Staying Current

 Still having a problem getting signed in to this account. I thought I had saved the log in info but can't seem to find what I had saved. I hate computers.

My current interests still center on Astronomy. I've been following the developing story of the Saturn and Jupiter conjunction. December 21 is the focal date. It is an ongoing event, however. The two planets are currently so close that I can see both in my telescope viewfinder when using the wide angle eye piece.

More meteor showers peak tonight ahead of the big Geminids show that is peaking next week. That story can be read at following link: 

https://www.cnet.com/news/more-meteor-showers-peak-tonight-ahead-of-the-big-geminids-show/ 

The weather has been conducive for viewing the sky -- star gazing. It is clear and quite cool at night. Jupiter and Saturn are nearly ready to set in the West shortly after sunset. Early is good. I still haven't adjusted my sleep hours to stargazer hours. 😏

After watching Saturn and Jupiter drop below the skyline in the west, I have turned to the east to watch Orion come into view and studying objects in that constellation -- the Great Orion Nebula along with several Open Clusters and the Red Giant Star, Betelgeuse. 

The three bright stars across the middle are referred to as Orion's Belt. 

It takes a telescope to view the Nebula and a few Open Star Clusters. I've only recently begun to study the Orion area. The more I see the more interesting it gets.

But the highlight from now until the end of December will be the conjunction until Jupiter and Saturn drop below the horizon with the setting sun.

I am rambling and it is getting dark. I need to rush outside and watch Saturn and Jupiter close in on each other. They drop below the horizon shortly after sunset.

l8r

Astronomy Hobby

 Here we go again; wasting my time with a new interest. I bought a telescope and have started learning more about the star gazing. Just can't seem to settle on an all-consuming hobby. Guitar, Photography, Painting, Running, Writing, Travel. Retirement has given me more free time than I can handle. 😀

I can't think of WHY.  It was just another whim. I bought a small telescope and started learning about space-time and all that is happening in the heavens above. Google opened a new world (universe) and has provided hours of educational reading. I now know the name of a few stars and several constellations. The more I learn the more I want to know. I wish I had purchased a better telescope. 😏

My first image was of the moon. I took this with my smart phone camera. Just like now, fiddling with blogger, I was experimenting. An adapter for attaching a cell phone came with the telescope package.  Enough of that. I could have taken the same image with a long lens on my Canon.

I've been most interested in planets and deep space. I found Saturn and was able to distinguish the rings -- not in much detail but I could see the separation of the rings from the planet. 

And, Jupiter is interesting with its many moons. I've tuned in several times to view the four most evident moons in a different position each night. I can't see the planet in enough detail to distinguish colors or the red spot. Seeing such detail is going to incur a modest investment. Perhaps, even more than modest. 😊

Mars was just an insignificant bright spot in my small (4-inch aperture) telescope. I was excited to see it and was able to see why it is referred to as the Red Planet. But it was too boring to really lock into. I tried bringing it closer by using an eye piece with more magnification. That made it hard to track. With the Earth spinning at more than a thousand miles an hour, Mars zipped across the small field of view. 

Each night brings a different set of images in the sky. Over the past month, Jupiter and Saturn were the objects of most interest. They were visible without having to get up in the wee hours to view. Mars came along later and Venus and Mercury have been visible in the very early morning -- like 4:30am.

More recently, I have found star clusters -- both Open Clusters and Globular Clusters. Google searches have taught me that clusters are where stars are being born. You might find it more interesting by doing your own Google search. I did. 😊

I've also found a few Galaxies but haven't been able to really tell much about them. I downloaded a free software package, Stellarium for Windows, that keeps me informed about what to see and when. It also goes into much detail and has the capability to search for objects of interest. 

There is so much more of this to discover. I am looking forward to December. Jupiter and Saturn will form their next conjunction on December 21 of 2020. Click on the link below to learn more about the conjunction.

https://www.astrology.com/article/great-conjunction-saturn-conjunct-jupiter-in-aquarius-2020

Returning to the Pond - Walden Pond

 Walden Pond; I haven't been here in a long time --- YEARS!

This will be a short entry. Posting an entry has changed so much over the years that I am simply babbling in an effort to learn what I have forgotten, or to learn what has changed?

Thought I would throw in a picture of the flight crew from my 1963 tour in Vietnam. It was early. We had only four airplanes and a very small crew. This image includes everyone, pilots, maintenance crew, and equipment operators. Our mission was to monitor and locate enemy communication devices.

The actual purpose of inserting the image was simply to learn how. Pretty simple. It has changed considerably over the years -- for the better.

By the way, I am sitting in front row, first on the left.

Back to the present; I am watching election news and wondering whatever happened to the democracy that I was defending during my more than thirty years in the much maligned Intelligence Community -- including two tours in Vietnam and more than ten years developing and documenting state of the art intelligence collection systems.

Enough of that. Here's to more interesting posts from around the Pond.

l8r

Just Ask

Bringing the new website online has kept me busy. I probably have time to post in both places but my incurable case of procrastination hasn't allowed that. I will do a little cut and paste here ... just to keep WaldenPond active.



I spent the weekend honing my action photography skills. The Llano Crawfish Festival is a local event. One of the highlights is a three-day team roping competition. I’ve long wanted access to a rodeo or any event featuring horses in action. I learned of the roping competition from my barber on Thursday and immediately went into planning mode. After searching the internet and studying the schedule in our weekly local, I awoke Friday morning and was in the Cowboy Camping Area before daylight. The first thing I learned was that cowboys are NOT the early risers I had assumed. They ARE big partiers.
In my professional past, I have had easy access to the events that I covered and to the competitors.My Press Pass or race credentials got me inside the action. This was different. I was just another citizen. I needed a way to get into that arena. The least I could settle for was a position by the fence.
Since there was no one present, I took a camera and several lenses with me as I circled the arena just to see what I would need and where I should be. With a bright sun starting its ascent to a high point in the southern hemisphere, I knew to expect very contrasty lighting. The roping wasn’t scheduled to start until ten o’clock. I chose a place with the sun behind me, putting most of the heavy shadows on the opposite side of the subject. My trusty 80~200mm zoom lens would get me close enough while keeping me at a safe distance. The spot was inside the arena.
I strolled through the cowboy camping area, killing time and looking for interesting pictures in the morning light. There were some beautiful horses but backgrounds were terribly distracting. Cowboys have lost a lot of their mystique. They’ve gotten “citified.”The area was like an RV park with motor homes and expensive self-contained horse trailers parked bumper to bumper.
When I returned to my parked truck the activity had picked up. Vendors were setting up their areas and officials were preparing for the ropers to register. I still had no idea how I would gain access to a primo spot in the arena but found someone who looked important and asked the question. “Where can I get to take pictures?” I was directed to an important person and told that I was welcome to take pictures and “where did I want to get.”She first said that I would not be allowed inside the arena. I told her about the light problem and requested a place at the far end of the arena, a long way from where the steers were released and the cowboys started their timed runs. She agreed. I was allowed in the arena and practically had the run of the place. They made me feel important and quite welcome.
The moral of this story is “Just Ask.” If you are serious about photography and want access you can probably get it. Most promoters or event officials are pleased to have your interest and might even ask to buy some of your pictures. The worst that can happen is they say “NO.” Even if they say no, they will likely offer alternative locations. So, gather your gear, choose an event, plan an approach and practice … practice you photography skills and your negotiating skills. You may surprise yourself.
The images with this article are randomly placed. I’ve selected several images from the Llano Crawfish Open to scroll the HomePage at my new website. I will allow them to scroll until the next blog post — or until I get tired of seeing them.
l8r

Fine Art Photography -- What is it?

I've sold photographs. I have been taking pictures and selling them since the mid-70s. The Stars & Stripes and the European edition of TV Guide published nice articles after I won first place in several categories of the annual HQ USEUCOM (Military Forces, Europe) Photography Contest. I was nearly overwhelmed with portrait photography requests. Portrait photography was probably my most profitable photography experience.
I continued to sell photographs and articles to newspapers, magazines and advertising agencies as a motorsports photojournalist through the mid-80s. Even in the last few years, I have accepted assignments to cover selected motorcycle races for magazines.
It wasn't until recently, however, that I considered fine art photography. I love taking landscapes and wildlife pictures. I have some really beautiful images of beautiful things and beautiful places. But, to call my work fine art seems a bit pompous. Was taking those pictures creative? I did a Google search on fine art photography. Here's what I found on Wikipedia. Wikipedia is my most authoratative source of information. I may not be an Ansel Adams but I'm a fine art photographer. :-)
I've done a lot of thinking on the subject since taking steps to promote my name in the fine art field. An acquaintance, former editor of Dirt Rider Magazine, sells his images of Motocross Legends as fine art. I have since learned that calendars and fine art prints of these legends sell quite well. And, they are expressly presented as fine art prints. This classic image of motocross legend David Bailey at the Unadilla MX Track, New Berlin, NY was taken in 1983. When printed on fine art paper using the giclée printing process it is fine art. I have tons of this stuff. If my beautiful landscapes and wildlife prints don't sell, surely the legends will. :-)
Hope you find my research on fine art interesting.
l8r

Down the Dirt Road

My friend Celeste has one of the coolest domain names around -- RoadLessTraveled. I know, it's a poem. But, she got there first. :-)
Today's adventure reminded me of that poem. I followed a road yesterday that I've always wondered about. I got lost in a maze of country roads that finally dumped me back onto State Highway 71. I wasn't sure that I could retrace my steps but had seen a place that I was sure would make a great photo ... if the light was right. By my calculation that had to be really early in the morning. I was on the road before sunrise. As a matter of fact, I found my focal point before sunrise. I was right. This old ranch building is fantastic with the morning sun reflecting off its weathered exterior. The old windmill was nice too. It still pumps water into a tank. I used the tank to capture the windmill reflection in the picture on the right. I was disappointed that the cattle that surrounded the building yesterday were gone. They did, however, leave evidence of their visit in the yard. :-)
It was a fun morning, serving more than one purpose. I'm still breaking in that new diesel engine. The economical 14.7 MPG was from my light foot and some very slow going along a bumpy dirt road.

Wildlife was abundant. Deer were thicker'n fleas on a dog's back. I saw turkey as well. One old Tom was even strutting for the ladies but I wasn't close enough for a decent picture. A jack rabbit nearly commited suicide under my new diesel truck. He was just quick enough to escape before I got a picture or assisted in his suicide.
There were far fewer surprises than I had hoped for. I did accomplish the primary mission but really expected more. I finished off the excursion by snapping a few quick pics of the neighbor's peach tree. Kim, the blooms are fantastic. I'm looking forward to stealing your peaches. :-) Here's hoping the blooms are still here for your visit.
Now, I have a long list of tasks. Jane is working and I am in charge. I'm in charge of mowing the lawn and getting my office cleaned up before Dillon gets here for Easter.
As usual, click the thumbnail image to see a larger version.



l8r

Life in the Fast Lane

The blog has been left lacking. There is so much happening that I could write a book. But it is moving so fast that I haven't had time to draft a post. Our votes are cast and Ron Paul has withdrawn. I took time to email Senator Kay Bailey-Hutchison about my objection to outsourcing that Air Force Tanker to the French. I'm following John McCain's involvement in the Boeing loss of that contract. He's starting to really piss me off.

Those happenings; however, are far less exciting than all that is going on with my photography. I have two exhibits scheduled in May with the possibility of more. We've been busy making prints, matting and framing, and arranging displays. Thank God for Jane. She is wonderful with the arts and crafts and planning details.

And, I'm meeting with a gallery owner Saturday to discuss displaying my prints. There is a good possibility that she will sign on as my representative, selling my prints out of her gallery in Johnson City. I almost feel like I'm dreaming.

With all this happening, I am in hurry-up mode to get my website completed. A friend is helping me with that. It will link to my online galleries and the online representative that will print, mat and frame my prints. I can make only 8x10 and smaller prints. Imagekind, the online rep, can make prints on any type of paper or canvas up to 40x60. Plus, they will take care of the "arts and crafts" portion (printing, matting, framing) of the business as well as shipping and collecting the money. That allows more time for me to continue making photos ... and traveling. :-)

Speaking of travel, our grandson will be here for Easter. We trashed his bed. We're in hurry-up mode to find something for him to sleep on. We may just blow up the old air mattress. What the heck, he's young. LOL

I'm on break from the website development. Back to the grindstone. More
l8r