Pictures Taken By you...

[ClaesGefvenberg]

Nice aussie shots, Niamh It's great that you finally managed to get them over to your computer.

I have seen that Portofino shot, Virgil,and I like it very much.

Maybe it's my turn now? I have not been very active lately, but my habit of always bringing a camera as long as it's possible usually results in the odd shot:


As I have told you, I live very close to our local airfield, which incidentally is
the home of Swedens largest glider flying club. I spent the major part of my
youth there. This machine is a two-seater trainer.


We have plenty of other winged creatures, of course: A pair of Jackdaws on a lamppost.


A dandelion ready to let its seeds fly.


The same picture as above, solarized.


This is the sharpest glider around: An ASH-25 two-seater with a wingspan of
25m (!) and a best gliding ratio of 1:57 (!), which means that it can glide
57m for every single m of altitude lost.


Same as above, from another angle.


And one more, showing how flexible the wings are: There is no g load to
speak of here, and yet the wing flexes visibly.


Closeup of a dandelion and a visitor.


Same as above, solarized.

/Claes

[Niamh]

I absoloutely love the dandelion photo Claes! I hope to be as good as you at photography when i've gotten more pratice! We call dandelions when they go like that ginnyjoes over here. silly name really, but when i was a kid we would blow on them and make a wish.

Okay so as promised! Some scenes of Sydney from Taronga Zoo!

[Janine]

Claes, your photos are stunning! I too love the closeups of the dandelions. Now how did you do those polarized alterations - what program do you own? I like them but probably like the originals the best - the amazing detail in the seed.

I also love the one glider with the huge super thin wingspan - that is unbelievable looking. I was in a two seater plane before with my uncle - flew to Catalina Island, the famous Airport in the Sky (actually a narrow runway on top the mountain plateau). That was an interesting landing. I loved the trip but don't think I could muster up the courage to ride in one of these gliders, although the experience has to be memorable.

Claes, by the way I found a page devoted to the old Stanley Steamer. I will hunt for it and post it for you - the link. They broke down a lot but the idea was rather unique for the time - running on steam and not poluting the air.

Niamh, love your photos. Now is that Sidney Harbour? I love the sparkle on the water and it seems the zoo was a particular vantage point for some excellent shots. Hey, you are doing pretty darn good with that new camera of yours. It seems to take very good photos.

I have never heard them called "ginnyjoes" - that's cute and amusing. We also, used to blow on them and make a wish; back when we were kids...I still do it, if I find one, just for fun....and who knows.....maybe the wish will come true.

[Niamh]

I'm quite pleased with my camera! I'm so glad i bought it before i went away and i didnt have to use my crappy Kodak. I really dont like Kodak.
I'm going to post some more pics some of cairns.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

Now how did you do those polarized alterations - what program do you own?

I used one of the filters in Paint shop Pro. I used to do the same thing in the darkroom, which was a little (but not much) trickier..

don't think I could muster up the courage to ride in one of these gliders, although the experience has to be memorable.

There is little courage needed for that. They are very safe, in fact much safer than most powered aircraft: Those fibre glass contraptions are incredibly tough. There are also far less things that can go on the blink in a glider... No engine, remember? I have some 400 hours in gliders btw, but the crates we had back then during the change from wood and canvas to fibreglass came nowhere near the performance of the current machines.

by the way I found a page devoted to the old Stanley Steamer. I will hunt for it and post it for you - the link.

You did? Yeah, that sounds interesting

/Claes

[Domer121]

Here is a picture I snapped when my brother took me to the Farmers Market when I visited him this Summer.
The Farmers Market is located in Downtown San Francisco.

[Janine]

I used one of the filters in Paint shop Pro. I used to do the same thing in the darkroom, which was a little (but not much) trickier..

Is that a difficult program to learn? I was thinking of buying the Adobe Paint Shop elements, but I saw the Pro listed on Amazon I think. I had the Adobe Photo Deluxe and liked it; by the way, I still have not located my orignal program disk. However, it might not work with Vista anyway, barely worked with XP.

There is little courage needed for that. They are very safe, in fact much safer than most powered aircraft: Those fibre glass contraptions are incredibly tough. There are also far less things that can go on the blink in a glider... No engine, remember? I have some 400 hours in gliders btw, but the crates we had back then during the change from wood and canvas to fibreglass came nowhere near the performance of the current machines.

Seriously? Better you than I...I would need courage nowdays. I had heard they are very safe years back. Claes, I am quite impressed that you have a glider license. Wow, that must have been a great experience. I knew a woman (worked with me) who flew gliders. I thought that was rather daring at the time. I even took the controls...well for about 20 seconds. I was scared to death...we were over the ocean, but it was really smooth. I was actually 'fearless' flying, but not taking the controls. I was shooting photos all the time. I loved it! It was a Cesna....two seater....about the size of a Volkswagon - and I mean the old type Beetle. When I properly get my software installed for my printer/scanner I will try and scan some of the photos, I took of my 'heroic' descend on the top of Catalina Island - of course, I was the suedo co-pilot and my uncle did all the work. It was a great experience. I have some cool arial shots, but only taken with a Cannon Sure Shot (way back when digitals were but a dream). I had some blown up though and they turned out fairly decent. My uncle was great fun; unfortunately he is no longer with us. My going with him really made his day; he talked about it for months. God bless you Uncle Bill. He gave me a wonderful memory.

I'm quite pleased with my camera! I'm so glad i bought it before i went away and i didnt have to use my crappy Kodak. I really dont like Kodak.
I'm going to post some more pics some of cairns.

I agree with you, Niamh, I don't like Kodak cameras, nor do I like their programs - when I have gotten stuff put on a disk they always use that stupid Kodak Photoshare program - it is a pain to get the photos off of it. Years ago, Kodak was the name and they were good, but now the digitals are not great. My sister's husband has one and they always have fuzzy/grainy photos. I am glad you purchased a better brand. My son's wife had the Sony ditigal and my son admits it takes great photos. He was putting down Sony products for awhile to me, so I now find that ironical. The little digital takes nice short videos and all and is so simple to use, so he says. My old camera is an Olympus and I really can't complain a bit about that camera - it has served me well, but ofcourse, it is older now and I could use an updated type with higher resolution. When I can afford one with a good sale perhaps I will invest in a new one; for now this one is ok; just does not hold many photos at a time.

My friend belongs to a camera club and the man speaking one night said "guess what I took this photo with?" - turned out it was a cellphone and the photo was terrific. My friend could not believe it. I think sometimes quibbling about camera makes, is downright silly. Most digitals nowdays, do a good job and afterall. And in the end, it is the photographer that makes the biggest difference. For instance, when growing up my mother had the distinct reputation of always cutting off people's heads or limbs. She would take 80% of the wall, and 20% of the space, was devoted to the actual photo subject...so funny...she got a lot of razing about it. Another thing that people seem to fail to do that drives me insane - is not lining up the horizon with the photo edges. I am kind of stickler for that. Of course, if you intentionally shoot it on an angle, that is fine (that is art, right?) but then it should appear that that was intentional. If slightly off, it looks like a mistake, at least to me.
I see that your last batch of photos all line up well with the horizon line....good job, Niamh! Some people just fail to notice it, when they shoot the photo. It's a shame, because it can ruin a beautiful shot.

Claes, here is the link for the Stanley Steamers - even had the sound on the site, which make me laugh; you will get a kick out of this site. They weren't the quietest vehicles on the road!

http://www.stanleysteamers.com/


Try to explore and view some the various links on the site, also - the museum is really neat with great photos.

The tours are fun to see; some cool photos there. My exboyfriend would love this site. Once at a car show, we talked extensively to these guys, who were hired to drive the cars from Maryland, up to the car show in Pennslyvania. It was a huge car show - took up acres of land. I loved it. We drove the model A there; I have to dig up some photos of his car to show you. It was a cute little authentic car....just like in the day....great fun to travel around in.

[Niamh]

Mobile Phones can take great pictures. I took this picture of newgrange on my old Motarola phone. (miss that camera phone! )


Yeah i was having that same problem with my Kodak. the fuzzy quality was driving me crazy. also my other camera a Traveller made lamposts, poles and steeples go lopsided.

[Janine]

Mobile Phones can take great pictures. I took this picture of newgrange on my old Motarola phone. (miss that camera phone!

Yeah i was having that same problem with my Kodak. the fuzzy quality was driving me crazy. also my other camera a Traveller made lamposts, poles and steeples go lopsided.

Exactly my point, on the photographer vs the camera - see, your photo is amazing and taken with the Motarola - wow, nice, Niamh! Is that one of those ancient mounds in Ireland? Are they burial sites? I read something about them online and in books.

I always think the Kodak camera photos are fuzzy. My sister's is anyway. I would not personally buy one. I never heard of a Traveller camera. How strange that it make things go lopsided....erie....

[Niamh]

Exactly my point, on the photographer vs the camera - see, your photo is amazing and taken with the Motarola - wow, nice, Niamh! Is that one of those ancient mounds in Ireland? Are they burial sites? I read something about them online and in books.

Yes! Its Newgrange up in Bru Na Bionne Co. Meath. Its a Neolithic Passage Tomb/grave. Date to about 1000 years older than the pyramids at Giza.

I always think the Kodak camera photos are fuzzy. My sister's is anyway. I would not personally buy one. I never heard of a Traveller camera. How strange that it make things go lopsided....erie....

Not erie. Just god damn annoying! perfectly good pictures ruined because of lopsided poles!
I loved my old Kodak advantex camera. Hate my Kodak Digital

this is another pic i had taken with my old motarola razor phone. its fuzzy cause my hand shook.

[pussnboots]

As always Claes, your pictures are fabulous. I love the solarized pictures.

Niamh: one day I'll have to make a trip to Australia

[Niamh]

Niamh: one day I'll have to make a trip to Australia

You and the hubby really should go there some day.

[Niamh]

Okay so here are some of my pics from Cairns! Daintree to follow!
This is along the Esplanade in Cairns. we were told in the hotel not to go down into the sands or waters as Crocs live there.






We saw lots of these birds. think they are Australian Herons? not sure!




and lots lots more!


Ma and my dad


they have a lagoon pool area by the esplanade for the locals to swim because they cant swim in the sea.

[kiz_paws]

Beautiful pictures, everyone!

Niamh -- there really is something to be said about those silly cell phone cameras, eh? I have a slew of them ready to load onto the computer -- but that is my hubby's department, lol (remember, technologically challenged is moi).
Some really good ones come of it though. And there I was trusting my old fashioned 'rinky-dink' camera for my best stuff! Anyhow, your pictures from your trip are so awesome that I feel like I have been there!

[Niamh]

I vaguely remember the two of us having a conversation, could have been well over a year ago, maybe longer than that, about phone cameras. I was snapping away with my phone and you were snapping with your camera, and you decided that you then wanted a good camera phone. now look at the two of us! you are snapping away with your phone and i'm snapping away with a camera!