Closeup of head:
Putto
(Plural putti)
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The Eagle Has Landed
So it was cloud heaven out there on our land the other day and I was taking pics like crazy. I noticed when viewing the photos that I was getting some cool shadows on the ground and this one looks like an eagle. I can see the entire body outline - tail, wings, beak. I LOVE it!
It looks fab full size.
The clouds aren't all that good on this one compared to others I have.
Here's a better representation of the clouds:
And a little closer...
Eastern Kingbird2
I think this is another Eastern Kingbird.
On our land this time.
Better quality.
So I'm posting it.
I sharpened it some, but it still is a little soft.
In flight:
I know it's terribly blurry, but I like it.
I cloned out the fence.
Moon and Jupiter
Sat 13 Jun 09
5:22 a.m.
Now the star/planet is at the lower left of moon, so this must be Jupiter that is paired up with the moon in the Southern sky. (See previous post.)
Obviously over-exposed moon.
My next challenge was getting a good exposure of the moon without the planet getting too faint.
This is an example where the camera is *wrong* with exposure, so have to switch to manual mode and set the shutter speed myself.
Taken with my S3 point and shoot hand-held.
I tried spot metering but then the camera would not let me go maximum zoom.
I had it at maximum zoom so that takes care of the aperture setting, and then kept increasing the shutter speed until I didn't see any blowouts on the moon in-camera view.
1/125 shutter speed worked.
That moon is very bright.
I was worried the planet would be too faint, but I can still see it when image is full size.
Closeup of moon:
Fly Me To The Moon
Old Frank Sinatra video w-a-y back...1956.
5:22 a.m.
Now the star/planet is at the lower left of moon, so this must be Jupiter that is paired up with the moon in the Southern sky. (See previous post.)
Obviously over-exposed moon.
My next challenge was getting a good exposure of the moon without the planet getting too faint.
This is an example where the camera is *wrong* with exposure, so have to switch to manual mode and set the shutter speed myself.
Taken with my S3 point and shoot hand-held.
I tried spot metering but then the camera would not let me go maximum zoom.
I had it at maximum zoom so that takes care of the aperture setting, and then kept increasing the shutter speed until I didn't see any blowouts on the moon in-camera view.
1/125 shutter speed worked.
That moon is very bright.
I was worried the planet would be too faint, but I can still see it when image is full size.
Closeup of moon:
Fly Me To The Moon
Old Frank Sinatra video w-a-y back...1956.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Morning Twilight in June
Thur, 11 Jun 09
Near civil twilight
A little after 5 a.m.
Clear sky.
One very bright prominent star/planet in eastern sky.
Moon (3/4 full?) is in the southern sky and one very bright prominent star/planet to the upper left of it.
Pumped up the ISO to 400 and took some pictures hand-held with my S3 point and shoot.
It was a tad difficult trying to get everything I needed in order to get a perspective on it. (Hilly in background, trees in front, but just the tops, so added a little more ground.)
Southern Sky:
Eastern Sky:
I adore this time of day.
Sky is lighting up on the horizon.
Birds are already singing.
The birth of a new day.
I searched online, but could not figure out what planets those were.
One place says Mars and Venus are together.
Nope, that's not it.
Another place says Jupiter is seen with the moon but at the lower left.
Nope, that's not it.
Nice illustrative pic here, though.
The moon looks like the right shape at least. ;)
Hey, I could do that, just make an illustration of what I saw...
I referred to my photos to get the placements correct. The only thing from the camera in the illustrations is the moon, which I took about an hour later. I wanted to show the shape of the moon more clearly than the original which glowed too much. The rest was created in Paint Shop Pro. I have an evergreen brush I used to paint the trees in. I don't really care for the sunrise gradient, but it's the closest to original I could get.
NOTES:
Dawn vs Dusk vs Twilight
Dawn = morning (before sunrise)
Dusk = evening (after sunset)
when noticeable amount of sunlight in the sky
Twilight = both
Morning twilight starts at dawn and ends with sunrise
Evening twilight starts with sunset and ends with dusk
Twilight - 3 Kinds
1. Civil Twilight
starts (morning) or ends (evening)
when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.
This is generally considered the limit of useable daylight.
2. Nautical Twilight
(aka Military Twilight)
starts or ends
when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon.
Marks limits of unassisted human vision.
"first light"
"nightfall"
3. Astronomical Twilight
starts or ends
when the sun is 18 degrees below the horizon.
This marks the point at which there is no longer any detectable sunlight refracted in the atmosphere
REFERENCES/LINKS:
good-stuff UK
Sunrise, Sunset, Twilight and Dusk: FAQ
Twilight Definitions
Astronomical Applications Dept of U.S. Naval Observatory
Sunrise Sunset Table
Sun or Moon Rise/Set Table for One Year
Astronomical Applications Dept of U.S. Naval Observatory
Weather Underground
Weather and Twilight times by zip (search).
Wiki Twilight
IMAGE NOTES:
png file type gave better quality gradients than jpg file type.
Same or lower file size too.
Surprise.
I already knew gif's suck at gradients.
UPDATE: See post above this one for more moon pics.
Near civil twilight
A little after 5 a.m.
Clear sky.
One very bright prominent star/planet in eastern sky.
Moon (3/4 full?) is in the southern sky and one very bright prominent star/planet to the upper left of it.
Pumped up the ISO to 400 and took some pictures hand-held with my S3 point and shoot.
It was a tad difficult trying to get everything I needed in order to get a perspective on it. (Hilly in background, trees in front, but just the tops, so added a little more ground.)
Southern Sky:
Eastern Sky:
I adore this time of day.
Sky is lighting up on the horizon.
Birds are already singing.
The birth of a new day.
I searched online, but could not figure out what planets those were.
One place says Mars and Venus are together.
Nope, that's not it.
Another place says Jupiter is seen with the moon but at the lower left.
Nope, that's not it.
Nice illustrative pic here, though.
The moon looks like the right shape at least. ;)
Hey, I could do that, just make an illustration of what I saw...
I referred to my photos to get the placements correct. The only thing from the camera in the illustrations is the moon, which I took about an hour later. I wanted to show the shape of the moon more clearly than the original which glowed too much. The rest was created in Paint Shop Pro. I have an evergreen brush I used to paint the trees in. I don't really care for the sunrise gradient, but it's the closest to original I could get.
NOTES:
Dawn vs Dusk vs Twilight
Dawn = morning (before sunrise)
Dusk = evening (after sunset)
when noticeable amount of sunlight in the sky
Twilight = both
Morning twilight starts at dawn and ends with sunrise
Evening twilight starts with sunset and ends with dusk
Twilight - 3 Kinds
1. Civil Twilight
starts (morning) or ends (evening)
when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.
This is generally considered the limit of useable daylight.
2. Nautical Twilight
(aka Military Twilight)
starts or ends
when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon.
Marks limits of unassisted human vision.
"first light"
"nightfall"
3. Astronomical Twilight
starts or ends
when the sun is 18 degrees below the horizon.
This marks the point at which there is no longer any detectable sunlight refracted in the atmosphere
REFERENCES/LINKS:
good-stuff UK
Sunrise, Sunset, Twilight and Dusk: FAQ
Twilight Definitions
Astronomical Applications Dept of U.S. Naval Observatory
Sunrise Sunset Table
Sun or Moon Rise/Set Table for One Year
Astronomical Applications Dept of U.S. Naval Observatory
Weather Underground
Weather and Twilight times by zip (search).
Wiki Twilight
IMAGE NOTES:
png file type gave better quality gradients than jpg file type.
Same or lower file size too.
Surprise.
I already knew gif's suck at gradients.
UPDATE: See post above this one for more moon pics.
Chipping Sparrow
Better setting than previous pic.
Plus, this one is in my backyard.
Actually there were two of them together, but this one flew away and landed here.
UPDATE:
Another one, back view, pic taken 28 Jun 09, teensy bird w-a-y up on top of a very tall evergreen tree at our place. I couldn't tell what it was until I looked at the pics.
Plus, this one is in my backyard.
Actually there were two of them together, but this one flew away and landed here.
UPDATE:
Another one, back view, pic taken 28 Jun 09, teensy bird w-a-y up on top of a very tall evergreen tree at our place. I couldn't tell what it was until I looked at the pics.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Lilacs
Went for a nature walk on our land.
Here's the view:
Yeah, I wanted to get the great cloudy sky and those hills in the background. It captures the feel of the place. The pic came out of the camera that blue too. I just lightened it a bit.
Lilacs are still blooming, although they are starting to look a little weathered from the rain we've had the past few days.
Closeup:
I tweaked the color balance on the lilacs so the color tone would match more closely. One was a little too blue and the other was a little too red. It all depends on how the sun shines on them.
I cut some and now have a fragrant bouquet in my house.
I love the scent of lilacs.
Here's the view:
Yeah, I wanted to get the great cloudy sky and those hills in the background. It captures the feel of the place. The pic came out of the camera that blue too. I just lightened it a bit.
Lilacs are still blooming, although they are starting to look a little weathered from the rain we've had the past few days.
Closeup:
I tweaked the color balance on the lilacs so the color tone would match more closely. One was a little too blue and the other was a little too red. It all depends on how the sun shines on them.
I cut some and now have a fragrant bouquet in my house.
I love the scent of lilacs.
Robin's Nest
And what do we have here...peering into the evergreen tree with camera and tele so not too close...
Mrs.(?) Robin flew out of the nest and was NOT happy with me.
Posed as if to say sternly, "Back off!"
Stomp.
I hope I didn't traumatize her too much.
Info on "Gestation"
Just a partial clip. Complete article at the link. There are also more links to follow. One has
pictures of eggs and hatched babies.
NOTE:
It may be incorrect to apply the term "gestation" to birds as "gestating" refers to "carry in womb."
Googling on gestation and birds gets results, so leaving it as is. Put the word in quotes, though.
Wisegeek.com says "the term may be used for the incubation period of eggs for egg-laying animals like birds."
Mrs.(?) Robin flew out of the nest and was NOT happy with me.
Posed as if to say sternly, "Back off!"
Stomp.
I hope I didn't traumatize her too much.
Info on "Gestation"
"Question: I am building a raised playhouse for my kids and noticed that a robin had built a nest and laid 3 eggs...
Answer: ...It takes about 12-14 days for a female to incubate the eggs. After the birds fledge, about two weeks later, the father takes two weeks to teach them how to survive. This means that you may need to postpone constructing the playhouse for up to seven weeks if the nest is active. ..."
Just a partial clip. Complete article at the link. There are also more links to follow. One has
pictures of eggs and hatched babies.
NOTE:
It may be incorrect to apply the term "gestation" to birds as "gestating" refers to "carry in womb."
Googling on gestation and birds gets results, so leaving it as is. Put the word in quotes, though.
Wisegeek.com says "the term may be used for the incubation period of eggs for egg-laying animals like birds."
Blue Jay Alert
Monday, June 08, 2009
Cloud Types
Another google excursion...
Clouds: 4 basic categories (Latin)
cirrus/cirro - wispy (lock/curl of hair)
cumulus/cumulo - puff balls (heap)
stratus/strato - layers, blankets (spread out)
nimbus/nimbo - (rain)
4 Cloud Types
srh.noaa.gov
Cloud Classifications
srh.noaa.gov
In meteorology, 27 categories - 9 for each level (low, middle, high)
(Good cloud pics here.)
Wiki Cloud Types
Nice Cloud Drawing
(Click on "A Printer Friendly Cloud Chart" link.)
Luke Howard
(b. 28 Nov 1772 – d. 20 Mar 1864)
was the guy who named the clouds.
Back in 2004 the US Postal Service came out with cloud stamps. Did not know that. I'm about 5 years too late.
2004 Cloud Postage Stamps
University of British Columbia Earth and Ocean Sciences
GOOD Image of the stamps here.
Livescience on the stamps
(10 categories of clouds, 27 subtypes)
Cloud pics are mine.
Clouds: 4 basic categories (Latin)
cirrus/cirro - wispy (lock/curl of hair)
cumulus/cumulo - puff balls (heap)
stratus/strato - layers, blankets (spread out)
nimbus/nimbo - (rain)
4 Cloud Types
srh.noaa.gov
Cloud Classifications
srh.noaa.gov
In meteorology, 27 categories - 9 for each level (low, middle, high)
(Good cloud pics here.)
Wiki Cloud Types
Nice Cloud Drawing
(Click on "A Printer Friendly Cloud Chart" link.)
Luke Howard
(b. 28 Nov 1772 – d. 20 Mar 1864)
was the guy who named the clouds.
Back in 2004 the US Postal Service came out with cloud stamps. Did not know that. I'm about 5 years too late.
2004 Cloud Postage Stamps
University of British Columbia Earth and Ocean Sciences
GOOD Image of the stamps here.
Livescience on the stamps
(10 categories of clouds, 27 subtypes)
Cloud pics are mine.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Common Grackle
Common Grackle, I think.
This guy's coloring looks different depending on how the sun shines on him. Interesting.
Google images
Song Birds of North Dakota
This guy's coloring looks different depending on how the sun shines on him. Interesting.
Google images
Song Birds of North Dakota
Pheasant
The ever elusive pheasant.
This is the sharpest, clearest pic I have of him, but ugly setting/background.
The next one is too soft/blurry, but nice composition, and shows the female.
I've taken dozens of pics of this guy and his mates, but seldom get anything good enough to post. One day we just sat in the car on our road with our coffees and cameras chatting and waiting. (Might as well be comfortable.) The pheasant never moved and too far away, so I drove in the field and beeped the horn trying to get him out of the tall grass. He jumped straight up. It was so hilarious, we sat in the car laughing. Him and his mate ran far far away after that.
npwrc
The Ring-Necked Pheasant in North Dakota
This is the sharpest, clearest pic I have of him, but ugly setting/background.
The next one is too soft/blurry, but nice composition, and shows the female.
I've taken dozens of pics of this guy and his mates, but seldom get anything good enough to post. One day we just sat in the car on our road with our coffees and cameras chatting and waiting. (Might as well be comfortable.) The pheasant never moved and too far away, so I drove in the field and beeped the horn trying to get him out of the tall grass. He jumped straight up. It was so hilarious, we sat in the car laughing. Him and his mate ran far far away after that.
npwrc
The Ring-Necked Pheasant in North Dakota
Robin
Can't believe I haven't posted a robin yet. Probably cuz the pics are always slightly disappointing. But hey, this seems to be the year for bird pics, cuz I'm getting a lot of them, so I'm going to post all the different ones I have.
I call him "Portly" although "Paunchy" is probably more accurate.
I think his big tummy is cute.
I call him "Portly" although "Paunchy" is probably more accurate.
I think his big tummy is cute.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Just a Few Fun Fonts
You know how there are always these "awesome fonts" lists circulating the Net.
Well here are a few to play with that I thought were nice, fun, and different.
I pulled them out of my font folders.
Folklore2
RoughBrush
SunnyDays
HairsprayLight
Well here are a few to play with that I thought were nice, fun, and different.
I pulled them out of my font folders.
Folklore2
RoughBrush
SunnyDays
HairsprayLight
A Walk in the Park
On a nature walk with my little point and shoot S3 Canon.
The park was bursting forth with spring...
New life!
New beginnings!
Hope shines anew!
Etc, lol...
Spring is late and it is still peaking around here.
New Leaves
And the lowly dandelion's beauty goes largely unappreciated.
Look at those intricate little curlicue things on the blossom.
Did not notice them when I took the pics.
I've posted the fuzzball things already before so won't post any more of those.
I got a few with very nice blurred background this time, though.
Here's a flowering Choke Cherry Tree--love the composition on this one.
Closeup:
To complete the picture, there was a chorus of birds singing in the background. A beautiful variety of sounds. I wish I would have had something to take a *good* recording of it. I didn't even try with my mp3 player or camera video. Maybe I should have.
Yet another flowering crab. These are all over the place. I loved the composition on this one. It is my gorgeous desktop wallpaper at the moment.
Closup:
I don't think I sharpened any of these. I liked them better as is.
My little point and shoot S3 can perform very well yet, so no way have I abandoned it in favor of my XSi DSLR. The S3 is easier to take along on walks. Less bulky.
The park was bursting forth with spring...
New life!
New beginnings!
Hope shines anew!
Etc, lol...
Spring is late and it is still peaking around here.
New Leaves
And the lowly dandelion's beauty goes largely unappreciated.
Look at those intricate little curlicue things on the blossom.
Did not notice them when I took the pics.
I've posted the fuzzball things already before so won't post any more of those.
I got a few with very nice blurred background this time, though.
Here's a flowering Choke Cherry Tree--love the composition on this one.
Closeup:
To complete the picture, there was a chorus of birds singing in the background. A beautiful variety of sounds. I wish I would have had something to take a *good* recording of it. I didn't even try with my mp3 player or camera video. Maybe I should have.
Yet another flowering crab. These are all over the place. I loved the composition on this one. It is my gorgeous desktop wallpaper at the moment.
Closup:
I don't think I sharpened any of these. I liked them better as is.
My little point and shoot S3 can perform very well yet, so no way have I abandoned it in favor of my XSi DSLR. The S3 is easier to take along on walks. Less bulky.
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