MARIA asked whereabouts we are. We are here.
I have my own pole dancer and a real beauty it is. She costs four fat balls a day.
This Rook is clever but the Jackdaws are cleverer still, I’ve had to wire the feeder on as they just unhook it and chuck it on the ground. The Siskins are back and so are the Goldfinches. It costs a fortune in bird food. I’m running low………Where do you folk get seed, fatballs and peanuts from online?
The snow has virtually gone but it still keeps snowing.
I like planets…..this one is the quick and easy way. Quick and dirty I should have said.
This one is almost as good as I can do. Twenty two images stitched together. I have downloaded HUGIN but I used PS Elements9 for the stitch. Hugin is a better stitcher but it will cough now and again. You then have to go back to the old way of stitching and start the hunt for anchor points…..it’s a real pain. I’ll try to use it soon or as the West Country folk say Drektly! This was shot in low resolution JPEG. The file size is massive over seventy thousand pixels wide and my poor CPU was hot enough to heat the van. This isn’t too bad viewed large. I did include a zenith shot or two but Elements was having none of that nonsense so I ditched them. Play time. I used to own Flexify. I tried to download it today but went on the wrong site and now have Dale as my search engine. I found the programme and deleted it but not well enough. It is Mal Ware. I’ll let Windows find it. Bloody internet or bloody fool me.
Wrap up warm for Easter.
That's one acrobatic bird. And always good to have a couple of planets to choose from...
ReplyDeleteMonica, it's a blasted nuisance.
DeleteYou realy do know your way digital pictures, where did you learn your skills ?
ReplyDeletepeter
Peter, google for the most part.
DeleteGood that your weather has smartened up.
ReplyDeleteNow you've really got something cool to play with. I looked at the first picture and wondered what was going on. I started to get vertigo and then I read what had been done. Cool!
Cheers Red.
DeleteWow Adrian what a great post!! You seem to be very close to Ireland, but it's my guess fro seeing the map. I'm glad you posted about HUGIN, I feel like giving it a try. Yours came out wonderful. It was also smart to shoot it with a smaller resolution. I like the rook too. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteMaria, this one was done in PS Elements. Hugin and Flexify give more control at the expense of more aggravation.
DeleteFantastic photos :) You are very good in digital photography :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Ulla.
DeleteThat last planet is worth all the hard work. Excellent shot.
ReplyDeleteA very nubile Rook on your pole too.
Fat balls I get from a couple of shops; b&m Stores or Home Bargains. A couple of shops that do stuff cheap. Worth a visit. Wilkinsons sell packs of seed fairly cheaply, worth checking them out. Bulk seed and peanuts I buy online on e-bay. A search will bring lots of results.
Thanks Keith. I'll last another week so will order after Easter.
DeleteWe buy bulk bird food online from the RSPB. It's probably not the cheapest source but at least we always get stuff the birds will eat. Sometimes I've put cheap stuff out and they've just turned their beaks up at it and left it to rot.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mark. I usually get from the RSPB. It is good stuff and not overly expensive.
DeleteEver so neat photos, Adrian ... haven't herd from you in a while ... hope you are doing well? Don't forget about me, eh? Love, cat.
ReplyDelete... "heard" ... I meant to say ... I hate spelling mistakes ... meouw ... Love, cat.
ReplyDeleteCat, I do read your poetry and I even understand some of it. I'll comment when I understand and not when I don't. Folk might think I'm daft.
DeleteI adore that second planet. But, of course, I don't know how you did it. I read the words but the meaning went over my head. I just know the end result is marvellous.
ReplyDeleteFour fat balls a day! I reckon you're being rooked.
John, just Google planets......This is the best I have done. I enjoy doing them but they are power hungry for the computer. Prior to Elements 9 I used to be able to plug an external hard drive or memory stick in and use it for scratch memory. Can't do that now for some reason.
DeleteThey are difficult to shoot. You need a cloudy day but some blue bits which move. This took about four hours, It's a tripod and cable release palaver. I drop a 4 stop ND grad filter in on it's side when I get near to the sun. Then flip it horizontally as I pass the sun . It gives the algorithms a chance.
This was two rows of 360 degree images plus two Nadirs and four that my tripod head couldn't reach for the zenith shots. I must think about a full pano head.....I've thought....bugger it they are £400.00p.
More than enough information........I should get out more. Thanks.
Hi Adrian...I love your amazing since of humor, and your playtime images, how every you do it!! Wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteI burst in a hardy laugh at your pole dancer...that is a provocative pose she has there,but she need to prefect that standing on one leg with
a kick ; )
Grace
Grace, it is my hobby and my life. I do have the dogs....Alf chewed a stick during the over long shoot and got a bit stuck in his teeth. that slows my creative endeavours up. Bet David Bailey or Michael Orton never had to tolerate such distractions.
ReplyDeleteThe pole dancer is a pain but it is a bird. I put food out for birds and don't think it is my place to discriminate.
Acrobatic Olympics for Rooks ! You've been here for some time and doing well at keeping everyone interested in a forgotten corner of the kingdom !
ReplyDeleteJay, I'm waiting for new rear suspension. It shouldn't be long now.
ReplyDeleteIt's a worrying sign when rooks are visitng feeders, things must be hard for them to come and visit, clever birds the corvid family, they always make me smile and wonder if it'll be them that inherit the planet once we're gone....
ReplyDeleteI get a lot of pleasure from all corvus.
DeleteIt has been a long hard winter after an awful summer.
Planets does my head in even more that Suzi P might in F1 (which I won't be able to see till I return to the UK in May). I liked her in the MotoGP because she could always get the guys to talk to her (wonder why?).
ReplyDeleteLiving on an Island in the UK everything comes by post/carrier and the RSPB started charging lots so I changed to Wiggly Wigglers who deliver free and are less expensive. I did learn that 'my' birds threw away all the little red seeds you get in cheaper feeds and so I actually save with the less cheap feed. Actually that's nonsense the birds just eat more - I still just fill the feeders once a day.
Graham, they don't do my head much good either.
DeleteThe axles are back so I should be okay for bird food now. I've saved the link. Many thanks.