The color of magic

Magic hour isn't even an hour: it's only a few minutes somewhere about 10 - 20 minutes after sundown. You determine the exact time by eye; it varies with location, season and the lighting of your exterior. Try a series of shots and you'll see just how wildly the light varies as day turns into night. Do this as an assignment if you haven't already.
Above is an excerpt from a technical blog that I frequent. If you are interested in vivid photographic colors, read the article. It delves deeper into the phenomena of evening light. I've been piddling with the concept. After all the rain, yesterday's sunset was interesting. I rushed out to practice what I had learned.
This was shot with a my 18-135 lens at its widest. I was facing southeast, away from the sunset. I manipulated the white balance a bit. I think I used the spot meter reading, taken from the pink area of the sky? It works pretty good but some graininess is evident. I think that is from the underexposure. Reading from the foreground, however, did not offer the intense color I am seeking.
The second image is taken with the same settings only facing a more westerly direction, into the sunset. It's close but not exactly what I'm trying for. I think the article is talking less about sunsets and more about the evening light on other objects. I like these but I'm not there yet. I will have a better starting point for my next attempt at capturing that "magic minute."
l8r

Oh what a tangled web we weave

My eBay adventure is expanding. After filing my claim with PayPal, I received the lens. That should be good but it wasn't; the lens doesn't work!! I think the seller knows that. The package was a DHL overnight delivery. He didn't send it until I threatened to file a dispute on the first day possible ... ten days after the purchase date. He mailed the package on the tenth day to arrive the day I filed. Jerk!

I've called Tokina ... it is a Tokina lens ... and am forwarding it to them for warranty repair. I guess I'll have to cancel the claim but am letting the seller sweat it a few days. I probably should have insisted on returning the lens and getting a refund. That could be a drawn out affair. I really want that lens ... NOW! :-)

We're going through a deluge of bad weather. Marble Falls had nearly 18 inches of rain between midnight and six this morning. It rained all night here but we got nowhere near that amount of rain. Maybe I should be practicing my photography under difficult conditions. If I had that 12-24 zoom I probably would.

Guess I'll try doing something productive. Here's to some dryer, warmer weather.
l8r

Ripped Off on eBay

My blog posting has suffered. I've been too busy worrying and exacting information concerning the lens that I bought, paid for and did not receive. I waited the required ten days and filed a dispute, which I immediately upgraded to a claim, this morning. Now, I'll wait for notification that my $435 has been returned. I can't even shop for another lens until that happens. :-(

The lens I purchased was a Tokina 12-24mm wideangle zoom. I'll probably buy one from one of the online camera stores. I really want that lens. It will be perfect for the huge landscapes in Utah. We'll be leaving on that trip in September. It will be an extended vacation of probably six weeks. We're getting excited already.

I've been experimenting with the Nikon D80. In my film days, I used a polarizer to increase saturation and enhance color. It's hard to replicate the effect in digital. I've found a few tutorials. White balance manipulation seems to come closest. I've also adjusted the exposure compensation to allow deeper saturation.

Imitating the Fuji Velvia effect is also desirable. I've been studying the photography of Ken Rockwell. A lot of the examples, however, are actually shot with Velvia. There is a tutorial on the settings that he uses for digital. I'm still not satisfied. My images are not looking the same. :-(

I'll continue the experiments and wait very impatiently for the return of my money. More later on the results of each.
l8r

Is Osama bin Laden the Sturgeon General?

The Dilbert Blog cracks me up. You should read this and let me know if you think Scott Adams is as funny as I do. Or, maybe it's just Scott and me who are really wierd. :-)

My grandson is here. It was after midnight when we got back from Austin. The kid is growing like a weed; he's nearly 5'8". And, he is really proud that he finally had his braces removed. He's wearing a retainer but the smile is barely affected by that thin wire.

We're anxious to see how long it will be before local tracks are dry enough for us to ride some motocross. I just learned that the Waco track is open. We're planning a weekend trip. I hope we get to ride tomorrow night in Austin.

We just ordered a ton of parts for his motorcycles. We need to replace some of the plastic before installing the new graphics. The graphics were his birthday present. He likes them and is chomping at the bit to get them on his bike.

We have a few errands and need to get a haircut. Enjoy reading about the sturgeon general. :-)
l8r

Motocross Legends

Communicating with some of these guys has me mulling the idea (again) of blogging on the subject. All of my stuff is from the early 80s, but there is plenty to keep me busy for several days. It may not interest the general public but blogging is supposed to be about personal interest, isn't it? :-)

Old folks seem to get a lot of pleasure from remembering the past. It's easy to forget the hard times and remember only the good stuff. Chasing those motorcycles all over Europe was hardly work for anyone who enjoyed it as much as I did. I feel compelled to share the experience. The question now is ... here or in a separate blog?

Right now, Jane is leaning on me to get ready for our grandson's visit. Mulling is all I have time for today.

Summer Time ... and the living is easyyyyy.

I love that song; even learned to pick it on my guitar. It seems appropriate. The heat's building. The lake is filled with fun and sun seekers. We're getting tomatoes from the garden. And, I try to stay out of the heat.

An interesting aside -- the swallow-tailed flycatcher that I stalked is teaching its fledgling to fly. I saw them on a powerline while walking Oscar. I didn't have my camera but made sure to carry it on our next walk. The fledgling were there again. I think the nest must be in the nearby oak tree. Here are a few shots of the three fledgling and mom (or dad?). I'm not sure if it was trying to sing or begging for food. :-)

He was much more adventurous, doing some acrobatic flying, as the other two timidly sat waiting for mom to encourage more flight. Note that their tail feathers have not yet grown out.

The lake has risen enough that wildlife is in much closer to the house. Buzzards, egrets and herons are perching on the pier and wading near the back yard. The following two shots are of a Great White Egret and a Turkey Vulture that I startled while getting close with my $77, 70-210 Nikon lens. It is great for quickly focusing on a moving object, such as the vulture. I'm still cruising eBay for that 300mm f4. I've bid on several but continue to be outbid by someone who wants one much more than I do. :-)

There is still some preparation needed for my grandson's summer visit. He will be here in a week and I still have some work to do on the bikes. Summer heat makes the procrastination so much easier. Maybe I'll just sit in the air condition and play my guitar. :-)

l8r

Be Poor, Go to Jail

Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

It is confirmed. Jail is for lumpen. Ain't that a cool word. I learned it from the "word of the day" section of mygoogle. It is something that Paris Hilton is not but most of us is. Her arrogant attitude is disgraceful. And, her release by our justice system is even more of a disgrace. It does support, however, my perception that jails are built by the wealthy as a place to isolate those of us who refuse to obey their rules.

We lumpen have no impact on the haughtiness. The arrogance of Paris Hilton is rivaled only by the lordliness of the Bush Administration. Paris is a perfect example of the elitist attitude toward the lumpen. Can you believe the stance our president so lordly presents to the world on the environment? We, the lumpen, must be educated by King George. The economy is vulnerable. Environment is secondary. Emission controls are much more damaging than the emissions. It is like, "As long as I am President, you will do as I say! Don't make me have to spend money on jails to hold you lumpen."

I used red for the King ... like in the Bible. :-)

l8r