2021-10: Haligonian Autumn
October is a fascinating month. The Human sphere continues full speed ahead from the momentum of September, while the natural realm begins slowing down. Summer may just have ended, but the trees and plants are already planning ahead for Winter. The whole world begins to tilt in a new direction, shifting the way light reaches the ground. It's fun to photograph!
Olympus E-PL9: f6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus E-PL9: f6.3, 1/800 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
These first few pictures were taken early in the month. The tall grasses above are from the Halifax Commons. The flowers coming up next are from the Public Gardens. There's a bee harvesting nectar from a dahlia, buffering up the hive's supplies for the chilly months ahead.
Olympus E-PL9: f6.3, 1/500 sec, ISO 6400
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus E-PL9: f6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 6400
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus E-PL9: f6.2, 1/400 sec, ISO 6400
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
This is a photograph of East Peak Indoor Climbing. EPIC is located inside the former Oxford Theatre. They nod to the heritage of the structure inside by retaining a few original features. On the outside, they show their love of puns with a new "feature" every month. September was The Devil Wears Scarpa. This month, it's Star Wars: A New Rope. Teehee!
Palm PVG 100: f2, 1/196 sec, ISO 100
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
On October 06, 2021, I went for an evening walk through the Halifax Commons. It was one of the last days of the year that the fountain was still watered. Considering that the fountains in the Public Gardens and Victoria Park have been dry all Summer, I'm glad there was at least one operating. Still, I decry the city's old-fashioned"safety" policy of fencing their water displays.
Olympus E-PL9: f4, 1 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
In this picture, we've skipped ahead to October 29, 2021. I had a problem with my camera and needed a replacement part. I could see one available on the manufacturer's American site, but not on their Canadian one. I sent an e-mail to support asking how I could order one. To my delight, they confirmed that they didn't sell the part in Canada - and sent me one for free! Austin in customer service, you rock!
Olympus E-PL9: f6.3, 1/500 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
This snap has a bit of trick to it. I used my camera's flash to illuminate the blooming flowers. My lens is rather long, though, so it always blocks some of the flash-light. In this case, that overshadows the bits of the plant which weren't unfurled.
Olympus E-PL9: f5.1, 1/250 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
This is a strange shot, I know. It's just, I have always been fascinated by the mass of staples that some power poles accumulate. It's like a rusty metallic bark. Just think of all the concerts, yard sales, errant pets, and gatherings that all those staples and nails represent!
Olympus E-PL9: f4.5, 1/250 sec, ISO 6400
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Olympus E-PL9: f6.3, 1/500 sec, ISO 400
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Olympus E-PL9: f5.6, 1/320 sec, ISO 1600
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Throughout the month of October, I have been eating quite a bit of asparagus. It is a key component of my efforts to get more dietary fibre. Since it's healthiest had raw, it's also convenient to eat. As for photographic composition, I am not entirely sure I've ever seen a picture of asparagus taken top-down, so I figured I'd give it a go.
Olympus E-PL9: f5.8, 1/20 sec, ISO 6400
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
The climbing gym celebrated Halloween a few days early, on Friday, October 29, 2021. I went to the EPIC Halloween party. For a costume, I chose one of the few cases where a climbing harness features in pop culture: As Link (in his climbing gear) from Breath Of The Wild. Happily, someone at the party recognized me as being from The Legend Of Zelda. The other costumes there were great, too. There were black lights set up, and the lights turned out, so the holds on the walls glowed. Very snazzy!
The pants, shirt, and bandana for my costume are from an online store. I chopped apart some old, holey socks to make the grey arm sleeves, and lopped off the tips of a cheap pair of gloves. I was hoping to find blonde hair extensions or a wig, but ended up with a whole bunch of loose fake hair, which I pinned in place. The bandolier is just a regular belt; I tied loops of string through its notches to hold the carabiners. Those, the harness, the shoes, and the chalk bag are my actual climbing items.
Olympus E-PL9: f4.5, 1/40 sec, ISO 6400. -0.3 step
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
