You're so lucky to have such great opportunities to photograph wildlife. The Lake Tahoe photo made me think of the Canadian artist Tom Thompson..
This evening I will try to photograph scenes from the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, and post them tomorrow. If it's going to be anything like the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics it should be spectacular.
No, the fish was way too big for the bird. I would guess that it weighed around 4 to 5 lbs. I think the bird was as surprised as I was when it surfaced out of nowhere.
I was taking a photo of the bird when the fish surfaced. LOL, talk about blind luck.
one of mine taken in the last week or so with my drone of the sunset . this is the raw photo , no filters or adjustments ., straight from the middle of wyoming .
I'll wait to see what Mark has to say. In the meantime you can look at the original that Mark posted, it's not too big and you can discern what you want in it.
Can you honestly make out anything in the picture? I wasn't trying to be an ass but just pointed out that all one, at least me, can see is a heavily pixelated photo. Is it my computer perhaps? Does it get better with your light enhancement if it was about half the size you posted? I'd be interested to see it .
Your right buzz there wasnt much to work with size wise , but thats the limitation on the camera on the drone , i have better pictures from a handheld camcorder i bought 20 yrs ago, but considering the drone is a dji mini , and the camera is the size of a salt shaker it does get a different perspective , i think this camera is limited to 2.7 k something like that .
I think you did about as good as can be expected given the source, I f i want better pictures i would have to get a better drone with better optics . but then again thats expensive and im doing it for fun only .
LOL that might be to my benefit since this was taken with a drone , many people dont like them because of privacy issues , they see something like this and realize even enhanced or worked with , my little toy , isnt what they think it is .
I wasn't trying to be a magician. I did what I could with the limitations of what I had. Mark explains those limitations. Are you happier with this smaller version?
By the way, I don't recall ever seeing any photos of yours on Creative Arts. How about giving us a chance to see what you can do?
here is one i reworked in my comps paint program . in origional size , simply worked with the white balance , contrast and colors.
this is a little closer to what i actually saw for colors , remember that i was taking this as the sun was still somewhat up and the sunlight was over exposing the results , wish i had waited to shut the drone down ( limited battery life ) , because 10 mins later with the sun over the horizon , there was a second sunset on just the clouds , that made this one look pale with all the reflected colors .
something else to consider , using the drone , my first responsability is the flight of the drone , not getting the shots , i was fighting wind ( was about 20MPH here), height ( this one is about 200 ft up, and im limited to 400 ft) and trying to stay legal as a hobbiest ( have to follow the rules the FAA has set ) and i didnt have the strobe on the drone for flying at night which is required even in uncontrolled air space .
videos are a little better than still shots , and i have only been using a drone for a little over 4 months ( operator experience ) and this is my 2nd drone , son in law loaned me one that was as twitchy as a squirrel on crack , thankfully i got all my crash and burns out with that one and it still flies , and the camera is even more limited than this one .
also by regulation , i have to keep it in visual line of sight at all times , try and keep something that weighs less than 250 grams , and is the size of a ham sammich in sight when its moving and 400 ft up......
Now that is a nice shot! I would have probably cropped the dark band off the bottom say a quarter inch below the bottom most light and maybe take a half inch off the top... visually this would serve to bring it more into focus on the detail and highlight the colors rather than the twilight without effecting the presentation... Besides our eyes see in 16x9 anyway....
Just a little crop top and bottom, nothing else... seems to have brightened it up a bit, took away some of the dark and let the detail show... That drone takes better pics than first impression gives...
Got some snow yesterday and last night. It never came down heavily but I ended up with about 8 inches all told. Had to break out the snow shovel for the first time this year. On the bright side it was a fine and dry powder, so it cleared away easily.
The feeders were busy as all get out while it was coming down. I had to refill three times. Today the sun is out and there's hardly any activity out there at all. These are all from yesterday.
When we fill our bird feeders either our California scrub jays, which are large and fairly aggressive, or the squirrels dominate them. The smaller birds almost never have a chance.
In my case the more aggressive birds tend to stick to the platform feeder on the side of the tree. If they're being bullies, the smaller birds just go to one of the hanging feeders that the bigger birds don't like as much. There's always stuff on the ground for them, too. Some of the birds (mostly the blue jays) often scoop seed out of the feeders looking for something in particular.
Thanks. I'm having a hard time with low light on cloudy days, though. The fast shutter really doesn't like it. I think all of those had an ISO of 3200.
I've actually been trying to figure out how to get a shot of a flying squirrel in flight. That'll have to wait until spring, though. I think they're semi-hibernating right now.
Nice. Your camera always produces really great detail.
Thanks, Dig. I use a Canon 80D with the Sigma Contemporary 150mm - 600mm lens. I do shoot around f5.6 and and ISO around 800 if I can get away with it. There is still quite of bit of noise (digital grain). Then I post process in Adobe Photoshop which includes noise reduction and minor detail sharpening. The above image was taken at the Zak Zim Bog, North of Duluth, MN. It was a very gray February low light day.
Taking photos of what was on TV was easy during Spring Festival New Years Eve gala when I did that a few yeas ago, but taking photos of the Winter Games opening ceremony was a whole other situation. Electronic technology was used, most likely to show the world what they could do, and it created images that were fleeting and by the time I could press the shutter they were gone. I took about 30 photos, and will post the better half of them here.
At the beginning of the show, a scene of a lit-up Beijing was shown that then focused on the "Bird's Nest" main stadium that was originally created for the 2008 Summer Olympics, and where the opening ceremony was held:
Other cities sent a bit to the show, Shanghai...
Harbin, where the Annual Ice and Snow Festival is held,
The Panda Mascot and dancers...
Inside the Bird's Nest - the dancers
The floor was magical, like a giant monitor that created images, even 3D ones. This screen rose up and showed scenes from past Winter Olympics..
The Olympics symbol rose up...
All the teams marched in, traditionally starting with the one from Greece, and ending with the host country. Although I took photos of others, certainly teh Canadian team, since almost evey NT member is American, here is the image of the American team marching in.
Another interesting image from the floor,
Past Chinese Olympic gold medalists carry in the Olympic flag.
I think that at this point I posted the maximum amount of big images as I'm allowed, so this is continued on the next comment.
Continuation of the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony.
Another magnificent image...
The "Snowflake"
The two torchbearers salute the crowd wtih the torch, framed by the "Snowflake"
The torch is planted for the duration of the games...
When the torch was planted, fireworks shot up with the image of the Olympic symbol - I wonder how they can do that. At beginning of the show they printed out the word "BEIJING".
And it all ended with fireworks.
There were some amazing things with that floor that I could not get a photo of. A line of people side-by-side walked across it and as they did, at their feet appeared a whole trail of images and then after, surfers surfed across the floor and wiped the images off. It was fantastic to see, but it needed a video to show it being done.
I believe the ceremony for the 2008 might have been more spectacular, but this one was a masterpiece of technology.
I just flipped through my recording and watched certain parts. Gotta say, I'm not impressed at all with that puny little torch being used as the Olympic cauldron. That's friggin' weak. What the heck were they thinking? I kept waiting for the whole snowflake around it to light up, but no.
I think there should always be a sister cauldron (also lit from the official flame) in the athletes village for everyone to see everyday. A nice big one that stands out and is easily visible, especially at night.
If all they get is that one little torch in the main stadium, then that kind of sucks.
Watching Biathlon right now – ski, shoot, ski, shoot, ski, shoot. It's one of the winter events I always try to catch.
And of course we didn't medal. The gun crazy US has never medaled in Biathlon, a shooting sport. Total medals = 0. Can you guys believe that?
There's still more Biathlon to come, and they say we have a better chance than usual at this Olympics. A first-ever medal would be cool to see, even if it's bronze.
I was surprised as well about the torch, and as I said I didn't think this opening ceremony was as spectacular as the 2008 one, but you have to admit the floor was something amazing. Compared to shooting a flaming arrow to light the Olympic flame which was shown previously was, I thought, a harbinger of something amazing to come, but as you said, it was disappointing. However firing fireworks that displayed the Olympic symbol when the torch was planted wasn't exactly mundane.
Good luck to your team. I'd like to see Canada do really well this time - after all Canadians aren't too bad at winter sports, but I have a little competition here with my wife, and who do you think she's cheering for?.
I think the best cauldron-lighting I can remember is Barcelona's for the '92 summer Olympics.
Had to look it up on YouTube. Yeah, the flaming arrow. I have to agree. It was a night shot, too. I bet that guy was super nervous. At least he didn't actually have to hit anything, just fly it through the fumes above the cauldron. At least I think that's how they did it, unless it was faked and turned on by someone else when the arrow flew over, but that wouldn't have been a genuine transfer of the flame from Olympia, Greece.
And the cauldron was nice and big, like it should be.
There's a YouTube video of an interview he did, and yeah, he was nervous, and also couldn't see the cauldron very well due to darkness. It was still a good shot. And if somebody turned on the flames just at the right moment, I'm ok with that. It was convincing, anyway.
Since there is discussion and questioning about the symbolic torch issue I though I would post the explanation of it by the Director of the opening ceremony show:
Creative flame lights up Games (LINK) ->
The points he made:
"The lighting of the cauldron surprised many people. It was also an innovation and a change," said Zhang, who also directed the 2008 Games' opening and closing ceremonies.
"Chinese aesthetics focus on the surreal and leave room for the imagination. The names of all the delegations formed the snowflake. It stays true to the concept of low-carbon emissions and being environmentally friendly but also the concept that we can light up the whole world with one little spark. It is a romantic and surprising way of presenting the cauldron."
Zhang said the positioning of the flame in the heart of the snowflake symbolizes the origins of the human race－protected and cared for by the people of the world, so that it could be passed down from generation to generation.
"I think that's a beautiful concept to showcase. It also showcased the Olympic spirit," he said.
"We wanted to highlight the Beijing 2022 motto, 'Together for a Shared Future', to stress the solidarity of mankind. Especially today, the world is facing a difficult time. We hope that through such performances, we can present to the world a warm touch."
I really hope that's not the wave of the future. The idea of a hand torch standing in for the cauldron is just...wrong. It's the worst Olympic flame in history. They might as well just have someone holding a Bic lighter in the air.
The low-emission thing is a load of crap. Compared to all the jet planes required to move the teams, press, dignitaries, and everyone else who attends half-way around the world and back again, the emissions from a normal cauldron would probably barely register.
And as far as environmentally-friendly goes, it's been reported that they actually destroyed a very important part of a nature preserve to construct the ski slopes for these games. Important because of something to do with the elevation of those particular mountains.
I think the IOC should require proper Olympic flames at future games.
Although there are a few other spots that look like birds, the only two I'm absolutely sure of are the red cardinal near the bottom right, and what looks like a woodpecker with a white head near the top right. However, as I've been saying for a while now, my vision is waning (which is why I increase the font when I write) and I think the time has come for a more powerful pair of glasses.
Taken on January 28, 2020, it was the first test image of a sunspot from the brand spanking new 4-meter Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii, which was fully completed and declared operational just a few months ago, in November, 2021.
Welcome back if ya' been here before, and, welcome for the first time if ya' haven't.
You're so lucky to have such great opportunities to photograph wildlife. The Lake Tahoe photo made me think of the Canadian artist Tom Thompson..
This evening I will try to photograph scenes from the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, and post them tomorrow. If it's going to be anything like the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics it should be spectacular.
Did you attend?
LOL. No, I took photos of our TV screen. Am editing them now and will post some later today.
Ah. I recorded it tonight, but haven't watched it yet. I always like the parade of nations.
I took quite a few photos, but I'll only post 16. They're ready to post so it will be soon.
Beautiful photos of the foxes and Lake Tahoe, Mac. The colors in the one of Lake Tahoe are simply amazing.
Great shot of the kits. I saw a red fox in the yard the other day. Had no chance of getting a picture of it, though.
Houses Along the Onyar River, Girona, Catalonia (Spain)
Well done, GG.
Thanks, Buzz
A great array of colors in the cluster of homes facing the beautiful river.
Thank you, Raven Wing
Fantastic photo, G.
Thanks, Dig!
Fish and fowl, Stone Creek Ocala, FL
That's a ONE MOMENT IN TIME special shot!
A fantastic catch by the camera - but did the fowl catch that fish?
No, the fish was way too big for the bird. I would guess that it weighed around 4 to 5 lbs. I think the bird was as surprised as I was when it surfaced out of nowhere.
I was taking a photo of the bird when the fish surfaced. LOL, talk about blind luck.
Cool shot. Is it a catfish? Looks like it has a flat face and a wide mouth.
Yes, it was a catfish, we have some in the ponds along with carp and largemouth bass.
Sunrise, Reflection Lake, Mt Rainier National Park.. (not my image)
Where's my fly rod?
one of mine taken in the last week or so with my drone of the sunset . this is the raw photo , no filters or adjustments ., straight from the middle of wyoming .
Can I have your permission to try some editing on that photo?
Feel free too
This terrific photo was taken by Mark in Wyoming, all I did was lighten it a bit.
You made it too big and messed it up from where I sit. Nothing in it is discernible.
I'll wait to see what Mark has to say. In the meantime you can look at the original that Mark posted, it's not too big and you can discern what you want in it.
Can you honestly make out anything in the picture? I wasn't trying to be an ass but just pointed out that all one, at least me, can see is a heavily pixelated photo. Is it my computer perhaps? Does it get better with your light enhancement if it was about half the size you posted? I'd be interested to see it .
Your right buzz there wasnt much to work with size wise , but thats the limitation on the camera on the drone , i have better pictures from a handheld camcorder i bought 20 yrs ago, but considering the drone is a dji mini , and the camera is the size of a salt shaker it does get a different perspective , i think this camera is limited to 2.7 k something like that .
I think you did about as good as can be expected given the source, I f i want better pictures i would have to get a better drone with better optics . but then again thats expensive and im doing it for fun only .
LOL that might be to my benefit since this was taken with a drone , many people dont like them because of privacy issues , they see something like this and realize even enhanced or worked with , my little toy , isnt what they think it is .
I wasn't trying to be a magician. I did what I could with the limitations of what I had. Mark explains those limitations. Are you happier with this smaller version?
By the way, I don't recall ever seeing any photos of yours on Creative Arts. How about giving us a chance to see what you can do?
Looks to be a gorgeous shot, but there isn't much that can be done with it from here, it's 96pixels per inch and only 256 pixels wide...
Mark, maybe you can upload a full sized version?
here is one i reworked in my comps paint program . in origional size , simply worked with the white balance , contrast and colors.
this is a little closer to what i actually saw for colors , remember that i was taking this as the sun was still somewhat up and the sunlight was over exposing the results , wish i had waited to shut the drone down ( limited battery life ) , because 10 mins later with the sun over the horizon , there was a second sunset on just the clouds , that made this one look pale with all the reflected colors .
something else to consider , using the drone , my first responsability is the flight of the drone , not getting the shots , i was fighting wind ( was about 20MPH here), height ( this one is about 200 ft up, and im limited to 400 ft) and trying to stay legal as a hobbiest ( have to follow the rules the FAA has set ) and i didnt have the strobe on the drone for flying at night which is required even in uncontrolled air space .
Nice colors, yeah the camera is limited for sure but given it's limitations it does take a nice shot....
videos are a little better than still shots , and i have only been using a drone for a little over 4 months ( operator experience ) and this is my 2nd drone , son in law loaned me one that was as twitchy as a squirrel on crack , thankfully i got all my crash and burns out with that one and it still flies , and the camera is even more limited than this one .
also by regulation , i have to keep it in visual line of sight at all times , try and keep something that weighs less than 250 grams , and is the size of a ham sammich in sight when its moving and 400 ft up......
played around with it a little with some cropping &enlargement
Those are some beautiful sunset clouds, Mark.
Drone photography seems like it could be a lot of fun.
it could be , just have to follow the rules .
cant fly in national parks , some state parks , and some municipalities have their own sets of rules as well ,
just thought to mention, all those pictures are the same base picture , a good editing program can make a big difference.
Now that is a nice shot! I would have probably cropped the dark band off the bottom say a quarter inch below the bottom most light and maybe take a half inch off the top... visually this would serve to bring it more into focus on the detail and highlight the colors rather than the twilight without effecting the presentation... Besides our eyes see in 16x9 anyway....
Beautiful pic...
I hope you don't mind me taking the liberty....
Just a little crop top and bottom, nothing else... seems to have brightened it up a bit, took away some of the dark and let the detail show... That drone takes better pics than first impression gives...
Impressive my friend...
Need a caption for this photo taken by one of our club members. Stone Creek, Ocala FL.
"What are you lookin' at?"
BILL Back Better.
Hey Buddy, do you Mind!
I'm trying to swim here...
Im taking a bath here you pervert....do you mind?
Morning..
Did you mention roast duck!!
You talkin' to me?
I may be a peeking duck, but I don't want to be a Peking duck.
This morning outside my office window. As the storm abates slowly - still more on the way.
Hubby snowblowed 4 inches last night & another 6 this morning & it just keeps coming.
SNOT
Morning..
Same here don't know what people are complaining about..
Just going out to the car to vac the sand out!!
You know the temp is below 70 in Florida when I wear PJ's to bed.
So cute.... and damn I would take 40 right now.
that is the wrong thing to say where people like me can read it.
Surf Fisherman Walks the Sand in Moonlight
© A. Mac/A.G.
Great job with the light effect on the wet sand.
Totally awesome!!
Going through old photos and playing with some editing features. Not sure where this was taken but I think it may have been at Disney World.
Here is the original:
That's awesome.
Yup! Disney World, Animal Kingdom.
© A. Mac/A.G.
Excellent photo - colour, composition, subject.
I like everthing about that
Beyond amazing!
It would be a great promo for "The Lion King".
Got some snow yesterday and last night. It never came down heavily but I ended up with about 8 inches all told. Had to break out the snow shovel for the first time this year. On the bright side it was a fine and dry powder, so it cleared away easily.
The feeders were busy as all get out while it was coming down. I had to refill three times. Today the sun is out and there's hardly any activity out there at all. These are all from yesterday.
They must love you. That’s got to get expensive feeding all those guys.
They really only tear through the birdseed during snow storms. The rest of the time it's much more manageable.
Great photos, Dig.
Thanks, Kav.
Great photos, Dig.
When we fill our bird feeders either our California scrub jays, which are large and fairly aggressive, or the squirrels dominate them. The smaller birds almost never have a chance.
In my case the more aggressive birds tend to stick to the platform feeder on the side of the tree. If they're being bullies, the smaller birds just go to one of the hanging feeders that the bigger birds don't like as much. There's always stuff on the ground for them, too. Some of the birds (mostly the blue jays) often scoop seed out of the feeders looking for something in particular.
Awesome photos, Dig!
Maybe so, but no snowman, no snowball fights, no fun....
Anyway, great photos. It's not that often to see different kinds together.
You've got that in-flight thing well under control; too bad the gray squirrel isn's a flying squirrel.
Thanks. I'm having a hard time with low light on cloudy days, though. The fast shutter really doesn't like it. I think all of those had an ISO of 3200.
I've actually been trying to figure out how to get a shot of a flying squirrel in flight. That'll have to wait until spring, though. I think they're semi-hibernating right now.
A pretty lady
Nice. Your camera always produces really great detail.
What kind of bird is that? At first I thought it was a goldfinch, but it's not, right?
It's an Evening Grosbeak, Female.
Thanks.
Thanks, Dig. I use a Canon 80D with the Sigma Contemporary 150mm - 600mm lens. I do shoot around f5.6 and and ISO around 800 if I can get away with it. There is still quite of bit of noise (digital grain). Then I post process in Adobe Photoshop which includes noise reduction and minor detail sharpening. The above image was taken at the Zak Zim Bog, North of Duluth, MN. It was a very gray February low light day.
>>>whoooosh<<<
Indeed she is a lovely lady, Mac.
Yeah, and she looks like she knows it.
All those weathering the storms back East, take care and stay well. Those in warmer climes, have a great weekend.....
Can he dance away a storm?
Not sure about dancing away a storm, Buzz. But, he can sure dance up a storm. (grin)
Put on your waders and cast a wet fly into the deep pockets of a winter trout stream.
© A. Mac/A.G.
I never fished in winter. Where my lakeside chalet was there were ice huts out on the lake.
Taking photos of what was on TV was easy during Spring Festival New Years Eve gala when I did that a few yeas ago, but taking photos of the Winter Games opening ceremony was a whole other situation. Electronic technology was used, most likely to show the world what they could do, and it created images that were fleeting and by the time I could press the shutter they were gone. I took about 30 photos, and will post the better half of them here.
At the beginning of the show, a scene of a lit-up Beijing was shown that then focused on the "Bird's Nest" main stadium that was originally created for the 2008 Summer Olympics, and where the opening ceremony was held:
Other cities sent a bit to the show, Shanghai...
Harbin, where the Annual Ice and Snow Festival is held,
The Panda Mascot and dancers...
Inside the Bird's Nest - the dancers
The floor was magical, like a giant monitor that created images, even 3D ones. This screen rose up and showed scenes from past Winter Olympics..
The Olympics symbol rose up...
All the teams marched in, traditionally starting with the one from Greece, and ending with the host country. Although I took photos of others, certainly teh Canadian team, since almost evey NT member is American, here is the image of the American team marching in.
Another interesting image from the floor,
Past Chinese Olympic gold medalists carry in the Olympic flag.
I think that at this point I posted the maximum amount of big images as I'm allowed, so this is continued on the next comment.
Continuation of the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony.
Another magnificent image...
The "Snowflake"
The two torchbearers salute the crowd wtih the torch, framed by the "Snowflake"
The torch is planted for the duration of the games...
When the torch was planted, fireworks shot up with the image of the Olympic symbol - I wonder how they can do that. At beginning of the show they printed out the word "BEIJING".
And it all ended with fireworks.
There were some amazing things with that floor that I could not get a photo of. A line of people side-by-side walked across it and as they did, at their feet appeared a whole trail of images and then after, surfers surfed across the floor and wiped the images off. It was fantastic to see, but it needed a video to show it being done.
I believe the ceremony for the 2008 might have been more spectacular, but this one was a masterpiece of technology.
Great photos, Buzz. It looks like the beginning of a great Olypmics.
I just flipped through my recording and watched certain parts. Gotta say, I'm not impressed at all with that puny little torch being used as the Olympic cauldron. That's friggin' weak. What the heck were they thinking? I kept waiting for the whole snowflake around it to light up, but no.
I think there should always be a sister cauldron (also lit from the official flame) in the athletes village for everyone to see everyday. A nice big one that stands out and is easily visible, especially at night.
If all they get is that one little torch in the main stadium, then that kind of sucks.
Watching Biathlon right now – ski, shoot, ski, shoot, ski, shoot. It's one of the winter events I always try to catch.
And of course we didn't medal. The gun crazy US has never medaled in Biathlon, a shooting sport. Total medals = 0. Can you guys believe that?
There's still more Biathlon to come, and they say we have a better chance than usual at this Olympics. A first-ever medal would be cool to see, even if it's bronze.
I was surprised as well about the torch, and as I said I didn't think this opening ceremony was as spectacular as the 2008 one, but you have to admit the floor was something amazing. Compared to shooting a flaming arrow to light the Olympic flame which was shown previously was, I thought, a harbinger of something amazing to come, but as you said, it was disappointing. However firing fireworks that displayed the Olympic symbol when the torch was planted wasn't exactly mundane.
Good luck to your team. I'd like to see Canada do really well this time - after all Canadians aren't too bad at winter sports, but I have a little competition here with my wife, and who do you think she's cheering for?.
I was thinking the same while I watched. It was pretty anticlimactic.
I think the best cauldron-lighting I can remember is Barcelona's for the '92 summer Olympics.
I loved the floor. It was pretty much the star of the show.
Had to look it up on YouTube. Yeah, the flaming arrow. I have to agree. It was a night shot, too. I bet that guy was super nervous. At least he didn't actually have to hit anything, just fly it through the fumes above the cauldron. At least I think that's how they did it, unless it was faked and turned on by someone else when the arrow flew over, but that wouldn't have been a genuine transfer of the flame from Olympia, Greece.
And the cauldron was nice and big, like it should be.
Yeah. I think one of the NBC announcers said it was a video screen 6 times the size of an ice rink. That's a big TV.
There's a YouTube video of an interview he did, and yeah, he was nervous, and also couldn't see the cauldron very well due to darkness. It was still a good shot. And if somebody turned on the flames just at the right moment, I'm ok with that. It was convincing, anyway.
Since there is discussion and questioning about the symbolic torch issue I though I would post the explanation of it by the Director of the opening ceremony show:
Creative flame lights up Games (LINK) ->
The points he made:
:
I really hope that's not the wave of the future. The idea of a hand torch standing in for the cauldron is just...wrong. It's the worst Olympic flame in history. They might as well just have someone holding a Bic lighter in the air.
The low-emission thing is a load of crap. Compared to all the jet planes required to move the teams, press, dignitaries, and everyone else who attends half-way around the world and back again, the emissions from a normal cauldron would probably barely register.
And as far as environmentally-friendly goes, it's been reported that they actually destroyed a very important part of a nature preserve to construct the ski slopes for these games. Important because of something to do with the elevation of those particular mountains.
I think the IOC should require proper Olympic flames at future games.
I'm impressed by your positive feelings about these Olympics. Don't you have anything negative to say?
Just the flame, Buzz. I imagine the games will be fine.
Watching recorded curling now.
Saturday.
© A. Mac/A.G.
Why do I think that bird looks unhappy? Could it be that America has not been doing well at the Winter Olympics?
Meh. It just started!
Ah, come on, Dig. America was tops in Japan - give another country a chance for a change.
I'm sure Canada will do well. You have the second largest team, only behind us. In numbers our two teams are like a North American mega force.
It’s just a painting of a bird with no geopolitical dog in the fight.
Lets play spot the birdie.
Although there are a few other spots that look like birds, the only two I'm absolutely sure of are the red cardinal near the bottom right, and what looks like a woodpecker with a white head near the top right. However, as I've been saying for a while now, my vision is waning (which is why I increase the font when I write) and I think the time has come for a more powerful pair of glasses.
There's just one, the cardinal.
This is what I thought was a woodpecker.
In the zoomed out pic it does resemble one. Good eye.
That is not a statue at the base of the tree, it's an adult bobcat taking a stroll through the hood.
That's cool.
Bobcats and pythons and crocks, oh my, bobcats and pythons and crocks, oh my.
It's gators not crocks, Buzz.
Yeah, but I can't make it one syllable to imitate Dorothy.
LOL
Saturday Night: neither Live, nor Fever … just an image.
© A. Mac/A.G.
I thought you didn't want politics on this group.
An Ansel Adams Quote?
LOL. It was a political comment even if Jesus had said it. Anyway, A.Mac and I have been pulling each other's legs for years - it's all in fun.
Notice there’s an image with the quote.
And a beautiful one, too. Did you take it, Mac? Is it the Grand Canyon?
yep, a few yards back from the precipice, from the sig, I would say it's an Amac original...
The Grand Canyon it is; been there twice and no photo can do it full justice. But I try.
I agree, but that one goes a looong way towards it...
I appreciate the kindness of your comment. Many thanks.
Oh yeah. Ansel Adams or yours? Kind of hard to tell them apart.
Finally have a bit of time to play catch-up here, and put in another not so oldie....
A few of the different Spirit birds. They are
both Spirit Guides and Totem Spirits....
Birds of a feather flock together, be they Spirit Guides or Totem Spirits.
With a collection like that, how could anyone go wrong?
Birds of all kinds have a special place my heart, as my Maternal ancestors are of the Cherokee Bird Clan, of which I am also a member.
Mystery Photo Challenge
(photo from internet)
Just for fun, figure out what this is.
A flower coated in ice.
Nope, sorry.
High resolution image of a sunspot
Bingo.
Taken on January 28, 2020, it was the first test image of a sunspot from the brand spanking new 4-meter Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii, which was fully completed and declared operational just a few months ago, in November, 2021.
Here's a size comparison from the Inouye Gallery at the National Solar Observatory website.
I'm too late to guess, but I never would have been able to guess what it was anyway.
Fantasy Light Show
© A. Mac/A.G.
Totally awesome, Mac. Great layering to get such a magical result.
How's your project going, RW?
About mid-way at this point. It is very tedious, but, interesting. Thank you for asking.
The word "fantastic" is derived from the word "fantasy" - that image earns both descriptions. Now, to make up a story about it.....
Thanks to all; see you Thursday night or Friday morning.