Virtual Brush Box

How do you write about a place you have not been? Ask a friend! Been There, Done That kindly supplied photos from a trip to Istanbul a while back. Previous guest post was Peru. Welcome BTDT. [In The Footsteps of the Inca]

~~~

Technical Notes

Images as sent by photographer. Out of an abundance of caution, I cropped or blurred identifiable faces. Also added joint watermark.

Current online class, UC Graham: From Istanbul to Cairo: The City in the Historical Novels of the Middle East.

Onwards!
Katherine

Photography of the outside world. Equine Photographers Network.

~~~

Which photo? Repost [How To Spontaneously End Up At A Horse Show]

This whole project started when husband Greg expressed an interesting in practing his photography from center ring at an SSF show. Sure thing. However, rain required moving the show to another barn. [How To]

The show was a less-than-ideal photo venue. I did not take any photos but I did learn from watching the photographer.

Small indoor ring with dark walls. More than enough light to see and to ride. Not nearly enough for high-speed, action photography. A demonstration that the light required for photography is different and more demanding that the light required for an activity. Unless one has a very long and expensive lens.

A privileged spot is not necessarily the best spot. Center ring is usually the place for show pix. One has to get permission from the organizers and then behave in a way not to interfere with the show. I remember getting the side-eye from a competitor in a jumper class. Don’t worry, I thought to myself, I know how to stay out of your way. I did.

The ring at Heathermoor is narrow. Comment from a previous show, “Kept the canter in the second class, including a tight u-turn when we had to pass folks in a narrow indoor ring. Not sure anyone thought that turn was there.” [Second Show] For photos, it was hard to get far enough away from the subjects, particularly for driving given the span of horse & cart. His solution? Move to the doorway and shoot down the length of the arena. He’s so clever.

Finally, how to accomplish the one shot that the wife really wants you to get? Hope for a break in the rain & go outside to take the ribbon picture.

Onwards!
Katherine

Factoids of the outside world. “No states except Alabama and Nebraska have a B in their name.” Reader’s Digest: There’s Only One Letter That’s Not in Any U.S. State Name. Can You Guess It? Jones 2023.

~~~

Photo credit: Greg Walcott

ASHAA Fun Show
Heathermoor Farm
Leeds AL, USA
Saturday 10 May 2025

Optimus. Thank you to the Gray & Parr families
10 Academy Driving – 2nd of 2
30 Academy Showmanship Adult WTC – 1st of 2
31 Academy Equitation Adult WTC – 2nd of 2

Show at Stepping Stone Farm. Greg wanted to go take pictures from center ring. Well, if I’m going to be there anyway, maybe I could drive? Not because I’m a driving genius but because SSF has lovely driving horses and the class is simple. Trot this way. Trot that way. Maybe big trot. Line up. Done. I could handle that.

Rain delay. Another week for the idea to percolate. Driving Lesson. [Wordless Wednesday, Driving Lesson]

If I’m going to be at the show for driving, could I ride? I had said no riding with a bad foot. But a) I could feel that foot was gradually improving & b) Optimus. He is such a good dude. [Lesson Horse, School Horse, Emotional Support Horse]

And thus I ended up at a horse show sooner than I expected. To the surprise of no one.

Persistence Of Memory

Optimus and I were coming out of a corner. Judge called for walk. We walked. As I did so, I thought, I bet I should have kept cantered down the length of the long side. Yup. Hunter flat classes call for prompt response to ring commands. In saddle seat classes, you don’t stop until you get to the next corner, i.e. “finish your pass.”

It’s been … more time that I care to consider … since I’ve riding in a hunter flat class. And yet, that’s what pops up if it’s been a while and I’m not paying attention.

Zoomies

I felt pretty darn froggy. I was determined not to lose the canter. I put my leg on. I may have over done it just a leeeetle bit. Fortunately, I’m comfortable storming down the line. Even more fortunately, Optimus is a kind horse and was willing to get over it as soon as I calmed down.

Outro

I had a blast. Zero expectations meant fun and no nerves. More on this anon.

To anyone wondering about the location mismatch. Show was moved due to a second rainy weekend.

In Other News

Photo processing. The photo at the beginning of the post had the background adjusted, which looks weird, but I chose because the contrast makes horse’s head look better. Optimus’s eye appears brighter. The bottom one is closer to what came out of the camera. To me that means it is closer to reality. More true. I know, intellectually, that this is a false premise. Decisions are being made from the moment the camera is picked up, by the photographer, by the camera, by the program, by the computer that is displaying the photo to you. Still, journalism habits die hard and any hint of photo manipulation makes me uneasy. Which photo do you prefer?

Onwards!
Katherine

🐧

~~~

!

Awareness of the outside world. A large language model fails a test case. Cora Buhlert: Robot Hallucinations, May 8, 2025.

~~~

New 3/4″ beta biotane driving reins for Milton from Two Horse Tack.

Husband has shown in CDE & related classes. I drive pleasure horses in Saddlebred shows. How did we become a family with multiple driving disciplines?

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. The Tyee: What Should We Be Doing Right Now? Philosopher Alexis Shotwell on tackling ‘wicked problems,’ sorting chaos, embracing ‘ongoingness’ and more, Yunker 2 May 2025.

~~~

New beta biothane shipping halters from Two Horse Tack.

Now when the horses travel, no one has to wear the halter of shame. [The Halter of Shame, Getting Their Annual Check-Ups, both from Halloween costumes]

In shopping for halters, the choice for safety halters is a leather crownpiece or a leather breakaway tab near the buckle. I was surprised to find that I did not have a preference. Thoughts?

Onwards!
Katherine

Art of the outside world. Istanbul Modern.

~~~

Process Notes

What could be more city than graffiti?

I was going for something that could be executed swiftly & fluidly.

My first iteration had the bottom of the V & the B coming together at a point. Then I started wondering if I was channeling the Warner Brothers logo. So I turned the B the other way. Then – perhaps the under the influence of cartoons – I saw the branches of the Vs as duck feet and could not unsee it.

Time for a redo.

I went through 37 iterations, although I do save versions early & often. I never know when I will want to go back a few steps. Contrary to my usual design habits, much of this was drawn by eye rather than onto a grid. I did use guides to line up points, thinking it might give an underlying structure.

Things I learned

A slightly shallower curve makes the ends pointy. In the past, this was an attribute that popped up randomly where I didn’t want it and then I had to figure out how to get rid of it or to live with it. This time, it was an element I wanted to keep and had to adjust the curves carefully to make sure I didn’t lose the points.

Which goes to show that different features have their place. This was the WB/duck foot version.

Pointy bit management also figured in the final design, There is the slightest bulge in the bottom left of the V. Turns out that a straight line made the bottom point go away. Conversely, getting a point on the middle bar of the B meant losing the shape of the middle interior space. I decided this was where a marker would be going one way and then reversing the other way, so a blunt end made sense. Apparently designs have internal narratives.

Inspiration

Current online class, UC Graham: From Istanbul to Cairo: The City in the Historical Novels of the Middle East. Was on hiatus, hence generalized city instead of Cairo or Istanbul.

Onwards!
Katherine