Constitution Hill

I WAS TESTING A NEW SAMYANG 12MM LENS WHICH I COLLECTED A HOUR EARLIER

August 15, 2023 by infomatique

KINGS INNS

As already mentioned I purchased a Samyang 12mm lens at a very good price. Initially I had a lot of problems using it and the main problem was that most of the images were very over exposed and because it is a fish-eye lens there was a lot of distortion and lack of sharpness towards the edges. Also the colours were different, much warmer, than those produced by my Sony lenses. I discovered that my White Balance settings were incorrect.

The Samyang 12mm F2 AF E-mount lens is a wide-angle prime lens for Sony APS-C mirrorless cameras. It has a focal length of 12mm (equivalent to 18mm in full-frame terms), a bright aperture of f/2, and a minimum focus distance of 7.48 inches. The lens is made from 11 elements in 9 groups, including 2 aspherical elements and 2 high refractive index elements. It features a linear STM autofocus motor for fast, quiet, and precise focusing. The lens is also weather-sealed to protect it from dust and moisture.

I MAY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TO REFER TO THIS AS THE HUNGRY TREE

August 4, 2023 by infomatique

THE HUNGRY TREE AT KINGS INNS NEAR WHERE I LIVE

Many years ago I photographed and when I published the photographs I referred to it as the Hungry Tree. Since then it has become a much mentioned tourist attraction and is now universally known as the “hungry tree”.

Today I was experimenting as I attached a 70-200mm lens to my Sony FX30 which is effectively 105 to 300mm. Unfortunately this lens attracts too much attention as two people accused me of invading their privacy and three young girls were upset because I refused to photograph them.

The Hungry Tree is a London plane tree located in the grounds of the King’s Inns in Dublin, Ireland. It is an otherwise unremarkable specimen of the tree, but it has become known for having partially consumed a nearby park bench. The tree’s roots have grown around the bench and its bark has enveloped the backrest, giving the appearance that the tree is eating the bench.

The Hungry Tree is a popular tourist attraction and is frequently photographed (especially by me). It was the subject of a campaign by Green Party politician Ciarán Cuffe to ensure its preservation. The tree is estimated to be between 80 and 120 years old.

Here are some other interesting facts about the Hungry Tree:

The tree is located on Constitution Hill, which is a major thoroughfare in Dublin
The bench that the tree is consuming is made of cast iron.
The tree’s roots have grown around the bench so tightly that it is impossible to remove the bench without damaging the tree.
The tree is listed as one of Ireland’s Heritage Trees.

WESTERN WAY JUNE 2023

June 24, 2023 by infomatique

I WOULD DESCRIBE IT AS A RAT-RUN FOR BUSES

In Ireland and the UK a rat-run a minor, typically residential street used by drivers during peak periods to avoid congestion on main roads.
Up until recently many private bus operators tended to park their buses on the street but to the best of my knowledge there are now only two approved parking places.

“To all coach operators, Dublin City Council is introducing coach parking charges for 67 No. designated coach parking spaces throughout the city, this is as per the 2020 Parking Byelaws and as approved by the elected members of Dublin City Council in 2019. The cost of using one of these spaces will be €9 per hour for a maximum stay of 2 hours at all locations.

Western Way was created as a circulation route in the 1880s, linking Constitution Hill with Mountjoy Street.

The Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) developed a train station at Broadstone from 1841, and purchased the Royal Canal in 1845. In 1877, the MGWR was given permission to close 150 yards of the canal branch line and to construct a new forecourt for the train station. The new approach road, Western Way, was built by way of Foster aqueduct, with Saint Mary’s Chapel of Ease, or the Black Church, as its eastern focal point.

The road curves around the site of former Palmerston House at the north-west corner of Dominick Street Upper. Dominick Street Upper was developed from the 1820s, but remained largely undeveloped until the Broadstone railway terminus was built.

Sites for villas and terraces were offered in the 1860s, and the north side was owned by the Palmerston estate, where they built Palmerston House north of the junction of Dominick Street Upper and Constitution Hill.

HOW TO HIDE A CLUSTER OF CONTROL CABINETS

June 20, 2023 by infomatique

IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF RE-WILDING

Heritage groups and city councillors have frequently complained about large clusters of metal boxes that house electrical cabling for the new Luas Cross City line. One especially ugly cluster across the street from the Broadstone tram stop.

Re-wilding is the trend toward diversifying traditional lawns by putting in native plants that flower and fruit, boosting wildlife populations. It returns more control of the home landscape to nature.

When I first photographed this a few years ago it looked like a mini-cemetery with a number of headstones (some are no longer so obvious) but the larger cabinets are still obvious.

Today I discovered that the SV markers [the mini-headstones] Used by Councils, Civil, Water Companies and Utilities, for an easy identification mark for underground services, cables & conduit the can also indicate the location of an adjacent fire hydrant. They can be easier for fire services to find in the night. Finally, “SV” stands for “sluice valve”, which is an on-off tap fitted to a water pipe. The water utility can use it to isolate sections of the water supply for maintenance or to shut of major leaks.