What Is This Near The Moon

A week or so back I was outside at around 3am - 4am taking some pictures of the moon with my old 5 mega pixel Panasonic TZ1. I was messing about with it to see how close it could capture the moon. It wasn't very close. You can see that post here. Then, because I never used the digital zoom, only the optical, I wanted to take some pics again, but this time use the full 40x zoom - optical + digital combined. Turns out it was terrible. Very hard to hold still by hand and the results show no close up detail of the moon at all, which is no surprise. Anyway, it wasn't until I was looking through the photos that I noticed something weird near the moon, an object.

When I took the pictures I remember seeing an object near the moon, but at the time it just looked like a star, so I didn't think much of it. Upon viewing the images again one of them stood out. And ironically it was the one shot I kind of took by accident. It was a zoomed out shot. But it has ended up being the most interesting.

 

The Moon on a cloudy night with an unknown object overhead

It shows an object above the moon to the left. It looks like an orange arrow or squiggle. When enlarged it looks like it could be a UFO, or an energy source of some sort. Now, I'm not claiming this is an Alien UFO, as I have no idea what it is. But I was looking at some pictures of star formations to see what could be near the moon at the time I took the pictures, and its possible that it could be planet Venus, Mercury or the Arcturus star. Is that what it is? And my old camera is picking it up as some strange looking UFO / anomaly? Or could it be something else. This image is genuine, straight from the camera. It has not been faked or enhanced.

Nothing Unique

I will add. I have seen this type of "UFO" before, reported by other people. Some call them flying serpents. The colour and length varies. There is footage online. More info. I went outside again in the early hours and took some more shots with the same camera of the same object that I believe is more than likely a star or a planet. They all came out similar to this one. Whatever it is, with the Lumix TZ1 It shows up as an orange energy source. This star, planet, UFO, or whatever it might be is always there. So it must be something known to those who study the sky / space.

Update

When I have the time I'm going to take more photos of this thing with other cameras and compare the results. I did that last night with the Panasonic TZ3 and a Samsung WB500. The results were fairly similar. However some came out like white lines rather than orange. Conclusion: I believe its just the camera(s). The far zoom combined with a slowish shutter speed makes any slight of hand / movement pick some things up as lines and squiggles rather than their true form. Including stars and planets. What are your thoughts. Comment and let me know.

10x The Moon TZ1

I know I know. An old Panasonic Lumix 5 mega pixel point and shoot camera with a 10x optical zoom has no chance of getting a good close up picture of the Moon. But I've been looking at lots of Moon footage, pictures and video recently that has been taken with Nikon's and a Panasonic with excellent zooming capabilities, so its got me curious. I thought I'd see how close the Panasonic TZ1 could get. Just an experimental test. And the result. While laughable in comparison, it gives a little insight in to just how great the zooms are on the Panasonic FZ80 and Nikon big zoom bridge camera "P" series.

Picture: The Moon at full optical zoom, which is 10x. The Lumix TZ1 can go all the way to 40x zoom if digital is applied. But that wasn't used for this picture. Maybe next time when the sky Isn't so cloudy like it is tonight and there's a full moon I'll try. Digital zoom was off at the time of taking this pic, and it never even crossed my mind at the time to turn it on. It was late. The Moon @ 10x optical with the TZ1 just looks like a white ball of light. Hehe.

Nikon Coolpix P900 Lowest Prices

If you're looking to find lowest price possible for the Nikon P900 you will have to settle for a camera that is second hand or refurbished. There are some out there for sale that are used but in like new condition. Problem is, by all accounts the P900 has been discontinued, so unless you get lucky and find someone or an outlet selling one that's never been taken out the box, used it will have to be. But this can be a good thing because a brand new one being sold will have everyone after it anyway, so if the listing is open for bidding and not buy it now, chances are you won't get it for a low price. Anyway, I've looked around, especially on eBay, and this camera is no cheaper on there than it is on Amazon. The cheapest listing I found for this camera was here on Amazon. And it is cheap.

A beaver not impressed with how well the P900 can pick up his beady little eye

The P900 is certainly the model that you will find cheapest out of their super zoom cameras, but there are other models such as the P950 and P1000 that should definitely be considered. They are newer and more expensive, but both offer a further zoom length [125 x optical] than the P900 and more updated technology.

However, all of them are good for long range photography, and any of them will do you well for astrophotography, wildlife, birding, ship spotting, UFO hunting [although infrared can be an annoyance], and just about anything else that requires a far zoom range. Also worth mentioning about These Nikon's. Everyone always talks about how great the zoom is, but the macro ability with zero or minimal zoom applied is also very good on all three models. And if using something like a Raynox DCR-250 attachment, it takes the macro to a whole new level. There has been talk and rumours regarding an upgrade to the Nikon P line, called the P1100. Nothing has been confirmed yet, though, and no valid release date finalised. You can find out more information about its supposed specification here.

Fujifilm X-H2S Autofocus With Older Lenses

Fujifilm X-H2S is a great looking mirrorless high-end camera that was released in July 2022. It's made in China and has many features, including a 26 mega pixel X-trans CMOS 5 HS imaging sensor, 4K recording capabilities, IBIS [in body stabilization], full HD @ 240p, two memory card slots and continuous shooting @ 40fps. The specification is impressive, and the auto focus is very responsive. As you will see in the video. However, some reviewers and owners of this camera don't  agree with this and think the AF in this camera isn't very good. And that the camera itself is not worth the price tag. You'll have to come to your own conclusions to see which side of the fence you sit on.

The X-H2S is compatible with Fujifilm X - XF lenses. Some of the lenses used in the video: Viltrox 23mm f1.4, Viltrox 13mm f1.4, Fuji 18-55mm. Tamrons 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 G2 and 15-30 f2.8. No multi mode test in the video though, which is what some people wanted to see when using older lenses. Some other highly rated lenses for this camera are the Fujifilm XF 23mm (35mm) F/1.4R, Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR, Fujinon XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR and the Fujifilm XF 56mm (85mm) F/1.2.

Fujifilm X-H2S Sample Photos

For sample photos straight out the camera in JPEG, I would take a look at the following Flickr link [cameralabs.com]. I hate it when looking for sample images on absolutely any camera new or old, and they look really great, only to find out they have been edited. Not the case here. Some people are asking if this camera is good for vlogging. Well yes, I think it would be. But I wouldn't buy it as they are so many other choices available out there that come in at considerably less than half the price of the Fujifilm X-H2S. And for vlogging they are just as capable.

Stay In School Graffiti

Is it Graffiti, Street Art, or both. Well, it's on the side of a building in a built up area so I guess its street art. This is located in Digbeth, Birmingham UK. For those that don't know, Digbeth is right near Birmingham City Centre. Really, it is in the city centre, just on the outskirts. Anyway, lots of Graffiti there. This is where the "Graffiti Walk" is, which is a route of around 3 miles through a certain area of Digbeth streets that have lots of amazing art works.

There is a map of the route online, but I have personally never walked it. Not yet anyway. Moral of today's post, stay in school kids! Now its making me think, does the wording even say "stay in school" at the top of the picture? Or something else. I never captured the rest of the words. Does it even matter. Picture could be better, but that's what you get when a non-smartphone user like me uses a Smartphone.

Canon PowerShot S2 IS Camera

It's no secret that the Canon PowerShot S2 IS has its fair share of problems. Most of which have been talked about for the last 15 years online. Troubleshooting guides are plentiful. Some of the problems most discussed are screen issues [blank display], really quick battery drain [change the batteries screen message], memory card refusal and other memory card related issues. Mine has the battery drain problem. Camera takes normal AA's. When it drains, what I do is open the battery compartment and rub the terminals with my finger. Close the battery compartment, power it up, and it works again. This, for some reason, seems to revive the batteries. Maybe its a bad battery / terminal connection or something, I'm not sure. 

Sample picture of very dry and prickly Teasel I took with the Canon S2 IS

Anyway, I don't use it all that much anymore due to this problem, but I do like the camera. It has a good Auto mode, Macro and Super macro, an electronic view finder, and lots of other different settings to play with. It's unfortunate that it has issues because even today, it's still a good camera for its age. Nice to use. Zoom image quality isn't all that great most of the time, but it is an older digital bridge camera. However, in saying that, I could occasionally get lucky and snap a really good photo at a decent zoom length. If you find one of these cameras for sale with no issues, buy it. So cheap on eBay.

Interesting Panasonic FZ80 Zoom Test

And I thought the FZ50 had a far zoom. Yeah, maybe 10 years ago, but technology has progressed massively in the camera world since then. So, how does the Panasonic FZ80 compare to some of the other big zoomers in the world of Bridge cameras, like the Nikon P900, P950 and P1000. Well, it actually holds its own quite well. The test video below shows the capabilities of the FZ80's zoom by closing in on the planets. The planets are the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. The clip quality or closeness isn't that great for anything other than the Moon. But when it comes to zooming in on the same planets, like Saturn etc, even though they have more reach, it's similar with the big Nikon's mentioned above.

None of those can pick up clear or close footage of Jupiter, Saturn or Mars either. It might just be a bit closer with the Nikon's, but not by much. Which is understandable given how far away the planets are claimed to be away from the Earth. But when you consider the price difference, and also the difference in the zoom range length between the FZ80 and the Nikon's [Lumix 60 x optical Vs Nikon big three 83 - 125 x optical], the FZ80 is quite impressive. And its considerably smaller in size. But I should add. Looking at some of the birding sample images on the Imaging-resource.com website, I can't help but notice how bad they are. Lot's of noise. I know they were taken at far zoom lengths, but I expected much better quality than that. In RAW and JPG.

 

#Astrophotogaphy

4K Moon With Nikon Z6 Celestron C14 EdgeHD

How close can we get to the Moon without actually going there. Amazing 4K (2160p) north pole to south pole moon footage with a winning combination of a Celestron C14 EdgeHD [on 10Micron GM 2000 HPS], a Baader FFC and the Nikon Z6. The conditions were also perfect. I believe the footage was shot in Austria by Christoph Kaltseis. Stand alone cameras like the Nikon P950 can capture the Moon very close up, and the quality is good. But I've never seen anyone capture it so far with any of the Nikon Coolpix superzoom bridge cameras this clear without the use of additional equipment. But this set up costs a hell of a lot more than a P950, so really its an unfair comparison. With that said, the detail and sharpness of this footage is excellent. Channel: BaaderPlanetarium.

#Astrophotography #Scope #MacroMoon

Nikon P950 Can See Saturn

Without any additional lenses, telescopes, filters or anything else, the Nikon P950 can see Saturn. And also Jupiter. The footage quality isn't all that great, but due to the distance these planets are supposedly away from the Earth, to pick these planets up at all is an amazing feat. If you want to try and record Saturn with your P950, the settings used for this capture were, and I quote but with fixed English: "Shutter speed mode, ISO 100, shutter speed 1/50-1/250 (dependent on situation), manual focus (It's important), stativ [I think that's the tripod]. These settings are for photo and video." The zoom on the P1000 also has the ability to see the same planets. See it in action.

#Astrophotography #Space -You can buy the P950 in used or refurbished condition.

Residential Flats With Phone Masts

You'll have to excuse the bad picture taking, it was taken at full zoom by hand with a Panasonic Lumix TZ1. Who lives in a flat like this? Especially on the top floor. The people who do live on the top floor, and several below that, when home, are basically never more than a few meters away from a big cluster of phone masts / antennas operating above their heads. I don't know what speed or "G" they are, whether 4G or 5G, but this is not good for health. Studies with no conflicts of interest [not bought and paid for by organizations with a vested interest] show that phone masts, and EMF radiation in general, have been proven to be hazardous for humans and animals.

Location: Chivenor House, Castle Vale, Birmingham, UK

Surely there should be some type of laws in place that states phone masts must be a certain distance away from a person or their residence. There are so many conflicting reports on this. Some state 150 meters, others 250 meters, or yards. Not sure if that distance applies to flats. If it doesn't, it should. The people living in these flats are basically living directly under several phone masts. I wonder if any of the people that live there are concerned at all. Or are they unaware of the dangers. Do the residents have any health problems that could have been caused by these phone masts, which are emitting high levels of radiation most likely all day and night.

Kentucky fried residents. How is this allowed?

I'd love to go to the top floor with a good quality digital EMF radiation meter, like a Trifield TF2, walk around on the landing and stairs and see how high the read out is. I suspect it would be through the roof! Pardon the pun. What do you think the chances are that the levels are above the recommended ICNIRP guidelines. The “general public EMF limits” as ofcom UK calls them. My opinion: I'd say the levels would be much higher than what the telecom giant(s) who had them installed at this location claim it to be. But would any organization be held liable or punished in some way if the levels were found to be way too high?

Just a thought. Is there some sort of loop hole here. Where because each telecom organization own or rent just a few of the masts / antennas each, they can claim to be well under the ICNIRP guidelines for what they are using. But overall, with so many masts all together in one place, do the EMF levels actually go way above the safety limits when they are all combined.

Close up of one side. Wow. Ridiculous

So no ONE company can take any of the blame. Seems plausible, but I don't know for sure. If it were true, I think that all the telecom companies and the regulators who oversee the safety of the mast sites should all be held accountable. And telecom companies should not be allowed to cluster masts all together in one one spot like that if it means it highers the overall EMF radiation levels to unsafe limits. 

Are these considered small cells, and if so, do they fall under a different set of guidelines than the pole masts we now see everywhere on the street. If this is the case it's a very devious loophole. Because all the masts / antennas on this roof combined equate to probably two phone masts, either on a pole or attached to the top of a built up structure, so why should the rules be any different if the EMF output is just as high.

While I don't know for sure if the rules are different, and I haven't measured the levels at any mast site, it does appear that the safe distancing rules clearly don't apply here, or are not being followed. Could it be down to the fact that there's a thick layer of concrete [the roof floor] between the residents and the masts, or maybe the EMF levels fall within the "safe" EMF exposure limit zone.

Anyway, I was quite surprised when I seen this building, maybe because its a residential flat. But this is nothing new at all. With them being so high and not in line of vision I usually, subconsciously, take no notice because its becoming so common. Especially on commercial buildings. However, this one caught my eye, and I think its ridiculous how these masts are allowed to be in constant operation in such close proximity to where people live.

Nikon D3500 Second Hand

Nikon's D3500 is an affordable yet feature-rich DSLR that competes with the Canon EOS 6D. The camera has a 24 megapixel CMOS sensor, a 3-inch display [not touch screen], Expeed 4 image processing engine and Bluetooth connectivity. Although looked at as an entry-level DSLR camera, the D3500 is still a really good choice for both beginners to DSLR cameras, and also advanced amateurs who know how to get the most out of their camera and settings. All sample images in this post were taken with the D3500.

The Nikon D3500 can be found new and second hand here in the UK and here in the USA

 

The Nikon D3500 SLR has a DX-format CMOS sensor with an active resolution of 24.2 megapixels and a total of 11 autofocus points. While considered old by some in 2023, this high resolution sensor provides crisp images and allows the user to capture fine details. The EXPEED 4 image processor provides fast processing speeds and accurate image output. It supports 3D image tracking and can create live preview during video recording mode. Additionally, the processor can provide smooth video recording as well as high image quality. But, in all honesty, maybe its a personal preference more than anything else, but I think I prefer the image quality of the earlier Nikon D3100. Although there's not much between them.

France

 

The D3500 has versatile photographic capabilities. It's AF system allows users to track moving subjects accurately. The center point can focus on both the subject and the focusing point simultaneously. For maximum shooting speed, the D3500 has a continuous shooting rate of 5 frames per second. This feature allows for fast shooting when required.

The ISO range starts from 100, which gives you plenty of room to capture clear images. You can also manually adjust the ISO up to 25600 if you need images brighter. The D3500 also has built-in Bluetooth connectivity [There is no WiFi in this model] that allows you to wirelessly transfer photos to your smartphone or another smart device.

The curious Raccoon

 

But please note: the SnapBridge App is required [free]. If you want an a good, fairly cheap DSLR that's known for its excellent image quality and high frame video capabilities, this is a really good choice. I think it would also make a great cost effective vlogging camera. Sadly, this model has now been discontinued. However, it can be found for sale in very good second hand condition on eBay UK, USA and Canada. There's also a few on Amazon UK and US that are used and come with several VR and non-VR kits. Also available is a Twin lens kit [18-55mm + 70-300mm VR AF-P DX].

Can You Spot The Brown Mouse

One of a few pictures I took of some undergrowth where I knew a brown field / harvest mouse was shuffling around. This is a fairly easy one to spot compared to some of the other images I captured. But I suppose it could still be a little puzzle for someone who is seeing the picture for the first time. So, can you find the brown mouse? He is there. Click the image to enlarge, and if you need the photo bigger, right click it while enlarged and select view image for full size.

Grey Willow [Salix Cinerea]

Picture of Grey Willow [Salix Cinerea] flower seed pods and leaves. Some also refer to this tree / bush with the slightly different spelling of gray willow, as well as other names like Common sallow. Looks like its starting to disperse its seeds. Location: UK - Camera: Lumix.

Flowers: Black And White Vs Colour

While it is a personal preference, and very much depending on the scene and setting, black and white photography is, overall, my favourite type of photography. Most of the time It gives faces, people, expressions, street photography and many other subjects much more meaning and soul than colour photography. But with some subjects, such as flowers, having so much colour and vibrance, are almost always more appealing when shot in colour. Especially if they are the main focal point of a picture. To me at least. The good thing is, these days, with most cameras and smartphones having built-in editing abilities, you can have the best of both worlds. Take the picture in colour, then, if you want to, just convert / swap it over to black and white. Alternatively, the same can be done with many other effects. Such as vivid, warm, soft, sepia and many more. A quick comparison below.

Dog Rose in Black & White

Dog Rose in Colour [unedited]

Purple Roadside Flower Identification

There's been a few purple flowers posted on this blog. The nicest one which can be seen here, and ended up being identified by someone who kindly left a comment. This one is a much different flower, but is, again, one of those flowers that many people see on wasteland, in wooded areas, and at the roadside, but doesn't know what it's called. Well, for this one I found out myself by looking through an old readers digest book all about UK plants and wildlife. Great book. Turns out the flower [pictured below] is called Red Campion [Silene dioica]. Or sometimes referred to as Red catchfly. It's not known to be poisonous to humans, but eating it is not recommended.

Red Campion / Red catchfly

Landfill Methane Pressure Releaser

Picture reference. I don't know the professional, or industry name for this piece of equipment, so I'll call it a Landfill Methane Pressure Releaser. I've seen similar ones called either a landfill gas recovery well or landfill gas pressure release valve. But there are quite a few different styles and types, so I don't know if they are all performing the same function. This one was located on a landfill in the UK. Near Coleshill. Every now and then it makes a loud hissing noise. This, I think, is the methane gas from deep underground where the rubbish has been buried being released or captured. Gave me quite a fright the first time I was ever near one. I never knew what it was, and I didn't expect it to start hissing randomly. This picture was taken with the Panasonic FZ50.

 

Picture: A Newer Style Phone Mast [5G?]

I've been seeing these newer types of phone masts popping up for a while now. Is this 5G? I don't know for sure, but when I had a look on the Nperf mapping system, which shows where 5G is live all around the world. This location [first picture], which is Chester Road on the edge of Castle Vale Estate, Birmingham, UK shows as active on the map [highlighted purple]. Newport road also, which is practically part of Chester Road as they are joined.

This mast is situated on a public pathway. Whoever needs to walk this way, and this is a busy area, especially for people travelling to work on foot and on bikes [lots of businesses / industrial estates down this way, including Jaguar Land Rover]. Unless people are on the opposite side of the road, they must pass directly underneath this mast.

I presume this is a 5G tower. I've also seen this type of mast sometimes accompanied by a white or black pole, which is also a phone mast of some kind. I think I have a picture of that somewhere as well, so will add it to this post if I can find it. These newer style masts [see an older one] appear to have a protective thin metal, almost mesh-like covering all the way around the top. Is this to give the mast some added security due to a lot of masts getting attacked and burnt down over the last few years. It could also be to prevent birds from damaging them. I'm not sure.

A pair of very different looking masts very close together in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham.

If you want to look at your location to see how far or close you are away from 5G, take a look at the Nperf map system. Apparently its very accurate. There's also options to search for 3G and 4G coverage. For 5G, I believe the deeper the purple is on the map, the stronger the connection.

Pexels / Pixabay 4K Images

Do Pexels and Pixabay have 4K images. Yes they do. And they are royalty free to download and use. The way to find them is to just use the search bar. For both websites the term "4K" typed on its own is replaced with, or will automatically give you the results for "4K Wallpaper" and "HD Wallpaper". So any of these search terms should return a good haul of great images for you to use. The resolutions are big, and the quality is very high. The picture below is available at a maximum size of 6399 x 3599. I've made it much smaller for this post.

Picture: Owl in a tree. Camera: Canon EOS R5. Taker: @dkeats -Pexels

Steep Holm Image From Weston Beach

Steep Holm was a stop off point for all types of characters back in the day, including sailors and pirates. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time as an invisible man and just watch what it was like in real-time for a few hours. Maybe even take some pictures of footage. That not only applies to Steep Holm, but to many places in the UK and the world at certain periods in time. I bet Steep Holm has some stories, good and bad, that have never been told and are now probably lost forever. There's an old Inn / pub on the Island that's now in ruins but still standing. If only walls could talk. It's a mysterious place that has a lot of history, and I do plan on visiting it one day. Anyway, here's an image of Steep Holm from West Super Mare beach. The distance between them is around 5 miles.

See that boulder in the distance to the left, that's Steep Holm Island.

Hen On A House Artwork

Another image from Weston Super Mare. Not too far from Bristol in the UK for those who don't know. Hen On A House Artwork. I wouldn't really call it full on Graffiti, but more of a nice street arty / commissioned piece. Maybe for the food place to the right. There is what looks to be a name on the side, which I presume is the artist. But I can't make it out. Looks like it might say "Irony" or "Arony". 

Feel a bit bad for the hen, beings as there is a McDonald's McChicken sandwich advertised on the phone boxes telephone window. It's like she's looking thinking - seriously? How disrespectful. CLM. Chickens lives matter!

#graffiak #iphonepic #henart #houseart #paintachicken #wearewatchingyou

Weston Super Mare Oil Rig Picture

Took this picture when I was in Weston Super Mare a few weeks back. Didn't know it at the time, but this oil rig, or sea monster as the media puts it, had recently been transported to this location and is soon to become some kind of art piece. One of the biggest in the UK apparently. Glad to have photographed it in its original form. Or, at least its original form when it arrived in Weston. I believe its from the North Sea. Next time I go back to Weston, I would really like to visit Steep Holm. It's an Island around 5 - 6 miles across from the Weston beach front.

The Oil Rig. Copyright ©  Pixel Perception

Here is some information Steep Holm. Steep Holm Island is a natural reserve where not that much human activity takes place. The Bristol Port Authority manages Steep Holm Island as a nature reserve and sanctuary for birds and mammals. This means no buildings can be erected on Steep Holm Island without prior approval from the Port Authority. 

In addition to being a nature reserve, Steep Holm Island is also a tourist destination. To accommodate visitors to this part of Somerset, the Bristol Port Authority has built an interpretive center on Steep Holm Island’s west side where there used to be a Christian monastery. There's also an old Inn [a pub].

The victorian barracks interpretive center serves as an information point about Steep Holm Island’s natural history, wildlife and geology as well as its history. It also has souvenir shops selling postcards and other local souvenirs from Steep Holm Island’s attractions and view points.

Steep Holm has been serving as an important area for protecting wildlife ever since it became such an established site for conservation purposes. Today it continues to be both a nature reserve — managed by the Port Authority — and tourist attraction due to its natural beauty combined with its historical significance

If you are interested in visiting, please note that once on the island, all visitors will be there for 12 hours due to the tides I believe. So take note. A visit to Steep Holm isn't having a quick look around and then jumping back on the boat and leaving. You will be on the Island for 12 hours. So take some food and be prepared for a long but very interesting day. More information on how to book your visit can be found here: https://www.steepholm.online/visiting-the-island

What Are The Best Websites For Royalty Free Images

Royalty free images are photos that are used by internet users without having to pay a license fee. Anyone can use royalty free images on their website without having to pay. Creating a website can be expensive [starting a Blogger or Wordpress site for free is always an option], so using royalty free images is a good way to make it look nice without spending money. Many people also use royalty free images on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Dubai - Schweizer_Solutions Pixabay

Businesses use royalty free images because they are cost-effective. There are many websites that offer royalty free images with no copyright for free or at low prices. Most websites allow you to upload several different types of royalty free images and choose which one works best for your project. Many users also find it helpful when websites have filters to help them find the perfect image for their project. This makes it easy for businesses to use royalty free images and create a professional looking website or social media page.

The internet has made it easy for you to find the best royalty free images. All you need is the right tools, basically just an Internet connection really, and you’re ready to start searching. There are several apps available on both Android and iOS that make finding royalty free images easy. 

Some of the best sites include Pixabay [Best], Canva, Unsplash and Pexels. There are many more. These websites allow you to quickly scan through different images and graphics until you find one that works well with your project. Some of these sites now also offer free videos for projects. Believe it or not, you can also find great deals on royalty free images if you buy them in bulk through online marketplaces like Amazon or eBay. I'd stick to free though if I were you. There's so many professional pictures to choose from.

Cruise ship - Pixabay

You can find the best royalty free images by searching for keywords like “royalty free”, “free stock photos”, “free stock video”, “free photos”, “freebie” and other similar words on various search engines like Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Brave Browser and Baidu etc. You can also visit website eStockPhoto which lists all available stock photos under various categories including business ideas, design, education etc.. Other websites list their own photography under various price points ranging from $0-$1000+. Check out a list of some of the best sites by visiting: https://buffer.com/library/free-images/

Businesses use royalty free images because they are cost-effective and easily found online using apps or search engines. For paid, you can easily find great deals on these photos if you buy in bulk through online marketplaces like Amazon or eBay as well as sites like Fiverr and Canva, which are either free [Pixabay and Pexels are the best] or have 1000s of extra stock photos available at very low prices per photo.

Where To Find The Panasonic Lumix GX9

First off, an incredible, well built portable mirrorless camera with a truck load of excellent features. I know where you can find it for sale. It's no mystery. Although there has been some talk of the model being discontinued, I think that was only in Japan. The GX9 is a few years old so that could have changed. I believe its no longer in production. This model can still be bought online though in brand new and also used condition.

Find it here: https://amzn.to/3zd39o5 [Available in USA, UK and Canada with lens or body only in Black or Black with Silver trim]. Or here with the hand grip / 32GB SD memory card bundle: https://amzn.to/3uUeDtY

Macro with the GX9

The GX9 is capable of recording video, then taking a single still image from that video, the part you require, and turning that into an 8 mega pixel 4K image. For those who love black and white photography Panasonic have put special monochrome features into the camera. So black and white pictures will potentially look more like what was produced by the film cameras of the old days.

 

Landscape style

Shooting at night and in low light conditions has also been given a boost, too. Several new features are available for night photography, including enhancing / lighting up the display screen for very darkly lit scenes, and better manual focus assist. This has the ability to be much more accurate when focusing on objects in the sky at night, such as stars, planes and even UFO's. These are great features for those into astrophotography.

 Birding with the Black Bird

Some Quick Lumix GX9 [DC-GX9MK] Specifications

• 20.3 Mega Pixel MOS Sensor with targetted three dimensional colour control to determine hue, saturation and brightness for the best outcome

• 5 Axis Dual I.S. and an O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer)

• In Body Image Stabilization [I.B.I.S.]
  

• 2760K dot Live View Finder is tiltable to 80 degrees with almost 100% colour duplication and 100% field of view
  

• 49 Focus Points plus Custom Multi Auto Focus setting 
  

• 3 Inch touch screen
  

• 4K 30p video recording [4K is limited to a recording time of just under 30 minutes]
  

• Video @ 4K Ultra High Definition @ 2160P
  

• Bluetooth = Yes
  

• WiFi = Yes
  

The only area which I have seen slightly criticized is the battery life. So, while this is an excellent camera for those who travel or go out for long periods hiking / doing street photography etc, it would be wise to buy a second battery. 

Although this can be rectified somewhat due to the fact that the GX9 can be charged by a micro usb cable [battery can remain in the camera], so the use of an external power source is an option [like a power bank / battery pack]. Albeit, a heavier one than purchasing a backup / second battery. Is this still a good camera today? Without a doubt, yes. Check out the video "Panasonic GX9 Long Term Review" below.

Other than lenses [see a list of compatible lenses here: https://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/connect/gx9.html], there's also some other add-ons available like the MW-EC5 Eyecup, which offers more comfort and less light leakage, and the DMW-HGR2 Hand Grip. Add to that also the many full and half cases available for the GX9.

Bart Simpson The Secret Graffiti Artist

Funny image of Bart Simpson being caught living out his secret life as a mask wearing Graffiti Artist. Where was the picture taken. Probably somewhere in downtown Springfield, United States. Down a few streets from 742 Evergreen Terrace. If you want to use this photo as a wallpaper you can grab a full size version from here.
 

 

#ArtSimpson #CanonEOS90d #LXV #Rollstein #BartTheHoodyCriminal

Gangster Pug Dog Picture

Pugs are one of the cutest dogs ever. But this half human Pug is a real gangster. Hangin out in the hood. Wearing some Nikes. Kitted out with the Tatts. He even has the "Illuminati" style one eye symbolism tattooed on his "hand" / Paw. He is down for whatever.

 

#PugDogPortrait #GangsterPugs #FunnyPictures #PugSelfie

8 Great Mid-Flight Helicopter Images

Pictures of Helicopters in mid-air. Here are 8 great images of Helicopters in mid-air. A mix of mostly Police, Military and Rescue Helicopters. I'm sure most are aware, but if not, and you want to attempt to capture a picture of a Helicopter flying for yourself, all you have to do is set your camera to sports mode. If it doesn't have sports mode adjust to a faster shutter speed.

 

 

Police Helicopter [OK-BYH] Camera: Canon EOS 5d Mark II. [Pixabay]

Marines Chinook Chopper Stomping

 Helops Mountain Rescue Helicopter With a Dangling Man [Camera-man]

N20GN. Real smooth. Looks like something James Bond 007 would travel in. Camera used: Nikon D7100 DSLR

Royal Air Force [RAF] Chinook in mid-air. Camera: Fujifilm FinePix Sl1000

 An RAF Rescue Helicopter. Camera: Olympus E-M1 Mark II

NH90 Military Flying Over. Camera: Canon EOS R5

Police Helicopter CP-6. Camera: Nikon Coolpix P900

Some Gates In Digbeth

Mad gates in Digbeth. Is it the owner of what's behind the gates staring at me, or just some random man. I don't know. Lots of Graffiti, stencil art and tagging in Digbeth. I do have other bits and pieces of graffiti on SD cards here and there from up this neck of the woods. Might post some more soon.

 

#Graffiak #UrbanArt #SmartphoneGraffImage #Graffoto #PasteUp #StencilArt #ParanoidEyes #WatchingYou #LockUpGates #InnerCity #StreetArt #SprayCanArt #Brum #Town

Nikon Z FC DX-Format Mirrorless Camera

For looks and design the Nikon Z FC DX is an absolute winner. Such a beautiful analogue style digital camera. The retro classic body is a trip back to the days of 35mm film cameras. This model looks almost identical to the Nikon FM2, a 35 mm film SLR. But while the design is really appealing, in terms of features, not everyone is impressed. Many people were expecting a full frame rather than mirrorless. And one commenter said its a - "hipster dufus Fuji look-a-like with a cropped sensor", which I thought was quite funny. Watch the video below for a hands-on, "first impressions" overview.

Available to buy from:

• B&H Photo
• Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3tRyFoz
  
• eBay
• Adorama
• Official Nikon Website: Nikon Z FC DX
  

As nice as this camera is, reading through some of the reivews from users, I was very disappointed to find out that most of the silver [excluding the dials] which I thought was metal, is actually plastic. I can not believe that Nikon didn't follow the form of the true classics of yesterday and make the body all metal. Or at least the silver parts.

Some quick spec and model related hashtags for the Nikon Z FC: 20.9 MP DX CMOS sensor #4K video at 30 fps #BackToThe80s slowmotion@1080p #120fps #PoweredByUSB-C #ZLenses #NoIBIS #BodyOnlyWeight@390g #FTZadapter #ZMount #SamplePhotos #Vlogging #NIKKOR #f/3.5-6.3 #28mm f/2.8

#FujiX-E4 #Fujifilm

Panasonic FZ50 Sample Images

Being such an old camera now, what can be said about the Lumix FZ50 that hasn't already been talked about. An excellent camera with a really good lens and a respectable zoom length. I do find it quite large in size though. And these days I prefer to carry something smaller for convenience. With that said, the controls for manual focus and zoom being on the barrel of the lens make the FZ50 something a little different to the rest of the Bridge cameras, and it feels much more like a DSLR to use because of this.

Panasonic Lumix FZ50 Lens. And below, some images taken with my FZ50. Made smaller, but not enhanced at all, they are straight from the camera.

There are other models similar to this, such as the Panasonic FZ20 and FZ30, those two are very good also. But the 5 mega pixel FZ20, while still a good all-rounder for taking pictures, it is the oldest of the three models and does have the least best image quality out of the three Still very good though, even today. It also does not have the manual zoom ring on the barrel like the other two, only a manual focus control ring.

Rhododendron Ponticum

 

Squirrel wants more nuts

 

This tree was totally dead, but still standing

Prices fluctuate for all models mentioned here. When I was looking to buy a used FZ50 on eBay some sellers wanted ridiculous money. I was patient and it paid off. I ended up snapping one up for around £30 in really good condition. A great deal. I tried to buy an FZ20 too. I sent an offer for £12.

Peacock butterfly basking in the sun

Bees love Rhododendrons

 

Phone Mast. Too many of these are popping up everywhere. They are dangerous.

Sunlight shining through the leaves of a white Daffodil

Good zoom. A sun dial at the top of St. John The Baptist Church In Berkswell, UK.

A low offer I know. But I thought I'd try my luck as the auction was close to ending and the seller had no bids and a starting price of £9.99. He refused my offer so I placed one bid but was in a rush and couldn't wait for the auction to end. Someone ended up buying it for £10 and some change. But now the FZ20 seems to have had a small rise in popularity, so the price has risen. Now the minimum on eBay is around £30.

One thing just so you're aware. This camera was produced at a time when video footage in cameras was in its infancy. As a result the FZ50's video recording capabilities are so bad and pixelated its laughable. Specification claims to be 848 x 480 resolution, but It must be around 140p - 240p. By today's standards It really is bad. So please, don't buy this camera if you want to be able to switch between filming video and taking photo's. This camera is strictly for taking pictures.

In finishing this post, the Panasonic Lumix FZ50 is a classic camera that is really nice to use. What I like most about it is, as mentioned, the barrel zoom and manual focus controls, and also how well it retains image quality when applying far zoom ranges. If you see one for sale at a decent price snap it up. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. And if you are, they hold their resale price quite well, so you should at least get what you paid for it if you decide its not for you. And its a sought after model. That means it will sell pretty quick.

#LeicaGlass #OlderLumixModel #DMC #PixelPerception #12xOpticalZoom #420 mm #35mm #10MegaPixels #Specs #Photographs #Pics #PanasonicCamera