By Robert Ellison. Updated on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
Could be anything... (seen at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, do please leave a comment if you know what it is.)
The photograph titled "Unidentified Butterfly" captures a mesmerizing scene where a real butterfly, clad in contrasting black and white stripes, rests exquisitely on a sign that displays an image of a similar butterfly. The butterfly, likely a Zebra Longwing, perches gracefully atop the informational sign, creating a delightful juxtaposition between reality and representation. The sign itself, adorned with vibrant pink and white text, stands against a backdrop of blurred greenery, studded with sporadic bursts of purple and green foliage. The overall tone of the photograph is calm and inviting, drawing attention to the connection between the living creature and its illustrated counterpart.
The composition employs a shallow depth of field, effectively blurring the background to emphasize the butterfly and the sign, the clear focal points of the image. This technique adds depth, enhancing the viewer's focus on the detailed patterns of the butterfly's wings. The diagonal placement of the sign adds dynamic movement to the scene, subtly guiding the viewer's eye through the frame. However, while the colors are vibrant and the subject intriguing, the photograph could benefit from a tighter crop to eliminate some distractions in the background's upper portion. Despite this, the photograph achieves a harmonious balance between the natural and artificial, capturing a serene moment that evokes curiosity and admiration.
(Published to the Fediverse as:
Unidentified Butterfly #photo#butterfly What is clearly a zebra longwing butterfly at the Conservatory of Flowers in the Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California.)
By default compression doesn't work in CloudFront for a website backed by an Amaxon S3 bucket.
The first step is pretty obvious - switch on compression in CloudFront:
To get to this setting open you distribution, go to the Behaviors tab and edit your behavior(s). Scroll down to the bottom and toggle Compress Objects Automatically to On. Save and drum your fingers while the distribution updates.
The less obvious piece is that CloudFront will only compress files between 1,000 and 10,000,000 bytes (as of writing this post) and it detects the filesize from the Content-Length header. What the documentation doesn't mention is that S3 does not send the Content-Length header by default and so no compression is applied.
Go to S3 and open the properties for your bucket (not for individual files). Expand Permissions and then click Edit CORS Configuration. You need to add Content-Length as an allowed header like this:
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(Published to the Fediverse as:
Enable GZIP compression for Amazon S3 hosted website in CloudFront #code#software#s3#cloudfront#aws How to configure Amazon CloudFront to apply gzip compression for websites hosted using Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service))
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Friday, February 24, 2017.
Revenger by Alastair Reynolds
5/5
Far future space pirates. Awesome.
Badass: Making Users Awesome by Kathy Sierra
3/5
The overall message is good - focus on making your users actually awesome rather than you looking awesome with some concrete strategies to find out what that is and how to get there. A central theme is removing barriers to effective usage. The product here is a book. It was hell to read on my phone. Now if the graphics were large and central to the message and couldn't be done other than in some weird non-standard way I might forgive this. But all I needed to on every page was zoom in to get rid of the needless massive borders. That's all it took. Hundreds of times. So I'd recommend this if you still like paper books or are some sort of tablet toting throwback but on phone? No.
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
El Capitan shrouded in winter fog at Yosemite National Park.
The photograph titled "El Capitan" captures the majestic granite monolith of Yosemite National Park as it pierces through the soft embrace of low-hanging clouds. The formidable rock face emerges dramatically from a lush forest of towering pines, their pointed silhouettes accentuating the sheer scale of El Capitan. The sky, a deep and unfettered blue, frames the scene with a vivid backdrop, adding a sense of tranquility to the awe-inspiring scene. Wisps of cloud gently caress the rock's summit, creating a mood of mystery and grandeur, while the bare trees in the foreground hint at a winter's chill with their dusting of snow.
The composition of the photograph is a blend of natural grandeur and artistic framing. The photographer utilizes the rule of thirds, with El Capitan slightly off-center, allowing the viewer’s eye to flow naturally across the image from the foreground trees to the majestic monolith and up to the vast sky. The use of contrasting elements—dark trees against the bright rock face and vivid sky—adds depth and balance to the composition. What stands out particularly is the juxtaposition of the dense foliage with the openness above, creating a dynamic tension. However, the focus seems to be slightly skewed towards the darker areas, potentially losing some detail in the low-light sections. Nonetheless, the photograph beautifully captures the transcendent grandeur of nature, evoking both serenity and awe.
(Published to the Fediverse as:
Recount #politics#election##resist Recount the 2016 election - not because it's going to work, just to make Trump mad.)
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Wednesday, February 1, 2017.
I just donated to the National Popular Vote campaign. The idea is that if enough states pass enabling legislation they will all throw their electoral college votes behind the popular vote winner. Electoral college neatly short-circuited without any constitutional amendment needed. California is already signed up for this. You can check your state here.
(Published to the Fediverse as:
National Popular Vote #politics#election##resist Support the National Popular Vote campaign and elect the US President based on individual votes and not the Electoral College.)
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Photo of a Banana Slug at Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
In this enchanting photograph titled "Banana Slug," the camera captures a striking tableau of nature, where a vibrant yellow banana slug graces the foreground. The slug, with its glistening, moist texture, slithers along a richly textured surface covered in lush green moss. Its vibrant hue stands out against the earthy tones, drawing immediate attention. The background, softly out of focus, hints at a misty forest setting with various greens and browns, suggestive of towering trees and shadows playing in the dappled sunlight. The setting exudes a sense of serene tranquility, evoking the essence of an untouched ecosystem where the small adventures of a slug unfold quietly.
The photograph employs a shallow depth of field, skillfully drawing the viewer’s focus to the banana slug, making it the unequivocal hero of this composition. The macro perspective allows us to appreciate the slug's intricate details, from its subtle ridges to the dewy sheen on its body. This choice magnifies the beauty of the small and often overlooked. The horizontal composition echoes the slug’s path across the moss, guiding the viewer's eye naturally along its journey. While the image succeeds in illuminating the minutiae of the slug’s world, it could benefit from a slightly wider frame to contextualize its surroundings — including more of the forest would augment the narrative of the slug’s place in its environment. Nonetheless, the image's vivid colors and intimate focus allow for a delightful exploration of nature's microcosms.
By Robert Ellison. Updated on Saturday, January 18, 2025.
Inverted tiny planet rendering of an unusually red sunrise in San Francisco.
Sunrise - Photograph Critique
The photograph titled "Sunrise" presents a mesmerizing swirl of color and form, capturing a sky painted in hues of orange and pink with delicate wisps of cloud. These clouds, seemingly twisting into the center, create a vortex effect that draws the viewer's gaze inward, inviting contemplation. Framed by silhouettes of rooftops and antennas, the scene evokes an urban morning, yet the twisted sky offers a surreal, almost dreamlike atmosphere. The edges of the frame are dark and solid, contrasting sharply with the vibrant, fiery sky, highlighting the intricate dance of light and shadow.
The photographer employs a fisheye or spiral distortion effect, enhancing the sky's dramatic spiral and giving it an infinite depth. This creative manipulation breaks traditional composition rules, creating an intriguing and otherworldly aesthetic. The juxtaposition of the solid, static rooftops with the dynamic, swirling sky can be seen as both a strength and a limitation; while it adds contrast and interest, it may also distract from the serene beauty of a natural sunrise. The technique adds a unique perspective but might not resonate with purists who seek a more conventional representation of a sunrise. Overall, the photograph stands out for its bold interpretation and captivating use of distortion, inviting viewers to see the familiar with new eyes.
