to store a prize. Sometimes they even looked frantic in the process.

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@snoopydawg
was that the whole thing. It looks like it keeps going. Ice cream and dirt are always tastier a week later.

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@magiamma

The waterfall did go all the way down to the river. This was taken from the Gates of the Valley parking lot.

This is the second time Charlie has done that and I wish I knew what makes her decide to just go out, dig it up and bring it in to me. She is so happy when she does that. Abby just sighs.

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@snoopydawg

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Socialprogressive's picture

@snoopydawg
I use to have a dog that would chew it's toys half to death and then bury them only to dig them up a few weeks later and finish chewing them to death.

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Daenerys's picture

@Socialprogressive My large cat did this, it took him three days:

It WAS a Jackson Galaxy toy, a long thing that the cat can kick. Well, that's what cats do to their prey Lol

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This shit is bananas.

janis b's picture

@Daenerys

I like your gloves. Thanks Daenerys.

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@Daenerys

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When I offer to wash your back in the shower, all you have to say is yes or no.
Not all this "who are you, and how did you get in here?" nonsense.

snoopydawg's picture

@Socialprogressive

Sure wish at times that dawgs could talk. But then I'm sure that they would always have to have the last word. It's annoying enough that they start coming into my office every 5 minutes 30 minutes before the time we usually walk. Can't imagine the "are we going now" with it.

IMG_0838_1.JPG

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@snoopydawg

They're totally irritating. That's probably why they pull them out.

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@janis b

and to get their attention when training them. Or just for fun. But you're right that it's annoying. After awhile I'd take it out.

Abby and Charlie are best buds. Abby let's Charlie lay on top of her and give her baths. In the car Charlie loves to have her head out the window and that means her standing on Abby who just allows it.. she does sigh a lot though.

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@snoopydawg

a happily married couple.

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Daenerys's picture

@janis b We were looking for a more durable toy for the cat that destroyed the one in the photo, and ALL of the dog toys had squeakers. Ugh. We ended up just getting some tennis balls for him (which he's pulled most of the outer fuzz layer off of XD)

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This shit is bananas.

janis b's picture

@Daenerys

#take the squeak out of animal toys

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snoopydawg's picture

@Daenerys

No fluff for them to shred. Or get a little super ball and put him in the shower with it. My cats loved to play with them.

How's things going for you two? Did you get the polar vortex express?

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dystopian's picture

@janis b In the case of dogs, their hearing is factors of sensitivity beyond ours, just like the sense of smell, so if we find that irritating, what is it to them? It must be unbearable. We had a muttzo (kinda like a shitzu but a few other things in there) rescue dog that seemed to consider getting that squeaker out an olympic sport done for time starting from first squeak. Perhaps also it signifies killing the beast for them.

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

janis b's picture

@dystopian

The sound, like you say may be unbearable, which would explain their frantic behaviour with one of those toys. The dogs I’ve seen certainly don’t seem to enjoy squeaky things like babies sometimes do.

ps. my former husband will be in Big Pine in a few months to do a sweat with the man who is carrying on Raymond’s legacy. I’m a little bit envious.

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Socialprogressive's picture

Nice shots with the new camera, Janis. I always marvel at the amount of lush green vegetation you have in New Zealand.

A few shots of a juvenile House Cricket that paid me a visit recently.
DSC_6067.1

DSC_6064.1

DSC_6053.1

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magiamma's picture

@Socialprogressive
cool shots. when I first looked I thought it was a bee. interesting coloring. I have never seen one like that. did it come for dinner?

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@Socialprogressive

worth learning. I haven't stopped marvelling for 22 years. Marvel is the best word to describe the feeling. Thank you for that.

I'll try to get a photo of my house crickets when they grow up a little. Right now their very tiny (1/4").

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CS in AZ's picture

I don’t have photos of my own to share tonight but as always love seeing all of yours. Thank you.

I came across this documentary on Netflix about this “mystery photographer” from the past whose work had been discovered by accident, and was said to be quite incredible. Her name is Vivian Maier. I’m not sure if this is old news, I guess it is, but I just recently learned about her, and we really enjoyed the documentary.

She took many thousands of photos, mostly street photography in Chicago and New York, starting in the 1950s. And she pioneered selfies, taking many self portraits. But she did it all in secret and eventually died without ever showing any of her work to anyone. It could have easily just disappeared from the world, unseen.

Here’s a brief trailer for the film.

[video:https://youtu.be/8ZoYG1kgMNo]

There’s also a website devoted to her life story and her work.

http://www.vivianmaier.com

I thought some of you might find this interesting.

Sending warmth from Arizona to everyone who needs it.

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janis b's picture

@CS in AZ

Thanks for posting this about Vivian Maier. She is an extraordinary photographer, and the documentary is excellent. Her work and history is fascinating. Thanks again.

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magiamma's picture

@CS in AZ @CS in AZ thank you. watched the trailer and looked at a bunch of the photos. amazing.

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dystopian's picture

Janis, great pix... love yer lushness as always, and your manhole cover is awesome!

B.R. beautiful waterfall. are you sure your cat is OK?

S.P. great cricket shots... seems like you could lease those out for use on the intertubes?

Increase the ISO above proper needed for image, and you can get all the over exposure you want any time you want quick and easy. And yeah, happy f. stops! I hope people know that is a photographic term. Wink

Kestrel - Americas smallest Falcon, formerly called Sparrow Hawk, but actually their diet in most studies is mostly insects, mostly grasshoppers actually, and also mice, though I have seen them take Cotton Rat and they can take birds, lizards, small snakes, etc.
kestrel010519b.jpg

Killdeer - named for its call, is a plover, which is usually found on grass or around water, any wet hoof print will do. Their broken wing distraction display is famous.
killdeer120218c.jpg

This is a Western Meadowlark. One of the 'voices of the west'.
wmdwlk012619a.jpg

This is a shroom of course, but which I have not worked on ID of yet. My policy in nature is to shoot first and ask questions later. Get the evidence, get the documentation. Worry about naming it later, and have the benefit of irrefutable evidenciary material to share with experts for opinions.
shroom092818.jpg

Thanks for all the great pix everyone.

And thanks everyone for all the great posts and comments all week.

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

janis b's picture

@dystopian

And, for anyone who doesn't know that term, (f-stops), good luck!

Your mushroom sure looks fleshy, almost human. Thanks dystopian.

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