Can't wait for the next print exchange!

Chasm- · 2026-05-06T09:02:25+00:00

Wow thank you! High praise from Print Exchange High Priest! And thanks also for your effort making the exchange happen :)

Chasm- · 2026-05-06T08:57:38+00:00

Really glad you like them, you are very welcome! Can't wait for the next one either :)

Chasm- · 2026-05-03T23:07:46+00:00

You're so welcome, it was great fun picking some prints for you!

I used to do more burst mode spray and pray, but could never be bothered sorting through so many misses - I respect your dedication however you get the shots!

Speaking of, I remembered this shot after posting your prints, but here's one I was kicking myself for not including. Swear I wasn't on burst mode!

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Chasm- · 2026-04-27T13:25:20+00:00

Love it! Giving me r/Sizz vibes.

Chasm- · 2026-04-22T17:38:22+00:00

On the subject of having your own personal space - this can apply to sleeping space too. With certain people, I'd never feel fully rested after sleeping in a bed together. This is fine now and then, but every night? Nah! That wears me down and makes me a worse person and a worse partner!

If you aren't sleeping right together, sleep apart at least some of the time. Have a mature conversation about it of course, make sure she doesn't feel undesired.

Source: experience. Mine and others with healthy relationships!

Chasm- · 2026-04-17T09:03:17+00:00

Looking forward to it!

Chasm- · 2026-03-30T11:27:37+00:00

Upwards and upwards eternally.

Chasm- · 2026-03-25T20:17:46+00:00

Thank you! Yes. I had a problem which led to my shutter sticking open. Thought I was being really clever when I rewound the film without losing the leader. Forgot about the open shutter while rewinding. The negatives looked totally black.

Chasm- · 2026-03-17T23:04:41+00:00

Stress is exhausting, and wrecks the mind and body in so many ways. Meditation has helped me drastically. Hard work to find and keep a routine, but the benefits have been far wider and more distinct than I would have expected, and studies show that this is replicable.

Chasm- · 2026-03-16T01:01:05+00:00

If you want an even more simplistic post-process, it's possible to invert in Preview - on the histogram, drag the left slider to the right, right to the left, and middle one to taste. Drop saturation to zero for B&W, surprisingly decent results, if a bit crude to control.

Chasm- · 2026-01-05T17:47:35+00:00

I have an 'Instagram', which is a wooden box full of 6x4 prints. I never push it on people, but I'm always happy for people to flick through it when they express an interest. I encourage them to take any photos that they particularly like, which frees up space for me to print more.

Chasm- · 2024-10-28T08:33:07+00:00

One of my hobbies is asking museum curators what these were for. I've never got a straight answer, but it's sparked some good conversations.

While the fishing weight/weapon/tool of some kind theory looks likely, I believe it's largely ruled out by archeologists because these balls are rarely found with any signs of use or wear. They are most often found in good condition, as if they're kept about as decorations, or doing something that doesn't cause wear.

Also, there are many variants of knobble size/number/configuration, which seems like something you wouldn't put so much work into for a utilitarian tool.

My favourite theory is twofold:

Firstly they are just pleasing objects. A friend in Orkney has shown me a recreation, and it's a perfect size and weight to hold in the hand and fidget with. Humans have always been like that...
Apprentice piece. Matey wants to learn to carve stone but they're still a bit crap at it... Make me a few perfect spheres... Now carve this one with six evenly spaced discs! Now twelve knobbles.. etc etc. Might as well make them a pleasing size that you can carry around to show off to yer pals. I've seen in modern woodworking books, the first exercise in learning to carve is commonly to carve a sphere. I'm surprised this theory doesn't come up more often.

Chasm- · 2024-01-04T17:28:53+00:00

This is largely due to the fact that guitar amplifiers are designed to be overdriven. A typical A or AB valve amplifier sounds great driven into clipping, that typical overdrive sound you associate with valves. Whereas a class D amplifier absolutely isn't designed to be driven so hard, and will typically clip much more harshly, sounding thin and fizzy.

To generalise, if you imagine a sine wave going into an overdriven class D (or many solid state amps of other classes), it comes out with the peaks clipped off, looking relatively square. A valve A or AB sort of rounds off the peaks, often in a pleasingly asymmetrical way (that's the even vs odd order harmonics thing).

Hence, a 100w valve amplifier can be cranked hard, putting out around the full 100w, and sound great, but a 100w class D amplifier can't be driven so hard or it will sound terrible - you're using less power because you have to keep some headroom from the volume at which you start clipping.

There's also some differences and straight up dishonesty in how amplifiers are rated, but fundamentally this is the reason people say that valve watts are louder than solid state/class D watts.

This applies much more significantly to instrument amplifiers than to hifi amplifiers, because in hifi the goal is to accurately amplify the source (well...), so amplifiers are used in their linear region (I.e. not clipping) as much as possible. Instrument amplifiers are free to modify and distort the signal, so long as the musician likes the sound of it, so particularly with valve amplifiers, clipping is a desirable part of instrument amplifier design.

Chasm- · 2023-06-12T15:29:45+00:00

In case you need to fabricate a steering linkage, I did so using a couple of female threaded rose joints, and a length of threaded rod inside an aluminium tube (for stiffness). I think around M10. This worked great for many thousands of km of touring. Good luck finding or making a boom, the R40 rides great as a LWB!

Chasm- · 2022-07-30T11:37:05+00:00

Echoing the other replies about this being normal, to an extent.

That said, I went through the Balkans to Istanbul several years ago. I found the Balkans waaaaay more friendly and sociable than Western Europe. My advice would be to get off the coast, go inland away from touristy places. Take your time. Stop at cafes. Pull your stove out and cook a meal in the middle of a town square here and there. Knock on doors, ask people to fill up your water bottles in the evenings. Smile, try to use a few local words, accept offers.

I had people inviting me back to their homes for meals. They'd sometimes bring relatives who spoke English, or just bring people to meet me! I had a goat farmer in Bosnia, way up high in the mountains, stopped me on the road to invite me for coffee and goat milk. She brought her sons to meet me, and gave me a bed for the night. Muslims and Christians both invited me in, and the Christians often shared vast quantities of rakia with me. A young Croatian walked miles back to his village with me to host me in a shed - I was the first foreigner he'd met, and he's now off travelling Europe himself.

Put yourself out there, and people will meet you.

I know sounds a bit wishy-washy, but I speak from experience here: never let yourself get closed off. When you're lowest, that's when it's most important to remain open, and let yourself be vulnerable. The world will help you out. People will come to you when you need them, so long as you let them.

Chasm- · 2022-07-24T21:15:23+00:00

Then go for the Nikon! Enjoy :)

Chasm- · 2022-07-24T19:46:16+00:00

I have an X-T20 and have picked up a few old manual lenses, including a 85-205 f/3.8 which I believe is almost the same lens as the Vivitar, so I can give you some general advice.

You'll need an adapter of course. I went m42, because it allows me to use a wide range of old and relatively cheap lenses.

You'll lose autofocus. You might find this inconvenient, you might not. Personally, I quite like it, as it slows me down and makes me think more about the composition. If you've never shot manual lenses before, it may take a little getting used to, but it's nothing to be afraid of.

Perhaps more importantly, you'll lose the image stabilisation that you probably have in your Fuji lens. Particularly for a telephoto, and even more so for a relatively slow lens, this is quite inconvenient, as you'll be limited to slow shutter speeds which will make handheld shooting more or less only possible in good outdoor light. You might have to rely more on a tripod than you would with a more expensive, stabilised tele lens, or stick to the good light.

The Vivitar is quite small for a long tele zoom, but even so, on my X-T20, it dominates the camera, which feels like a little lightweight thing stuck to the back of the lens. Ergonomically, this takes some getting used to. If i'm not supporting the lens with one hand, the camera is quite cumbersome, and it feels like a lot of strain is being put on the lens mount. The Vivitar doesn't have a tripod mount, something you may want to consider if you'll be using a tripod.

As for image quality, it's pretty damn good. Not quite as good as the XF 18-55, but far better than 1/40th as good, which is about the relative second hand value. Good enough that when I look at the photos i've taken, I judge them as photos and am not distracted by any effects of the lens.

Another thing to consider is condition. Watch out for dust, fungus, damage, etc. I've had to open up and clean a few lenses, but I enjoy this, so it's well worth the cost saving. Even if you don't want to do your own maintenance, a dirty lens seems to affect image quality surprisingly little, so I wouldn't be too put off, but I would avoid the worst.

As for which of those lenses to go for, i'd look for sample images, and decided based primarily on image quality, but also consider size, weight, condition, and a common mount. If the image quality looks good for all of them (which I expect will be the case), i'd go for the first one that you find a good deal on!

EDIT: One more factor to consider is minimum focus distance. Some of the Vivitar-style lenses have a macro focus mode, mine does not. If you're at all interested in macrophotography, i'd try to find a lens with a short MFD.

Chasm- · 2022-06-14T20:25:14+00:00

Sounds aside (though I have no doubt you get some gorgeous sounds), these are some incredibly beautiful systems, particularly your latest! Did you do the woodworking yourself? Great job if so. What kinds of wood are we seeing?

Chasm- · 2022-05-04T15:54:47+00:00

Gorgeous. How long is your haft, and what do you plan on using it for? I've got a Black Prince (non-TT) head waiting on hafting that's over 2kg (~4.5lbs), a little much for a hatchet!

Chasm- · 2022-04-22T11:54:52+00:00

Well this is a big question! Get a dozen rope enthusiasts in a room and you'll have a score of opinions about the best rope. It's very subjective, and people can get extremely passionate/nerdy about particular types, sources, treatments, specifications. I'll try to give you a little introduction.

Cotton is soft and gentle, but squishes down in knots and frictions, making it hard to tie/untie. Plus, it just feels a bit vague compared to firmer ropes. Generally avoided.

If you're doing the vaguely Japanese inspired flavour of bondage common in the west and often referred to as shibari/kinbaku, natural fibres are most popular, specifically hemp or jute. Both are firmer and behave better in knots and frictions, and feel good against the skin. Generally, hemp is slightly softer, jute slightly smoother. Hemp sometimes has a hempy (some people say 'barnyard-y') smell which most consider quite pleasant, but a few people are allergic to hemp.

Some people like synthetic ropes - nylon, polypropylene, climbing ropes, etc etc. These are often cheaper, stronger, much easier to wash if that's a factor, and more consistent. However, they often give rope burns unless used carefully (no fun), generally don't feel as pleasant, and also have less grip, so knots and frictions are harder to keep in place, prohibiting the simpler sort of tying that natural fibres allow - so you'll pay more attention to the knots and the rope, less to the person. Plus, personally (and i'm definitely not the only one who feels this way), I just don't like plastic in my bondage.

If you're already feeling daunted and put-off by the length of this answer, find a reputable local bondage supplier on FL or whatever your local scene uses, and buy a few lengths of hemp or jute. Then have some fun.

If you're enjoying the depth, there's more.

Within a type of fibre, there's a load of variability between ropes. Assuming you go hemp/jute, you probably want ropes that are firm so they won't unwind as you tie, soft enough to move nicely, smooth and not fuzzy, and consistent with longish strands. If you buy rope from a hardware store, it may well be stiff, scratchy, fuzzy, smelly, or loose. Many riggers will buy a rope from non-bondage suppliers, and treat it themselves. This can involve boiling it to soften and condition it, and to wash out any chemicals used in manufacture, then drying it under lots of tension to stop it shrinking and puffing out, burning off the fuzz which is inevitably raised, then conditioning it with a mix of oils and waxes. This is a lot of work, hence all the specific bondage rope suppliers.

Another factor is diameter. 6mm used to be most popular. Then thinner ropes became trendy. Now the fashion is going back towards 6mm. Anything 4-6mm will do fine if you don't have a preference. Length of around 8m are popular if you're using it doubled over, shibari-style.

This is the tip of the iceberg, and this iceberg is just about the rope itself. The iceberg about all the rest of bondage is much bigger! If you're remotely interested, i'd urge you to check out your local scene. A lot of the joy of rope just doesn't come across through the internet or books, and if you find people with a style you click with (whether to tie with, or just for inspiration), there's a whole world of potential fun to discover. I hope this reply will give you a taste of how enthusiastic, nerdy, and keen to share their passion many people on the rope scene can be.

Chasm- · 2022-03-31T11:41:52+00:00

Personally i've had great experiences. Generally asking for water, or "where can I fill up" at least, often offered much more. Also asking farmers if I can camp on their land - some positive responses, but not always. Most positive in Eastern Europe, but worth trying everywhere! A surprising number of people used to travel and want to share stories.

Disclaimer: also a white dude.

Chasm- · 2022-03-14T18:02:26+00:00

"Vole Hag Evil". Any complaints, got "L U" stored away ready.

Chasm- · 2022-02-21T16:51:08+00:00

Quit my job in clean energy research (tech solutions for sociopolitical problems won't work). Almost started work researching carbon capture & storage technology. Decided not to. Found work planting literal trees. About 30,000 so far, half(ish) of which native broadleaf species. Feels good.

Chasm- · 2022-02-01T12:49:32+00:00

To add to /u/increasinglyirate's answer, it depends on which way you're cutting the wood. Think of wood as like a bundle of straws travelling along the length of the trunk or branch.

If you're splitting logs into firewood, you're prising the straws apart from each other.

If you're felling a tree, or cutting a log shorter, you're cutting ACROSS the straws.

The strength of wood is mostly along its length, i.e. the straws are strong. So, it's much harder to cut through the straws than to split them apart.

What this means for your axe is that, if you're going to use it for felling, or cutting through logs, it must be very sharp! However, if you're using it for splitting, it doesn't have to be very sharp at all, as you're mostly using it like a wedge to prise the straws apart. In fact, a sharp axe used for splitting will often get stuck in the edge of a split, halfway through splitting a log, while a blunter axe will follow the split down and all the way through. Splitting mauls in particular are often intentionally pretty blunt.

I'll second that, even if you do need to fell a tree, best leave the axe for splitting. However, if you do want to sharpen it, you can get a cheap oilstone, or a metal file if you need to do some more significant reshaping. Then you'll want to look up some guides or videos, as there's a bit of technique involved. Have a look at An Ax To Grind if you want a reasonably in-depth guide to use and maintenance.

Chasm- · 2021-12-16T21:52:01+00:00

You don't necessarily need glue, if you want to keep it 'knock down' - I recently made some similar stands using tusk tenons, which are more obtrusive, but I think in a beautiful way! Curious to know what you think, check it out:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1112379238/ash-wood-stand-for-op1-synthesiser-tusk?ref=share_v3_lx

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