this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2024
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Wind Turbines, Near Tracy, CA, 2010. (fedia.io)
submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Wind Turbines, Near Tracy, CA, 2010.

A histogram of pixels at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/4491948497

#photography

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

This was captured near the Tesla substation (no relation to the car company) near Altamont Pass with a DSLR and a 400mm lens, compressing the turbines in a way that made them resemble a histogram.

There's a lot of power being generated in those hills. The was an audible hum in the air and vibrations could be felt in the ground. In some spots, the camera rebooted from induced currents.

Infrastructure like this is easy to ignore, but has an accidental beauty that I think is worth examining.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (3 children)

The scale of these wind farms is beyond what we're equipped to process in day-to-day human experience. They conquer the landscape in ways we can't fully comprehend even when they're in front of us. In a sense, they're abstract sculptures of themselves, mostly visible in fleeting glances from interstate highways or airplane windows.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@[email protected] it's interesting to compare that to the pollution footprint from fossil plants as well. Especially where fracking is used you often get a disturbingly large plume of unhealthy air and groundwater. But just the "soot zone" (now hopefully metaphorical rather than literal) around and downwind of generators surprises many people by its size and impact.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@moz

@mattblaze
Around Palm Springs CA there are a lot of turbines. They do dominate the landscape but then again so does the interstate and all the buildings.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (3 children)

@Asbestos @moz I find it interesting that people are reacting to my photo by getting weirdly defensive about wind farms.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] I’ve never yet had a bird object to how I photographed it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] That's presumably because the birds are over on the bird site.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

@tomjennings

@SteveBellovin @mattblaze @moz
Steve,You better hope it's not a crow or raven that objects to your picture of the. They have long memories and will enlist help to menace their enemies.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

@Asbestos @tomjennings @mattblaze @moz I took lots of pictures (and a few videos) of ravens this year, including some of a juvenile with a parent standing by—no trouble! As I always say, better a corvid than covid.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@SteveBellovin @Asbestos @tomjennings @mattblaze I have a resident magpie that does not like have its photo taken. It will tolerate me walking round my back lawn but if I get the camera out it disappears.

Which is better than their usual habit of declaring an area theirs and attacking anyone who goes into it.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@moz @Asbestos @tomjennings @mattblaze Fascinating. I've seen birds that fly off or move to the other side of a tree trunk just when I'm about to focus. Maybe it's not coincidence.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@SteveBellovin @moz @Asbestos @tomjennings At the SEPTA 30th Street station in Philly, there are these black balloon-like objects hanging from the rafters of the trainshed. They have a pattern that makes them look vaguely like an abstract giant eye. Apparently that's enough to make some birds think there's a big predator watching and move on to friendlier real estate. I wonder if the camera has a similar effect.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected]

They might even know it's fake but just to creepy to tolerate!

One of our dogs doesn't like the phone camera. I doubt he knows what it does, more that it's a mystery thing and doesn't smell right and doesn't trust it.

He'll watch videos on the phone though if it's clear animal stuff. But that's common enough.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

@[email protected] It's often challenging to distinguish dogwhistling from "just making a comment".

I was reacting to the commentary more than the photo. And from Australia, where we get a lot of "look at this ghastly blight" discussion of wind farms. Hence the reminder that visual pollution might be annoying but air pollution kills and maims.

I suspect your mental context was "this is a cool photo" but "conquering the landscape" isn't a positive or even neutral framing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

@[email protected] Oh please spare me your pearl clutching.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@[email protected] I wish you luck in your future efforts to save yourself from the embarrassment of making completely unwarranted assumptions.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@[email protected] I obviously misunderstood your comment as a request for explanation. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry for doing that..

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

@[email protected] Yeah, I had no idea that fossil fuels polluted.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

@[email protected]

@[email protected]
I wasn't trying them and didn't think your post was attacking them. Just sort of a general observation. But I see your point

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

@[email protected] I have passed by those turbines many times! Great shot!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

@[email protected]

There's an INSANE amount of solar production in the red outlined section of the the map image attached. Driving through it is nuts. It's like a sci Fi movie, miles and miles of silver, towers, power infra.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

@[email protected] Nice photo, Matt.

I love wind turbines. I could sit and watch them for hours. Mesmerizing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

@[email protected] interesting they have them more or less in a straight line. The ones here sort-of meander along the ridge. I'm sure there is a good reason for doing either arrangement.