wjgrabiec.com blog

Wallpapers posted at my new web site

2011-05-06T08:45:00.002-04:00

...As I have promised before, some of my photographs have now been optimized for several screen resolutions for best visual effect on your screen. Available as a free download atgrabiec design...

Some fresh pics from the Pacific

2010-02-08T04:11:00.000-05:00

Weather has been cooperating in the last few days. We're a few days pastHawaii headed for Guam. Nothing dramatic happened and I hate to post samepics time and again. These have a double rainbow, which came and went in amatter of minutes, and a couple of Picasa processed images. As I have statedmany times before, I am a strong promoter of programs like Picasa due totheir inherent simplicity, great

open sea sunrise

2010-01-28T23:59:00.000-05:00

Here I am again with these two photos of the Sun setting on the horizon.Weather has been on a rough side for the last couple of days and swellslowly increasing to some 20 feet and working its way towards our beam (notexactly best of things, as it increases roll and lessens cruising comfort).All else is well and in about 3 days we should reach a Hawaii waypoint ....Received: from MPD at Globe

Out to sea

2010-01-27T07:44:00.001-05:00

At last after a long period of breaking the ship out 5-month longretirement,we have completed the load of grain for Middle East and departed.Bad weather awaited us (as seen in the photograph), but the southerly routechosen played out well (vs. the northern route suggested by the oftenunreliable and down right dangerous weather routing service. I'll beupdating this blog with more trip photos as

The ship I'm on

2010-01-27T07:44:00.000-05:00

This is a unique class of vessels that were built in the early 1980's tocircumvent some regulations in order to decrease required manning levels(among other requirements). The result was a design that was attempted onlya handful of times, has always been more of a pain for any shipyard periodsthan an actual benefit to anybody (although I would think some acountantsmight want to argue).This is a

Blog to be updated via email

2009-12-18T22:33:00.002-05:00

To all interested I will be away for several months, but intend to update my whereabouts to this blog via email feed. This unfortunately may bring in some entries not at their prettiest, but should still keep a good count of events awaiting me....

Right across from downtown Tampa, FL

2008-12-16T12:39:00.001-05:00

Pro level P&S digital cameras

2008-11-16T07:56:00.019-05:00

You may have noticed a new feed in the right pane of this blog. I'm calling it "Equipment News" and what's in it will change as dreams change. What dreams you ask?Well, in digital picture taking, camera is one component. An obvious first one, as you need something to take that photograph WITH, then you go on through software processing and printing stage. Back to that camera, I say you need to

Picasa is up to version 3

2008-11-11T09:10:00.013-05:00

As I have stated on numerous occasions, my primary program for web work is Picasa, a free organizer and image manipulator from Google. While I use other porgrams and lean toward making Adobe's Lightroom my main platform, I will continue to advocate the incredible value of Picasa, because for the most part, it is indeed most what most people need. It's flexibility is more than adequate, it's

No naked lady on a scooter ...

2008-11-10T21:25:00.023-05:00

While not much to report, I've had some great photographic challenges come my way during recent passage through Suez Canal. It's not a place I actually enjoy going back to and I truly believe someone should write a book on world's mentalities. I would even publish it in the For Dummies series. Imagine that title: "World's Mentalities for Dummies". Not meant to induce pain or disrespect in any of

Evening clouds

2008-03-10T16:55:00.004-04:00

Shot on the way up to Port Arthur, TX....

New blog and a mention of Plogger

2008-02-28T18:34:00.005-05:00

Just started a blog Mad Pontoon dedicated to web site design with focus on photography presentation, but also delving into general issues of site design. I'm a definite novice in the field of "pure" web design (pure as in - hand coded in it's entirety). The pure approach, while quite a chore for a newcomer, produces more manageable results, cleaner code, and helps in site updates down the line.

Today was a good day ... for photography

2008-02-21T20:46:00.003-05:00

Most of the day today there was an ever flowing fog throughout much of the lower Mississippi. Hard to argue with it....

Small web site about skansens in Poland

2008-02-20T20:09:00.004-05:00

I have put together a small web site about open air museums (skansens) in southeastern Poland. I will add more images in a near future....

Houston skyline

2008-02-16T01:04:00.003-05:00

It's an odd view in a way and you get to smell a lot of differentstuff before you see it - Houston skyline....

Houston ship channel

2008-02-16T01:00:00.003-05:00

An otherwise average shot got some help from a low light angle from rising sun and the "holes' in the sky made the upper part more interesting too. Unpromising scene delivered in the end quite a bit more....

Power of smoke in Houston harbour

2008-02-12T18:45:00.002-05:00

Every time I go by, I can't hold myself from not taking a shot... . The beauty lies in the white (or nearly so) smoke coming out of the stacks in contrast to a dark sky. Best time to wait for the moment is during thunderous weather, which brings along quick cloud pattern changes and lets the sun in and out. Amaizng how proper timing changes the mood of a photograph. In this instance, each of the

The line-up

2008-02-03T20:06:00.002-05:00

These are ships that have been laid-up or almost put to rest. In times of war, they can still be manned and deployed into war zones for troop transportation/support and other military sea-lift operations. A great photo opportunity....

Tools of the trade

2008-02-03T19:01:00.002-05:00

Shot in skansen in Sanok, southeastern Poland....

Houston "skyline"

2008-01-29T18:52:00.002-05:00

Entering port of Houston is always about getting that front-seatglance at what it takes to make our cars go....

Chimneys, ver. 2

2008-01-22T22:57:00.002-05:00

Chalmette, LA. Playing with Picasa again: color shot with "filteredB&W", "tint", and "sharpen"....

Tall & proud

2008-01-21T17:45:00.002-05:00

Lots and lots of chimneys....

Nostalgic New Orleans

2008-01-20T19:05:00.002-05:00

It's 17:45 on January 20th, 2008 and sun has set again....

Photo with Picasa adjustment

2008-01-20T09:16:00.002-05:00

As I'm working with Picasa, new ways to play with photos keep popping up. Here is a function called "focal B&W", or a simple way to convert to B&W with an area left in color....

One more photograph from previous set up

2008-01-09T10:51:00.001-05:00

This is another one from that $70 2-"cool"-light set up, slightly toned.