ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Monday 13 May 2013

SIMS AND ROUNDABOUTS. (13/05/13)

It has been a squally day with sleet and snow. Sometimes rain and occasional sun. I love the light and the fast changing weather. We are down on the shore of Loch Linnhe. It’s a great view from the van window. I’ve been to Morrisons in Fort William so have a bell ringing practise scheduled for this evening. That is the positive side of life taken care of.

The negative side is my phone got a bit warm in my pocket whilst on our walk this morning. I whipped it out of my trousers and removed the battery. I dried the phone off and it seems to be fine. The SIM card is an ex-sim card. It has a bit of a blister on it’s back that I can swear was not there before. I think it may have been cooked. For those of you that have my phone number it is an ex-number. I have a couple of spare SIM cards somewhere safe. When I recall where the somewhere is I’ll restore service and advise you of the new number.

Before I forget, a couple of you asked me to justify my ravings over PS’s new Raw converter.

_MG_0391    This image is as shot…I know or hope it is 2&2/3rds stops under exposed as it’s part of a three shot HDR shoot. It is as the camera saw it. I tend to shoot at –2/3rds EV as it’s much easier to recover shadows…..it’s impossible to recover blown highlights other than by judicious cloning. Any other recovery I know of just adds 50% grey. Tell me if you know better, I’d love to hear. I’m just starting out….and have been for five years.

_MG_0391 copy    This is what the raw converter rescued. I got the work flow a bit wrong as I’m still getting to grips with CS6. I should have adjusted exposure for the light bits or the dark bits…..can’t see it makes much difference……then painted over the off exposed bits with the Adjustment Brush….I did it the other way round and got a bit of haloing. I was impressed anyway! It has a whole page of different adjustments available to the Adjustment Brush Tool. Next time I see a Waterstones I’m going to get the Adobe Manual. It has a picture of a scabby faced, high key, lady on the cover. The only trouble with Adobe books is they instruct me in words I don’t understand. Rare for an American text book. I’ve always found them accessible.

_V0G6363_4_5_tonemapped   Yesterday evening at Glencoe Mountain Resort.

_V0G6366_7_8_tonemapped    The same view this morning…similar I should have said. The youth of today love these. Hobbit burrows or something they are called. They are fifty pounds a night. Give or take a fiver the same everywhere and sleep four. I can remember four of us at twenty years old having to save for the petrol to get to Scotland…then find a quiet corner to pitch a couple of tents. These even have heaters in them.

We had to light stoves in minus twenty. We slept with the stoves in our sleeping bags. Little wonder young lasses didn’t get pregnant and blokes had never heard of shirt lifters.

Corranpan135131    This panorama was not taken through the van window but adjacent to it. It is an awful shot but the best you are going to get today. I really am beginning to hate the Canon 17-40mm lens. It’s fast but useless. I got it for a few hundred pounds it’s for sale at £300.00. I promise I’m losing money. I’ll include postage or it’s going in the loch. I’m going to investigate medium wide lenses. It is just a two image stitch. Three images would have solved the dip in the loch. Canon stuff isn’t cheap and comes with no certification, naughty they are. The colour could be anyhow….I really don’t know and am seriously considering getting a Spyder 4 Pro. I’ve downloaded the calibration charts with a red or whatever outside and alternate red and black dots inside but to be honest most of the test sheets look the same to me.

I’m lucky, I am a little sight deficient but still have all my own teeth with the exception of the big front right hand one and the little one next to it. Some bastard from Barnsley kicked them out. AND… after the referee had blown his whistle. Vicious, evil, sod didn’t even get sent off…He did buy my beer after the game so perhaps ‘Sod’ is over egging the job.

Have fun. I’m away to look where the Sim cards are safe.

24 comments:

  1. Gorgeous place and love your locale. I've heard of the cell phones over heating. I can only imagine the experience as it heats up in your pocket. Ouch!

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    1. Aye Chris, pity I didn't have it on silent vibrate mode.

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  2. Interesting salesmanship - 'I hate this lens, would you like to buy it?'

    A night in a hobbit hut would be a treat.

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  3. Lucy, it is really bad but I only use prime lenses. My legs and a bag full of lenses do for me but prime are best. It is shite but Canon sold it at mega bucks so though I wouldn't wish it on anyone it's far superior to a kit lens. It isn't all plastic and it doesn't rattle too much when shaken.

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  4. I like the Hobbit houses. Just watched the film.

    Let me know when the sim is sorted.
    You must have something warm in your pocket to cook a sim. Top man.

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    1. Can't think what it was Keith....I checked for a hernia. It was just being bloody soaked for the fifth time in two days.
      I'll e-mail the new number.

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  5. Interesting places...Great work

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    1. Michelle, I love it here. It does rain and snow but the light in between is great.

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  6. Wow, those roly poly things, they have 4 people in? I don't think so!

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    1. They do Bob. Like birds in a nest they are in there.

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  7. What a lot of technical know=how you have. I don’t even try.

    Love those single beehive things, I wonder if you can roll about in them.
    Your sim got cooked in your pocket? In temperatures as you describe? You must be one very hot young man, Adrian.

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    1. Friko I wish. I risked a walk without my waterproof trousers and both the phone and I got soaked.

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  8. I wonder when these "how-to-books" came with a glossary:) The best attempt I ever saw was a brief tutorial by David Tippling which had the wizard talk, but for Daily Star readers like myself and pictures/screen shots at almost every step.

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    1. Douglas there are some superb tutorials on line there are also many useless ones.

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  9. Excelentes fotografia....
    Cumprimentos

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  10. Hobbit burrows really look cool! So does the snow!

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  11. Very mountainous region; what a great opportunity!

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    1. Maria, it is where my rambling ends. The Highlands of Scotland are wet cold and just superb.

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  12. Hi Adrian...Dear me is it every going to stop snowing??? I love those Hobbit houses, I have never seen anything like that before,it beats a tent anyday though!
    I love your story of the tenting days,and your hot pocket ; )!!
    I couldn't even begin to understand all your techie stuff, you are a smart fart for sure!! ; )
    Grace

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    1. I think it's stopped now Grace. Luxury are the Hobbit Houses but they are far from cheap.

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  13. I can't believe the weather change. I drove up to Oban on the sunday and was warned indirectly through another couple by the landlady not to go any boats on the monday. Took no notice and went to Tobermory ... ok it was showery at times with some sleet but turned out great. The "Hobbit burrows " look weird ... could be disorientating living in one of those as there doesn't seem much of a flat floor.

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    1. Jay to be honest I've not looked inside. I suspect just four bunk beds and a walkway.

      It wasn't as bad as forecast. Just a sprinkle of wet snow. Be a different story at 3000' though.

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