back to the future

NCC-1701-D at warp speed

Header Challenge: Back to the Future

November 28, 2012

This is my third of three promised installments as one of the Headbangers.  Please visit fellow Headbangers to see their take on this theme. Fishing Guy, Katney, Imac, Sandy and Lew.  They have been very gracious to welcome me into their circle, and if you think you would like to try it out, talk to Imac or Fishing Guy... tell them Craver sent you.

The Headbangers gave me the honor of selecting this week's theme, which is "Back to the Future."  I decided to post some futuristic space ships from an old television show that holds a special place in my heart.  Hopefully, I worded the theme in such a way as to provide some interpretive flexibility for my artistic photography pals.

I remember watching the original Star Trek series with my dad, wishing I could be like Spock and admiring Kirk.  It was so cool how he could beat the bad guys with Judo and steal a kiss from the pretty girls.  When Star Trek: The Next Generation aired, I was slow to get on board, but eventually, I got caught up in that series as well.

Has it already been two decades since that series went off the air?!  Well, since I found the whole franchise so intriguing, I collected some of the Micro Machines versions of these starships, and put them in a shadow box.  When I got my first digital camera, I was looking for something interesting to use as a subject for photography, so I dug up those starship models and created a few images.  These pics are all double exposures.

The NCC 1701 was laid upside down on a black shirt, so I could shoot the underbelly of the ship as if it were suspended in air.  The Klingon Battle Cruiser's star field was Christmas lights.  You may need to enlarge the photo in order to see the cloaked ship.  The selection for this week's header is the NCC 1701-D traveling at warp speed.  The blurring of the stars was made by panning Christmas lights.  When I created the composite, I blackened some of the "stars," otherwise the ship would look transparent.

NCC-1701 in orbit under the moon

cloaked Klingon Battle Cruiser

super moon

I tried to get ready for Saturday's super moon pictures by taking photos on Friday night, but I like what I got at 10PM Friday night much better than the yellower, but less detailed Saturday morning shot. (Ugh, I got up at 5:30 on a sleep-in Saturday, and the pics were not worth it.) Then, I looked for the moon on Saturday evening, but our skies were mostly cloudy. (sigh) Oh well, c'est la vie!

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I tried to layer the pic by making copies and stacking them in a collage. It seemed to bring out some detail in the mid-tones.

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If you know of anyone who got good moon pics this weekend, please leave a comment so the rest of us can see them. I'll start us off... I found really sharp detail on Friday's moon at Imac's blog. If you click on his pic, you can see pristine details on the bottom an left of the moon.

moonday monday

[June 25, 2010 @ 9:15PM]

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I couldn't tell you how I did this, except that I was fiddling with the manual controls, and stumbled upon it. Thankfully, I don't have to rely on my own memory. According to the histogram, I was using aperture priority, spot metered, and then experimented with the camera's onboard record modes. In this shot, I pulled pack a little on saturation and cut way back on contrast. The full automatic moon picture produced the orb as an unrecognizable glow that was uniformly white.

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Then, I forgot to switch back to area metering, and here's what I got:

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Oops... let's switch that back right now!!

blue shadows

Blue Shadows on the trail

Soft wind blowin through the trees above...

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This moon picture triggered a memory of the Randy Newman song that was sung on The Three Amigos. I just can't get that song out of my head. And now, if I have my way, neither will you.

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In this photograph, we don't have blue shadows on the trail, but on the moon itself. This was taken at about 8 PM while visiting my sister on Saturday. I was fiddling with the camera's settings, used a tripod and cable. The lens was my 300 mm plus a 2x teleconverter.

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Most of the family was inside playing board games. For the most part, I don't care for board games. I stepped out front, to accompany my youngest son who was whittling. He said it was the Argo from Greek mythology.

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Suddenly, I spotted a hawk in a tree, but by the time I got my camera, it took flight, carrying it's dinner and dropping something disgusting on our van's windshield.

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Since the camera was already out, I snooped around for something to photograph, starting with a cardinal, but ending up with this picture of the moon. The moon is nice; it does not quickly fly away.

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Blue Shadows on the trail...

moonscape

The camera provides more fun than any other toy I've ever had! Sometimes I try to take pictures as a purist, for realism, and sometimes I look for a way to be creative. Despite the unusual hues, this shot is SOOC (Straight Out Of the Camera). It is absolutely untouched by post-editing.

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The big, outside property lights at church were close enough to this tree to give strong light, and they give off an interesting color. I took the pic at 9PM. If I remember correctly, the sun had just gone down. That is taking place faster and faster these days, eh?

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The pic was taken, using the camera's twilight setting and a tripod. It was only a little cool but very breezy. Soon, the days (and nights) will be most ideal for casual strolls, taking the scenic route, and then coming home to something warm to drink. When I take those walks, you can be sure I'll have the camera slung over my shoulder!!

Sky Watch Friday!

crispy craters

It's been eons since I posted something for SkyWatch Friday!

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Somebody told me that you can take a digital pic through a telescope. I tried it and think the result is astronomical, don't you? When (if) you try it, give yourself plenty of time and be patient. The telescope will get blurry shakes every time you touch it, and the moon won't stay still. Some say it's because of the moon's orbit plus the earth's rotation, but I say the man in the moon is camera-shy. Update: It's called digiscoping, and birdwatchers, like my friend Maalie do it all the time. I just discovered his post on the topic from March 7.

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Gratuitous grandson photo:

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Click on badge to see more from Sky Watch Friday.

Keep driving, Dad!

On Halloween, S2 went trick-or-treating with my Mrs, as I drove D2 to a friend's house. She wanted to get there as soon as possible, and during the drive, heard me thinking out loud about the moon and Venus and pulling over to set up the tripod. "Daaaaad... NO!" She sounded like someone admonishing their pet. (Good grief, where's the rolled up news paper or spray bottle?) I stayed the course, and resisted the urge to stop and take a few snapshots of the unbelievable sky scape. I only captured this image, because the car was stopped, so quickly, I rested the camera over the open window and hoped for the best.

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It is a good thing too, because I don't think she could appreciate how much that meant to me, plus my old camera's disc drive was full, and it would have been worse to think I was carefully recording pictures and then find out that they weren't saved to the mini CD Rom.

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Here is an earlier picture of that sky. It was probably 5 or 10 minutes after this shot, that I saw the most expressive colors over a large field with an unobstructed view.

Sky Watch Friday!

lunacy

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The moon seemed a fitting subject this week for several reasons. There have been numerous bizarre phone conversations. I personally, have indulged in an inordinate amount of silliness. Even my camera got in the action with these two renderings of the exact same event. The difference was the push of one button. "Twilight" setting is used to preserve colors in moderate light. "Twilight Plus" is more of the same. The truth is that the sky looked a little like each photo. The moon is more accurate in the first shot, and the clouds are more accurate in the second.

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My tripod is broken, so I used it like a monopod. Otherwise, I would have experimented with a multiple exposure for a third photograph.

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Wanna join us for Sky Watch? Click here.

greater craters

Have we used this photo yet? I do not recall.

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This week, we will have a spectacular view of the moon. It's called the solstice moon. Long story short, is that we will have the illusion of a larger-than-usual moon as it rises above the horizon. The Chicago area will see the event at around 9PM. That link I provided has a few other time zones marked. You will have to search the web if you are not in the United States.

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My photo is a fake, by the way. I was just having fun with post editing and double exposures. I look forward to this week's sky watch, as there will likely be a few good moon shots.

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No guesses on the song or artist from the title of the previous post?

It was Luther Vandros' Here and Now

Sky Watch Friday!

night blind-ness

The lines and color from the blinds intrigued me, as did the concept of catching a reflection of the moon last Friday.

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The idea didn't work out quite as I had hoped, but I learned something from this shot, and hope you agree that it was worth sharing.

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I tried this photograph twice. Once manually focusing on the blinds and once on the moon. I like this one better. This was my attempt to capture a sharp image of the moon. I did not use a tripod, but braced myself against the brickwork next to the door. You can almost see some details from the moon, but it's blurry. If I could do it over again, I would use a tripod and take several more shots, to increase my chances of getting a perfectly still door. I think it was blurry because someone was walking around inside.

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One more interesting tidbit. It was 8PM, and the sky was no where near as dark as it appears in the photo. In fact, I took this next photo seven minutes later. The very dark appearance in the first shot was caused by the spot meter. For more Skywatch participants please visit Tom at Wiggers World.

Sky Watch Friday!

Burning up!

Using the twilight plus setting on my camera, the moon looks almost as fiery as the sun. The image on the left is a sunset on April 21 at 7PM. Two and a half hours later, I took a picture of the moon; that's the image on the right.

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When one perceives an injustice, it produces a reaction: anger. Naturally, I do not enjoy when a wrong is committed. I'm angry as I write this.

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Actually, I'm fuming because of the constant reminder of bold attempts to stir careless theological discussion and sell books that contain ideas that I believe offend God. Can I just say it? Some people think they're smarter than God! Oh, they might not make a public confession using those exact words, but some people are more concerned with defending their position than wrestling to discern what is real and correct and then embracing the truth. Smart people are not inerrant, and I am just as fallible. Only God is perfect.

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It is not a sin to feel angry. That emotion should spur us to corrective action. But my assessment is potentially erroneous; I'm only human, after all! Nobody (this side of heaven) has a perfect track record on interpretation or discernment. I just hope I don't commit additional error by responding the wrong way.

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Lord, help me!

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Click here to join Sky Watch Friday.

night traffic

There is nothing of consequence to say at the moment. Things are very busy at work, home and church. But last night, I was fiddling around with my pictures on the computer and for no reason at all, I superimposed the moon and a splash of purple on this otherwise plain photograph.

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Shallow? Maybe, but I kinda like it.

Sky Watch Friday!

Craver's craters

[February 16 @ 5:30 PM Bolingbrook, Illinois]

On a trip to the grocery store last night, I took a minute to browse* their digital cameras. Who decides to buy digital cameras at a grocery store, anyway? "Hon, I'm off to the supermarket for a sack of potatoes, kitty litter... and that new digital camera we really like." I can't wrap my imagination around this option, either: A five hundred dollar item as an IMPULSE purchase??

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**deep breath** I digress. My point is that there are always plenty of shiny new toys on the market, and it's great to upgrade if you can, but I try to be content with whatever I have.

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That being said, I'm really happy with today's submission for Sky Watch Friday. It is fun to know that I can see the craters on the moon, even before the sun has completely dropped below the Western horizon. Notice that the background is blue, not black.

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I know, I know, this is my third entry for Sky Watch Friday, and they have ALL had something to do with the moon. I promise that next week's will have a picture of something other than the moon. Quit trying to change the subject.

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What I am trying to say, through all the distractions of wandering thoughts, is that crater shots can be achieved with low tech, inexpensive equipment. I used a tripod and instead of using my finger to press the shutter, I used the camera's timer. That gave me even LESS shake and vibration. Between zooming and cropping, voila! I get a giant picture of the moon which includes the craters I like so much. Hmmm, I wonder what other simple photography tricks or techniques this regular guy can learn. (Hint, hint.)

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So far, I have not been able to get such dramatic craters with a full moon. Only the other phases have the light source angled so favorably. Okay, I'm done; did you want to say something now?

*I was just browsing. I am still using my friend's hand-me-down.

Sky Watch Friday!

Many Moons

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I suppose this week's Sky Watch will have a lot of similar pictures. There was just a lunar eclipse, and it was seen (and photographed) my lots and lots of people. But there was a clear sky, and I snapped a few shots, so I'll share what I have.

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It first appeared as an enormous amber globe as it lazily floated close to the horizon. I wish I could have taken earlier pictures with the houses to get some perspective! But here, for my first picture, it came out very low, and very orange.

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I've always loved to look at the full moon, and the eclipse is a marvelous event, to be sure! But can I tell you what you're missing? The craters are more spectacular in the other phases. Maybe I'll have one of Craver's craters for you next week.

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I need to express my appreciation to a young man I shall dub Sonny Smith. Without his help, I would not have been able to break away from band practice to take these pictures. Muchas gracias!

scope and sphere

My camera's viewscreen freezes from the moment the shutter button is pressed. The image remains frozen for several seconds. As for the intended photograph, the image capture takes place in some undiscernable moment between those five seconds (or years!). The more pics I have on that disc (yes, disc), the longer it takes. That makes it almost impossible to capture anything that is moving, like cars or birds, especially when using the zoom.

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So, from spare parts, I fabricated a simple scope. It's just a flash mount and hollowed-out shell from a mechanical pencil. There is a little wiggle in it, so it needs to be calibrated before I use it, but it came in handy last night.

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I was taking pictures of the moon for the next Sky Watch Friday. Everything was fine, until I got to the last picture. It was too dark to find the reddish moon in the camera's viewfinder! Click, I mounted the scope, aimed it at a floodlight for calibration, and voila! Now I could take a good aim in the dark.

astronomical anomaly

aka celestial snafu

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Are the moon and sun appearing at the correct times around the world? The reason I ask, is because sometimes they get snagged in trees on their ascent or descent over my town.

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I overheard someone talking about whether the sun was "bright" on a particular day. That's silly; the sun is ALWAYS bright! The sun is always "out," too. You see, the sun only appears to run a circuit across your sky, but in truth, the earth rotates. Shocking, right? Thus, it is never "in;" it's always out. And about the brightness, sometimes clouds...

udder lunacy

What did the old nursery rhyme say? The cow jumped over the moon? I looked real hard, but there was no cow in the air Saturday night, as we drove home from Thanksgiving in Kentucky. At dusk, the view from our windshield displayed a glorious picture of a big amber globe complimenting an azure sky. But alas, no bouncy bovines!

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That night, as I tinkered with my new camera, my son flicked on the television. Rubbernecking, I could see he was watching Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman. The programmers must have aired it to coincide with the full moon. If you know the story behind the making of that film, Bela Lugosi's voice and the subsequent editing seriously compromised the movie's potential. (Boris Karlov was the quintessential Frankenstein Monster.) I liked Lon Chaney Jr. as The Wolfman, and those were top-rate special effects in their day. One review suggests that it was ultimately Lugosi's foolishness that led to this movie's shortfalls. Me? I think it was the Hungarian villagers' song that we had to endure just before they were attacked by big Frank.

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Speaking of lunatics, Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Such was the case in the life of the biblical patriarch, Jacob. His biography reads more like an antihero than holy man. His life's actions continually betrayed a misplaced trust. Over and over again, he did things according to schemes he devised himself, as if anyone could possibly concoct a better plan than God's! Sadly, today's saints are probably more like him than we might like to admit. Thanks Chosenrebel, for pointing this out. I hope I respond wiser, humbly yielding to God's sovereign will.

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Image by... me! I took it Saturday night with my new camera. Thanks again, Randy!!!