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DMC-TS3 — 1/60 sec, f/3.3, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Wakeup Call
hotel at West Virginia's Pipestem Resort State Park
We just got back from a long weekend visiting my brother Alan and his family in Charlotte, North Carolina. On the way down from Ohio where we're spending the summer at my folk's, we stopped in West Virginia for some river rafting and a night at the hotel at Pipestem Resort State Park.
In the morning, we opened the curtains to find a friend outside...
The hotel had a pool, so we tried out my new Panasonic TS3 waterproof camera. It was too dim for good results with this camera (and frankly, being used to a semi-pro SLR, most everything about a point-n-shoot is painful for me), but someone was able to snap a shot of me launching Anthony from my shoulders...
After another four or so hours of driving, we finally arrived at Alan and Natalie's house....
Alan had his foot in a cast from some recent surgery, but the rest of us went swimming a couple of times over the weekend, and that's where the camera got most of its use...
DMC-TS3 — 1/400 sec, f/4.2, ISO 160 — map & image data — nearby photos
Being Silly
off the diving board
DMC-TS3 — 1/400 sec, f/4.5, ISO 160 — map & image data — nearby photos
More Silliness
spinning backwards off the diving board
DMC-TS3 — 1/500 sec, f/5.9, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Natalie Exiting the Waterslide
DMC-TS3 — 1/800 sec, f/3.3, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
View From The Bottom
I was waiting upside-down at the bottom of the 9-foot pool
On the last evening, I went to bed but Alan and Anthony stayed up playing games until the Wii hours of the morning... Anthony didn't come to bed until 2am!.
We'd ended up staying an extra day to visit the pool a second time, so we didn't stop on the way back, making the 495 miles in an even eight hours.
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Panasonic DMC-TS3 — 1/250 sec, f/3.9, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looking Down on The New River
Hinton, West Virginia
( the name of the river is really “New River” )
Thanks to all who responded to my request the other day on something to do near Rt77 between Cleveland and Charlotte. I followed up on one of the suggestions and ended up stopping by Cantrell Ultimate Rafting in Hinton, West Virgina, for a two-man “duckie” (inflatable canoe) trip...
Panasonic DMC-TS3 — 1/60 sec, f/3.3, ISO 125 — map & image data — nearby photos
Heading To Our “Duckie”
Cantrell Ultimate Rafting, Hinton Basecamp
Panasonic DMC-TS3 — 1/200 sec, f/5.7, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dragonflies
More than I'd ever seen in my life
Then we headed a bit south to the Pipestem Resort State Park for the evening...
Panasonic DMC-TS3 — 1/60 sec, f/3.3, ISO 125 — map & image data — nearby photos
Hotel Scenery
West Virginia's Pipestem Resort State Park
Panasonic DMC-TS3 — 1/40 sec, f/3.3, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dinner
( at least for me )
We'll continue on tomorrow to visit my brother Alan and his family (Aunt Natalie and Titi)....
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Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/1250 sec, f/2, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Side Street
Gion Matsuri Festival, Kyoto Japan
Continuing with the series of photos from last month's Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto (first seen in this post), here are some more photos from the third day I went out to the evening street festival...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/1250 sec, f/2, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Karasuma Street
with Kyoto Tower and Kyoto Station in the background
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/640 sec, f/2, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Passing on the Right
Pink notices Dragonfly coming up from behind
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1 sec, f/5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
On Duty
long hand-held (braced) exposure described a bit on this post
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Festive Atmosphere
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Flow
intersection of Shijo and Karasuma
another braced long exposure
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/100 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Photo Op
The two colorful ladies were posing for a touristy-looking lady (seen at left). I'm not sure whether I'm more impressed by the shear volume of their hair, or their selection of shoes to accompany their traditional yukata: high-heel platforms for the one, purple Crocs for another.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 5600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Karasuma Street Again
packed with people and lined with vendors
The third day was by far the most packed with people, and it was a struggle to make progress walking in the street. So I moved off to a minor side street where it was more “festive” than “packed”, and sat down to enjoy a beer. (The small stool I'd used to get above the crowd was useful in that I could stop and sit down pretty much anywhere.)
Next to me while I was enjoying my beer was a well-dressed couple...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Apple-Juice Girl
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/80 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nice-Watch Man
later I moved to the front steps of the main post office on Sanjo Street...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 — 1/100 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Moment Away From the Crowds
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mini Procession
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/100 sec, f/2, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gongs and Drums
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/100 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
and Flutes
Later still, with my evening winding down, I came across a Spanish Restaurant selling a beer & ham combo from the parking lot next to their place....
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Spanish Beer and Ham
and daddy's little helper
Combined with my stool sitting right in the street, and a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere, I took my time and enjoyed two helpings of ham (but passed on the second beer, having already had more than my fill).
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Next week, I'm going to be making a round-trip drive with Anthony on US-77, roughly between Cleveland OH and Charlotte NC. I'd like to stretch the trip out with stops of interest to an 8-year-old boy... any suggestions for things along the way that are not too far from our route along US-77?
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Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/11, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mountain Fern
I've been crazy busy lately with my Lightroom plugins, a transpacific flight (complicated by a back that went out 10 minutes before leaving for the airport :-(), visiting with family, and fending off jetlag. Posts will likely be sparse for a while.
It's been a while since I posted anything from the Uji mountain trips I made a couple of months ago. (The first trip produced a bunch of posts starting with “Exquisite Beauty Growing Like a Weed by the Side of the Road”; the second trip's posts started with “Pleasant Little Village in Uji”.)
On that second trip, after leaving Ice-Cream Girl, while winding our way up through some uninhabited mountain roads, near a pass I briefly noticed a flash of railing disappearing into the woods. Curious, I backed up.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/1000 sec, f/4.5, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Railing Disappearing To the Left
It seemed quite out of place, so I had to investigate...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looks Inviting!
The stairs disappeared up into the overgrowth, and were covered with a thick spongy layer of moss...
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/800 sec, f/4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Destination Unknown
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Thick
Halfway up there was a small landing, then another flight that added a bed of dried pine needles over the moss...
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/800 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Like a Layer of Frosting
on top of a layer of frosting
At the top, there was nothing of interest. Absolutely nothing.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/800 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
at the top:
Nondescript Woods
I'd guess that all the trees were less than 20 or 30 years old, which also feels about how long the stairs had been unused, so perhaps long ago this was some kind of cleared observation area: without the growth, it probably would have had a commanding view of the little village with the Ice-Cream Girl cafe.
Still, there was no sign of human activity beyond the last step, so it felt quite eerie.
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
View From the Top
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/800 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Zoomed View
down to the mid-level landing, and beyond that, to Paul Barr
Near the bottom of the stairs were some ferns. I'm a sucker for ferns.
