Picspam

[kribu]

Went for a short walk in Kadriorg yesterday after work with mum, who brought my camera along - still with the macro lens attached.

I have to admit that while I wouldn't pick it as the walk-along lens to bring with me on a holiday, I'm starting to enjoy the rather odd fixed focal length (135mm equivalent - imagine the field of view sort of stuck on the 4x zoom point for compact cameras), as it both limits what I can shoot but also makes me look around more for targets suited to that field of view. And it's a very, very fine lens - I'm really loving the colours and the sharpness.

Click for larger pics.



It's duckling time. Have seen lots of little ones at various bodies of water the last few weeks. Some are still so tiny! And so very adorable.



Random pigeons.



Random seagull posing.



There was a wedding party in the Kadriorg palace gardens at the same time we got there, so I took the opportunity to snap some random people pics. (I'm really not good with people - this seemed a good chance to practice, nice and far away. And with lots of people with cameras around, it didn't look too odd, either.)



Random kid checking out the fountain. Erm.



Fountain.



Oak leaves.



Another fountain, with some reflections on the edge.



Another random wedding party snap.



The path from the palace to the sea.



Er... some sort of thrush, I think.



A random small hand/arm on the ground.



Side of an old shed.

Am hoping to get some quality reading time at last this weekend. Last week was pretty bad work-wise - started getting a bit dizzy too often, so I tried to limit my computer time at home, sticking to LJ and reading news and such instead of lengthier things.

Am also seriously considering the SSHG exchange. Damn scared, but too tempted. And I've even managed to think of some prompts, which I fear suck, but ... maybe I'll still come up with better ones, too. Just worried that the muses & plot bunnies will not be cooperative, but on the other hand... I should manage something short at least, surely? And I was really tempted to join the last time already, when I'd not even written anything at all yet, so I'm thinking I'd end up regretting it too much if I didn't this time.

Comments

[beffeysue.livejournal.com]

The photos you're able to take with that lens are crisp and sharp. Great detail of main subjects!!! It's obvious why you like it.
Beth

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Crisp, exactly, yes! I love zoom lenses for the convenience, but they can't really compete fully. Although I did have good light yesterday, too.

Thank you!

[ghostgum]

The clarity of these pics is incredible.

And that palace looks awfully familiar - which just goes to show, i guess, that they built them very similar at that period! :)

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Isn't it just? Any issues I've had are purely user incompetence with this one - getting the exposure or focus a bit wrong, and so on. *hugs new lens*

And indeed - baroque was quite standardised all over Europe, really (the regional variations tend to be much less easy to tell apart than with, say, gothic or renaissance). And the Kadriorg palace (Peter the Great's summer residence) had an Italian architect, IIRC.

[juno-magic.livejournal.com]

Beautiful pictures!

And I'm also wibbling about the exchange. Do you have any idea how many prompts I will need to come up with?

[septentrion1970.livejournal.com]

Last time, we were asked three writing prompts and three art prompts.

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I think it was three and three last time, yes, as Septentrion says. So best have at least that many ready.

[septentrion1970.livejournal.com]

Wow that lens makes very great pictures!

Go for the exchange. You've proven with the drabbles that you can write a story.

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Doesn't it just? Really lovely, crisp and with good colours. The lens does make a difference.

I don't think I'd feel very secure if it was just drabbles, but at least I did manage the measuring tape ficlet... which wasn't a drabble and was over 1900 words.

[septentrion1970.livejournal.com]

That should be proof enough for the mods :D

[kribu.livejournal.com]

I'd hope so! That was one reason why I decided to give it a go, really - both to see whether I could do it, and also to have something to show as evidence, as I figured drabble series wouldn't count (as indeed they won't - and I hadn't done anything non-drabble that was longer than 700 words before).

[alienor77310.livejournal.com]

Great photos. I totally adore the posing seagull :-)

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The seagull was very obliging, indeed.

[ayerf.livejournal.com]

Lovely pics! The fountain one with the girl and the statue is very erm-ish, isn't it. Think that some-sort-of-thrush might be a starling. Has the iridescent look to it. Me likey the reflections, and the birdses.

Yay for the exchange! Hmm. Guess I'd better think up some prompts.

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Quite erm-ish, yes... and yes, I think you're right. I drew a blank there because I've rarely seen them so close.

Prompts are tricky, aren't they?

[bluestocking79.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous pics! I like something about each of them, but the ones that fascinate me most are the close-up of the dripping water in the fountain and the small arm in the dust, which tickles my sense of humor. And what adorable ducklings!

Re: the Exchange... do it. I know you can do it. You've proven that you can write, and if you've already come with some some prompts, then you've already put more thought and consideration into them than some people do. :-) I was wibbly about it last year, but I was very glad I did it.

[kribu.livejournal.com]

The small arm reminded me of the dead babies and shooting rampages I'm supposed to indulge in...

Ducklings are always adorable! They're just so utterly cute little balls of fluff.

Yes, but... you're good! And you can write! *continues wibbling*

[bluestocking79.livejournal.com]

Duckling are completely adorable. I used to work in a building that had a glassed-in atrium in the center, and a bunch of ducklings hatched in the garden one summer. We got to watch them grow up through the windows! A bunch of people even brought in a little wading pool for them.

And you're awfully kind about me! ~blushes~ The thing is, I hadn't actually written much of anything when I signed up for the Exchange last year, so it was basically a matter of seeing whether I could do it at all. So I was feeling very wibbly and a great deal like you are now. You at least have a completed short story! (And a quite enjoyable one, too. *g*)

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Awww, that sounds so sweet! Ducklings are my favourite baby birds, really.

I'm still terrified of anything that sounds like plot... but I'm hoping that when put in a place where I need to come up with something, I will. And what Shiv mentioned the other day about encouraging more shorter stories... that would be good for me, too, as I rather doubt I'd manage to come up with a novel!

Signing up to something shouldn't be this scary... but I assume it gets easier with practice. :-D

[bluestocking79.livejournal.com]

It does get easier with practice, although I have to admit that when the piece I wrote for last year was actually posted, my heart was in my mouth. I was extremely nervous. But I got over it, and so will you.

I had the same terror of plot! I think it's a good thing that the emphasis won't be on novel-length fics this time, too. If people havea novel-length story to tell, then that's fabulous, but a fic should really only be as long (or short) as it has to be to tell the story, and anyway, I think people were swamped by all the reading and developing 'long fic fatigue.' If there's a mix of story lengths, then hopefully there will be more reviewing, and both the authors and readers will feel less overwhelmed.

[kribu.livejournal.com]

I had that heart-in-mouth feeling really badly after putting my first drabble on GS100, and then after submitting my first thing to the archives... it definitely got easier with both after those first times!

I do hope there will be fabulous novel-length stories this time too - there have been some utterly fantastic ones. But yes, overall, I wouldn't mind seeing more shorter ones as a reader - the last time, I was a bit swamped with work and stuff, so I tended to jump at the shorter fics and devour those, while leaving the long ones for later.

I did bookmark everything and think I eventually managed to read nearly all of them, bar a few of the longer threesomes, but with some of the longer stories, it took me several weeks after they were posted. But it really was hard on occasion to give the longer stories the attention they deserved, as the sheer amount of reading to do did get a bit overwhelming. (Not that I'm complaining - I found plenty to like in most of the stories in the last round.)

[firefly-124.livejournal.com]

Awesome pics! The fountain one made me think of Jackie Tyler asking, "Is there anything else he's got two of?" *snicker* Who is that, btw? If I didn't know where the photo was taken, I'd guess Poseidon or Neptune, but I imagine it would be a different God in your neck of the woods.

And you should totally participate in the exchange!

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Heee. Indeed. And I'm fairly sure it's supposed to be Neptune. We don't really have any comparable gods! And it's a baroque garden and all.

I'm about 99% determined to do it... but might still chicken out yet before signing up. Hope not though!

[cck-brit.livejournal.com]

Wow, those pictures are amazingly clear and sharp. Love the fountain ones, especially the one with reflections!

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The weather was on my side, too. And I do have a soft spot for reflections.

[sc010f.livejournal.com]

Lovely! As usual!

I think the seagull vogue-ing was my favorite.

I'll wibble with you about the exchange. . .

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I really liked the seagull, too.

You're participating first time too, yes? Yay!

[sc010f.livejournal.com]

I'm giving it serious thought.

And the more thought I give it, the more nervous/excited I get.

[kribu.livejournal.com]

I know just that feeling... on the one hand, I'm excited and really want to, on the other hand, I'm utterly terrified!

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

I love the fountain with reflections on the edge. I think the "thrush" may be a starling - and it's a nice photo.
If you are wibbling about the exchange, talk directly to Shiv - she'll help as much as she can, and only gets merciless with evildoers.

[kribu.livejournal.com]

I think you and Ayerf are right about it being a starling, yes. Don't generally get so close to them, they tend to be fairly shy most of the time.

I'd never dare to be an evildoer... if I do commit, I'd do my best to do everything properly.

[britt-1975.livejournal.com]

Those pictures are amazing!!! I'm completely in awe. My favorite has as much to do with the caption as the picture. "The path from the palace to the sea" Beautiful picture and the caption just sounds poetic to me.

You should definitely do the exchange!

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I'm still very much learning as far as photography goes, but taking pics is something I really love doing.

Thank you for the encouragement - I wonder if all newbies find it so terrifying or if it's just me, heh. But it would hopefully be a great experience.

[britt-1975.livejournal.com]

The first time I did it, I was terrified. I consider SS/HG writers some of the most talented, so writing for that crowd was, to me, intimidating. But everyone was SO nice.

I wish I had your eye for finding interesting compositions to photograph. Mine are always just boring. Ah well. :-))

[kribu.livejournal.com]

I consider SS/HG writers some of the most talented, so writing for that crowd was, to me, intimidating.

I know! That's about the scariest part of the whole thing - not so much whether I can produce a story, but being scared of how much it will suck compared to the general level of the whole thing...

Finding interesting things gets easier with practice! As for compositions, walking around with a prime lens really does force one to think about composition more. Zooms are convenient but also tend to make one (me anyway!) lazier, giving less thought to what is important or where to position yourself.

[dreamy-dragon73.livejournal.com]

Great pics. And the ducklings are so cute.

Go for the exchange. I'm sure you'll be fine!

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And yes, they're just totally adorable.

Thanks for the vote of confidence! Wish I wasn't so ... wibbly. I mean, it's not like anyone is forcing me to!

[dreamy-dragon73.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean.
I participated last time, and still I'm feeling all wibbly too about the idea of doing it again. What if I have no idea what to do with my prompts? What if my recipient hates her prezzie? I wonder if that's part of the exchange ;)

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Exactly! The bit about disappointing the recipient is the most worrisome, really. Never mind worrying about whether whoever gets my prompts likes them or feels inspired by them.

I suppose a bit of anxiety can be a good thing, though... keeps you from taking things too lightly!

[dhw]

Go for it. You know you're going to regret it if you don't sign up.

I don't know what I ma going to do this year. Depending on the whole time of things, I might not be able to take part. *sighs* I'm going to have a go at writing a really bare-bones story and then see if I can twist it to the prompt so that I can still take part. I just hope that it works. I really enjoyed it last time (even though I nearly burnt out on the story).

[kribu.livejournal.com]

I think it's the very likely regretting factor that is going to make me do it, yes. If only because I did sort of regret not joining the last time, and that was when I hadn't even written a single drabble yet.

It's a pity the timing might suck for you. I did enjoy your story in the last round - as much as I love cheery fluff, it was wonderful to have something different, too! - and would certainly hope you could participate again!

[ozymandiasrex.livejournal.com]

The photos are wonderful. I love the pics of the wedding parties, especially the one with the couple around the tree. :) The little arm is fascinating as well...and is that Guido on the light? ;)

And give in to your temptation...you know you want to.

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The wedding party provided plenty of photo opportunities (not that they were aware of that, I hope!).

Might be Guido, although I'm more inclined to think it was Bruno. ;-)

I very much suspect I will... if I come down with a nervous breakdown in the coming weeks/months, you'll know the reason. ;-)

[http://users.livejournal.com/phistolemon_/]

those pictures are super sharp o___o the fountain/water pictures are especially beautiful. you found some great motives!


totally forgot that the sshg exchange is about to start again.. I think you should go for it. your drabbles have always been amazing, I'm sure you can come up with something great!

[kribu.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Very sharp, yes - had no need whatsoever to sharpen in post-processing, which I usually do a tiny bit (as resizing tends to make things a bit less sharp).

I think the announcement only really was yesterday... eek, still bloody scared, but I am fairly sure I'd regret it if I didn't, so best just jump in.