I think it is part of the flehman response. Males pull back their lips and sometimes stick out their tongue to direct inhaled air to a very sensitive smell detector. They are seeking females in heat, whose hormones are giving off a particular aroma. Still a great shot. Thanks for sharing.
Bridges wrote:
The first clue is that you live in Florida. The percentage of elderly people there is impactful to selling anything. Older people have already accumulated all the art and other items they will need/want for the rest of their lives. Another group of elderly people moved to Florida because it is a good state to retire in -- less taxes, less heating in cooler weather, etc. So many of the residents are on fixed incomes that do not allow for unnecessary purchases.
Back in NY there most likely is not the drop off of art buying you are likely to see in places like Florida.
The first clue is that you live in Florida. The p... (
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We were selling in NY! We moved to Florida. Those comments were made by a NY art dealer.
We relocated about 6 years ago. Took some real paintings by a minor, but known artist to a local dealer. He explained that "people today do not buy paintings". Though it was large (and the reason to consider selling) it hangs in our home today. My wife is an artist and (though we 'fight' for wall space) our home is filled with her paintings, my prints and a few other folks real artworks. Visitors are routinely amazed to see so much art. I guess many folks don't go to museums or galleries these days.
sippyjug104 wrote:
I retired as a partner in a mechanical contracting business with union plumbers, pipefitters, fire sprinkler fitters, and sheet metal workers.
New York City residential plumbing rates should be in the $110 to 130 dollar per hour range for service and repairs. Commercial plumbing rates should be in the $150 to 170 dollar per hour range for service and repairs. The problem may be getting one when you need them and this does not include after-hours or weekend work. Expect to pay double time for both residential and commercial.
The plumbing industry is HIGHLY regulated and the unions have massive influence over the City Administrators and the Contractors. The "Union Rules" may require a two-man crew for the work being performed which doubles the price of labor.
Skilled plumbers and the Plumbing Codes help protect the health and safety of the community. One misapplied repair can devastate an entire municipal potable water network resulting in illness and death. This is no joke. A poorly installed water heater is a bomb and many a home has been destroyed by improper installation.
The next time you drink a glass of water from the tap in your home and you live another day, thank a qualified plumber.
I retired as a partner in a mechanical contracting... (
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I am a part time "Do It Yourselfer" but I know when a job needs professional attention. We have a plumber who is a MASTER Plumber. He not only does a neat and thorough job, but sticks around afterwards to be sure it is working correctly. His skills at fixing one thing have clearly avoided creating a secondary problem (which I have done and thus learned a lesson). Peace of mind is also worth something!
I can rewire a lamp, but I will never play with the power panel. You have to know your own limits.
I can take some macro photographs, but not at all like Sippy! I know my limits.
Bob
Thanks one more time for that glorious image! It is really great to see a microscopic image with your plain two eyes.
Particularly in nature. Keep up the great work!
Bob
Curmudgeon wrote:
One of the stranger cars of my youth. Image from the web
I saw one of these in a race at small upstate NY track a Looong time ago. What I truly remember while standing on the sidelines of a straight section, was the physical pounding I felt on my chest from the thunderous pulsating exhaust! What a beautiful machine!
Thanks for sharing,
Bob
sippyjug104 wrote:
Today was our first snow of the season brought to us by a cold grey day. With nothing to do, I staged one of my preserved Japanese beetles for a face-on view using a 10X microscope objective as the optic for the camera.
Japanese beetles are environmental terrorists that strip the leaves of the plants they feed on leaving nothing but the skeleton of the leaf veins. I've included a macro image from one of my walkabouts showing how they cluster and strip the leaves. A common trait of these rat bastard beetles is to "flip me off" as they raise their leg when I come upon them with the camera.
Today was our first snow of the season brought to ... (
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When I was kid, my summer neighbor had rose bushes and she regularly picked these beasts off her plants. I always thought their colors were interesting, but YES, they were terrorists! Thanks for the great closeup!
Bob
sippyjug104 wrote:
This is a bit different use of my cameras that may be of interest.
I have a trinocular compound and a trinocular stereo microscope that I use for entertainment and the stereo microscope comes in handy for examining and cleaning my collection of specimens for focused stacking sessions.
With nothing to do and all day to do it, I flocked the internal surface of the tube and connectors used to connect the camera to the microscope to eliminate any internal glare that affected the quality and contrast of the images taken.
These images are taken with a Swift 380T compound microscope with a 10X eyepiece and a 10X objective resulting in a 100X magnification view of the commercially prepared slides.
The first slide is a silverberry hairy scale which I thought looked like an abstract art painting. The second slide is mosquito eggs that are viewed in a negative view. They were both so small that the slides appeared to be void of anything on them.
This is a bit different use of my cameras that may... (
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I mentioned in a previous email that I once used such a trinocular setup like yours for graduate work in the 1960s. Sadly it was not mine. Your current images reminded me of some of the works of Roman Vishniac. I met him once, back in the '60s. His images of crystals of hormones and othe scientific subjects were fantastic. He had a second life as a documentarian of history. Yours are just as wonderful. Thanks for sharing so often.
Bob
I thought car production stopped in 1941....I guess this body was finished by Darrin in '42. Absolutely beautiful. I love the cut down doors. A luxury version of MGs and Jags to name a few.
Thanks for sharing!
Google SoCal Gas complaints for all the links you need....
Dear Sippyjug,
I bought one of those microscope lenses, but only use it on extension tubes. Is there a guide to the spacing between a "regular" lens and the added microscope lens? I presume it reduces the DOF even more. Now I have a manual rail, so microns are beyond my reach. I am a Pentaxian, so quite a few older manual lenses to play with as well. My best shot so far is red thread going through a needle eye. Old 80mm lens with every passive extension tube I had! Hung my camera below a tripod, looking down to reduce vibrations. Used the microscope lens on some flat obects, including Lincoln, inside the his monument on the back of the bill!
Many years ago, I had access to an excellent professional microscope with a splitting system and took images of individual biological tissue cells. I guess that is where the interest began.
Thanks again,
Bob
Dear Sippyjug,
Wow! I have been away for a while, but missed your images. Glad I caught this one. I love to shoot spiders, but one-shot, whole animal views. The measurement you posted indicate a total DOF about 1.3mm!!! I have tried a few macro shots, but my steps are on the order of mm not micron!!
Hats off to you and thanks so much for sharing, educating and inspiring.
Wish you continued success and Happy Holidays!
Bob
Most camera manufacturers include a basic photo editor with every camera. Check online for your brand. Usually free downloads are available. They usually handle the file types created by their brand and some generics.
As already mentioned, there is a solution here. I am in two camera clubs and one also added a new category that is reserved for AI/Creative images. They will be shown, but not scored. The guideline is that 'all pixels must come from an image you took in your camera'. Thus a sky added must be a sky that you took, etc. Since there is no way to completely insure adherence, we are openly saying that you are personally responsible. The other club is investigating similar actions, but still being discussed.
Fun times ahead...
Bob