Daily Photo 2022: Sep. 16-30
During the second half of September I wished for more wind, and definitely got that wish! Apparently I should have been more specific. This post starts with why I wanted the wind, and ends with the consequences of wishes come true.
2022 September 16
This rig is called a Picavet Mount. The block beneath the cradle of strings stays (mostly) level no matter the angle of the line supporting it. I made the mount with my Dad in the hopes of using it for Kite Aerial Photography (Commonly known by its acronym, KAP).
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f4.9, 1/60 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 September 17
The first time attempting a skill is usually a lacklustre affair. Finesse does not appear out of nowhere. My first go at KAP didn't exactly produce the drone-like shots that one sees on YouTube. Despite the initial setbacks that come from iffy kite control and a jury-rigged combination of equipment, I am eager to keep trying until I improve.
Olympus Air A01, 15mm cap lens
f0, 1/1600 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Rotate,Colour
Olympus Air A01, 15mm cap lens
f0, 1/800 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 September 18
Here's my KAP camera. It's designed to operate as a companion to a smartphone, while accepting the same kind of lenses as my "big" camera . In this case, I have it paired with the most minimal lens imaginable; in red. The designers never pictured it being used for KAP, but the compact size and relatively low weight are just what I need. Note also the silver mounting plate. After having issues with the Picavet lines tangling, I switched to fastening the kite string directly to this mount, again, saving weight.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f5.8, 1/80 sec, ISO 6400
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 September 19
I've mentioned the importance of weight. The mass of the payload is clearly a major factor when lofting something via a kite. To ensure things stay together, KAP folks often use a more heavy-duty line than the typical kite string. Photographed here is my line. The other big factor, of course, is windspeed. The more wind, the more lifting power is available to the kite. As September of 2022 progressed, I found myself hoping for more wind...
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 2.5 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 September 20
Another skill that began with a shaky start is climbing. September 20th was my one-year anniversary of showing up at East Peak for my first adult climbing adventure. I like to think that I've made dandy progress over the year. In the rightmost autobelay lane in this picture is a route of blue holds. They're quite slopey, and I find it very tricky. It's rated 5.9, but I find it even more difficult than the 5.10- that took me nineteen times to conquer.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f3.5, 1/250 sec, ISO 3200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 September 21
On 2022 August 25th I'd snapped a photo of these illuminated trees , a bokeh shot with the glimmering lights artfully out of focus. I was politely told to please provide a sharper photo next time. Well, here it is.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f5.8, 1/80 sec, ISO 6400
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 September 26
We're skipping ahead a few days from the previous photo, but showing the same place. What a difference those few days made! On 2022 September 24th Nova Scotia was walloped by Hurricane Fiona just as it transitioned to a post-tropical storm. It was my wish for more wind coming back to haunt me! Trees came down all over the province, including on the line to those pretty lights. Somehow, they stayed lit.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f4.5, 1/200 sec, ISO 6400
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 September 28
Here's another spot of storm damage, between my apartment and the climbing gym. It's an incongruent combination, Halifax being "Canada's city of trees" and also "Canada's city of hurricanes". You may notice that there are a few gaps in the photo log. Those are from a combination of being too swamped at work to take photos and a technical issue with my camera.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f3.5, 1/20 sec, ISO 6400, -0.3ev
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 September 29
After the big storm, it's nice to imagine being able to bubble-wrap our world. We can't of course. Still that doesn't mean bubble wrap isn't an interesting photographic subject.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 2.5 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 September 30
Back to the core subject of this post, here's another KAP shot. I've definitely still got a long way to improve, but I'm looking forward to the journey.
