Category: Hobbies

Keystone B-1 16mm Movie Camera

Vintage Cameras Over the past year or so, I’ve been putting together a collection of vintage cameras. I don’t view them as any kind of “investment.” I enjoy cleaning them up and making minor repairs when they need them. They look neat, too. A few of them aren’t really fit to be used any more, …

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More Lightning with CHDK

2012-09-07 morning lightning 0595

I recently downloaded a slightly different motion detection script for my camera that seems to do a great job catching lightning flashes. I had been hoping for some good lightning opportunities on several occasions, but the storms disappointed me. The morning of September 7th turned out to be just what I needed to check out …

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Thunderstruck: Lightning Photography with CHDK

Lightning has always been a source of fascination for me, even as a child. I was never one to be fearful of thunderstorms. Watching a good lightning display is something that I really enjoy. Flashes of lightning are very ephemeral. Blink your eyes or turn your head and you might miss an impressive sight. As …

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A Couple More 3D Building Models

Digital model of 212 S First St in Champaign Illinois

I’ve managed to complete a couple more models of local buildings for use in Google Earth. These two models weren’t particularly difficult, but both were difficult to photograph completely. There simply isn’t a way to get good photos of the full sides of some buildings. 212 S. First Street, Champaign The Painters Local 363 and …

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New 3D Model for Google Earth: Binny’s Beverage Depot in Champaign

Google Earth screen capture of Binny's Beverage Depot in Champaign

The latest 3D digital model that I created has gone live in Google Earth (and in their 3D map view, available with the Google Earth plugin for Mac & Windows users). Here’s a screenshot of the model from Google Earth: This model represents Binny’s Beverage Depot‘s newest location, in Champaign, Illinois. I still haven’t been …

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HDR Photographs in the Cemetery

Composite image of 7-exposure image stack.

I stopped at a local cemetery the other day to take a few photographs before the sunlight vanished. I took a few regular photos, but what I really had in mind was getting exposure brackets for HDR photos. One of the standard photos turned out fairly well, particularly when desaturated and having the contrast tweaked …

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Back to Building Virtual 3D Models

813 W University Ave Model

Until yesterday, I hadn’t uploaded a building model to Google’s 3D Warehouse since 11 March of this year. I couldn’t quite recall when I created my first 3D model, but my blog reminded me that it was in July of 2009. I have several models in various states of construction. Some of them will require …

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