• Camera Equipment,  flowers,  Fujifilm X-E1,  Plants

    … you have to see.

    June 23, 2015
    Dahlia
    Dahlia

    “The camera doesn’t make a bit of difference. All of them can record what you are seeing. But, you have to SEE.” – Ernst Hass

    I have been shooting with the Fujifilm X-E1 almost exclusively since October of 2013. My Nikon gear has sat collecting dust except for a few sunset and sunrise excursions. I find the X-E1 so much easier to grab due to its weight and size. I feel the images (jpeg) meet the standards for my use for posting on the web and any prints I wish to make. So, I sold all the Nikon gear. I intend to add one more lens, either the 23mm f1.4 or the 35mm 1.4, and probably the new X-T10. So, I apologize for the decrease in my quality of postings. 🙂

    Read More
  • Camera Equipment,  coffee shops,  Fujifilm X-E1,  quotes

    May 30, 2015
    Coffee Cup
    Coffee Cup

    You only know your true strength in times of hardship, for no man ever became strong by doing nothing.

    I used the black and white film simulation for this jpeg. I’ve been playing with the different film simulations in the Fujifilm X-E1 to see how they look.

    Read More
  • architecture,  Fujifilm X-E1,  Silver Efex Pro 2,  Software

    Silver Efex Pro 2

    October 10, 2014
    Bed Post
    Bed Post

    I’ve liked what I’ve seen done with Chris Klug’s black and white images. If you’ve not been over there for a visit I suggest spending a few minutes over there. I like the results He gets from  Silver Efex Pro in his post processing. So, I bought it knowing it would make me a better photographer, like him. About a year later I received an email offering a free NIK software package that included Analog Efex 3, Color Efex Pro 4, Dfine 2, Sharpener Pro 3 and Viveza and an upgrade to Silver Efex Pro. I took it. Needless to say, I’m not any better photographer because of these software tools and I have done almost nothing with any of them except Silver Efex Pro.

    I’m finding there are a ton of options available in Silver Efex and I’ve touched very few of them. There are helpful tutorials in the internet in using this software. I just have to dig into it.

    Read More
  • architecture,  Camera Equipment,  Documentary/Street,  quotes,  Transportation

    At the bus stop

    August 24, 2014

    “I’m an old man now and have had a great many problems. Most of them never happened”

    Mark Twain

    Each time I wait at the bus stop at the Mountain Avenue stop, I see this bicycle on the other side of the tracks. And, each time I take a photo.  It’s a simple image. No strong colors or repeating patterns. It has a strange illusion of imbalance due to the sidewalk that rises on the right side. Yet, it speaks to me in some way.

    In reference to the quote, yes, my imagination does create illusionany problems, amusing commentaries and scenes at an astounding rate. They arrive while driving, doing the dishes,  meditation, reading, etc. Each time these take me away from the present, which is the only place I can live this life. As Rohr says, “Presence is only known by presence itself.”

    Read More
  • Camera Equipment,  Photography

    Six Years Today

    July 15, 2014
    The First Nikon D300
    The First Nikon D300

    Six years ago today I bought my first Nikon D300, an upgrade from a D100. Fell in love with it and ended up purchasing a second one as a backup for the weddings and portraits I’ve taken. In the digital age thats a long time to keep a camera. Both cameras still take awesome images as long as the photographer plays his role. I checked them out and was surprised at the shutter count were as low as they are. They show 65,564 and 42,931 counts. Happy shooting!

    Read More
  • Black and White,  Cityscapes/Urban,  Documentary/Street,  Fujifilm X-E1,  rants

    I Used To

    May 20, 2014
    Bicycle in Old Town
    Bicycle in Old Town

    My blogging world has changed over the past couple of years. I do not read the blogs I enjoy on a daily basis. I used to. I do not set aside a time each day, or every other day, to write a post. I used to. I do not shoot everyday. I used to.  I do not post process images every day. I used to. None of this is a bad thing but different from the past 8 years.

    I could come up with a few reasons for this change but this post is not going into that. As some know my home life changed a year and a half ago when my youngest daughter and her two teenage children needed to move in with me. That, my friends is a dynamic change, probably 10 stops of light.

    I’ve, also moved into my retirement phase of life. Now that is an adjustment. I am enjoying spending more time in solitude, searching out places of quiet in parks, nature areas, churches. My retirement requires a financial adjustment on my part. I have to watch for those GAS attacks. There is no supervisor to hold me accountable, it’s up to me to get all those required tasks done. Yes, things are different as I move into this second phase of life.

    Read More