A very quick time-lapse movie, taken over the last 3 days, as a rhododendron began to flower. Each frame is separated by 30 minutes.
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It snowed today, a rare event for a city that shares the same latitude as Jerusalem and Austin.
I took a short time-lapse video this morning with the sun poking through the clouds; the light playing games with the February dullness.
This evening, we ate in the Langyifang Restaurant. It’s situated in a gigantic modern mall close to the hotels. We sampled a large mix of local foods, mostly similar to what might be found back home.
My impression of the city so far is much less of a culture shock than I would have expected. Shanghai is brash, modern and unquestionably upmarket. Most items on display cost the same as what might be paid in Europe. Many of the big brands are here, including Haagen Dazs, KFC and TGI Fridays. Clearly, if we want an authentic Chinese experience, we are in the wrong place.
One of my colleagues, an American, has mastered Mandarin Chinese, both oral and written. My Chinese colleagues tell me it is word perfect without much of a trace of an accent. Knowing how to read the Chinese characters is especially impressive, as this is a much bigger challenge for Chinese children compared to western kids. Mastery involves familiarity with several thousand symbols, many of which vary in meaning depending on the context in which they are written. On top of being masters in Chinese, many of my colleges speak English perfectly. Truly, I feel humbled here.
Yesterday, all the roads around us were closed off to allow a one-day rally to take place. It was quite an event, with dozens of souped-up cars powering their way around these quiet roads; revving and backfiring and braking and changing gears with furious intensity.
Many of the cars were part of an era now long gone: Ford Escorts, Talbot Sunbeams, Opel Kadetts. A few Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas made it through too, but the older cars, Â particularly the Escorts, were there in great numbers.
Single shots don’t convey the speed and might of these cars, so I used the “Slow Shutter” app on my iPhone to take photos. It takes multiple photos over a short period, then merges the photos into a single image. I used a “Light Trail” setting to get the desired effect, putting more emphasis on the last photo in order to get a clear primary image. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do. To achieve the desired effect, I had to start filming one or two seconds before the car passed by. Too early and the car would still be too far away. Too late and the car would have disappeared before filming stopped. Nevertheless, I got a few good shots from the event, making it all worthwhile.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with a different type of time-lapse shot: one where I take just one or two photos a day, and then bring all them together into a short movie.
The subject was an oilseed rape field close by the house. I noticed it was coming into bloom, so I decided to follow its progress as the entire field turned bright yellow over a two week period.
The resulting video captures the changing weather of our country. Every day brings something new, as rain gives way to scattered clouds, with the occasional sunny day thrown in every so often. Another reminder of the beauty of our countryside.
Today I climbed Temple Hill in the Galty Mountains. While Temple Hill is neither the highest, nor the most challenging peak in the Galtys, the walk is enjoyable with a rewarding view at the top. It’s a good introductory walk for novices too – the pathways are well marked, the ascent is mild and not too muddy. All in all, something of a gem in the Galty mountains.
Visibility was good, but temperatures were below zero and there was a slight breeze. An extensive sandstone cairn at the top provided some comfort from the bitter winds.
While at the top, I set up the tripod and took a time-lapse movie looking over at Lyracappul. It’s about 20 minutes of footage squeezed into just 37 seconds.
Over the last few days I’ve been messing around with the “time lapse” feature on my digital camera.
Here’s an early attempt: 30 minutes of an Irish summer condensed into 47 seconds..
Passive Impressions 
