Monday, May 25, 2026
Great day out exploring and mountain biking. Not very many pictures today, I’m really out of shape, it took all my energy just to stay on the bike. Add in an elevation of 7300', and I was toast.
Sunday, May 24, 2026
A little road trip up to Flagstaff, AZ, for some hiking and biking to escape the already oppressive heat in Phoenix. Shot and processed on iPhone. Summer is filling me with dread. I need to move North. Way North.
It’s always been a fascinating topic for me: where you live and why. I’m envious of the people who can say, “I live here, I love it here, and I’ll get the best job I can here, because I love it.” On the other side of the coin are the people who say, “I’ll live anywhere for the job that I love. My job comes first; I’ll make do wherever I am.” Guess which camp I’m in…
I’m seeing a positive trend with younger people I fly with: they’re putting quality of life first. Where they live comes first, and how much they work comes second. They’re putting family and time off first—something we never did, and we’re paying the price for that attitude later in life.
Anyway, I digress. A topic for another day.
I hope it was a good day. Thank you for stopping by.
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Home from a good three day trip. Caught River outside looking thoughtful.
Friday, May 22, 2026
Beautiful day in SEA, a short walk and halibut fish & chips make for a nice day.
iPhone shot and processed—more pics down in Stray Pixels.
Thursday, May 21, 2026
On the road, I had a few hours to wander around downtown Indianapolis before bed—another early morning ahead.
Shot and processed on iPhone. More photos down in Stray Pixels.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Trying to get a good shot of the dogs is harder than it should be. They really dislike having something pointed at them. I have to be really fast before they turn away.
Here is Daisy, looking a little perturbed that she’s being subjected to all these photographs.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
What a day with this shot. I originally took it with the iPhone, tweaked it, and just never liked the results. I almost posted it, then thought, come on, you can do better.
So I got the OM-1 out and used the 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens. I shot it handheld on a table outside, where there was plenty of light. I had to clean up some dust in the image, convert it to black and white, and make a few more tweaks. I’m much happier with these results.
There’s something about a close-up of a lens, where you can see the aperture rings, that I really like. I’d love to spend more time finding a better angle for this shot, using a tripod, and getting all the dust off the lens!
I hope it was a good day for you and you were able to take some pictures too.
Thanks for stopping by.
Monday, May 18, 2026
The very slow but steady march toward my film experiment continues with this absolutely beautiful Pentax Analog Spotmeter. I think it’s simply beautiful, and I love bringing it up to my eye, pulling the trigger, and getting my EV.
I grew up shooting and developing film. Trying to think back on how I metered and what techniques I used has left me with very little information—memories lost to time and buried under too many digital cameras. I can’t even remember the basic steps of developing film in the darkroom.
So, here I am with my grandfather’s Rolleiflex, two Pentax Spotmeters, film in the refrigerator, and the BeerPan 35mm pano camera on the way. Now it’s time to refresh those dark arts of film photography…
You can read how Ansel Adams did it and come away a little frustrated. There are plenty of videos online that will instruct you, but I was looking for something special—something that spoke to me: an instructor whose photography I deeply admired and who was willing to share their technique. I found Nick Carver. I don’t know Nick; I only recently found him on YouTube and have watched several of his videos. I liked his style, loved his photography, and he just so happens to have a course on manual metering for film. I don’t want the quick-and-dirty approach; I want to truly understand the hows and whys of it all, like I used to. Nick has put me on a good path toward understanding how to meter a photograph so it comes out right almost every time. With the cost of film and film developing, I don’t want to waste film learning the hard way.
Along with Nick, and with some very good courses from John Greengo, the lost knowledge is coming back. You know—the 18% gray card, the light meter that shows 0, meaning Middle Gray. The technique of shooting white and black cards at one-stop intervals until you lose detail, searching for your film’s dynamic range. Wonderful examples proving that light meters at zero are based on Middle Gray. The rule that says there is no “proper” or “right” exposure—only the exposure you want for that photograph. There is more to it than I remembered, but probably, back in high school, I wasn’t as interested in the deeper whys and hows. I am now.
The experiment continues with more learning. I haven’t even started figuring out how to get my negatives into the computer—scanning them, taking pictures of them—I have no idea. Then it’s out to the field for my first film shots in 30 years. I’m in no hurry; this is a journey that I’m enjoying every step of.
It’s fun. I love the process. I love learning. I love photography.
Let me leave you with the Filmomat (I got the link from Hiro’s newsletter). I watched the video, marveled at the technology, but started to think, “How much does this thing cost?” Well, check it out. I won’t be buying one 😂.
Sunday, May 17, 2026
What a day. The alarm went off at 3 A.M. Dallas time, which is 1 A.M. local time for me. Talk about painful. I was main-lining coffee until I was vibrating. Good day in the training center, then a completely full flight home. I’m still amazed that everyone is still flying. Planes are packed. Which, on the bright side, is good for my job. (but, I’m still going to complain, it would be nice to have center seats open…)
Another tough day for pictures. I got what I got.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Busy day today, just a few shots to pick from.
iPhone shot and processed.
Friday, May 15, 2026
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Tough day on the photo front. Lots of airport time and deadheading. Finished another book, though, and got a good start on another. All is not lost.
Another three days at the training center ahead of me.
iPhone shot and processed. 100mm f2.8 48MP RAW
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Flame Skimmer Dragonfly (Libellula saturata)
Ok, the 10-year-old boy in me had to ask the internet if the Blue Dasher had a long penis, hence its scientific name. Well, it turns out my Latin is just really rusty. Longi is Latin for long, and Pennis is winged/feathered. Talk about a let down 😆
Monday, May 11, 2026
My friend Richard died this morning in his sleep.
Today’s pictures are dedicated to him. I took them yesterday—Richard’s last day, at least here on Earth. These pictures are for him. Richard may have commented on one or two of them on Flickr. I will miss that.
I will never forget Richard. I did not know him for very long, but he was such an amazing human being—so kind, so talented. Richard was a husband, father, grandfather, teacher, artist, woodworker, photographer, and so much more—a wonderful photographer with a unique style. He had many art shows featuring his work, and I was lucky enough to see a few of them.
We lived close to each other and consulted on projects from time to time. We texted and communicated on Flickr. Richard loved Flickr and had so many Flickr friends.
You will be greatly missed, my friend. You made me a better human. You gave me so many creative ideas and inspired me.
Wherever you are, my friend, take some pictures and send them to me…
The last comment from Richard on Flickr to me.
Richards last photo on Flickr.
😔
Sunday, May 10, 2026
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Friday, May 8, 2026
Work. Work. Work. Lots of training.
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Pretty skinny day on the photo front. Got up this morning at 1 am my time. Overnighting East of home is hard on the body. Hard to be creative when you’re this rummy tired.
Hope everyone had a good day!
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Fun fact:
Tina Weymouth learned bass because the band needed one. She wasn’t originally a bassist.
Chris Frantz basically said:
“You’re smart, you can learn bass.”
She did, and became one of the most distinctive bass players in New Wave history.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Desert Aster (Xylorhiza tortifolia), sometimes also called Mojave Aster.
I just call it beautiful.
Spring is in full swing, and it will be sad when the heat ramps up and all these beautiful flowers and fruits start to fade.
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Saturday, May 2, 2026
KSBA - Santa Barbara, CA.
Well, the mini-vacation and all the extra time for shooting pictures have come to a close. Long day back at work, short overnight to do it all again tomorrow. Couldn’t ask for a nicer place to spend 10 hours, though.
Hope you had a great day, thanks for stopping by.
iPhone shot and processed.
Friday, May 1, 2026
Pictures are from yesterday, hopefully you can forgive me!
You know, I persevered yesterday with the “Bone Leveler” and “Tissue Puncturer” after all!
I experimented with some new denoising software and was pretty happy with the results. Most of the time, it was a toss-up between DxO and Topaz Photo, but maybe more often than not, Topaz came out on top. I almost think Topaz comes out on top with their sharpening more than the denoise.
I can’t help but think how much better things would be if I could shoot these with the Nikon. At the very least, they wouldn’t be anywhere this noisy, and I’d have some more shadow recovery. You can see a couple of Nikon Full Frame Hummingbird shots down in Stray Pixels to compare. I didn’t even have to denoise on those shots, and I think they look much better than the OM shots.
You know what this means, don’t you? I need the Nikon Z8. Just Say’n.
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Tough day at the dentist, you can see the “Bone Levelers” in Stray Pixels below. Glad I didn’t look until after it was done. Never fun.
Being numb and lethargic gave me a good chance to shoot/edit pictures, nothing spectacular; the lighting was all wrong for really good shots. Don’t pixel-peep, because there is heavy shadow/highlight recovery and denoising going on!
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Take time to sit by little streams and simply watch. It’s good for the soul.
I sat here for over an hour, just observing—the sun on my face, the birds and insects moving about, the water flowing, one little trout holding steady in the current. It was glorious.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
We had so much fun with our guests. Lots of good late-night talks, food, hiking, and photography. I’m behind in processing pictures, but hopefully I will get caught up soon. I’ll do a random photo dump in the Stray Pixel section within a day or two.
Monday, April 27, 2026
Frank Lloyd Wright - Taliesin West 1937 - 1959
(Wikipedia) Named after Wright’s Taliesin studio in Spring Green, Wisconsin, Taliesin West was Wright’s winter home and studio from 1937 until his death in 1959. The complex is the headquarters of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, a nonprofit organization that hosts tours and events there. Taliesin West is designated as a National Historic Landmark and a World Heritage Site.
Wright and his Taliesin Fellowship (later the School of Architecture) began making wintertime pilgrimages from Wisconsin to Arizona in 1935, and he bought a site in the McDowell Mountains two years later. His apprentices set up a temporary camp there, erecting the initial structures between 1938 and 1941. During Wright’s lifetime, he oversaw several expansions, and some of the original construction materials were replaced. After Wright’s death, the fellowship continued to modify the structures, and Taliesin West gradually gained popularity as a tourist attraction. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation began planning major renovations and a visitor center in the late 20th century. Parts of Taliesin West were gradually renovated and upgraded during the early 21st century.
Worth a visit if you are in the Phoenix area.
Sunday, April 26, 2026
I love having the time to just walk around and shoot. It’s my happy place.
Sometimes you see the shot, sometimes the shot finds you. All you have to do is take the time to look.
Saturday, April 25, 2026
We have friends in town and have been out and about visiting museums, gardens, and cultural centers. It’s been wonderful, with lots of much needed photography time. The struggle has been going through pictures and developing after a long day. I’ll be behind in processing for weeks at this pace!
Hope everyone is well. Thank you for stopping by for a look.
