Hunting Day!

Hunt, hunt, hunt. This is all what I was doing today. Not necessarily for images, but for various stuff. In the beginning, it was the hunt of food. I woke up with a really squeaky tummy. On breakfast, I've pulled out my camera and made it settle on the chair next to mine. I had in mind that I must catch that magpie and eventually, and maybe because it was not a sunny morning (although the rest of the day was wonderful), the magpie didn't show up, just in the beginning.
While I was talking to my host about some stupidity with cars back there in Kuwait, the magpie cut off the conversation and landed on the grass and followed by another. My host told me that there is actually some old song about the magpie (with some variations and versions) that says:

One for a bad luck and two for a good luck...

I don't know the origin of the story, but seemingly this means I'm having a good luck. Anyway, I was not that lucky with catching him with my camera and my simple 55-200mm lens, but, I do have hopes for the future in the few days left for me here.

The magpie fleeding as it appeared from the dining room window.

My host went out in a hurry after that and went to the lounge where the window there overlooks the other side of the garden and called me to check. I went there and the magpie was jumping in a hurry and hid behind some bushes. After that, I really gave up looking after it. I was moving in between the windows in the lounge with the camera hanging around my neck and waiting for a suitable chance to snap that thief! Anyway, no luck at all so I decided to get ready for the cab to pick me up to Cahir.

In Cahir, I've paid a visit again to the castle, and I was surprised at the amount of things that I didn't see in the first time I was there some days ago, when I was about to visit the Swiss Cottage. Many things to be seen and many stands to take and just watch that beautiful part of nature. An, in case you are blind, it is enough for you to step there and listen to the running river, the river Súir, going on and on. In fact there, I decided to be a bad boy. Yes, a bad boy. How? Simply, by using a high ISO value with a fast shutter speed. High ISO is not something you want to use in your photos, unless you are really capable of eliminating the noise coming out of the sensor. Anyway it was a trial, and when I get back home, we'll see if I can do some decent job out of these photos. While I was walking on a path beside the castle walls, the path drove me to some source of "noise" if I should say. Some really loud sound coming from the river. Finally, I reached the point when the water was gushing from no where virtually and crashing on some rocks. On tht spot, I've worked on my camera with various settings really, but all I remember was putting the camera on Tv mode (time value priority) and sitting the speed something between 1000 and 2000 (that is 1/x) and the ISO on 1000 and higher (and even used the highest value available, the 12800, which by the way is denoted by "H").

Water crashing on the water.

I got many shots in these settings and the water was, for the naked eye, beautifully frozen! I tried this as well with other objects, specially birds, but it was harder to make something of them. Anyway, there was some nice chances out there. But maybe one of the weirdest thing in the catch today was, that "memorabilia"...

 Couldn't agree further!

Now, into the castle. In the beginning, I didn't know that that gate which was half closed with some construction sign falling on its side beside it was really the gate to get into the castle and see it from the inside, well, after getting the ticket of course! I thought the location was closed when I saw the castle the first time I came to Cahir and spent one night in it.

I got inside, got the ticket and got into different halls and different chambers and rooms, and the stairs were so so so small. It was so hard climbing up on those stairs with a backpack and my camera bag on the side. In some cases, I was literally going down the stairs backwards because the space was so small to turn around and get down the normal way. After jumping here and there from one corner of the castle to another, I noticed in the main yard of the castle, some stairway tht goes down into the ground. I went down to find myself in a place that I think it would be suitable for a garrison. Of course, everything was made by solid rocks. The stairs were going downstairs and ending to some black gate with bars, exactly like in jails, but in the middle of this stairway, there was a relatively new stair going up and connecting to another side which, as it seems, was connected to this stair I was standing upon but fell down by time.

I climbed up that stair. It was so so narrow even though it was relatively new and made of metal. After that "bridge" to the other side, the stairs became even harder to climb and literally, I had to bend my back in like 90 degrees to go through. Finally, at the end, I was up on one of the towers, as if by magic! You go down and you end up being up!

The view from the tower was simply amazing. With even little waterfalls viewable, some flock of birds were also there and made a nice chance for some hunting again!

General view for Cahir from the top of the tower.

The main thing that captured my eyes is a crane (or a heron). It was so big even though it was so far away from me, but I was greatly disappointed with me lens that I wished I had a larger one with a nicer zooming to make it even bigger in the viewfinder.

 The crane on the edge of the small waterfall.

My 55-200mm was on its max when I shot this but still the crane was not that clear, and with the high ISO and high shutter speed things aren't any better. Anyway, I'm still hoping that when I get back home I will do a better pic out of those.

Beside the crane there were other guests. Swans and ducks. While I was shooting them continuously, the camera needed some time to process the images and hence there were stops in the sequences of images, which made it look like 2 different groups of images. However, this is not a big deal to me. I'm not making a story here!

After finishing from the castle I got into a gift shop and tried my best to pick up something for the family. Most of my shopping was to bring gifts for females rather than males actually. I asked the shop owner about the antiques shop on the other side of the street and he confirmed what I doubted about, and the shop was closed. He said that they have some branch in Dublin, but it is less likely I'm going to check it when I get back there before my final leave. 

Well, I'm still thinking and planning for what to do tomorrow. I'm still not sure. I think I've seen the majority of scenes in Cashel and Cahir, and despite the fact that my fisheye betrayed me today and some images appeared out of focus a little, I don't think I will re-take these images anyway. I guess I will sit down and watch for the magpie!

Cashel Rock

Wow! What a windy, tiresome day. I don't even know how I'm typing these words now. After having my shower after getting back to my place, I really don't know how I could bear sitting here for hours preparing and organizing my pictures for today.

My day began with the regular routine of cereals breakfast, and having a bit of coffee. Just a bit, not a mug like I used to do back in Kuwait! However, I think all of this coffee was burnt out on my way to the town center heading to the castle itself; The Cashel Rock.
Although the brochures and the website about this place say that it is around 10 minutes walk to the castle, but anyway I guess I spent one hour reaching the place! Anyway, I think the distance to the castle specifically is almost the same as the distance I used to walk to Oughterard town when I was in Co. Galway last year. On my way, I glanced the castle, which actually gave me hope that I'm on the right track, because I didn't take any maps or anything, simply following the owner's directions which I might have heard in a wrong way or something!

Cashel Rock from a distance, before reaching the town center. Taken with my 55-200mm@110mm.

After reaching the town's center, there were so many shops in front of me for many many stuff. The castle then was obvious from above the houses in the horizon, to my right. I kept on walking to the right and trying to find my way how to head to the castle, because from afar I saw some shops that actually block the way! However, I passed by a church. The St. John The Baptist Catholic Church. At the gate I noticed some dog dung, which was really unpleasant view. Anyway, I got inside the yard of the church a bit and noticed some structures and monuments and graves as well. Not being a christian however, made me a bit buffled and I didn't know much of what are these things. However, and while staring at some grave with a celtic cross as its stone, the father came and greeted me and I told him about my intentions of taking some photos and he also invited me for some ceremony at around 10:30 (and the time was maybe 10:00 or a bit before this). However, to me I have red lines I cannot cross and I didn't know if attending religious ceremonies for other religions is allowed for me or not. However, he gracefully allowed me to take pictures around the place and it was indeed a nice architectural view, except for the sun the almost blew out my mind and eye!

 Some structures from the St. John The Baptist church.

I was always in love with such iconic arts and always wanted to see ones. Although I do wish to go inside the church one day and take a full panorama with my heavy tools here with me, but I don't think that would be easy EVEN though I explained my intent to the father. It's just me that I hate to bother other people and specially in such religious places. I don't think it is proper at all.

Anyway, I walked out from the church and roamed the town center a bit looking for some way to get into the path leading to the castle, but no use! The maps provided there for tourists actually buffled me more! Finally, I've glanced the Tourists Information Office, which I discovered when I got in there, it is also a gifts shop. The lady at the desk there explained it all to me, and the path that I thought it was blocked by some barricade, was actually indeed the path to the castle. I thanked the lady and headed there at once, and one the way I've noticed a tiny museum, but unfortunately, it was closed with no specific timing for openings shown! I walked to the end of the road until I arrived finally at the castle.

The last portion of the path to the castle was going up and it was really hard (with my exhaustion already) to climb. I sat down a little and took some pictures with my fisheye lens for the castle facade. I didn't add them yet to the net because simply, I took them for the mere fun. The facade of the castle had some huge posters and I didn't like the view anyway, but I loved the geological strucutres at the base carrying the castle itself.

After some rest, I climbed up, got the ticket and roamed around. So much was there to see and the place was, for my bad luck, clogged with tourists from all around the world; Germans, Russians (or somewhere from Eastern Europe), British or Australians, Germans and probably Scandinavians! It was so hard to take any decent images at any place. I was trying to walk against the stream of people; I go to the places that they leave or to the places that they didn't visit yet!

Some artifacts in the castle's museum.

The low light inside the castle was problematic somehow and even with high ISO like 800, the HDR shooting was hard to be done and sometimes even for an EV of zero, where the image is usually mildly dark. Now this, granted me another visit to the castle, but surely not tomorrow!

In the castle and even before I go there, in the past two days, I was trying to develop some methodical way to shoot on the go, and I came up with some decisions to work as fast as possible, providing that I won't be needing a tripod or a monopod:

• Once you get the camera out, hang it around the neck and don't get it back again into the case.
• The space of the camera in the case is used to dump the lenses for change and use.
• Do not change or drop the lens from the camera after taking the shot, for the next shot you might still need it. Don't waste time changing lenses.
• If possible, try using the Tv mode as much as possible with good settings to get a good lit image. High ISO might be needed here. Using built-in flash can be useful sometimes too.

I didn't follow these steps exactly like that, but some thoughts that I might follow from time to time myself. I got out from the main building of the castle to the yard where there were some graves and a nice scene of the fields in the horizon. Pictures at this point were even harder to get, because tourists seldom evacuate the place. A heavy photoshopping job is waiting for me...

A Celtic Cross as a gravestone. 

Took it specifically for a friend who likes them!

After getting out of the castle and taking pictures of a celtic cross and the fields, I headed to the chapel which was added later after building the main body of the castle. Now this place was huge with archs like those I found in Cong's abbey, and according to some tourists guide, I heard him say that the design is mainly affected by the Gothic style which was introduced by the Normans. I think Cong's abbey might be of the same century or so.

The chapel main hall was a place for a panorama. It is the first panorama I shoot so far here in Ireland. I mean a complete spherical panorama because there were little panoramas I took here and there. I was afraid a bit because the tourists never leave the place and, such tools might alert some of them thinking it is something fatal or so! Well, what I can say. Being an Arab is not good all the time! Anyway, I did my work amid the movement of the tourists and the hard movement of the VR-head, and to add to my misery, some haze started to fall on me and my VR-head, but gracefully, not the lens or the camera!

 The map of the chapel printed on porcelain pieces and fixed into a table on the ground.

Taken with my 15mm fisheye lens.

As for the panorama, I think there were some shakes but however, the main concern now is about the people who went on crossing all over the place while I shoot. In fact, I'm thinking of turning this point as a style. In other words, the people or the ghosting effect of moving people should not be removed to add some action to a silent panorama. I should say as well it was a HDR panorama.

The wind got stronger by the time I started to shoot this panorama, and my hair was another story here. Should've brought a hair gel instead of a hair mousse! Anyway, at this point I went outside for a final stage shooting at the graveyard of the chapel, where tourists remained in the place as well and the hard wind froze my face off. I took some images of some monuments or should I say, mausoleums. Also in the horizon, I could see the fields and strange ruins that virtually, had no roads leading to them or anything.

The fields from the chapel's graveyard and the ruins appear on the left side of the image 

(click for larger view).

Finishing all of that and planning at the back of my head for another visit to this castle, and hopefully with less tourists, I headed back on my way to the town center to get me some food for the rest of the day. Well, I spent some minutes wandering here and there until I've finally found it. They call it "Food Market" here and I thought it sells only vegetables and fruit, but it is in fact a small market with stuff other than food. On the way back home my stuation even became more miserable when the plastic bag tore off and some stuff fell down! Boy, ain't I glad to get back home now?!!! My feet are still aching, and for this I think I will have a restful day tomorrow maybe taking pictures around this beautiful house.

Alexander 6, V33.

Well well, the first day of my leave and it was a hard-working day. I went on shopping to get presents for my nieces, and got me a new sandal instead of the piece of leather I used to wear. I tihnk it was a sandal 10 years ago or something (literally). I took some time also going around to some yachts marinas to ask about probably tours to Miskan island, but I couldn't find anything. I have to see for myself in another time. They say you can go to Failaka island first and then from there, you can sail to Miskan. I have to ask further. I don't want to shoot into the dark.

Before all of that of course I went to have a breakfast in Burger King, and I wonder now if they do have a restaurant by this time. All the breakfast meals were removed and replaced by one and only one meal; egg and cheese. Sorry, but I think I can do this at home can't I? So I went on with my own way like that with no breakfast, till I got me some french bread and turkey breast with some energy drink, which later on, I needed it heavily. But after leaving BK, I've noticed how the wind was hard and the sun was tearing the way amid the clouds. There were those things as well. I don't know what's their purpose, but well, I think they are supposed to give some shade for the beach dwellers. I decided (and luckily the camera was with me) to work on a scene a bit if I can. It had been some time since I worked on a scene. Most of the time, I was going on and on with panorama stuff. I shot trying to include the sun as well, I tried the fisheye lens in a single shot as well just for fun. Finally, since the panorama trials are in my blood, I went on doing a fast rhythm photography with my fisheye lens. It was just plane rectangular panorama, no up and down and no angles or anything.

After arriving home I worked on pumping something I got for my niece. I think called "baby gym" to keep her in. All parts needed pumping and so, I did the manual pumping all the way. I feel the muscles reaching my tongue now. Then, to the images. Of course, I couldn't let go of catching some HDR sequences here, specially that the sun is in the scene and it might be a good idea to control the light later on. I'm intending to upload some of these images on Canstockphoto, but not yet. There is a lot of work in cloning involved. The cloning part is so hard because of the trash thrown on the sand every where on the beach. Yes, we have clean people.

Primary Version

The image above was done in a haste for putting up in this blog. More to come but I'm not sure I'm going to upload here as well.
Now back to my QTVR games. Just before I go to bed yesterday (which was earlier really and sounded like a regular day!), but I had a thought of playing around with that Aughnanure Castle panorama. The Autodesk stitcher hanged on while loading the large panorama, but went OK doing the small one. However, I worked on doing both later on with PTGui and I've just found out that option to make the panorama cylindrical and not completely spherical. All what you have to do is fix the "tilt" angle. This will maybe require more than one trial, and it all depends on the height of the panorama in hands. As for Aughnanure Castle panorama, it was enough to have -21 to 21 degrees of tilt to view the vertical distance completely.




As for now I have to think of regulating and fixing my time somehow to work on Alexander's story transliteration. I don't sit idle regarding this specifically for one week until Sunday 18th.
I leave you now for verse 33 from Alexander VI. I really need to nap a bit.shoppinh
__________
769. after the gate was sealed behind Alexander on the other side
770. nothing appeared to Alexander behind him except of lands
771. like nothing was behind him or above him
772. like it was not night time just a while ago
773. Alexander stood up and gazed around him
774. but nothing he saw but mountains and hills and some green lands
775. while some rivers flew to the right and left
776. he kept on walking for no obvious destination
777. and he gazed into the sky above him for many times
778. but he did not find a sun, although it was a day
779. and he felt the gentle heat of the air breeze without a sun
780. then he saw some plants on the ground and he felt hungry
781. but he was afraid that such food is not suitable to eat
782. but then he saw a strange bird falls down from heaven
783. it was a bird he never saw like it on Earth
784. thus this bird came down and picked the fruit of the plant
785. and stayed away to eat them peacefully
786. thus Alexander knew that such plant is not poisonous
787. and he began to eat from it like he never had food before
788. and the taste of the fruit was never something he felt before
789. but suddenly he saw a large shade covering the ground
790. and he wondered how come there is no sun but a shade is here?
791. and he gazed to his back and saw a huge creature
792. something was staring at him with furious eyes