XF Symposiume (of connecting people)

In this post, Sharp images were taken by Sony 30mm F3.5 lens.  a bit fuzzy images were made by the “Fun camera lens” and even fuzzier images were by a Pinhole on A7R camera.  (Fisheye images were Pinhole with Mob-phone Fisheye adapter)

XF Symposium was a gathering of the organizers who is organizing the local activities to connect the people.  And the MAZI is a way to provide a digital platform of the communication of the members. (Like a small-scale SNS)

As the nine organizations participating and each group having their own project, I’m not able to tell who is doing what. (If you are interested in, please contact them by yourself.)
http://friends.deptfordcreek.net/creeknet-xf-symposium/
http://wrd.spc.org/creeknet-xf-symposium/

Between the sessions, we were offered to have a delicious vegetarian carry, authentically cooked by an Indian chef, and mango smoothy. 

Unless we got the energy in our stomach, our brain doesn’t function well.  (though, to fill it too much, we may fall asleep.  😀  )

After the session, we popped out to the park next to the Steven Lawrence Center.  (In fact, it stand alongside the Deptford Creek itself.)

And even more food and drink was offered.  What a good picnic to have a Sumer solstice Day !

It was really a hot midsummer, — be in the park, or stay well-air-conditioned inside was a good question.  = It was a situation, whether we should stay with the nature or take an advantage of the modern technology.   😀    Anyway, we had a good chat, not necessary a serious talk about the community. —– What community ?   We are the eating together community.  It’s a paradox Sir.    😀

Alongside the park, shallow Deptford Creek seems to be pretty clean and looks present. (I saw even a Damsel fly !)

Don’t worry, Deptford Creek seems to be pretty in good condition.

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Go into a mud (but not me)

(On this post, as it happened often, the sharp clear pictures were taken by Canon Fisheye lens, a bit fuzzy images were taken by a Pinhole, and more fuzzy pictures were by homemade Mag Lens on Sony A7R camera.)

There was an event to walk the low tide creek, at the Deptford Creek, organized by the Creekside Discovery Center, as a part of the Creeknet, XF Symposium. — http://deptfordcreek.net

It can be a kind of treasure hunting or a nature study.

(So, the “Treasure” found in the past walk has been displayed in the center = after such tenacious repeated  hunt, there may not be anything left though.  😀  )

M m m ——.

So, the participants borrow the big wader and the stick and get the instructions.  (but being as a Japanese, with our deep religious restriction, we wouldn’t touch somebody else’s shoes, let alone a wader worn by hundreds of others = It was the same reason how the prisoner could keep their shortwave radio in a prison camp of the WW2, as the Japanese soldier never touch the prisoner’s possession.)

And receive more lectures.

So, at last they marched away to the mud.

And after came back in one piece, received even more lectures.  After all, to organize a community activity is a campaign.  Campaign means persuading the mass with one opinion, same to the political campaign. —> Successful one may become a politician. (and get a power and money ?) — am I too cynical ?   Ha ha ha  😀

Don’t get me wrong, to show this picture here, is not meant to be implying a “Rubbish”.  Walking in the mud is a great act though, a funny story here was that, they are appealing that the new development of the area are destroying the environment and the nature etc etc —– but they’ve found that the water is getting cleaner, the more fish, shrimp, crab were found etc etc !  (Unlike the hundred years old traditional housing or local cottage industry, those new developments are having much more strict environmental regulations (such as a sewer etc).   Don’t dwell in an easy buzzword.  See the situation with your clear eyes.  (If you have one — or two ?)

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New Moon (about)

 

Not exactly.  If it was really a New Moon, we can not see it’s totally black face on front of a blight rising Sun.   Other obstacle is, normally we are not watching such early morning sky.  = So, I discovered this Moon almost in an accident.   It was after 3:30, I just looked out the window and found something blight object in a still dark dawn sky.  It took a while for me to realise that it was in fact a Moon.  It’s funny, we expect that the Moon is somewhat round, or at least half round, therefore like this, iron hook kind of THING can not be a Moon though, as it slowly moving up right, I convinced that this is in deed a Moon.   (The photo above was a picture of my kitchen window, overlooking the Moon. — by a 55mm lens on A7R camera)

It was the same kind of misunderstanding, that the white light IS exist (they were not white but the mix of all tri-color = same as a PC or TV screen, when all BGR lit evenly, we feel it was white) so as the Moon IS a round blight object in the Sky.  In reality, Moon is not blight at all but its surface shine when its was hit by the Sun light. = It’s mean, Moon shines only a side facing the Sun.  And, when the Moon was in the opposite of the Sun, we can see fully lit (hence it looks fully round) surface which we call Full-Moon.  And when the Moon is in the same direction of the Sun, we only see it’s un-lit back = This is the New Moon.  (And the half Moon is somewhere between.  🙂   )  The most frightening reality in the life is, when we see the full moon 12 times, a year has gone !

(Photo above left was a cropped center of a 18mm lens image and the right was a shot by a 500mm lens on A7R camera)

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Nikkor Fisheye 7.5mm on Sony A7R

This odd-looking lens is one of my 5 fisheye collection, Nikon’s earliest fisheye lens, 7.5mm F5.6 Circular Fisheye lens.  Since it was designed for a Nikon F camera with its mirror locked up, it was not very useful member in my collection.  I did a test shot when I got it from my friend on 80s, but since then it was just sitting in a corner of the box, while me thinking, one day I’ll use it, one day —-. (As I got Yoshi Handy which can take whole circular image on 6×6 format, I didn’t have much reason to use it.)  But when I saw it again, I suddenly realized, Why do I need to go a whole trouble of film shooting, “Mirrorless camera has no need of mirror-up” = So, it came to the Venerable Sony A7 camera.

Yes, in deed, the lens nicely fit onto a Sony A7 body with beautiful viewfinder image.

This lens was designed to use in a scientific field, such as to take picture of the whole sky to measure and analyze the amount of the cloud (so, I heard — don’t ask me what that mean.  🙂 ) therefore the lens got built-in 6 filters (for Infra-red image, Red or Orange filter is the essential). 

My lens seemed to be made in 1967 and amazingly Nikon produced a lot of this lens —- my serial number showed more than 1100 !   (Other than a popular kit lens, the most of the lenses doesn’t sell more than few hundred —– I would be surprised if Canon had sold their EF 85mm F1.2 lens more than 300 all together. —– Think, how many people in the world need to use such special but subtle effect, while able to pay so much money ?   In comparison, scientific institute need to have certain facility = the lens can be sold to each institute in the world while public foot the bill.   Similar to that, even a boring book can sell to each library, as they need to list every book.)

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Judas Tree

If you are familiar with a flower of Sweet Pea kind, you might noticed that this is the same group.  Yes, this plant belongs to the group, used to be called Leguminosae.  Yes, Legume = Beans.   And among the Leguminosae, she must be having the funniest story. 

This tree said to be originated from middle east, Judea country, hence its name.  But the other story was that, this is the tree of which Juda of Iscariot hanged himself, hence it was named so.  Yet, others say, because the tree’s seed pod dangling from the tree trunk, which resembling a hanging body, hence the name.  —– In that case, when the body of Juda was dangled from the tree, people found the similarity ?   Waite a moment, the seed pod of the tree has been dangling from the tree even before the human being inhabited the area, let alone Juda himself. —– M m m ! ?   Which came first ?     

Even more funnier story was that this tree was registered by the Israel Government as a protected species.   It seems, their Government was anxious to keep enough number of tree for their population, when they need.  

What a poor tree.   Isn’t there anything better to hang ? 

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Reset the Canon body

It seems, when people use Sigma lens on Canon DSLR camera, sometime this trouble would happen = the camera start to show this sign and the lens stopped to work despite the other Canon lens was still working.

Even though the electronic contacts between the body to lens were clean and perfect —– camera just stop to recognize the lens and block all the functions. — As a matter of fact, there may not be any trouble exists, still the Canon body stop to function (as it was programmed so = to give a hard life to Sigma.   😀  ) 

Don’t panick.  You (and your Sigma) would be OK !  The remedy to this kind of trouble in the most of the electronic gear is the same (= same as your PC). = Just reset the gear / Switch off and restart.  In the Canon DSLR case, while that Sigma lens was mounted on the Canon body, switch off and take the battery out — after a while put the battery back and switch the camera on. —– You see !    Have a nice day.  Have a good shooting.

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Paulownia / Princess Tree

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If you see only a flower of this plant, you may well mistaken it as a flower of foxglove, but this flower blooms on the 10m tall tree.

This is a tree called Paulownia, AKA  Princess Tree.   This tree was named by a German doctor who brought it back from Japan, Franz von Sieblod.   Russian Royal Princess, Anna Pavlovna helped Siebold to compile the book of Japanese Flora, hence the name of this flower was dedicated to her. — (U and W in Poulownia can be pronounced as V !)

In the east, this tree (could grow even 15m tall) has been used to curve music instrument and make the furnitures for a bride. (The wood repel the insects, hence protects the Kimono inside)  So that, when the parents got baby daughter, in tradition, they plant this tree and the time of her wedding, the grown tree was used to make dowry furnitures. —– How sweet the story isn’t it.   🙂

If you see (and smell) this flower, you will be convinced how noble this flower is. —– Why noble ? —– She doesn’t have a pompous beauty like a big rose, or the Somei-Yoshino Cherry like over whelming gorgeous power, and she looks rather humble, still its presence makes your mouth shut.  Siebold must have felt the same.

It must be well-known, that the Japanese Emperor’s emblem is the Chrysanthemum flower.  And the emblem of the Japanese Royals is this Paulownia flower. — (Cherry flower is the emblem of the Japanese military force.)  It shouldn’t be confused that the Shogun was just a minister of defence under the Emperor,  and the authority of the Japanese Emperor and the Royals never touched by anybody in the past 2600 years.   So, Japanese Empire and her Emperor is the longest continuing one blood line entity in the world history.   (Second longest is the British though, their blood line often changes = current royals is in fact germans. —– So, when British Queen shook hand with Japanese Emperor, she took her grave off.)

Untill two days ago, I didn’t know this tree was here and I was thinking only another tree in the north London.

This group of plants used to be called Labiatae (since its looks, and as in the same group of foxglove, Sage, rosemary etc) though, now they were called Lamiaceae and the botanical classification is lots more complicated.  (May be the study of gene might have found which species is closer each other etc.)

When I saw this tree from a distance, I thought it was a Jacaranda, —–  I have a quite soft spot to the pale violet-coloured flowers, I don’t know why, and the smell of this flower has been imprinted to my subconscious since I was small.   And its associated memory coming back at once.   It was THE MOMENT to see a lost friend again after many many years !

Fallen flowers still giving nice fragrance —– this is how royals smell !   And you know, royals never fart !   😀

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Puzzling Cherry

Seeing this picture, very few of you will noticed that this is in fact a quite familiar place.  In deed, I’ve shown the photos of here in my blog a lots of times if not over hundred.   This is a very corner of the green patch I described as a flower meadow in my blog in the past three years. 

Why I’m fussing about was, the wild cherry trees growing here, now having a full bloom.   What’s wrong ? —– Nothing wrong.     But I just wondering how those cherry trees came here.  What I dubbed Instant flower meadow was created by the local residents on June 2014 simply by spreading the seeds of the meadow plants.   So, I guess that, those more than ten cherry trees, all about the same size, looks the same variety, must be started to germinate here then as the same lot. (= not accidentally brought by the bird as an individual seed.)   So, they all together are now three years old siblings and having the flowers first time. 

In the past, I was thinking that those small trees were the seedlings of the nearby Multilayered Cherry tree.   But now a fraud was exposed !    The bag of the “Meadow Flowers Seeds” were adulterated with cherry seeds = and its right or wrong have to be strongly questioned.  Ever growing those cherry trees wouldn’t go together with the idea of a flower meadow. —– May be closer to the real nature and its cycle of the plant though, those wild cherry were too obstructive to “The Meadow”.  They are not expected to grow in a garden patch of a council housing estate here.

The particular cherry itself was a rather primitive wild cherry.    So, I want to see this flowers have cherry fruits and eaten by the birds.  (then spread to other locations. —– would it really happen ?) 

You might be noticed a phenomenon, that the most of the cherry blossom doesn’t have the siblings under the tree.  First of all, not all of them makes cherry fruits, let alone good to eat fruits. Because of them were created only for the sake of beautiful flowers, and often those variety was infertile.  Especially the most popular cherry in the world, Somei-Yoshino was originated from just one tree discovered in the Somei village in the west of Edo (Tokyo) 150 years ago.    From that tree, all the Somei-Yoshino were artificially propagated by grafting one by one.  ( But now, with the limit of the genetic strength, the Somei-Yoshino is coming to their end, and the nursery had stopped to produce any more Somei-Yoshino, following a direction of  the Japanese Gardening Association.    It was replaced by the next generation “Jindai Akebono” ! —– You can Google this story.)

So, the under the Somei-Yoshino tree, there even a single seedling germinate.

PS : ————————

Now its middle of June.  I found the cherry fruits on that Puzzling Cherry !  (Quite modest size and the taste wasn’t too bad.   🙂

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Fruits – X-lens comparison

Gaudy Lens

Yet another lens comparison of the homemade (and Sony) lenses / Pinhole.  (The link to each lens can be found in the “Related” post “Lens Comparison”)

Sony 30 mm Macro

By the way, this strawberry seemed to come from Spain in its original package — and not only looks gorgeous but also seemingly keeping pretty long shelf life.  BUT almost tasteless !  (Low suger level may keep long life.) —– We buy them with its looks, then become AWARE the taste after. = So, the growers succeeded to create “GOOD product” = good to sell.   A costumer who bought strawberry on a street market never come to Spain and complain to a farmer.

Mono-Pinhole

X4 Pinholes

DD Pinhole B

Gaudy Lens

Left = Sony 30mm Macro Lens, Right = Mag Lens

Close shot by Mag Lens

I’m not implying that the “Good lens” as a good-looking tasteless fruits. —– I’m after good taste = its typical fruity and well matured sweetness.  Otherwise, why we need to by fruits.

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Multi layered Cherry – X6 Lenses(?)

Mag Lens

Multi layered Cherry (Yae-zakura) started to flower.  Here is a collection of the photos taken by 6 different homemade Lenses / Pinholes.

Sony 30 mm Macro

Gaudy Lens

Gaudy Lens

Sony 30 mm Macro

Mag Lens

Sony 30 mm Macro

Gaudy Lens

Mono Pinhole

DD Pinhole

X4 Pinhole

X4 Pinhole

X4 Pinhole

Sony 30mm Macro

You must be convinced that how dry the images of “So called Good Lens”.  Still, you may not to have any choice but to go with the “Good Lens” other than just wet the lens with your spit.   😀   (Don’t worry, it’s not a serious matter at all.)

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