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Capture: Coast to Coast

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  • Leigh Russell, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    the conversation in Chinese was of the video posted in the Smithsonian article

    And over lunch I’ve been poking around Youku looking for an equivalent video to the one in the Smithsonian article, but I just can’t find anything. [...] It’s annoying, because now I’ve gone and made myself all curious about it.

    Hi Chris, how are things? That's disappointing about the video being blocked, so I'll describe it to you. It was daytime footage, sufficiently wobbly to suggest that it was taken using a hand-held cellphone. The main part of the light in the sky was vivid, like part of a rainbow except not bowed, but a horizontal fairly rectangular chunk which was slightly uneven and lying on its side. The view looked as if it could have been rural, slightly hilly and with a lot of greenery. In the backgound people talking amongst themselves and rather lovely piece of music was being played, obviously just what was going on there at the time. My interest in what was being said is really to do with the historically surreal juxtaposition of the everyday with the disaster than would have descended on them so unexpectedly and so soon after. Unlike the movies, there is no warning soundtrack. The situation in Christchurch would have been exactly the same - just another day. LiIlith says that there were lots of sightings of strange lights in relation to the initial big quake there, which were discounted at the time. That was at night, whereas the one I've described here was in broad daylight.

    Otago • Since Jul 2010 • 208 posts Report Reply

  • Leigh Russell, in reply to Lilith __,

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    A salt meadow on an estuary near Dunedin. As I recall there were glassworts here but I don’t seem to have any closeups. Quite a number of salt-meadow specialised species in this photo.

    That was a lovely walk, Lillith! When I wrote about it I spent ages tracking down information about the reserve, about some of the tiny plants in the salt-meadow, and locating sites that provide useful informaton about these environments. If anyone else is keen on this sort of thing you can find it in my article here: An estuary walkabout ~ Kaikorai Lagoon and Island Park Reserve. There is a photo of the glasswort, although growing in amongst other plants.

    In the top photo you can see the salt-meadow - cushion-like. If you come across one of these DON'T stand on it!!!

    Otago • Since Jul 2010 • 208 posts Report Reply

  • Leigh Russell, in reply to David Hood,

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    Spoonbill and body guards, Otago Harbour

    Hi David, I wonder what part of the harbour your one was in? This beauty was resident in the Kaikorai Lagoon for a time. I have since seen two of them together there, which makes me wonder what the young spoonies look like! They are such odd looking birds and yet so very lovely in their own special way. Occasionally I see one flying past here in the evening, fairly high. The shape of their bills makes them unmistakable.

    Otago • Since Jul 2010 • 208 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Leigh Russell,

    Thanks, Leigh. It sounds like most videos of just before the quake, except I hadn't seen the lights. What's annoying is that it sounds like the kind of video where I should be able to get around it being blocked just be looking at the Chinese video sites - it certainly doesn't sound like anything disharmonious that the censors would delete as soon as its uploaded. It's surprising these lights would be visible in broad daylight, but Sichuan is known for its humid, very cloudy climate. A friend was living there at the time - in Chengdu, so close enough to feel very strong shaking, but just far enough to be safe - and he used to post comments on his blog along the lines of "Wow, actually saw the sun today!". There's a Chinese saying "蜀犬吠日/Shǔ quǎn fèi rì, which literally means "A dog of Shu barking at the sun" meaning somebody getting all in a fuss over something perfectly ordinary that they've never seen before - Shu was an ancient kingdom in the Sichuan/Chongqing area, and the cloudy climate means the sun is such a rare sight the local dogs would freak out on the rare occasions it appeared. I guess that kind of climate would make earthquake lights especially visible even in broad daylight.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Leigh Russell,

    Thank you, Chris, I love all the local content you so often include! And the expression about the dog barking particularly! Hope you are getting plenty of good clear sunshine where you are. :-)

    The coast here seems to be specialising in cloud this summer, which is all very interesting in its way, but not all that summery. I don't think we are at the barking dog stage yet however!

    Otago • Since Jul 2010 • 208 posts Report Reply

  • David Hood,

    Leigh, the spoonbill was in the city end of Blanket Bay, so out towards Port Chalmers.

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report Reply

  • Leigh Russell, in reply to David Hood,

    Thanks for that David. I'll know to look for them if / when I am out that way. Since posting the remark about the spoonbills in Kaikorai Lagoon I have been reliably informed that there have been more of them there on the inland side of the bridge.

    Otago • Since Jul 2010 • 208 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

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    Out on Te Atatu Peninsula this morning.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

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    And some more from the same location.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Te Atatu Peninsula

    I like the one with the picnic table very much. So small in that big space and with that ferocious sky.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Lilith __,

    So small in that big space and with that ferocious sky.

    Yup. Russell may have been "only" out at Te Atatu, but what he's not telling us is that what he was doing there was photographing infinity.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Leigh Russell, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Te Atatu Peninsula

    Hi Russell, I'm with Lillith about one with the picnic table in it!

    It's nice to see the complexity of Auckland city reduced to a manageable size, with its skyline appearing to be far in the distance, although those of us who are familiar with the location know that it is relatively close at hand. The mudflats are such a vital part of the intertidal zone there - I had forgotten. It's a long time since I have been there.

    Otago • Since Jul 2010 • 208 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Thanks guys! There's a bit of the Camera+ HDR effect (about 45% intensity) in the picnic table shot, but I try not to over-use that

    It's a nice ride out from Pt Chevalier. If I go right round the peninsula it works out about 20km.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Russell Brown,

    There’s a bit of the Camera+ HDR effect

    It adds a nice crispness and depth if not overdone. Particularly good for low-contrast subjects like clouds. :-)

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP,

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    Can't beat the old tyre swing as the sun goes down.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to JacksonP,

    Like!

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • David Hood,

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    Tunnel beach, Dunedin. The first three are from the trail to the beach.

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report Reply

  • David Hood,

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    Tunnel beach, because in Dunedin’s early days the Cargill family had a tunnel dug to an otherwise inaccessible beach to give themselves a private beach.

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report Reply

  • Nora Leggs, in reply to David Hood,

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    Looks gorgeous!

    From up here we can see from coast to coast.

    Auckland • Since Dec 2011 • 2700 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to David Hood,

    Tunnel beach

    Tunnel beach is so beautiful! I understand why they dug the tunnel. :-)

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to JacksonP,

    Burning Spare...

    ...the old tyre swing as
    the sun goes down.

    the afterlife, no angels
    fear to retread!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP,

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    Cactus flowers. Not sure if they're rare, but sure are pretty.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Nora Leggs,

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    Sedately sailing. This same ship created an effect similar to a huge (smokey) fire in downtown AK only half an hour earlier.

    Auckland • Since Dec 2011 • 2700 posts Report Reply

  • Nora Leggs,

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    Beaut day!

    Auckland • Since Dec 2011 • 2700 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Nora Leggs,

    Beaut day!

    Indeed. Such light! Such colour! I feel like I need sunglasses just to look at the photos.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

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