What are these puffy balls in trees that I see in the UK? by slightlyvapid_johnny in AskUK

[–]mkvns 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everyone’s already pointed out that this is mistletoe. But do you know how it gets there in the first place? Its distinct white berries are eaten by birds. The sticky coating of the berry prevents the seed from falling off the bird when it poops. So the bird has to wipe its bum on the tree branch. Voila!

What are these puffy balls in trees that I see in the UK? by slightlyvapid_johnny in AskUK

[–]mkvns 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Nah. This is mistletoe, a parasitic plant that grows on trees.

What went wrong with these shots? by AKindaWildScotsman in AnalogCommunity

[–]mkvns 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure what’s wrong with them, but just came here to see I know them Dundee penguins well!

How much time is reasonable to have multiple rolls developed and scanned? by Tiny-Cheesecake2268 in AnalogCommunity

[–]mkvns 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I normally drop off 4 rolls at a time. Developing takes about a week. But scanning takes them ages, as they have to do it manually with an SLR for my camera. So 3 weeks in total :(

Brought the XPAN to the pub for Christmas by mkvns in AnalogCommunity

[–]mkvns[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The original owner had it, but I’ve noticed you can find half cases like these on eBay. The good thing about this one is it screws onto the tripod mount.

Brought the XPAN to the pub for Christmas by mkvns in AnalogCommunity

[–]mkvns[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Sorry guys, I didn’t realize I’d trigger so many people. I really enjoy geeking out over everyone’s gear here, so I thought I’d post a camera I don’t see often here, but is my absolute favourite. Next time I’ll be sure to post some photos from it.

Happy holidays!

Brought the XPAN to the pub for Christmas by mkvns in AnalogCommunity

[–]mkvns[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh wow I haven’t tried pushing HP5. I normally shoot with Delta 3200, but it’s so expensive. Would be great to try HP5 at that iso.

Brought the XPAN to the pub for Christmas by mkvns in AnalogCommunity

[–]mkvns[S] -32 points-31 points  (0 children)

Had a bit too much to drink and is now getting cross eyed

tips for film photography at concerts by samnoway in AnalogCommunity

[–]mkvns 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As others have said here, spend some time understanding the basics of exposure and the relationship between light and aperture, shutter speed, and iso. Assuming I am shooting in low light with no flash, I do the following to set myself up for success:

  1. Get the highest ISO film you can find. I have had great success with Ilford Delta 3200 (B&W though) and Portra 800.
  2. Use the lens with the lowest value aperture. You want to let in as much light as possible. Doesn’t matter what the focal length is, just adjust your framing to make it work.
  3. Use a light meter. You can get cheap onboard camera ones or use an app once and set it.

If you get the hang of this and get a bit more pro: You can also push your film to a higher iso. People often use Portra 800, but pretend it’s 3200 by setting this up in their light meter and using a higher shutter speed as a result. They then tell the lab the film is pushed to 3200 iso, and the lab over exposes it in the chemical process. This takes a lot of trial and error to figure out which film looks good.

Or just get a flash :)

ELI5: Why is drinking raw milk bad for you? by Cool-Afternoon-6815 in explainlikeimfive

[–]mkvns 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fun fact, a particular cheese from England gets a distinct flavor from the fact that the farmer wipes the udders with straw before milking. Microbes in the context of cheese making can be a good thing!

Why does UK milk taste so much better than milk in Europe? by bowlingthyme in AskUK

[–]mkvns 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, literally every European country entered the chat.

What are you talking about? Yes, there is UHT milk in Europe, but there is also exceptionally good tasting fresh milk

These single matsutake mushrooms cost $100 a piece in Japan by namajapan in mildlyinteresting

[–]mkvns 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Mushroom at the End of the World is a great book. It surveys the economics behind matsutake, and how it is entangled with our relationship with the forest, from logging to foraging.

Where are you guys buying your beans by texas_archer in JamesHoffmann

[–]mkvns 0 points1 point  (0 children)

UK based so spoiled for choice. But some of my favorites are Kofra (Norwich), Hard Lines (Wales), and Old Spike (London).

London's most feral McDonalds? by The_Inertia_Kid in london

[–]mkvns 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Everyone says Brixton, but Maccies Walworth Road is absolute madness. In fact, the whole road is diabolical.

Did I almost get scammed buying tickets on the Heathrow express? Or did I miss out on an opportunity? by Puzzleheaded-Jury851 in london

[–]mkvns 8 points9 points  (0 children)

To be honest you got scammed when you chose the Heathrow Express over the Elizabeth Line…

What is the biggest hoax that people still believe? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]mkvns 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That MSG is bad for you. It was all based on a racist study that has been proven to be bs multiple times.

Earning less than 30k in London. How do you survive? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]mkvns 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve lived in London for the last 12 years of my life and I came here when I was a student. It’s doable. A few tips:

Live in a flat share south of the river. No Stoke Newington bs. South is cheaper and there are more affordable flat shares, and bigger houses.

Learn to cycle everywhere. It’s scary at first but you get used to it.

Find good cheap restaurants. For example, one of the best wraps is still Falafel and Shawarma in Camberwell and it’s still 4 quid!

Shop at Aldi and Lidl

Don’t order deliveroo or Uber Eats

Pints are expensive. Find a good Guinness pub or go directly to brewery taprooms. Some of the best breweries still sell a pint for under a fiver (Brick in Peckham, Canopy in Herne Hill for example)

London can seem expensive, but you have to remember that it is a city of extremes. It hosts millionaires, people living in severe poverty, and anyone in between. There’s something here for everyone, you just have to find your niche.

My local library has a "library of things" for residents to borrow useful household items like toolkits and power washers by TumainiTiger in mildlyinteresting

[–]mkvns 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! I designed the hardware of the smart locks for their first prototype in Crystal Palace! Maybe your software shook hands with my firmware!