dshnarw BIOTOPE

[arwndsh]

Ahhh now I miss my puppy even more. Nice pictures honey. If you have any more I would appreciate them I could use some cheerfullness. The flowers around here aren't so pretty. Although, all the Dogwoods they planted between Minton and Duck are nice. Maybe I'll try taking some pics with my camera.

[dshnarw]

Vary nice shots truly a beauty and the beast moment.

 

so true...

 

Awww, wonderful shots. And just when I needed some spring cheer!

 

--Diane

 

Thanks Diane

 

 

 

 

So..no more puppy shots for now, although he did run errands with me today (and by running errands, I mean run errand, get distracted by something to take pics of, run errand, get distracted by something to take pics of...over and over again). I also happened to get my wide angle converter in today, so I thought we'd go for some attempts at wide angle photos (new territory...AGH!!)

 

 

Which means today's off-topic shots are of the metro DC region.

 

First up - I had to go to the post office. We have one of those run down parks next to the post office (and the police station), with a gazebo and nothing else. So pics of the gazebo:

 

(I wasn't kidding about the run down part...)

 

 

Then, the budding trees kinda got me caught up in the moment, so I got the view from below:

 

and, well...I like macro shots not to take advantage of the opportunity, so off with the wide angle for this one:

 

 

So then, I had to go by the bank, which is a bit of a trip, down the beltway several miles through rush hour traffic. On the bright side of things, the bank is a quarter mile from one of the million LFSs around here (nope...no purchases). Stop at Barnes and Noble to look for something to keep me entertained at work, and a stop at Strathmore - a music conservatory that holds regular concerts. Fancy buildings and some enormous lawn art (including some HUGE gnome-like creatures...nope...no pics of that).

 

Vase...or flower pot?

 

Ummm??? Bethesda/Rockland, MD in the background:

 

Abstract, complete with "no climbing sign" (turned the wrong direction). McDonald's new arches??:

 

 

 

And the buildings:

 

 

ME LIKEY THIS BUILDING!!!!!!

 

 

oh, and there were flowers on trees there too...they didn't cooperate well in the wind, though:

 

 

That was about all I could take for the day

[c est ma]

Daniel, those are beautiful! Wonderful compositions, super colors...and I like the artsy framing touch, too! Perhaps you have a new career ahead of you?!

 

Hard to pick, but I think I like the up-through-the-canopy view of the tree blossoms best (are those DC's famed cherry blossoms?)--really made me feel like I was there!

 

Crazy park, that! That first brick (plank?) urn-like thing looks like some mad replica of a nuclear cooling tower. Funny about those arches--who'd want to climb them?...until they saw the sign...

 

There are even magnolias (or some magnolia-like thing) blooming down there?! Man! I'm still looking for my first crocus. (The skunk cabbage is up, though.)

 

Nice work.

 

--Diane

[dshnarw]

Daniel, those are beautiful! Wonderful compositions, super colors...and I like the artsy framing touch, too! Perhaps you have a new career ahead of you?!

 

Hard to pick, but I think I like the up-through-the-canopy view of the tree blossoms best (are those DC's famed cherry blossoms?)--really made me feel like I was there!

 

Crazy park, that! That first brick (plank?) urn-like thing looks like some mad replica of a nuclear cooling tower. Funny about those arches--who'd want to climb them?...until they saw the sign...

 

There are even magnolias (or some magnolia-like thing) blooming down there?! Man! I'm still looking for my first crocus. (The skunk cabbage is up, though.)

 

Nice work.

 

--Diane

 

 

Aw..shucks Thanks Diane! I think it's just gonna stay a hobby, but I wouldn't mind being paid to walk around taking pics...as long as it isn't people.

 

I'm such a noob at photoshop too - I only know how to sharpen (albeit a fancy way of sharpening things), increase the saturation (albeit a fancy way of increasing the saturation), and I learned last night how to put a border around things I don't know how to change the style though

 

Those would be cherry blossoms The annual festival is going on right now, and peak bloom season ends today. If I get back early from the field trip this weekend (I have to chaperone, make sure the undergrads don't kill themselves on the hike), I may try to get into DC for a while to get pics down the main streets and along the river.

 

What was odd about Strathmore was that I went out there expecting I'd be the only one there, except for the people setting up for the concert last night. When I got there, there was a *REAL* photographer there as well. He had a fancy camera Gizmo scared the poo out of him

 

The urn/flower pot thing is made of some type of wood. Unfortunately, while they don't want you to climb on the yellow arches, they don't want you to know the name of the piece, the designer, or the medium either. (I really did think about climbing on top and taking a pic or two...just to be spiteful

 

There were much goofier things out there as well - like metal "kites" stuck on poles, that turned with the wind. It was a cool concept, but the aesthetics weren't quite there. I took a couple pics of it, but I didn't like them about as much as I didn't like the look of the kites.

 

Poor Diane - all the way up there in the cold We're slowly working our way into tulip season...but the dogwood and cherry blossoms are at a peak, along with the daffodils. I'm not sure what that one tree is...bloom does look like a magnolia, but the tree didn't look like it. Didn't think magnolias bloomed that early anyway - usually May/June for them in Kentucky.

 

Someone decided to turn the daffodils from the Gizmo photo-op into a table arrangement *sigh* At least they thought they were pretty as well, I guess...

[dshnarw]

Rainy day here Was hoping to get pics around campus, but too cold with the rain to stand around with a camera. And my underwater housing hasn't arrived yet, so can't stay out too long.

 

Took a few in the relative cover of the woods while the dog was "busy" though...crabapple trees are starting to bloom and were getting a little icy, raindrops hanging on the pine needles. Decided to play with borders some more...figured out some new styles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In more related topics...I'll be getting the new light fixture tomorrow, assuming nothing crazy happens in the lab meeting, and there aren't any horrible wrecks between me and Virginia.

 

Bad algaes have slowed dramatically in production, so it's finally time to rip out the hair algae. Other macros are hanging on now, but not growing much (darned clownfish are ripping into them for some reason??).

[dshnarw]

Got the new light! It's bigger than I realized, but fits the tank perfectly. Need to get something built to hang it from, right now it's sitting on books on top of the tank.

 

Some pics on the ground for now:

 

 

 

and the bulb arrangement, for now:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, why not? A few more off topic macro shots:

 

[Needreefunds]

ME LIKEY THIS BUILDING!!!!!!

That was about all I could take for the day

Looks like something from Beetle Juice.

 

Sweet light D!

 

And BOY you love that camera! Keep 'em coming.

[dshnarw]

Looks like something from Beetle Juice.

 

Sweet light D!

 

And BOY you love that camera! Keep 'em coming.

 

Thanks

 

Really, this is a yearly thing for me...flowers start blooming, warms up a bit, the camera comes out and I don't stop taking pics for a while. Then it gets hot, and the camera gets put away. It's just that now I have extra motivation with the really awesome new cam and the ability to take fish tank pics, along with my growing confidence in actually showing other people my photos

[c est ma]

Gorgeous tree/flower pics, Daniel! That first set would make a nice set of boxed notecards. And those next macros are amazing. What a cam! (And photographer!)

 

And I love the way your new light puts Gizmo in perspective! Or is it the other way around?

 

--Diane

[dshnarw]

Gorgeous tree/flower pics, Daniel! That first set would make a nice set of boxed notecards. And those next macros are amazing. What a cam! (And photographer!)

 

And I love the way your new light puts Gizmo in perspective! Or is it the other way around?

 

--Diane

 

I was NOT prepared for the size of the light at all. It's really thin - maybe 3" thick. But the length and width are huge - 36 x 16. Almost as big as the tank. Does give some perspective for Gizmo - I think full length, he might be half the distance on the light

 

 

Yesterday was a busy day - Great Falls (a cascading set of waterfalls on the Potomac north of DC) in the morning, with my undergrads. Then, I went to the Cherry Blossom Festival in the afternoon with Gizmo. So, 36 pics of Great Falls (some being undergrads being marched down the trail, or nearly falling in the water) and 36 pics of the cherry blossoms and tulips. (Took about 400 pics altogether).

 

Great Falls:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cherry Blossom Festival:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were so many that I made separate albums for them:

Great Falls (ignore the ones with students...had to have some excuse for the camera):

http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t109/ar...mview=slideshow

 

Cherry Blossom Festival:

http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t109/ar...mview=slideshow

[Needreefunds]

Enjoyed those very much Daniel.

 

Thanks for posting them.

 

 

You have some skilz there as well.

[davidr2340]

Wow...

You take some amazing photos!!!

 

Thanks for sharing with the class!!!

[c est ma]

(OK, take two. Injoke between Daniel & me. )

 

Daniel,

 

I really enjoyed looking at your albums. Including the student pics. Those were the days...Pretty large group to schlep around, though, and it looked like some rugged hiking here and there? What was it, a geology class? Fun captions, too.

 

You do an exceptionally nice job with water! It's not easy to capture falls that well; and the reflection shots are also lovely. (And the ripples were very ahrty!)

 

Your compositions are very satisfying--I like the long shots with foreground interest and esp. the shots with the cherry canopy as background. And I love your macros! (I like the shepard's purse that shows up in the stand of yellow & orange tulips.)

 

Is that a standard photobucket album option? It sure displays things beautifully! Even a little reflection effect below each shot.

 

Wonderful!

 

--Diane

[supreme_spork]

You do an exceptionally nice job with water! It's not easy to capture falls that well; and the reflection shots are also lovely. (And the ripples were very ahrty!)

 

Your compositions are very satisfying--I like the long shots with foreground interest and esp. the shots with the cherry canopy as background. And I love your macros! (I like the shepard's purse that shows up in the stand of yellow & orange tulips.)

 

Wonderful!

 

--Diane

 

I agree with Diane!

 

These are awesome photos, and I want to issue you an art citation for adding that cheesy bevel frame. Your great photography deserves better, faux bevels are for granny scrapbooks.

 

Keep the framing plain and simple!

[dshnarw]

Enjoyed those very much Daniel.

 

Thanks for posting them.

 

 

You have some skilz there as well.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Wow...

You take some amazing photos!!!

 

Thanks for sharing with the class!!!

 

Thanks to you too!

 

(OK, take two. Injoke between Daniel & me. )

 

Daniel,

 

I really enjoyed looking at your albums. Including the student pics. Those were the days...Pretty large group to schlep around, though, and it looked like some rugged hiking here and there? What was it, a geology class? Fun captions, too.

 

You do an exceptionally nice job with water! It's not easy to capture falls that well; and the reflection shots are also lovely. (And the ripples were very ahrty!)

 

Your compositions are very satisfying--I like the long shots with foreground interest and esp. the shots with the cherry canopy as background. And I love your macros! (I like the shepard's purse that shows up in the stand of yellow & orange tulips.)

 

Is that a standard photobucket album option? It sure displays things beautifully! Even a little reflection effect below each shot.

 

Wonderful!

 

--Diane

 

(next time, don't press the X!!!)

 

That was the intro to geology class...or, about a sixth of them. About half the intro students went, and a third ended up in my group. My PITA student was the one who almost fell in a few times...one of those that just won't leave you alone - in class or otherwise). The hiking looked much worse than it really was, some large boulders, small trails, but nothing that bad (even the really steep-looking part had a decently worn trail). I'm sure the students would have differing opinions

 

The waterfalls were practice for Hawaii. I'd done a lot of reading on how to capture them, and only forgot one thing: tripod!! So I couldn't do the really slow shutter speeds I wanted, but I think I got the idea.

 

Yeah, thats one of the view options they give - slideshow, grid, or IMG tag info. The slideshow version is quite nice, although the pics tend to be somewhat small on it.

 

Thanks again, Diane!

 

I agree with Diane!

 

These are awesome photos, and I want to issue you an art citation for adding that cheesy bevel frame. Your great photography deserves better, faux bevels are for granny scrapbooks.

 

Keep the framing plain and simple!

 

Aww...don't like the cheesy frames?? (I wasn't sure if I'd get hassled for that or the pink color for the frame first)

 

I'm calling it my "frame exploration period". Back to straight lines and black/white for me Thanks for the constructive criticism.

 

 

 

Anyhoo....in reef-related news: I have a new Borneman nem (I think). Looks like one at least. It's parked itself in the zoa rock in the midst of all the zoas, and nearby to the other Borneman nems. Maybe nickel-diameter and brown, crappy color. Will get pics tomorrow when the lights (other than actinic are on).

 

In tangentially reef-related news: I got my underwater housing today for the camera. It's big, bulky, and brightly colored. Looks goofy as all heck, so people will be staring at me when I'm taking pics in the rain now. But anyhoo - it needs to be tested before I start *really* using it, so I'll try it out in the tank tomorrow for the Borneman nem pics.

 

 

 

 

 

Now...for tonights photo selection, we have more flower pics. This time, some weeds in the field, and some trees blooming (including the first open crabapple blossom).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ok, this one was a COMPLETELY unintended effect, but it's just so....funny looking, like the grass is made of plastic or from some cheesy Honey I Shrunk the Kids type of film)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wonder how many dialup users just give up on my thread...

[Needreefunds]

Hey Daniel, send some of that warm weather up here will ya?

 

Spring may have sprung in DC, but it's still kinda chilly in NJ.

[c est ma]

Lovely!!

 

Let me guess--the honeymoon's in Hawaii?

 

--Diane

[dshnarw]

Hey Daniel, send some of that warm weather up here will ya?

 

Spring may have sprung in DC, but it's still kinda chilly in NJ.

 

eh, it can't make it's darned mind up down here. One day it's nice, the next day it's cold and rainy. Looks like this week will be nice though...maybe it'll make it up there?

 

(that said, many of those photos, I was COLD!!! At Strathmore, I couldn't feel the tips of my fingers when I got back in the car)

 

Lovely!!

 

Let me guess--the honeymoon's in Hawaii?

 

--Diane

 

YEP!!! Kauai and Oahu. (assuming that United doesn't go bankrupt like American TransAir - don't want to deal with getting new tickets AGAIN)

 

Just wait til I get back with all those photos...that'll be WEEKS of photoshop!!

[c est ma]

Oooh, I'll be looking forward to those!

 

Who's gonna be watchin' y'all's tanks? And Gizmo?

 

--D

[arwndsh]

Oooh, I'll be looking forward to those!

 

Who's gonna be watchin' y'all's tanks? And Gizmo?

 

--D

 

His parents get the job of watching Gizmo and a local reefer (I think) is watching his tank.

 

 

Here are a few shots from when we went on a class trip to wet your whistle. All are on Kauai

[dshnarw]

yep, local member will be taking care of the tank for us. He'll come by a couple times a week and do waterchanges/top offs and generally prevent meltdown.

 

I didn't make it back in time to take pics of the Borneman This shortened light schedule isn't working with me right now.

 

 

BUT...

 

I went to a new place today, called Brookside Gardens. And proceded to kill a battery and a 2 gig SD card At that point, I had to give up cause I didn't bring another memory card.

 

Also found out that the wide angle is also good for macro shots, and proceeded to whack my wide angle against every flower out there cause the focal point can get so close.

 

 

 

 

 

SELF PORTRAIT!! ARTSY FARTSY TIME!

 

 

I left out a few that I REALLY like this time, there's just so many of them

 

http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t109/ar...mview=slideshow

 

Feel free to pick a favorite and post it

[c est ma]

Amber--a class trip to Hawaii??? Woooooooo....what a deal! I love those pics--so evocative of the tropics.

 

Daniel, love the plant sex organs! Actually, I'm serious. This is what macro photography is for, and when you know what you're looking at and how the various taxa have evolved to facilitate fertilization, outcrossing, etc., it's just so cool. (Can you tell I was a botany major as an undergraduate? )

 

In addition, of course, your pics are fabulous. I did not know one could use wide-angle in conjunction with macro--sweet! Love the color & pattern in that hyacinth.

 

Well, I grabbed a few pics off your album, but, as you said, there are so many!! But these are some that esp. caught my eye:

 

 

 

 

(Too bad the N-R photo mod doesn't show that one's true dimensions...)

 

 

 

 

Still looking for a crocus up here...

 

--Diane

[adinsxq]

NICE CARGO PANTS.

[dshnarw]

Amber--a class trip to Hawaii??? Woooooooo....what a deal! I love those pics--so evocative of the tropics.

 

AND THATS WHY GEOLOGY IS SO COOL!!! Not a lot of majors have such a great excuse to go to tropical paradises and hang out. (Our geol program also went to the Bahamas a lot). Luckily, Amber took the Intro to Geol class just in time to be eligible for the trip as well.

 

Daniel, love the plant sex organs! Actually, I'm serious. This is what macro photography is for, and when you know what you're looking at and how the various taxa have evolved to facilitate fertilization, outcrossing, etc., it's just so cool. (Can you tell I was a botany major as an undergraduate? )

 

I've seen sooo many pics of extreme macro shots of flowers and such, I had to hold it in from screaming when I figured out I could get something close to that. Can't quite get it out of the camera by itself, especially since I NEVER carry the tripod (I feel goofy enough with a 5" diameter lens sitting off my tiny camera...add a tripod, and it's just too much self-consciousness), but I can get it witht he wide angle attached. I like the abstract quality to macro photography, and the ability to see tiny structures that otherwise just look like little sticks coming out of a flower

 

In addition, of course, your pics are fabulous. I did not know one could use wide-angle in conjunction with macro--sweet! Love the color & pattern in that hyacinth.

 

Back when I was considering camera options, one of the underwater cameras had a "macro/wide angle" lens that got me thinking. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known until I forgot to remove the wide angle and took some pics.

 

Well, I grabbed a few pics off your album, but, as you said, there are so many!! But these are some that esp. caught my eye:

 

Still looking for a crocus up here...

 

--Diane

 

Don't know how you people live up there in the neverending winter

 

I think there'll probably be more pics from that photoset at some point, but I gotta work up the energy to look through, resize, and upload to photobucket. If/when I get around to that, I'll make a mention.

 

 

NICE CARGO PANTS.

 

Pockets filled with candy too I was buzzin on a sugar high the whole time I was there

 

 

 

 

POTM entry:

 

[adinsxq]

there's some weird pixellation going on in the goby photo