Winter Blossom Tree

Pink flowered winter treeToday I caught a tree vaguely resembling the challenge request I was given a few days ago. Missing the Tui, and arms at full extension (due to the tree being over a fence and my camera 28mm), the blossoming tree tied in with a lady informing me we were 2/3rd’s through winter gave a sense of spring almost on its way.

With spring a month off, I’m reminded I have not made it down to see the snow at all this year. With work commitments, it does not look like I will either, but it would be nice to take the drive down one weekend perhaps.

Early start and long day. Minds fuzzy. end here.

 

The Fog

The FogNeither the 1980 or its 2005 cinema remake, ‘The Fog’ was simply my journey to work this morning. Not quite as thick as it has been some previous days, it was still thick enough at this high point of the journey to envelop the background in its cold wet hold.

Shot on the Ricoh GRD IV, converted and cropped in Gimp.

 

The Arcade

Arcade 1 buildDigging through some photos I thought had been lost with a computer changeover, several computers ago, I came across my arcade projects folders. All in all I have build 5 arcade machines to date. Two full standing, two bar top and one mini tabletop unit. Todays image, loosely based on an Aussie Lowboy, was my first. Built from the ground up with MDF, running a CRT and using Mame.

For me arcade machines made up a big part of my younger years gaming. Home systems were nice, but never as advanced as the games at ones local corner dairy. 20 cents would get you a round of ‘The Main Event’, ‘WWF’, ‘Double Dragon’, ‘Golden Axe’…the list goes on. Of course then came ‘Street Fighter 2’ and all of its roll offs (then 40 cents). Generally a pile of recognisable guys, all battling it out on the arcades, arguing over secret moves, boasting high scores and ocassionally asking for ‘secondies’ (ones second life).

Having ones own at home brings back such memories. The games are just as addictive as they once were, but certainly a step back graphics wise compared to todays units.

 

The Polarizer

Filter no filterWith the poor weather of late, and a bit on my plate work wise, its been hard getting out to take many images. What I did work on however was a bit of a filter project for my Ricoh GRD. Ive written about the full control one can get using the great little Ricoh, but one limiter it, and 99% of all compact cameras has is the lack of a filter mount. One can buy an attachment tube where you can put filters on, but ultimately you end up with something the size of a small DSLR. Once that size, I’d just as soon use my Nex with a larger sensor.

So, after hunting around and finding no retail option, I went about making my own converting ring. Buying a 25mm-46mm step up ring, I removed the 46mm thread and attached via foam tape the new adaptor to my GRD. Most of my filters are 49mm, so I got a 46-49mm adaptor and viola, a sub $10 filter adaptor on my compact camera – yet still compact ‘enough’

As above, the weather has been poor when I have been free, but after a week of waiting, I set out determined to test the filter adaptor on the Ricoh. To see the obvious difference, and  something you simply cannot replicate in post editing, I attached my polarising filter – a great addition to ones camera filter kit (and one I should use more).

As in todays image, you can see the difference a polarising filter makes on a camera – identical aperture and  exposure time – filter just rotated to reduce reflection and darken the sky.

Images straight from camera (obviously two edited into one)

 

The Blind Computer

The Blind ComputerHe sits there, whirring, hard drive ticking away.
Powers running, fans are on, but somethings gone astray.
His face is missing, broken now, never to be fixed.
The mind is willing, body gone, time to rest me thinks.

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑