Diggin' it in the Sultanate.

Danny, Michael, and I (Tom) couldn't be happier and more impressed with our members and friends! It would be wonderful if we all got to know each other better. Here's a forum to post images and short autobiographies of ourselves as well as any other info you would like to post about yourself. We are looking forward to meeting you all!

Moderators: nzmacro, Ken Ramos, twebster, S. Alden

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Doc_Rocknocker
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 9:00 pm
Location: Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

Diggin' it in the Sultanate.

Post by Doc_Rocknocker »

Greetings from sunny Muscat, Oman.

I'm an American Expat geologist doing the Middle East routine (best gig i've had in 26 years and 36 countries).

This place is the world's greatest geological laboratory. And with the less than drenching per annum rainfall, there's just gobs and gobs of bare naked geology galloping around (home to the Semail Ophiolite, obducted in the Late Cretaceous; so you can walk up and actually touch the Moho and lunch in a fossil magma chamber).

Being both a geologist and photofanatic, I'm working on a roadside geology book for the Muscat area. As I also have an extensive background in imagery and thematic interpretation, I naturally gravitated towards photomacrography; particularly of rocks and minerals (and given the pitiable results of Googling this field, it looks somewhat neglected).

Since I attended college (back in the Pliocene, or so it seems), I've worked with SEM's, S(T)EM's, petrographic microscopes, cathodoluminescence and varied other forms of image capture and analysis. For now, though, I rely on old Canon iron: 3 AE-1 program bodies, innumerable lenses (thanks to Ebay), a complete Zenit collection (from 1982-present thanks to my years spent coaxing oil out of Siberia) and my new (relatively speaking) F-1, bellows, extension tubes, etc. setup.

My goal is to create a gazeteer or primer of Oman rocks and minerals (they are among some of the most unique in the world), at various scales: from regional to outcrop to hand speciman to macro to thin section. Why? No idea. It's not for cash (I plan to donate my work to various universities), it's certainly not for fame; I guess it's just becasue I love my field and really dig the geology hereabouts. Also, it has the novelty of never having been done before. Besides that, I like futzing with gizmos (the reason why I do have some state of the art digital cameras, but prefer to work with film).

More later. I'm pleased to have found this website and forum and hope to be adding to it in some small way. My first macrographs will probably post here within a week.

Stay tuned, buckaroos.

Cheers!

The Ol' Rocknocker
If you don't like Geology: Upper Jurassic!

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MikeBinOKlahoma
Posts: 1491
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Umm....Could it be Oklahoma?

Re: Diggin' it in the Sultanate.

Post by MikeBinOKlahoma »

Doc_Rocknocker wrote:Why? No idea. It's not for cash (I plan to donate my work to various universities), it's certainly not for fame; I guess it's just becasue I love my field and really dig the geology hereabouts. Also, it has the novelty of never having been done before. Besides that, I like futzing with gizmos (the reason why I do have some state of the art digital cameras, but prefer to work with film).
I sometimes feel that way about why I photograph ants and non-glamor girl insects! :?

Welcome, and I am kinda curious to see your geomacro work.
Mike Broderick
_____________________________________________________________
"I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul.....My mandate includes weird bugs."--Calvin

(reposts on this site of my images for critique or instruction are welcome)

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twebster
Site Admin
Posts: 1518
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2004 10:55 pm
Location: Phoenix "Valley of the Sun", Arizona, USA

Post by twebster »

Hi ya' Doc :D

Welcome to our community. :D I'll be looking forward to your images. You're right, there's not too much rock macros posted on the Internet. Your images will be most welcome here. Be sure to check out making a Member Gallery. You can post images in a Member Gallery and direct others to your gallery. We can help you make a presence on the Internet :!: :D

Best regards, :D
Tom Webster
Administrator

Phoenix "The Valley of the Sun", Arizona, USA

Think about this...maybe Murphy is an optimist!!!

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nzmacro
Site Admin
Posts: 1604
Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 1:25 am
Location: New Zealand
Contact:

Post by nzmacro »

Well we are covering the globe :D . Welcome Doc and just jump in when you can, Welcome anytime. You have the job my wife would love to have. Sounds fascinating for sure.

All the best in Oman, phew you have seen a few places :D

Danny.

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