VolkStudio Blog

Discus thrower

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Oleg Volk

After https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discobolus

Posted in humor, interesting people | Tagged disc, DP27, machine gun, portait, sculpture | 1 Comment

46th wedding anniversary

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Oleg Volk

The people who spawned me are awesome!

Posted in author, interesting people, portrait | Tagged family, parents | 5 Comments

Viking or Jesuit?

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Oleg Volk

Posted in interesting people, portrait | 4 Comments

Migrating to new social media location (updated post)

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Oleg Volk

FB just blocked me for a week for a photo linked in a private message. That kind of idiocy makes it rather less useful for anything, so I will be moving the majority of my social media posting to MeWe. Please link my profile from your own social media to popularize it.

Update: originally, I posted a link to a page requiring login. The updated link goes to the public profile page.

Posted in author | Tagged mewe | 2 Comments

Gun “Buy-Back” Scalability: new on AllOutdoor

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Oleg Volk

The real reason why “compensated” gun turn-ins don’t work.

Posted in rkba, self-defense, weapon | Tagged AllOutdoor, economics, politics | 3 Comments

Museum musings

Posted on November 26, 2017 by Oleg Volk

Minneapolis Art Institute has a nice variety of work on exhibit.

Some of it is pretty life-like. Unfortunately, the excellence of the artwork is not supported by competency in lighting of the exhibit. All lights are very directional cans set up high, with the result being lots of specular highlights without either form or texture modeled well.

It’s especially obvious with this eye sculpture: lots of bright highlights, multiple hard shadows but minimal 3D form modeling that would have happened had the museum put a diffuser above this specific item or simply under the entire battery of can lights.

Typically, hard light can emphasize texture and soft light, volume. Multiple hard lights from mostly the same direction emphasize neither and generally make for a confused perception of the object.

Posted in art | Tagged minnesota, sculpture | 2 Comments

To Camo or Not to Camo: new on AllOutdoor.

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Oleg Volk

To Camo or Not to Camo

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged AllOutdoor, camouflage, hunting | 3 Comments

A funny coincidence

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Oleg Volk

It seems like a lot of Hollywood notable and politicians who overlap in their hatred of Second Amendment rights are also molesters. Their dislike of defensive capabilities in others might just be motivated by the fear of getting shot for cause.

Posted in rifle, training, weapon | Tagged 4.6x30, PWD, submachine gun | 5 Comments

One part of abuse-proofing the kids

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Oleg Volk

This way, every potential abuser would have this nagging thought in the back of its mind…what if the kid doesn’t get intimidated and turns me into dead meat, either on the spot or later? The same applies to adults.

Posted in rkba, self-defense, sound suppressor, training, weapon | Tagged 9x19, adult, kid, MP5, submachine gun, teach | 3 Comments

A pair of CZs for competition

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Oleg Volk

Posted in holster, pistol, weapon | Tagged 9x19 | 3 Comments

Black umbrella

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Oleg Volk

Posted in portrait | Tagged mask | 3 Comments

Henry Long Ranger

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Oleg Volk

Lever action in .243Win (also .223 and .308). Feeds from 4-round box magazines. I saw no point in duplicating numerous .223s I already have, and .243 kicks a lot less than the other option.

Posted in rifle, weapon | Tagged 243Win, lever action | 4 Comments

Keystone 722 Youth

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Oleg Volk

Since so many of my friends and models are petite, I have a special fondness for youth guns. And having them on hand, I have an excuse to shoot them myself. This model 722 rimfire carbine is one of my favorites. Great present for a teen or an adult.

Posted in rifle, weapon | Tagged 22LR, bolt action | Comments Off

Film Review: Rebellion

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Oleg Volk

Five-part mini-series about the Easter Uprising of 1916 in Ireland. I looked it up because the director just completed The Unknown Soldier about the 1944 Continuation War. Rebellion suggests that the movie will be worth watching.

Plot 5/5
Visuals 4/5 (weak special effects)
Acting 5/5, pretty uniformly strong crew
Audio 4/5
Camera work 5/5

Usually, I like diverse camera angles and magnifications. This series used almost entirely medium shots with the camera being a virtual bystander to the action. The immersive effect was excellent. Compared to the more cinematic Michael Collins, Rebellion came across as more real and documentary-flavored. Excellent secondary actors, with one exception (one of the British officers). This series in on Netflix. I have not found a source for Unknown Soldier yet.

The accents of all participants seemed rather Americanized. Some of the minor interactions between characters a bit too full of pathos. The total effect, however, was quite riveting.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged film, history, movie, review | Comments Off

A stable position for firing Henry AR7

Posted on November 16, 2017 by Oleg Volk

One of several ways to stabilize this rifle.

Posted in nature, rifle | Tagged 22LR, camouflage | 2 Comments

Musings on Irish independence

Posted on November 16, 2017 by Oleg Volk

Ireland lost 49,000 dead in WW1. Compared to that, combined revolution and civil war casualties in the 4-6 thousand range seem like a small price to pay for staying out of WW2 on either side. While Ireland seems no better and often worse than the UK in social policies, they are at least going to hell by a path of their own instead of by the formerly great Britain’s whims.