DSKWanders

• Under What Is Under •

What are some of the strangest natural things you've seen? I think cave formations rank way up there for me. However, strangeness comes from being uncommon or unfamiliar, so I guess is we lived in caves these wouldn't be quite so strange.

Traveling up through mid-America my wife and I stopped at Mammoth Cave National Park. It's generally known for its size not for its formations but this time we took the Frozen Niagra tour. Mostly because it's relative short and has interesting features. For it you take a 10 minute bus ride to one of the few alternate cave entrances. It's far enough away that when the caves were first explored they didn't realize (though maybe suspected) that it was the same cave. And it's kind of a different world even from much of the rest of this cave since it actually has a fair amount of formations.

I took this from about the lowest point in this cave tour. You go down almost a hundred steps to get to this spot. Of course I took a lot of pics from the sides and all around, but I don't think I've ever been under such a formation before and that gives this an interesting perspective looking straight up.

To me, it almost looks like living tissue. Maybe alien living tissue. But thankfully (for my mind) being rock it isn't pulsing or moving. In a sense, it is the living tissue of the cave since it grew into the space. It's just that caves are very slow growers. Just some of the thought I have about the magical looking world beneath us.

_________
• Apr '24

• Nikon D5200 | f2.8, 1/6s, ISO-3200, 24mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Flows Under Glass •

I love the beauty of flowing fountains - and I guess most everyone does. So let's see - who of you does and who doesn't really care for them?

My wife and I enjoyed walking around the gardens in the Opryland Resort. If you don't know, it's quite a complex and was once the largest hotels outside of Las Vegas. Various tropical gardens under a glass roof grace the courtyards between various wings of the resort.

I had to find various things I could set my camera down on to get the long exposure. I had a tripod - in the car but wasn't carrying it around inside. But water almost begs to have long exposure. The trick with these fountains was also taking a lot of pics to try and have the look I wanted. They are on a schedule of when different ones shoot up in different patterns, so it took a bit to get a shot with just the right height and number of fountains to get the pic I was after.

A lovely time indeed enjoying the gardens, water, and friends.

_________
• Apr '24

• Nikon D5200 | f22, 1/2s, ISO-100, 50mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Repeat Adventure •

Are there any places you've traveled back to because you liked it so much? Well, this time I'm sharing another pic from Oak Alley Plantation - this one from my return trip there with my wife to share a memory with her since my first visit was solo. We were going from Texas up to Indiana and it was more or less on the way. Sometimes when I ask where she wants to go for vacation she says to take her to some of the picture places I've been before, so I'm a smart husband and agreed. But honestly, that's one of the best reasons to travel back someplace!

This was in April and we arrived somewhat late in the day so there weren't a lot of people around though we did see a couple of others taking their share of pictures. The "remove people" option is amazing these days - but best when it's just a few to remove.

It was also nice to go back and shoot some different angles I had missed before. After a trip sometimes I go to enhance my pictures and I'll think I have a certain one but then realize I didn't actually take "that" angle or I wanted it a little wider, or maybe to have it in focus this time! Of course, I took plenty of duplicates, even some same pics just during this shoot. I just get snapping away and loose track. Ah well - at least digital is cheap since I don't have to pay to have the film processed!

_________
• Apr '24

• Nikon D5200 | f5, 1/100s, ISO-400, 52mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements


• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Inspiring Design •

I've been to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Space and Rocket Museum in Alabama, and the Johnson Space Center in Texas where I took this picture.

The intricacies of the shuttle are amazing. Pictured here are some of the more than 24 thousand tiles, each one unique to fit a specific place and different materials for areas that would heat up differently. Each one numbered (literally). They were able to withstand 2300deg F (1260 C)!

This is the shuttle replica: Independence at the Johnson Space Center (originally exhibited at the Kennedy Space Center). It is quite realistic (at least to me) partly because it was built from design documents of the real space shuttles. It was thrilling to be able to go inside as well as the 747 carrier plane. We just had to wait in line. And wait. And wait. And take pictures (like this one). And wait.

It's hard to believe the shuttles haven't flown in 15 years. The last time was today (July 21), 2011. A great era. And now an exciting time of looking to the moon again - and beyond. Humans are explorers. It's only natural for us to explore beyond our planet.

_________
• Apr '24

• Nikon D5200 | f7.1, 1/200s, ISO-200, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• The Other Northern Light Show •

The detail on these ice sculptures is amazing! To assemble, carve, and display these life-size (or maybe even larger) is amazing enough for me, but using chisels and chainsaws is way beyond my capability.

This is yet another of the entries in the Ice Sculpture Championship of 2024 when my sisters and our spouses headed up to Fairbanks, Alaska to see some northern lights. The lights weren't all that spectacular during our stay though we did get to see some, but thankfully even in winter Fairbanks has more to offer. So we bundled up and headed over for a nice (if not freezing) evening or two while waiting for the lights.

_________
• Mar '24

• Nikon D610 | f2.8, 1/200s, ISO-2000, 48mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• Pleasure Working •

Who likes to mix business with pleasure? I know I do! And with the modern internet it's easier than ever. So I enjoyed going to Fiji a couple of years ago to do some checkups and tweaks on a ship I've worked on around the world. Once it set sail, I spent the next day unwinding for a bit just enjoying the tropical breezes here on the screened in porch of my bungalow. Still doing some work as I checked my email and stayed on top of other projects.

Traveling has its own stresses on the body and mind. Disturbing sleep rhythms, making sure you catch all your flights, just figuring out where to go in a new place can be stressful. Having to do work on a tight schedule and make sure everything is functional by the time they need to set sail adds its own layer. I've had some of my most anxious moments when trying to work on this same ship. I've often said this client has been a love / hate relationship. Most people only get to see the exotic and enjoyable parts, but there is a cost. All the same, I still liked it and overall I remember the good far more than the bad. Overall I count myself blessed.

_________
• Feb '24

• Samsung SM-S908U | f2.2, 1/430s, ISO-50, 2mm
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed

• Trabajo en el Mar •

Working on cruise ships around the world sounds exotic—and it was—but it also meant long hours in cramped, uncomfortable spaces. Still, I occasionally got to step on deck for some fresh sea air.

These photos show a sister ship of the one I was working while in Baja Sur, Mexico. With just over 60 passengers, these smaller vessels offer an intimate experience and access to remote areas that mega-ships can't reach, like the whale-calving channels of the Baja peninsula. I was truly blessed to visit such amazing places while earning a paycheck.

I'm sharing both shots to show a bit of the technique behind them. At dusk, a proper camera and lens help capture scenes that would otherwise be dark or blurry. For handheld shots, I might drop my shutter speed as low as 1/30th of a second. For handheld that slow, tucking my arms in and holding my breath helps keep it steady. The faster shutter shot is darker, but it eliminates motion blur. I try to shoot several shots at different settings to see what worked best.

Photography Tip: Notice how adding something to the foreground completely changes the image. It provides perspective, scale, and context. Don't just shoot the main subject — give it an environment.

(thank you Google for the Spanish translation for Sea Work)

_________
• Jan '24

• Nikon D610 | f5.6, 1/40 & 1/100s, ISO-3200, 70mm & 32mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .

• The (non)Land of Blues •

What are some of the most interesting places you have flown over? I love flying over mountains, ice fields, canyons, and well, pretty much anywhere with some amount of texture or color to the surface. Normally I would say oceans are some of the most boring parts to fly over. So when I flew from Miami to Panama on a business trip I wasn't expecting the display I saw.

This pic is of a place that doesn't exist! Really! Well, let's just say it doesn't have a name (that I can find). Maybe on a marine chart, but not on Google maps. It's a reef line so thin and shallow that there is barely any land. On Gmaps in regular view it doesn't show up, but if you switch to satellite it's obvious.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tnZ3hNuEPwSj3Q279

But interesting colors and textures can also depend on the exact route of any flight as well as the time of day, not to mention the weather. So while some places like this were still picturesque, most of the flight back wasn't. I didn't take near so many higher quality pics.

I'll also say once again that it usually pays off to anticipate which way the sun will be shining for the trip and plan which side my seats are on accordingly. You don't want to face the sun. Besides pics - it's just cooler than having the sun shine in on you!

_________
• Dec '23

• Nikon D610 | f18, 1/1250s, ISO-3200, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed

• Old Fashioned Meal •

Do you long for a good old fashioned meal at home? Maybe that's why (or part of why) we romanticize or enjoy Thanksgiving dinners.

The other day I say something on the internet (so of course we can believe it) that we don't find formal dish settings, "the good china" in American homes anymore. For us that's true. I grew up where that was a thing, but now I don't see it. It's interesting what comes and goes that you thought was normal. Perhaps in reality, nothing is as "normal" as we think.

I got this pic while visiting the Joel Lane Museum House in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was a nice and appropriate way to spend a July 4th - visiting a bit of American history. They were also doing various live historic demonstrations like looming, revolution style drum and fife, musket demonstration, and quill writing. All quite interesting for the history buff. I'm not a huge history person, but I appreciate it and enjoy learning about it.

I see a lot of things in today's world that I think a lot of people would be better off if they learned more about history instead of them trying to repeat the failures. We humans seem to always think that "we" know better, and have come so far to know how to make it work. But time and time again - history wins.

_________
• Jul '22

• Nikon D610 | f2.8, 1/30s, ISO-1250, 36mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed

• The Red Bridge •

Today I'm continuing to remember my journey through the southern USA a few years ago. I made this stop at the Magnolia Plantation outside of Charleston, South Carolina. They have "The White Bridge" and "The Red Bridge". I bet / hope you know which one this is.

This scene capture the general sense I remember wandering the paths and gardens. A warm summer morning enjoying the quiet beauty they have there. And at least I didn't see any alligators in this pond.

I was having a conversation with a friend not long ago about color grading images. It makes a huge difference. I had to work to get the red looking the way I wanted. Mainly to get the red to stand out with such thin lines in the overall picture. The catch is, you probably see it different than me since every display shows slightly differently. Some favor certain colors compared to others. Even each of our eyes are different. So I make my best effort to make it look good to me and hope it relates to you.

_________
• Jul '22

• Nikon D610 | f4, 1/60s, ISO-400, 70mm | Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VS USD G2 with K&F Polorizer filter & Variable ND filter
• Adobe Lightroom enhancements

• These pics plus more are always shown on my general picture feed .