Day 191, PZA

The sound is definitely coming from down this hallway. The shadows aren't natural, they're shifting slightly, or maybe I'm just tired. 

There's something up ahead, just past the bend, calling out to me, calling my name...

Day 190, PZA

I must have dozed off for a day or so, maybe more. I don't have a watch so I don't know what time it is. Something startled me awake, my muscles are sore from sleeping on the floor, but I'm instantly alert.

This is the other wing, in the same condition as everything else. Some empty fire extinguishers litter the rooms, and insulation is everywhere.

The sound isn't a shambler, and it's not looters, but it's not natural either. I go further, baseball bat in hand, to investigate,

Day 189, PZA

I knew I was being an optimist here, the place is trashed out and anything of value has long since been taken. The kitchen has a number of fridges, including a huge walk-in, all of which are totally empty. Not even a twinkie wrapper. Water was from a well, but the motor isn't working. A few of the doors are locked from within, but there's no human smell, just the years of decay permeating the building.

Plenty of places to barricade though, so a good night's rest might be within the cards. Camera battery is holding strong, but of course there's no power here so I can't recharge. 

Day 188, PZA

I've checked out the surrounding area as best as I can. There are a number of exits, which is good, but that also means there are a number of entrances, which isn't so good. The outbuildings are too small and only have one way in (or out) so I've discounted those. There's a basement as well, but I'm not going anywhere near that.

I'll start back here and see what might be of use. The weather has been holding, which is good, makes walking a little easier. 

I don't hear anything from inside, and there's no signs anyone's been around for a long time, which is also good. The shamblers don't stick around where there's no food, so maybe, just maybe I can't catch some sleep.

Day 187, PZA

I've been walking for a long time. Car ran out of gas, 2 weeks ago, and there's not much out this way, which is why I chose the back route. I don't really know where I'm going, I just know I had to get away from the city. They cluster there, picking off the living who made a last stand in the confines of the high rises, the warehouses, the apartment blocks.

I'm tired, thirsty, and strung out. I can't sleep for more than a few minutes at a time, even one shambler is too much, can't let my guard down. God only knows what would happen if I ran into a pack of them.

Up ahead is a boarded up nursing home, looks solid from the front, but the back is another story, windows smashed out and doors open wide. It'll have to do, I can't keep going like this. Maybe I'll get lucky and find something good inside. The battery on my Nikon D2x lasts a long time, and I want to keep the journal alive, maybe someone out there can make use of what I've photographed. 

Feels Like The First Time

So apparently there are a number of Roller Derby teams in my city. We can't keep a football or baseball team here longer than a few years, but roller derby is thriving. Ok, fair enough. I went to my first bout the other day, figuring to try my hand at action shots.

Well it was like I was shooting for the first time, as all the pics were terrible. Well, it's experience. Here is a shot that didn't suck completely. I am reminded why I prefer landscape work over action.

At Long Last

I'd heard all about these. And finally, I had a chance to see them for myself, up close and personal at a local artist gathering.

Funny, but they don't look that angry to me.

Look At Me!

My Nikon D2x is not a quiet camera. When it goes "click" you know it, and in more than one instance, the horses seemed to know it as well, as evidenced from pictures like this where they were looking at me.

As cheap as it is to visit the races, as long as you don't place any wagers, I suspect I'll be back a few more times this year. 

Fancy Getup

In the harness races, there were two speeds, trotting and pacing. In an attempt to keep the horses from running amok, they wear, what looks like to me, handcuff harnesses. Not sure why they don't want runaway horses careening their riders into the audience, but for that I have to wait for the normal races in the Spring.

Expressions

I love this shot, the horse on the left is grinning, the rider is terrified ad the guy in the middle looks to be falling off his harness.

The weather was perfect for this, sunny with blue skies and white fluffy clouds.

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

So while Saturday was a wash, Sunday was fun. The local(ish) horse track had a open house day along with a county fair. It was 5 dollars a carload and you could get right down to the track to watch. Not too many people there so I had an unfettered view of the harness races.

Here are some of the fun shots from the day.

Lazy Llama

There was a Scottish Fest yesterday that promised, among other things, 55 exotic animals to see. Yeah, right. They had a pig, some rabbits, a sheep, a donkey, and a very fat llama. Hardly exotic, and hardly 55. The whole fest was gone through in about 5 minutes, and the llama was so lazy, it refused to get up to eat, instead laying down and stretching out for grass nearby.

In any event, here is Mr. Lazy Llama.

Apocalyptic City

Storms have been skirting my city and leaving interesting cloud formations in its wake, which is a nice change of pace from the usual formless sky w get.

Most of my planned photography outings yesterday fell through, but I did manage to capture the city from a few vantage points. There is a great flood wall lining the river, as apparently decades ago the lower downtown area was prone to flooding.

I have managed to find a way around the wall, and should be shooting from the rocks you see in the river, assuming the water stays low enough to get to them.

Colour shot from my Nikon D2x, converted to B/W, with a 50mm Macro lens

Lotus

Yeah it's a flower, and I don't shoot flowers, I find them boring (unless it's an orchid or something carnivorous in the act of eating.)

This was meant as a throwaway shot, testing out my son's new camera (A Canon 10d. Shhhhh! Don't tell no one I've touched Canon gear) but it came out well enough to put up here.

Noise

And I don't mean the music either. I have to admit, it wasn't the type of music I'd ever listen to on my own (let's face it, I'm an avowed metalhead) but it had moments of energy. 

Here is the accordion player in a moment of introspection. Still shot at ISO 1600, hence the softness from the noise.

Sing!

Local dive bar. Well okay not really, it was a trendy coffeehouse. No light to speak of, and I didn't want to use flash and upset the musicians. I've got closets larger than the "stage" area that they managed to cram 6 musicians into. Not much room for me to work with, and the pics are noisy from lack of light (can you say ISO 1600? I knew you could!) but the 50mm shines as usual.

Bats In The Attic

I pierce her tender skin
I’m dragging her in sin.
She’s still alive
But she is now in my control
And I know our souls will stay together,
This feeling lives forever
Just like a curse

Three bat pictures, one for each verse of a favourite song of mine, obviously entitled "Bats in the Attic" by Interitus Dei.
Nikon D2x, 800 ISO and my Nifty Fifty opened wide.

Bats In The Attic

Flying so low around me
One hundred eyes glow inside me
Draining my blood
Like the bats in my attic.
Like darkness they show around me
One hundred eyes glow inside me!
Bats in the attic

Bats in the Attic

The flapping of my wings,
Alone in bed she sings.
Like the king of the night
I fly off reality
And I know
Our souls will stay together
This feeling lives forever
Just like a curse

I Don't Fit In Here

So much for the camouflage theory.

Stunning animal all the same. Will photograph him again when it snows here next, which should be somewhere around the end of the world.

You Talkin To Me?

I'm standing here; you make the move. You make the move. It's your move... 

You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the heck else are you talking... you talking to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the heck do you think you're talking to? Oh yeah? OK.

Model Monkey

I don't remember taking this picture, but then again I took so many at the zoo I was bound to run across one or two I'd forgotten about.

The monkey looks very shy, which I think adds to the strength of the shot.

Just Plain Cute

African penguins. They showed no fear of me, and were more than happy to be silly for the camera. Shame I couldn't feed them which is probably what they were hoping for.

Sorry little guy, next time I'll bring some fish.

Speaking of Impossible

Static subject, whole new range of problems. For one, the glass was incredibly scratched up and dirty, for two, the subject was backlit.

I'd chuck this picture except he's too cute not to put up here.

Fast Friends

I must have burned half a battery trying to catch the little fellow in full glory. long tail, bright red body and way to fast. Did not sit still at all, for anybody there, but it would tease once in a while. This is the best shot I could get of it.

Up Close and Personal

Nothing like a day of challenges to keep my photography skills polished. If it wasn't the rain, then it was the 6 inch (scared) glass keeping the tiger(s) from eating the onlooker(s), in this case, me.

I am still pleased that not too much was lost in definition from the glass (or armoured plastic, I'm not entirely certain either way) but I know the pic could be sharper if I could get up close and personal with the tigers.

Maybe one day.

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Nikon D1x - Human Tested

Budgie Approved

Case In Point

Behold! The power of ISO 3200! (Or something like that)

I'm not sure what these guys are (I think they are birds, but don't quote me on that) but they sat still enough for a shot. It was overcast, as I had mentioned before, and they were in shadow, couple this with a non-too fast lens (f/5.6) and cranking the ISO up was my only choice.

Hooray for choice!

Job Security

So the weather forecast for the weekend started off with Saturday being fine, and the rest of the three day holiday being rainy. I have simply got to have the weatherman's job, it's the only job I know where you can consistently be wrong and still get paid.

Saturday is started out raining, and today it's nice. Go figure.

In any event, Saturday I went to the local zoo. It's a private operation so it's not as large as the National zoo, but then again it's a lot closer and less crowded.

Since it was overcast, I had to push my Nikon D2x again, often up to 3200 ISO, but most of the time I was shooting in the 400-800 range. As expected, the Nikon did great.

The images are in no particular order, just as I've gotten to them.

Most, if not all the animals have been rescues from other places, so they are somewhat of a "scratch and dent" collection. Enjoy!