Argus Cameras and Macro Photography

 

Parts of two different Argus cameras, both made in Ann Arbor, MI, USA

This photo is my cluttered and humble entry in a local camera shop's macro photography contest. I tried a number of different shots and angles and lights and I submitted this one. My primary motivation for making a decision about what shot to enter was the contest's August 31st entry deadline. 

Read a little more about the Argus Camera company here. When they were still operating, they donated the planetarium inside Pioneer High School, which the Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad uses on tournament day for the "To Infinity and Beyond" astronomy event. 

Bird is the Word

 

Why did this bird cross the bridge?

At Lillie Park South in Ann Arbor, I took the new camera out for a walk. I met some runners on the paths, mosquitos nibbled on my elbow, and I met a bird that I could not identify. Soon after the original post here, bird lovers J and Amy both identified it as a green heron.

Based on the picture above, I'd bet this bird was in a marching band. Upright posture, ankle properly flexed, eyes forward. All it's missing is an instrument. 

A green heron getting some sun.

I'm out of here...

Twigs everywhere and the roof is leaking. This is why birds can't have nice things.

A Sandhill Crane. I don't know if it's a boy or girl, and I'm not about to look. 

There is a pair of cranes that lives in the farmland/wetlands near my Ann Arbor office. They wander around all day, and they're not afraid of people. I always give them plenty of room, though, because of those long, pointy beaks. Besides being good for catching fish and toasting marshmallows, they could also do some damage to my soft tissue. 

Whiffling

 

I didn't know geese could do this until I read this article about the picture shown above. 

Yes, the goose is flying upside down. 

Picture Frame Shot

 

A basic take on an old standard

Here is my so-so take on a classic Photoshop standard project. There are lots of fun variations on this, many including a large picture frame in an outdoor setting. I don't have a large picture frame around, so we'll go with the desktop version. 

It's Written All Over My Face

Where is this guy from, anyway?

I lost track of the inspiration for this - it was a similar image posted in a Photoshop group on Facebook, so I can't take credit for the idea.

Wildlife Around the House

 

Not so wild, although she sometimes meows at inconvenient times. 

If you're a fly, I recommend staying away from one of the yews in our front garden.

I took these photos with my new camera. I upgraded my five-year old camera with a used camera that's four years old but in good shape. I also bought a few lenses, one new and one used. In another five years, I plan to buy a three-year old camera, and in fifteen years, the math says I'll be all caught up. 

Orange Brains and Pink Blood

This doesn't look right...

I was at the Red Cross blood donor center yesterday and took this photo of my arm. Something's off - shouldn't blood be red? And what's with the orange brain in my hand? 

Ordinarily, I'd make a joke about the grapefruit diet being the cause of this very light-colored blood, or say I'm a robot and this is a picture of me getting an oil change, or mention that I was at a picnic and the host was providing pink lemonade intravenously. But it's not as exciting as that. This is the second stage of a "Power Red" donation, where they take a pint of blood out, extract the red blood cells, then put the remainder back in. The remainder is clear-ish. It also feels funny when it goes back in, as that is not a sensation most of us are familiar with. 

The orange brain is a foam toy they give you to squeeze while you're donating - it helps keep the blood moving. The nurses there tell me they have a box full of all kinds of squeezy toys, and that people regularly drop off new ones. I have a squeezy pig and frog back at the office, and if I return there, I may drop them off for a future blood donor to use.