Mike

For #ThrowbackThursday, a detail of Delicate Arch, Utah, 1998.
Kodak Gold 200, the only film I shot because that's what my pappy, grandpappy,…, and great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpappy all used. In this case it did an incredible job rendering all of the shadows, shapes, and textures under the arch.
#photoghraphy #landscapePhotography
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/583/299/819/580/452/original/7090dd8d38367774.jpeg

2025-09-12 19:40:14 UTC

A pretty intense work week has finally just wrapped up & it’s the weekend! Which means, to celebrate, here’s a pic. (Listen, no judgies, it’s the best I can do.)
It’s another one along the lines of annoying my succulent like a moderately sedated paparazzo.
This was done with a technique called “free-lensing” or “lens-whacking”. This example is my favorite among many tries, most of which were deleted immediately. I found a older lens with manual aperture control and a camera set to live view works best. Don't try this unless you have an interchangeable lens camera 😉.
No succulents or lenses were harmed, etc.
#Photography #stillLife
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/193/021/335/776/977/original/762b024a45fe034f.jpeg

2025-09-04 02:56:34 UTC

Have you ever been in a creative rut? Been finding myself stuck, for various reasons this summer. Idle as a painted fly upon a painted fly-paper. So I did what any sane laptop-class Big Corp back-office wonk who doesn’t have a social life would do.
I set a SMART goal. 🙄
⭐️ Specific: Take pictures
⭐️ Measurable: 100 of them
⭐️ Achievable: Of my succulent. (It’s right in the same freakin’ room I spend all day in, how hard could it be?)
⭐️ Relevant: I’m trying to bust through the photographic doldrums, so yeah, force it, what could go wrong?
⭐️ Time Bound: In 100 days.
I made it extra-annoying by limiting myself to whatever blather I could coax out of my camera without editing. Some people brag about this. I was more what-ever-ing it.
I’m proud to report that I made it all the way to 20.
Not 20 good ones, mind you, 20. Out of 100. Not counting the ones I deleted because my finger got in the frame somehow. See, I’m telling you, it was a slow-motion train wreck in flip-flops. Sideways like a drunk crab. Full-on Jenga. Kaboom in interpretive dance form. A compost heap of good intentions. And for failing the SMART goal my cubicle got moved over next to Ralph. You know, that Ralph.
Anyway, here’s a sample (the “pros” call this the “establishing shot” which I always thought was “SoCo” but whatevs). Maybe more later.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/143/776/235/572/008/original/68927f4327490271.jpeg

2025-09-01 15:53:20 UTC

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Been there for a few weeks now - sweet relief (& I saw some reddened maple leaves in my yard yesterday).

2025-09-01 15:51:53 UTC

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Thank you!
These things happen, but maybe you can swing by during a future trip. Well worth it, York Beach is such a nice little town overall and the light is well worth seeing in person.

2025-08-31 12:27:08 UTC

#silentSunday
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/123/370/428/685/754/original/641c14dfec1b90d6.jpeg

2025-06-23 12:24:31 UTC

Bored at the Plant Store, No. 7
The Globetrotter
#FoundStillLife #PlantsInCaptivity #SmartPhonePhotography #CloseUp
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/114/732/659/714/625/353/original/5399c2a02ebd24d0.jpeg

2025-06-15 17:28:09 UTC

Abandoned relics of forgotten adventures.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/114/688/556/347/427/977/original/073e6cd1c88a243e.jpeg

2025-05-26 16:14:30 UTC

At the farm stand.
#photography #foundStillLife
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/114/575/019/278/583/109/original/2388c6fabfa9e284.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/114/575/019/583/400/467/original/c23b90f516f19ed5.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/114/575/020/119/363/755/original/688dca07f010a301.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/114/575/020/556/801/884/original/dc9c8d6fb5960452.jpeg

2025-05-20 18:00:32 UTC

You know that kind of hilarious where you're not sure if something is genuinely funny, or if you're laughing because there's no other response to a world gone completely mad?
(Also: The headline writer needs math help.) https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/114540729215255124

2025-05-09 12:57:04 UTC

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The plaster/stucco falling off and exposing the bricks is SO story book!

2025-05-07 13:16:46 UTC

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Nicely done, really like the contrast and tones.

2025-05-06 02:27:39 UTC

There’s an old man who lives in my neighborhood and for many years I’ve seen him jogging past my house. In the warmer months, with my windows open, I can hear his distinctive, somewhat irregular, shuffling gait as he labors by. As the years have passed, I’ve seen him growing weaker, and just yesterday he came by, more slowly than ever, at more of a walk than a trot. It looked…downright painful. I’m sure nobody makes him run—in fact, I imagine his loved ones urging him to give it up. Yet on he goes, his #determination admirable and inspiring. And there are oh so many like him, who scoff at the difficulties and go on, and on, and on. I know some of you who are like that, each in your own way. Don’t ever lose heart—you are capable of so much.

2025-05-05 19:56:37 UTC

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Well done!

2025-05-05 19:48:08 UTC

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Predictions? (No peeking!)

2025-05-04 18:09:08 UTC

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I’m glad!

2025-05-04 00:32:47 UTC

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Sweet story 🙂

2025-05-04 00:27:08 UTC

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Thanks & likewise. Life…

2025-05-04 00:26:40 UTC

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Thanks & same!

2025-05-04 00:26:24 UTC

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Looking again you do seem like you’re a bit bundled up but sun and coffee both look nice regardless.

2025-05-03 14:38:45 UTC

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Beautiful morning light in these!

2025-05-03 14:37:57 UTC

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Looks like a great start to your day! (And Oscar's)

2025-05-03 14:36:48 UTC

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Thank you!

2025-05-03 14:36:38 UTC

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Thanks Eddie

2025-05-03 14:36:28 UTC

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Thanks!

2025-05-02 17:56:39 UTC

The cherry blossoms come without warning, and are gone before you know it. And since time and tide (and good light) wait for no man, I missed my chance to photograph them this year.
This shot from the archives, 2024.
#Photography #NaturePhotography
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/114/439/526/496/681/223/original/f7a0f39980e537ba.jpeg

2025-04-03 12:12:01 UTC

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Indeed it is … and the simple ones. Nicely seen!

2025-04-02 16:51:52 UTC

Note to self: Yes, you can make art while you're waiting for the microwave to finish, and yes, you can post without editing.
#StillLife #macroPhotography
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/114/269/402/542/925/457/original/7cea550b27d54ec0.jpeg

2025-04-01 10:25:29 UTC

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Great place and time for a morning coffee (if it’s not terribly cold out). Beautiful scene!

2025-03-23 13:09:16 UTC

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I really like this! Great scene, story, and aesthetic for Silent Sunday.

2025-03-02 13:07:22 UTC

#SilentSunday
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/114/092/988/270/521/738/original/7f410360a03402b8.jpeg

2025-02-25 03:18:52 UTC

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I can imagine it must be. Hopefully, they'll move on knowing that she won't be such an easy target any more.
(And kudos for the creative expression of revenge. 😁)

2025-02-25 02:15:39 UTC

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Fantastic catch, and just in time it seems, congrats!

2025-02-24 12:47:01 UTC

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Have you looked at Mikrotik by any chance? I got fed up with the typical brands dying off so quickly and considered Ubiquity also. My needs are modest but my Mikrotik router/WAP has been going since July 2017 without a hiccup. Purchased a second as a WAP when I started WFH and I hardly have to think about it, equally reliable.

2025-02-21 16:10:42 UTC

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You have a door. A door. Sigh…
They took away all the doors here years ago for everyone except the very top execs. And the walls. Cubicles are only waist height.
People look like a bunch of eggs working in egg cartons.

2025-02-18 15:14:03 UTC

That One Tree
No. 2
More or Less?
There's always a place for detailed, highly realistic photography, but what if one can say more by revealing less? Sometimes we need mystery. Room for curiosity. A little margin for a personal connection with the subject. An image that meets you where you are.
#NaturePhotography #Landscape #Pictorialism
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/114/025/538/708/656/769/original/3b939eb6acbe190e.jpeg

2025-02-14 19:16:17 UTC

I was thinking about how in so many ways, a successful life is a delicate balancing act. Here's one:
Maintaining enough hope that you don't become jaded or cynical,
while maintaining low enough expectations to avoid a life of chronic disappointment.

2025-02-14 17:19:06 UTC

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This is really nice! You've balanced the tones really well, very pleasing presentation.

2025-02-14 13:24:56 UTC

"I want you to do something for me", she said, and unexpectedly laughed. "I want," she said, and laughed again. She put her hand over her mouth and said with a straight face, "I want you to take me to your leader."
- Scott Adams in "Life, the Universe, and Everything"
#photography #NaturePhotography
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/114/002/460/437/048/436/original/5db451bfee875af5.jpeg

2025-02-11 15:57:33 UTC

Another caption contest! Maybe a better image for this than yesterday’s? I still don't have a spiffier prize than bragging rights, haha, but let's see what you've got anyway. Funny, playful, profound, quotes even (😉)--don't be shy & have fun with it.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/986/073/454/824/467/original/8f040ee2b28fcabf.jpeg

2025-02-11 14:23:05 UTC

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Compositionally, if you zoom out or squint, you might notice that the brown grass forms a broad triangle that points to the smaller inverted triangle of blue sky, and the lighter tree further away draws my eye around the darker foreground tree. It's as if I'm being called to walk there. And two minutes of internet time gets me a quote that ties together the elements of the image with the feeling I get every time I have the opportunity to disappear into the quiet places of my own hometown. This is the essence of small/intimate landscapes for me--exploring these little, undramatic, somewhat mundane yet sublime scenes that are everywhere if you have eyes to see them. I just love it when things come together like this.
I'm not saying any of this to toot my own horn, so to speak, because *none of this* was planned, or even noticed until later. So let me encourage you to get out there, play, and let yourself go every now and then. Sometimes magic happens. (3/3)

2025-02-11 14:23:04 UTC

I occasionally like to comment on my own work in a reply but I'm not sure how often it's seen, so I'll try it this way. Why comment? I enjoy the creative process, I like sharing ideas with interested people, and I love hearing about yours!
https://social.vivaldi.net/@SirNameless_1/113985114504810033
Backstory: a blustery day. You know, it's hard to get a sharp photo of plants and trees on a windy day. There's ways: boost ISO, open the aperture, increase shutter...but...why not embrace the conditions instead? (1/3)

2025-02-11 14:23:04 UTC

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So what I was after was showing the wind by capturing dramatic motion. There were a lot--a lot--of flops. Trouble was, it was bright out, the dog ate my neutral density filter, and I abhor using a tripod in the field. So the technique I was trying was to capture several frames a second or so apart (ISO 80, f/13, 1/30) and blend them together in post to convey motion. It didn't exactly work out as envisioned with this image, but I got something else instead: the motion lent a sort of textured softness to the small elements that were moving, while the blending process aligned the non-moving elements and left them fairly sharp. You can see the effect in the two pines--the one on the left has been reduced to something like puffy smoke, while the right one looks soft and somewhat transparent. There's some glitches about, but in my mind, that just lends to the Impressionist feel, helped along a bit with a touch of diffraction from the small aperture and a more vibrant color grade than I'd typically use. (2/3)

2025-02-11 11:53:38 UTC

“Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.”
— John Muir
#IntimateLandscape #NaturePhotography #ThickTrunkTuesday
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/985/114/486/185/504/original/327d43ab8dae53af.jpeg

2025-02-10 22:19:19 UTC

#ThreeGoodThings #3GoodThings
- I found out today that I was admitted into a 6 month career coaching program sponsored by my employer.
- Slept relatively well last night, after weeks of not really.
- People who understand.

2025-02-10 21:48:50 UTC

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I think we’ll call it a draw, with four rotten tomatoes for the contest itself. 🍅🍅🍅🍅
Next time I need a more captionable photo.
And better prizes! 😅
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/981/792/157/689/985/original/bd3dcf4b80abbf76.mp4

2025-02-10 20:39:20 UTC

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The Aristotle quote was a good one btw. If fit well. (😂)

2025-02-10 20:37:56 UTC

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Hey, no fair quoting Aristotle, that’s cheating! 😆
Yours were fine, I was withholding comment until all submissions are in. I’m running a contest here, I have to be sober-minded and impartial 😆🤣😂
They were better than mine:
- I wanna follow in your footsteps (cringe)
- something about finding the long-lost burial place of Leaf Erickson (groan)

2025-02-10 20:09:07 UTC

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Eh, you know, as long as we’re harmlessly enjoying ourselves everyone’s a winner. 🙂

2025-02-10 19:26:37 UTC

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What incentive would make it worth trying harder? 🤔😄

2025-02-10 16:16:35 UTC

Caption contest!
I invite you to reply with what you see, because whatever I could come up with this morning was cheesy.
Winner gets bragging rights. 😆
#NaturePhotography
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/980/485/970/675/818/original/d3f9094d223cdd7c.jpeg

2025-02-10 13:17:11 UTC

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Great quote and image to go with it, thanks for sharing these!

2025-02-09 12:09:32 UTC

#SIlentSunday
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/973/852/376/850/084/original/7956c50b657a2284.jpeg

2025-02-08 18:44:53 UTC

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Agree! And thank you! It’s an enjoyable part of the process to go find a nice quote to match an image (because you also get to look through a bunch to find just the right one).

2025-02-08 12:47:43 UTC

"Let every dawn be to you as the beginning of life, and every setting sun be to you as its close."
John Ruskin
#NaturePhotography
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/968/340/129/745/106/original/00254ee9f167c163.jpeg

2025-02-07 19:43:38 UTC

The day isn’t nearly over yet but #3GoodThings #ThreeGoodThings
- Just got back from spending 2+ hours in the woods
- Bright and sunny with a light covering of snow from yesterday
- Had my camera outside for the first dedicated outing since November

2025-02-05 21:45:23 UTC

“Most people are sealed in un-lived lives.”
Dr. Ellen Langer

2025-02-03 19:58:47 UTC

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I guess my chicken literacy needs an upgrade 🤣 Thanks!
p.s. They do lay eggs right? (j/k)

2025-02-03 19:52:45 UTC

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Are those RI Reds?

2025-02-03 13:19:01 UTC

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Good music makes any day better!
Bach was the Goldberg Variations, and Beethoven was the "middle" string quartets. Brubeck was on shuffle ;).
Also, please allow me to introduce you to @npub1hwp…wu2d.

2025-02-03 00:16:51 UTC

#3GoodThings #threeGoodThings
- Bach
- Beethoven
- Brubeck

2025-02-02 01:01:49 UTC

#ThreeGoodThings #3GoodThings
- got a lot of stuff done
- read a little for fun
- spied the diffident sun
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/931/590/642/197/524/original/77c4795a086904b3.jpeg

2025-01-28 22:56:53 UTC

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You too huh?

2025-01-24 23:32:33 UTC

#3GoodThings #ThreeGoodThings
- Office day today. I’m finding that since flex working became a thing, I sometimes look forward to the day in. The free fancy coffee does help. 🙂☕️
- Really incredible colors in the cloudless sky this morning, blood orange horizon fading smoothly to aqua above. Made the commute a real treat.
- Had to spend some time outdoors today (below freezing). Long underwear. Can I get a witness?

2025-01-24 13:41:39 UTC

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Sending empathy your way ! 🤍

2025-01-23 18:37:20 UTC

Just a little lunch break exercise.
#IntimateLandscape
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/879/118/020/137/420/original/184a80c952648a3c.jpeg

2025-01-22 02:47:05 UTC

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That middle one is a solid tactic.

2025-01-21 15:46:51 UTC

This was a throwaway shot, originally done like my recent ones, with significantly choked side lighting, black background, etc. I wasn't pleased with it so I shelved it for a future redo.
But...
Something gave me the idea to invert it in post, making it high key instead. Really interesting result, considering the raw material. One weak point is that the natural reflection of the flash on the glass in the "straight" shot looks unnaturally like a dark ink stain in the inverted shot. Also there's not much of a grounding shadow, looks OK here but in another photo I tried, the subject looked like it was floating. Still not a great photo, but every one of these is a learning experience and a chance to experiment.
p.s. I did dust the table first, I swear it! 😆
#MonochromeMonday #PhotoMonday #FotoMontag #StillLife
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/867/122/907/224/805/original/a8a2ec4d731036a8.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/867/122/995/077/166/original/b862e070649f3d07.jpeg

2025-01-20 21:07:39 UTC

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This is nice! Your illustrations have a really nice vibe to them.
(This one caught my attention in particular thanks to the ME, also own one.)

2025-01-20 00:36:35 UTC

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If you can give without announcing it, then you know for sure that your true motive was to help others in need.

2025-01-19 12:08:25 UTC

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No, it’s not! Some people went up and checked—it’s green cheese for sure, just like the legends said.
I think the jury is still out on the others.

2025-01-18 11:55:02 UTC

What if the moon was really made of mango?
#StillLife
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/849/224/552/914/315/original/9fbd64daaefa7c0a.jpeg

2025-01-13 13:41:44 UTC

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They’re so funny! Is that a black squirrel or is it just the video contrast making it look like one? I’ve seen them around, but not very often.

2025-01-08 17:25:27 UTC

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I can’t wait for someone who is more bigly smarterer than me to study the difference between how people interact on platforms that have algorithms that work to keep people engaged by manipulating powerful emotions vs. this one which is passive in that respect and already only lightly moderated. Controlling for demographics because I think that’s also a factor (e.g., I’ve seen the user age polls here).
In the end, people are people regardless of platform, but how much is the platform responsible for the chaos, both by encouraging it for revenue, and then failing to mitigate what they encourage?

2025-01-08 14:02:20 UTC

Last week I posted a link to a job opening on LinkedIn, and was there this morning replying to a few comments from some old colleagues. While there, I happened to see a video someone shared of an Oreo cookie being subjected to a blowtorch for 30 seconds.
The shelf around the cookie caught fire. The cookie did not.
One pauses to ask oneself, what (the heck) kind of alien substances do they put into cookies that makes them flame retardant to that degree!?! According to the post, 756 of 766 chemicals introduced into the food supply haven't been approved by the FDA.
Whoever it was that coined that adage about an apple a day was far more right than we thought…

2025-01-07 14:54:26 UTC

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This is fantastic!

2024-12-31 14:35:28 UTC

Good things from my 2024, in (mostly) Threes
#NewYear #YearInReview #3GoodThings
Fiction Books:
Right Ho! Jeeves
Under the Dome
A Gentleman in Moscow
Movies:
Cabrini
Greyhound
(I think I only saw two!)
Discoveries:
Pictorialism
Calm App
*** There's still 14 1/2 hours left to discover one more thing, so please share yours! ***
Ice cream flavors:
Vanilla
Coffee
Ginger
Beverages:
Water
Coffee
Sleepy Time tea
Favorite Days:
January 24, 2024
May 3, 2024
June 19, 2024
Most Played Songs:
Eleven Four
Three to Get Ready
Iberia
(I clearly need more variety 😄)
Most frequent driving destinations:
A certain multi use commercial plaza
Grocery stores
Work
Walking destinations (by frequency):
My neighborhood
The neighborhood around a certain multi use commercial plaza
The neighborhood around a lake
Walking destinations (by enjoyment):
A local state park
The former prison camp
Salisbury beach
(I didn’t get to my favorite local place this year, last time was Nov 11, 2023)
Photos:
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/747/933/679/355/758/original/f03a57a1c770ccff.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/747/933/743/117/048/original/0efa69e3744cb784.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/747/933/807/991/346/original/e5f83c95a753e88f.jpeg

2024-11-30 17:03:29 UTC

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I thought so too, they are doing the quiet supporting role thing but they are pretty nice in their own right. Not glazed at all, I just got them right out of the back yard a few months ago to go with the pumpkin on our coffee table.

2024-11-30 12:56:02 UTC

The calendar roles around to a new month tomorrow and attention will turn to wintery things. A tribute to my favority mini pumkin of the year before I walk it out to the compost pile, where undoubtably the squirrels will enjoy it.
#StillLife #Autumn #Pumpkins
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/572/011/075/796/246/original/dcd0070d9f62e759.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/572/011/169/017/668/original/5ce3c4e038b119d0.jpeg

2024-11-27 14:45:23 UTC

More Canadian Goldenrod, acting like they're demure. But they're not.
#NaturePhotography
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/555/454/259/318/393/original/faf62a2ae498e0ad.jpeg

2024-11-24 11:27:54 UTC

#SilentSunday
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/537/690/603/372/762/original/bce37a47f8328534.jpeg

2024-11-21 12:54:22 UTC

Abiding in hope among the ruins.
#NaturePhotography
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/521/043/836/507/262/original/96166f3775ec4251.jpeg

2024-11-12 14:16:12 UTC

Sumac is one of my favorite plants to see in autumn, thanks to its rich red fruit that pops out of the background, especially as the leaves on other plants and trees disappear. I also admire the clean Y and W shapes that its branches make. This is not the “poison sumac” that causes rashes—that plant has white flowers and berries.
#NaturePhotography
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/470/404/593/959/664/original/aa978727c3f832df.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/470/404/660/406/304/original/6c6542447d9c166c.jpeg

2024-11-11 13:27:01 UTC

Yeah it’s just some grassy type things, but what I thought was interesting about them is how the backlighting silhouetted them against the bright background, and made them glow against the dark background, making them fully visible either way.
#MonochromeMonday #FotoMontag #NaturePhotography
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/464/548/949/064/827/original/d65a090ba5d72f87.jpeg

2024-10-19 13:14:14 UTC

Every now and then I take out my old, partially-broken camera, put on an old prime lens, and color outside my usual lines a bit.
Urban park scenes, October 2024.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/334/264/648/602/269/original/608ec785a6506ff4.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/334/265/119/000/994/original/19835a4ea3da75e6.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/334/265/408/492/570/original/d7f66d3bed8783f7.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/334/265/727/761/601/original/b95d45a048580fca.jpeg

2024-09-27 00:38:01 UTC

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(11/) “Uncle Tom…always looked a bit like a pterodactyl with a secret sorrow…”

2024-09-18 22:08:46 UTC

I’m very sorry to do this to you all but I’m reading Wodehouse again (Right Ho, Jeeves) and I think I’ll torture you with some of my favorite quotes as I read.
“Newts, Jeeves. Mr. Fink-Nottle has a strong newt complex. You must have heard of newts. Those little sort of lizard things that charge about in ponds.”
“Oh, yes, sir. The aquatic members of the family Salamandridae which constitute the genus Molge.”
“That’s right...”

2024-09-15 22:38:09 UTC

So they’re a little unconventional, but…
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/143/964/325/459/052/original/434a2bf3c8b7fd45.jpeg

2024-09-03 12:40:09 UTC

Some cutting edge photography.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/073/645/558/811/794/original/e1ad7eafb732ada6.jpeg

2024-09-02 13:23:45 UTC

When I was a kid my Dad got me into building model airplanes, something he used to do also. I probably built a dozen or two by the time I finished high school. This one came much later, around the time we purchased our first home, chosen to fit our decor, and one of the few I’ve done with wood. It was the last one I built, and the only survivor.
I liked the way the morning sun was bouncing off the kitchen floor and projecting onto it’s shelf, making a double image against the wall.
#MonochromeMonday #PhotoMonday #FotoMontag
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/068/153/961/264/609/original/7bd6e53f7d0bc19b.jpeg

2024-08-31 16:53:16 UTC

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* I almost always buy older used gear.
** Because I have responsibilities that don’t let me chase good light or travel or have much free time to drive to cool places.
*** For me, OK? Don’t laugh.
**** It wasn’t really possible, so, no regrets.
***** High speed sync, a feature worth having if you want to photograph with flash in bright light. My max shutter speed would have been maxed out at 1/180 without it.

2024-08-31 16:51:38 UTC

I had some time today to play around with my new to me* flash photography setup. My main motivation for acquiring this equipment was to be able to enjoy my pastime at inconvenient hours** but…could it up my game in the field too? Turns out it could!
Conditions: Breezy, hazy noontime sun. Poor light and environmental conditions for shooting flowers.
1. Rose, ambient light only, ISO 160, 1/125, f\9
- ok, not bad*** but I had to wait for the breeze to calm down and make shadows in the right places with my body. Nice even light but flat and somewhat boring.
2. Rose, HSS***** flash, ISO 160, 1/640!, f\8
- look at that much nicer side lighting, the ability to subdue the background illumination…and the shutter speed makes the breeze that was causing this long-stemmed rose to sway like a drunken sailor a non-issue.
3. Hydrangea, ISO 160, 1/2000!!!, f\8
- what breeze?
- again, selective illumination
I lost so many good*** shots to camera motion, subject motion, boring lighting, etc. in the past that I wish I could have**** tried this sort of thing earlier. IMO, the ability to put the light where you want to, the nice high shutter speeds attainable combined with good depth of field and low ISO to get the most out of the sensor on my older camera is a huge advantage under these conditions.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/057/633/714/192/487/original/10072c3a917e3888.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/057/640/276/908/889/original/6f7cbbf22bee02da.jpeg
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/057/641/613/742/322/original/02f5c33753a23832.jpeg

2024-08-28 18:14:17 UTC

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There was a fire, unfortunately. It looks like it started in the kitchen of the pizza shop and spread. There are apartments on the second and third floors they had to be abandoned too. I was surprised to see that they left this window unboarded.

2024-08-28 15:26:11 UTC

The ruined pizza shop.
#photography #urbanphotography
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/113/040/314/325/966/444/original/d8cda95a5d6932db.jpeg

2024-08-20 19:30:32 UTC

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You’re welcome! I was reading Stephen King’s “Under the Dome” with a friend a few months ago, and King remarked of one of the characters (who had been sorely mistreated, and never really seemed to have much self-respect):
"Sammy Bushey had never gotten the concept of being her own best friend.”
For some reason, that quote stood out to me, and it became part of my daily (I wish 😁) journal template.

2024-08-20 19:23:59 UTC

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Were you your own best friend today? How?

2024-07-31 13:41:22 UTC

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No joke. She’s seriously gifted.