Camera - Warships - Nauticus : 2015-01

So my life has changed. Well, my picture-taking life has changed. I finally got a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) and I love it. I got the Canon Rebel. It showed up on Groupon which made me think about it and then I searched it on Amazon. The package I found on Amazon came with more stuff, I've always wanted one, and Canon makes good stuff; so I bought it. There are really only two things that make me love it beyond other cameras; 1) you can move the focus at will and 2) you can see the picture AS you take it. So cool.

This is my Canon (left) and this is the first shot I took - of my mug.

I also took this shot of frost on my window. Crystallization is always amazing.

I took a trip (long, 3-day trip) to Norfolk, Virginia for a course. It ended up being the first time I used my Canon after it arrived. The specific debut was at Norfolk's Nauticus. It is an interactive science and technology center that explores the naval, economic, and nautical power of the sea, and is home of the Battleship Wisconsin, or Wisky. I've seen the Missouri in Hawaii and ships with 3 turrets of 16-inch guns are impressive.  And these Iowa class ships have wooden decks. How cool is that? They can shoot a 2700 lb shell 20 some miles and have wooden decks. Awesome.

Although I was impressed by the ship, I didn't really find it necessarily beautiful. So, I don't have any pics of its exterior. However, I took several other pics and here they are...

I had to take this picture of the dial on a GE television. Yes, the dial that none of us really understood. I always thought it was to refine the picture, but we never really used it. On the right is the chaplain reading the Bible. I took it because it almost scared me enough to poop my pants. It was the first mannequin I saw and it was a surprise. I usually find myself staring at them waiting for them to speak or move. They never do. 

On the left is one of the classic crank phones where you turn the crank to make a call. It's set on 16 which is Air Power. That's a good call. On the right is an old pocket watch. It's elegant and simple but I thought it was cool that it advertised "8 Day" which I assumed it could hold a wind for eight days.

This was cool. It was a very narrow banner which actually flew on the Wisconsin during its battles in the Pacific. It had six stars and just one stripe of red and white. Perfect in my opinion.

These are random. A bell from the Virginia and a model of the Curtiss pusher flown by Eugene Ely off a ship (the USS Birmingham). He made both the first takeoff and landing from ships - only two months apart. He actually touched the water on his first takeoff. Nice.

"Return of the Mayflower" by Bernard F. Gribble

The placard read, "In one of the most dramatic paintings depicting a U.S. Naval event, Norfolk-based destroyers from Destroyer Squadron 8 arrive off the coast of Ireland on the morning of May 4, 1917. DESTRON 8 was the first U.S. Naval contingent to arrive in Europe after the United States had declared war on Germany." I thought it captured some great emotions.

Classic poster for Navy recruiting by Howard Christy. Probably wouldn't work so well today.

There were some great models throughout the museum. Above left is a U-Boat (I couldn't tell if it was sinking or in the process of surfacing) and on the right is a Grumman TBF Avenger getting ready to launch.

Here are a couple shots of carrier (forgot which one). I liked how the artist made kind of futuristic gets. I'm sure smoothing them out reduced the time to make them. Above are some jets which I think are supposed to be F-8 Crusaders and below we have some A-7 Corsairs and A-6 Intruders with their wingtips folded.

Since I had my new camera, I thought I'd give it a try on some wildlife. I didn't use flash so any movement made for a less-than-average shot. But I thought the eel and the lionfish turned out okay.

Last pic is a armored test plate used to develop armor-piercing shells.

I would have liked to see this test.

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