#short telephoto

[iso3200net]

Flowery bokeh

I got up early in the morning and went to my vineyard, I've been working with my father. Starting early meant we finished early, so I had some free time to play around with my camera.

Here, Knapweed wildflowers in the vineyard. July 2023.

Taken with Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital camera, with adapted Mamiya‍-‍Sekor C 150mm F4 telephoto medium format lens. This lens is SHARP! Crop to 16:9, levels, and that's it.

[swampjawn]

What happens when you let a film nerd make an anime?

Fuuga Yamashiro (山代風我) joined Science Saru in 2017 as an Assistant Production Manager during production of "Night Is Short, Walk on Girl." He was essentially Studio Co-founder Masaaki Yuasa's secretary, but he worked his way up to assistant director on "Keep Your Hands off Eizouken" and finally got to direct his own first full Anime series, Dandadan.

Having worked so closely with one of the greatest living auteur directors, you might think he would share that overpowering individual creative influence, but as he has pointed out in interviews himself, it's much the opposite.

Instead of relying on his own creative voice, which he doesn't seem confident about in interviews, he literally collects techniques from his favorite movies, breaking them down into storyboards and adding them to his arsenal to re-contextualize later. And as you may be able to tell from watching Dandadan, his biggest influences aren't anime and manga, but live action film -- something he seems to have studied obsessively.

And when you compare the anime to the original manga (which itself is already filled with references to old movies and TV) subtle adaptation choices make the deft application of techniques borrowed from other storytellers very clear. Every choice is made for a reason and furthers the story being told in some way; nothing is there for no reason. like the simple, controlled camera pans and tilts that make the serpoian spaceship feel cold and sterile, or the crazywackysilly, un-predictable wide-angle camera movements that intrude on that cold sterile world when turbo granny shows up.

In one interview during the production of "Keep Your Hands off Eizouken" Yamashiro pulls out his notebook where he had collected all these techniques and gives an example:

"There's a technique called 'Dolly Zoom', which is a technique that changes the perspective of the background while keeping the size of the subject." […] "In 'Cult of Chucky,' which I saw recently, there is a scene in which a long passageway is filmed in telephoto, while a wheelchair moves forward. The character is 'getting closer, but the viewer feels farther away'. This is the kind of thing I collect." […] "I'd like to combine these things in various ways and do it in animation." (I took some liberties with this, the translation was pretty rough)

And sure enough, that exact same type of dolly zoom rears its head in Dandadan as Okarun sprints away from Turbo Granny and the mouth of the tunnel stretches impossibly into the distance.

It may seem counterintuitive to ascribe too much importance to the creative vision of one person who specifically talks about his own lack of strong creative vision, (and to be clear, he's far from the only person playing a major role) but I think it's precisely that encyclopedic knowledge of film techniques and that pragmatic, meticulous attitude that may have acted as a stabilizing force for Yuasa, and that also provides some needed structure to a ball of pure energy like Dandadan, while still preserving its essence and the eclectic influences that it wears on its sleeve.

Also, mad respect for using the seventh installment of the Child's Play franchise as your example of a dolly zoom instead of, like, Vertigo, Jaws, or Goodfellas.

This is just a sliver of what I talk about in this full video! A minuscule piece of the pie! Some tiny little crumbs for the peasants! So if you consider yourself worthy, go watch the whole video. I think it's good.

Uhh also reblog! I spent way too long on that intro animation, so I need it. Bad.

[theroyalsims]

"A DISGUSTING INVASION OF PRIVACY" PALACE CRIES FOWL OVER ANYA AND GUS PHOTO LEAKS

Our favourite newlyweds are currently on their secret honeymoon, but it looks like it's not so secret, after all!

Last night multiple paparazzi photos showing Anya and Gus on a beach were posted by a Champs Les Sims tabloid on their website and social media accounts. The photos also predominantly feature on the gossip rag's latest issue, out today.

The photos were released with the headline:

"SEE ANYA AND GUS' TROPICAL LOVE FEST!"

Snippets of the article are reproduced and translated below:

"Brindleton's future Queen should reconsider and ditch her dowdy long dresses and stuffy coats, especially since the whole world now knows what she's hiding underneath her grandma outfits. Maybe flash some more cleavage! She should throw a palace pool party and wear that tiny red bikini again so her royal subjects can get a better look!"

"Brindleton need not wonder why Anya waited so long to marry so she could track down Gus - look at him! Wonder what he's hiding under his flashy green shorts?!"

A total of five different photographs were published by the tabloid. The grainy snaps, clearly taken using a long-range lens, show the couple enjoying what should have been their private vacation. Included in the released photos are intimate pictures of Anya and Gus kissing and hugging.

The article claims that the photos were taken on a private island, off the coast of Enamorada. The tabloid also admits to using high-power telephoto lenses from a yacht to capture the photos.

The Palace is reportedly outraged, and a well-placed source claims:

"There are now serious talks about what legal remedies the Prince and the Crown Princess may seek against the magazine. They have spoken to The Queen and their legal team.

Their Royal Highnesses feel betrayed and disappointed at this disgusting invasion of their privacy. After a very public wedding, they were hoping they could finally privately enjoy their new life together, even for just a little while."

Several women's groups have also shown their dismay and called out the rag for being "demeaning and utterly misogynistic."

Side note - look, we know that Gus has tattoos but we didn't know he had this many! Is that a massive pair of wings on his back!?

Okay, back to the important matter - we're hoping TRHs sue the crap out of this tabloid because this is so abhorrent and incredibly upsetting! Leave these two be! They're on their honeymoon, for crying out loud! They already gave us a very public engagement and wedding - let them enjoy each other's company in peace!

[apod]

2023 November 3

Jupiter by Moonlight Image Credit & Copyright: Giorgia Hofer

Explanation: That bright beacon you've seen rising in the east just after sunset is Jupiter. Climbing high in midnight skies, our Solar System's ruling gas giant was at its 2023 opposition, opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky, on November 2. But only a few days earlier, on October 28, the Moon was at its own opposition. Then both Full Moon and Jupiter could share this telephoto field of view. The celestial scene is composed from two exposures, one long and one short, blended to record bright planet and even brighter Moon during that evening's partial lunar eclipse. Moonlight shining through the thin, high clouds over northern Italy creates the colorful iridescence and lunar corona. Look closely and you'll also spot some of Jupiter's Galilean moons.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231103.html

[mckitterick]

Aurora deep into southern Midwest!

After Friday night's less-than-stellar experience hunting for a good spot to watch the aurora near LFK (short answer: there is none), tonight we decided to drive north a couple hours to get deeper into the aurora zone, and a little east to reach truly dark skies and skirt the clouds creeping across Kansas and Nebraska. Still pretty far south in the grand scheme of things (northern Missouri), but the darkest skies we've seen in a long time.

At first we parked as planned near a nature preserve in what is billed as a town (really just a handful of houses), but the northern view from there looked over a house that sits beside Loud Frog Land:

So when the sky began to dance (see this image), we drove a bit farther along hilly, winding country blacktop until finding a little gravel turn-around.

Just as we set out our folding chaise lounges, the sky really heated up, and for about 20 minutes it was amazing:  

This image and the top one (by @bugs-are-buddies using her Android S22 Ultra) are much better than from mine (Note9); thanks, darlin'.

My tripod-mounted DSLR was a bust, though I managed to snap the below Moon image once I got the telephoto lens working - had to turn the autofocus on and off again to manually focus at all (always the same story with tech), so we missed imaging the burst of aurora action with that machine.

(Left image is me fiddling with the camera by the light of the Moon and the aurora's fading glow.)

We stuck around for a while after the dramatically waving red-pink-green curtains diminished from their peak, hoping the huge Coronal Mass Ejection had more to offer, but things tapered off around Cassiopeia. And it was getting cold. So home we went.

The drive back was dinner of nut bars and pears, and introducing my sweetheart to some 1990s bangers on le Wedding Trip Jag's awesome speaker setup.

Two nights of dramatic aurorae - visible as far south as Kansas! Wow!

I hope you got a chance to catch some of the Sun's beautiful assault against Earth's skies. Ad Astra!

[helluvatimes]

The Iconic Birdwing

A female Ornithoptera euphorion or Cairns Birdwing busy doing all it can in its short 4-week life. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

This was captured in the local zoo here with the telephoto end of the little Leica lens on the Lumix FZ200 back in 2015. Two stops of underexposure were applied to expose for the highlights.

[sirtaliesin]

Hmmm Jason and Etrigan dealing with some no magical tech; either some stuff wayne tech made, batman found or just general everyday tech?

This took me a bit, but the first thing I thought of was Jason shopping for a mobile phone. Thank you for the suggestion!

Phone Shopping

This was absolutely ridiculous.

Jason looked from one display to the next, mood shifting between irritation, disbelief, and bewilderment. He needed a mobile phone not a computer. Placards with an array of photographs and cheerful blurbs sat next to the variety of models on display. Proudly declaring excellent camera quality, recording features, excessive storage, and a number of functions that didn’t seem necessary on a phone.

Most of the models on display seemed to take the actual function of a telephone as secondary at best. If they considered it at all. Looking between the touchscreens and the model numbers, a sense of regret pooled in his belly. He recalled the conversation he’d had not more than a week ago that had necessitated this outing. That he really did need a mobile phone for when he was out, especially since the last model he’d had suffered an unfortunate demise via hellfire more than a year ago.

The lamentation that he hadn’t brought one of his friends with him was short lived. Bruce, while fairly knowledgeable about these things, would have drawn far too much attention. Zatanna might have been a more reasonable choice, but he couldn’t bring himself to bother her about it either.

“Can I help you find something sir?” The salesperson Jason had been studiously avoiding asked.

“Perhaps. Do you have anything less,” Jason gestured to the variety of smart phones with Wayne Tech logos, “Complicated?”

“We have a new model with a very sleek operating system just over here.” The young woman – Jason noted her name tag read Andie – said while she led the way to a different display near the counter.

The newer models were, like the rest, overly complicated smart devices with fragile screens and boasting excellent cameras. Jason felt a headache forming. The young woman was talking to him again, describing the benefits of a telephoto lens and a higher megapixel rate, excellent battery life, and enough storage for his needs. What those must have been by the estimation of whoever designed that handheld computer, Jason couldn’t even imagine. The only thing she’d said thus far that had any appeal was the long battery life.

“Um, I was thinking of something a little more utilitarian.” Jason hazarded, trying to shift away from the sales pitch for the shiny new model.

“Oh? We do have some very basic models as well, Wayne Tech’s older models are perfectly serviceable-“

“Do you have anything that doesn’t have a touch screen?” Jason interrupts.

“Without? Well, we have some flip models-“

“Could I see those please?”

Andie tilts her head and gestures bemusedly to the opposite end of the store. Furthest from the door, Jason notes. Not exactly hidden, but certainly not the bright eye-catching displays of the smart models. They are far more utilitarian and familiar, more akin to his old phone than any of the cameras that also allowed one to make a call.

“I think this will do just fine.” Jason says finally, picking out a simple flip phone. It has a camera still, but at least it has buttons. Easier to use if he couldn’t see, and he was certain he’d be less likely to destroy it.

Andie rings up the purchase for him and helps him change over his number with a smile. Jason contemplates the dark glass panes of the other devices on display as he leaves. The black mirror surfaces that wink to life with glowing colour aren’t terribly appealing.

Three months later, after a particularly complicated trip to New Hampshire, Jason returns home to find an unassuming box on his kitchen table. A note in a familiar hand tucked under it.

‘Just try it out. -Bruce’

Jason ignores the new Wayne Tech smart phone for another month on principle.

[madi2112]

Introducing Madi Images!

Years ago I was really into photography. Through the years I kept the photographers eye but had most of my decent equipment break/stolen/lost.

Needing a creative out let and to retrain my eye I bought some new (actually used, but new to me) gear.

I've always been a Nikon girl and that continues.

My newish gear is now a Nikon d5300 with a wide angle zoom (18-55) and a telephoto zoom (70-300)

Beginning Jan 1 and continuing every day I will posting a single picture on a new page.

No lengthy explanations (except this entry) just a date and location. Maybe a very short note, if needed.

Some will be good, some really good, some will be moderate at best. Some will be old, some new. Some with be taken with my phone, some with my near gear (once I learn how this new technology works).

Hope you check the page regularly!

The new Tumblr page is called....

Yep, Madi Images!

So kick back, enjoy the pix beginningJanuary 1, 2025.

~Madison

[sweepstakedaily]

How to Win a Free iPhone 15 Pro Max

In the vast and ever-evolving world of the internet, the allure of winning a brand new iPhone 15 Pro Max can be irresistible. You've stumbled upon this article because you have a burning desire to get your hands on the latest Apple flagship without breaking the bank. We're here to guide you through a legitimate and foolproof method to win a Free iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The Future of iP 15

The iPhone 15 promises to redefine our expectations of what a smartphone can achieve. Although the exact specifications remain shrouded in mystery, several leaks and rumors have piqued our interest. Here's a glimpse of what we can expect:

Dynamic Island - Revolutionizing Display Technology

One of the most anticipated features of the iPhone 15 is the Dynamic Island display. This cutting-edge technology is expected to provide an "Always-On" display experience, ensuring you're never out of touch with your notifications. Moreover, the Super Retina XDR display, enhanced with ProMotion at 120Hz, will offer a visual feast of vibrant colors and smooth animations.

A Visual Delight

The iPhone 15 will undoubtedly continue Apple's legacy of stunning displays. Boasting a 6.1 to 6.7-inch all-screen OLED display with a resolution of 2796-by-1290 pixels at 460 ppi, it promises to deliver crystal-clear visuals that will immerse you in every task, from watching videos to scrolling through social media.

A16 Bionic Chip - Power Unleashed

Underneath the sleek exterior, the iPhone 15 will house the A16 Bionic chip, which is set to be a game-changer in terms of performance and efficiency. Whether you're gaming, multitasking, or indulging in augmented reality experiences, this chip will ensure seamless operations and lightning-fast speeds.

Photographic Excellence

Apple's prowess in photography continues to evolve, and the iPhone 15 will showcase a Pro 12MP camera system, comprising Telephoto, Wide, and Ultra Wide cameras. With features like Night mode portraits enabled by LiDAR Scanner, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, and Portrait Lighting with six effects, your photography skills will reach new heights.

Cinematic Brilliance

For videography enthusiasts, the iPhone 15 is a dream come true. It offers 4K video recording at various frame rates, including 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, and 60 fps. With TrueDepth Face ID camera for facial recognition and cinematic video stabilization, your videos will be nothing short of cinematic masterpieces.

Chance to Win iP 15 Pro Max For Free

Remember, patience and discretion are your allies. By following these steps and staying vigilant, you can increase your chances of winning a Free iPhone 15 Pro Max without falling victim to online scams. Good luck on your journey to claiming this extraordinary device!

[deligraphix]

THOUGHTS ON THE WORLD'S... SLIMMEST FOLDABLE?

Being a foldable fanatic I have been lucky to test use the last generation Honor V2 and it satisfied if not almost what I expected of a foldable for its time.

It's the year of the Honor V3 and several noteworthy features has undeniably grabbed my eyeballs.

My thoughts is first of all on the newest and thinnest body plus folded look, not just for Honor past foldables but the foldable industry in general, it comes with a 9.2mm folding thickness, it weighs about 226 grams and that's next level based on what brands have offered so far making it already dubbed as the "World's Slimmest Foldable", the slim design plus the weight earns it a 10/10 in my durability rating, the Honor V3 is definitely sending me some comfort vibes, so sleek looking and compact to be carried and lifted anywhere with zero chances of burden, A1 rating here ✅

Periscope on this device is nothing short of the word INCREDIBLE, the device already has some impressive array of cameras but I'm most thrilled with the periscope, we are still crying to some brands to help us develop a periscope lens on regular slab devices which is more easier and practical, but look the Honor V3 has a 3.5x optical periscope telephoto lens even for a foldable, foldables before are known to miss out on certain features because of their come factor, but Honor definitely did not compromise with the Honor V3 🫴

They gave it their all.

50W wireless charging on a 5150mah is mega, someone please help me ask Honor how they managed to achieve this incredible battery while still maintaining the compact 9.2mm look of the V3?

I have no idea about smartphone engineering but I know a great job when I see one, the battery is good enough to cover daily needs for us consumers even the hardcore Call of Duty gamers, I use a basic bar phone with 4600mAh, so I hope you get why I'm so excited for a foldable to beat me to it lol, we don't get this much on the foldable side of things but the Honor V3 did it and it's worth feasting on, I would definitely love to share my feedback after some time of real life uses.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is the processor of this generation so i definitely saw this one coming since Honor V3 is a flagship foldable like the Samsung Z Fold 6, but I still would love to see how the processor blends in terms of performance and optimisation with Magic OS, OS often times determine how best the hardware responds that's why two phones can have same hardware but one performs better, it's not rockery science, since the MagicOS has a history of doing well, I'm eye peeled to see the optimisation with this beastly processor.

The Ai features is something I haven't seen more light on since but I think after the launch in September 5, we would be seeing more of that. Ai easily gets me excited these days, why you may ask?

So many scenarios are painted in my head for the Honor V3, like what would it do?, how far does it take user experience? What are the features; I know there is Ai eraser, Ai studio, Ai camera focus.. but is there any chance the Honor V3 has anything different in store for the enthusiasts?

I'm genuinely positive for the possibilities the Honor V3 can create with Ai integration for the foldable department, let's wait and see. September 5 it is guys 🗓️

#HONORMagicV3

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Jupiter by Moonlight: That bright beacon you've seen rising in the east just after sunset is Jupiter. Climbing high in midnight skies, our Solar System's ruling gas giant was at its 2023 opposition, opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky, on November 2. But only a few days earlier, on October 28, the Moon was at its own opposition. Then both Full Moon and Jupiter could share this telephoto field of view. The celestial scene is composed from two exposures, one long and one short, blended to record bright planet and even brighter Moon during that evening's partial lunar eclipse. Moonlight shining through the thin, high clouds over northern Italy creates the colorful iridescence and lunar corona. Look closely and you'll also spot some of Jupiter's Galilean moons. Image Credit & Copyright: Giorgia Hofer

[Robert Scott Horton]

* * * *

« Night, however, succeeds to night. The winter holds a pack of them in store and deals them equally, evenly, with indefatigable fingers. They lengthen; they darken. Some of them hold aloft clear planets, plates of brightness. The autumn trees, ravaged as they are, take on the flesh of tattered flags kindling in the doom of cool cathedral caves where gold letters on marble pages describe death in battle and how bones bleach and burn far away in Indian sands. The autumn trees gleam in the yellow moonlight, in the light of harvest moons, the light which mellows the energy of labour [...].

The nights now are full of wind and destruction; the trees plunge and bend and their leaves fly helter skelter until the lawn is plastered with them and they lie packed in gutters and choke rain pipes and scatter damp paths. Also the sea tosses itself and breaks itself [...]. Almost it would appear that it is useless in such confusion to ask the night those questions as to what, and why, and wherefore, which tempt the sleeper from his bed to seek an answer. »

— Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse

[thanks 'exhaled-spirals']

[woundedheartwithin]

tagged by @sunlightfeeling thanks!

Name: Caitlin

Pronouns: she/her

Star Sign: Aries (insert Kratos screaming Ares gif here)

# of Siblings/Fun Facts About Them (If Any): one, my baby brother (nine years younger than me). Fun fact, he's getting his masters in history. He's also the coolest person I know and my best friend

# of Pets & Their Names: ah shit okay. Five dogs (Ollie, Callie, Lucy, KC, and Mickey), one cat (Georgie), two horses (Woody and Ebby), four chickens (no names), and 16 goats (Stormy, Flare, Rori, Phoebe, Monica, Chili, Bo, Teenykins, Babycakes, Yakko, Raditz, Rosie, Gia, Toodle Britches, Blue Boy, and Moony Man)

Fandoms: RGG (current), Ghostwire Tokyo, Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, Far Cry 5. I'm also peripherally involved in BTS (meaning I make gifs but I don't really participate in the actual fandom outside of that).

Favorite Color: really any shade of blue, but if we're gonna get specific, I'm fond of cornflower blue

Favorite Song: is and always will be this one

Favorite Author (of anything readable - books, fanfics, zines, webtoons, whatever!): hmmm... I'm a big fan of Joe Hill. My favorite short story was written by Andy Weir. I have lots of favorite fanfic authors. But like... not really one author to rule them all, I guess. If I had to choose, I'd say Joe Hill

Favorite Fic Type: oh I cannot pick just one of these. angst, fluff, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, enemies to friends to lovers, college au, magic au, smut, etc etc etc

Favorite Holiday: big fan of food, so y'know... thanksgiving, I guess

Do you have a partner (romantic, qpr, anything!)?: nah

Hobbies: many lol. music, gif making, art, video games, photography (virtual and irl), crochet, needle felting, writing. probably more tbh. I try very hard not to ever have A Thought, so I like to keep busy by immersing myself in various and often short lived hobbies

Fun Facts About You: hmmmm... I once submitted a design to a Trail of Painted Ponies contest and won like $200. I bought a really big telephoto lens with it and took pictures of the moon. I appeared on national news with my horse when I was in college. I have never had a drop of alcohol, nor do i have any interest in drinking ever. Likewise, I have never done an drug (outside of prescription stuff, naturally). I saw Vanilla Ice live at a food festival a few years back (yes, he did Ice Ice Baby and the ninja turtles theme song). I'll stop there I guess lol

Tagging: whoever wants to do this

[lollo-sw-br]

💼Grand Albert: He's the balance of the Hall of Fame 📚

This theory of mine also has to do with the centralization of Grand Albert's photo in the Hall of Fame. He knew the one who mastered a skill of each legendary Super Wing, or even learning from some them and feeding their insatiable supply of knowledge and new experiences and I'll explain.

🔧Talent in mechanics 📷

I made a theory about him claiming to be the grandfather of brothers Donnie, Scoop and Remi. From what I could analyze, he must be a great inventor and created quite innovative inventions.

Grand Albert as already shown, he is also a great inventor, creating a camera that enlarges and shrinks everything he photographs, the Telephoto Transformer, shown in EP12 S2, I also have the hypothesis that Grand Albert still creates some inventions that haven't been shown over the seasons.

✈️Talent with Barnstorm🏆

This Legendary Super Wing as I said in another theory must be the mother of Jerome, Arome and Jerry, being a specialist in aerial acrobatics shows, passed this gift on to his three sons who would later be known as Team Jerome.

Grand Albert as it was shown in season 3, the same episode we were surprised with the return of Jerome and his brothers, Grand Albert was like main judge of the show in Abu Dhabi, being the main responsible for the return of Thunder, authorizing him to form another team and continue competing. In addition, Grand Albert shows in EP 10 S1 that he knows how to do great acrobatics, managing to win a race against Jett and Jerome

🔍Talent with Archeology🏺

This Super Wing, many people believe that it is Mira's ancestor, but I assume that it is Todd's ancestor, and the proof is his emblem, a drill similar to Todd's pointing in another direction, in addition to the hat that is usually used in mining activities, because of the lantern, this SW can look for ancient artifacts or rescue in underground places.

Grand Albert, in a very short scene from episode 12 in season 2, was shown analyzing a Sphinx inside a pyramid, giving the idea that he likes to collect, find and study artifacts,thus shown to be a great treasure hunter, passing this on to his granddaughter Ellie..

🏒Talent with

Sports ⚾

This Super Wing I suppose is Flip's ancestor, in addition to being the same model, I suppose its specialty is with sports, practiced as a team, or a good strategy, or extreme sports.

Grand Albert, it was shown in EP 19 S2 that he was once the coach of a great baseball athlete, and to be a good coach, you need to know the sport in depth, formulate a good strategy and motivate the team with advice and new tactics, thing we saw him do in the episode, where in addition to forming a strategy to change the course of the two meteors, helped the boy to have more self-confidence and taught him how to do his first Home Run

🤠Talent with cowboy lasso➰

This legendary Super Wing with a cowboy hat may have been Dizzy's father, and his lasso was used as a rescue tool, similar to the rescue ropes used by Dizzy.

Grand Albert in his first appearance, is seen with a cowboy hat identical to this one, already in S4, S3, S4, S6 and S7, in addition to showing his skills with the lasso several times, in most of his appearances, Another point is that he once again taught Ellie and even Dizzy herself, because as I said in a previous theory, everyone with black and white photos means they are dead, her father didn't have much time to teach his daughter, letting Grand Albert teach her what her father didn't teach her before he died.

📣Talent with Leadership⭐

As we already know, Jett became a legendary Super Wing in the S6 showing to be a very fast plane and a great leader, always helping his companions in what he can.

As I said in another theory, Grand Albert knows how to lead very well, when called upon, he can easily take control of the situation, so much so that he also spoke of him being the leader of the generation before Jett, always being a great strategist, forming well-elaborated plans that most of the time worked out, even with Jett leading.

⏳Time travel talent 🕰️

Finally, let's go back to the theory I posted about Tino being a time traveler, fulfilling missions in the present and in the past, thus helping those in need, no matter what historical period they are in.

Grand Albert, was the first Super Wing that we were presented with a tool to travel in time in EP 15 and 16 of S2, which in this case was a time door in his The Trunk the Times Past. He is also able to travel to any historical period, according to the country he is currently in, for example, if he is in Egypt, he could open the portal and go to that time of ancient Egyptian pharaohs and shed light on questions still unanswered by science.

[paved-un-paved]

Shooting Sports: What's in The Bag?

(This article is re-posted from 2021. Gear update coming soon.)

(Photo by Hernan Bernal)

I've been making pictures for over two decades now, and I still work on improving my photography every day - and improving the gear I use. I have found sports to be the most demanding field I've ever worked in, it being tougher - and ultimately, more satisfying - than even chasing wildlife in the Florida Everglades.

Any good photographer will tell you that you can get great pictures with any decent camera, and when I started covering cycling races, I had just come back from a short photography hiatus with a new-to-me Nikon D80. It marked my return to DSLRs after having sold all my Canon gear some time before. The D80 got me hooked on Nikon, and I sold a bunch of good photos from it, but I kept on "trading up" until I got to the kit I use now. My biggest reasons for upgrading included faster autofocus, weather-sealing on the body and lenses, and a more usable ISO range.

So what do you see me shooting with now out at races? I am a hardcore minimalist, but I still use two camera bodies, one with a wide lens and one with a telephoto. The Nikon Z 6 has become my primary camera - a big surprise to me, considering how many people want to talk down its sports capabilities. I may think differently about it if I were shooting 150mph race cars or motorcycles, but it does extremely well when photographing cyclists whizzing past me at 30+ mph.

My Nikon 70-200/4 VR is almost always attached to the Z 6 via the clunky FTZ adapter. The 70-200 is a staple in almost every sports photographer's bag, and that's why I resisted it for so long - trying to be different, but I was going about it the wrong way. I now see why this incredibly versatile lens is so damn popular. I picked the f/4 over the f/2.8 because of weight. Endurance sports are the only sports I shoot, and they are almost always out in the open and in the daytime - so I don't really need that extra stop. And after running from one end of a criterium course to the other all day while carrying almost 30 pounds of gear, I realized I needed to lighten up the backpack. The secondary body is one that I had wanted even back when I was still shooting Canon, having been released in 2012: the Nikon (former) flagship body, the D4. Tough as hell, and it shoots 11 frames per second - rat-tat-tat-tat! Ergonomic even with its considerable heft, it looks and handles the business. Mated to a Nikon 16-35/4 and hanging from a Peak Design Slide strap, it's really not bad to carry around.

The 16-35 is the newest addition to the kit, having traded in my beloved Nikon 16mm fisheye and the utilitarian Nikon 24/2.8 lens I used for a while. I don't get the awesome distortion from the 16-35 that I did from the dedicated fisheye prime, but then the same distortion could easily become gimmicky at times. So the fisheye stayed in the bag more often than not. The 16-35 gives me that amazing wide-angle perspective I love, with a very useful zoom range.

Rounding out the lens selection, I held onto my Nikon 300/4 with a 1.4x teleconverter, for when I really need more reach. It's a cracker of a lens, but it has made less appearances at race courses since I have had the 70-200. What else is in the bag? Snacks, tons of batteries, a Think Tank Pee Wee Pixel Pocket Rocket case for all the memory cards, a Think Tank Hydrophobia rain cover for the unpredictable Sunshine State weather, a Nikon SB-900 flash, and a few other odds and ends. A rugged WD My Passport SSD hard drive serves as a backup and storage for second shooters. The pack itself is a Mindshift Gear (Think Tank again) MP-7 v2.0 backpack. It's pretty light and fits everything just right, laid out in a way that makes sense for an active outdoors photographer.

Finally, hanging defiantly from an exterior zipper is a French keychain of the lion mascot from longtime Tour de France sponsor Crédit Lyonnais, to remind me of determination and pushing past limits; just like I can always ride my bike faster, I can always make an even better picture.

[iso3200net]

Vineyard in a stem

It's already time to start working in a vineyard, this time, removing unneeded vines. So, after clearing it a bit, you have to take a break, and what better break (in a vineyard), than a beer break! And even better, a beer in a wine glass! :)

I was quite happy to see the vineyard reflecting through the glass stem quite clearly!

Taken with Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital camera, with adapted medium-format Mamiya-Sekor C 150mm F4 short telephoto lens.

[cursmudgeon]

It's actually not short focal length at all! Firstly, shorter focal lengths actually make distant objects look further away and the wide depth of field of short lenses reduce the amount of blur on average. The shorter the lens the closer you get to fisheye effects where close objects look huge and distorted and distant objects become tiny.

Ok, so these must be long lenses right? The images are blurry like you get with a telephoto lens so that must be it. Nope. I mean maybe they are slightly on the longer side (they probably are just based on how compressed the perspective is) but the distance needed to get these compositions would counteract a lot of the blur of even a very long telephoto lens because you always get considerably wider depth of field the further you are from the camera lens.

So what's going on here? Tilt-shift lenses! In a normal camera the lens is always mounted exactly parallel to the sensor/film so that the focal plane covers the entire surface. With a tilt shift lens you can actually change the angle of the lens in relation to the film plane. this means that you can force parts of the frame out of focus, which looks similar enough to the effect of photographing a miniature from very close. Remember being closer to an object means a more shallow depth of field so it's often the biggest tell for miniature work. Tilt shift is fun for stuff like this but it's actually used pretty commonly in architectural photography because if you close the aperture waaaaay down to widen the depth of field and compensate for the weird focal plane stuff you can actually compensate for perspective and capture building fronts with straight parallel angles while shooting from street level.