Send in the Clones

[olivermoss]

My best/creepiest pictures of them are still my 2018 pics. I want to reshoot this with a Lensbaby and see how it goes. From a bit of distance it looks like a window glowing kinda red, so I did a few passes at trying to do an video approaching the santas, revealing what caused the red glow. But I only got 3 passes in before the area got crowded. If at all possible I am going back this month to do more shooting of this and a few other things in the area.

Last year, the santas were all masked This year they are vaccinated and you can see their little band-aids:







I didn't get many pictures I was too happy with, or rather I didn't get many better than my 2018 pics which are still some of the best pics I've ever taken. I am trying to organize all my clones shots together so I can post all the years.



Merry... uh?

I found a vantage point where I can see the mausoleum crypts through the windows!




I need a better shot of this, and the best time to get the shot is when the days are short. I want darkness outside and lights on inside to make them pop. The spot I need to shoot from is tricky. It's a bit of mud next to a sheer drop off. Here is where I'd like to say that I got the best shoots in those conditions with my gear, but when I got home I realized I didn't redo settings between a lens change.

There is a really interesting possible shot here. I want to take a few wacks at it, but I don't think a tripod would help. I don't think there is space to put one up.



A very Sellwood shop window.



A view of classic SW Portland landmarks.



How my Leverage fandom-addled brain sees the vista.

Comments

[walgesang]

Great photos! The cat one is particularly eye-catching. I keep meaning to ask you if you use a regular template when you're posting pictures on DW or if you have suggestions for posting pictures? I'm so bad at doing whatever's required for picture size, etc that I usually just give up. :/

[olivermoss]

My process is pretty basic. I use DW's own image hosting. After I process my images, I resize them so that the max dimension is 900px. When I save the new file, I add 'smol' to the end of the file name. It's dumb to use 'smol' instead of 'small' but it's stuck as a habit. I know that if a file says 'smol' it's for uploading. Also, I can quickly delete all resized images by searching for 'smol' on my drives. It lets me clean up all the dupes and never bother the originals.

I just use MS Paint to resize most of the time. I do lose quality since it's not a great resizer, but it rarely matters. If the paint program is crunching the color info, I use http://www.simpleimageresizer.com/

I always upload at the size I mean to post at. I don't use DW's system for downsizing.

It's a clunky process, but it's hard to find image hosting these days. I used to use photobucket, then imgur, then 500px. All worked great, then became total garbage. My way of doing stuff works for me because I'm used to it and it works with how I organize my folders.

I don't know if any of that helped!

[walgesang]

Actually "smol" gave me a much-needed chuckle. I think you should keep it! You've encouraged me to keep trying, especially re: uploading at the size you mean to post to. Thanks!

[ihavenoarms]

nice

[mistressofmuses]

(I think the shop window picture is in there twice?)

I love the Santa clones! I didn't realize they were so socially responsible - I do like the little bandaids on their creepy, creepy little selves.

The crypts are super cool! I love seeing them through the windows. I hope you get the shot you want of them!

Nice Leverage panorama! :D

What a beautiful cat + window. It looks so warm.

The art on the phone pole is great. I love the embroidered pieces, and the weird abstract mask.

[olivermoss]

Ah, you are right. The non-annotated SW Vista shot was missing. Weird.

Thank you!

I really want the ideal shot of those crypts from the outside. That was a place where maybe I should have taken a picture of what my shooting conditions were like. I want to do that from time to time.

The window was so pretty!

[mistressofmuses]

It would be interesting to see what your shooting conditions are like. I know sometimes you talk about some weird spots you have to shoot from - like patches of mud next to sheer drop offs!

[olivermoss]

Yeah, I really should get some of those shots! They'd be fun to add into the posts.

[mistressofmuses]

Definitely!

[dine]

you found the clones! I love that there are no anti-vaxxers in the bunch - way to model good behavior, guys!!

you get such perfectly Portland shots sometimes - it's always an adventure seeing what you're posting

[olivermoss]

Thank you! I definitely try. I need to hit that part of town more, lots of streets I didn't recognize

[shipperslist]

😳 WTF is that headless thing??

The santas made me chuckle.

[olivermoss]

I think it's Grinch Pajamas, like the sort where there is a face on the hood? If you look closely, it's got Grinch eyes and a heart outlines by another heart.

[shipperslist]

If you look closely--

Do I really have to? What if I don't want to?

[olivermoss]

Fair enough, but imagine walking down a street of cozy bungelows and suddenly seeing that lurking! That's what this town is like sometimes

[falena]

Loved the pics! Especially the santas.

[olivermoss]

Thank you!