Buying local – the advantages
Thought for the day….”It’s better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.”
“A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind.”
There was a time in my younger days when I would spend hours looking for the cheapest price. Getting something for the cheapest price was the target, and an important one. But gradually I have come around to looking at VALUE, rather than price. I have just had delivery of my new camera. I know that I could have ordered it online cheaper, but because my local photo shop (Photo & Video International, Christchurch, New Zealand) has given me such great service, then it was an automatic and easy decision to order from them. True, I may have paid more for the camera, but when I need help or advice, the dealer will be there, and will be only too happy to help, even if there is no direct profit in it for him. Not only that, but it makes trading much more friendly. And it is good to know that when I need some extra bits, that he will supply them, even if there is little or no profit in it for the shop. Previously I would have gone for the cheapest, but the value of personal customer service from a shop cannot be measured in money terms. The best part is that at the end of the transaction, that both the buyer and the seller come away feeling satisfied and happy. Too many negative experiences with online ‘shops’ located in far off places, who once they have sold you something, do not want to hear from you again. Long live the friendly local shop !!!
And a couple more photos from the old camera…….
and another photo from the archives….the Finnish capital of Helsinki
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
RESPECT, CONSIDERATION, FAIRNESS
Triathlon in Pembroke Wanaka, New Zealand
Thought for the day….”Success with a negative attitude is called Luck. Success with a positive attitude is called Achievement”
Next Saturday (18th February) is the day for the annual Challenge Wanaka triathlon. This event is part of the worldwide Challenge triathlon circuit, and it has grown into a large competition. The race comprises of a 3.8km swim (the lake will be around 15 degrees), followed by a 180km cycle, and finally the 42.2km marathon run. The fastest competitor will finish in around 8 hours 40 minutes. Here are a few photos from previous years races….
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
What is on his mind ? Thoughts and expressions…
Thought for the day….” When ‘I’ is replaced with ‘We’ then even illness becomes wellness”.
“Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something”.
People photos are always interesting, and here is another from the collection. Despite being well known for fantastic colours, the Fuji X series of cameras also produces great Black & White pictures too. BW really suits this portrait well, and the neutral expression on the man’s face was perfect. A series of photos was taken to get one where he looked at the camera at the right moment. The focus point was set on his eyes. We can only speculate what was on his mind when the photo was taken……
and a photo from 2015, Alesund in Norway.
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Thought for the day….”Learn to appreciate everything that you HAVE, before time makes you appreciate what you HAD”
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently” (Henry Ford).
What a wonderful story in the news in the last few days….in Wigan, England before the annual ‘World Pie Eating championships’, a meat pie was launched into space to see if the effects of space would make it easier to eat. The pie was attached to a weather balloon, and reached almost 100 000 feet. What is nice is that the launch site was outside a local pub in Wigan. The makers of the pie were happy to see their pies tested in space, and the ‘experiment’ was monitored using a camera attached to the balloon. During the World Pie Eating championships in 2007, the competition was almost ruined when a dog belonging to one of the competitors ate 20 pies and damaged another 10 pies before the competition started, thus leaving the competion short of pies.
The view from Floyen in Bergen, Norway for the photo today…
and another photo….again from Norway but this time Hjorundfjord.
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
A modern day folly, and at a cost of 285 million GBP
Thought for the day….” Do not look back, you are not going that way”
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving” (Albert Einstein).
The island of St. Helena is probably most famous with stamp collectors. The tiny island in the Atlantic Ocean lies about 1950km west of the African coastline. The population is about 4500 people, which makes the spending of 285 MILLION British pounds on a new airport rather surprising. St Helena is a British territory but the spending of such a large amount of money was done without sufficient surveys. The runway is subject to turbulent winds and wind shear, and operations have been judged to be dangerous. So despite spending a huge amount, only 18 aircraft have been able to land there due to the turbulent wind condtions and wind shear. So the British government is left with a huge bill for an airport that is considered too dangerous to fly into. But what will happen to the officials who ordered the building of this white elephant? I can guess. Zero. A modern day folly.
A photo from the South Island of New Zealand, and the state highway 8 over the Lindis Pass. At this point the road climbs to 971m before dropping down to the Ahuriri or Lindis Valleys. The special long, spiny grass which grows in this area is known as tussock grass (see lower right of the photo).
and another photo from the archives….legs plus. The legs on the far left are real.
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Dealing with morons
Thought for the day….” Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something”.
“The best teachers are those who show you where to look but do not tell you what to see
_______________________________________________________________________
I love technology. I really do. I was keen to install the new mCash mobile phone app so that I could pay electronically using my mobile phone. mCash is offered by a Norwegian bank, Sparebank1 so you would think that they would be ok with technology. Wrong. I ran into a problem from the start….despite having Sweden listed on the menus of the app, it would not send sms to a Swedish mobile number. So of course I contacted the mCash helpline but they are claiming that they cannot send messages (sms) to a Swedish phone. Despite asking them many times, they have been unable (or unwilling) to say why they cannot send a sms. What is even more surprising is that the same morons who set the mCash system up actually put Sweden as an option on the menus. And when you contact these people, who work in i.t (information technology) then you are left wondering how these morons actually got the job. So the people working in I.T are unable to explain or fix the simple challenge. I can send a sms to anywhere in the world, but the morons at mCash are either unwilling or incapable of doing this. And they are employed to work in I.T.
And why does any app like this demand access to ALL my contacts on my phone, and why does a payment app demand control over things like the flashlight on my phone? Very interesting to see the sort of permissions that apps like these demand. Needless to say, the app has been uninstalled. But I wonder how the morons at mCash keep their job. And how did they get their jobs in the first place?
Two photos of a sunrise at Riverton, in the far south of New Zealand……both taken on the same morning
and another photo from the archives….a simple photo that tells a story….
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
End of the day…..sunset time
Thought for the day….” Some days you just have to create your own sunshine”.
“If opportunity does not knock then build a door”.
Is it my imagination or are the shops even more crazy this year than in previous years? Just had ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Blue Monday’ and now the shops seem to be in overdrive for Christmas. And yet it seems that each year that there is less actual Christmas spirit and just more and more Christmas panic. Hard to concentrate on Christmas when the shops are starting it earlier and earlier each year. As usual, it will be madness in the shops in the last couple of weeks. Happy to see it over !!
Couple of photos to show just how good the Fuji jpegs are. Slowly going through the masses of photos and I am trying to delete lots, but it is fun to see some of the better photos. With the great colours from the standard Fuji jpegs, then I can save a lot of time in not editing RAW files. Much easier to get a good jpeg that is just as I want it, instead of hours of editing RAW files. Purists will argue that there is more detail in the RAW files, and that you can adjust them more, but for me, the Fuji jpegs are just right. Have a look at two photos below and see what you think of the colours…….
and another photo from the archives….. colours of the Caribbean (Antigua)
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Around the Bend – Challenge Wanaka
Thought for the day…” Follow your heart but take your brain with you”
“Success is when preparation meets opportunity”
Every year in Pembroke Wanaka, New Zealand, the Challenge Wanaka triathlon competition is held. As usual, this consists of a swim of 3.8km followed by a 180km cycle and finally a marathon run of 42.2km. The photos today show the final turn on the cycle leg. At this point, the competitors will have already swum the 3.8km and will almost have completed the 180km cycle leg. It is only a few hundred metres from the final turn to the transition area. The 2016 race was won by Dougal Allan in a time of 8 hours, 31 minutes and 53 seconds for the total race. His cycle section (180km) took him just 4 hours and 36 seconds (and 45 km/h is an impressive average speed on a cycle). The next Challenge Wanaka race will be on the 18th February 2017.
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
How lucky is lucky ??
Thought for the day…”Talent does what it can; genius does what it must.”
Did you see the story in the news about a survivor of the recent air crash in Dubai? Mohammed Khadar was returning to Dubai from India when the Emirates 777 aircraft crashed on landing. All 300 passengers got off the aircraft, which later burnt out. Mr. Khadar, who works in Dubai, purchased a lottery ticket in the duty free shop in airport, and won a USD 1 million cash prize. Commenting on his win, he said that his escape from the crashed aircraft was a miracle, but that the money would make enemies. Lucky !!
The photo today comes from the famous dye pots in Fez, Morocco.
and another photo from the archives…..the night sleeper train from Trondheim, Norway to Oslo.
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
More depressing news from New Zealand
Thought for the day…”If things do not go right, go left”
“Success – keeping your mind awake and your desire asleep”
More depressing news from New Zealand….even more flights and even bigger aircraft. As well as increased numbers of flights from the USA and also from China, Emirates airline has announced that it is putting a 4th Airbus A380 on the route to Auckland. This will mean that there will be 4 A380s at Auckland at the same time in addition to another A380 from Singapore Airlines. Whilst the tourist board in NZ may be congratulating themselves on record numbers of visitors, the country just cannot cope with ever-increasing numbers. The country has a population of just over 4.6 million people, but now receives over 3.3 million tourists, many of whom want to see the same few places. The last 2 summers have seen accommodation fully booked, and tourists having to sleep in cars due to the lack of accommodation. Buses and flights have been fully booked, and it has even become necessary to reserve some mountain huts ahead. Queenstown (known as the adventure capital of the world), with a population of around 22 000 people, is now receiving over 2 MILLION tourists a year. You can imagine what the town centre is like there in high summer. But the tourist board keeps encouraging more and more flights, thinking that more and more tourists are good for the economy. Yet the very nature and beauty that these tourists are attracted to is fast becoming destroyed (there have been attempts to build a monorail in one of the national parks already).
Some of the popular walking tracks (such as the Abel Tasman coastal track and the Tongariro Crossing) are now so crowded that they are considering giving people starting times for the walks, in an attempt to spread the crowds out. Clean and green New Zealand it once was. Now it is crowded and busy NZ. So the news that the airlines are putting on even more flights to cope with this demand is hardly surprising, yet nobody in government has had the courage to stand up and say that there is a limit to how many tourists that NZ can accept. It seems that every month that a new record for tourist arrivals is being reached (China is the big growth area for incoming tourists), with no sign of it easing up. So when those millions of tourists do finally arrive in NZ, then the fun and games trying to find accommodation, rental cars and domestic flights begins. Those politicians who think that unlimited numbers of tourists are good for the NZ economy should take a trip (assuming that they can get a seat on a flight or bus) to Queenstown or Milford Sound in summer and see just what sort of effect the millions of tourists are having. Start queueing now !!!
Early morning in Geilo, Norway for the photo today….great colours from the Fuji camera together with clear air helped make this such a good photo. The early morning mist had almost burnt off when the photo was taken.
and another photo from the archives…two tourists admire Lake Wanaka, Pembroke Wanaka on the South Island of New Zealand. Two tourists managed to creep into this photo even !!
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Queen of the Skies – the Boeing 747 400
Thought for the day….”Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”
A photo that is history now….a Singapore Airlines 747-400 taking off from Zurich airport in Switzerland. Known as the Queen of the Skies, almost 400 tons lifting off for the 11 hour flight to Singapore. Zurich (code ZRH) is a great place to take aircraft photos, as the authorities there actually encourage people to take photos, and even organize special photo tours. Great that the managers there have seen the value of photographers, and make it easy to take photos, rather than trying to prevent it like so many airports do today. Not only that, but Zurich is actually a good airport to fly into or transit, run with the usual Swiss efficiency. The photo below was taken during one of the organized photo tours, although even from the normal viewing decks, it is easy to get some great photos.
and some faces from the harbour market in Helsinki, Finland……
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Paradise in photos – The Seychelles
Thought for the day…”Success comes in cans, not in can’ts”
“Failure is the tuition that you pay for sucess”
About 85 000 people live in the island nation of the Seychelles, which is situated about 1500km off the eastern African coast and north of Madagascar. Around 115 islands make up the country, which have been controlled at times by both France and Britain. The islands have also been used by pirates, and it is said that the treasure of Le Vasseur, a notorious pirate, is buried there somewhere. Victoria, the capital, on the main island of Mahe, claims to be the smallest capital in the world, although it is the outer islands where the real beauty is. Island hopping is easy there, either on the local fast ferries or the domestic flights in Twin Otter aircraft. Due to the restrictions on the number of tourists, it is not (yet) overrun or overcrowed, just peaceful and beautiful. A couple of photos are worth a thousand words……..Both photos taken with the Fuji X-E1 camera.
And another photo from the Seychelles….
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Up In The Air – Two classics of aviation
Thought for the day….”Don’t look back, you are not going that way”
“If you are not meant to have midnight snacks then why is there a light in the fridge?”
A couple of photos from the recent Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow, held at Easter this year in Pembroke Wanaka, New Zealand. The first photo is the Supermarine Spitfire. Designed by R.J. Mitchell, it came into service in 1938, and was in production throughout the second world war. About 53 Spitfires are still in flying condition. Over 20 300 Spifires were made, and they remained in service until 1961. This particular aircraft carries a registration to commemorate the New Zealand pilot Alan Deere.
The second photo is the Messerschmidt Bf 109, which was used by the Luftwaffe in Germany during the second world war. It entered service in 1937, with around 33 000 being made. At least 10% were lost in take-off or landing accidents.
Both aircraft performed displays during the 2 days of the airshow.
and another photo from the archives….an early test photo from the X-E1 camera………
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Does Size Matter?? Men with big……………..camera lenses !!!
Thought for the day….” Winners never quit, and quitters never win”.
“The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes” (Winston Churchill).
Time for an upgrade of my camera. The Fuji X-E1 had been producing some fantastic pictures, so I was in no hurry to upgrade, especially as the gains and improvements with a new camera would be small. But upgrade I did and now have the Fuji XT-10. Apart from having a tilting screen (something that I thought was a gimmick before I actually got to find out that sometimes it is very useful), it has a few other new features that I am also finding useful too. Features that I had not had previously such as wifi, remote control and geo-tagging are now available, as well as faster focussing and a viewfinder that is perhaps the clearest that I have ever used. So although I was sad to part with the X-E1, the new camera is already proving to be just as much fun as the older one. It is said that Fujifilm cameras are made by photographers who are also engineers, whereas another famous brand (=brand X) is made by engineers, full stop. Guess which cameras are more fun to use? Having real dials and also menus that you can customize, and a fantastic viewfinder makes all the difference. Photography is fun again !!!
Even if I enjoy taking photos, I will probably (hopefully) not go to this extreme…..an aircraft spotter or very keen photographer seen at an airshow recently…..He was carrying not one but two BIG cameras. The lens on the second camera must have weighed several kilos….
and another photo from the archives…the lake at Haglebu, Norway…….
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Where are the ‘experts’????
Thought for the day…”Don’t live the same year 90 times and call it a life”
“When life gives you a rainy day, play in the puddles”.
Computers have been around for a long time now, since the last century indeed. Some of us grew up with them, starting with the famous Sinclair ZX Spectrum and the says of loading programs with tapes. But despite computers having been around for decades, they still do not work as they should. Why is it that there are still so many problems with things that by now should be simple, like logging into wifi?? Why do computers seem to have endless problems and need endless updates? And where are the ‘experts’?? Surely by now they could have sorted out all the teething problems and have produced computers that do work without needing constant attention. I would love to sit next to Bill Gates on a long flight and pass him my laptop and ask him to make it work properly. It seems that the so-called ‘experts’ are not so expert. How often have you heard the advice to restart the computer (ie. pull the plug out)?? And why have these ‘experts’ not managed to sort out the problems after all these years. I just want a computer that works as it should and does not need constant attention. Is that too much to ask???
Off to Norway for the photo today…and to the harbour port of Kristiansund, seen here on a beautiful summer’s day.
and another photo from the archives…..fishermen returning home in Croatia….
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Some red faces somewhere…..a big error.
Thought for the day….”What the mind can concieve, it can achieve”
“You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind”
No doubt that there were some red faces at the Nabors Demolition company in Texas, USA. They recently demolished the WRONG house, and have blamed Google maps for the error. The house that they demolished was one block from the house that they should have knocked down. Needless to say, the owners of the now-demolished house were none too happy, although the Nabors Demolition company described it as ‘no big deal’. The demolition company’s motto is ” We Could Wreck The World” certainly had a good try. Apparently, Google maps has now amended the map to show the correct location of the house that should have been knocked down. Some red faces somwhere??
People photos are always fascinating, so here is another one…fisherman in the park…Fuji X-E1 camera together with the Fuji 55-230mm lens.
and another photo from the archives…Kandersteg in Switzerland….
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
218 Million British Pounds gone on a new folly.
Thought for the day…”It always seems impossible until it is done” (Nelson Mandela).
” Life is like photography. You use negatives to develop”
One definition of a ‘folly’ is a building that is built mainly for decoration, but in a style to imitate something else (such as a castle or tower), and at such expense to have shown folly for the builder. So when I read news about the new airport that has been built on St. Helena island in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, then the word ‘folly’ springs to mind. The news often features stories about the much-delayed new Berlin airport, which seems to be continually delayed and plagued by one problem after another, but the new St Helena airport is equally worthy.
This new airport (soon to receive its first commercial flight) has been built at a staggering cost, reportedly 218 MILLION British Pounds. The fancy airport comes complete with control tower, restaurant, departure lounges and full security facilities, and a fire station complete with 3 expensive fire-engines. Not bad at all, except for the fact that St Helena only has a population of about 4255 people. Not only that, but the island only has 2 small hotels, which will be completely unable to cope with the numbers of tourists expected on the weekly flight to the island. So the British government has spent 218 million British Pounds on an airport which will have almost no flights, an airport which will serve a population of about 4255 people and an airport which will overload the 2 hotels on the island. So it is not only Berlin that gets it wrong with its airport. Folly? I think so.
Another great photo from the Fuji X-E1 camera…taken with the 55-230mm lens at the maximum 230mm….
and another photo from the archives….autmn colours at Glendhu Bay, Lake Wanaka, New Zealand
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
http://www.qualitysparesort.com http://www.qualityresortnorefjell.com
Why I am glad that I am not 16 years old again
Thought for the day…”Always remember to take your vitamins. Take Vitamin A for ACTION, take vitamin B for BELIEF, take vitamin C for CONFIDENCE, take vitamin D for DISCIPLINE, and take vitamin E for ENTHUSIASM”
Just had another birthday, and once again, I thought how glad that I am NOT 16 years old again. Recently I went to a Countdown supermarket and was forced to use the self-service checkouts (normally I avoid them) as there were no staff working the ‘manned’ check-outs. Whilst self-service check-outs might be profitable for the supermarket shareholders, the problem is that they are doing many people out of jobs. The same thing has happened at airports (= less check-in staff working on the desks) and hotels which increasingly have automatic check in (= less receptionists). Cruise ships are introducing robotic barmen capable of mixing and serving drinks (= less bar staff), petrol stations are increasingly becoming automatic (=less cashiers). The list goes on, meaning less and less jobs. All very good for shareholders, but not so good for the school leavers who are looking for jobs. Often in supermarkets they try and steer me towards the self-service checkouts, but I try and choose a manned check-out. One day, the trend might go the other way, when somebody realizes that the PERSONAL touch means so much. Keep people employed !!
Great, punchy colours from the Fuji camera for the photo today….a colourful market scene……
and another photo from the archives…a cruise ship visits Dubronik, Croatia….
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Happiness – Smile please !!!
Thought for the day…”If you want something that you never had, then do something that you have never done”.
” If aircraft black boxes survive air crashes, why do they not make the whole aircraft out of the same material? “.
Those of you who are over about 30 years of age may remember a British singer called Ken DODD. One of his hits (he was actually a comedian and initially not a singer) was called ‘Happiness’. The first words in the song go “Happiness, happiness, the greatest gift that I possess’. The results of the annual ‘World Happiness Report’ have just been published (by the United Nations), and once again DENMARK comes out as the World’s happiest country. Switzerland was also near the top, whereas Burundi was at the bottom of the list (presumably this makes it the World’s most UNhappy country). Burundi has been plagued by civil wars, poverty, disease and corruption, which might be why it is in bottom place on the list. The survey looks at things like education, social security, life expectancy, GDP, corruption, personal wellbeing etc. One bit of good news is that happiness has increased in nearly all regions of the World, with Denmark and Switzerland still in the number 1 and number 2 positions. Interestingly, Denmark has one of the highest tax rates in the World, yet the people there are the happiest.
The country Bhutan does not produce figures for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but it does publish the Gross National Happiness Index instead, which includes measures of physical happiness, mental health and social/cultural vitality. 20th March was the International Happiness Day. Smile please !!
Today’s photo is of some happy people after Skydiving in New Zealand……..
And another photo from the archives…..
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Classics of aviation – Mandeville, New Zealand
Thought for the day…”You will never know your limits until you push yourself to them”.
“The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time”.
Driving down to the south part of the South Island of New Zealand, you might come across some traces of the past. Down at a small settlement called Mandeville, there is a small airfield, home of the Croydon Aviation Trust. Here they restore old aircraft, and also train pilots to fly them. The old hangars are still there, and inside them you will see aircraft being restored using traditional methods, such as carpentry and dope on fabric. Mandeville was originally a wet area (=alcohol allowed), whereas nearby Gore Town was a dry area (=no alcohol allowed), which might be the reason that the airstrip prospered. Enough aircraft and flying machines in the hangars to make a stop worthwhile if you are in the area. Another nice feature is that you can actually go for pleasure flights in the aircraft, including the open cockpit Tiger Moth or the DH89 Rapide. A trip down back to the past !!
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
http://www.qualitysparesort.com http://www.qualityresortnorefjell.com
Warbirds Over Wanaka – the preparations
Thought for the day…”The Wright Brothers created the single greatest cultural force since the invention of writing. The airplane became the first World Wide Web, bringing people, languages, ideas, and values together.” (Bill Gates)
It is almost time again for the Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow, held around Easter every 2nd year. Today there were a few historic aircraft at the airport in Wanaka, so I had to stop and take a few photos. Sadly the weather forecast is not good for the next few days, but hopefully it will improve enough to get some better pictures. Ticket prices for the airshow have shot up over the last few shows, which might be one reason why the number of people visiting the airshow has gone down to about half of what it was previously. A few photos from today…..starting with the Vought Corsair…..followed by the Curtis Kittyhawk…..
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
jeritilley@hotmail.com
Sunrise in New Zealand
Thought for the day……” You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you need”
“You never fail until you stop trying”
Three photos from the same spot showing the sunrise in Riverton, South Island of New Zealand. Riverton lies at 46 degrees south, and has a population of about 1431 people, although this has been decreasing and the number of empty houses increasing. Originally a whaling town, it later changed to a logging town, helped by the arrival of the railway. Surfers often visit the town due to the surfing at nearby Colac Bay. Riverton is on almost the same latitude as Punta Arenas in Chile. Just after taking the third photo, it was time to put the camera away and head back for the first coffee of the day, always the best one !
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
http://www.qualitysparesort.com http://www.qualityresortnorefjell.com
Early morning trip to Milford Sound
Thought for the day…”He who angers you, conquers you”.
“We all have the ability. The difference is how we use it”.
I have just had another flight (unfortunately) with Air New Zealand. I say unfortunately because what was once a quality airline has turned into a money-grabbing budget airline which pretends to be a quality airline. Do AirNZ really think that I am going to pay NZD 10 to choose my seat, when they have to give me a seat anyway? Do AirNZ really think that I am going to PAY NZD10 to watch a movie onboard?? Whilst they might have put a credit card slot in the seatback for me to pay, it is going to remain unused. And having tasted the food offering (laughing called ‘The Works” on the outward journey, then I am sure that I will not be paying for the small portion of food that was offered. I moved on from eating child portions a long time ago but apparently AirNZ thinks that I still do eat child portions, even when I paid for an ADULT portion. And a wait of over 1 hour and 20 minutes to get even a cup of coffee is not going to make me happy either, especially as it was the usual airline sized 1/2 cup.
But the saddest part is to think back to how AirNZ used to be. Once they WERE good, and once it was a pleasure to fly with them. Times change.
Milford Sound is one of the most popular fjords that tourists visit in New Zealand. Here is an early morning photo from the road which leads into Milford Sound. Unusually, the weather is great in the photo. Milford Sound is infamous for getting over 7 metres of rain a year…..so days like this are rare. This photo is taken just before the entrance to the famous Homer Tunnel, which leads down to Milford Sound.
And another photo from the archives….Haglebu, Norway
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
http://www.qualitysparesort.com http://www.qualityresortnorefjell.com
Contrasts – One world but different sides
Thought for the day….”To live an extraordinary life, you must resist an ordinary approach”
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving” (Einstein).
Two photos to show contrast today….the first photo is from New Caledonia and the second photo from Dhaka, Bangladesh. One big advantage of the Fuji X camera system is that the photos straight out of the camera (jpeg) are so good. I have stopped taking RAW photos now, as the jpeg pictures are great. Much faster to just shoot in jpeg now, and it also means much less time spent on the computer processing photos (which is great !!). Purists will argue that a RAW photo has more detail, but it takes a lot of determination to sit at the computer for many hours converting RAW files. The fun for me is in taking the photos, not in spending hours at the computer trying to get them right. I still end up with far too many photos but that is digital photography. Back in the days of 35mm film, when you only had 36 pictures on a roll (38 if you were lucky), then you really had to think before you pressed the shutter. Not now, with the memory card easily holding 3000 photos and a camera which will take 6 photos a second.
compare the beauty of the photo above with the chaos in the photo below ……same planet but……
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
jeritilley@hotmail.com
http://www.qualitysparesort.com http://www.qualityresortnorefjell.com
jeritilley 