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night sky :

night sky

Updated: Oct 17, 2007 7:23am PST

Heavy equipment, construction :

Heavy equipment, construction

Updated: Sep 29, 2006 6:31am PST

Friends

Masha, Max, Yulia, Denis, Eugen, Ira, Leva, Yana, Sveta, Vova, Yura, I ...

Updated: Nov 20, 2009 6:42am PST

RHYTHMFLEX_10_8_2008

Updated: Nov 12, 2008 7:15am PST

Favorite Photos : Here are my personal favorites high resolution photos that could be printed or purchased as stock downloads

Favorite Photos

Here are my personal favorites high resolution photos that could be pr ...

Updated: Mar 16, 2009 12:16pm PST

Lens Fungus : In hunt to get inexpensive sharp telephoto prime lens, I bought Sigma 400mm f/5.6 APO for $255 from ebayer with 100% positive feedback. 
Lens arrived well packaged, perfect looking externally. Main optical element clean. I made couple test shots that seemed slightly soft. 

When I looked inside - what a bad surprise. Looks like a dens web. 

Here are images that I made using Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 macro. 

I already contacted seller, notifying about problem. But don't know yet what he will answer me after seeing the images. 
I was reading on web about Lens Fungus and found one poster mentioning that lenses are most affected if stored in leather cases. Mold is also fungus, by the way. 

This lens came in nice black leather case. 

Fungus is feeding on organic matter (dead wood, dry bread, other carbohydrates). I don't believe that lens byitself is good food, but if leather case is contaminated - spores will get inside of lens and will try to grow - web like. 

On one of my images, if looked at "Original" multiple grain-like spores are visible with sprouts starting from them. 

Bottom line: 
Don't use leather cases for lens storage. Don't keep any food in same bag/backpack, even in different section of same bag. 

Stan

Lens Fungus

In hunt to get inexpensive sharp telephoto prime lens, I bought Sigma ...

Updated: Jan 23, 2009 8:55pm PST

Stuff : From childhood I was fascinated by items made by people. Simple household items, tools, kitchen gear - made me think about people who made them, their hand that polished handles to shine by routine use. Older item was - more interesting story seems to be behind it. 
This album is about items made by people.

Stuff

From childhood I was fascinated by items made by people. Simple househ ...

Updated: Feb 27, 2009 6:12am PST

Minolta 650si and 100-300mm xi AF lens parts : Following photos were born after recalling me being kid and taking dad's radio apart while he was at work... 

I remember how much I was thrilled by process of disassembly, and seeing so many little bolts, washers, clips. 

Unfortunately, when I assembled radio back, couple bolts remained extra... 
Dad wasn't pleased of course, because his radio stopped working. 


Now I'm a father, I thought that disassembling one of faulty lenses from my collection would be great project for my 5 years old son David. 

He was thrilled... We had good time, and I explained him as much as I could. After we were done with disassembly, I made some photos of lens parts. 

Please tell me what photos you like most.

Minolta 650si and 100-300mm xi AF lens parts

Following photos were born after recalling me being kid and taking dad ...

Updated: Nov 18, 2009 10:36am PST

Thomas Wootton preschool 5/14/2009

Updated: Jun 15, 2009 10:36am PST

Mosquito larvae high resolution photos made with Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 lens. Nile virus carriers. Mosquito eggs in clusters seen on water surface. : Mosquito larvae have a well-developed head with mouth brushes used for feeding, a large thorax with no legs and a segmented abdomen.

Larvae breathe through spiracles located on the eighth abdominal segment, or through a siphon, and therefore must come to the surface frequently. The larvae spend most of their time feeding on algae, bacteria, and other micro-organisms in the surface microlayer. They dive below the surface only when disturbed. Larvae swim either through propulsion with the mouth brushes, or by jerky movements of the entire body, giving them the common name of "wigglers" or "wrigglers".

Larvae develop through four stages, or instars, after which they metamorphose into pupae. At the end of each instar, the larvae molt, shedding their exoskeleton, or skin, to allow for further growth.


Pupa
The pupa is comma-shaped, as in Anopheles when viewed from the side, and is commonly called a "tumbler". The head and thorax are merged into a cephalothorax with the abdomen curving around underneath. As with the larvae, pupae must come to the surface frequently to breathe, which they do through a pair of respiratory trumpets on the cephalothorax. However, pupae do not feed during this stage. After a few days, the pupa rises to the water surface, the dorsal surface of the cephalothorax splits and the adult mosquito emerges.

Mosquito larvae high resolution photos made with Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 lens. Nile virus carriers. Mosquito eggs in clusters seen on water surface.

Mosquito larvae have a well-developed head with mouth brushes used for ...

Updated: Aug 10, 2009 9:41pm PST

Rockville, MD changes in time :

Rockville, MD changes in time

Updated: Nov 04, 2009 1:25pm PST

Firetruck detail study :

Firetruck detail study

Updated: Oct 25, 2009 9:38pm PST

Around Rockville, MD :

Around Rockville, MD

Updated: Nov 18, 2009 3:43am PST

Wheaton 2009 :

Wheaton 2009

Updated: Nov 23, 2009 8:47am PST

Concert_10_24_2009 :

Concert_10_24_2009

Updated: Nov 08, 2009 9:05pm PST