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.
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.
😔
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.
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Geococcyx californianus (Common name: Greater Roadrunner)
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Or is it a Cloud Tree?
Friday, March 13, 2026
Long damn day. Long three-day trip. I’m tired. Exhausted. Ready to be home.
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
photo
Monday, March 9, 2026
Recently received a new lightbox and wanted to take some test photos. I used my iPhone and struggled to keep the neck and cap, along with the label, in focus. Did not get the results I wanted, but the experimentation will continue!
Friday, March 6, 2026
Lucky to get a Palm Springs layover, beautiful evening, great walking, and outstanding food.
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Friends don’t let friends shoot in the harsh noon sun. Lots of pictures today and nothing really to work with. Hard to recover overblown highlights and true colors. That harsh, high-in-the-sky sun just washes everything out. Yet, we try! When that’s what you got, you use it to the best of your ability.
Nice hike in the red dirt.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Saturday, February 21, 2026
I’ve decided to stick with my current format and just post all the days' extra shots under the Name “Stray Pixels”, since they’re strays or extras from the daily shot. I will also add the category stray-pixels to the post so they are easier to find.
I’ve struggled with how to handle the days' other photos, making a whole new blog, or making stray pixels a separate post, but this seems to be the cleanest, easiest answer. All the photos are automatically sent to Flickr as well.
