@EricMartin@mastodon.social cover
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

EricMartin

@[email protected]

Dogma, no.
Peace, love and understanding, yes.
Music, all kinds, much of the time
Cross country hitchhiker late 70s
Canon PowerShot SX530 HS, high-zoom bridge camera
Occasional digital art (not AI)
Photographs were taken by me (unless boosting).
If you use them without asking first, a pox be upon your house.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. View on remote instance

@BobHorowitz@sfba.social avatar BobHorowitz , (edited ) to random

Oh dopey me. I don't know why I tagged yesterday's photo FensterFreitag because it clearly wasn't Friday and there were no Fensters. Well what can I say? Even light sabers, when they age, get less and less sharp.

Anyway, here is a picture of my favorite building in all of San Francisco: the 190-foot tall concrete grain silos on Pier 90. Built around 1920, the silos are now abandoned. Having ceased operations following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, they are sadly slated for demolition, date to be determined.

Honestly, I will miss this giant behemoth on the waterfront. Massive buildings thrill me... and, photographically speaking, asphalt and concrete are the meat and potatoes of urban photography while trees and bushes are just vegetables, side dishes, readily pushed aside. You may quote me on that 😉

Happy Monday, everyone. It is raining here in San Francisco.

Set in a landscape of asphalt roads and utility wires, and surrounded by chain link fences, two rows of giant gray concrete silos trail off behing a pair of massive, rectangular service stacks. The 190 foot tall stacks have shattered windows punctuating their upper floors... and they sport some impressive graffiti in places that are very hard to reach. A metal catwalk, 160 feet in the air, connects the two stacks. Grim, shorter buildings, also abandoned, cluster around the base of the stacks. Photographed on a gray, overcast day. There are no trees or bushes in this picture. None.
ALT
EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@BobHorowitz

Bodacious behemoth, Bob. There are some big old grain silos not far from here that I tried to render with pastels about 20 years ago, before I had a camera. I have to go see if they're still there. They were showing their age back then, as well.

EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@BobHorowitz

Awesome photograph! Pure Cane Sugar!

@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

'Lange Schatten'
'Long Shadow'

Long shadows of trees extend across a lawn in the early morning before sunrise, The result of artificial light. In the foreground are shadows from trees out of frame behind from where the picture is taken. Tall evergreens in the background cast forward shadows from a light source behind them which is also sending out rays through the branched and mist which hangs in the atmosphere.
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

A winter scene: Shallow snow and ice partially covers a farm field in the foreground. In the middle distance is a line of bare trees and more open field behind them. In the distance beyond is a mountain ridge, the trees covered in snow and ice and a clear, blue sky above.
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

This man is just an amazing photographer of the natural world!

https://www.barrywebbimages.co.uk/

Macro image of an insect crawling up a slime mould. It looks like an alien world but it's right here on our planet.
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

Waiting On The New Year

A fresh snow lies on the ground in before daybreak. In the immediate right foreground is an illuminated lamp post, still adorned with Christmas lights. The middle ground features a little park with a few trees, their shadows cast upon the snow. Another lamp post is lit at the end of the park which leads to Main Street which is illuminated by street lights. There is not a soul in sight, just a quiet winter scene in small town, USA.
ALT
@BobHorowitz@sfba.social avatar BobHorowitz , to random

Current location, today, 10:39 a.m.

Not shown: me, 2 minutes ago, sitting on the loveseat on the left, drinking coffee, listening to Ray Brown's delightful and awesome Jazz Cello album. I've been awake since 5:10 a.m., the precise time when our fucking smoke detector decided it wanted a new battery.

Anyway, the Christmas tree has been up for 4 days. It's a good tree this year... even if it only has 150 lights, way less than 2021 when the 1600 lights made the tree look absolutely fissile.

As we approach the last month of the year, may the rest of 2025 treat everyone well. Be safe, be happy, and be loved.

A 6 and a half foot tall Christmas tree with gold, silver, and purple balls sits in the bay window of 100-year-old craftsman house in San Francisco. The room is orange curry and brown hued, with plaster walls, dark hardwood floors and wood trim around the windows. There are two chairs and a loveseat with soft paisley fabric... a fireplace... and a bookcase where all the books are sorted by size and color. Warm light makes the room glow, as very white, filtered light enters the windows.
ALT
EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@BobHorowitz

Did not know Ray Brown's Jazz Cello album, but listening to it now. You're right. It is delightful.

EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@BobHorowitz

Thanks for the tip. I'll be digging deeper into Ray Brown's discography.

EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@BobHorowitz

I've listened to Kenny Drew some. Like him. Peterson ans Pass as well. Joe Pass with Ella, very nice. I'll look up these suggestions. Thanks.

@BobHorowitz@sfba.social avatar BobHorowitz , to random

Still Waiting...

Haight Street, 1:31 p.m.

A street portrait / head shot of a aged, off-white skeleton wearing a white lace bridal veil. The bony bride is gazing out from the left half of the photo, peering through her veil as she looks off to the right... with jaw pinned up to the cheekbone to keep her pearly teeth smiling. Lovely jaw and bony neck, by the way. Okay this has to be the strangest alt text I've ever written.
ALT
EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@BobHorowitz

Grateful the dead can still be sanguine about their prospects.

@BobHorowitz@sfba.social avatar BobHorowitz , to random

Buskers
Powell Street Station, 3:59 p.m.

A picture of two seated cellists - a male closest to the camera, a female further in the bokeh background. Both are wearing long sleeved gray t-shirts and both are staring intensely at sheet music on their music stands, with bows set to strings. They are playing classical music. Taken at the Powell Street underground Muni station.
ALT
EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@BobHorowitz

I like this perspective for this subject, a lot. Seems a fresh way to present performers. That guy is really concentrating.

@BobHorowitz@sfba.social avatar BobHorowitz , to random

Oooo a bad place to be me.

Spitting distance from an alpaca. This picture was taken looking up through a wire fence, directly into the snout of an alpaca. With ears raised high, the shaggy beast's lips are pursed while it's marble sized eyes are looking directly at me. I am doomed.
ALT
EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@BobHorowitz

All jocularity aside, this is a very cool photograph. Photography fans appreciate the way you spit in the face of danger, or um...

@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

Guinea Road, November 2015

We are walking down a country lane with with fields bounded by wire fences supported by wooden posts on either side of us. Up ahead on the left side of the lane is a big barn with an old catalpa tree in front and to the left of it. Across the lane from the barn are a couple of two story houses. Fog shrouds the area behind the farm where trees and mountain ridge would be evident on a clear day.
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

The Point, November

The tip of a peninsula on a foggy morning in November. Several trees, mostly deciduous and now leafless, though the maple on the left still clings to it's foliage, stand near the shoreline of the lake. The undergrowth is frosted. The trees are reflected on the surface of the lake. A mountain ridge in the background is almost completely obscured by the fog except at the extreme left.
ALT
@randahl@mastodon.social avatar randahl , to random

This is madness — the effects of Trump's policies are now being revealed. New numbers are released across states, that reveal how much healthcare insurance premiums will go up next year:

A family of four making $130,000 in Maine will face an increase of $16,100 annually.

In Kentucky, a 60-year-old couple making $85,000 per year combined will have to pay $23,700 more.

All so Trump's billionaire sponsors can get tax breaks.

— This must be the biggest increase in inequality in US history.

EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@randahl

"Have they no refuge or resource?" cried Scrooge. "Are there no Prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?" The bell struck Twelve.

@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

Today in History

Sun rise through fog and trees, 2023

The sun rising through fog and trees, it's surface partially obstructed by branches.
ALT
@lowqualityfacts@mstdn.social avatar lowqualityfacts , to random

Nothing will ever be more relatable than this.

Headline that reads "Shiba Inu gets stuck in a bush, pretends that everything is ok" with a picture of the Shiba smiling while stuck in a bush.
ALT
EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@lowqualityfacts

This is fine.

@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

Pine Creek Road, After Rain

Rays of sun break through fog and partially illuminate the left side a country road wet from rain and bounded by bare trees. The right side of the road is in shadow. A wire fence supported by wooden posts serves as the boundary on that side, while fog obscures the view of a farm field. Some bare trees at the top of a hill populate the upper right corner of the frame.
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

Two people in heavy jackets occupy a small boat while casting their fishing lines into a mist covered lake illuminated by light from the recently risen sun. Both shadows and light play across the surface while the mist continues to rise before an embankment that leads to an empty car park bordered by a safety rail. The bottom portion of several trees stand at the top of the embankment. We wonder if the results for the two people will reflect the effort they've made on this chilly morning.
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

Barber Shop Window, 5:59 am
It's A Lifestyle

We are standing in front of the window of a barber shop around 6 am on a Sunday morning. The shop is closed. A red glow from a neon sign hanging on the back wall fills the room. It says: "It's a lifestyle". An analog clock hangs nearby. The chairs are covered. In the very front, taking up much of the right hand side of the frame, is an old television set on a stand. A building across the street behind us is reflected in it.
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

Main Street, Sunday, 5:56 am

Closeup of a mercury light bulb, part of a string of them hanging in front of a building that houses a brew pub. Sunrise is still almost another hour in the future and the streets are empty and quiet in this Sunday morning in small town, USA.
ALT
@randahl@mastodon.social avatar randahl , to random

The Taliban must be shaking with fear that Trump is going to give them two weeks before he will be "very unhappy" and then give them two weeks before he will be "very disappointed" and give them two weeks and then…

Trump posting: If Afghanistan doesn't give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!! President
ALT
EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@randahl

He means it. Look at all the bad things that have happened since he was re-elected. "BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN" is his motto.

@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

Waning of the Asters, Late September

A group of fading asters against a blurred background and bokeh suggests the fading glory of this years wildflowers.
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

This time of year around here everyone is so anxious for October and autumn color that the beauty of September is often overlooked. What's the hurry?

An impressive field of clouds covers much of the sky overhead save for a clearing closer to the horizon, all of which is reflected on the surface of the water in this lake scene. Across the water are tree lined shores and a glimpse of a mountain ridge, also reflected. Closer to where we stand are woody shrubs and cattails.
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

Pond, Mountain Road

A monochrome treatment of a pond we have visited many times in the past. The morning sun is casting light that begins to cut through a fairly heavy mist around the surrounding landscape of trees shrubs and tall grasses, and illuminates the surface of the pond in places it reaches, while other parts remain in shadow.
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

Part of wall mural, Two Frays Brewery, Pittsburgh

We were lucky to get an outdoor table.

Detail of a painted mural in black and white of a cat Cyclops (a race of gentle and friendly space traveling felines), either departing or arriving in a space ship that seems to double as a bed, one paw waving, the other guiding a steering wheel. The sky is a seemingly Van Gogh inspired background of swirling lines. At the bottom right is a human figure, arms raised upward as if in salutation. If you are, or know the artist, could you let us know who it is?
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

'Hinter der nächsten Ecke' (Around the next corner)

A three story house with lights on in every window, stands on the far left corner. It is bordered by trees and part of a building next door. A street lamp aglow stands at one corner. Two pedestrian crosswalks, one vertical and the other horizontal. Some leaves litter the street. There is a light fog.
ALT
@stux@mstdn.social avatar stux , to random
EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@stux

Wins the internet today!

@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

'Faltbar' (foldable)

A black swallowtail butterfly feeds on nectar from a bee balm (monarda). It is mostly black with white spots on its thorax and abdomen and spots on both sides of its wings. In the blurred background is a field of black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) and bee balm.
ALT
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar EricMartin , to random

'Highkey'

Two people pass by in a boat on a very foggy morning on a lake as the sun breaks through. There are trees in the background and they just have passed a few dead trees that protrude from the water.
ALT
@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

sorry i didn't text back, i was busy mentally rehearsing a hypothetical confrontation about something that will never actually happen

EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@Daojoan

darn shame, we were offering you a Pulitzer

@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

"Clash" is a manifesto for what comes next.

It's a handbook for the class war we didn't start. The fire we didn't light.

The crisis forced on all of us by self-radicalized wealth extremists.

https://medium.com/westenberg/clash-power-greed-and-the-battle-for-a-fair-future-b3f0a952e583

EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@Daojoan This is an incredibly well reasoned, well researched, and well written proclamation and I appreciate the time and effort you put into writing it. Thank you.

@Daojoan@mastodon.social avatar Daojoan , to random

Steve Bannon, former Goldman Sachs banker turned populist tribune, is attacking Elon Musk, an immigrant entrepreneur turned MAGA icon, over who truly represents the soul of a movement that claims to speak for the common man. If there's a better metaphor for the political contradictions of our age, it's hard to find it.

https://mastodon.social/@theindex/113817709315742813

EricMartin ,
@EricMartin@mastodon.social avatar

@Daojoan The hope is that they continue to cannibalize each other.