MikeHawkey.com

photos and other things…

recent posts

about

  • From the Dark, Into the light

    Path

     

    Taking a quick walk after work, onto an upper track from a walk I did almost year ago, I set the Ricoh to high contrast B&W – determined to get a few shots I liked using this setting. Its been very overcast these last few days, with bad weather around the country, & the night is beginning to draw in earlier as we approach winter.

    Heading back to the car, exiting a particularly dark patch of the track, I caught todays image. Using Gimp I slightly upped the contrast a little more to reduce the grey, and resized for the net.

  • On Rolls Autumn

    Tree Leaves

     

    Its been a busy few weeks with moving out of the flat and into our first home. Sadly, its been pretty hard to find much time recently to really get out there and take some images. We have moved into an area surrounded by great bush walks, so all going well…sooner rather than later… I will get some more time to get out there.

    Todays image, shot down the road, was from a quick stroll in between sorting out things at home. The heavy rain and thunderstorms seem to have missed Auckland, but have hit south, with flooding and storm damage.

    Shot on the Sony Nex and edited in Gimp.

  • Robot Technology

    Robot

    Todays old school mechanical robot reminds me of old books I used to read, produced in the 1970’s about ‘the future’ – usually referring to the year 2000. Fascinating books, not entirely incorrect in some areas, and very very wrong in others regarding their predictions of the future.

    Robots have featured in books and film for a long time now. Initially often seen as either scary beasts, or there to help humanity as servants (or a mix of the two). Ever so slowly we have seen them depicted as human copies, coming to grips with trying to be human & struggling with the concept of emotion and soul.

    Aside from the paperback and silver screen, technology and science, perhaps replicating these ideas (as often seems to be the case with technology) has come in leaps and bounds in humanoid robot/android experiments. I read an interesting article recently about robots being used in rest homes to help residents. I guess its only time until we have them looking after children, and are already part way to people having them as their companion. Im sure this will scare many, and excite others. The technology side of me is fascinated. How it might fit into my studied field of anthropology one day is also fascinating. Part of me also wonders if movies like Terminator or The Matrix might have an eventual grain of truth…

    Todays image (a very safe and traditional robot) was shot some time ago on the Canon Powershot G12, edited in Gimp.

  • Waiting for the Storm

    Waiting for the Storm

     

    A short stroll after work at the Beach Haven waterfront. Light rain precedes what is forecast to be a potentially heavy storm and possible isolated tornadoes tonight.

    Shooting again using the B&W High Contrast mode on the Ricoh GRD IV and post editing in Gimp – cropping aspect and adding a slight colour tone tint.

    Friday!

  • Swift in the West

    Piha Swift

    A quick archive shot for today. Work took me out of the office and down to Hamilton for my 12 hour day. Unfortunately, between doing what I was down there to do, and driving, I didn’t get the opportunity to take any shots. Hamilton has an excellent garden park, and I’m told a great Zoo, so I will need to head down for them again at some stage.

    Todays image, shot back in summer when I took a trip to Piha on the West Coast. I recall the clouds still being low in the sky as I looked back to the car park, and up into the ranges.

    Shot on the Sony Nex, converted to B&W in Gimp.