Category Archives: Things

Light, design, texture and other cool stuff.

Places, Things

Flying My Drone Over Water

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I purchased a DJI Phantom 4 drone about two months ago. I’ve been having a great time flying and shooting aerials. I have a lot to learn. The drone has some great features and I’ve only scratched the surface on how to use them.

Here are some shots from a recent trip to Crescent Cove, California.

When we went to Crescent Cove, I was nervous to fly over water. My drone took off and zipped out over the ocean and there was a feeling in the pit of my stomach that nearly compelled me to bring it home before it dropped into the depths and was lost forever. Fortunately, I didn’t bring it right back.

In order to legally fly a drone in the United States, you must register your drone with the FAA and take the FAA part 107 sUAS certification test. The test will not be available until August 29, 2016, but a link to a study guide is available:

https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/test_questions/media/uag_sample_exam.pdf

There is also a great study guide for those who already have their pilot’s license but want to certify to fly small unmanned aircraft. The link is:

https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/course_content.aspx?cID=451&sID=726&crID=1436761

When I purchased my drone, I registered it with the FAA, online, for a cost of $5. It was easy.  I plan to take the FAA Part 107 certification test as soon as it is available.

Even though I’m following all the required regulations, I still get nervous when I fly. I’m not worried about the regs, I’m worried about crashing. I don’t want to loose my drone. I’m hoping that the more I fly the less worried I will be about crashing, but, I know some good pilots who have crashed drones.

The more I fly the more confidence I develop and the better I get. It definitely takes practice and time in the air to gain that confidence. The phantom 4 represents a real investment and I don’t want to loose it, and, I will keep flying in an effort to gain more confidence and skill.

In the meantime, I’m having a great time and capturing some cool images and video. Let me know what you think.

Seal Rock
Waves crash against the rocks as the birds and seals watch the setting sun from Seal Rock, Crescent Cove, California.

 

People, Places, Things

2015 Cedar City Art Walk

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Cedar City Art Walk Flyer
Cedar City Art Walk June 5 – August 31.

For any passing through Cedar City this summer, please stop by and visit the 2015 Cedar City Art Walk. I’ve been invited to participate in the Gallery Show. My show is in the Southern Utah University Hunter Conference Center. I have ten 16×20 prints on display. The show runs from June 5 through August 31. Another good reason to see the show is that it runs concurrently with the world famous Utah Shakespeare Festival.ShakespeareLogo

Some of these photos have been posted on my blog and some have not. I’ll be posting one a week for the next ten weeks of the show along with a very short story about the photo.

Here’s a bit of info on the Festival:

The Art Walk is a collaboration between artists, business, and galleries in the community. Final Fridays, June 26, July 31 and August 28 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm are gallery strolls that offer participants a change to engage with talented visual artists from Utah. Some locations will have musical performances and receptions.

Cedar City Art Walk
James Dalrymple’s Photography on display at the SUU Hunter Conference Center for the Cedar City Art Walk.
Mostly True Stories, Things

You Shall Not Pass–South African Rhinos

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IMG_0454_Rhino Pass_webThe road was rough. The land rover bounced around a corner and there he was, a South African White Rhinoceros, standing guard in the middle of the rutted road. I lurched forward as the guide stopped the vehicle abruptly. The Rhino’s ears twitched. He watched from immovable feet. I held my breath. I could hear a huffing snort and the buzzing of insects.

The guide spoke, “Perhaps we will find another way.”

The land rover jerked in reverse. The Rhino stared at us, unblinking.

You Shall Not Pass.

You Shall Not Pass
Posing for a profile.
Grazing.
Coming or going?
Blending in.

 

Mostly True Stories, Places, Things

African Elephants

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The Range Rover bounced through the trees like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, then, mercifully, stopped. Our guide shut off the engine. I could hear the ticking of hot stressed metal. My body was just as stressed. I may have developed a tick.

Over there.

I could see him, hiding, a giant bull elephant, trying, it seemed to me, to be inconspicuous.

I began taking photographs. Through the lens, the elephant looked annoyed. With crunching footsteps, he lumbered out of the trees into the open, staring at us. We stared back at him. He came closer. Closer. CLOSER. I reached for a wider lens.

Hold very still, our guide whispered. He reached for his rifle.

The giant elephant stopped, three feet away. I could hear him panting. Snorting. I could SMELL him. VERY BAD BREATH.

From my open seat in the Range Rover, he was massive. His tusks were stained red near the sharpened points. He looked down at me with huge, tired eyes.

What are you doing here?

I came to see you.

He sniffed, his snake-like trunk sampling the air around me. His giant eyes blinked. I could see myself reflected in their rich, deep brown. He looked…sad, maybe. Resignedly tolerant, perhaps. Proud, certainly.

He moved on.

I realized that the pounding I could hear was my heart, not his footsteps.

Our guide put down his gun and started the Range Rover. The roar of the engine shattered the quiet surrounding us and we moved on.

A thirsty African elephant takes a healthy drink from his own personal well.
Places, Things

Rockport Harbor, Maine

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I’d been in Rockport for a week and hadn’t seen much of anything, outside of the Maine Media Workshop campus. The workshop was over and I was going home. I wanted to see the harbor. I’d heard about it, for years. Rockport Harbor was sort of the icon for New England coastal beauty. I’d heard it said, “Can’t get there from here” (spoken with a heavy Maine accent), but I didn’t believe it. So, I got up early on my last day and walked down east to the harbor. I’m glad I did. I shouldn’t have waited so long. I will go back, hopefully by boat, by sailboat.

Peaceful and Idyllic on a Saturday morning.
In Rockport, you must know which way the winds blow and, where the fish go.
Makers and fixers of boats.
Rockport Harbor boat house
Where boats and gasoline are invoked, No smoking, For Pete’s Sake.
Quiet, serene, tow private docks, this home on the slopes of Rockport Harbor is a sailor’s dream.
This aging vessel could use a new coat of paint, among other things, before setting out to sea.
If it can be fixed, Rockport Marine will fix it. I’m just not sure how they’ll get it back in the water.
Sittin’ on the dock of the bay, watching’ the fish swim away.
If you can see ’em, you can catch ’em.
If you’re going lobster in’, get yourself a good pink rope. Lobsters like that.
Plenty of lobster traps, but, is she seaworthy?
Fresh bait, anyone?
Maine lobsters have big claws–really big. Don’t forget your thick rubber gloves.
If the waves rock the boat, will they loose the traps, or is that how they do it?
Nostalgia and necessity keep your fish cold in the summer.
What to do, what to do–go to church, or go sailing–constant tension for the residents of this Rockport home.
I want some.
Don’t forget yours.
Glass water and blue skies–if I only had a boat…
Life preservers save lives too, if your boat is smaller.
An adventurous spirit might be sailing around the world in this boat, or, relaxing in Rockport Harbor.
“I’m calling everyone to sail away…”
The easiest way to get there from here…
Time for a new net?
Just another saturday morning in Rockport Harbor
Beautiful flowers adorn a bridge overlooking the harbor.

 

Mostly True Stories, People, Places, Things

Real Mongolian Barbecue

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There are no fast food restaurants in Ulan Batar.

Our driver, a native Mongolian, took us to what he said was the original Mongolian Barbecue. I looked at the menu, most of which I didn’t understand. Some of the dishes had English translations next to the Mongolian. My choices, among many others:

Rendeers wigwam

Baked Sheep Head

Ox Tongue

Fried Ox Tongue

Horse Meat Assortments

Fried Liver

Mongolian Khuushuur stuffed with mutton

We ordered an assortment of dishes to share. When they brought the baked sheep head, our Mongolian friend looked rather anxious. He waited for me to go first. I wasn’t sure I was hungry anymore. The sheep was sitting in the serving tray staring at me–literally.

“Do you want the eyes?” He asked. “Or the brain?”

“No thanks. It’s all yours.”

With gratitude and zeal, our friend speared the eyeballs from the sheep. Then, he lifted the skull from the sheep’s head and scooped out the brains.

I went for the Khuushuur. It seemed safest.

As we ate, and shared stories, I began to forget our differences. I began to relax and enjoy a culture I knew so very little about. I began to appreciate the food which had a very different, yet pleasing taste–that is–until I looked–again–at the eyeless sheep staring back at me.

The real thing, staring up at me.
Mongolia is known as the Land of Blue Skies; however, with an average annual temperature 27˚ƒ, the skies are frequently much more ominous in Ulan Batar, the world’s coldest capital city.
With a population of over one-million, Ulan Batar, or UlaanBataar, is the largest city and capital of Mongolia.
Where cars are rare and fuel is expensive, walking is the predominant means of transportation.
No longer nomadic, many Mongolians still prefer the comfort of the yurt, along with alternative housing.
Outside of the main city of Ulan Batar, running water and sanitation facilities don’t exist. Outhouses are bathrooms for many Mongolians.
Clean water and sanitation are key tenants of modern life. For many Mongolians, it requires constant daily effort to haul water for critical needs.
In spite of the abundance of garbage and lack of sanitation, this little stream is the primary water source for a large community outside of Ulan Batar.
Two boys play soccer near the family yurt, just outside of Ulan Batar.
Without baskets, and old basketball makes for a pretty good soccer ball.
On the steppes outside of Ulan Batar, boys love to play ball.
Each spring many Mongolia yurt dwellers pack up their home and move to greener pastures. Apparently, it helps to take the bus.
Even on a sunny day, cuddling for warmth is a good idea in Mongolia.
Still dressed in her traditional costume, this Mongolian grandmother protects her little grand daughter outside the family yurt.
Life isn’t easy when you’re small, in Mongolia.
The Lines and wrinkles hint at struggles and adversity; yet, the smile reveals her love for life in Mongolia.
The ceiling in the average yurt is just over 6 feet high. With a hole in the center to vent the wood burning stove, and a thick canvas flap which can be pulled back to let in the sun, the yurt is surprisingly comfortable.
No running water; but a generator for electricity supplies the power for entertainment.
The bucket with spigot above the wash basin is the water supply for hand washing and showering.
This sweet woman was baking bread in her wood stove when we arrived. It was delicious.
A wood burning stove for heating and cooking dominates the circular yurt one-room living room, dining room, bedroom, playroom.
Gathering wood for the stove occupies time during the warm months, in preparation for the minus 40 degree fahrenheit winter temperatures outside the yurt during winter.
Thick carpets and warm blankets make for ideal napping conditions when you’re small.
It’s a big wide world outside the yurt near Ulan Bataar.
Rickety makeshift fences separate squatter’s lands while dirt roads between yurts also double as trash dumps.
In the city, you can find great bargains on beautiful products. I purchased a beautiful cashmere scarf for my wife.
Mostly True Stories, Places, Things

You can buy it in Hong Kong, 24/7

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I was working in my suit and tie. Not uncommon in my current assignment. Our light panel case had some particularly powerful velcro holding it together. When I bent down to get the LED lights out of the case, the velcro grabbed my tie. Destroyed. I went through three ties that day. I needed a new tie, like, NOW. My AroundMe app told me I could buy a new tie .57 miles from my current location. I took off walking. I never made it to the store AroundMe suggested. I found a tie shop within a quarter mile. In Hong Kong, much like L.A. or New York, you can buy just about anything, at just about anytime. The city never slept, at least, while I was awake, which was most of the time.

My last post from Hong Kong is dedicated to Commerce.  Fortunately for me, I now have several new ties.

If you know where to look, you can buy just about anything. You just have to carry it home because there is not room for cars on this street.
Happy really big Chinese New Year from H & M.
HIGH end product placement, Hong Kong style.
Real, or knockoffs. You can buy them both in Hong Kong.
Fashion doesn’t get any higher than in the high rise Hong Kong malls.
In one of the electronics capitals of the world, Canon and Nikon battle for supremacy. I took this photo with the 5D mkiii.
If you’re in Hong Kong, you should definitely try the dumplings. They’re Pro.
You can see the meat, hanging out in the open on almost every street corner. You can smell the meat, everywhere else.
You can smell them before you can see them. This sign was perfect, the fish were definitely not fresh.
While waiting for customers, a shopkeeper checks her device.
You can trust him. He knows what all that stuff is.
I don’t know what it is, but it better be good, because it’s not cheap (unless you know the exchange rate:).
Not sure what it is, but they said it was good in soup.
If they started moving, I’d think I was on Kronos (Qo’noS).
These are not mushrooms. They put them in soup. When you see them in your soup, don’t ask, it’s better not to know.
In Hong Kong, even the grains are color coordinated.
Perhaps she needs some new customers, or just some customers.
Negotiating is a fine art at the street market’s in Hong Kong.
I’ve been to some parts of the world where they didn’t have them; however, it is, I must admit, one of my goals to eat at McDonald’s in every country in the world that does.
Delivered hot and ready just about anywhere in Hong Kong.
Every neighborhood street corner has them. I just want to know if they have free slurpees on July 11.
They sell by the meter, and, the price is right.
To live, work, eat and sleep in small spaces.
Two brands control most of the vices throughout the world.
Hong Kong moves 24/7. Some of the best deals are available at the night market.
Mostly True Stories, People, Places, Things

Hong Kong Slice of Life

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When I saw the Reggae Kung Fu poster, I asked my friend, a native of Hong Kong, if Jackie Chan was in town. I meant it as a joke. He didn’t laugh. He took me seriously.

“No. Unfortunately, Jackie Chan is not in town.” He said it as if he knew, at all times, where Jackie Chan actually was. And, he seemed disappointed he could not take me to meet Jackie Chan. He didn’t mention any Reggae artists.

Humor, especially with sarcasm, doesn’t translate well, mine, or his. My friend told me how much he loves Jackie Chan, how much the people of Hong Kong love Jackie Chan. But, he said, the movies made in Hong Kong look different than the movies made in the US.

“What’s the difference,” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “They’re just different.”

He tried to show me some examples. Grittier, dirtier, darker, faster, more martial arts. “American movies make Hong Kong look…cleaner.”

“Show me your Hong Kong.”

He tried to. I think. The sites we filmed and photographed were carefully selected. I spent nearly a week in Hong Kong, this time, and I still don’t think I’ve seen the city, the ‘real’ city. After all, I couldn’t give a one sentence description. Big, tall, vibrant, energizing, fast paced, harried, smelly, busy, clean, dirty… I could use a dictionary and never run out of adjectives to describe Hong Kong. It is all of those things, and more. So, bear with me. I photographed the things I could see. Slice of Life? I hope so…

Only in Hong Kong could you synthesize Reggae music with Kung Fu action. You might even see Jackie Chan.
While waiting for customers, a shopkeeper checks her device.
Three children snack on the way home from school in Hong Kong.
School just let out. Who had a good day? Who had a bad day?
I couldn’t read the posters, but it did seem like a good place to read.
Outside a Hong Kong apothecary, a sign suggests a slippery slope to regularity.
Matching sweats and jackets create some style on the Hong Kong streets
School uniforms are an important part of life for young people in Hong Kong.
This is how the build those massive skyscrapers.
Over crowding is part of life in Hong Kong, especially in the poor sections.
They look a lot nicer on the inside.
Architecture in Hong Kong makes a bold statement.
Living on the water in Hong Kong is a lifestyle choice.
Hong Kong currents carry ideas and leaves to many parts of the world.
Water means life in Hong Kong.
Repulse beach is a popular resort destination throughout Asia.
Water taxis are an economical way to cross the bay and provide an excellent view.
Any open window is an opportunity where space is at a premium.
Innovation is the mother of invention, they say. With so much to do and so little space, innovation is is contagious.
It doesn’t matter what floor you live on, a clothes dryer is a luxury few can afford.
HIGH end product placement, Hong Kong style.
Places, Things

Religious Worship–Hong Kong Style

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There are approximately 600 temples, shrines and monasteries in Hong Kong. Buddhism and Christianity are the most widely practiced religions; however, most world religions are found throughout Hong Kong. I was only able to visit two Buddhist Temples, but the evidence of religious worship is pervasive. The Chinese of Hong Kong are a religious people.

Like many cities throughout the world, those in need pray for alms on busy thorough fares.
Complete with fruit for departed ancestors and burning incense, religion tradition informs daily living for many in Hong Kong.
For the devout, the temple entrance holds the promise of greater wisdom within.
Just outside the temple entrance a lantern, in the traditional style, lights the path to wisdom.
Above the tile roof of a Hong Kong Temple, detailed ceramic artwork tells the story of rich religious tradition.
Love Gods and Goddesses are popular at the Kwun Yan Shrine at Repulse Bay.
Inlaid gold and cultured pearls enhance Godly reverence for temple worshippers.
Burning incense is an important element to worship for traditional Chinese.
Burning candles are part of the religious tradition of many of the world’s religions.
Worshippers can burn incense at many places throughout the shrine of Kwun Yam.
Each mini-shrine, contributes to the religious tradition of the Kwun Yam shrine.
Gold Gods and Money Gods are popular at the Kwun Yam Shrine where visitors line up to rub the God’s belly.
A buddhist Temple Goddess stoically watches patrons drift past.
Crowned Gods stand sentinel as patrons pass their ranks.
A tile turtle provides transportation for a Buddhist God.
Savory smoke ascends to heaven for the devout Buddhist.
Intricate ceramic artwork invoke religious symbolism throughout the temple.
Beautiful Chinese characters adorn the shrine of Kwun Yam.
Ceramic tile are a rich part of the visual appeal of the Kwun Yam Shrine.
Each character tells a story at the Buddhist Temple Shrine of Kwun Yam.
Standing over 10 meters high, Kwun Yam stands guard over the sea at the Buddhist shrine near Repulse Bay.
A shrine for burning incense adorns the porch of many homes and apartments in Hong Kong.
The Buddhist Temple Shrine of Kwun Yam touches the sea at Repulse Bay, Hong Kong.
Places, Things

A Taste of Australia

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Whirl-wind tour. 

Gold Coast. I want to feel the sand and surf before I die.

Brisbane. The Brisbane River snaking through the city leaves the marks of flood waters on the stone foundations of downtown high-rises.

An Aboriginal street performer plays a didgeridoo concert for some coins; the deep, rich, mysterious, mournful sound vibrating my bones. After playing, he tells us the story of how his father, European, fell in love with his Aboriginal mother deep in the bush.

Driving away, a Kangaroo stands and stares at us, watching us go with sad eyes.  Why are you leaving?

From Kangaroo Point, the spectacular setting sun gives way, too soon, to the sparkling stars of the Southern Cross. I’m far from home and longing to see my family.

The good news, for me, is that spending such a short time down under means that I will go back. I must.

Dusk settles on Brisbane, Australia and the Brisbane River
The Brisbane River flows beneath the Goodwill Bridge at dusk in Brisbane, Australia.
The sun sets over Brisbane and Goodwill Bridge as seen from Kangaroo Point.
This street performer, half aborigine, was a most excellent didgeridoo player.
On a visit to Brisbane, it doesn’t take long to leave the city behind and get lost is the Beautiful, Australian bush.
This young Kangaroo stood up to pose for pictures not far from Brisbane, Australia.
Not my best photo ever. When I got to close for comfort Kanga took off with amazing speed.
The Koala Bear is actually not a bear at all, but a marsupial native to Australia.
The sub-tropical climate near Brisbane, Australia is perfect for beautiful wild flowers.
Sunset on the Brisbane River.