… ever wonder where that beautiful opal you are wearing came from and the way it is extracted from the ground?
My friend Rod Keady sent me some old photos to use in my presentation to the classes today at Red Rock High School and these two are among the ones he sent me. The photo above shows the way they mined opal at White Cliffs in New South Wales circa 1890 … a hole is bored down about until they hit an opal level, frequently 100′ down … from that point the miners go down and begin digging horizontally as they explore the opal level and hopefully find some gems as they proceed to tunnel outwards.
The photo next above shows my friend Stan Keady as he was picking the side of a tunnel hoping to hear a clink and or expose some opal. Most opal is what we call potch or common opal … it has no play of color in it and only a very small fraction of opal unearthed is precious opal. The picture of Stan was taken at least ten years before we met … he turns 100 in April and I’m wishing him many more.
Spent five hours on Lake Pleasant and below is one of the photos I got … it is a Juvenile Bald Eagle leaving his perch on a rock cliff looking for a meal. Fun day!
Well, in class in about seven hours so time for some rest before a fun day begins.
Enjoy your life … your choice!
Smiles,
Ted
“At De Pauw I contracted a disease
which I have never shaken off. The disease
was idealism. Because of it I did the thing
in life I wanted to do … Writing.”
Quotation from an interview with Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
More about Ted Grussing …