Skywatch Friday

I took a walk through Vale Cemetery.  It was one of those cold, bright afternoons and the wind had that bite that presages the full onset of winter.  There are often a gang of crows here, and this afternoon they were raucous - they'd land in one tree, call to each other and then fly to another tree, repeatedly.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	8.0
Focal Length	25.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 50.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/320
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	160
Advanced Scene Mode	Intelligent Auto (5)
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

This cloud was almost exactly over my house; I don't often get to see sunbeams and this was quite a treat.  The birds flying by were a bonus!

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	8.0
Focal Length	16.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 32.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/1000
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	160
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Sunset

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/100
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	160
Advanced Scene Mode	Sunset (7)
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/160
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

Yesterday was the Fourth of July.  In the US, it is officially called Independence Day but I don't know anyone who actually says that.  The 4th has somehow become a day of outdoor grilling, picnics and at dusk... fireworks.  Fireworks are illegal in the state of New York, and theoretically, only specially licenced fireworks technicians are allowed to put on shows.  And there are a lot of shows in the area, the biggest one being at the Empire State Plaza in Albany.

We didn't go there.  Lately, downtown Albany has been too much of a madhouse to go there so we've been going to East Greenbush, which overlooks the Plaza.

We didn't go there, either.  It was a long, hot day - over 90F (32C) and we were hot, tired and cranky.  The kiddo insisted on seeing fireworks though, and he and my better half headed off in the car.  The neighbourhood had been popping, sparking, booming and BLAMming for days, so it's no real surprise that they stopped just a few streets away to watch the locals doing their thing.  He was very happy, which made us happy too.

In the mean time, the people on the State Street end of our street were having a show of their own.  Remember, this is all quite illegal - imagine what would happen if one of these rockets landed on a roof and set the house afire.  Their show went on for about a half an hour, and there were literally people on all sides of me doing the same thing.

This is one of those shots.  I was using the Minolta MD 50mm f/1.4 wide open for photos before this one, but I didn't like how blobby the photos were turning out.  No matter where I put the shutter speed, between 1/4 and 1/10 of a second, the rocket's were just... blobs of colour.  Nice colour, but still blobs.  So I stopped the lens down to f/4 and used one second exposures and rather prefer the results.  Thought I'd share that in the hopes that I'll be able to look it up next time I want to know what worked :-)

Today is Friday, and that means it's Skywatch Friday.  Please click the link to see the skies from round the world.

Lens	Minolta MD 50mm f/1.4
F Number	4.0
Focal Length	50.0 mm
Exposure Time	1
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

Sunset in the city.  This is facing east, where the sun's last rays illuminate distant clouds.

Many photo bloggers from round the world post a photo of their sky of Friday - visit Skywatch Friday to see them all!

F Number	5.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	26.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 52.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/50
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

I haven't done a Skywatch Friday in a while.  This was a cool 22 degree halo around the sun.  I didn't realise there was a name for this until I tried looking it up!

Please click on the link to see beautiful photos of the sky taken by people round the world.

F Number	18.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/800
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

I haven't done a Skywatch Friday in a while, and this sky just spoke to me.  I walked out the back door and to my left (southwest) - the front.  To my right (northeast) stunning, clear, cloudless sky.  The demarcation was so strong I had to go back inside and snap a few photos.  It took 2 snaps to get it all, which meant making a panorama.

Click the link to see some amazing skies from round the world!

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/640
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	125
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

Some days the sky is a uniform grey.  The leaves are almost all gone from the trees now, but the squirrels somehow manage to collect a big clump of leaves for their nest.


A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/200
Shooting Mode	Program
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/250
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

I took this photo because of those two scruffy birds.  Yes, they're pigeons.  Common, everyday pigeons.  When I was a lad (oh, here we go...) no, wait a minute.  When I was young, it seemed that every house had pigeons on the roof.  There were pigeons in the street, pigeons eating breadcrumbs on the sidewalk, pigeons everywhere.  But as an adult (who, me?) I don't see many of these birds.  In fact, I see more hawks here at my house than I see pigeons.  Apparently, whatever it is that eats pigeons has multiplied.  It's probably hawks.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

Lens	Minolta MD 50mm f/1.4
F Number	unrecorded
Focal Length	50.0 mm
Exposure Time	1/400
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

This was taken a few weeks ago atop Mt Greylock, MA.  I was up there for the September VHF radio contest.  I'm usually very busy up there, but I try to make time to walk around and see the sights.  Greylock is such a beautiful place!  On this day, the fog and clouds were just gorgeous- I had to go back for the camera.  I passed two people doing tai chi exercises and thought the morning sun and the quiet clouds below were a perfect accompaniment.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	14.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/500
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	125
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

This photo was taken at the downtown Greenmarket on the 8th of July.  The clouds were much more dramatic then than they are right now.  After weeks of unrelenting sun, the sky is completely overcast today. Maybe we'll get a soaking rain - we can use it.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	24.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 48.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/1000
Exposure Program	Aperture-priority AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Sunset in the Helderbergs

Driving up along the Helderberg Escarpment, and saw this fabulous sunset.  I must have taken 50 photos!  It was so hard to choose just one to post, but I like the farm silhouette here.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	6.3
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/160
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Setting sun on cloud

Taken on our way to see the fireworks on the 4th.  I decided to tr out my much loved Minolta MD 50mm f1.4 lens.  I'd forgotten how wonderful those 35mm film lenses feel!


A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

Lens	Minolta MD 50mm f1.4
F Number	1.4
Focal Length	50.0 mm
Exposure Time	1/400
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

It's going to be hot today.  It rained last night, and the ground is wet this morning.  There's not a cloud in the sky and it's one of those days when even the insects are trying to find a break from the sun at 8:00 in the morning.  Hot and humid.  Summer in upstate New York.  I always think of the people who work outside on days like this, the roofers, the lawn people, power company crews, farmers and the one person who's out there in every kind of weather, the postman.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	6.3
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/400
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Transit of Venus sky

The 2012 transit is over - I'm sure there are many fine images and movies of it.  I imagine Capt Cook would be astonished at the modern technology we applied to this event compared to his trip to Tahiti.  But one thing hasn't changed: there's still weather to contend with.  Here in the Schenectady area, we had solid overcast skies all day, with just a bit of a break around 5:00 PM.  This is what that break looked like.  Fortunately, I had two nice openings just as it began and just as the sun was about to sink below the horizon.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/500
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	800
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

This post is on auto-pilot.

Skywatch Friday

We were outside enjoying the nice weather; my oldest was grilling up dinner, the sun was going down and the sky was filled with... contrails?  Apparently it was a harmonic convergence of airplanes.  These contrails all point east-west.  Ish.  The plane in progress is moving east.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	6.3
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	21.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 42.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/160
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

Our annual visit to Pigliavento Greenhouses for Mother's Day.  Local plants, raised by a local farmer, destined for local gardens!

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/1600
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

A couple of rainy days and then... this! 

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/1600
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	400
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire