First Red-winged Blackbird

GNC Pond

The weather man this morning, 3-7-14, said something about "Breaking the Back of Winter."  I thought, "If only that could be true!"  The singing of the birds sounds like it.  Visually, I am afraid that I don't see it.

Speaking of birds, I heard my first Red-winged Blackbird this morning.  That's just me.  I'll bet they have been here before me.  I then saw one and finally, I photographed one.

Red-winged Blackbird

This male looked cold to me.  They are braver than I am.  It even sounded like he might be protecting his territory.

I felt like a deer or some other wild life this morning.  I will explain as soon as I get some images to share.

Larry's Images


Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 



If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Quartz/Lava

Quartz/Lava

The lower right portion is mostly lava with a thin coating of quartz.  I think that you can see it where the quartz is chipped away in the shape of a left pointing arrow.

Quartz/Lava Setup One

 I liked the "mystery" in the upper left portion, though I thought I would like more light there.

Quartz/Lava

I think that I achieved that goal with this shot and setup.

Quartz/Lave Setup Two

It looks to me like the Lava was injected into the quartz here.

I am not sure that the bottom light achieved anything in this setup.

Larry's Images

Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Chalcedony/Metamorphic?

Chalcedony/Metamorphic?

The green rock in the upper right has layers.  That says to me, "Sedimentary."  I am pretty sure that Sedimentary rock can not exist in juxtaposition to the other kinds of rock without metamorphosis occurring.  As a result, I think that the rock in the upper right hand corner is some kind of metamorphosed sedimentary rock.  The rock in the lower left appears to me to have occurred in two stages.  The red, some form of quartz, came first and then the white, quartz, was injected while it was hot.  What do you think?

Chalcedony/Metamorphic

I purposely left the bottom edge with a white background to see what effect it would have on the final image.  I have made images that I felt were executed well but were not grounded, they seemed to float.  This one does not suffer from that short coming in my opinion.  What do you think?

Chalcedony/Metamorphic Setup

The purpose of the light box in my setup was to enhance the translucent quartz.  The top light provided lighting for the non light transmitting material.  

Larry's Images


Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Calcedony?

Calcedony

This rock came from the bag I bought.  I thought it lovely primarily because of the yellowish coloration in the lower right.  I thought it added interest.

Calcedony Camera Setup

I wanted bottom light to accentuate the translucent quality of the yellow and white.  They were right at the edge of the piece so setting them on the light box was a built in solution.

At first, I used 1/60 and f/16, a reasonable place to start, but then I wondered if I could enhance the yellow by strengthening the bottom light.  The bottom light has only on/off control so I had to make the adjustment in camera.

Calcedony

The adjustment that I made was to increase the use of ambient light, that from the bottom.  I increased it from 1/60 to 3 seconds, about 7.5 stops.  The ec went from - 8.5 to -1.  fec did not change.  I think that you can see the change in the yellow.

Scale

I used a Sigma 105 mm lens with full set Kenko extension tubes, 68 mm.  This provides a 2.21 x on the sensor image.

Larry's Images

Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Geode-like Crystals

Geode-like Crystals

The scenario coming to my mind about this piece is that it flowed together while hot and cooled at the same time.  Small crystals, which this contains, means realatitively quick cooling.  This would have been a "chunky" ejection, an explosive ejecta.

Geode-like Crystals Setup

I used my Sigma 105 mm mounted on a full set of Kenko extension tubes and a Canon 500D closeup filter to photograph this.  This setup, by my calculations, provides 2.78 x on the sensor.

Larry's Images


Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 



If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Quartz-Lava

Quartz Lava?

This is another shot of the piece from yesterday.  Parts of this, appear to me, to be lava.  It looks like the quartz or chalcedony flowed in over the lava.

I used my CN-160 led light for this video.  I shot at f/11 and 30 frames per sec.  I use AVS4U software for movies.  I used the following setup.

Quartz/Lava Movie Setup

I bought the above light not long after I bought a camera capable of movies.  I liked the price but it is a low end light and not only have I wished for a more powerful one but I have wished for a second light.  I have yet to get the money together for either.

Scale for Movie

 I used my Sigma 105mm on 32mm of extension tubes.  By my calculations, it provided 1.05 x on the sensor.

 Larry's Images

Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

"Rocks" Evoke Thoughts of Places

Quartz Lava

I set out yesterday to record thoughts evoked by the rocks I had photographed the previous day.  Below is a place which came to mind as I examined these rocks.

Flower Steam Vent

Dallol

                        

Thanks to Jack and Jill Travel for the use of these images from Ethopia.  Dallol is part of the Afar Depression and is about 400 ft. below sea level.  The peaks in the background on the left are part of the caldera of an enormous volcano.  It is a geothermically active place like Yellowstone in the USA.

I have no idea from where the "quartz lava" at the top came, I would guess it came from somewhere in the USA.  The ground around the steam vent forming the flower at the right is lava.

Quartz Lava Setup

I used my Sigma 105 mm lens and two Kenko extension tubes totaling 22 mm for the shot at the top.  

I spent time with my Rocks and Minerals book by Chris Pellant this morning to try to confirm whether my "thoughts" had any connection to reality.  I came away from that exercise thinking they did.  The rounded quartz-like formations surrounding the lava could be Chalcedony having a mammillary habit.

I even created a video for a better look at that piece which I will show tomorrow.

If you get a chance look up Dallol.  The geology is not unlike Yellowstone and very interesting.

                 Larry's Images

Follow Larry's Images on Facebook. 


If you wish to unsubscribe, email to larry@larrysimages.com with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.