WHAT A MUDDLE. (29/10/13)

Yesterday we missed the wind but suffered from torrential rain all morning. I decided to make a movie. I thought it would take longer than it did. I had a couple of dozen false starts, false middles and finishes but eventually I got there. I wanted a light source like a softbox round the cross and picture. I can create one but can’t make it invisible to the camera. There is a way but I couldn’t find it.

   This is for Remembrance Day. It is a fortnight early but I thought it would take me longer than it did. This is the final frame and here is the movie. 

I rendered all two hundred frames out as png. files then forgot where I’d sent them to. That’s par for the course for me. They turned up eventually and I dropped them into Adobe to create the video as it it is easier than using Blender 3D or I thought so.

I retired for liquid refreshment whilst it rendered, it takes ages to do so that probably goes someway to explaining why I couldn’t find the folder I’d sent them to, too much refreshment. This took hours and hours to render. A proper film must take weeks and I can’t use the computer whilst it’s doing it.

I would have liked a bit of cracking in the base plain but couldn’t make it do it. I’ll work on that little problem.

Don’t forget to buy a Poppy.

THE BLUES. (26/10/13)

I have got myself into a bit of a downer. It all started when I read that Chas and Dave are about to release a new album. It is twenty seven years since they last produced a record and at least two years since they stopped touring. They are a pair of very accomplished musicians. ‘Sideboard’ is my favourite and I find it impossible to work out how they can perform it live. I hope the new album is a real belter.

I watched the Grand Prix qualifying, the grid order is predictable but Mark Webber has gone out on a limb and could do well.

For some inexplicable reason I then started listening to ‘Back to Black’ by Amy Winehouse whilst trying to be creative in Blender 3D. She had me in tears. I couldn’t focus on the monitor.  She is one of two singers that affect me this way. She was an addictive person but so is her voice and artistry, she could have had me anytime. She was just gorgeous but maybe a bit young, far too bright and lets be realistic unattainable. I don’t like cities and detest London, I couldn’t imagine her moving to somewhere sensible. In my dreams, a bit of rough may have done her good. God only knows what I would have done to her. More than likely it would have ended in the same way. It is just sad. Very sad.

I then popped on a really old album, one of the few I had copied from vinyl,  by Head Hands and Feet featuring a guitarist called Albert Lee. He is just perfect, still alive and picking, a whole street better than Hendrix. I was then going to listen to Clapton Unplugged but resisted the temptation. I had been moved enough for one day. I was fast running out of kitchen roll.

      I’m carved in stone. I think the artist has done me proud. Thank you very much GLO. I am always impressed by how good you make me look.

I have had several very kind comments on my posts and thought I’d show you…..not before and afters exactly…..but how much I rely on Photoshop.

These two images come from the same single exposure image shot at –2/3rds EV or 2/3rds of a stop under exposed. The left one has clarity pushed to zero. I prefer it but I never rated these pictures until a couple or four of you all enjoyed them.

   This is HDR and a cock up. I posted this the other day.

  I prefer this single exposure but I forgot to bang it through the lens correction filter.

This is the straight RAW conversion.

I really will have to stop messing with images. There is a Latin saying ‘Ars est celare artem’…..True art is to conceal art. I think I’m doing a fine job. I really must try harder and make my art invisible.

Grudging congratulations must go to the Aussies they beat us today in the Rugby League World Championships. I’m told it was a good match. I'm away to watch it now.

Have fun and be happy.

PUSHING COLOUR. (25/10/13)

It has just stopped raining. To celebrate here are a few more pictures from Castle Howard.

 

It’s a pity the weather wasn’t kinder but I'm going back on Monday for three days.

Have a really good weekend.

THREE DAYS. (24/10/13)

I’m have been on the Castle Howard estate for three very wet days. There is no internet connection but given a bright day it would be an interesting place to wander with a camera. I am coming back for a few days next Monday.

Last Monday.

       Mallards being naughty. I went out with Bertha to get some pictures of Moorhen. I popped a couple of handfuls of seed down and all I got were these two arguing over a seed. Silly birds.

This is the estate sawmill which is now redundant. I was hoping to get a look inside. No luck so far and I suspect the old machinery has been sold for scrap.

This is Castle Howard looking across the Great Lake. That was Monday.

Here is Tuesday.

  A little light on the water. Tuesday is a write off.

Wednesday I walked down to Castle Howard as the rain was forecast to stop or at least ease.

  Castle Howard and the Prince of Wales fountain. It depicts Atlas with the World on his shoulders. It is an impressive piece in an impressive place.

  There is lots more to show. I’ve popped some images into the wood shed.

That’s all for today, I’ll see to some more images and post them tomorrow.

DIGITAL ART. (20/10/13)

I am not an artist, I would love to be one but have never been able to master all the techniques required.

Thursday through Friday I did hit my blue phase. I was very down. Then Saturday I was supposed to be drifting about above York for some stunning aerial views but the forecast was for mist, wind and rain. At the back of noon it was horrid, I called the job off. By three thirty the cloud broke and it would have been perfect for some late afternoon photography, scattered cloud and a low sun. I was not a happy bunny. The Met office in this country must be staffed by Muppets.

I consoled myself by going to the butchers and the greengrocer and then cooking myself a monster roast chicken dinner. I even did bread sauce and Yorkshire puddings. The latter were an egg short but they were still fine.

Today they were forecasting isolated thundery showers for late afternoon so I called in sick again. I watched the MotoGP, all three classes from Philip Island. What a fiasco. The track was so abrasive it was ripping tyres to shreds so they had a mini MotoGP with a bike and tyre change at a curtailed half race distance. A real cock up it was. At least it didn’t rain till the last minute. You Antipodeans…I don’t know!

I then got a comment from DOUGLAS.  It has made a bad weekend into a good one. He recommended that I watch a BBC programme called CLICK. It was superb and inspirational.

Not the lady but the old master on the wall to the left her. The lady has too much in common with a weather forecaster for me. All hands, mouth and tits….If she played her cards right?

This lady is doing her best to explain that the old oil painting of a dead frog has been brought to life by a studio of artists digitally modelling a few blue Bottles and then dozens of their maggots. I now realize what I never realised. Art takes a lot of people. I will model a maggot. I will put bones in the wire frame so I can make it wriggle a bit, I’ve never tried to use bones so that's another day down the pan. Yes they did duplicate the maggots but they all move in their own way. Brilliant.

It was only when prices fell that folk had to work fast on their own and we were subjected to crap. Spattered dots and strange cubist images. There are of course exceptions. If I had been involved in The Last Supper, I would have been painting the black bits under the table or stretching and priming canvases.

These digital artists are using AutoDesk looking at the screen grabs. Blender3D is also feature laden and it is free. I just can’t remember where all the features are or what they do. I am getting used to the funny names they call things and making sure that I remember short cut key strokes. Ploughing through the menus and sub menus would take longer than I have got left. I then have to learn to light the job. In 3D you pop a plane up give it an emission something then do a quick render, press escape move it, enlarge or decrease it,  rotate it, fire more light into it. I can have a quick render screen but without it you are working in the dark. I need more screen room. I can see monitors hanging from the rafters. I don’t have roof beams so that’s another job.

Tomorrow I’m moving up to Castle Howard. Then Thursday I’m back here at Sherriff  Hutton for a few days in an attempt to get airborne.

Have a great week.

BLUE. (18/10/13)

Today I’m really out of sorts so decided to pull myself up by my velcro, I can’t manage shoe laces so created an empty wine glass in Blender 3D and then two more. I am thrice blue. The glasses aren't even half full, they are empty.

I had a wonderful day yesterday until I read this post.   FRANCES GARROOD. I knew I would be incapable of watching the video so just chopped through it. I watched thirty seconds or thereabouts and it was more than enough. It’s all about capital punishment in the good old USA. The good old boys are laughing at the unfortunates and their fate. Disgusting it it is to kill but revolting to see the fat bastards enjoying their job.

This made my hackles rise and then made me sad. How can anyone take such pleasure in the plight of a miscreant on death row. If any of you are immoral daft sods then please don’t visit.

Any that are still interested in commenting or reading my Blog then please say I am justified in my opinion.

Ban killing malefactors. If the state murders them in cold blood then that only reinforces and justifies their crime. You have lots of barking mad religions. I must admit to laughing at most but laughing is harmless fun.  Thirty two States still kill. That is more than half your country. Get real….I won’t reply to anyone who disagrees with the above.

If I don’t receive positive affirmation from American followers You and your Blogs are banned. I’m well upset. Really pissed off. As we say round here.

IS THIS IT. (17/10/13)

I was supposed to be taking lots of pictures of vintage cars today but that has been put back until next year.  It has been a grand day, hardly any wind and temperatures in the high teens. I’ve had Bertha out looking for Buzzards. I could hear them but they were miles away. It looks as if the skies are clearing completely so I’ll try for some star shots later.

   Is this it, is this the last Butterfly of summer? This Comma is in excellent condition.

  No!  Half an hour later this Small Tortoiseshell turned up, this one looks brand new. I then went to have a look at the newt family. There are more than ever and they have adopted a small frog but it hopped down a hole before I could take it’s picture.

   I am pretty sure these are Smooth Newts. I turned one over and it had a spotted throat. I then turned another over and it didn’t so either there are both Smooth and Palmate Newts living together or the book is wrong. I hope these survive the winter. They are doing some building work not far away from their home. I don’t know what to do for the best. Let them take their chance or put a sign up telling folk where they are. I counted nine or ten of them and the frog. There could be many more lurking underground. They are beautiful little creatures.

     Whilst rooting about in the undergrowth I found this. I thought I'd found a Pine Ladybird but no. It’s a Harlequin these didn’t exist in the UK ten years ago but they are all over now. They vary dramatically in marking, colour and size but they don’t have black legs. I’m sorry about the picture quality. I popped it in a little plastic box to bring it back to the van but it didn’t have a clue what Sit…Stay meant. Something it has in common with my dogs. It then flew away but came back and landed on my shirt so it is now back in it’s box in the fridge. I’ll try for some better pictures of it later. I’ve been looking for a leaf with some aphids on to keep it quiet but there don’t seem to be any about.

   The gentleman with the car collection popped round to postpone the car snapping. He arrived in this beautiful P Type MG Midget. It was built in 1935 and from the honeycomb radiator I think it is a PA. The PB had a vertically slatted radiator and was a 100cc bigger. It may be the other way round. My memory is not what it was and I forgot to ask.

  I wish I’d had longer in it’s company. The owner was in a rush, he had to go and cocoon another couple of cars for the winter and pluck some pheasants……It’s no good asking, I didn’t so I don’t know. Strange are the ways of collectors.

We will see what tomorrow brings but the weather is not looking good here.

Have fun.

SPEAKING PROPER. (16/10/13)

I wasn’t going to even bother posting this video but I put it together and my mate Bob said.

“What’s wrong with that. It is streets ahead of the Wildcam Badger footage. That was crap.”

Last night I set the Whatever, Trailcam, Dorrcam mine is the latter. I put nuts on the floor on the Badger run and all I got was a Crow eating peanuts. If I’d known all I was going to attract was a Crow I’d have used bread. Peanuts are expensive. Posh bread is cheap at 50p a loaf. Most supermarkets sell ‘Sell By’ bread for fifty pence a loaf and if you are lucky it is Hovis Wholemeal. Nothing wrong with it as far as I can tell.

I hope you find this video amusing. I found it embarrassing. Hard as it may be for you to believe, I have aspirations to be a sophisticate. I do my best whilst narrating to use my posh voice. Then I forget the camera is running and start chatting to folk wandering past. If I ever find out how to talk whilst a video is in edit mode I’ll do a posh commentary. Really posh, like the Royals? Our Queen has an appalling voice…..Prince Charles does too…Perhaps I won’t. Happen mine is okay but listening to me, I feel, a little, no, I feel a lot demeaned. I’ll just have to get used to what I sound like. I sound better than Queeny, Miiliband and Dithery. I know I do.

I had no bother at Tees Cottage, folk are interested in posh cameras not interested in relieving me of them. I spent ages explaining what I was trying to do with the Speedlite, flash, strobe. They could see the difference in the images with and without flash and I enjoy treating folk to the benefit of my ignorance.  It’s a different story if I hit the middle of town. Little sods would take your shoes and socks given a quarter of a chance.

Enough procrastination Adrian. Just load the bloody video. Fine. Here it is. Have a tiddle first, I’m not responsible for laundry.

Pauline I know the building is showing an antipodean tilt. This is down to a little lad who wanted to film his sister. I didn’t check after he had finished. I quite like this view of the world. Antipodean, from the Greek, it means feet pointing in opposite directions. You keep on as you are. Nothing wrong with stuff sliding down hill, as long as your feet are fine.

Tomorrow it’s fancy cars and Saturday I’ve borrowed a microlite flexy wing for some looky down views through the rain. I’m hopeless as a bird man so a proper bird man is taking me for a ride…Is he. He wants £95.00p/hour. Wanting and getting are disparate objectives. We will see.

The Pocket Wizards are all synced up and are working like a dream so tomorrows car shoot will be like a walk in the park. I seem to recall having heard that before.  

 

TEES COTTAGE PART III. (15/10/13)

This is the final part of from Saturdays visit to Tees Cottage.

  A miniature steam roller.

  Rides for the children of all ages.

  A Foden steam lorry.

  A miniature Traction Engine.

This beautifully restored Traction Engine is full size.

That’s all from this outing. I’ve got a busy week but on Monday I'm going to Castle Howard for a few days. There will be a post or two before then and with a bit of luck one with some unusual views.

TEES COTTAGE PART II. (14/10/13)

I spent more time on this Gas Engine than on the Beam Engine but even though I thought I had cracked the job the pictures do leave much to be desired. I used this engine as a rehearsal and should have gone back and taken it’s pictures again. There is always next year but there will come a time when I’m not granted a next year. Life is not a rehearsal.

I met a lass here who had a 7D camera. She wasn’t a star of film, digital or in my eyes worth taking a snap of but was just starting out. She was on a course somewhere local. She said it’s impossible here. The light is awful. I gave her the benefit of my ignorance but she hadn’t got time to position and stand guard over a second strobe for me so I was buggered if I was going to reciprocate by lending, sorry renting my Pocket Wizards and strobes.  Canon 7D folk are funny, they are birders. Not flashers. Sorry Keith you are one of the few who are half okay.

This is all that I could salvage. I did get the chance to take pictures of the cylinder end and the valve gear but deleted them in camera and forgot to re-take them. I really must get a note book and use it, there is just so much to think about. I get distracted by the subject. The Lord knows what I would be like taking pictures of Uma Thurman! I’d be lucky to get her in the frame at all.

This engine is a twin cylinder Gas Engine built by Richard Hornsby in 1914. It is really two single cylinder units with separate cranks driving a common central flywheel. It is the largest Gas Engine in Europe and the only one of it’s type still running in the world. As far as I know.

…. It runs on natural gas today but previously it ran on coal gas or water gas or a mixture of the two. There is still a gas producer here but they don’t use it. Gas producers were fine as long as the engine was running continuously but on shut down any excess air creeping into the system could cause an explosion. They had two uncontained explosions here, the last being in 1955 when the gas producer was retired and the engine switched to Town or Coal Gas.

This engine was originally started by a TVO or more likely a petrol Donkey Engine. ( I failed to get snaps of it…sorry). Today it is started on compressed air which turns half the engine. Once the other half fires on gas then the compressed air is switched off and the gas supply turned on and the jobs a Good Un! I used to be in charge of a converted trawler with a superb six cylinder Gardner Engine. I used to have to decompress four cylinders…not any four but the correct four and feed air into I believe numbers two and five. Once oil pressure was up I’d wind the handle to shut the valves, turn the tap for diesel to the injector pumps on and away she would go. Good as gold she was.  She did have a hand oil pump to give pressure feed to the bearings, I used that as well just to be on the safe side. Those were the days. They even had bits made of copper, brass and gunmetal that one could polish to show ones appreciation. When I finished work it was big Mann or Caterpillar diesels with wet exhausts, gen sets and air con units. Service engineers with aluminium cased computers. The job lost it’s appeal. The engines were better and gave a sexy burble when docking. It’s wasn’t the same though.The shiny black thing is the drive belt for the pumps. It’s made of half inch strips of leather. It is a work of art on it’s own. It is worth remembering that without these belts Harley Davidson Bikes would not have the posh Kevlar ‘V’ groove belt but still be on chain drive and be horrid. They still are awful but do allow room for my old age spread. A Fireblade makes no such concessions but is the pinnacle of bike design at sensible money. The Fireblade is twice as fast and much more agile. Anyone got one I could borrow?

The pump end of the job. I didn’t realise How few images I had of this piece of pumping equipment. It’s what I calls a Cock Up! This is me being trying. Very trying I was trying to act professional. Don’t worry you proffies. I’m along way from your standards. 

I’ll have to stop using excuses as I’m off to see and snap some really posh cars tomorrow. I must not Foul Up, Cuckoo or Display Muppetry with them….. It may be okay, he has seen my blog and I have supped a gallon or two of the falling down water in his company. I meant I have spent an hour or two Networking. I wasn’t out on the piss but I want a drive of a couple of his cars. He will still have to pay for the snaps.

Tomorrow I’ll tidy up Tees Cottage with a few Traction Engines and bits and bobs from around the site.

Have fun.