Archiving my Twitter, Facebook and other social network activity
At last, it’s the highlights from the #speedforce5th photo challenge! Thanks to everyone who participated by showing off your favorite Flash memorabilia. You have a great mix of toys, customs, comics, original art, and even fan art! Starting from upper left, we have @asowrey1158, @flash_jlanm, @i_am_flash, @royalflood, @shaerileth, @flash_jlanm again, and @bigragzz. #theflash #speedforce #dccomics
Jacaranda in the park. I was struck by how clustered the flowers are on this tree. #park #trees #jacaranda #purple #summer
The #speedforce5th challenge is still open! Post your favorite flash memorabilia with that tag. As for this pic, I love the expression on the doomed construction worker that the Flashes of two worlds are racing to rescue. I couldn’t use this for the announcement, but wanted to put it somewhere.
#theflash #comics #collectibles #doomed
Morro Bay lies along the central California Coast near San Luis Obispo, and is known for two major landmarks: Morro Rock, a large volcanic dome right near the shoreline, and a power plant with three very tall smokestacks.
Some miles north, Highway 46 cuts through the coastal mountains from Cambria to Paso Robles, revealing cattle ranches, wineries, and empty hills. There’s one spot along the road where the hills part, revealing a perfect view of the bay and the rock. Better yet, there’s a turnout, making it easy to stop and look.
The first time I drove this way, it was gray and overcast, and might actually have been raining. A year later I took the same drive again on an sunny day, unable to remember how far along the turnout was but watching for it the whole way. The result: this shot.
The curves of the dome, the bay, the rolling hills and the patch of heavier vegetation all fit in with this week’s photo challenge theme.
Blue and gold #sunset.
My intrepid assistant wanted to help take example shots for @speedforceorg’s #speedforce5th photo challenge.
Speed Force is running a photo challenge for our fifth anniversary! To participate, follow @SpeedForceOrg on Instagram and post a photo of/with your favorite piece of Flash memorabilia tagged #speedforce5th. It can be a comic book, a toy, a statue, a costume, a poster, a piece of original art, a DVD, a shirt or towel, a game piece, anything. It can be official or custom-made. It can be something you own, or something you’ve seen. We’ll post the highlights next Friday. (Please post your own photos only.)
These Pride of Bolivia trees line one side of the sidewalk, jacarandas the other. When not flowering, they look so similar that I didn’t realize they were two kinds of trees until they started blooming. #yellow #trees #prideofbolivia #jacaranda #spring #hadtolookitup
Companies break up, rename & merge, but the stamp on a manhole cover never changes. #mabell #logos #history #branding #phonecompany
Wispy late afternoon clouds. #sunset #clouds #silhouette #sky
I’m fascinated by the interplay of sunlight and clouds, particularly oddly-shaped clouds and optical effects like haloes and sundogs. The trick with photographing them is that you have to take the picture now. You can’t run and get another camera and come back. You can’t wait until you reach your destination even if it’s only 5-10 minutes away.
Lighting conditions will change. A halo might get stronger, or it might vanish entirely. A cloud that looks like a flaming dragon or phoenix right now will be a dull gray in a few minutes. Patterns of rays will fade from view. I’ve missed my chance a lot of times by being stuck on the road, unable to find a suitable place to stop until the moment had passed.
This last shot is a circumhorizon arc formed by ice crystals. It always appears parallel to the horizon, like a flattened out rainbow, and if the crystals cover enough of the sky it will actually form a circle all the way around the sky. I spotted it while walking back to work from lunch and only had my phone with me — and I actually ran the rest of the way to the office so I could get my camera. I was lucky, since these really don’t appear very often.
The buzzing power lines of the South Bay. When I first moved to the area, the fact that so many of the high voltage lines buzz constantly worried me. Now I’m used to it. Mostly. #power #powerlines #california #buzz
Just another Friday night sunset in SoCal. #sunset #trees #palms #losangeles #silhouette
I couldn’t decide between these two photos for the latest photo challenge. The first is a warning sign at the edge of Del Cerro Park in Rancho Palos Verdes. It’s a part up at the top of the hill, ending in if not exactly cliffs, a steep drop hundreds of feet down as the hills roll toward the ocean.
“Danger” signs are a dime a dozen. It’s the “Don’t even think about it!” that struck me as photo-worthy.
As for this second one, it’s not so much the sign that I found interesting as the fact that the bird looks like it’s staring at it, dismayed.
“Gee, I hope this doesn’t apply to seagulls, too!”
I collect pictures of funny/odd/interesting signs at K-Squared Ramblings, so if you’re interested in more, head over there for a look.
For the whole length of this hotel, the sidewalk is bordered in rosemary. When they trim it, this part of the walk smells more like a kitchen or spice shop instead of an airport.
Comments on Facebook:
Brion Vibber: I assume that’s playing the disco version of the Star Wars theme…
May 27, 2013, 12:00 AM
Kelson Vibber: Or the Cantina song.
May 27, 2013, 12:10 AM
Lia Brown: Oh man, those record players were the best. Does it still work?
May 27, 2013, 9:36 PM
Kelson Vibber: Believe it or not, it’s new. It turns out there’s a whole subset of the toy market for retro toys.It’s a bit different under the hood – I’ve had to fix it once already, and it’s actually chip-driven, not classic music box works. I figure it’s probably cheaper these days to make it with fewer moving parts.
May 28, 2013, 8:34 AM
Marisa Saam: I had one of those! đŸ™‚
May 29, 2013, 12:58 PM
If only life was f’n easy… #stayclassy #freshandeasy #signs
Leaving the Moon on Flickr.
