In Anchorage, last Thursday night we had an amazing, GLORIOUS light show! The entire sky to the west, north and east was filled with glorious lights — including overhead! I witnessed this personally, and am even more in awe of God — ‘what would You have me to do?’

I saw an aurora in Anchorage about 20 years ago that was directly overhead, which I’ll never forget. I have said it was like God coming his hair. But this one had so much energy. What blew me away were huge donut shaped pulses almost directly overhead (slightly to the west and north of overhead) that looked like they were slamming down this amazing energy on me, more than one pulse per second. Selah.

And we can expect more gorgeous displays this winter. BUT our power grid and electronics are not EMP protected (explained in the links below), because Congress won’t act to protect our country for just the cost of one stealth bomber.

So hopefully we won’t get a northern lights show that is too wonderful, like has happened in the past, before we had delicate electronics.

jeff

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From: swpc.noaa.gov

Solar Cycle Progression 
Presented by the NOAA/Space Weather Prediction Center

The charts on this page depict the progression of the Solar Cycle. The charts and tables are updated by the Space Weather Prediction Center monthly using the latest ISES predictions. Observed values are initially the preliminary values which are replaced with the final values as they become available. …

Entire Article Here

Related:

Lisa Murkowski Blocked Effort to Protect US Power Grid — “Within 12 months of an EMP attack or a massive solar flare, between two-thirds to 90 percent of the U.S. population would perish!”

Matthew Stein 2/16/12: When Technology Fails

Part 1 of 3[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym9iNrazgV4#!]

Archive of the most severe solar storms to hit Earth: The largest was in 1859, The Carrington Event, followed by the New York Railroad Storm of 1921

Solar Max Chart: We’re Approaching the Top of the Trough — Gorgeous auroras expected! But if one gets too gorgeous our power grid isn’t EMP protected, thanks to Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and Congress

Photos: Power transformers damaged by the March 13, 1989, geomagnetic storm | A GIANT solar flare in 2006 that missed us!

Matt Stein: 400 Chernobyls, Solar Flares, EMP & Nuclear Armageddon — If we see the most incredible northern lights display of our lives and the grid isn’t protected for just the price of one stealth bomber!

[Anchorage Daily News opinion] Alaska’s Senators LISA MURKOWSKI and MARK BEGICH are TRAITORS: Every U.S. senator must subscribe to an oath that states, “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States …” Sens. Begich and Murkowski have BROKEN THIS OATH. I call on them to repudiate their votes on Senate Bill 1867, the Defense Authorization Bill; they have compromised the freedoms our Constitution guarantees.

Newt Gingrich: The Second Greatest Threat to America — “The second is an electromagnetic pulse attack which would literally destroy the country’s capacity to function.”

Joel Skousen reviews EMP attack scenario book, “When the Lights Went Out” by Jack Monnett: A solid wake up call for those who continue to think America is not at risk — It would probably take about 6 nuclear explosions spaced carefully over the nation

My EMP Dream (10/23/08): All Cars Suddenly Stopped From Electromagnetic Pulse Weapon?

Our senators traitors? Senate dumps strategy to prevent EMP damage

A shot across the bow: Missile expert says southern California projectile was a foreign-made cruise or ICBM missile launched from a submarine

Wayne Madsen: China Fired Missile Seen In Southern California

China Builds Secret Nuclear Submarine Base in South China Sea

Coincidence “Missile” Fired Off California Coast On Same Day That Chinese Sub Surprised US Carrier Group

One EMP nuke could take down the entire U.S. power grid. Study estimates 90% of all Americans dead within a year

North Korea may soon be able to strike USA with ultimate doomsday weapon that deactivates nearly all electronics

EMP Defense Council Inaugurated to Prepare the U.S. for a Nuclear EMP Strike or a Solar Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) “which have a high probability of occurring within the next 2-5 years” and would take out most of the electrical grid, medical devices, computer systems, the internet, all vehicles, consumer electronics, home appliances, satellites, airborne planes, etc.

Forecasters keep eye on looming ‘Solar Max’

[2012?] Likelihood of a SOLAR FLARE taking out our entire power grid — NO ELECTRICITY; NO WATER; NO HEAT for MANY MONTHS! ALASKA would be especially vulnerable. “If people in a community JOIN TOGETHER…”

((( audio ))) After America Went Down Music: Our Demise Theme [Barber: “Adagio for Strings”] ||| WWWIII or Just an EMP ||| The World Cheers Dance Mix [Dj Tiesto]

I’m so glad William Neill reposted his amazing story behind his most iconic photo! It’s his favorite, and has inspired me!

It was so dark that William couldn’t see the vivid colors (the human eye using rods instead of the cones), so he didn’t know what he had captured until after the film was developed, before the digital age had begun!

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From:

My First Essay for Outdoor Photographer in 1997

August 16th, 2012

Today, I had a request from my long-time friend and master photographer Michael Frye to post the essay in which I tell the story of making my favorite image, Dawn, Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Canada 1995. Here it is as sent to Outdoor Photographer for first my On Landscape column in 1997.  For more of my essays, see the OP site here.

…………..

Rising very early on a summer morning, I hoped for a dramatic and brilliant sunrise on Lake Louise and the glaciers above.  Perhaps it was the two weeks of photographing in rainy conditions that biased my hopes!  I waited patiently for sunrise, but my preconceived vision failed to appear as persistent clouds shrouded the mountains. It was a silent and mysterious dawn.  I simply sat and soaked in the scene.  Finally, I made two exposures, but expected little. I completely forgot about this session during the rest of my trip.  When I saw the film after returning, I was amazed. I had to think hard about when and where I had made this photograph. Unconsciously, but facilitated by my experience and instinct, the power and magic of that landscape, at that moment, had come through on film.

The Lake Louise photograph was made with my 4×5 view camera and a 150mm lens. Due to the use of slow film, small aperture and low light, the exposure was about two minutes long. Of the two exposures I made, one was horizontal, the other vertical. …

See the photo with the rest of the article HERE

Read More

I wrote this, today, on my Facebook page.

For those interested, the 5D3 (5D Mark III) is close to the ultimate camera for making big prints and shooting in low light, etc. and etc.. The big pixels in this big sensor are great for the ultimate image quality in low light, and for pulling out shadow detail. But a full-frame (35mm) sensor camera is fairly big and heavy, especially because the lenses have to be bigger and heavier. It’s not a practical camera for the average, even-serious shooter, and it’s really not fun to carry around doing street shooting.

For really fun and more flexible shooting, I think it’s hard to beat the cameras I talk about below. I just wrote this to help one of my Facebook friends decide which camera to get. He was talking about getting an SLR, but I suggested this instead. And the compact camera I talk about at the end, the Fuji F770EXR / F775EXR is probably going to be phenomenal, zooming from a really useful wide angle 25mm (FOV equivalent) to a bird-shooting 500mm, super telephoto http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/f/finepix_f770exr

It’s not quite out yet. I’m also waiting to see if the lens is sharp enough for what I would use it for. I try to have a compact camera with me at all times. This could be a winner!

But first, the advantages of micro-4/3rds mirrorless cameras for serious and fun shooting:

I would probably recommend Olympus micro-4/3rds sensor cameras. They are amazing, and more compact and portable than the Canon Rebel, for example. There are also many lens options from fisheye and super wide angle to super telephoto, and everything is small and lightweight for traveling around the world with a world traveler like you.

Panasonic also makes M43 cameras, but they don’t have a stabilized sensor, so the lenses have to be stabilized. The wide angle lenses aren’t stabilized, which I think is still essential for use without a tripod.

Olympus just came out with the E-M5, which is top of the line, and a bit bigger and heavier than the E-P3 (and 2 even smaller models), which came out last August. But it’s still relatively small. You could go with that now, or wait until the E-P3 upgrade. We’re waiting for it to get the super-duper new sensor that the E-M5 has.

These are not SLRs, but the E-M5 has a digital viewfinder and an LCD screen. You’d probably be a very happy camper. The mirror box on SLRs require the lenses to be bigger, and the 4:3 format is more useful overall than the 3:2 of the Canon or Nikon SLRs. And it adds weight and size too.

And being that the sensor is smaller, the size of the lenses are smaller due to that too. My E-P3 with 4 incredible lenses fit in a small fanny pack and it only weighs 3 pounds, total, which is so nice! Most would carry less lenses, so the kit would be even smaller and lighter.

http://www.43rumors.com is a great site regarding what is currently happening in M43.

And http://www.four-thirds.org/en/microft/index.html is a great overview of M43. This site also has a great M43 lens chart with lens summaries.

M43 is an open system that different manufacturers make products for, which brings in competition and a big variety of lenses.

One thing to watch out for: micro-4/3rds is different than standard 4/3rds sensor cameras and lenses, which are generally much bigger. Make sure it says micro, or has the ‘M’ before the 4/3rds.

This is the perfect camera for taking quality photos, unless you need the ultimate in image quality. But then you’re talking bigger bucks and bigger gear that is much harder to hall around.

For the ultimate small camera that has just one lens, I’ve been looking at this Fuji F770EXR / F775EXR which will have a 25-500mm (FOV equivalent) zoom lens: http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/f/finepix_f770exr

I think this is going to rock and is supposed to be coming out really soon.

The Oly will be better in low light, and have slightly better image quality. And you can get fisheye and super-wide lenses for the Oly.

God bless!

FINALLY, some interesting compact cameras have been announced.

Lately, I’ve been recommending the Olympus SP-810UZ to those who want to have some fun with a super long zoom lens, but it’s also able to shoot fairly wide:

Olympus announces SP-810UZ with the world’s longest zoom lens

Olympus has announced the SP-810UZ superzoom with a 36x (24-864mm equiv.) zoom lens – the world’s longest optical zoom in a compact camera. Successor to the SP-800UZ, the SP-810UZ also boasts a 14MP CCD sensor, 3.0″ LCD and 720p HD video recording. Also included are a 3D capture mode, AF Tracking and Magic Filters including a new ‘reflection’ effect. Priced at $329.99, the camera will start shipping from September 2011.

Olympus’ website shows it’s still not available and it’s already October.

It’s impossible for a camera with a sensor this small and a lens with a zoom range this large to get super high quality resolution, but it will be good enough for many. This camera also won’t shoot in RAW format, which I’ve discussed.

And it’s also not pocketable, because of the super long lens, and weighs about a pound with battery. But this should be an incredibly fun camera, considering how far this lens will reach, and at f/5.7 when fully extended to 864mm, I should add. It ranges from f/2.9-5.7, of which f/5.7 is phenomenal for a lens this long and lightweight! This will make it easier to get handheld, sharp shots even at 864mm, in daylight anyway; though, it will require steady shooting, slowly moving only your trigger finger — aided with the help of the gyros doing the internal stabilization thing.

It is only possible to make a lens to be 36X and this small because the sensor is so small.

* * *

And Canon has finally announced the successor to the S90 and S95 cameras, the S100 [Canon was slowed down by the earthquake/Fukushima disaster]. I’m glad to see the lens starts at 24mm, which has been my main wish for it. It also zooms longer than it has — yay!:

New 24-120mm (equivalent) f/2.0-5.9 lens; S95 lens is 28-105mm (equivalent) f/2.0-4.9

DPReview has this great overview and this hands-on review.

The S100 may be the ultimate pocketable camera (3.9 x 2.4 x 1.1 in. at 7 ounces); though, many would prefer to carry it in a pouch. This will probably have fairly good image quality, like its predecessors; though, we won’t know for sure until we see the test reviews. And it will shoot in RAW.

The biggest drawback will be the lens’ small f/5.9 aperture when the lens is fully zoomed. But this is a necessary tradeoff in order for the lens to be tiny and fully retractable into the body.

It will probably be available fairly soon and in the +$400 range.

There are many cameras just as small and even smaller, but probably none that will have this high of image quality, nor will they be able to shoot in RAW, which anyone who is serious about image quality should consider:

Why I ONLY Shoot RAW — “Friends don’t let friends shoot JPEG” — Why throw all those pixels away? You may want them someday.

More Reasons to Shoot Photos in RAW

* * *

Fuji has announced two cameras that I’m not as familiar with, but sound promising, especially for their probably higher image quality, because of the larger sensor (though it’s still smaller than micro 4/3rds, which is smaller than Canon/Nikon’s smallest DSLR sensor). If you’re more than just a casual shooter and don’t need a camera that will fit in a pocket, these might be for you.

This was just announced yesterday:

Fujifilm unveils X-S1 high-end superzoom and confirms Mirrorless intentions

Fujifilm has announced the X-S1 high-end superzoom and confirmed its intention to build a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The X-S1 is an addition to the company’s X-series and is built around the same 2/3” EXR CMOS sensor as the recently announced X10. Meanwhile, company president and CEO Shigetaka Komori said it will create a mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera built around a larger sensor with ‘resolution and low noise [that] will surpass the 35mm full size sensor.’ We’re not taking this to mean it will be a full-frame camera. The X-S1 features a 26x, 24-624mm equivalent F2.8-5.3 zoom and will be available from early 2012.

This will probably have significantly higher image quality than the 36X Olympus mentioned above (if you want to make a larger than small sized print, for example); though, a zoom with this range can still only be so sharp.

And the 624mm zoom length of this lens will also be a major blast to shoot if you like shooting really long lenses.

* * *

Some photographers are really excited about this camera. It has the larger sensor (larger than the Canon s100 and G12, and the Panasonic LX5, but smaller than M43 and DSLR sensors), and I would really like the improved dynamic range option (which can keep detail in the brightest mountain and the dark shadows, but at the cost of megapixels). But I tend to rule out cameras that start at above 24mm in their field of view. I like to shoot wide, and to me, 24mm is so much nicer than 28mm. But 28mm is a great improvement over the earlier 35 and 38mm lenses.

Fujifilm announces X10 high-end enthusiast compact

Fujifilm has unveiled the X10 – an enthusiast compact with a F2.0-2.8, 28-112mm-equivalent lens. It’s built around a 2/3″ (6.6 x 8.8mm) CMOS sensor that uses Fujifilm’s EXR pixel arrangement. The 12MP sensor can produce either 12MP images in high resolution mode, under-expose half its pixels to provide 6MP images with greater dynamic range, or combine neighboring pixels for a 6MP high sensitivity mode. The X10 borrows extensively from the styling of the X100 (though its zooming viewfinder means you lose the X100’s hybrid viewfinder), to give a camera that sits conceptually between the Olympus XZ-1 and the Canon Powershot G12.

I think the X10 will be priced about about $700. Not sure.

UPDATE from DPReview.com…:

Valhalla, N.Y., October 7, 2011 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation said today that the all new premium compact FUJIFILM X10 digital camera first announced on September 1, 2011, will have a retail price of $599.95 and will be available in early November.

Building on the tremendous success of the sophisticated FUJIFILM X100 digital camera, the new premium compact FUJIFILM X10 is the latest addition to the growing FUJIFILM X-series of advanced digital cameras.

The FUJIFILM X10 features a new larger 2/3” 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor and a bright high-definition FUJINON1 F2.0 wide-angle to F2.8 telephoto 4x manual zoom lens (28-112mm)2  that produces superb image quality from edge to edge. The FUJIFILM X10 has a beautiful blackout and retro design that includes a traditional optical viewfinder with a wide 20° field of view for exceptional image composition. For more information, go to http://fujifilm-x.com/x10/en/.

If the X10 would start at 24mm, I would be more excited about it, but I should also point out that it also has a very fast lens throughout its range, which is unique for a compact, f/2.0 – 2.8!!! This is actually a really big deal. Shooting indoors, fully extended at 112mm would be so easy with a lens this fast. The Canon S100 would be so much slower. The X10 would be a good indoor concert camera.

The X10 is quite a bit bigger and heavier than the Canon S100, mainly due to the larger sensor, which requires a larger lens that also does not retract into the body. The larger sensor with the same amount of pixels as the S100’s means larger pixels that translate into less noise and higher image quality especially in low light.

The X10 is probably an enthusiast’s camera that is probably state of the art in this sensor and body size.

* * *

Of all of these, the only camera I’d personally be interested in would be the Canon 100S, because it’s so pocketable and starts wide at 24mm, but I’ll have to see the specs to see how good the image quality is with the higher MP sensor (2MP more) and greater ranged zoom lens. I’m still using the Panasonic LX5, which I’ve stated before is kind of quirky (Canons are more user friendly), and isn’t as small.

This is my favorite LX5 shot, the only one of which I plan on making a fairly large print of. This is also an example of the beauty of a very compact camera. I couldn’t have gotten this shot without having the camera on me. This was spur of the moment…

Once a full review of the S100 comes out, I’ll probably blog on it here.

I’m not interested in the Fuji X10 because I’m also now using the Olympus PEN E-P3 for higher end semi-compact shooting. It has interchangeable lenses (like an SLR but without the mirror and with a smaller sensor) that allow me to shoot much wider (including in fisheye) and much longer, but not as long as the top dog at the start of this article.

Most of the shots I’ve posted in the last two months were shot with the E-P3, but it’s too big to always carry.

* * *

One last thing

Technology is still changing fairly rapidly. We’re still seeing major improvements almost every year. In the old days, Kodak Instamatics were really inexpensive, but the price of film and developing really added up. Nowadays, all of the cameras above probably have rechargeable batteries, so once you have a memory card and camera shooting images is practically free.

It was probably more expensive to shoot Instamatics years ago than to shoot these higher end compacts even when upgraded every few years — especially when we consider how much more the dollar was worth then.

These are really bargain prices for what we get.

Related:

Olympus SP-810UZ Zoom Test — World’s longest zoom lens really reaching out there from 24 – 864 mm!

More compact camera buying (and shooting) info

DPReview compares Canon’s G12 to its predecessor and the competition | And updates the Nikon P7000 test results after firmware 1.1′s release

[videos] Charlie Waite: Watch what can be done with a compact camera | The LX5 to replace my G11?