Bill's Eclecti-lection of snaps..

[bill_bly_ca]

The Moon from a few days back...

First Big moon of 2014 - DSC00982

Date Taken: 2014-01-14 18:59:38
Camera Make: SONY
Camera Model: NEX-3
Lens: 500mm F8 Reflex
Focal Length: 500 mm
Mode: Manual
Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Time: 0.001 sec (1/1000)
ISO: 1600

[Just Plain John Wayne]

I really like this one, Matter of fact I think I see lights on the surface like there is life there...

You think Alice Crandon set up house keeping on it?

[bill_bly_ca]

So another Family Day (Engineered stat Holiday by the current government to stay elected) passed on Monday.

We went to the Falls again because of a real good deal for an overnight stay..

Couple shots of the falls and I had a casual stroll in an abandoned neighbourhood close to the Niagara Falls bus station. Daughter was taking the bus from school in Toronto and the rest of the family was not interested for a walk in the lovely -12C weather.

Even in an abandoned neighbourhood you get at at least a few.. "How's it going Eh" from people walking buy.

What struck me (and I would have taken a picture if not for the fear of being shot) is that the Whirlpool bridge from Niagara Canada to Niagara US now has 15' steel wall erected in about 40m of each side.. Topped with razor wire... I can imagine a Stalag like view at night when a train passed over with opening doors, search light and armer guards visible in the shadows..

There was a hell of a lot of ice at the base.

Still no ETA on a visit down to nica yet.. Things slide - Other things pop up and the price of tickets has become downright NASTY lately..

Anyways..

Abandoned Niagara - DSC06760

Post office from Mid 1800's to the 1950's - Then Police station until 1978 - Has been empty for many years.
Date Taken: 2014-02-16 16:00:07
Camera Make: SONY
Camera Model: SLT-A99V
Lens: 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM
Focal Length: 24 mm
Mode: Aperture-priority AE
Aperture: f/4.0
Exposure Time: 0.002 sec (1/640)
ISO: 100

Abandoned Niagara - Empire Building - DSC06751

Date Taken: 2014-02-16 15:55:14
Camera Make: SONY
Camera Model: SLT-A99V
Lens: 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM
Focal Length: 45 mm
Mode: Aperture-priority AE
Aperture: f/4.0
Exposure Time: 0.001 sec (1/800)
ISO: 100

Abandoned Niagara - Empire Building - DSC06762

Date Taken: 2014-02-16 16:01:59
Camera Make: SONY
Camera Model: SLT-A99V
Lens: 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM
Focal Length: 24 mm
Mode: Aperture-priority AE
Aperture: f/4.0
Exposure Time: 0.017 sec (1/60)
ISO: 250


US Falls - DSC06820

In camera high contrast JPEG B&W
Date Taken: 2014-02-17 17:40:28
Camera Make: SONY
Camera Model: SLT-A99V
Lens: 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM
Focal Length: 26 mm
Mode: Aperture-priority AE
Aperture: f/4.0
Exposure Time: 0.001 sec (1/800)
ISO: 100


This one actually folds out to 7,000 pixels by 2,000 when you click down..

Niagara - Ice - Pano - DSC06824

7K x 2K image
Date Taken: 2014-02-17 17:41:34
Camera Make: SONY
Camera Model: SLT-A99V
Lens: 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM
Focal Length: 30 mm
Mode: Program AE
Aperture: f/7.1
Exposure Time: 0.005 sec (1/200)
ISO: 100

[bill_bly_ca]

Interesting.. I looked for images of the gate and found out it is the Michigan Central Rail bridge that has the gates.. It has been closed with no tracks for a few years now and I could have walked up and looked around all I like.. Next time..

[Richit]

Nice set Bill, Do they have any tours or anything like that for the tesla turbine generator tunnels(I saw a program about it awhile back)? nice to explore with out the crowds in the summer.

[Daddy-YO]

What struck me (and I would have taken a picture if not for the fear of being shot) is that the Whirlpool bridge from Niagara Canada to Niagara US now has 15' steel wall erected in about 40m of each side.. Topped with razor wire... I can imagine a Stalag like view at night when a train passed over with opening doors, search light and armer guards visible in the shadows..

It's not so much that Americans have become more fascist recently. It's more a case of the country temporarily being run by silly stupid people. A short ways downstream from the Falls it's an easy crossing by boat.

My little Nica woman & I enjoyed the Falls immensely this last summer. Took the boat right up to the Canadian Falls and traipsed all over the gringo side. Got tons of snaps somewhere & videos of us in mist & roar saying inane greetings to the fam back in tropical Leon.

[bill_bly_ca]

@Richit - That would be Sir Adam Beck.. New turbines spooled up last year after new tunnel was bored from above the falls.. I would like to go but it is too geeky for the family.. Beck

@Daddy-yo - You will find this amusing - Man swims Detroit river..

[Richit]

@bill I guess I am thinking of the old power plant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZLEjRW2k-s

[bill_bly_ca]

@bill I guess I am thinking of the old power plant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZLEjRW2k-s

Ahh...

Link

Epilogue

Most of the station's underground components remain in place, though work performed by Kiewit Sons Co. in 2006 to prepare the building for transfer to the Niagara Parks Commission has sealed the majority of their access points, including the inlets of the Nos. 1 and 2 Distributor conduits. The powerhouse itself has been completely cleared of its turbines and control equipment, leaving it a dusty, empty space. The photos linked on this page are among the last records of what the plant's structures looked like before being sealed or renovated.

[bill_bly_ca]

Wow - 5 yrs since I updated this one - I have let my snapping lapse - Here are some shots from the island....

This is an embedded code from flickr - Lets see if that works...

Gore Bay Manitoulin Island Ontario by Bill Blyleven, on Flickr

[bill_bly_ca]

A small stream we ran across on our travels on the island

Fall stream - Manitoulin Island by Bill Blyleven, on Flickr

[bill_bly_ca]

This was just outside Sudbury on a -3C morning - Mist rising from the lake

Lively Ontario Late October Morning by Bill Blyleven, on Flickr

[bill_bly_ca]

Chilo before Romeo Santos concert in March 2018....

Chilo_DSC7600 by Bill Blyleven, on Flickr

[bill_bly_ca]

A water fall in Boaco. Close to Wilma and Freddy's house - Family friends of over 30 yrs..

Salto de la cotorra - Boaco Nicaragua - DSC05068 by Bill Blyleven, on Flickr

[Jonh]

Great pictures!

[kwah2249]

Very nice photos!

[bill_bly_ca]

So now time to think what to bring this time camera wise

Still debating the mule down of camera gear that will reside permanently in the house. I am thinking for sure it will be the older full depreciated gear - My first DSLR is now 11 yrs old. maybe 3 or 4 lenses.

So this picture was taken with a lens I bought 5 yrs ago but with a (used) camera with a higher pixel count I bought last week. The Sony a7RII will probably stay up here

It was a nice crisp -12C for this pix..

DSC00125_DxO by Bill Blyleven, on Flickr

[el duende grande]

Bring some sort of dessicator with you so lenses won't grow hongos. And you are right--bring something simple and small for here. Anything with interchangeable lenses is viewed as a "professional" camera by folks down here, even my original 2009 dslr.

I finally realized after many years that my photography is very simple. What I need is better glass and a better photographer. And image stabilization. It has come to my attention that my hands are not as steady as they were 40 or 50 years ago.