Daily Photo 2022: Aug. 01-15
We live on a wonderful planet. It's a little overwhelming that so much is going on at any given time, but that's also a source of endless fascination. If ever you find yourself bored, question what chains are keeping you in that state.
2022 August 01
On a trip back to Antigonish, I picked up my computer monitor, and also a desk that's been in the family for years. In Halifax, I rearranged my office to include the new items. The layout has been flipped; the new desk is where the shelves used to be, and the shelves are where my laptop previously sat on top of a set of drawers (which are now over by my bed).
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f4.1, 1/100 sec, ISO 6400
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 02
A crazed person with an axe attempted some arbourcide in the Public Gardens. Among the targets was my favourite tree in the world, a weeping European beech. The perpetrator removed the bark all around the base of the tree. That can mean death, as the bark provides an essential role in transmitting nutrients from the soil up through the branches. The park's staff carefully stapled the cut bark back on. I'm hoping this tree and the others will pull through.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f3.5, 1/100 sec, ISO 6400
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 03
The Commons Pool is under renovation, which seems to have resulted in the drying of the wading pool, too. Still, it makes for a dramatic photo spot. I find it quite amusing that the construction company doing the pool renovation happens to be named "Marco".
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f3.5, 1/60 sec, ISO 6400, -0.3EV
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 04
Animals feel heat waves, too! I found this starling stretched out near the lower end of Sackville Street. As happens whenever I see a bird acting unusually, I worried it was suffering from the avian flu. Later, a quick websearch revealed that birds enjoy basking on a warm day as much as Humans do.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO 320
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 05
Many people photograph the town clock from below. While that does make its height seem more impressive, I think the top-down view, with the downtown in the background and the harbour on the horizon, makes the scene more exciting.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f10, 1/2.5 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 06
I have always thought it was strange that jeans often have rivets. Odd as the accessory may be, this one does look pretty nifty. I rather like how the indigo on the threads shows up in this shot, too.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 1/3.2 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 07
Summer is often the easiest season for travel. I was lucky enough to have some cousins swing through on a visit. They, along with some of us cousins who live locally, gathered for a stroll down the Halifax Waterfront. Fun times!
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f5.6, 1/640 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 08
This motorised wheel barrow seems to be the child of a dump truck and a trike. It's certainly an interesting piece of equipment! I'm a little surprised we don't see more construction vehicles on the smaller scale, given how tight some worksites can be. To get a sense of it's size, the handles are similar to those on an adult-size bicycle.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f5.8, 1/640 sec, ISO 2500
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 10
Four bees on a single globe thistle! There's a combination of bumble bees and Western honey bees. I find this photo (and honestly, all photos of globe thistles) to be a bit otherworldly. The plant and animal diversity around us is truly a treasure. Interestingly, the globe thistle and the Western honey bee are species imported to Nova Scotia from Europe.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 1/60 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 09, 11, and 12
Here are three climbing-related photos. On August 09 I got a sneak peek behind one of the hidden doors at East Peak. Inside are the snazzy steel reinforcements that keep the climbing walls in place and also bins of holds just waiting for their time on a route.
I came back to the gym two days later, and just before entering took a photo of the building's new mural. It references the cinematic history of the spot. On the marquee, the staff puts up a new movie-themed climbing pun each month or so. I suspect they picked The Wizard Of Choss to go hand-in-hand with the new art. "Choss", if you're wondering, is slang for loose rock.
Finally, there's a photo I took on the 12th that shows my climbing journal. I only started recording stuff on the 09th; I am hoping that by keeping some records I can identify how better to grow as a climber.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f3.5, 1/50 sec, ISO 6400
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f5, 1/250 sec, ISO 1600
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f2.8, 1/500 sec, ISO 3200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 13
I took a Saturday walk to the Africville Trails. It was once the site of a Black settlement. The residents were evicted to make way for the bridge and a dump. Now, it's nominally a park, but the amenities consist of five benches and a picnic table strung along a poorly maintained trail. The only paved access is beyond the end of the sidewalk, and has a steep slope which would be unsafe for wheelchairs. It's easy to see the old racisms reverberating through modern civic works funding. There is another half of the park, perhaps with more facilities, but it's on the other side of a highway with no through access.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f6.3, 1/500 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 15
In stark contrast to the underfunded Africville Park, the Public Gardens is immaculate (aside from the axe-damage). It has Horticultural Hall, a visitor information centre and coffee shop, topped with a cupola and weather vane.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f22, 1/125 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 August 16
On Sunday, August 16th I went on an adventure with my friends Erin and Jamie. This was the sort of thing that SnapDash was originally intended to highlight: The gems hidden around the region. We went to the Bern Art Sculpture Maze, which is located in the village of Blockhouse, outside of the town of Mahone Bay. It is a very cool spot, filled with lots of nifty things to see. For this photo, I set my camera on a timer and dashed over to join my friends, under the watchful eye of a Utahraptor.
