tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64515875002575951632024-03-18T20:31:31.070-07:00A Picture Each DayIt may be work, it may be play, it may be near, it may be away. So here is the challenge - to shoot and post one photograph a day on this site. These photographs are a kind of diary of things I find interesting. I am also thinking that there will be days when I am unable to shoot, so on those infrequent occasions, I will post a photograph done on another day, but one that still feels important to me. - Ken SpencerKen Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.comBlogger6215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-88454645502538081682024-03-18T20:28:00.000-07:002024-03-18T20:30:59.393-07:00Jupiter and the Moon for Kids!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cPJaiybLLZ3AMWc02iFqLN81KFR674DmW_H-jBiOaAjRYakD5_lH-FqlJa8meneYvhoOIt0Zfv_j5pn_kpJoJeeGsKKqEzFWH4-mpsbnSESRcz63ncLqb_VYZxF35IOLzFVOeOuQPpLKXZOh26Kg9umbWctrGmW8y_3Q1_LHsW7SNpeJNELUA2dvHOcw/s1000/Gardiner%20Observing%2015_1k.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cPJaiybLLZ3AMWc02iFqLN81KFR674DmW_H-jBiOaAjRYakD5_lH-FqlJa8meneYvhoOIt0Zfv_j5pn_kpJoJeeGsKKqEzFWH4-mpsbnSESRcz63ncLqb_VYZxF35IOLzFVOeOuQPpLKXZOh26Kg9umbWctrGmW8y_3Q1_LHsW7SNpeJNELUA2dvHOcw/w400-h266/Gardiner%20Observing%2015_1k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">About 6 months ago I was contacted by a teacher at an elementary school about an hour away. She said they wanted to try having an observing session in March, and could our club show up with some telescopes. I said "Yes" and the other night the weather was clear so two of us who volunteered to bring our telescopes went to the school. The teacher said that maybe no one would show up, but I was a bit nervous because usually we would have three or four telescopes for an event like this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dg83p8BvzWxovFKdFPokCs_FNeeFAx5WosbzK7twFF8d0iKhRE1KhwWtX_LJKIvuomum9OpE90JOJZE8fIx2N2MdbFdwRshaM3dcn_oYuHzKvlukTp0qmiSCZn0DkwZx8LOuB47WPZ8um-wrls46klDfUGsVt69QmT8idHcY7lrOY1hXPHrbvGR287Yd/s1000/Gardiner%20Observing%2010_1k.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="1000" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dg83p8BvzWxovFKdFPokCs_FNeeFAx5WosbzK7twFF8d0iKhRE1KhwWtX_LJKIvuomum9OpE90JOJZE8fIx2N2MdbFdwRshaM3dcn_oYuHzKvlukTp0qmiSCZn0DkwZx8LOuB47WPZ8um-wrls46klDfUGsVt69QmT8idHcY7lrOY1hXPHrbvGR287Yd/w400-h278/Gardiner%20Observing%2010_1k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well... It felt as if the whole school showed up! We have never had this many people, both parents and students at one of our events. One of the teachers had a telescope and he showed up, so we had three telescopes there. I felt badly that people had to wait in three long lines to observe Jupiter and a thin crescent Moon, but everyone, to a person, was so patient! What a joy to have such a nice group of people there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-yf5NoTrkvTRIEpbSrVDA8NaG4CmQKbxLE8PGjc2lK_ZPjm61NVQT6Yt8uCCW4IPE4iCbhR21Z1NXjWTz590rGGMD_Ti2Z-6l8otj7QkayLjkJ5lrGv7HcIhAmdrWV4-OL_9KMVpxyPSHMJFXyTvrIcO_dv75umJk-jHugY-DPkhrFNJIP00gUZ6ns66/s1000/Gardiner%20Observing%205_1k.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1000" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-yf5NoTrkvTRIEpbSrVDA8NaG4CmQKbxLE8PGjc2lK_ZPjm61NVQT6Yt8uCCW4IPE4iCbhR21Z1NXjWTz590rGGMD_Ti2Z-6l8otj7QkayLjkJ5lrGv7HcIhAmdrWV4-OL_9KMVpxyPSHMJFXyTvrIcO_dv75umJk-jHugY-DPkhrFNJIP00gUZ6ns66/w400-h290/Gardiner%20Observing%205_1k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is Don, one of our members, watching a student look through his telescope. The parents and students were both so thankful for the chance to look through a telescope at celestial objects, many for the first time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9bT0iwSHQORX4rFYbGUiAcmiM_2bIX_MsU0NkZZ8_Iig0D7fBU5BV4cW6F_es73aYNhPcfjgd0KANl_u0XT92A6aokxMII-LYKgImGANHtAvb8j1RNJCPcubRyQh5_Rw97W0D7dIecmIw7qhIQlA3wPubQoyvC2b_B9p6rXpwdtcWZqryWZSwpniNsVe/s1000/Gardiner%20Observing%202_1k.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1000" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9bT0iwSHQORX4rFYbGUiAcmiM_2bIX_MsU0NkZZ8_Iig0D7fBU5BV4cW6F_es73aYNhPcfjgd0KANl_u0XT92A6aokxMII-LYKgImGANHtAvb8j1RNJCPcubRyQh5_Rw97W0D7dIecmIw7qhIQlA3wPubQoyvC2b_B9p6rXpwdtcWZqryWZSwpniNsVe/w400-h250/Gardiner%20Observing%202_1k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It is always a joy to see how some of the students were glued to the eyepiece, wanting to look for as long as they could at the Moon or Jupiter. We let them look as long as they wanted, and the people in line behind them were patient.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbnHWiQ0CavYUohxtTi8LX52lWyLp6p4hp_H6QL_h4vy573c2Kl3BDPY8heRWyhJzHKvgPkDeprmFldavWCQM3fnLHBQaP3QKI1pXyvafnMlOC0nu_vdvnr_tCcGz0vjtJjaDiKLg2ugDju4QNrnOGrj3Zl9a6Gl-95y5NT3WwlcltuSudRVScdr3YrFr/s1000/Gardiner%20Observing%209_1k.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1000" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbnHWiQ0CavYUohxtTi8LX52lWyLp6p4hp_H6QL_h4vy573c2Kl3BDPY8heRWyhJzHKvgPkDeprmFldavWCQM3fnLHBQaP3QKI1pXyvafnMlOC0nu_vdvnr_tCcGz0vjtJjaDiKLg2ugDju4QNrnOGrj3Zl9a6Gl-95y5NT3WwlcltuSudRVScdr3YrFr/w400-h308/Gardiner%20Observing%209_1k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And even the teachers got to look through a telescope as well! They deserved it, given how much work and worry they put into this event.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fix4koqgtpjne2_Ln7KiVGIAWZddbYkDzGuYeTDcSV7oanH3JkFfXnWaFSYk1oG2rYKlxGhGwH2GP3jBpOAgZD6ryfk5rY7V313UdjzsGpirzcsoe1tZG1LuXvsCsWy9BjprNrap0A-8oMJE5S-1W7mJ-Y8Ol80qtRSXsVSMXs4PzK9OFkps257Ue9Bq/s1000/Gardiner%20Observing%2012_1k.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fix4koqgtpjne2_Ln7KiVGIAWZddbYkDzGuYeTDcSV7oanH3JkFfXnWaFSYk1oG2rYKlxGhGwH2GP3jBpOAgZD6ryfk5rY7V313UdjzsGpirzcsoe1tZG1LuXvsCsWy9BjprNrap0A-8oMJE5S-1W7mJ-Y8Ol80qtRSXsVSMXs4PzK9OFkps257Ue9Bq/w400-h266/Gardiner%20Observing%2012_1k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And this gives you a sense of how many people were there. Don's telescope was behind me and his line is not showing. It was such a rewarding evening, made even better by the large attendance. When Don and I were leaving we both talked about having a "buzz" because of how rewarding it is to be able to show people our universe and some of the amazing things that are in it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-85105013266957438752024-03-17T18:31:00.000-07:002024-03-17T18:31:20.668-07:00"Mom, There's a Creepy Guy..."<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaA80SjmoKdWox1QM96uwhZRwV0nBX8wkikqRqC-MkwtdFjsZD3QfW0TtbkQntgqL0-NvPyCOAAQNGJfRImfHqvW7kJgTROp7qWYI8MtMIzrAuv6191K1OOi3KZVgPSMJ1XoAvkHbx-rYOpmNMlwfqyUpqFwh2JtO1l6HO8ncBL-uRxqlRJUvARKntPEtR/s1632/Ken%20at%20Chainlink%20Gate_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1632" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaA80SjmoKdWox1QM96uwhZRwV0nBX8wkikqRqC-MkwtdFjsZD3QfW0TtbkQntgqL0-NvPyCOAAQNGJfRImfHqvW7kJgTROp7qWYI8MtMIzrAuv6191K1OOi3KZVgPSMJ1XoAvkHbx-rYOpmNMlwfqyUpqFwh2JtO1l6HO8ncBL-uRxqlRJUvARKntPEtR/w245-h400/Ken%20at%20Chainlink%20Gate_sm.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have written before and shown photographs of the times I go to the city to meet my night sky photography friends for dinner. On this occasion, I wanted to do some quick photographs of my Hotel Pennsylvania demolition project while it was still daylight. So while I was shooting, I didn't realize that one of my friends was snapping these photographs! They're great, aren't they! I look like some kind of creepy guy, spying through fences!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i6XcSpA_fdaPn2gF7CZVv9hUvUQY2EDhKlhZ0coxRHlSfB7Ux6eNuQ6V_JRxRo3Xxx4YAw2lfw6xaK6_RGCjZ6dWGnVEl7_8xoJBVnSrgbO5qHoq4DXrhdrQVoXcHaiBl3tJC1M6e9TsiTPexHQp8r-BCHVihR1U_l0nEwOiVrJCHxlGl8_BqRvjIk_K/s1387/Ken%20at%20Rotary%20Gate_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1387" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i6XcSpA_fdaPn2gF7CZVv9hUvUQY2EDhKlhZ0coxRHlSfB7Ux6eNuQ6V_JRxRo3Xxx4YAw2lfw6xaK6_RGCjZ6dWGnVEl7_8xoJBVnSrgbO5qHoq4DXrhdrQVoXcHaiBl3tJC1M6e9TsiTPexHQp8r-BCHVihR1U_l0nEwOiVrJCHxlGl8_BqRvjIk_K/w289-h400/Ken%20at%20Rotary%20Gate_sm.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once the demolition got down to the first floor, it was behind a wooden fence and the only way I could see what was going on behind the fence was to find areas to peek through. Not creepy at all!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-37678903498483848322024-03-16T20:51:00.000-07:002024-03-16T20:55:11.242-07:00Testing for the Eclipse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguj_umU1JHEOR32R76gdfiTcPKM3LLDJgyqd7vsfzzoqbZWrsTWN8BsVL5Ic4D3YqG4DsBG-dLUQxecqB_KW-PpAww7pKcIgEsRaktQp3rJpAS28kDZDuIFT0lD9flZuaPfI25NvsIsgHrmYyx7HkFR4BYWrHKFLUoJBQzAeinpdpk8ye0M4Tfh3nCm8sH/s1000/Grace%20at%20camera_crop_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1000" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguj_umU1JHEOR32R76gdfiTcPKM3LLDJgyqd7vsfzzoqbZWrsTWN8BsVL5Ic4D3YqG4DsBG-dLUQxecqB_KW-PpAww7pKcIgEsRaktQp3rJpAS28kDZDuIFT0lD9flZuaPfI25NvsIsgHrmYyx7HkFR4BYWrHKFLUoJBQzAeinpdpk8ye0M4Tfh3nCm8sH/w400-h323/Grace%20at%20camera_crop_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It is 23 days to the Total Eclipse of the Sun. Kathy and I will be driving to Rochester, NY where the path of totality goes through New York State. So today, because it was sunny, a number of our club members were getting together in groups to work together to test their equipment - cameras and long lenses and telescopes, and and also to make the calculations for the complex exposures required for the three phases of the eclipse. It helps to work with another person to make sure what you have calculated are the correct exposures. So my friend Grace came over to the house and we set up in the side yard and did test exposures, and consulted on our calculations. Stan's mantra for everyone, before the eclipse, is to "practice, practice, practice..."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBIpU6e4UyXNLYiLleeB-YPNOGYFbyzCMz-jUhWvHT2p_kIEfxlgT0Snj41tnbO8894Zf6XcEWcHbfn-LW_JhCdNrPLoukx0feorHKuC0bsxmX6-Enp0NIw221NrA7zsFpTxK0vlXQGUwnkhk69FjqfbhB1-oqpAPAb40h7V-BTikiVTmN0eFcnSLNuwS/s1000/Grace%20at%20camera%20close_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBIpU6e4UyXNLYiLleeB-YPNOGYFbyzCMz-jUhWvHT2p_kIEfxlgT0Snj41tnbO8894Zf6XcEWcHbfn-LW_JhCdNrPLoukx0feorHKuC0bsxmX6-Enp0NIw221NrA7zsFpTxK0vlXQGUwnkhk69FjqfbhB1-oqpAPAb40h7V-BTikiVTmN0eFcnSLNuwS/w400-h266/Grace%20at%20camera%20close_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are three stages of the eclipse, and each stage requires different camera settings. The first is when the moon starts passing in front of the sun. You have to view and shoot that with a special filter, like the silver one here, on Grace's telephoto lens. The the next phase only lasts maybe 10 or 15 seconds, and you take the filter off with the sun about 98% blocked and try to photograph "Bailey's Beads" and the "diamond ring" which is caused by sunlight shining through the mountains on the edge of the moon. Then the third, and most spectacular phase, is "totality" where the moon completely covers the sun, but the glow of the Sun's corona streams out from beyond the black circle of the moon, and it is as dark as night! And it happens so fast that you have to be absolutely prepared or you will miss parts of it. The total eclipse is magical and overwhelming and eerie and one of the most beautiful things you will ever experience. I hope some of you get to see this eclipse!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-44724918440402267352024-03-15T20:03:00.000-07:002024-03-15T20:06:34.909-07:00Pencil Towers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjco_wqF_pAA65bFg9D1ye0cXSdWA67fa8TtvPjj0Hr7PLvrbDAJPK8r3KuVlszrN2jD5Pr6IJFvZry1cxIkcNMBGZC94yxPcRq9OiCmquai0JX4jlatf0G6h1Pk0ALJiPcKrKS1DY_mllNp0SionLFIl9mNMMXuhhIDJMeH57sS-K3i189NyGrC8nNekk5/s1384/One%20Pencil%20Tower2_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjco_wqF_pAA65bFg9D1ye0cXSdWA67fa8TtvPjj0Hr7PLvrbDAJPK8r3KuVlszrN2jD5Pr6IJFvZry1cxIkcNMBGZC94yxPcRq9OiCmquai0JX4jlatf0G6h1Pk0ALJiPcKrKS1DY_mllNp0SionLFIl9mNMMXuhhIDJMeH57sS-K3i189NyGrC8nNekk5/w289-h400/One%20Pencil%20Tower2_sm.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We went to the city today to a museum. Afterwards we walked down 9th Avenue to a diner for lunch. When we were done we walked east on 58th street one block to the subway. It was then that I saw one of the "Pencil Towers" - one of the newest types of buildings that have been built in Manhattan. They are so tall and so thin they stand out dramatically, and be seen from a long distance away. They are tall as in 1,400 feet tall! So I took this photograph and continued walking east, and was amazed to see another pencil tower on the other side of the street!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgse_Cdd8JFzwAha-D3lbKdTDho_JpIiHjXI6hTRw1yjUk8nYhqfDXLnDvofjaoD5v3_DyxOaINi8heWE9_7UdMjALeiJHu52G5FBuwZaswZuzrJRcsePDQrYsA7-MPp7ApRNjwmprqHrDFJb-mz6d8FTG6vw0TSdLBxS5OFX245e-q8CyVyF8MeokoxDMf/s1394/Two%20Pencil%20Tower_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1394" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgse_Cdd8JFzwAha-D3lbKdTDho_JpIiHjXI6hTRw1yjUk8nYhqfDXLnDvofjaoD5v3_DyxOaINi8heWE9_7UdMjALeiJHu52G5FBuwZaswZuzrJRcsePDQrYsA7-MPp7ApRNjwmprqHrDFJb-mz6d8FTG6vw0TSdLBxS5OFX245e-q8CyVyF8MeokoxDMf/w288-h400/Two%20Pencil%20Tower_sm.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There was a story in the NY Times about how some of these types of buildings have some issues. This is the headline and sub head for that story: "The Downside to Life in a Supertall Tower: Leaks, Creaks, Breaks." "432 Park, one of the wealthiest addresses in the world, faces some significant design problems, and other luxury high-rises may share its fate." One of the issues is how the buildings can sway in really strong winds. Yikes, do you want your bedroom or living room moving around in a hurricane? No thank you. The story continues: "The tower at 432 Park Avenue became the tallest residential building in the world in 2015. It has already been surpassed by a newcomer on New York’s Billionaire’s Row in Midtown Manhattan, but it remains one of the most expensive apartment buildings in the world.</div><p> </p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-34131037065348036752024-03-14T21:17:00.000-07:002024-03-14T21:19:21.378-07:00The Last of the Dogwoods<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZA8D6XkEiT8t8NjRC100pf_97qs75UdtzOggfIKJaC6kVQeE9nePA1YxMrmNERQhgefxOxv9DaarGXgVNedK0450I-MuRgdpnltJ6Xwec1Zh1iIDDxsJrw866cQXEzMIx7HWfkXQZS2-chdxDtYoO9OFHI_82Ib19fdZaVuqZaaAtehb43fBMIS4BoRuN/s1000/Downed%20Dogwood_1_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="1000" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZA8D6XkEiT8t8NjRC100pf_97qs75UdtzOggfIKJaC6kVQeE9nePA1YxMrmNERQhgefxOxv9DaarGXgVNedK0450I-MuRgdpnltJ6Xwec1Zh1iIDDxsJrw866cQXEzMIx7HWfkXQZS2-chdxDtYoO9OFHI_82Ib19fdZaVuqZaaAtehb43fBMIS4BoRuN/w400-h293/Downed%20Dogwood_1_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The wind blew our last Dogwood tree down! I stepped out on the porch yesterday and something was different. It took a moment or two to figure out what it was. I could see more of the neighbor's house and the sky. Then I realized, the Dogwood tree at the west end of the porch was missing. What? I walked over to the end of the porch and there was the tree lying on the ground. The strong winds two days before had blown it down. It was mainly dead, with only one branch that still had blossoms on it every spring. But it was covered with two kinds of vines, that had loaded the tree down with their weight, and that's all the green stuff you can see in the photograph. Those are not dogwood leaves you are seeing.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIZs5PjeMxLNRD1CdEQ8-Cs9JY8lbaOEtZiX2Q2G4jonNNmYhOT7dMuhqYnuVoL7EztvqzKtrD3PmASvpR3T-876t4vS0X9I_muKM2wkckyCFG_sMb9F0jIJAwfgcTdnuYXgEdSa58-JnwcYWaYBIDXjEDYs312sH755P3ar2mapoS4wOcke6G6JD_L7m/s1000/Downed%20Dogwood_2_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIZs5PjeMxLNRD1CdEQ8-Cs9JY8lbaOEtZiX2Q2G4jonNNmYhOT7dMuhqYnuVoL7EztvqzKtrD3PmASvpR3T-876t4vS0X9I_muKM2wkckyCFG_sMb9F0jIJAwfgcTdnuYXgEdSa58-JnwcYWaYBIDXjEDYs312sH755P3ar2mapoS4wOcke6G6JD_L7m/w400-h266/Downed%20Dogwood_2_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is crazy that all these vines could completely take over the tree, and for me not to notice, but it is at the edge of the property and the only time I go by it is when I am mowing the grass. A year or so ago, I took a saw and cut a number of trunks of vines on the tree. One vine near the bottom was nearly two inches in diameter! So I knew one day, the tree would have to come down, but not until the last blooming branch was gone. Well, Mother Nature had other ideas. So today I played lumberjack and went after the wreckage with a chain saw and now much of the tree and the trunk are in small enough pieces that I can put them in the car and take them to the dump this weekend. When we bought our house there were two dogwoods on our property - one by the garage and this one. And then the Gordon's had a Dogwood just on the other side of the hedge on their property. Now all three are long gone and I will really miss them. </div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-9708399367621142232024-03-13T21:05:00.000-07:002024-03-13T21:05:25.362-07:00Jupiter and the Moon<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAOlZQD3ayWW8WQNPHc5j9Yxz-5DuZF6PoWffWEiJGOAjGiRMJ2dODKqI89PJ_mWiY77lQDmrgj-npcWMhGniZKpDiN45h5c0F6huL2G7eIq-W-TsBc0N9SreSZzwmdKpqIQLFoYnbwt0kf_8Cku_w3KbyrDQtGqF18ZvRZNDt4Oh0_voALbSK1DlXHAJ/s1500/Moon%20Jupiter_combo_1.5k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAOlZQD3ayWW8WQNPHc5j9Yxz-5DuZF6PoWffWEiJGOAjGiRMJ2dODKqI89PJ_mWiY77lQDmrgj-npcWMhGniZKpDiN45h5c0F6huL2G7eIq-W-TsBc0N9SreSZzwmdKpqIQLFoYnbwt0kf_8Cku_w3KbyrDQtGqF18ZvRZNDt4Oh0_voALbSK1DlXHAJ/w400-h268/Moon%20Jupiter_combo_1.5k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have yet to tell the story, but I will soon. Last night another member of the club and I drove an hour to a middle school in Bay Shore, on the south shore to set up our telescopes. We showed Jupiter and the Moon to the people who came. More on that tomorrow. So tonight, after the sun set, I was driving to a friends for some computer help, and when I looked up, I was stunned to see Jupiter and the moon so close together! Stunned! I was not expecting that, and to see a crescent moon with the "bright star" of Jupiter so close to it was such a wonderful experience. Fortunately the duo were quite high in the sky, so they were still up when I got home and I got out my 200-600mm telephoto and framed the two objects through the branches of the giant Hickory tree on our front lawn. Not sure if you can see this, but if you enlarge the image, I captured the four moons of Jupiter in the photograph! One more surprise!</div> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-8946851472450942322024-03-12T21:41:00.000-07:002024-03-12T21:41:23.213-07:00Saving the Cliff House<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPux8Bo2CrT_ss-WWusH0oLUPCmVHmGeEIrziU8OSBEO2wt5KiPB-aH4TLLGatKv_gRmEc4JbspGewNJJjKUBeE_de8L23XFZ3ub6cMYvB2rezCI0PYQZbT-AZrYKD0YzOBuYvALLL5eTqVi3G7bf1t8P7brxWCALJtWQBGQZR8ddkP2ucFSOPsJEZ8Ah/s1000/Saving%20Cliff%20House%201_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1000" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPux8Bo2CrT_ss-WWusH0oLUPCmVHmGeEIrziU8OSBEO2wt5KiPB-aH4TLLGatKv_gRmEc4JbspGewNJJjKUBeE_de8L23XFZ3ub6cMYvB2rezCI0PYQZbT-AZrYKD0YzOBuYvALLL5eTqVi3G7bf1t8P7brxWCALJtWQBGQZR8ddkP2ucFSOPsJEZ8Ah/w400-h285/Saving%20Cliff%20House%201_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yesterday when I mentioned I had gone to the beach to shoot something and then found the sunset as well, well, this is the "something." They are clearly done with most of the rebuilding and support of the cliff and they have saved this historic house! The people who live there are gardeners, so I am guessing in a year or so there will be plantings on the terraces which will probably soften the structures, maybe with trees in front or ivy growing on the walls. I will be your faithful reporter and make other posts after I see changes. But this is great news to see!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4k6DJtYpoRbjKoIj1BzM7nlhzBQRTk-MR4I_t_hnWdiRCdGbIV0Ukhb4mOTsUp8CycwbvCVYvuT6zMOR7DimDdIyJzkxsIYofl5JJa49T4yHHwzLAtTAtryPKTUMHTUW2gM2nWV9AXsHb5iH1BwdBE78xkfpSXtFz_exptq47sE_j1W86Y13tyAoHhA4t/s1000/Saving%20Cliff%20House%202_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1000" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4k6DJtYpoRbjKoIj1BzM7nlhzBQRTk-MR4I_t_hnWdiRCdGbIV0Ukhb4mOTsUp8CycwbvCVYvuT6zMOR7DimDdIyJzkxsIYofl5JJa49T4yHHwzLAtTAtryPKTUMHTUW2gM2nWV9AXsHb5iH1BwdBE78xkfpSXtFz_exptq47sE_j1W86Y13tyAoHhA4t/w400-h288/Saving%20Cliff%20House%202_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In this photograph, I walked out on the beach and the further I got from the road, the more I could see of the house. So between the two views you get a pretty good idea of all that they have done.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-7238646905846598602024-03-11T20:02:00.000-07:002024-03-11T20:02:09.747-07:00Sunset<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNdwnl0AJltCL0yX1KoIyrlJFECj4dvr92IHiwy-bDhdNy9fsgt253tMzxSy1nxAdPaU6HVS_bv1cjH27bAFsfGnCqE03bBAoIyJ2dybNojPYyro-TSfuNyrfvpmFHNtna1jA-Dw4eC0x5qQpHp6LD0vlqzlz55GzAYVeT-LUbQxruqs_1IPJ9uOuatfG/s1000/Sunset%20rocks%20Wide_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNdwnl0AJltCL0yX1KoIyrlJFECj4dvr92IHiwy-bDhdNy9fsgt253tMzxSy1nxAdPaU6HVS_bv1cjH27bAFsfGnCqE03bBAoIyJ2dybNojPYyro-TSfuNyrfvpmFHNtna1jA-Dw4eC0x5qQpHp6LD0vlqzlz55GzAYVeT-LUbQxruqs_1IPJ9uOuatfG/w400-h266/Sunset%20rocks%20Wide_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I went to Sea Cliff beach today to photograph something, which you will find out about in a day or two. While at the beach, I realized the sun was very close to setting and I noticed the sunlight reflecting a golden path on the water and on the wet beach. So I thought "I guess I better shoot this, because some of my posts lately have not been very spectacular." So this is not too bad. Because of the high winds, the tide was way out and so I got to see these rocks which are in the swimming area. They make an interesting foreground. I never saw these before.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-78663264377283670582024-03-10T20:53:00.000-07:002024-03-10T20:53:56.904-07:00A Certain Slant of Light<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODlX7Bl_YN2YywBg3zplQrv5AACCOV4xZtZH2GalUwqXuO9XpW0gNM8hx07vPrTZ9zVC1PHtJ7eMYWYXQru9MdKpp-BidXDnq0EdHNvt_oPX-T5tdHPpTLZ1cYLW_8v_od5EhosIHAkIPubHEjcQsyxrB8Nzk1MuJNkV3l2IEkGLsOjrPERsQON7K7l0M/s1000/A%20Certain%20Slant%20of%20Light_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODlX7Bl_YN2YywBg3zplQrv5AACCOV4xZtZH2GalUwqXuO9XpW0gNM8hx07vPrTZ9zVC1PHtJ7eMYWYXQru9MdKpp-BidXDnq0EdHNvt_oPX-T5tdHPpTLZ1cYLW_8v_od5EhosIHAkIPubHEjcQsyxrB8Nzk1MuJNkV3l2IEkGLsOjrPERsQON7K7l0M/w400-h266/A%20Certain%20Slant%20of%20Light_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I always leave the bathroom window shade part way open. There are white shutters covering the bottom window, and most of the time the shade is all the way up. But at night I pull the shade only part way down. So in the morning I saw this shaft of sunlight coming in at an angle and lighting just one of the faucets and I thought that was a shot, because of the light. The title for this has stayed with me for years. It may have been the title of a book about New England, I think. But I can't remember. So I am using it here for my purposes. It is kind of poetic, I think.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-77714263074379602002024-03-09T21:21:00.000-08:002024-03-09T21:21:58.862-08:00I Must be Desperate<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEN5z7K9VDja3Jt3lqGgWbc8Fi29cmpJR7W1_WEbjzTiEOx_j61Xq_jEkfnxBzmHLV2oZRTTZ9YwIjd7KXi8kkormbjOzvqtot_eTkxRH4pd9Q_3TAIY5a6zm0iU1uPNeO_4fXu7Cpj1QZ_BMqX6W_y4F-ZosZVA9AOX12DO77atkCRDG1Ry-1S0aPUI8x/s1000/Arrow%20flat_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1000" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEN5z7K9VDja3Jt3lqGgWbc8Fi29cmpJR7W1_WEbjzTiEOx_j61Xq_jEkfnxBzmHLV2oZRTTZ9YwIjd7KXi8kkormbjOzvqtot_eTkxRH4pd9Q_3TAIY5a6zm0iU1uPNeO_4fXu7Cpj1QZ_BMqX6W_y4F-ZosZVA9AOX12DO77atkCRDG1Ry-1S0aPUI8x/w400-h285/Arrow%20flat_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You are going to think I am doing too much naval gazing after reading all this. It probably looks as if I am desperate for photographs, which may be true as well. I pass arrows like this at the entrance to Tappan Beach, the Dunkin' on Tuesday beach. I think of these arrows as graphic elements and I have photographed them a lot, trying to see if I can make in interesting composition that is interesting out of one of these. I think of them as two-dimensional objects, because they are. Paint on the pavement.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8QOYx7-7wMb3zhABAeoFOZ26kScEy8NbyuQG-eGgWgZc_O-5O_sX05PwgW04e-ZrE-gOdmvm1AhckakW8yZEPhVZfnhqhOK8OgL8gIQPWtBBqzawFS_fNowyUb6ciAqX9RMDGMT3U9lqEuJ760vU5oQ5vHP2b8lbB0qjwQlCxtYF9EGxO-ht_N7TFyEB/s1000/Arrow%203D_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8QOYx7-7wMb3zhABAeoFOZ26kScEy8NbyuQG-eGgWgZc_O-5O_sX05PwgW04e-ZrE-gOdmvm1AhckakW8yZEPhVZfnhqhOK8OgL8gIQPWtBBqzawFS_fNowyUb6ciAqX9RMDGMT3U9lqEuJ760vU5oQ5vHP2b8lbB0qjwQlCxtYF9EGxO-ht_N7TFyEB/w400-h266/Arrow%203D_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But when I looked that this view of the arrow on another day with a bit of late afternoon sunlight shining on the really thick coats of paint accumulated over the years, I realized there was a three-dimensional quality to the arrow because of the paint thickness. Suddenly the arrow became something different to me. 3-D instead of 2-D. What does all that mean? Nothing really except change in perception of something I have literally seen a thousand times. But please click on each photo to see what I am talking about. Thanks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-42653780790010447392024-03-08T18:34:00.000-08:002024-03-08T18:34:06.773-08:00Spring Has Sprung...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVxvpBatrRFLKsXtthv9a1bpTonBqRg5ZIwNHc9wYzV82lvyajg_zQuBqu3M-c9YwWmAIEbnNCXcYb3aswoBfZWimk9peGiIfn2cx5FuxgaupP_dneFLyVgpohWo8qvTh-h_RhUNxAYKlR6JYzcH6uo6VJWBOQZfrOmi5Uxzt-zIMpsFfdfnvnT6z0hgP/s1000/Shoots%20house%20garden_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVxvpBatrRFLKsXtthv9a1bpTonBqRg5ZIwNHc9wYzV82lvyajg_zQuBqu3M-c9YwWmAIEbnNCXcYb3aswoBfZWimk9peGiIfn2cx5FuxgaupP_dneFLyVgpohWo8qvTh-h_RhUNxAYKlR6JYzcH6uo6VJWBOQZfrOmi5Uxzt-zIMpsFfdfnvnT6z0hgP/w400-h266/Shoots%20house%20garden_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Spring has sprung,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The grass is riz,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wonder where</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The birdies is?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I just thought of this silly rhyme while I was thinking what to write about these crocus shoots I saw coming out of the ground in the garden right next to the house. Of course it is not Spring yet - that doesn't happen until Tuesday, March 19th. And this is not grass. But it just came to me. I do love to see signs of Spring. These shoots are only about an inch and a half tall, but they lift my spirits!</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-67552171886815325722024-03-07T21:29:00.000-08:002024-03-07T21:29:57.760-08:00Did You Get This right Away?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuwGva9JW36GWypN7p1zNXR4nBqsQ6i-z-G1ZAizYAV3aKRMrwDlkLZsP1YhGKPD-IahyphenhyphenSk3rPeFvPgZ3qgfBHFJwNJKOcsOAWmjp943gAP0TEhXcEZkMKUX2pHMNz-_bTicZImOysjC5pR550CaQ3eZtrEqMbmwYpnYIRNO-svcvR3JEcz3WmJxjnp7L/s1000/Tail%20light_crop_RT_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="1000" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuwGva9JW36GWypN7p1zNXR4nBqsQ6i-z-G1ZAizYAV3aKRMrwDlkLZsP1YhGKPD-IahyphenhyphenSk3rPeFvPgZ3qgfBHFJwNJKOcsOAWmjp943gAP0TEhXcEZkMKUX2pHMNz-_bTicZImOysjC5pR550CaQ3eZtrEqMbmwYpnYIRNO-svcvR3JEcz3WmJxjnp7L/w400-h261/Tail%20light_crop_RT_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I am not sure if everyone will get what this is right away. Some will, I think but when I saw this view in the camera I was so surprised at all that was going on in the picture, and even though I knew what I was photographing, I had never noticed all the complexity in the structure. So I was photographing the water drops on the branches, and it was hard to tell how close I could get with my telephoto lens because of all the complexity of the branches. So l I swung around and walked over to Kathy's car and aimed the camera at the tail light. I got my answer about how close, but I also got an unexpected photo.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-69016674443791027892024-03-06T19:38:00.000-08:002024-03-06T19:38:56.447-08:00I Know My Way Around a Soldering Iron...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYHMIZe2-S3CCEV6p9NLzKF75DUqDAkZ2BqkXvD4FP8CTCkuu7gqbKZC7eJocUDOkdmqhC-mtvoEw2rUwYoirBt733i1Tg8bI7mVfhZdpt1WhWtflQNcTIek3o9l5uoqAvHz3h7YYtuyDlH-TtD7CsudDVjs0aEJFTnFaU5zY60alJmxbvsCDw1ucb1eM/s1500/Building%20Heathkit_1.5k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="1500" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYHMIZe2-S3CCEV6p9NLzKF75DUqDAkZ2BqkXvD4FP8CTCkuu7gqbKZC7eJocUDOkdmqhC-mtvoEw2rUwYoirBt733i1Tg8bI7mVfhZdpt1WhWtflQNcTIek3o9l5uoqAvHz3h7YYtuyDlH-TtD7CsudDVjs0aEJFTnFaU5zY60alJmxbvsCDw1ucb1eM/w400-h275/Building%20Heathkit_1.5k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I just happened to find this photograph when looking for some other photo in my collection. What's funny is that I saw it just yesterday. It is a photograph of me in 1978, building a Heathkit Amateur Radio Transciever. That means it both transmits and receives. It was the first of a number of Heathkits I built over the years for my hobby as an amateur radio operator. My call sign is N2AQQ, for those of you who are curious. Wow, look how young I am. I was 36 years old in this photograph. I did a lot of soldering in the building of equipment over the years, so my adventure with our television set was not as unusual as people might have thought.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-56249817504081733772024-03-05T21:02:00.000-08:002024-03-05T21:04:43.404-08:00Raindrops<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bfnRzJUIk9dmuMu9FrIjI7Abq-vysiPt1rTIrKEG7AsUCS7HCFX025r-azKPGSRyK2EwaXuWGo08-98EtpQK1MnzszAH1I6SmSAMlT9JJjE3zNWn9kFRVcR2csbjBtFApDlKtzr7M4h-pxWg965Zd7jox-h1AaMD-q5LJ-bE3kYoNEwDJ4dg6OnNPyxy/s1000/Branches%20Water%20Drops_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="1000" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bfnRzJUIk9dmuMu9FrIjI7Abq-vysiPt1rTIrKEG7AsUCS7HCFX025r-azKPGSRyK2EwaXuWGo08-98EtpQK1MnzszAH1I6SmSAMlT9JJjE3zNWn9kFRVcR2csbjBtFApDlKtzr7M4h-pxWg965Zd7jox-h1AaMD-q5LJ-bE3kYoNEwDJ4dg6OnNPyxy/w400-h285/Branches%20Water%20Drops_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It rained last night, and I think some of the rain was heavy. But this morning the rain was a gentle mist and when we came back from our Dunkin' Donut and coffee at the beach, then I noticed for the first time all these bright water drops on the Japanese maple tree, the tree that just keeps on giving. I started trying to photograph the drops with a moderate telephoto lens, because I wanted the background branches out of focus. It wasn't until I used my 200mm lens that I could make the background a blur and get the kind of photograph I was hoping for. This won't look good until you click on it to see it larger.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-64360533246230143732024-03-04T19:58:00.000-08:002024-03-04T20:07:50.806-08:00I Took the TV Apart...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNd4foTbFDeZjl6TUO66nHoDQ7CLcrBltKtHqIo_7iq4UvRxGxqg7WCeJnmtWQ5YZPiSSGjqAPS3CwxO3yNom4DjhAQJ5x2MdNooSujqJK8FA33-eXoUnGwuC81fqE81VUzS-FWSd-_92ZTPiA1XuCH2bMg1A5eGiUHye9EX5CetAwaaBB4euc2Fimqr2j/s1000/1%20TV%20Apart_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="1000" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNd4foTbFDeZjl6TUO66nHoDQ7CLcrBltKtHqIo_7iq4UvRxGxqg7WCeJnmtWQ5YZPiSSGjqAPS3CwxO3yNom4DjhAQJ5x2MdNooSujqJK8FA33-eXoUnGwuC81fqE81VUzS-FWSd-_92ZTPiA1XuCH2bMg1A5eGiUHye9EX5CetAwaaBB4euc2Fimqr2j/w400-h206/1%20TV%20Apart_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I decided to take the TV set apart today. I was always curious how TV's work, and I thought that if I took it apart I could figure out how it works. Great idea, right? Actually that would be a really dumb idea, actually. What really happened was that I had an audio cable running from the back of the TV over to the Hi Fi amplifier and speakers to hear the sound from the bigger speakers. THEN I tripped over the cord and it yanked on the jack on the back of the TV, and broke it! Then I could only get one channel of sound. Bummer! So I thought I would take the TV apart and see if I could fix the broken jack.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KFZviEbQrqcMK9JwV97RPVKls0GKHyoTWmDgB55SsTu_DPbITg43anRLXNObm2tneNzBB2oXIoBEy7k48KgMzpFobDn5KhhpZWo4nl0lCroz6YNtO0p-UxC8xA8risOmi9_Vi40U-zzjWfmxFNklIov2jafada7FIeHbCUxJNWusqrm8Z_JAsPqhGRu6/s1129/2%20TV%20Apart_combo2_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KFZviEbQrqcMK9JwV97RPVKls0GKHyoTWmDgB55SsTu_DPbITg43anRLXNObm2tneNzBB2oXIoBEy7k48KgMzpFobDn5KhhpZWo4nl0lCroz6YNtO0p-UxC8xA8risOmi9_Vi40U-zzjWfmxFNklIov2jafada7FIeHbCUxJNWusqrm8Z_JAsPqhGRu6/w354-h400/2%20TV%20Apart_combo2_sm.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So I couldn't fix the broken jack, BUT... There was another jack mounted on the circuit board, and I decided to remove the broken jack and remove the other jack, and then put the good one in place of the broken one. The hardest part of the process, was to "desolder" both jacks from the circuit board. You use a soldering iron and copper braid which you place on the old solder and heat both and the braid sucks the solder into it. But this was the hardest desoldering job I ever did, for some reason.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ycK3bbXbYEHgiSIi-4YSkpPV1eyH5eJ8TJUhOFeTG_BwnbSPtLcNqhNvXy_GxjqvI3bMkeCpqhLE2Isf23qYoraEqKVe-g2RbvnBQKvLEElkhet14Iwpw0RMJiP_6CPatyJOPie2Oa0gBH19mOoq55ZczHoFwYtk9N4AcDR0gxGV2UmoZVNBHwz6JEtP/s1201/3%20TV%20Apart_closeLT_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1165" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ycK3bbXbYEHgiSIi-4YSkpPV1eyH5eJ8TJUhOFeTG_BwnbSPtLcNqhNvXy_GxjqvI3bMkeCpqhLE2Isf23qYoraEqKVe-g2RbvnBQKvLEElkhet14Iwpw0RMJiP_6CPatyJOPie2Oa0gBH19mOoq55ZczHoFwYtk9N4AcDR0gxGV2UmoZVNBHwz6JEtP/w388-h400/3%20TV%20Apart_closeLT_sm.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After the jacks were off the board, switching the good one to where the old one was, and soldering it in place was trivial. And, after all that, IT WORKED! We now have stereo sound out of two speakers. SUCCESS! Whew! What if I broke the TV completely?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhQLX3CkG0ru_Gmo2rSa9pPNuRBfZG-SYE2PWol6iswIX7_DEOsO2uefrmRAWikzmdsI5Lt4Q_zkjJKm1v9JFvZdUt9gXcuJSXkRBkbGo329UI4100hDIvNFr1ZgFlZXMjsmYS1xnqpgkasNHmnePwy77JDK9kDGpj3rLZ8bvFjqA_cLKQx2zu5nUcV43/s1000/TV%20Board%20CloseTX_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="1000" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhQLX3CkG0ru_Gmo2rSa9pPNuRBfZG-SYE2PWol6iswIX7_DEOsO2uefrmRAWikzmdsI5Lt4Q_zkjJKm1v9JFvZdUt9gXcuJSXkRBkbGo329UI4100hDIvNFr1ZgFlZXMjsmYS1xnqpgkasNHmnePwy77JDK9kDGpj3rLZ8bvFjqA_cLKQx2zu5nUcV43/w400-h339/TV%20Board%20CloseTX_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a real closeup of the circuit board. The jack that I replaced is the black thing which I have put a red dot into. The 1/8" stereo plug goes into the spot where the red dot is. There are so many delicate traces on the circuit board that I had to work around, an make sure I didn't damage anything. I am so glad my repair worked!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-54313252947876460782024-03-03T20:59:00.000-08:002024-03-03T20:59:18.761-08:00It Was Sunny Today!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaZBoUS5WuWe2hWwledx5cEtg-lnqo7U-fN4Wr8RUd0Zc1F7xVMm3v7ykL7nzkaegFNtbUPLDMcihYCsvNuLkFs5WVCA68s42tYXApNkreHqDs282yFtJC83Tolp8cOay98iwEWM8EuHn7rYL-oJbudpLb487SicOlR32Ch-F8Zhsyv8i0OATMI_nEksy/s1000/Trees%20shore%20road%202_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaZBoUS5WuWe2hWwledx5cEtg-lnqo7U-fN4Wr8RUd0Zc1F7xVMm3v7ykL7nzkaegFNtbUPLDMcihYCsvNuLkFs5WVCA68s42tYXApNkreHqDs282yFtJC83Tolp8cOay98iwEWM8EuHn7rYL-oJbudpLb487SicOlR32Ch-F8Zhsyv8i0OATMI_nEksy/w400-h266/Trees%20shore%20road%202_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wait, WHAT? You said it was sunny today! So what's with this blue photograph with rain? Did you take that yesterday? Well, yes, I did. And it is a third photograph from yesterday that I liked so much I didn't want to put it in the voting. And it is a different location as well. This is near where our street comes down to the harbor. The shots yesterday were the north facing beach - this view looks west. So, yeah, I am cheating, but I love this photograph as well, and wanted it to get it's own show. Hope you all like this one too.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-9018142478580942292024-03-02T21:38:00.000-08:002024-03-02T21:40:49.733-08:00A Bit of Rain...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPbl67n1y8Dyo_ICCmikr9rZnEkexsWdULuwrPPWVrsxhIIJDVRLS8PcrsrBKnwfIvIve9r1iJeIYIoM5H-eVYJ9E4cu_9aicFYuWYepfEJfcCOO7t3ip3IAjqjP9X2GZjFjrenO-wLBTkdhE-XT96X_R_e2rscCr4lqjs1O7wRCnMIBuO0M4vhbvVfb6/s1000/Blue%20boardwalk%204%20poles_RT_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPbl67n1y8Dyo_ICCmikr9rZnEkexsWdULuwrPPWVrsxhIIJDVRLS8PcrsrBKnwfIvIve9r1iJeIYIoM5H-eVYJ9E4cu_9aicFYuWYepfEJfcCOO7t3ip3IAjqjP9X2GZjFjrenO-wLBTkdhE-XT96X_R_e2rscCr4lqjs1O7wRCnMIBuO0M4vhbvVfb6/w400-h266/Blue%20boardwalk%204%20poles_RT_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So I am trying to redeem myself with today's post, by showing you a "real" photograph, with an interesting subject in a lovely blue color, and a nice composition. I went to the grocery store late today to get some salad fixings, and then decided to drive down to the harbor on the north beach, instead of the beach at the end of our street. I loved the fog and the indistinct landscape in the distance, and the the old fashioned lamps made it perfect. When I looked at the first picture that I took, I was surprised by the blue color! Our eyes are always adjusting to the light level and the color, but the camera sees what is sees, and the blue is perfect!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wITnKwLIrJuTbQs5MyS0Cl0owMbQjb2W_YdJ286B8eWqankNZ2HyuDeRa2k1rJxq0_yCiy7TPzZmCHBINn5lI5ORelXjNhr43WFl3FYfr1u5hr3c2P0b3lXjbgOXlcFy-dAMWlL_eCmQZiZoatmOPaNlPmcClg4GI1yJ0RIHpiFWnoo1ih3C6XdUssx6/s1000/Blue%20boardwalk%20east_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wITnKwLIrJuTbQs5MyS0Cl0owMbQjb2W_YdJ286B8eWqankNZ2HyuDeRa2k1rJxq0_yCiy7TPzZmCHBINn5lI5ORelXjNhr43WFl3FYfr1u5hr3c2P0b3lXjbgOXlcFy-dAMWlL_eCmQZiZoatmOPaNlPmcClg4GI1yJ0RIHpiFWnoo1ih3C6XdUssx6/w400-h266/Blue%20boardwalk%20east_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But, since I am always continuing to look, I saw this view to the east, and played with that in terms of composition. I think this photograph is more of a documentary style, as compared with just a landscape in the first image. I can't decide which is the better photograph. It may be the first one, but this has a bit more interest with the car headlights way off in the distance. So it is time for all of you to vote! Do you like the first (top) photo best, or this one? I am dying to know!</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-72918973632222301752024-03-01T21:00:00.000-08:002024-03-01T21:00:53.756-08:00Two Birds in Passing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlWbtMELE1S2MGYo1_3g0gjEn4ZXPyhc8cTOm_piPlOoWaidvI530I2KQC9GYAnNwZaOVCX5tEynhbKs5yez0cbmrZ9GW1r6M1m7RLXdLbhwWqcFRUnMS0-N59mw3DXsmgBktCfcM8KlSKs7jzkKJcaYT8xuldYXL7-UYjgEJN7SLw0NoG5doKplk3Cqo/s1158/2%20birds%20passing_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlWbtMELE1S2MGYo1_3g0gjEn4ZXPyhc8cTOm_piPlOoWaidvI530I2KQC9GYAnNwZaOVCX5tEynhbKs5yez0cbmrZ9GW1r6M1m7RLXdLbhwWqcFRUnMS0-N59mw3DXsmgBktCfcM8KlSKs7jzkKJcaYT8xuldYXL7-UYjgEJN7SLw0NoG5doKplk3Cqo/w345-h400/2%20birds%20passing_sm.jpg" width="345" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">OK, so this is really a reach. It was cloudy on my 3 mile walk today so no sharp black shadows. I didn't see much to make a photograph out of although I tried a few things that didn't work. I only had my one zoom lens, 24-105mm on the camera, so my "reach" was not all that great. But when I saw two swans swimming together I followed them. Then they split up a bit as two sea gulls drifted in from the other direction. In desperation, I started shooting and ended up with this. Yeah, I know, it's not a show stopper, but at least there will be a post when I stop writing here! Because of the overcast sky, if you click on the photograph to see it larger, it looks as if they are floating on liquid silver.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-46817049626676214592024-02-29T21:35:00.000-08:002024-02-29T21:35:47.543-08:00Beach Scene, Low Tide, with Gulls<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLS6iEDFOqcIxDDnelZFgvc8ab2jKs2rmUDjZzXkVeNaAU9dj1y8EHtj4obYnuikdtb1RqmQBh66CP3xO7qzs4wRjBmnwKUW34eghrz7FzgaLtGJhbyBXYDflwnDHtBjZpW_jMFrCK2SnreeBX1Lb9EicBSXdBQuIyAj0ODAmenMjKx4P74cIuMysTP7Uv/s1000/Laurel%20Beach%20Shot%20Seagulls_rt_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLS6iEDFOqcIxDDnelZFgvc8ab2jKs2rmUDjZzXkVeNaAU9dj1y8EHtj4obYnuikdtb1RqmQBh66CP3xO7qzs4wRjBmnwKUW34eghrz7FzgaLtGJhbyBXYDflwnDHtBjZpW_jMFrCK2SnreeBX1Lb9EicBSXdBQuIyAj0ODAmenMjKx4P74cIuMysTP7Uv/w400-h266/Laurel%20Beach%20Shot%20Seagulls_rt_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some days it's hard to find yet another brilliant photograph. So I keep posting photographs from my walk along the harbor. It was the seagulls that caught my eye, but I didn't have a lens longer than 70mm. If I had my 200mm telephoto, I would have a different shot. But I took advantage of the dark rocks in the foreground because they were interesting, and then you have the seagulls in the background. Great shot? Not really, but an interesting experiment in composition. Please try clicking on the photograph because I think it gets more interesting when you can see a larger image.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-49902145269445517192024-02-28T21:40:00.000-08:002024-02-28T21:40:05.021-08:00Nightscape in the Garden<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ASZ6f0g79hYoitxvFlRe8gWI8m3CkD2zTaW53kSnX1-Y6MlgCccFQveJVDCcTurqW5BQSu18nM8SpViJ-aHqivGNsGiGHnjHToto_5BLusrDx5z05CBVXaWgxfEqXTGbF0SICsaph4MxxNHqncn11uDVhyphenhyphenZyTALWozwAtVAS9TzTrLGfgJFC4yIOz4Qy/s1000/Vanderbilt%20Rose%20Garden%20&%20Stacks_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="1000" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ASZ6f0g79hYoitxvFlRe8gWI8m3CkD2zTaW53kSnX1-Y6MlgCccFQveJVDCcTurqW5BQSu18nM8SpViJ-aHqivGNsGiGHnjHToto_5BLusrDx5z05CBVXaWgxfEqXTGbF0SICsaph4MxxNHqncn11uDVhyphenhyphenZyTALWozwAtVAS9TzTrLGfgJFC4yIOz4Qy/w400-h264/Vanderbilt%20Rose%20Garden%20&%20Stacks_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have photographed The Rose Garden at night at the Vanderbilt Museum before, but from down in the garden. So when I saw this tonight I thought it looked quite different, because of the smokestacks of the giant Long Island Lighting Company power plant in the distance. The urn in the foreground is made from concrete, but the figure in the fountain in the distance, I think is marble. I did the first photograph on January 17, 2024. I think this photograph is more interesting because of the large and small sizes of some of the elements in the photograph. If you are curious what the rose garden really looks like when it's in bloom, click here: <a href="https://greatvisualtruths.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-rose-garden.html" target="_blank">Rose Garden</a></div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-90736882225285461502024-02-27T20:30:00.000-08:002024-02-27T20:30:09.238-08:00Something or Someone Sitting<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzE68fzj46-rsnHbY93iOq-iOIFYeK89gGEYHcyyIHhQdxvxpHUuVfUMe_qblEV_10Zl9mCrM1mTp2TvEajrZYFTtLMYGMd7LIhL1IBQU4eNDCUAM0AZ0InOUX4w__9Du2vsyD81w4y7YYM1e_o40BT9R85EyqpN-VmegG9NNVmWuVpisHU0BFOYmVO9qp/s1265/Chair%20shadow%20garage%20wall_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1265" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzE68fzj46-rsnHbY93iOq-iOIFYeK89gGEYHcyyIHhQdxvxpHUuVfUMe_qblEV_10Zl9mCrM1mTp2TvEajrZYFTtLMYGMd7LIhL1IBQU4eNDCUAM0AZ0InOUX4w__9Du2vsyD81w4y7YYM1e_o40BT9R85EyqpN-VmegG9NNVmWuVpisHU0BFOYmVO9qp/w316-h400/Chair%20shadow%20garage%20wall_sm.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yesterday afternoon I went out to the garage and in the last light of the setting sun, saw the shadow of this patio chair on the wall of the garage. I thought it was an interesting design so I got my camera and crouched down and made a few exposures. As I was shooting, I knew it was a chair, but I was also left with some sense that it was a person, although it's not, of course. So I offer it up as a curiosity that might interest you.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-2702462265968407192024-02-26T21:12:00.000-08:002024-02-26T21:12:20.532-08:00Man, Bench, Tree<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLN0V0maHs5VkPgOeo6gOxsz_gU-P1xMj-fvVTWWEtlrAvUcpaS57pz4PMqkPQCPkEQCYnG1AtvD8dCSV-_PN1Tbl5N81F2l_fXJLEjM8YDmw22IN7QE34wJpCrom91dRWaJtH99KUD5LaMzKfULuPgtKXPPdU3n-1scSxXIXzLjSn2qv9_W0oTyEFgKr/s1000/Man%20bench%20tree_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLN0V0maHs5VkPgOeo6gOxsz_gU-P1xMj-fvVTWWEtlrAvUcpaS57pz4PMqkPQCPkEQCYnG1AtvD8dCSV-_PN1Tbl5N81F2l_fXJLEjM8YDmw22IN7QE34wJpCrom91dRWaJtH99KUD5LaMzKfULuPgtKXPPdU3n-1scSxXIXzLjSn2qv9_W0oTyEFgKr/w400-h266/Man%20bench%20tree_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was 51 degrees here today with not much wind. What a nice change. Everyone and their uncle was out walking which was nice. I almost thought of doing a bike ride today, but because it was so nice I decided to walk and bring my camera, a good choice. It was so unusual to see someone seated on this bench, I don't think I have ever seen someone sitting here. It makes a perfect composition, and it is more interesting that other shots I have done with the tree and just an empty bench.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-24611021883779133042024-02-25T18:59:00.000-08:002024-02-25T18:59:42.770-08:00Our Sun Today<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngoHbl9fpQFcItCTVsu1LxSb5FDQTJ7Vds2_NUTPZ-4uEVw2MgkyCQYMUBn4KEnHEEdJ9T7OkGnZTArFEIAIoOH8-zgeXC4mTJNp_D0Y6nTF4-E0mf6G7p1k_Pg6OF9Bzvp58ftYTVFZyna4GKb2QQ5fl9HU6HbDq7iXUPL8B904puGVz9OiTQmzJSlbb/s1000/Sun%20white%20light_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="1000" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngoHbl9fpQFcItCTVsu1LxSb5FDQTJ7Vds2_NUTPZ-4uEVw2MgkyCQYMUBn4KEnHEEdJ9T7OkGnZTArFEIAIoOH8-zgeXC4mTJNp_D0Y6nTF4-E0mf6G7p1k_Pg6OF9Bzvp58ftYTVFZyna4GKb2QQ5fl9HU6HbDq7iXUPL8B904puGVz9OiTQmzJSlbb/s320/Sun%20white%20light_sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There was a giant sunspot on the Sun today. Larger than the earth. So I looked at the sun with my special filter and it looked like this. But I have a special telescope for looking at the Sun called a hydrogen alpha telescope. It has a very complex, very sophisticated filter built into it, and it shows amazing details on the surface. Here is the view with that telescope, in the red color that it shows.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWCHl78XVOEX4B-SJTJL3bKGqo8aB7Uy3Wo1Ja_BDSOMM19hFi0dXu-V6jjwawXIsCcqAaSrc8jS-ToF42No90gLXMvtysXznkZdVPKncUT884atdsgSR3JTJhLj1E4bw12QyHalfs10WUN5aZiJ-cBqEw2qz0W1l_iBbeEj1Z1OLnviPFku4H0C-C4D3/s1000/Sun%20Ha%202%20single%20sharp+C_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1000" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWCHl78XVOEX4B-SJTJL3bKGqo8aB7Uy3Wo1Ja_BDSOMM19hFi0dXu-V6jjwawXIsCcqAaSrc8jS-ToF42No90gLXMvtysXznkZdVPKncUT884atdsgSR3JTJhLj1E4bw12QyHalfs10WUN5aZiJ-cBqEw2qz0W1l_iBbeEj1Z1OLnviPFku4H0C-C4D3/s320/Sun%20Ha%202%20single%20sharp+C_sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It is easier to see the detail if I convert this image to black and white.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_WhoIvf5rS6wYx-h6rrsrNp_bxsOEXSpCD9R3lMkM6OmXlIFbQO4KHcf9ni4dQYbNl5ngOYY3r0X98TllB3Pgr0g3_H5RPiaENgT9oeURLRZAASJtUrgHIzDgwP2gCMcqnmAD4zaWFZekiJ5n7LvndrFbk8V6GNo0w9qy3cEcXo7sU_hEvFqUwwpg3oj/s1010/Sun%20Ha%202%20single%20sharp_BW2_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_WhoIvf5rS6wYx-h6rrsrNp_bxsOEXSpCD9R3lMkM6OmXlIFbQO4KHcf9ni4dQYbNl5ngOYY3r0X98TllB3Pgr0g3_H5RPiaENgT9oeURLRZAASJtUrgHIzDgwP2gCMcqnmAD4zaWFZekiJ5n7LvndrFbk8V6GNo0w9qy3cEcXo7sU_hEvFqUwwpg3oj/s320/Sun%20Ha%202%20single%20sharp_BW2_sm.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And then if I make the photograph lighter when I photograph through the Hydrogen alpha filter I can see the prominences on the edge of the Sun. I have filled in the center of the Sun's disk with a gray color so that the prominences will be more obvious all around the outer edge of the Sun's disk. What amazing things to see!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwgQYfnZZXUxqJ5HlLRYJ2c3rKGYrkg0CR7LRJI9BYOB1zuok7C31muWwQLGs8b3PTHg2eCrmlq2CfFEpXJETYhK86P4kUKiMSAxPvJEC6dfEOSCU3K5ofwAsB1fzyZD9oBaezs-b2ABFeOtGAMTF5EJT6_VmTKrJRjZ9-j-AZUi6jmCv2DqBiEhqzrZX/s1000/Sun%20Ha%202%20single%20proms_gray_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1000" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwgQYfnZZXUxqJ5HlLRYJ2c3rKGYrkg0CR7LRJI9BYOB1zuok7C31muWwQLGs8b3PTHg2eCrmlq2CfFEpXJETYhK86P4kUKiMSAxPvJEC6dfEOSCU3K5ofwAsB1fzyZD9oBaezs-b2ABFeOtGAMTF5EJT6_VmTKrJRjZ9-j-AZUi6jmCv2DqBiEhqzrZX/s320/Sun%20Ha%202%20single%20proms_gray_sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-32583336171816046472024-02-24T20:31:00.000-08:002024-02-24T20:31:22.162-08:00Me and my Shadow<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7WRTL5OG7Dr5Wgv3hXRTTVCj25KRSD3j3cSjvLYUfKy05TvGr267vCMo2Phzqu4mJFJC6jWCO9iuW8-QrzruiHxldKknIFbePAUK_VsOwM2g0FntTX-qHZBMsOIfBq0gynrUXWkhlDkoBKrYUxci30sLZ0WxXLxx6VqwlMtn4ZmLn0PcQDAI0Mi6waT8/s1000/Me%20and%20my%20shadow_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1000" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7WRTL5OG7Dr5Wgv3hXRTTVCj25KRSD3j3cSjvLYUfKy05TvGr267vCMo2Phzqu4mJFJC6jWCO9iuW8-QrzruiHxldKknIFbePAUK_VsOwM2g0FntTX-qHZBMsOIfBq0gynrUXWkhlDkoBKrYUxci30sLZ0WxXLxx6VqwlMtn4ZmLn0PcQDAI0Mi6waT8/w400-h272/Me%20and%20my%20shadow_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was a beautiful day for a walk today. The temperature this afternoon was about 41 degrees and it was blue sky and sunshine so it was very pleasant. I was looking for photographs along a route I walk often and so much is familiar to me, every step of the way. But I happened to look toward the street and saw my shadow and realized that was something different that I had not photographed. So I kept walking while turning to face the street, and I had the camera up to my eyes and kept shooting. I like this the best because it shows me walking and I really like the two black shadows of the sycamore tree trunks. Something different, for a change.</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6451587500257595163.post-53603980558872339162024-02-23T21:06:00.000-08:002024-02-23T21:06:18.994-08:00Windows Need Replacing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuryKXdmJgfEaU1MLF0P6qG_H0YmXBnmGjsM7saVWDIykWoPkvxR5YiEz2Bj7EYhnXzCApCm6Rdpc6NkOqUYkyG3Synk2ndY-n22DwJ4AvwTXJ6L031dsmtMq7BYSUCgH7xjF_4qgCWgA1oEuH9-Ecobt26n5NT7CFxD2TY7Jpfyc2MXQydgcdu-fb7w3P/s1500/Pump%20House%20Window_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuryKXdmJgfEaU1MLF0P6qG_H0YmXBnmGjsM7saVWDIykWoPkvxR5YiEz2Bj7EYhnXzCApCm6Rdpc6NkOqUYkyG3Synk2ndY-n22DwJ4AvwTXJ6L031dsmtMq7BYSUCgH7xjF_4qgCWgA1oEuH9-Ecobt26n5NT7CFxD2TY7Jpfyc2MXQydgcdu-fb7w3P/w266-h400/Pump%20House%20Window_sm.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They have been working on the old water company pump house down at the foot of our street. They work for a while and then they don't. Looks like these windows will be replaced eventually. Before they started working on it from the outside, all the panes of glass in the windows were intact. For some reason, a number of panes are missing from some of the windows. I took a few photographs of each window, moving a bit from side to side, because what makes the picture, in my mind, are the reflections in the window panes - clouds and trees and the late afternoon sun. I wonder what this building will turn out to be?</div><br /> <p></p>Ken Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14968646929859916724noreply@blogger.com0