Alexander 3, V6. Last.

Spending some time still working on ONE exr file that exhausted my PC completely! I've been working on ths image for 2 or 3 days now. Unfortunately I had to reduce the size into 50% (and that is from ~20,000 pixels to something around 10,000 pixels. Width and Height).
You might think it is still big or something but I was really ambitious for that large file. One major problem now is to cover the hole in the middle with a grass-like pattern. I tried to do that in the HDR status but seems this is unfesable for the time being and I might have to tone-map it down. As for the time being I've been fixing the exposures in certain areas of the image since the castle field image was taken in a sunny day. By the way the "regular" image can be found still in my profile in Canstockphoto. My work with other photos (and scans of some pictures taken back in 1996 from Iran) is almost paralyzed until I finish this one particular photo.

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121. Ishkán, Chirán and Keríhom
122. three generals with mighty swords
123. these will surround the Bulughmans
124. and be their defence in war time
125. and so on with the bless they went on
126. workers extracted the ores from the land
127. and a dam was made over the valley
128. and when Jawgá Majawgá felt it
129. they attacked worse than the beasts of the deserts
130. and the men of Alexander suffered severely
131. for the beasts did not spare their bodies
132. and the archers pointed to their eyes
133. for it was the only way to astray them
134. and the men of Galgalom assaulted heavily
135. deep into the valley of Malúnet, the damned
136. they perished but with victory and honour
137. and Galgalom lost limbs until he died
138. and then the dam was ended in a hurry
139. stretching from the two mountain tops
140. blocking the way and harder than rocks
141. all men then retreated behind the dam
142. and dug the graves for their friends and mates
143. and the black banners were raised high
144. for those who had no apparent grave

Alexander 3, v5.

A day marked with sluggish movements. I'm kind of used to sleeplessness by now but today was something different. Wherever I go, I must do something wrong; wrong movement, crushing into something... you name it. Thank God I didn't bring my camera with me today. Although I don't know what I was thinking and I did not have a clear plan on what to snap, but I just felt like taking my camera with me (and that means lot of stuff to carry out with me as well).
Worked on 2 verses so far with my transliteration, and worked in the lab for some time to prepare and can the fish sampled that I've grinded before. I was working under the hood for the first time. This device is amazing guys... you MUST have it. I should keep one in my bathroom really... (just kidding, I'm not an oil tycoon).
I have some ideas for in-home photography and also I left my PC work on stitching again overnight, since I discovered that I saved the previous file as a .HDR format, which tends to be sluggish and literally, my Photoshop stopped responding when I opened the file. I know the file size is big as well, but EXR is better for handling this I would say, and also it supports transperancy, which I need highly.
I've noticed one more purchase for one of my photos in canstockphoto (via fotosearch). A little amount to be added to my balance but anyway, it makes me happy at least that my photo is getting some attention after all. It was an old photo though (most probably taken with my old Sony, I can't remember!). The image is "A Busy Day in My Life".

I'm having some busy day by tomorrow with some tasks to do here and there and picking my sister's laptop to some workshop for upgrading... let's hope it all goes well. I hate going into that area where all computer shops scatter around and the streets just STINK big time.
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97. in that situation and fear
98. Alexander drew something similar on the ground
99. like the shapes of those beasts
100. and they yelled with fear in one voice
101. Jawgá! Majawgá! Hayhókhaman!
102. just then Alexander remembered the legends
103. legends was told by his late father
104. about sons of the demons and sinners
105. when they met together and gave birth
106. he remembered Jawgá Majawgá
107. children of doom, children of hell
108. then once again the command was revealed
109. from Heavens down to earth for Alexander
110. "Alexander, you are victorious. Go ahead!"
111. it was then when Alexander called the men
112. the courageous generals of all times
113. and he divided them into three divisions
114. Chirán, Tólímí, Shakrashom and Galgalom
115. four generals with thousands of men
116. these will block the way from the valley
117. Érán, Kahrími, Dartalom
118. these with workers from invaded lands
119. shall dig the ground and take the ores
120. and a dam they shall make over the valley

Alexander 3, V4.

Today was a semi-idle day for me. Not so much work done to the transliteration of Alexander's story VI, but yet, I've been moving here and there in work-related issues.
I was out to submit some items for calibration to the RPD (Radiation Protection Department) and I was thinking of going back home just to check my PC which I left it operating last night. I was stitching a 360 panorama view for the castle of Aughnanure and its field (again), and since the operation was so, so, so slow, I decided to leave it like that and eventually slept earlier than regular days. Only 3 images are left to complete the next packet of picutres from Ireland, but yet I'm scattered here and there and barely completed the work on one image yesterday, which actually, I don't belive it is much of a good one!





In my office, despite this idle behavior, I was busy reading and reading about the medieval Middle East in Wikipedia. Specifically about the Abbasid dynasty. So much there to be read that I was so amazed of that time and how much cruelty was involved. The decline was not any better however. As a Shiite Muslim, I can't say I'm so very fond of these dynasties that took the role of guiding the nations before, but mainly, reading such stories and history makes my mind burn with imagination as to the events that took place. There is a movie in the story of every Abbasid Caliph (or even in the revolutionists at the time of any of those caliphs). Sometimes I do ask myself even, "did those people have time to smile even?".

Yesterday was a Monday as you all know. Yes. And you know how much I like Mondays... NOT! Right after arriving at home and before I even complete half of my lunch, I got a phone call to release the poor cat from a pest-glue that got stuck to his legs. After fierce shouts I was able to remove the glue in hardship, as the wild animal was jumping here and there thinking I'm going to hurt him, although I used to serve him food on a daily basis. His beautiful fur now is corrupted with spots of dirts all over since he escaped to the mud and sands in the house after being released from the glue. Poor guy.

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73. Carnúg went with his horse racing the winds

74. until he reached a place between the two tops

75. where Dágh, the red, lied over his right side

76. and on his left side lied Daghíl, the white

77. he took a look over the valley of Malúnet

78. you can see from afar he was paralyzed in his place

79. his legs got frozen and his voice got trapped in his throat

80. it was some time until he got his power again

81. then he got back to his camp sweating like a waterfall

82. everyone gathered around him waiting for his tongue

83. but his tongue was stuck like a piece of wood

84. Alexander passed his hand over his head gently

85. and with a smooth voice asked him to go on

86. Carnúg shouted then: Blood! Blood!

87. everyone looked to the other in amazement

88. Carnúg continued: the valley is full of blood,

89. and there are creatures from other lands

90. another lands not similar to us by any way

91. they eat whatever comes their way in any way

92. barbarians with no one like them

93. some as tall as trees in the forest

94. and some as dwarf as rocks of the desert

95. nude never heard of a cover for their bodies

96. and their smell is that of the fresh blood

Alexander 3, V3.

Less activity behind the camera, and more activity on some experiments with photoshop. Despite the fact that my napping time screwed everything in my schedule. However, I'm trying to work more on some images from Ireland. The packet of pictures should include another 30 images, and I'm close to that number.
One interesting experiment I made, was that to spread the image of the dome that I've made previously from stitching 21 shots.


I got this idea of spreading after reading an article on some methods to catch HDR panoramas, and specifically what is called the "Skydomes."
The skydomes are mainly taken with camera tilt for 90 degrees upward and fisheye lens with 180 degrees FoV (Field of View). However, the round shape of the image made me wonder what would happen if I spread the dome that I made before in the same way? The softwares mentioned in the article were not what I used, but I, instead, used Photoshop's Polar Coordinates filter, which plots into and from polar to rectangular (the typical XYZ dimension). The result was strange but funny enough, but not enough I think to be submitted to the stock sites yet. There is a slight wavy curvature in the middle of the image, which seems to be the result of a not-perfect circle in a close-up.



The main purpose of "spreading" or changing the polar coordinates to rectangular one, is mainly to straighten out an image that was taken using a fisheye lens (be it with FoV of 180 or less), but I think it can give nice effect for circular objects like this dome (or others). I might go on testing this concept on some of the 360-panoramas that I've already made.
I leave you know with Alexander 3, V3.
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49. after eating with peace
50. the tribes gathered round Alexander
51. though he tried to speak to them in vain
52. they kept talking with no sense
53. Alexander gazed amid his men and asked
54. "whoever can explain the ideas between us?"
55. A man of valour then raised up for the task
56. and the name he had was Patúl
57. from a far away land called Cimcuráyá
58. and this he said, may I try and succeed
59. Alexander permitted him and he advanced
60. with cautious steps toward the unknown
61. and when the tongue he could not understand
62. and they could not understand his gestures
63. on the ground he drew a shape of a man
64. and they all said in one voice, Bulughman!
65. thus Alexander called them the Bulughmans
66. and he who seemed to be the chief of those
67. pointed to the mountains not far from there
68. and in fierce talk he started to express
69. but his words were not understood by any
70. then Alexander ordered a horseman called Carnúg
71. to go to the mountains and overlook the valley
72. and bring the tidings of what had been so fierce

Alexander 3, V2.

So tired at work that I just don't find much words to say for today in here! Not much photographic experience for the past few days but yet I'm keeping on reading some texts here and there to enhance my knowledge about some aspects of the exposure.
I barely made a transliteration today for 2 verses and now after this post I think I will nap for 30 minutes until it's time to move out of here...

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25. Alexander wondered for the name
26. he never heard of it in the pages of history
27. but so he obeyed the commands and got back to his camp
28. and kept the words for himself as a secret
29. and in the next morning he raised up with his men
30. and to the roots of the sun they were marching
31. until the Earth swept its green cover and the water
32. and with sands filled the ground and salt
33. there, they glanced many a tribe from afar
34. barely cover themselves and barely live
35. running after insects of the desert
36. and drinking the dirty waters
37. their looks were miserable
38. their poverty pulls out the tear
39. Alexander then approached them with peace
40. and they gathered together with fear in the eyes
41. their action amazed Alexander
42. he announced the peace before them
43. but they kept their silence with fear
44. the hero then offered them some food
45. and they attacked the food with their teeth
46. fierce was their hunger
47. fierce was their thirst
48. and their tongue was not comprehensible

Alexander 3, V1.

Not much of photography for this weekend or experiments, as I'm out of ideas. But rather, I spent some time trying my new flash against the faces of the family just to make some sense on how to use it and how to adjust the light to my needs. In fact, my main interest in the flash is to give enough light when I use high shutter speeds, and I use high shutter speeds to compensate for my shake of hands when I'm on the go without a tripod (or more precisely, not in mood to put up a tripod!).
For the time being I'm checking for shots here and there from Ireland and this time I've reached the folder which I call, the "Damned." The folder contains some panoramas that really made a headache for me in the past and I might as well go again with it. It's entitled (2009-10-04). Two folders prior to that contain some images that I've done before and already inspected, thus I didn't spend much time with them and moved directly to the next folder. But one of the images in the folders before was something that I think I didn't make up before (or I made in some small size);

My window's view in The Waterfront, Co. Galway, Ireland.

Dandelion near Oughterard's Golf Field 

As for now, I'm surfing Amazon to see more books related to some fields of photography and other stuff and tools.  I put them all on my wish list to refer back whenever I want to. I also made an order from Astrodiesnt, for a "psychological astrology profile," and the introduction was interesting enough that it seems almost like 100% accurate, but I have to continue reading it (I stopped reading to write this post first!).

As for now, here you go, with Alexander 3, Verse 1.

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1. Alexander camped 7 days and 7 nights
2. he organized the west, spread the goodness
3. he banished the evil from the hearts
4. and the message of Heavens arrived
5. "Alexander, catch the sun from its roots"
6. on the 8th day he got ready with his soldiers
7. and along the long path he should go
8. amid deserts and forests, amid waters and fires
9. people come and go, tribes settle and move
10. wars and victories, along with friendships
11. some joined him by their well and some by force
12. until he reached the line of the day
13. where night falls just after the other side
14. he made a decision to settle with the hordes
15. amid the noise of hatred among the men
16. amid the fear that spread among their hearts
17. but the hero had a heart of a man and man shall be
18. and a gaze to the generals he made and they settled down
19. while he wandered between the two lands
20. he praised God for His wonders in that spot
21. while angels came down greeting him with a smile
22. they told him he will be back here one day
23. to see wonders beyond the wonders
24. in some land they called Ayvar