Ryan's "Panorama"

A dreary day here... and I have neither mesas nor castles to work with.





/rl

Mike's "Panorama"

Well this is kind of a new one for me, but here goes.  Once again a cloudy Sunday after a beautiful Saturday when I should have had the camera out.

Ryan told me about this Hugin software last night, and I have been playing with it today.  I did three of these in the Benson area, and this is my favorite thus far.  If you double click the image, it will load a bigger version.  I'm still working on getting a good size up there.

I decided to put "The Toaster" in the middle of the shot since I finally got the front end put back together after hitting some lumber on the interstate!

David's "Panorama"

This is Ruthin Castel, where we are presently staying in northern Wales. It is a panoramic made from 8 frames but with all the overlapping I did it is really only as wide as 4 or 5 frames, taken in portrait orientation.

No HDR or exposure blending but there has been some contrast adjustment on the final image.

Cory's Panorama

I think New Mexico was created for people to take panorama pictures. This one is taken from the Otowi Mesa trail down the street from my house and consists of about 30 images stitched together using Hugin (which I highly recommend for stitching panoramas). As a bonus, this image includes the smoke rising from the Pacheco Canyon fire currently burning north of Santa Fe.

I also have a BIG version of the file available.

Next week: Floor

"Panorama" due tomorrow.

/rl

Ryan's "Key"

I'm not sure I will have a photo this week. I've been kinda busy.

I'll try to have one by tomorrow night.

/rl

Mike's "Key"

My grandfather used to make things out of black walnut.  One of the things he made was clocks.  He used various clock works, depending on the size of the clock.  The large ones used weights.
The medium sized ones, such as mine, use a key that winds both the clock and the chimes.  I'm seriously considering replacing this face with one that is electric however.  This one got over-wound, and I either need to have it fixed or replaced, and remembering to wind it is well... key.

David's "Key"

I spent Friday scouring a few antique stores hoping to find either an old piano, old typewriter, or old door locks. I found many cool locks but they were all separated from their doors and drawers.

Thinking that I had nothing I headed to my local True Value store and took some photos of the nifty door lock sets they had set up, all with the keys sticking out or hanging up beside them. I ended up with pictures that could easily be used for a Schlage brochure.

Then I turned around and saw a collection of new "old fashioned" hardware items, this key was among them. It looked like it might work in an antique dresser I have at home so I bought it. Sure enough, it works great. Now I have a lockable drawer for all my secret things.

Next week: "Panorama"

"Key" due tomorrow.

/rl

Cory's Key

A couple of years ago, I found a pile of old giant classroom maps at the Oak Park Library book sale. They were really cool and only cost a couple of dollars, so I picked them up. This is the key from one of them, Asia At the death of Kublai Kahn.

The best part, though, was the name of its editor.

David's "Monument"

This is Santa Fe's first Ghost Bike, erected this past January. I've been looking for the impetus to photograph it since it was first erected. I didn't know the background story on this until I got up close to read the name. The local newspaper article can be read here.

Cory's Monument

This is a new monument to Robert Oppenheimer (on the left) and Leslie Groves (on the right) that popped up here in Los Alamos recently. I'm not quite sure why it was installed - perhaps somebody thinks that their names weren't already on enough streets and buildings in town? I do like that they are on little stands that make them look like giant toy army men though. Maybe they can make more in green plastic if they still have the molds laying around.

Ryan's "Monument"

This is a part of a monument in the Dundee area of Omaha devoted to the streetcars that once ran through the neighborhood.



I'm pretty sure Mike has shot some photos here, too.

/rl

Mike's "Monument"

OK, this isn't really "Mike's Monument", it's Bob's.  If you read the description on the dedication, its not exactly Bob Kerry's either.  Its just named after him for helping secure the funds.

It says he is "one of the champions of its construction but it memorializes the love that all who inhabit the high plains have for their river:  The Mighty Missouri."

It also connects the pedestrian and biking trails in two states, Iowa and Nebraska.

Next week's topic

Next week's topic: Key.

Monument due tomorrow!

David's "Library"

Interior shot of the Capital High School library, shuttered for the summer break.

Ryan's "Library"

One of several figures carved around the top of the original Omaha Public Library building.




/rl

Mike's "Library"

It's gonna be a stretch how I tie this picture in.  Libraries are for recording information.  If you go to the Omaha Library, or the Durham Western Heritage Museum, you fill find information about some of the great floods that have happened on the Missouri River.
What was predicted to be the worst flood in 100 years, may become worse as record rain fall up North has added to the snow fall in Montana that was 8 times normal this winter.  The dam system is full, and there is no choice but to release the water now to try and slow worse flooding later.

Cory's Library

We have a bunch of books in our house, and this set of shelves is part of our library. I really like the way this picture came out - with the wide angle lens, it looks like this shelf is alone in an enormous room. In reality, I had to shove the couch out of the way to squeeze everything in.

There's an annotated version up on Flickr.

Next week: "Monument"

"Library" is due tomorrow.

/rl