• leaves,  Plants,  quotes

    With the Child’s Eye

    Childhood means simplicity. Look at the world with the child’s eye – it is very beautiful.

    Kailash Satyarthi

    The colors, the shapes, and the patterns of nature in the summer are amazing if we stop and look. This morning I stopped and looked with the child’s eye. Now at Coffee House 29 to meet Eric for coffee and conversation. It’s gonna be another hot day.

  • fall season,  grass,  landscape,  mountains,  natural areas,  Plants,  quotes,  Reservoir Ridge Natural Area,  sunsets

    Our Deepest Calling

    “Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic self-hood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. As we do so, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks–we will also find our path of authentic service in the world.”

    Parker Palmer

    I believe this authentic self Parker talks about is something more than being the sports hero, rock star, truck driver, doctor or whatever fantasy we’ve had. He also suggests it’s a calling and not something we attain. Nor is our authentic self found in our attempts to be accepted in some way, to fit in. Seems we need to do some self-examination to be who we were meant to be. This was taken at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area on a sunny beautiful Saturday.

  • Fujifilm X-E1

    Camera Repairs

    Red Coat
    Red Coat

    “You just have to live and life will give you pictures.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson

    We all know a new camera or lens should improve our photography, right? Well, that did not happen after purchasing the Fujifilm X-E1. It seemed somethings were missing on some of my images. The image above is an example. I’m not sure what happened with this young (or old) ladies head. It’s gone! So, I called up Fujifilm customer service and talked to a rep. We tried reseting the camera. That didn’t help. It didn’t happen very often but as you can see it presents a problem. We both agreed the new updated software was probably not the problem. Since it was still under warranty I boxed it up and sent it to the service center in New Jersey.

    I really needed to post this on April 1st but couldn’t wait. I did have to send in my X-E1 in for repairs but not because of composition. The EVF quit. Blank. Composition does become a challenge when the EVF is blank. I’ve been carrying the camera in a Fluid 18 backpack wrapped inside my rain jacket and that’s not enough protection. I’ve heard it thunk a couple of times. So, I now carry it in a Lowepro Photo Hatchback 16L This camera does not feel as hefty as my D300 so I think I need to handle it more delicately. However, I was impressed with Fujifilm’s service and turn around time. Had it back for a week now and it looks like my images still need some work. Maybe it’s the lens. Battery? SD card? Photographer? 🙂