Asklemmy

Don't use Sharpies on cheap acrylic paints. They will dry out immediately and be ruined.

Stopping down doesn't always give you sharper images. You may run into diffraction softening.

Focusing and then stopping down may shift your focal plane. Try to focus at your chosen aperture.

Try to use the electronic shutter function for astro photography. Even the shutter moving across the sensor can cause vibrations.

The 500 rule is useful for astro, but with modern higher resolution sensors, the NPF rule is better suited.

Not getting amazing astro shots? You may need to modify or buy a camera that is sensitive to Hα (Hydrogen-alpha) removing the infrared/IR filter off your camera will allow you to shoot full spectrum. Although you will need something to only allow 450 to 520nm and from 640 to 690nm into your sensor.

Sensors will always have dead or stuck pixels. You can take 10-20 black frames to try to help your image processor find and erase them.

Optical vignetting is common when you shoot wide open. Stop down 2-3 stops from your max aperture to try and remove the effect.

Shooting expired film is fine, just make sure you over expose 1 stop per decade it's expired. So a 20 year old film, shoot 2 stops over exposed.

When doing snot techniques, 2 studs = 5 plates.

Don't split the party

A stronger spring isnt always the answer for your foam blasters to hit harder. Sometimes you can get away with adding a spacer or, depending on the blaster, increasing the length of your barrel. If you go the spacer route, don't leave it in permanently or you could warp your spring.

I got seriously into speed cubing about a year ago. I don't even know where to begin giving tips. There's so much to learn. 🙈

At least I've reached my goal for 2025 and am now averaging around 30-35 seconds. I was at about 3 minutes when I was using the beginner's method. Now using CFOP.

Need to learn more OLL algorithms though.

I've found this to hold true in almost every hobby I have but particularly in technology, engineering and music playing/making: avoid hitching your wagon to one approach. It's easy to get trapped under a pile of 'musts' when trying to do anything that you are skilled in, but that's also the worst environment for innovation; and almost every innovation in your hobby of choice was borne from people pushing boundaries, not forcing themselves to fit within them.

flyfishing

be quieter than you think you should

You know when you're walking around town at night and see those neon shop signs saying they're open? Well *warm smiles*, that's me.

If I see a shop without a neon sign, I happily walk in and offer to sell them one for a £1000. If they refuse, I threaten to smash in their windows and burn down the shop with them in it. I then leave with a happy customer and add a little more neon magic into the world.

You're welcome, world.

Edit: For Context