My day being a geek and taking photos

This weekend I went to Fermilab to participate in a photowalk. (The picture I posted the other day was from Fermilab, just in case you are keeping track at home). I was really excited about it, but also a little nervous since I knew a lot of good photographers were going to be there as well.

Of course, I was almost late. Partly because I tried to take a shortcut that didn't work, and because I should have left sooner. I was on time, but I was one of the last there to get there.

I can't really say a whole lot of the the lab and the work they do because this was a time for people to take photos and not a normal tour. We were free to ask questions, and I did ask some, but they wanted to give us as much time to shoot as they could. I will say this, everyone there was extremely nice. They took time away from a day off of work to come in and be there to show us around and answer questions.

Before I post pictures I have to say if you live anywhere close to Fermilab, you should go check it out. You don't even have to go for a tour, the piece of property it is on is huge (I can't remember how big) and large portion is restored prairie land along with a buffalo farm, lakes to fish, and biking trails. It's really a great place.

Okay, some photos. I'll try to describe what the photos is, if I can.

This is, obviously, a giant liquid nitrogen tank. There were plenty of these around the facility.

I believe this was part of the main injector. I'm sure you knew that. This was underground and hot. They said the water used to cool it is at 95 degrees. Doesn't seem very cool.

that is the main building, Wilson Hall, in the distance. They have some neat architecture at Fermilab.

I'm not exactly sure what this is, but it was at the New Muon Lab and it was big and bright yellow. I had to take a picture.

This was the cool roof at the Meson Test Beam Facility.

Plugs waiting to be plugged at the new Muon Lab.

I thought it was neat that they kept the old farm building around. Like I said, they've done a great job with preserving the land.

I'm not sure what it means, but I think this is a pre-accelerator at the Linac. It's one of the older parts of the facility and I guess is going to be taken down and re-done soon.

Another shot of Wilson Hall at the end of the tour.

There are plenty more pictures over at my Flickr account.

I took a ton of pictures and spent a long time filtering out the junk (a lot) and then working with the ones that were decent. I'm wiped out.