Yesterday was a pretty long day. I drove down to NJ to pick up the 500L from Herb Houghton. My plan was to drive down and beat the snow, then stay ahead of it all the way back. Didn't quite work out. Easy 4 hr drive down, but it started to snow about 20 minutes before I got to Herb's house. He's a great guy, and we talked for quite a while, but that meant it was 90 minutes before I got back on the road. Wasn't slippery, but still pretty slow going. Took over 6 hrs to get home. I had left the house at 8am, got back home around 9pm.
Today I got to play around with the new lens. Man, this thing is sharp.
All these were with the 500L+1.4TC and my 7DII, hand-held. Boring bird, but just trying to get the hang of things.
Laura, this is one of the Mystic Lakes eagles. Not something I would post on the Nature Board, but still not bad, considering it was about 500 ft away and a heavy crop.
And a Dream Liner that happened by.
Next weekend I'll try with the 5DIV and see how that works.
Yesterday was a pretty long day. I drove down to NJ to pick up the 500L from Herb Houghton. My plan was to drive down and beat the snow, then stay ahead of it all the way back. Didn't quite work out. Easy 4 hr drive down, but it started to snow about 20 minutes before I got to Herb's house. He's a great guy, and we talked for quite a while, but that meant it was 90 minutes before I got back on the road. Wasn't slippery, but still pretty slow going. Took over 6 hrs to get home. I had left the house at 8am, got back home around 9pm.
Today I got to play around with the new lens. Man, this thing is sharp.
All these were with the 500L+1.4TC and my 7DII, hand-held. Boring bird, but just trying to get the hang of things.
Laura, this is one of the Mystic Lakes eagles. Not something I would post on the Nature Board, but still not bad, considering it was about 500 ft away and a heavy crop.
Nice! I've got the Nikon equivalent on my "want" list. I'd love to shoot with all the super teles someday, just to say I did.
Did you pack extra clothes for that trip for "just in case"? Glad you made it home in one piece.
msalvetti wrote:
Yesterday was a pretty long day. I drove down to NJ to pick up the 500L from Herb Houghton. My plan was to drive down and beat the snow, then stay ahead of it all the way back. Didn't quite work out. Easy 4 hr drive down, but it started to snow about 20 minutes before I got to Herb's house. He's a great guy, and we talked for quite a while, but that meant it was 90 minutes before I got back on the road. Wasn't slippery, but still pretty slow going. Took over 6 hrs to get home. I had left the house at 8am, got back home around 9pm.
Today I got to play around with the new lens. Man, this thing is sharp.
All these were with the 500L+1.4TC and my 7DII, hand-held. Boring bird, but just trying to get the hang of things.
Laura, this is one of the Mystic Lakes eagles. Not something I would post on the Nature Board, but still not bad, considering it was about 500 ft away and a heavy crop.
NightOwl Cat wrote:
Did you pack extra clothes for that trip for "just in case"? Glad you made it home in one piece.
Thanks, I'm glad too. I ended up going to bed later than intended the night before, and then got a late start Saturday morning. So didn't take the time to pack. I was traveling alone, I figured nobody was going to notice if I didn't change clothes for a few days.
Really the hardest part was staying awake. I don't get anywhere near enough sleep. I'm not as bad as I was when my brother and I were taking care of my Dad (when I would sometimes fall asleep at a traffic light, and I once woke up to find myself driving on the wrong side of the road in Melrose), but still a concern especially at night.
I should know better, we talk about safety at work all the time. And I once walked away from a high-speed roll over on Route 93 when I fell asleep after working an all-nighter at Zayre's when I was in college.
Sleep apnea? I haven't thought of Zayre's in a long time, was it the one at Wellington Plaza? And yes, you definitely should know better. Sometimes you need to cave and check into a hotel room for the night.
I've made that a standard when I have driven back to Massachusetts. Used to stop in Buffalo for the night, but it made for a long trip to the east. Now I stop in Rochester, which is the halfway point.
Extra clothes were also in case you'd gotten stuck in the storm; damp clothes can accelerate hypothermia. Right now I have two pillows, a sleeping bag, a down comforter, and a spare jacket in my car, even though most of my trips are within an hour of home, some of the areas I go to for the second job are pretty rural. And yes, I still have the Taurus, it's coming up on 247,000 miles on it
msalvetti wrote:
Thanks, I'm glad too. I ended up going to bed later than intended the night before, and then got a late start Saturday morning. So didn't take the time to pack. I was traveling alone, I figured nobody was going to notice if I didn't change clothes for a few days.
Really the hardest part was staying awake. I don't get anywhere near enough sleep. I'm not as bad as I was when my brother and I were taking care of my Dad (when I would sometimes fall asleep at a traffic light, and I once woke up to find myself driving on the wrong side of the road in Melrose), but still a concern especially at night.
I should know better, we talk about safety at work all the time. And I once walked away from a high-speed roll over on Route 93 when I fell asleep after working an all-nighter at Zayre's when I was in college.
msalvetti wrote:
Thanks, I'm glad too. I ended up going to bed later than intended the night before, and then got a late start Saturday morning. So didn't take the time to pack. I was traveling alone, I figured nobody was going to notice if I didn't change clothes for a few days.
Really the hardest part was staying awake. I don't get anywhere near enough sleep. I'm not as bad as I was when my brother and I were taking care of my Dad (when I would sometimes fall asleep at a traffic light, and I once woke up to find myself driving on the wrong side of the road in Melrose), but still a concern especially at night.
I should know better, we talk about safety at work all the time. And I once walked away from a high-speed roll over on Route 93 when I fell asleep after working an all-nighter at Zayre's when I was in college.
True enough Anwar. I shudder to think of the times I've pushed it on the road in my younger years, waking back up to the adrenaline rush of wondering just how long I was out. God's Grace. Now that's an area that autonomous vehicles will be a big help. Even the newest ones that vibrate the seat and announce when one drifts a little, annoying, but saves lives I'm sure.
One of the safety features we have in the Southwest USA are the things we see on the road to keep us awake. I mean, you stay alert because you never know what is coming next...
ps: No, I do not support driving when you are tired. Pull over to a rest area and take a nap, or better, get a hotel/motel room for a few hours. Make life good!
NightOwl Cat wrote:
I haven't thought of Zayre's in a long time, was it the one at Wellington Plaza?
Yes, that's the one. I actually met my wife working there. It's a Stop & Shop now.
Guys, thanks for all the concern. I am careful these days, this drive was nothing like I might have done in the past. I survived those unwise journeys (and more importantly, so did everyone else on the road with me). Not doing that anymore.
Man, just a few years ago when I had all the assignments in Florida, I made multiple trips from home to the Jacksonville area only stopping for gas and grabbing something to eat at the same time. I'd typically call Sheila and talk to her for the last four or five hours because those were the toughest part of the trip. Still, dumb, those days are gone, about 11 hours is my comfort zone from here on out and getting a good night's sleep prior to launch.
Funny, I've done some really long flights but never, ever experienced the least bit of drowsiness. One would think with the thinner air at altitude and the ANC headset combined with the drone of the big Continental, it would be a perfect set up for dozing off.
Looks like Canon is going to do me right in 2020. The XIII is right on schedule for delivery in a few weeks and the 5DSR sequel will likely be announced around the time the III is arriving. Sketchy details for the SR but it will be mirrorless and somewhere between 60 and 80 megapixel. All the mirrorless offerings have exhibited one common characteristic, razor sharp images, even the anemic Canon version is spectacularly sharp. I'm pumped to see what a huge MP mirrorless will bring to the table, and, I'll finally have a camera that I can actually use on my Ronin S. The 1DXII was usable, and the III will be as well, but you are at the outside limit of usability with it and a 24-70 installed.
January is generally a relatively subdued month business-wise, but not this January 2020. I've been blessed with several new clients that have been keeping me on my toes. One o those is a great guy and a very talented custom builder. We photographed this beautiful home together late last week for an architectural competition................
Actually, Zayre's became Ames, and Stop & Shop built a new store building that was standing out from a bit, backed by Commercial St. A quick peek at googlemaps shows Harbor Freight now in that S&S building
msalvetti wrote:
Yes, that's the one. I actually met my wife working there. It's a Stop & Shop now.
Guys, thanks for all the concern. I am careful these days, this drive was nothing like I might have done in the past. I survived those unwise journeys (and more importantly, so did everyone else on the road with me). Not doing that anymore.
NightOwl Cat wrote:
Actually, Zayre's became Ames, and Stop & Shop built a new store building that was standing out from a bit, backed by Commercial St. A quick peek at googlemaps shows Harbor Freight now in that S&S building
Right, I forgot that sequence. But Ames is gone, Stop & Shop is now there, with Harbor Freight and Ocean State Job Lot in the old Stop & Shop store.
