BOTANIC GARDENS 21 JUNE 2023
I cannot find any information relating to this sculpture near the main entrance to the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. This sculpture is on permanent display and I have photographed it a number of times because I like it.
A MUCH FASTER SITE AS IT IS HEADLESS
by infomatique
BOTANIC GARDENS 21 JUNE 2023
I cannot find any information relating to this sculpture near the main entrance to the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. This sculpture is on permanent display and I have photographed it a number of times because I like it.
by infomatique
FRIDAY 5 MAY 2023
Wolfe Tone Park reopened almost a year ago [16 May 2022] following major works by Dublin City Council. It is described as a “green space” but I advise you to visit and decide for yourself but there is no doubt that it is an improvement but I am waiting for the bronze cow to return. Note: It has become much greener since May 2022.
As already mentioned in previous posts the park was closed during the pandemic and the the Parks, Biodiversity and Landscape Services team took the opportunity to restore it to a green space.
The park is the site of a graveyard that was attached to St. Mary’s Church, and is named for Theobald Wolfe Tone (1763–1798), who was baptised in the church. The graveyard was deconsecrated in 1966 and laid out as a green park. From 1998 to 2001, Dublin City Council redeveloped the park as an “urban plaza”.
From the 1960s to the 1990s, the site operated as a “green space”, maintained by Dublin City Council. In 1998, the council held a competition to redesign the park, which was won by Peter Cody of Boyd Cody Architects. The updated layout, in the form of an “urban plaza”, was completed in 2001. After the square’s layout was changed, it was made available by Dublin City Council for events, including the Dublin Fringe Festival. Over the years I began to notice an increase in anti-social behaviour which lead to a campaign from local residents to restore “Wolfe Tone Park as a non-commercial green space. There was an ongoing debate for many years in the council as to the future use of the park. Ultimately the park was closed between 2020 and 2022, and Dublin City Council redeveloped and restored it to a green space.
The 1902 tram was originally built in Philadelphia but spent much its working life in Lisbon before being purchased by a museum in Wales. In 2008 the body of the tram was shipped to Ireland [a farm in Cavan]. Visit www.swissitalianpaddlesteamers.com/lcbtramsoc/no305-sold…. if you are interested in the history of this tram.
by infomatique
23 APRIL 2023 – I USED A SIGMA DP1 QUATTRO CAMERA
Eamonn Ceannt Park in Crumlin is named after one of the executed leaders of the 1916 Rising.
Eamonn Ceannt Park is located between Sundrive Road and Clogher Road, in the Crumlin area of South Dublin City. It includes numerous mature trees, an athletic track, playing fields, tennis courts, basketball court, children’s playground and a state of the art cycling velodrome.
Crumlin covers the area from the River Poddle near the KCR (Kimmage Cross Roads) to Sundrive Road and Crumlin Cross at The Submarine Bar to Crumlin’s village core and the Drimnagh Road, to Bunting Road, Crumlin Road then along the Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge to Sally’s Bridge. It is situated near to the city centre, on the Southside of Dublin city. Neighbouring areas include Walkinstown, Perrystown, Drimnagh, Terenure, and Kimmage. Crumlin is contained within postal district Dublin 12.
A few years ago i was offered a Sigma DP1 Quattro at a very good price and while I had a bad experience with all my previous Sigma cameras I decided to accept the offer especially as the camera could produce .dng images but, as you may have guessed, there were many problems that can be really annoying.
The DP1 Quattro is a fixed lens camera aimed at enthusiasts who demand the best image quality in a reasonably portable form factor. Announced in September 2014, it’s a unique camera in many respects, employing an unusually-shaped body, a fixed focal length lens and a sensor unlike any outside of Sigma’s range. It also eschews modern features we take for granted on other new cameras such as Wifi or even a movie mode. The DP1 Quattro is all about still photo quality.
by infomatique
SONY NEX7 CAMERA AND 18-105MM LENS
Cared for by the Office of Public Works, the park is an important public resource in the area, and provides an oasis of green calm in the middle of a bustling city. Its four centuries of history are eventful and complex, involving such important figures as Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun, and Countess Constance Markievicz. The park itself hosts a large number of important sculptural monuments to Irish history. Many species of birds and plants also call the park their home. Public facilities at St Stephen’s Green Park include a playground and a garden for the visually impaired.
A few days ago I discovered that I had a Sony E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS lens which I do not remember buying and what is even more confusing is that I do not purchase anything other than full-frame lenses. Sony describes the lens as follows: This G Lens for E-mount cameras delivers stunning still or movie imagery with the flexibility of 6x power zoom. Maximum aperture is a constant F4 from 18mm wide angle to 105mm medium telephoto, with excellent resolution and contrast throughout. A lever and ring on the lens barrel allow zoom speed to be freely adjusted as required while maintaining a sure, stable grip.
When I used the 18-105mm lens with my FX-30 camera [APS-C sensor] I was very disappointed with the results as many of the images had focus issues or suffered from motion blur. I could not decide if the lens was the problem or if there was something wrong with the camera body so I used a Sigma 14mm lens yesterday and the results were more than acceptable. However, before concluding that the lens was substandard I decided to try it with my very old NEX-7 body [purchased Christmas 2011].
The Sony α NEX-7 is a digital camera announced 24 August 2011 by Sony. It is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and as such inherits a smaller body form factor than a traditional digital single-lens reflex camera, while still retaining the sensor size and features of an APS-C-sized model. It is targeted at experienced users, enthusiasts and professionals. It is replaced by the ILCE-6000 (α6000). At the time of its release, the Sony Alpha NEX-7 had the best image quality among any mirrorless interchangeable-lens compact camera which had been tested by DxO Labs and also the best APS-C Sensor camera from Sony. Sony α65, Sony α77 and NEX-7 have similar sensors and received DxOMark Overall Scores of 74, 78, and 81, respectively. The image quality of NEX-7 can be comparable with Nikon D7000 (score 80) and Pentax K-5 (score 82).
I failed to reach a conclusion but I do like using the NEX-7 even though I need to bring at least four spare batteries with me.
by infomatique
IVEAGH GARDENS IN FEBRUARY 2023
The Iveagh Gardens are among the finest and least known of Dublin’s parks and gardens. Designed in 1863 they include a rustic grotto, cascade, fountains, maze, rosarium, archery grounds, and woodlands.