Post a bad thing that happened in your life today

[Betty LaRue]

14 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

How wonderful Betty!! I bet you were pleased by the results.

I also have the 80-400 lens which is infuriatingly slow to focus. I use it hand held with a crop sensor on high ISO in situations where birds are moving around much. If the situation is suitable, I use my 500 mm on a tripod with a sidekick bracket.

You’re right. It hunts just when you don’t want it to. The reason I used it on a monopod, besides the weight, is that I could turn the pod quickly as the bird moved.  Not just the head, but the whole thing.

Edited July 23, 2020 by Betty LaRue

[gvallee]

8 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

You’re right. It hunts just when you don’t want it to. The reason I used it on a monopod, besides the weight, is that I could turn the pod quickly as the bird moved.  Not just the head, but the whole thing.

 

I've never been good with monopods. I'm still shaking or finding myself raising the whole thing when the bird takes off. It stays in my cupboard. Actually thinking about it, I think it's in storage in the north of the UK.

[sb photos]

4 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

I've never been good with monopods. I'm still shaking or finding myself raising the whole thing when the bird takes off. It stays in my cupboard. Actually thinking about it, I think it's in storage in the north of the UK.

 

I have 3 monopods, they all expand to different lengths. The shortest gets used the most as it's easy to carry in whatever bag I'm using, or it can clip via its strap to my belt. I don't use them in the traditional way, but to gain height over people or other obstructions and with a remote to trigger the camera. They are very useful. 

 

I also have 4 tripods, all serve different purposes, ranging from a small but rigid travel tripod to a very large old but very flexible Benbo. I only carry one when I know I will need it for camera support.

[Betty LaRue]

7 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

I've never been good with monopods. I'm still shaking or finding myself raising the whole thing when the bird takes off. It stays in my cupboard. Actually thinking about it, I think it's in storage in the north of the UK.

Mine has a squeeze head on it that I keep my hand on at all times if I’m sitting stationary. I immediately can go up and down or side to side. But I understand. I’ve never got on with tripods except when shooting portraits.
I have a lot of stuff that just sits in a dark place, never used. Once I bought my first Fuji camera, I’ve never used a flash again. I do have a couple of small softboxes that’s good for product photography, but I’m not doing much of that these days, either.

Hmm. I need to have a sale!

[John Mitchell]

9 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

I've never been good with monopods. I'm still shaking or finding myself raising the whole thing when the bird takes off. It stays in my cupboard. Actually thinking about it, I think it's in storage in the north of the UK.

 

I've used mine as a walking stick. Works great. 🙃

[Allan Bell]

Bad thing that happened in my life today?   NOTHING.😀

Allan

[Cal]

On 23/07/2020 at 16:09, Sally R said:

 

Around the time I started doing stock photography I read an article by a woman who said her best selling image was of a wart or some kind of skin infection she had (can't remember exactly what she said it was). So yes, the not so pretty things are sometimes the best sellers.

 

I was thinking about this in general following this thread. Stock photography can be quite different to conventional photography where there is an expectation of some kind of aesthetic. I see stock photography as producing the images that people don't think about, but that are vital to narrate our world of news and information. A good deal of the images I shoot for stock don't end up on my social media channels because without context they have no meaning, but as narration tools they can come alive. 

 

What I will say is since starting stock my eyes have been opened to all kinds of opportunities and things to photograph. I try not to let my creative side wither away but have been increasingly finding I "see" stock photos in certain situations whether pre planned or not, often seemingly mundane.

[MizBrown]

On 23/07/2020 at 17:53, Betty LaRue said:

Thank you, Ed. The scissor-tailed flycatcher is Oklahoma’s state bird. I became fascinated with them as a child. They perch on posts, fences, stick ups and watch for insects, then swoop in and catch them. Then go right back to that perch. That’s what my bird was doing.

 

They spend the winter in Central America.  I've seen them south of Managua on phone lines, though not where I live (north central highlands).

[John Mitchell]

8 hours ago, Cal said:

 

I was thinking about this in general following this thread. Stock photography can be quite different to conventional photography where there is an expectation of some kind of aesthetic. I see stock photography as producing the images that people don't think about, but that are vital to narrate our world of news and information. A good deal of the images I shoot for stock don't end up on my social media channels because without context they have no meaning, but as narration tools they can come alive. 

 

What I will say is since starting stock my eyes have been opened to all kinds of opportunities and things to photograph. I try not to let my creative side wither away but have been increasingly finding I "see" stock photos in certain situations whether pre planned or not, often seemingly mundane.

 

Last year, I had a very good sale of an image of a plant growing in my back yard that was covered in an unsightly blight.  People write articles about all kinds of things, and they ain't always pretty.

[Ed Rooney]

On 24/07/2020 at 09:24, gvallee said:

 

I've never been good with monopods. I'm still shaking or finding myself raising the whole thing when the bird takes off. It stays in my cupboard. Actually thinking about it, I think it's in storage in the north of the UK.

 

For me, Image Stabilisation, higher ISO possibilities, and noise reduction have replaced camera supports. I do have a good carbon fibre tripod with me, but it doesn't get much use. 

[spacecadet]

3 hours ago, Sally R said:

 

Yes me too Cal. I was in Wellington New Zealand 6 months prior to starting stock photography. All the time I was focussed on my favourite nature subjects. I'm kicking myself now because there were many opportunities to do much more than that. I was walking through the city with my camera gear on my way to a scenic lookout or a wildlife sanctuary, but not even thinking of taking urban scenes. I just got my camera out when I got to a nature destination involving birds or landscapes. But yes, now everything becomes interesting in terms of stock.

I won't forgive you for missing the Beehive!

[wiskerke]

7 hours ago, spacecadet said:

I won't forgive you for missing the Beehive!

Good image.

Yeah I missed it too. My hotel was practically overlooking it. I may have one or two shots from the street on the other side.

 

Here we have a book with images of buildings with their nicknames. I've just ordered it.

Looks like a good subject - if you include the right nick as a keyword. Definitely worth investigating.

The Dutch book is called AKA and the buildings are also all Dutch as far as I can see.

Here are some nice ones: The Bra Bridge (a bridge by Grimshaw in Amsterdam); the Fountain Pen (offices of ministries in The Hague); The Red Elephant (Law offices in The Hague); The Inkwell (National Railways HQ in Utrecht); The DustBuster aka The Training Shoe (a post modern bank building in Amsterdam); The Citrus Press aka The Tampon (office building by Cesar Pelli in The Hague); Fuck me Shoe aka The Swan or The Harp (Rotterdam's signature bridge by Van Berkel who was either an intern or an assistant with Calatrava - depending on who you believe. Anyway this bridge looks like an intern copied a Calatrava bridge the wrong way round).

 

 

wim

[gvallee]

22 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

For me, Image Stabilisation, higher ISO possibilities, and noise reduction have replaced camera supports. I do have a good carbon fibre tripod with me, but it doesn't get much use. 

 

That's how I work most of the time with the 80-400. But with the 500mm??? No way. My arms are as strong as chewing gum. I need to go to the gym.

[gvallee]

On 24/07/2020 at 22:37, sb photos said:

 

I have 3 monopods, they all expand to different lengths. The shortest gets used the most as it's easy to carry in whatever bag I'm using, or it can clip via its strap to my belt. I don't use them in the traditional way, but to gain height over people or other obstructions and with a remote to trigger the camera. They are very useful. 

 

I also have 4 tripods, all serve different purposes, ranging from a small but rigid travel tripod to a very large old but very flexible Benbo. I only carry one when I know I will need it for camera support.

 

I've got a hyper heavy Gitzo which I don't use any more. When travelling/flying, its bag is as big as a suitcase. I usually also stick my walking boots in it. I have to check it in separately as large item, and also usually retrieve it separately. Sometimes they don't tell you it will arrive at a separate pick up point and I have a heart attack when the carousel stops turning and there's no sign of it. These days, I only use my Manfrotto carbon fibre tripod with a sidekick bracket. This is all for bird photography of course. And macro. And astro. And timelapses.

[Michael Ventura]

Got word late last evening that my daughter had a workplace accident.  She was working her shift at the hospital and was putting on an N95 mask when one of the elastic bands snapped and it scraped a cornea.  She was taken to the ER and put on antibiotics and other medication and sent home with a patch over one eye.  Any kind of eye injury really makes me cringe.  Hopefully it will mend okay, she's a tough one.

[NYCat]

1 hour ago, Michael Ventura said:

Got word late last evening that my daughter had a workplace accident.  She was working her shift at the hospital and was putting on an N95 mask when one of the elastic bands snapped and it scraped a cornea.  She was taken to the ER and put on antibiotics and other medication and sent home with a patch over one eye.  Any kind of eye injury really makes me cringe.  Hopefully it will mend okay, she's a tough one.

 

Hope she will quickly be fine.

 

Paulette

[Cecile Marion]

Scratched corneas can be extremely painful, especially when the lid isn’t held in place by a patch. Hopefully your daughter will heal rapidly. At least she was in the right place for getting immediate care. 

[Betty LaRue]

11 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

Got word late last evening that my daughter had a workplace accident.  She was working her shift at the hospital and was putting on an N95 mask when one of the elastic bands snapped and it scraped a cornea.  She was taken to the ER and put on antibiotics and other medication and sent home with a patch over one eye.  Any kind of eye injury really makes me cringe.  Hopefully it will mend okay, she's a tough one.

It’ll be fine. I used to put those pressure patches on patients all the time. She needs to keep the eye quiet. Corneal cells will grow back but are very delicate for awhile and easily scraped off through too much eye movement against the lid, or rubbing.  It’s very painful, though, and causes tears to run for awhile. 
I've had two corneal injuries. One was from an icy snowball, the other from the bottom of a crushed, empty drink cup thrown at me. Both impacts so painful I screamed. And I’m a stiff upper lip gal.
Now is the time for her to catch up on sleep and rest. Bless her.

[Michael Ventura]

10 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

It’ll be fine. I used to put those pressure patches on patients all the time. She needs to keep the eye quiet. Corneal cells will grow back but are very delicate for awhile and easily scraped off through too much eye movement against the lid, or rubbing.  It’s very painful, though, and causes tears to run for awhile. 
I've had two corneal injuries. One was from an icy snowball, the other from the bottom of a crushed, empty drink cup thrown at me. Both impacts so painful I screamed. And I’m a stiff upper lip gal.
Now is the time for her to catch up on sleep and rest. Bless her.

I stopped by her new home today and she seems to be on the mend already.  Her eye is red and puffy but she grabbed a bunch of tubes of numbing drops and that has helped.  And she is on sick leave now so yes, time to catch up on sleep and not worry about work for a bit.

Edited July 27, 2020 by Michael Ventura

[chris_rabe]

Well, I don't know if this is a bad thing, but I'm putting my foot down today with regards to my role at work.

 

My immediate boss resigned in December, with 3 months notice, and come March, the HOD of my department still hadn't hired anyone. So I started picking up more responsibility before my immediate boss left, and I picked up a hell of a lot more responsibility once covid kicked in.

 

I told them I'd keep things running in the interim (work for charity, so wanted to do my bit), but it is now ~6 months later, and still nobody hired, despite having the OK to hire. I have told them I don't want that job, and the person in that job was always worked to the bone, and left. So I have also suggested to them a secondary senior role - which I would take.

 

Still now, nothing has changed, and I am picking up responsibilities WAY above my pay grade. I kind of need a decision now, and if they aren't willing to treat me fairly, I will simply stop taking on all the extra responsibility that I was not hired for, and is not in my contract and that I'm certainly not paid for. Today I have kind of reached the point of having had enough.

[Betty LaRue]

8 hours ago, chris_rabe said:

Well, I don't know if this is a bad thing, but I'm putting my foot down today with regards to my role at work.

 

My immediate boss resigned in December, with 3 months notice, and come March, the HOD of my department still hadn't hired anyone. So I started picking up more responsibility before my immediate boss left, and I picked up a hell of a lot more responsibility once covid kicked in.

 

I told them I'd keep things running in the interim (work for charity, so wanted to do my bit), but it is now ~6 months later, and still nobody hired, despite having the OK to hire. I have told them I don't want that job, and the person in that job was always worked to the bone, and left. So I have also suggested to them a secondary senior role - which I would take.

 

Still now, nothing has changed, and I am picking up responsibilities WAY above my pay grade. I kind of need a decision now, and if they aren't willing to treat me fairly, I will simply stop taking on all the extra responsibility that I was not hired for, and is not in my contract and that I'm certainly not paid for. Today I have kind of reached the point of having had enough.

Good for you. People do take advantage of good people.

When working for an Ophthalmologist, we, the staff, all had our individual duties. The morning each week that the doctor was in surgery was catchup time. I worked very hard to get my work done which was to scrub down 5 exam rooms and all equipment, check meds and refill supplies, and make sure all the surgical tools were autoclaved.  
One gal spent most of her time gabbing with the other women instead of doing her work. She got behind on making up the appointment cards to mail out, so one day I offered to help her catch up. Wrong move. Because she decided if I had time to help her, then I had time to take that job permanently. It never dawned on her that I’d worked my behind off that morning in order to carve out some time to help her.
So I ended up with a new time-consuming chore and was frantically working from then on to get it all done.  I just did it, because I’m not one to make waves or fight. I’ve regretted ever since not standing up for myself.

No good deed goes unpunished.  I learned my lesson.

It’s said that the meek shall inherit the earth, but sometimes it’s the meek who end up with the weight of the world on our collective shoulders.
Betty

[chris_rabe]

18 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Good for you. People do take advantage of good people.

When working for an Ophthalmologist, we, the staff, all had our individual duties. The morning each week that the doctor was in surgery was catchup time. I worked very hard to get my work done which was to scrub down 5 exam rooms and all equipment, check meds and refill supplies, and make sure all the surgical tools were autoclaved.  
One gal spent most of her time gabbing with the other women instead of doing her work. She got behind on making up the appointment cards to mail out, so one day I offered to help her catch up. Wrong move. Because she decided if I had time to help her, then I had time to take that job permanently. It never dawned on her that I’d worked my behind off that morning in order to carve out some time to help her.
So I ended up with a new time-consuming chore and was frantically working from then on to get it all done.  I just did it, because I’m not one to make waves or fight. I’ve regretted ever since not standing up for myself.

No good deed goes unpunished.  I learned my lesson.

It’s said that the meek shall inherit the earth, but sometimes it’s the meek who end up with the weight of the world on our collective shoulders.
Betty

 

Yeah, people do like to take advantage. 

 

With any luck, I will have a clearer idea of whether or not I'll get the promotion by end of the week.

[John Morrison]

19 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

It’s said that the meek shall inherit the earth,

 

Well, there's only a single source for this questionable sentiment. 😇

 

I recall Monty Python’s Life of Brian, and the woman in the crowd who was having difficulty hearing what Jesus was saying. “Oh, it's the meek! 'Blessed are the meek!' Oh, that's nice, isn't it? I'm glad they're getting something because they have a hell of a time.”

 

[spacecadet]

On 26/07/2020 at 04:51, Sally R said:

 

No, I didn't even photograph the beehive 🙁 Terrible, I know. I've wondered before if it is built that way to withstand earthquakes. It seems to have undergone refurbishments to make it more earthquake proof, but still not sure if this was the intent in the original design. I've enjoyed seeing your Wellington and other NZ pics. Would love to go back. It will probably be the first overseas place Australians can visit once Covid-19 subsides.

 

I experienced a couple of minor tremors while I was there that I thought I might even be imagining, but looked up Wellington Quake Live and found that they had indeed happened. I arrived in Bhutan just after the Nepal quake in 2015, and experienced an aftershock there which was the first time I'd experienced anything like that. It is mostly very geologically stable here in Western Australia, but we do get the odd one and there was one recently in the south near the town of Walpole.

The Beehive was indeed designed earthquake-proof, but the old 20s parliament building next door was upgraded in the 90s. Basically they sawed through the foundations and put rubber shock absorbers in between. Which I completely failed to photograph on the tour.

Edited July 28, 2020 by spacecadet

[Ed Rooney]

Your girl is a hero, Michael, and sometimes heroes get wounded. Everyone here—everyone she knows—is pulling for her.

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Ed Rooney