About
Reviews (7)
11 May 2006
Greasy Luck: A Whaling Sketchbook by Gordon Grant
5 of 6 found this helpful An eloquent, accurate portrayal of the American whaling industry as it existed for almost two centuries, this superb account of a whaling voyage and its adventures is dramatically captured by 64 of the author's full-page drawings. All the excitement, tedium, exhaustion, and joy of catching these mammoths of the sea is depicted -- from the thrill of a whale breaching and a "Nantucket Sleigh Ride" to examples of scrimshaw art and views of the foc's'le, galley, and deck. The book's title comes from the cheering crowds at dockside, seeing a whaling crew off and wishing them "Greasy Luck."
A must-own for both collector & scrimshander.
10 February 2010
Nikkor 105-mm f/2.8 MACRO lens
This used lens arrived in perfect condition. It is NOT the latest version, so it does not auto-focus with my Nikon D5000 digital camera. A-F is not as necessary with macro photography, where the photographer pre-sets lens magnification at 1:1, 1:2, etc. The photographer then minutely moves the entire camera/lens set-up to properly position the plane of focus. I use this lens with my Nikon SB-600 flash unit, and my O-Flash ringlight attachment (BOTH purchased on eBay). The O-Flash provides 3/4-circle flash, which allows modeling of cylindrical & spherical objects, often lost with full-circle flash rings.
ADDENDUM: Since writing this article at the end of 2009, I have experienced a great deal of wasted time & photographs relying on my 60-yo eyes to properly focus through my D5000. In late summer 2010, I purchased a new Nikon D90, which will auto-focus my Nikkor 105D. Eureka! What a difference! Quicker image capture, and fewer images needed for crisp, in-focus photos.
SUMMARY: I am very pleased with my 105-mm macro lens, SB-600 flash, and O-Flash ringlight.
04 May 2006
FAKESHAW: A Checklist of Plastic "Scrimshaw"
9 of 11 found this helpful This monograph printed by The Kendell Whaling Museum, is the definitive listing of more than 300 documented resin reproductions of scrimshawed whale teeth, scrimshawed walrus tusks, and scrimshawed panbone (whale jawbone). Fakeshaw is defined as machine-manufactured polymer scrimshaw fakes. Only a few individual photographs, but a short descriptive paragraph of every documented fakeshaw.