Canon Powershot S10

October 2, 2013 by Howard Dale Posted in Camera Collection, Cameras, Canon Powershot S10 Tagged gallery Leave a comment

My second digital camera after the late, unlamented Casio QV-100. This one had a massive 2.1 mexapixel sensor. Seemed a lot at the time.

Digital Photography Review concluded:

The Canon S10 certainly sets new ground, and I’m sure it’s sent a few manufacturers racing back to the drawing board (as I’m sure the 950 did when it was released). The S10 is just so good on so many grounds it goes high on my favourite digicams list. With the addition of USB, CF Type II, Super-Fine JPEG, its small size and value for money, if you can live with the limited zoom ability then the S10 is one camera that ANYONE considering buying a digicam should have somewhere in their list.. (somewhere near the top).

Kudos Canon, you’ve produced a digital camera capable of taking beautiful images in anyones hands, with a great feature set and some neat touches it makes some larger bulkier digicams look like dinosaurs and brings compact digital cameras to a new level.

I liked this camera (mind you after the QV-100 I would probably have liked anything). After a few years I left it on a train to Grand Central Terminal. I’d been thinking about upgrading and this gave me the excuse. After doing some research I chose the Canon Powershot S50. Feeling certain that I would never see the S10 again I went out immediately to buy the S50. A few days later I went to the lost and found at Grand Central Terminal – just in case. Lo and behold the camera had been handed in. I guess I had underestimated the honesty of the average new yorker. Co-incidentally a few years later I left the replacement Powershot S50 in a taxi in Geneva, Switzerland. That too came back, but only after I had purchased a Panasonic LX3, the camera which re-kindled my interest in photography.

Fountain, Arles, 2001

Eirah, Philippines, 2000

Interior, Hudson House, Cold Spring, NY, 2002

Chambord, Loire Valley, France, 2002

Boardwalk at Teatown Lake Reservation, 2002

Odds and Ends

September 17, 2013 by Howard Dale Posted in Places Tagged gallery Leave a comment

A few pictures from various walks/drives around the area.

Old barn door, Peekskill Hollow Road

Inside the Foundry Museum, Cold Spring

Building for rent, Putnam Valley

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Putnam Valley

Entrance to Putnam Valley Library

Vintage Tractor show at Tilly Foster Farm

September 15, 2013 by Howard Dale Posted in Places, Things Tagged gallery Leave a comment

I love history and I’m fascinated by old things: old buildings; old cars; old aircraft; old machinery etc. So when I saw an ad for the vintage tractor show at the Tilly Foster Farm I had to go. When I was young my father used to take me to traction engine rallies. I can’t say that I enjoyed them too much at the time (I imagine I was too young) but they certainly left an impression – including once getting stuck behind about 50 of these behemoths on a single lane road where overtaking was forbidden! They move at about 5 miles per hour!

I expected to find all kinds of old technology and I wasn’t disappointed.

Farm Buildings

Vintage water well-drilling machinery. Apparently it’s driven by a 9 horse power Fairbanks engine and dates to around 1891. It was restored by and is owned by the Hyatts of Holmes, NY.

Vintage Ford Tractor

Old Ford

Not so old driver

Was it something I said?

Church at the intersection of Route 9 and Route 301

September 13, 2013 by Howard Dale Posted in Uncategorized Tagged gallery Leave a comment

This small church is at the intersection of Route 9 and Route 301 not too far from Cold Spring. It’s not easy to see from either road. I didn’t see a sign and my admittedly cursory attempts to find information on the web have failed to turn up anything. So I don’t know what church this is. Maybe it’s no longer in use? Still it’s an interesting looking church!

Windows

Facade

Indian Brook Falls

September 13, 2013 by Howard Dale Posted in Places, Ruins Tagged gallery Leave a comment

Indian Brook Falls is very close to Constitution Marsh. In fact you use the same parking area. I’d been driving past here on route 9d for years and never knew that it was here. That’s probably because it’s not at all well marked. I don’t believe there’s a sign on route 9d. Even when you get to the rather out of the way parking area you’ll find signs to Constitution Marsh but not to Indian Brook Falls. There are really only two ways you could go: right to Constitution Marsh and left. So I guessed left. This took me under the route 9d bridge. Just after the bridge there is an old gate with a trail on the other side. This trail goes down a little and then curves to the right with a moss covered wall on your right. Don’t be tempted follow the trail to the right. Instead when you get to the end of the wall you’ll see a small path going down to your left. Follow this path and it will take you down to the brook. Keep going for a couple of minutes and you’ll find the falls. It’s worth it. I believe there’s some kind of romantic story associated with the falls. Something to do with an Indian maid and her doomed relationship with a western guy, but I haven’t been able to discover the details.

I initially missed the path going down to the brook and ended up going on a fairly lengthy walk in the woods. It wasn’t a complete loss though as I came across the old, partially ruined building below. I have no idea what it is/was.