Tag: Carnegie Lake

The Dawn Phenomenon

The Dawn Phenomenon

Some of my readers may know that I have a chronic progressive illness, Type 1 diabetes. Managing Type 1 diabetes is one of those things that is easy to learn but difficult to master. It's not as simple as what I ate. One of the reasons I am writing today is to help you, the reader, understand something about Type 1 diabetes. To educate you so that you can stop saying stupid things to your friends with diabetes. Stupid things like, "Should you eat that?", or "But you're not fat!". Today I am going to explain to you a bit about the Dawn Phenomenon.

The dawn phenomenon, also called the dawn effect, is the term used to describe an abnormal early-morning increase in blood sugar (glucose) — usually between 2 and 8 a.m. — in people with diabetes.Mayo Clinic

Yep. Isn't diabetes a hoot? It seems that even when I don't eat, when I asleep, fasting, my blood glucose (BG) will increase. Just because. Well not really.

Some researchers believe the natural overnight release of the so-called counter-regulatory hormones — including growth hormones, cortisol, glucagon and epinephrine — increases insulin resistance, causing blood sugar to rise.

Ok. So wait. Not only do I have to fight diabetes while I'm going about my day but it's battling me even in my sleep -- even when I'm not eating? Why would nature do such a thing? Why?

The body prepares for waking up by secreting several different hormones.

First, between 4:00 and 6:30 a.m. it secretes cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrin. You may recognize these as the hormones involved in the "fight or flight response." In this case, their job is more benign, to give you the energy to get up and moving.

Besides giving you a burst of energy, these hormones raise blood sugar. You aren't going to be able to make any kind of energetic response if you don't have fuel, and after a long night's sleep, the fuel your body turns to to get you going is the glucose stored in the liver.

So after these stress hormones are secreted, around 5:30 a.m., plasma glucose and, in a normal person, insulin start to rise.

Though the normal person gets a rise in insulin to help cells use the morning glucose, people with diabetes don't, so instead of giving their cells a dose of morning energy, all they get is a rise in blood sugar.Jenny Ruhl

Oh! It's not just me. It's all of us. You, the person without diabetes, it happens to you too. It's a survival tactic. When we were more primitive, before fire and housing developments, we used to have to get up in the morning and go find our food. Without the rise in BG, our bodies would not have the energy to do this. We would starve.

That still works for you. But for me, it's another thing I need to think about. It's another thing I need to adjust for. It's not as simple as thinking about what I eat.

Arcanum Level 5 Preparation

I captured 40 images, of which only 14 were presentable (from my perspective). For the Level 5 assignment, I submitted the ten to the Arcanum Cohort to review. I captured elements of the Kingston Village Historic District, Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, and the middle section of Princeton University.

I was sick of complaining about the shitty weather. I may hate winter with the core of my very being, but as my wife said yesterday, "It is what it is." To level up in the Arcanum, I needed ten new images.

So I cleared out my driveway and headed off "somewhere." I planned to visit every place I usually visit in the spring and summer and see what it looked like in the winter. It sucked. I don't often do black and white. I don't think in black and white. I love the colour — lots of it.

I spent two and a half hours walking around my "neighbourhood." These locations are all near my home. It takes about 10 minutes to drive from one place to the other. Tripod, Nikon D5100, and Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens. I had my iPhone streaming Spotify music to my Harmon Kardon Bluetooth headset. Trance music helps my creative process. Check out Armin Van Buren and Paul Oakenfold.

I captured 40 images, of which only 14 were presentable (from my perspective). For the Level 5 assignment, I submitted the ten to the Arcanum Cohort to review. I captured elements of the Kingston Village Historic District, Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, and the middle section of Princeton University.

The Mill was built in the 1800s. After combining the images in Photomatix, I cropped the result and added a perspective correction. I then pulled the image into Nik's Viveza and adjusted the saturation on the red parts of the house.

The Kingston Millhose | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

The Millstone River between Kingston and Rocky Hill along River Road divides the KKingston Village Historic District in Princeton Township (Mercer County) from the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park and Historic District.Kingston Greenways

Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

With white and grey everywhere, why not leverage it? Three images HDR (Photomatix). I pulled the HDR into Nik's Silver EFX Pro and applied one of the presets for the final result.

Footbridge over Delaware and Raritan Canal | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100
Footbridge over Delaware and Raritan Canal | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

I drove from Plainsboro back through Kingston and down to Faculty Road near Princeton University. I had not walked this trail before, and I thought perhaps I would find something interesting. I was disappointed. I'm sure it's a beautiful spring, summer, and fall trail. Single image pulled into Nik's Color EFX Pro.

The Leaf | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

I drove from Faculty Road and parked on William St. on the northwestern end of the Princeton University campus. Why not get some architectural images? I have lived in the area for fourteen years. Nothing changes. Even the new buildings are built to match the architecture and feel of the old buildings. Unless you see it being made, it's hard to tell what is new and what is old. This is a three-image HDR (Photomatix). I pulled the result into Nik's Silver EFX Pro and adjusted the perspective in Adobe Lightroom.

Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

The image HDR, treated in Nik's Silver EFX Pro, then cropped to focus on the door itself. Many of the older Princeton University campus buildings have these doors, seemingly placed randomly on the perimeter. I have no idea where they lead.

Door along Streicker Walk | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

I walked up Streicker Walk to McCosh Walk toward McCosh Hall. Three images HDR, Silver EFX Pro, cropping.? There was a metal post near the doorway just as you entered the arch. I spent some time with Photoshop's content aware-fill and clone stamp tool to remove the post. I think I did a decent job there.

Archway at McCosh Hall at the end of McCosh Walk | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/8.0 | ISO 100

Three images HDR (Photomatix) pulled into Nik's Silver EFX Pro. Lot of cropping and straightening. This is an image taken from inside the courtyard of East Pyne Hall facing toward the church.

Three image HDR (Photomatix) pulled into Nik's Silver EFX Pro. Lots of cropping and straigtening.8BIM

It took me over two hours to complete my "walk" about. I returned to Washington Road and stopped for a "quick" photo. I photographed this door in the summer. The stone is usually covered with ivy.

Door on the side of the Firestone Library | Saturday 24 January, 2015 | Nikon D5100 | 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 | f/5.3 | ISO 100

I regretted leaving the DSLR at home

I noticed the colour in the sky when I walked out the door. I hesitated momentarily, making the quick decision to continue without my camera. I ran late and didn't want to get stuck behind the school bus. I regretted my decision.

I pulled into the parking area near the small boathouse. I shot this one on my iPhone 6 using vividHDR. The one below was shot using the native iPhone 6 camera app. I also did some minor editing in Adobe Lightroom Mobile.

17 December 2014 · Apple iPhone 6 · iPhone 6 back camera 4.15mm f/2.2

I had stopped carrying my DSLR kit with me because, in winter, I expect the weather to be bad. I also know that I will be well on my way to work when the sun starts to rise. I know I will be driving home in the dark. I know that it is unsafe to walk around with an "expensive" camera in the area where I work.