ISS - visible to us this week

The international space station moved past us in plain sight again tonight.. a few minutes ago. From 9:29 to 9:33 PM

It was beautiful to watch. At one point, I stopped trying to capture it on camera with a bulb setting and just watched it and enjoyed it.

(my Photography skills are really bad when it comes to capturing moving objects in a dark sky with cars occasionally flashing their headlights)

Put it in bulb setting and used the highest f number (25) and let it go for like 30 seconds and this is what I got after trying to fool with the contrast settings...

There is one more chance tomorrow..

Going to try to open the thing up using f5.6 or f7.0 and do the same thing..

but also planning to capture it on my camcorder because I don't know how the self timer mode works on the bulb setting. You have to hold the shutter open and when you release the finger, the picture is done.. unless you have an external way to open the shutter don't know how to do this. Maybe set it up with the software and use the laptop to remotely open the shutter? (that way the shake during the shutter click can be avoided... all this is assuming someone out there gives me a tip on the right exposure setting to do this)

On the plus side the iPhone is amazing. You hold the compass up and watch the clock and just like magic the ISS appears and disappears.. What a gadget!

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Yeah, I know

We were at a South Indian classical music concert this evening. Raghavan Manian was singing and he was doing a fantastic job. It was at a clubhouse in a residential complex and it was more of a social event than a rigid everyone has to be at their seat affair.

Jr. and the little one would come and sit in my lap for a few minutes, then disappear off to the back of the room to play with other kids and come back when they felt like it. Usually I never get to listen to concerts. Even if we do, I would be the one to walk out or run out with a screaming kid on my shoulder.

Today, after a long time, got to sit in one place and listen to a concert. That alone was a blessing.

Towards the end of the concert, he sang "Chinanjiru Kiliye" and at that moment Jr. came next to me and started dancing. (he almost sang it like a film song at places). Told her to sit down and she would not and to distract her, I asked "do you know who wrote this song?"

and she nods her head while dancing and says "Yep"
I was surprised. Did not think anyone at home would have introduced her to Bharathiyar!

Me : Tell me, who wrote this song?

Jr.: Easy. A. R. Rahman

Me : !!!!!!!

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Doravatharam

What is there to say?

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