The Big Ditch (226/365)
Friday, August 14, 2026
Had some good views today.
Take some time for yourself today if you haven’t already. Read a good book, play a game, do what the heck you want for a while. I think you deserve it.
iPhone
Hotel Noir (225/365)
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Back on the road. Work. Work. Work.
The amount of time it takes to come up with a title varies so much it makes me laugh. Some days, I look at the picture, and it pops into my head, almost like the photo is telling me. Others, I struggle, keep looking at it, let it roll around in my head, and still can’t come up with something I like. I like today’s; it was the third one I came up with.
Don’t work too hard out there. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. I appreciate you stopping by.
Click for Stray Pixels 👾👾
Monsoon Rising (224/365)
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
I couldn’t decide between the two variants, so I’m posting the B&W down in Stray Pixels. I’ve started a new thing with my little pixel icons; they will show how many pictures are in Stray Pixels. Let’s see if it sticks.
Busy, busy day. Errands, chores, and clean up. The monsoon storms are rolling through fast and furious. Lots of rain today. Our back deck is completely flooded, which I’ve never seen before. Not sure if that’s going to cause any issues…
Spent a crazy amount of time today working on three blogs. I very much enjoy the work and learning(so much to learn), but man, can it take a long time. On Cliff538, I have always had a single-column layout when I post a set of pictures, and it has been driving me nuts. My blog is very narrow, and a single column of pictures just looks awful. Today, I got it figured out how to post 2 across. Looks so much better. (This is what draws me to a WordPress website: all the great photo layout options.) You can see an example here and here of the new layout. I now also have lazy loading and reduced sizes to improve loading speed.
Apple has this thing where you can turn a website into an icon on your home screen, so it looks like an app. Really handy for when you frequent a website often, faster than opening a browser and typing in the address. It’s called an apple-touch-icon, and what shows up isn’t automatic; you have to create it and add its address in the head of your webpage. So, that took a crazy amount of time to figure out and make the 4 PNGs. But now, at least if someone were to make an app out of a blog, they’d get a nice little icon. ( I know, no one will do that, but I will, and I want a nice icon on my screen.)
It’s all this little stuff that really doesn’t matter, but all those small touches really add up to a nice website. You need someone to obsess over those little details. I used Rob’s website checker, Lens, to check all the little bits. I have all green checkmarks on the two main blogs, and a little more work on the other two.
Before I forget, go check out Chris Glass’s photo blog, especially the TWA Hotel set and Thor’s Birthday at the TWA Hotel set. Great photos.
Off to work tomorrow; it’s a 4-day trip. If you have read this far, I really appreciate you. Thank you for stopping by; I know your time is precious, and I’m honored that you spent a little bit of it with me.
Cheers.
Click for Stray Pixels👾
I couldn’t decide between the two, so I’m posting both.
1979 Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera SONAR OneStep (223/365)
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Manufacturing code 5D944480758, born April 9, 1979. 47 years young.
She’s old, and her sonar autofocus is fer-shite, but she still takes a good picture. Thank goodness it has an autofocus override switch because just doing it manually is way easier, LOL. It may just be my camera, but it works about 1 out of 10 tries. I may have to find a shop that does CLAs on them. (Clean, Lube, Adjust)
iPhone shot and processed. It’s a lazy picture today. I spent all day digging through old boxes, finding my old negatives and Polaroids and scanning them. You can see 25 of them, along with a short story about my early days as a mechanic here.
end-of-the-road (222/365)
Monday, August 10, 2026
Not super happy with today’s photo… but let’s not focus on it, shall we?
Got a fresh roll of Kodak Ultramax 400 loaded into the Snapic and put back into the flight bag. The Nikon F3 still has about 10 shots left on the Ilford Vintage Tone. Rollei has 5 shots left on the Ilford Delta 400. Which all tells me I need to get out shooting, but it’s just so bloody hot. During the summer, I do better when I’m on the road; most places are not quite as hot.
I’m looking forward to vacation. A big road trip with camping and exploring is coming in September. Looking forward to lots of shooting photography. My wife hates the expression, “shooting” for obvious reasons, but it sounds better than “taking pictures” to me. I just try not to use it around her. You know, the whole give-and-take thing.
A big thunderstorm rolled through last night with 80mph winds. We didn’t have any damage, but our trees have been heavily trimmed back, which they tell me helps. Driving to the gym and back, there are a crazy number of trees down. We had the power fluctuate a few times, and my office computer went on battery backup, so I just shut everything down. Went outside under cover and watched it roll through. There is just something about watching Mother Nature’s power. Makes you feel pretty small.
Two more work trips then vacation time…
I hope it was a good Monday for you, and a sincere thank you for stopping by. If you have a blog or photo site, please send me a link, and I’ll follow you. Cheers.
Bar (220/365)
Saturday, August 8, 2026
Coffee in Nashville. iPhone shot and processed.
Click for Stray Pixels👾👾👾
Wilderness by Risa Serenity (219/365)
Friday, August 7, 2026
the leaves rustle in the breeze the lone wolf creeping around the brush an innocent rabbit in its unknowing last moments a half dead mother salmon making her way upstream she will not know her children, but they will follow at her speed a bear & her cubs find her spawn, leaving no room for empathy, for the fish are not mad at the creature, & the bear does not know hell the circle of life knows no bounds, life keeps going round ~ risa serenity
Arrived in Seattle early this afternoon, and while walking around, I came across a group of four kids offering to write you a poem on any topic, and if you like it, you can pay any amount you want.
I picked Risa to do mine and told her the title was Wilderness. She took about 12 minutes to type out my poem. I think it’s pretty cool. She pulled it off the typewriter, read it to me, and said this was the first Wilderness poem she had done.
Thank you, Risa. I think you’re a good poet.
Behind the kids was a bookstore where I found this card, and I just loved the creatures on it. I call them creatures because that’s the name of the card, “Creatures”. And I think they are pretty cool as well.
I love Seattle. Quirky, different, dirty, clean, unique, diverse, imperfect, and the smell of great coffee everywhere.
Nice Ride (218/365)
Thursday, August 6, 2026
Long day. Was supposed to end it in Charleston (CHS), but after a ton of weather delays, we are in Nashville (BNA).
Hopefully, Seattle (SEA) tomorrow.
Four more pictures down below.
Click for Stray Pixels
The Elephant in the Room (217/365)
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Today’s picture was shot a few days ago. The day has run away from me, and I’m feeling like it’s starting to hold my head underwater! Packing for work, ticking off to-dos, chores, and backyard work. We lost half of our backyard tree in the last windstorm, and we’re still cleaning up the mess.
I’ve finally jumped on something I’ve wanted for a long time. Found a “working” (we shall see) Polaroid SX-70 for a reasonable price. Film is on order. To properly highlight those on the blog, I’ve started working on a fun way to show them, inspired by Dan’s Polaroids. I have a working version one. I still need to wait until I get some film so I can scan the real front and back to use. I couldn’t find anything online, and it’s just better to make your own. You can check out version one if you’d like. I left it up so I can look at it over the next few days and see what changes I need to make.
I hope it was a beautiful day, and thank you for stopping by.
Clouds (216/365)
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
@alexandra@social.lol says it best in her post about Clouds.
Click for Stray Pixels and More Clouds!
Stairway to the Sky (215/365)
Monday, August 3, 2026
Busy day. Appointments, errands, and ToDos.
Finally sitting down to work on the Cliff538 blog. Updated the Film Journey & Resource Page and posted some new pages. Figured I’d put all my film scans for each film type on their own page, so if folks want to see what different film types look like before using them, they have this resource available. More will be added as I shoot different film.
Never Stop Learning!
Sobering Reality (214/365)
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. iPhone shot and processed.
Current elevation: ~1,043 feet.
Full Pool elevation: 1,229 feet.
Current State: About 27% full.
Hydropower becomes impossible below 895 feet.
“Dead Pool” occurs at 895 feet, when water cannot flow through the dam by gravity.
Colorado River system provides water for roughly 40 million people and 5 million acres of farmland.
Some sobering books I’ve read and highly recommend about water:
Kobo Links
Another three day trip in the books. Always good to be back home, even if it’s 110°F. The greeting/love you get from two dogs swells your heart and makes you smile. 😊
Quintessential Summer (213/365)
Saturday, August 1, 2026
Another nice 20-hour layover in BOI. Extremely smoky skies and brutally hot. Got in a 4.5-mile walk, and I was able to get today’s picture. Many similar shots from previous overnights, but I’m always trying to improve the ones I really like.
All iPhone shots today.
Six more shots down in Stray Pixels.
Thanks for stopping by.
Click for Stray Pixels
Window Light (212/365)
Friday, July 31, 2026
Light From Above (209/365)
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
This was such a quick shot; I regret not framing it better. In Silvertone, it looks pretty good.
Had a doc appointment for my bi-annual FAA physical today. Then spent the rest of the day developing a roll of Tri-X, scanning it, and converting it.
Hopefully, I can get a post up about it tomorrow. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and am stunned at the old-school grainy beauty of Tri-X even shot through a cheapo Kodak Snapic camera. My wife had no idea what I was doing, and she came into the office while I was converting photos, looked at the monitor, and said, “What is that? It’s beautiful, just so classic. It reminds me of photos from my childhood.” (She is 59).
You Have To Go Further Than That! (208/365)
Monday, July 27, 2026
Have you ever had those days? Feel like you’ve walked a mile, only to find out ⤴️.
Click for Stray Pixels & a Film Journey Update
Spent some time today setting things up in the spare bathroom, making a “task card” of the process, and dry-running it to make sure I haven’t missed something. It’s always worth taking the extra time; I learn something each time.
The crazy problem I have right now in the Summer is my water temp. My cold running water is at 34° C, and I need my chemicals and wash water around 20° C. So, I’ve put a 3-gallon jug of water in the fridge and will mix it with warm water to get my desired temp. Kind of crazy.
It’s all kind of exciting. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the first roll done.
Sleeping Giant (207/365)
Sunday, July 26, 2026
Crater Lake in Silvertone.
Crater Lake last erupted 6,600 years ago but is still considered dormant and may remind us who’s boss whenever it chooses. It’s the deepest lake in the U.S., at 1,949 ft (594 m) deep.
Shot and processed on iPhone.
I hope today brought you a little laughter and lots of smiles.
Ripped Earth (206/365)
Saturday, July 25, 2026
Good day on the photography front. All the shots today were shot and processed on the iPhone. Had a nice 4-mile walk around Boise today and was able to shoot two rolls of film, as I need some “test” rolls to make sure my developing process is sound. Hopefully next week I’ll get my first black & white rolls developed.
Today was my first day walking around with the Kodak Snapic. I liked it. It’s very small and light, fits nicely in your pocket, and certainly small enough not to cause attention while shooting pictures. I’ll post the pics when I get them developed and scanned.
May we live in less interesting times.
Four more shots in Stray Pixels.
Click for Stray Pixels
Airport Sunrise (205/365)
Friday, July 24, 2026
One of the good things about getting up so early is seeing sights like these. A good start to the day.
Desert Trail (203/365)
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Two hours before sunset, I loaded up two bags of gear: three cameras, 5 lenses, two tripods, a big jug of water, and a very large towel to wipe sweat off with, and headed up the trail, trying to find a nice high vantage point for sunset. One backpack on your back and the other one worn on your front works pretty well. The hardest part of the evening was keeping sweat off the gear.
Sunset was a bust, just hardly any colors, and very few clouds in the Western skies. My saving grace was this big thunderstorm starting to brew off in the distance, which gave me a nice subject to focus on. It ended up petering out, leaving me with just about nothing, but by that time it was getting too dark, and it was time to head down. I wanted a bit of light because the area is rife with rattlesnakes. The last thing I need is to be out there alone and trying to deal with a rattlesnake bite.
I know there is a weather app out there that is focused on photographers and alerts you to good sunsets, fog, the Milky Way, and things of the sort. I would like to read some reports on how it’s working for people. All sunsets are beautiful, but only some are worth lugging gear up a hill in 100°F/38°C heat.
135 frames with the Z8 and I came away with about 7 that I like. Hopefully some good film shots as well.
The daily shot and the others in Stray Pixels are from the Nikon Z8. I also used the Rollei and the Nikon F3, but of course those will come later. I’m very interested to see how I did with my exposure settings; sunsets can be challenging.
Click for Stray Pixels
Shade, in Two Forms (202/365)
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Struggling with adding more film photography to my allotted time, which reduces my daily photo stock. The past few days I’ve been shooting with my Rollei and the Nikon F3, but that doesn’t give me anything for my daily post. I still haven’t started developing my own film yet, and I haven’t been to the lab. This is a problem I need to sort out. Hopefully, when I get a good developing routine down, I’ll have more photos to work with.
When I go out for dedicated photography time, I’ve been carrying one digital and one film camera, which increases complexity and weight. Not sure if I should keep doing that or just make dedicated time for one style. All good problems but ones that need tweaking.
Click for Film Journey Update
Film Journey Update: Getting really close to trying my first few rolls of B&W developing. My nature makes me read and study far too much before I do something, so that is slowing me down but should minimize errors.
You can go super simple and use a developer/fixer combo (Cinestill DF96) and just be done, but I want to understand some of the chemistry and the pros and cons of different developers with the film I’m using: Ilford DDX, Rodinal, Bellini RDL, Pyro, Cinestill DF96… which Stop to use, which Fixer to use. Pros and Cons of using a WashAid or PhotoFlow. How hard is my water, etc. You don’t need to know any of that, but I want to. I’ve been watching YouTube videos, reading Darkroom books, reading blog posts, and mostly reading film and developer documentation. That has been the best source of factual information.
I’m getting closer and will probably start with a Paterson tank, AP reels, and Ilford DDX developer, Stop and Fixer. Next, I’ll try Adox Rodinal developer, then the Cinestill DF96 Developer/Fix combo, which seems to have mixed results, so I’ll use a roll of film with nothing too important on it.
I’ve had three sessions of practise in the dark bag transferring film onto the different reels. Which I will say is mandatory. You will find problems, I promise. Use gloves? Which reels do you like? What happens when the film binds on the reel? What are your options if you can’t do it and need to take a break? How sweaty do your hands get? Which scissors work best for you? 35mm and 120 are two different animals; you need to practice with both. Just bite the bullet and sacrifice two rolls of film and practice with them. Trust me, it will pay dividends.
I’m happy with my film scanning setup, so no issues there for now. Just need to shoot more film and start developing.
These Legs Ain’t Made for Walkin’ (201/365)
Monday, July 20, 2026
A Window Into The Night (200/365)
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Reflections (199/365)
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Two mornings in a row getting up at 1 A.M., my body clock time, has turned me into a zombie.
Still, I zombie on.
The Quiet Between Days (198/365)
Friday, July 17, 2026
Blue Morning (197/365)
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Back on the road.
Alien Bloom (195/365)
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
I really like the city’s utility box art program.
Click for Stray Pixels
Do Good (194/365)
Monday, July 13, 2026
Hope it was a great day!
Gate 15 (193/365)
Sunday, July 12, 2026
I love big gate numbers. Maybe I’m just getting old, but some jetways have really small numbers, are hard to see, or have no markings at all. Boise does it right. Big and Bold!
Click for Stray Pixels
Aero Lines (192/365)
Saturday, July 11, 2026
Very nice day today—smooth flying, great weather, no drama, and happy, friendly people.
Had a nice walk around BOI, but damn, it’s still way too hot: 103°F / 39°C.
iPhone shot and processed.
Stray Pixels Bonus: Three more pictures and no rant this time—LOL.
Click for Stray Pixels
