Strange nut

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Some sort of growth on a evergreen. I THINK they are nuts. I'm not sure.

I liked the bokeh in the back.

Choices, choices

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To far gone, or not far enough.

You decide.

And in response...

Firstly...there shouldn't be a captcha on this blog. There aren't on most I visit.

Secondly. Bubbles. I care, because I generate my own content. I would not like it if someone took my work, and posted it elsewhere without credit. There are a few points of view on this subject.

I don't say I own the work, I just post it, that's ok, right?. The answer? no. It's not ok. Technically speaking, this is still a violation of copyright, with or without credit, by law. Publishing a image on the internet, for free, is, still, technically publishing...I don't happen to have a problem with re-posting with credit. It's like free advertisement.

It's not for profit, so it's legal. Again...no.

And then you have the viewpoint of most people who actually create their own content. "Oh, hey. That's mine. And that person got twenty five comments on it...and not one of em even knows who the fuck I am. That's fucked up".


It IS my problem. It is your problem, if you ever create anything. Anyone I know who actually generates their own content, wither it's photographs, digital art work, comics, or freaking statues, dislikes it when their content is used without credit.  In that, there are those that dislike it when it's posted at all...and those that don't care about re-posted work. That's a separate issue, to my mind.

So many people seem to think "hey, it's on the internet, I can do whatever I want with it!". This is not the case...it's harmful to artists, and it's irksome to consumers down the line, because if they LIKE a image, they don't have a clue, six re-posts down the line, where to go for more.

Some things I'm noticing about the blogs I follow.

Things that irritate me about them, rather.

First, if you're going to copy and paste an article from another, very popular tech blog. At least give credit. I randomly see dirrect copies of blog posts from gizmodo, for example, with no credit.

Also, if you're posting images? Give credit. it's not your work, and the original creator, whoever it may be, might just want to get some of the feedback that's being posted about their work...I've repeatedly seen images saved directly from deviantart.com, among other websites, and uploaded on blogger.

And Captcha. Why the HELL do people use it? it's irritating, and makes posting comments and feedback on your blogs not worth the effort, most of the time.

Ye old covered bridge

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Taken up in the foothills of california somewhere.

As for that last image. I doubt it's been removed, as it looks like it's been there a while, and that image was taken yesterday. Unlike this one. Today I'm lazy.

Quite interesting, really.

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Walked by this today.

Holly crap it's a vine

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Not just any vine. It's basically a poison oak tree. For scale, that huge knot of branches hanging off that oak looking tree in the foreground? That's about six feet of the ground.

Someone asked what the last image was...out of focus green LED lamp. Actually, the same lamp that made that last textured bit of lighting.

as for my Macro rig...it's a cheep set of extension rings and, for that image my 50mm f1.4

Eary green glow

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Clearly the aliens are back.

Cable

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This is a macro image of some of the wires that compose the something like three foot thick cable that holds up the golden gate bridge.

I'm home

Woo. Family...nough said. I'll be posting, and checking blogs, and so on, now.

Family thing

So I won't be around a couple of days. Have this whole "family dinner" thing, that requires about three days of my time. Gotta love it.

ripples

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Lights, like water, rippling, changing.

Generic pretty flower photo

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Yup. They are purple. and pretty. And crisp.

And on some sort of coast-loving succulent.

Can you see it?

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there is a ghostly little shrimp in there, somewhere.

Long night

A friend of mine who's been missing showed up online at one AM last night. She dropped off the face of the earth about three months ago.

She's alive. And I spent like...four hours talking to her. Good times.

REALLY lowering quality here

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But I saw these, and was amused. "treating something with Kid gloves" being a classic line, and all..however, taking pictures in toy stores tends to freak the shit out of people, for some reason.

Uh...as for the last post. It was taken at some pet shop, somewhere. That snake I believe was around $300.

I want

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This is a emerald tree boa.

They are veeery expensive. But so pretty.

Rockrose

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at least, I THINK it's a rockrose...

More Graphiti!

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Yet another example of the work out on the albany bulb.

On my last photo someone asked "did the flash scare him off" i very rarely use the on camera flash...I did not, in that case.

Fluff

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Dandelion from earlier this year.

Please stand behind the yellow line, sir

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Taken a while ago at Civic Center BART, I believe. A good three stories underground.

it's a lovely, rainy day today, and so far no signs of leaks from the new roof, which is good.

Let us take our nerdity, and post it on billboards!

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Yup. Another thing I saw a while back.

Ahh Indian resteraunts in San Fransisco

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Saw this...somewhere in SF a while back. I...really have nothing to add.

As for the last post. That's a loaf of bread of some sort.

North Berkeley BART

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A photo of the stairs leading up to the north Berkeley BART station.

Coal

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A bit ago someone asked if I'd ever photographed coal.

uh. Yup?

A little out of their depth.

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Some little barnacle/mollusk things on a slab of concrete.

Footsteps on the sidewalk

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This bit of paint showed up on my walk, today. Very...uh. you know. One of those words. words words words.

I take pictures because I'm not good with words. So, insert 1k words here, plox.

Shadows like paint

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Yet another shadow photo. I just...love the detail.

After the rain, before the bloom

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Went out a while back. Lovely, lush greens.



As for the last photo..It's not a dirty lens. It's not a lens at all. it's an attempt at a pin hole camera. It can't be focused. It's a thin sheet of aluminum with a pin-prick in it. And the stuff all over it is crap on my sensor. I need to clean it, badly. That's one down-side about pinhole photography...that stuff really shows up.

This is not a bad, out of focus photo

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This is a badly constructed pinhole lens cap.

I'm trying to make one that's better than this. So far, this is actually my best result.

Outside

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It's a nice day outside. Why can't I go?

Another view

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Same green roof as a few posts ago, just a different view, showing more of the scale of the place. Those trees are preeety tall.

More fire

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Yup. Not photoshop.


And Mac? Try clicking on the image. Should be able to view larger in flickr.

different focus

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A shadow I saw last night. Etc.


As for the last photo..

camera blur, not carpet. hand-held long exposures don't tend to come out crisp. Which is part of the reason why I like them.

CS1

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Uh. That thing. yes. That one. Over there. No, the other one. Oh crap oh crap, I tripped over something, dammit, turn on the lights.

China town! Quality produce!

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YOU BUY! QUALITY PRODUCE YOU BUY!

Apparently, "quality" means "growing" in Chinese, who knew.

Lazy day

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This guy...

Another image from the academy of science.

Home sweet home.

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Actually, the bridge is out of the way for pretty much anything, unless your a boat coming into or out of the bay, or need to go to northbay.

But i figured i had to go at least once.

Adbrite update

So, I contacted the people at adbrite, receaved a generic form email back.

But I note a change. yesterday, I got a whopping six clicks...and made three cents. Today, I got one, and it was worth more than a dollar.

Random chance, or "awareness check" you be the judge.

Yet more.

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Another bit I liked.

In case of emeregency, please exit the train

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AMTRAK, between the cars.

Fresh flames

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So, the first fire of the season... I always love playing with fire.

Somewhere under a hill

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There lay a group of dwarven smiths...

Actually, this is the green roof on top of the California Academy of Science. Those skylights are above the giant round terrarium. Place is wicked fucking awesome.

Badly focused

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July 3'd, 2009, i believe, Richmond firework display.

Adbrite issues..

So, I'm currently running googles ad service, and adbrite. I'm looking at my adbrite history, and I'm realizing that I went from making reasonable amounts of money per click...to a single cent.  On one day I got two clicks...and received a single cent.

Anyone have any idea how I can fix that? Because...yeah. That's not cutting it. There's gotta be some way to set limits. Or something.

Wait, do I need to blurr this?

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Bubbles, I was going by legal definitions, not artists slang...I have no idea.

But by that standard, this is the first piece of "graphiti" i've posted. And I'm not quite sure If I should blur her boobs or not. Eh fuck it. It's art, not porn.

Cable

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Lots and lots of it, in neat rows.

So, the new blogger home page, and other issues.

So, I logged in to blogger to check the blogs that I follow, as I do most mornings. Evenings, and at about three AM when I can't sleep. And found that only the last couple of hours show up on the front page now. This irks me.

But I click the "read in google reader" hoping that it will take me to a magical land where it's easier to go through reading posts. It is, but..barely. I have to click to comment, and it adds another two or three mouse gestures and clicks to my day, per post. Bad google.

I also discovered that, in a part of google I've never even SEEN before...I'm following all SORTS of crap I've never heard of, most of which, however, are related to my interests. Google is fucking creepy. WTF google. WTF.


Also. I don't care if it's free-form or stencils. It's graphiti. The act of spray painting on public property is graphiti.

As promised, Graphiti

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So, I recently said I had around 30gb of photos.

This is not the case. It's closer to 60gb.

Rubble

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Went out to the Albany bulb today. Lots of walking, some photos. My feet hurt.

Daytona Jones. Canon has the D after the number. the 20D, in this case. If it's on the lens, take a clean class cloth and wipe it gently. If it's on the sensor...that's a more complicated situation.

Slumph, No, scaffolding is not CG.

Jram Actually, about six years in backlog, or so...something like 30 gigs. I shoot a lot sometimes, and sometimes it goes months before I pick up a camera.

As for whoever requested more graphiti...it's coming, in a bit. Shot some today.

Scaffold

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Some construction shot at a mall about a year back.

Permanence.

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Nothing says "keep the fuck out" like spraypaint on a rock.

Railing

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Stairwell.

Through the gap, again.

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A different gap, actually. A different look. Quite good, really.

More ferns, different crack.

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...yup.

REShootthrough

For those who ask what you're supposed to be looking at...Anything, nothing. I liked the flowers, the house. Seemed interesting. The blur of the wood against the sky against the tree.

Lycosa. If I backed up an inch, you would have seen nothing but bare wood. The lens of the camera was pressed up against that crack..and the image wouldn't have worked any other way. And fuck the rule of thirds. It's a useful guidelines for some shots, that would have done nothing for me here... People keep harping "rule of thirds, rule of thirds, rule of thirds". Capture the image that's interesting. The rule of thirds, and other, less commonly parroted guidelines are just that. Guidelines. Tricks to help frame shots if you're having trouble.

I was focusing on the house behind, not the flowers and the foreground. Thus, they are blurry.

The image was shot through a 1/4 inch gap in a fence. There was literally no other way to shoot it. I could have centered the gap a bit, but as I was you know. Shooting through someones fence, I kinda didn't want to stand around all day...I don't like being arrested. 

Also, looking at a larger sized image, there isn't anyone in the windows.

Shoot through

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Saw a glimpse of something interesting through a hole in someones fence.

Eclipse.

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Lunar Eclipse, from a while back.

Questions, questions.

Got a couple of questions on a few images...

Randy.
No photoshop. I brought up the darks slightly in lightroom, but that only affected the shadows, not the color. Actually, it's a bit dimmer in the photo than it looked in real life.

Mitsuru.
Somewhere in Berkeley CA. Not sure exactly where.

The Loon.
Yes. I've taken every photo posted on this blog, as yet, and will state clearly if I ever post anything that is not my own work.

As for the comments on the pot roast from the mushroom haters...Skip the cream of mushroom soup and mushrooms, add a couple of carrots cut into wedges about two-three inches long, and add a little more water. The gravy isn't quite as good, but it's still fantastic.

Rusty...thing

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I don't know what it is. I just like the patina. and the bird. The bird's pretty chill, too.