Neil Gordon
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neilgordon.bsky.social
Neil Gordon
@neilgordon.bsky.social
160 followers 240 following 61 posts
Happily retired meteorologist into tech and photography.
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neilgordon.bsky.social
I was happily testing iOS apps that made use of Foundation Models (on device LLM) on dev beta 1 of iOS26 on my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Then it stopped working, and in Settings it tells me models are being downloaded. I changed nothing. Apple must have updated the models? Now I’m waiting ….
Settings which say “Downloading support for Apple Intelligence … models are downloading”
June 19, 2025 at 7:51 AM
neilgordon.bsky.social
One of my photos from the annual kite festival in Ōtaki, NZ
A kite in the shape of a skeleton is flying in the sky. Behind it is a growing cumulus cloud tower, with a piles cloud on top, and blue sky to left and right
March 9, 2025 at 5:05 AM
neilgordon.bsky.social
Very dynamic weather on the Kāpiti Coast right now. Handheld 5x zoomed in timelapse of growing cumulus towers

@metservice.com
February 21, 2025 at 5:50 AM
neilgordon.bsky.social
Comet Atlas C/2024 G3 as seen from Ōtaki Beach, setting over Kāpiti Island, in NZ, at 22:17 NZDT on 20 January 2025. Fujifilm X-T5, XF100-400 at 300 mm, 4s, f8, 1600 ISO.
The comet’s head is close to the dark outline of an island at the bottom of the image, on the lower left third of the image, with its tail stretching up and to the right nearly to the top of the image. The sky is orange at the bottom, gradually changing to dark blue at the top.
January 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
neilgordon.bsky.social
I asked OPENAI’s #o1 model to describe this image, as an experienced camera club judge who wants to tell a fellow judge, now blind, enough about it for them to critique it without seeing it.

Result is in alt text spread across 3 image copies.

NB: It did miss sensor dust spots in sky
Part 1/3: Imagine looking out of an airplane window at a scene far below: You see a massive, solitary mountain rising from a patchwork of farmland. The mountain is nearly conical in shape and dominates the center of the frame, tapering gracefully upward to a pointed summit. Its slopes are cloaked in lush, deep green vegetation, with subtle ridges and gullies sculpting the surface, giving form and texture. As your eye travels downward from the peak, the slopes broaden into an almost perfect circular boundary where rich forest transitions abruptly into the surrounding farmland. This boundary—like a near-perfect radius of green—clearly outlines the protected forest region around the mountain. From above, the farmland forms a geometric quilt of rectangular fields, mostly in shades of green, with some slightly yellowish or brownish patches indicating different crops or different stages of growth. Roads and hedgerows are faintly visible as pale lines intersecting these fields. The regular, human-imposed pattern of the farmland contrasts strongly with the mountain’s smooth, organic form and the dense green of its forested ring. The mountain’s volcanic origins are evident in its sharp symmetry and radiating drainages, which look like branching streams of darker green running down the slopes. Above and beyond the mountain, there are layers of white and off-white clouds. Some of these clouds stretch horizontally in flattened, gauzy layers, while others form small, puffy clusters scattered around the scene. The lighting appears to be relatively even—perhaps taken during midday—allowing the true colors to show through without strong directional shadows. The mountain’s western flank appears slightly darker, possibly due to the angle of the sun or the natural slope aspect, but generally the image’s illumination is soft and consistent, providing a well-balanced exposure. Part 2/3: In the upper portion of the frame, beyond the mountain and fields, you can see a faint band of coastline and then a wide expanse of blue—an ocean or a large body of water—that stretches toward the horizon. The water’s surface is a lighter, softer blue than the sky above. Closer to the top edge of the frame, the sky transitions into a pale, almost pastel blue. There is a sense of great distance and scale: the mountain looks prominent and powerful, yet the scene also conveys the curvature of the land and the vastness of the world beyond it. Compositionally, the image is balanced around the mountain, which occupies a visually dominant, off-center position slightly to the right. This off-centering works well, preventing too static a composition. The sweeping lines of fields and the curve of the forest boundary create a subtle circular frame for the peak, directing the viewer’s attention back to the summit. The lines of clouds provide a gentle horizontal counterbalance to the strong vertical emphasis of the mountain. Everything about the image suggests an aerial vantage point: the viewer is suspended high above, looking down and out across a grand panorama. Part 3/3: For an experienced camera club judge, the image’s strengths lie in its striking subject matter and the clarity with which it’s been captured. Technically, it’s well-executed—sharp focus, balanced exposure, accurate color. Artistically, the interplay of natural and human patterns and the strong geometric forms (the circular boundary of forest, the radiating lines on the mountain, the grid-like farmland) give it considerable visual interest. It’s not just a documentary shot; it’s a carefully observed and aesthetically pleasing aerial landscape. In awarding a level, one might consider it at least at a strong merit level, possibly higher. It’s the kind of image that goes beyond the ordinary “travel shot” by presenting a grand environmental narrative in one frame. Some might argue for an even higher honor, noting how rare it is to see such a perfect relationship between natural features and human cultivation. Others might suggest that while it’s superb, it could be even more dramatic if the light were more directional or the sky more colorful. But overall, it’s certainly worthy of at least a commendation or high award in a camera club setting.
December 11, 2024 at 8:58 PM
neilgordon.bsky.social
My first #Sora video.

“A fairy-tale princess riding bareback on a unicorn, on a beach at sunset”.

Some very realistic aspects, though obviously more like a duocorn. 😀
December 9, 2024 at 9:50 PM
neilgordon.bsky.social
12 Days of #OpenAI Christmas starts tomorrow
Sam Altman & @sama 🎅starting tomorrow at 10 am pacific, we are doing 12 days of openai. each weekday, we will have a livestream with a launch or demo, some big ones and some stocking stuffers. we've got some great stuff to share, hope you enjoy! merry christmas. 04:46 • 05/12/2024 • 414K Views
December 4, 2024 at 5:12 PM
neilgordon.bsky.social
Weird
ChatGPT 40 > Who is David Mayer? I'm unable to produce a response. Retry
December 1, 2024 at 7:14 AM
neilgordon.bsky.social
Now the updated MetService radar is running, I want to add a Canterbury area to otaki.synology.me/weather/nowc.... It needs a plain geographic background. #ChatGPT made this for me in a few minutes - wrote #Python on the fly to analyse 24 hourly jpegs and get the grey-est value for each pixel.
A gray scale geographical area of NZ from Cook Strait down most of the South Island, used as a basemap for MetService radar images.
December 1, 2024 at 5:32 AM
neilgordon.bsky.social
A green crocodile with a tear coming out of its eye
November 27, 2024 at 1:27 AM
neilgordon.bsky.social
A Māori Warden throwing out a water bottle for someone in the crowd
A group of people at the protest looking in various directions. A man dressed in a yellow high-vis vest has thrown a small water bottle into the crowd - it is in mid-flight
November 19, 2024 at 8:45 AM
neilgordon.bsky.social
At the hikoi
This image depicts a protest in front of the New Zealand Parliament, with participants gathered to oppose a proposed bill. A woman stands prominently in the foreground, wearing a striking red vest and a patterned skirt, holding a flag on a bamboo pole aloft in a gesture of determination. She is surrounded by a group of protesters, some also holding bamboo poles with flags, contributing to the collective sense of purpose. The historic Parliament building, with its classical columns and marble textures, forms the backdrop, while the New Zealand flag flies above, emphasizing the significance of the location.
November 19, 2024 at 8:25 AM
neilgordon.bsky.social
From the hikoi today
Group of women seated on grass at a protest, some wearing traditional Māori moko kauae (chin tattoos), holding a cardboard sign that reads ‘HANDS OFF TE TIRITI’ with red handprints symbolizing urgency. A Māori flag and other attendees are visible in the background.
November 19, 2024 at 6:09 AM
neilgordon.bsky.social
Proud to be here to lend my support.

Kei te tautoko au i Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Protestors with many flags assembling outside the NZ Parliament, with the Beehive in the background
November 18, 2024 at 11:13 PM
neilgordon.bsky.social
A photo from a visit to New Hampshire in February. I call it “Frozen Fall”.
The icy textured surface of a frozen pond with orange coloured leaves embedded in it
November 18, 2024 at 2:46 AM
neilgordon.bsky.social
Hello bluesky. 😊

For my first post ... was just trying out a bit of macro flower photography in the garden, when this bee kindly came along and checked out the calendula flower I was photographing.
Yellow calendula flower with a black background, and a bee sitting in the middle of it.
November 18, 2024 at 2:46 AM