Starting the Transition

Huntersville Business Park
Huntersville Business Park

Well, I shipped off 20 pounds of used camera gear this past weekend, and plan to use the proceeds to form the cornerstone of the next collection of gear.  After nearly 14 years of lugging around the Canon stuff I’ve decided it’s time to bite the bullet and try something smaller.  The decision is not entirely straightforward or simple, as I tend to be a very loyal consumer, and there is still a lot to love about the full frame cameras.  And while I’m hedging my bets by hanging on to a solid collection of full frame gear, I’m pretty sure I can predict what is going to happen.

Lynx Blue Line light rail at the Charlotte Convention Center
Lynx Blue Line light rail at the Charlotte Convention Center
Selfie Time
Selfie Time
Parking Garage
Parking Garage
Legal Graffiti at the former Goodyear Service Center
Legal Graffiti at the former Goodyear Service Center
Walkway between the Mint Museum of Art and the Duke Energy Center
Walkway between the Mint Museum of Art and the Duke Energy Center

Many readers of this blog know that I have been exploring this move for some time.  Over the last several months I rented a Fuji X-T1 and an Olympus OM-D E-M1.  Both are wonderful cameras and have their pluses and minuses, and I know people who are faithful to both brands.

Bechtler Museum of Art
Bechtler Museum of Art
Bechtler Museum of Art
Bechtler Museum of Art
Bechtler Museum of Art
Bechtler Museum of Art
Bechtler Museum of Art
Bechtler Museum of Art
Bicycles for Rent
Bicycles for Rent
Bicycles for Rent
Bicycles for Rent
Bicycles for Rent
Bicycles for Rent

I was pretty sure that my choice was going to be the Fuji, so over the 4th of July weekend I rented it again, this time trying both the 18-55 and the 18-135 lenses.  I haven’t yet placed the order – the sale prices expired before I was ready – but once I’m ready to go I’m planning to buy the X-T1 with the 18-135.  My rationale is that it will be an excellent travel lens for those times when I only want to take one camera and lens, and it will give me just about all of the coverage I could want.  Eventually I’ll probably buy at least one or two of the “pro” lenses, and I really want to try some of the excellent Fuji prime lenses, so I’ll keep my options open.

Walkway between the Mint Museum of Art and the Duke Energy Center
Walkway between the Mint Museum of Art and the Duke Energy Center
Photo Time!
Photo Time!
Mint Museum of Art and the Duke Energy Center
Mint Museum of Art and the Duke Energy Center
Romare Bearden Park
Romare Bearden Park
Romare Bearden Park
Romare Bearden Park
Romare Bearden Park
Romare Bearden Park

So while I continue to work on Colorado images, I wanted to process the Fuji files in order to evaluate them, and figured I might as well post a few.  I know it’s possible to do with any camera, but I really like the fact that I can easily create a develop preset in Lightroom to quickly process a bunch of files.  For the most part the results are very good with little fiddling.  These have had a little bit of extra work done to them, but for the most part they are as shot with a Lightroom preset applied.

The Eye
The Eye
Charlotte Transportation Center
Charlotte Transportation Center
Charlotte Transportation Center
Charlotte Transportation Center
Huntersville Business Park
Huntersville Business Park
Huntersville Business Park
Huntersville Business Park
Huntersville Business Park
Huntersville Business Park
Huntersville Business Park
Huntersville Business Park

Colorado Adventure: Critters!

Moose along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado
Moose along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado

In general I don’t have the inclination or patience to make “proper” photographs of animals.  But knowing that we would be in an area known for wildlife, I wanted to be prepared.  Most of these are snapped from alongside the road, in less-than-perfect lighting, but I got what I got.  Not much to say, other than “enjoy!”

Moose along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado
Moose along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado
Moose along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado
Moose along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado
Golden Manteled Ground Squirrel at Farview Curve overlook on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park
Golden Manteled Ground Squirrel at Farview Curve overlook on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park
Elk along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado
Elk along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado
Moose along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains Naitonal Park, Colorado
Moose along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains Naitonal Park, Colorado
Elk along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado
Elk along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado
Steller's Jay at Bear Lake, Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado
Steller’s Jay at Bear Lake, Rocky Mountains National Park, Colorado
Bighorn Sheep along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park
Bighorn Sheep along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountains National Park
Marmot in Rocky Mountains National Park
Marmot in Rocky Mountains National Park

Colorado Adventure: Grand Lake

Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake, Colorado

The town of Grand Lake sits on the western end of Rocky Mountains National Park, and is the gateway to the park for those entering on the west side of the continental divide.

Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake, Colorado

The lake known as Grand Lake is the largest natural lake in Colorado and lies at an elevation of 8367 feet.  Grand Lake is known as the headwaters of the Colorado River.

Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake, Colorado

We spent three nights in Grand Lake, and used it as a base for our forays into Rocky Mountains National Park.  It has more of an “outdoorsy” feel than some of the other towns we visited, and we enjoyed it very much.

Where we stayed - Western Riviera Lodge, Grand Lake, Colorado
Where we stayed – Western Riviera Lodge, Grand Lake, Colorado
Random photos in downtown Grand Lake, Colorado
Lunch menu
Business Opportunity
Business Opportunity
Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake, Colorado

We were a little concerned when we found out that our motel didn’t have air conditioning.  There are few places where we would want to not have it.  But the first night we were there the temperature dipped into the 30s, so all we needed to do was keep the windows open!

NOT where we stayed - Grand Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountains National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado
NOT where we stayed – Grand Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountains National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado
View of Grand Lake from Grand Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountains National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado
View of Grand Lake from Grand Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountains National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountains National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountains National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountains National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountains National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountains National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado
Grand Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountains National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado

Colorado Adventure: Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak, Colorado
Our first view of Pikes Peak, at least where it was supposed to be!

Our plan for the first full day in Colorado was to drive to the top of Pike’s Peak.  Unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans, and the mountain received about 8 inches of snow the night before our visit. It was interesting because it poured rain in Manitou Springs the previous afternoon, and when the skies cleared it was clear everywhere except the top of Pikes Peak, which was still shrouded in clouds.

Pikes Peak, Colorado
Pikes Peak, Colorado

When we got to the entrance that morning the ranger warned us that the road was not open to the top and offered us the chance to change our minds  But we were there and wanted to see what we could see, so decided to take our chances.

Pikes Peak, Colorado
Our first real close look at Aspen trees, on the road to Pike’s Peak.
Pikes Peak, Colorado
We saw him, and even managed to get a photo!
Pikes Peak, Colorado
He was pretty shy and didn’t have a lot to say. We didn’t feed him.

The entrance part of the road is at an elevation of 7,800 feet – 1,000 feet above Mount Mitchell, the highest point in North Carolina!  The lower part of the road is just like driving any mountain road – winding and steep in spots with a few nice viewpoints.  Beautiful views, for sure!

Pikes Peak, Colorado
I only wish this was our rental car!
Pikes Peak, Colorado
View from “Camera Point,” the first overlook on the road to Pike’s Peak

We spent some time at Crystal Reservoir Visitor Center at Mile 6, which is at 9,160 feet.  That was our first view of where Pikes Peak was, although we couldn’t see it, as it was still buried in clouds.  The ranger there said that the road had been opened a little farther up, but that they still didn’t know if they would be able to open it to the top.  We decided to press on and take our chances.

Pikes Peak, Colorado
Crystal Lake Reservoir, Pikes Peak, Colorado
Pikes Peak, Colorado
Crystal Lake Reservoir, Pikes Peak, Colorado

The higher elevations are where things get interesting.  There are very few places to pull off, and on the day we visited most of the pulloffs were socked in with clouds.  We made it to the overlook at Mile 18 – known as Sheep Sign because there is a sign there about Bighorn Sheep – where they had the road blocked.  The ranger there said it was still snowing above and not safe to drive, so that was as far as we could go.  It was snowing on us as we talked to him!

Pikes Peak, Colorado
Looking down on/from The Switchbacks. I got two shots like this before the clouds moved back in.

We had a little bit of vertigo and dizziness at the higher elevations.  This is normal, and wasn’t helped by the fact that we couldn’t see anything to orient ourselves!  This feeling subsided as we returned back below 10,000 feet, and we never had another problem with elevation the entire rest of the vacation.  For that we were very thankful.

Pikes Peak, Colorado
Setting up telemetry for the Pike’s Peak Hillclimb.

I did manage to get a few photos to document our visit.  We’ll have to plan and visit again sometime when there is less of a chance of snow.  We thought June was late enough, but maybe it will need to be July or August next time!

Pikes Peak, Colorado
Serious snow removal equipment for some serious snow!

Colorado Adventure: Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado
Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado

As I go through my images from our recent vacation to Colorado, I’m going to try and do short posts – mostly in order I hope – with a few photos from each of the places we visited.  I’ll also try to add a little commentary along the way.  Eventually these will all end up in a gallery on my website.

Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado
Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado
Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado
I have no idea who this woman is, but based on the conversation it sounds like she is a geologist or environmental scientist of some kind.
My "Good Karma" moment - I took this photo then offered to take a photo of the whole group with their camera.
My “Good Karma” moment – I took this photo then offered to take a photo of the whole group with their camera.

Our first night in Colorado was in Manitou Springs, just west of Colorado Springs.  So from the Denver airport we headed south with the idea of seeing what we saw along the way.  Garden of the Gods was on our list of places to visit, weather and time permitting.

Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado
Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado
Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado
Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado

As it turned out we had time, but we almost didn’t have the weather.  It was threatening rain from the time we pulled into the parking lot, sprinkled a few times on the trails then really let go about the time we were leaving.  Good timing!  It would have been pretty toasty there if we didn’t have the clouds, and good photos might have been a little tougher to come by.

Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado
Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado
People just can't leave well enough alone.
People just can’t leave well enough alone.

Hangin’ With Monte

County Road 94 somewhere in rural Colorado north of Fort Collins
Who needs The Palouse? County Road 94 somewhere in rural Colorado north of Fort Collins

Happy Birthday, Monte!

County Road 90 North of Fort Collins, Colorado
County Road 90 North of Fort Collins, Colorado

I got some skeptical looks when I told people that while I was in Colorado I was looking forward to seeing a friend that I had met on the internet.  It wasn’t quite that way but it usually got the reaction I was looking for!  I’m like that sometimes. 😉

Somewhere in rural Colorado north of Fort Collins
Somewhere in rural Colorado north of Fort Collins

Most of the readers of  this blog already know Monte, and a few had already met him.  But since I had already met Paul, Earl aka Brooks, and Paul Maxim, I couldn’t take a trip to Colorado without checking in with Monte.

County Road 94 somewhere in rural Colorado north of Fort Collins
County Road 94 somewhere in rural Colorado north of Fort Collins

When we planned the itinerary for this vacation I wanted to spend some time in Fort Collins, mostly to see Monte but also to visit the town itself.  As it turns out, it is quite the booming place, with a vibrant downtown area known as Old Town, lots of breweries and some excellent restaurants.

Sunset along the Front Range of Colorado somewhere north of Fort Collins, Colorado
Sunset along the Front Range of Colorado somewhere north of Fort Collins, Colorado

Monte came to meet us at our hotel the first night we were in town, we spent an hour or so chatting, and as I expected hit it off immediately.  You kind of get a feeling for a person after sharing stories and photographs for as long as we have, but you never know.  It was great!  Kathy got into the act, too.  We had a nice dinner and kept each other up well past our usual bedtimes.

Sunset along the Front Range of Colorado somewhere north of Fort Collins, Colorado
Sunset along the Front Range of Colorado somewhere north of Fort Collins, Colorado

The second evening Monte acted as tour guide and took us to some of his favorite photographic locations.  Many places I had seen from his photos, and a few that I had not.  And mostly places I never would have gotten to – or back from – on my own!

Sunset along the Front Range of Colorado somewhere north of Fort Collins, Colorado
Sunset along the Front Range of Colorado somewhere north of Fort Collins, Colorado

We met up again on our last evening, had another nice dinner and spent a lot more time chatting.  Fortunately we were already packed for the return trip to Charlotte and didn’t figure we would get much sleep anyway!

Hmmm, what's this button do???
Hmmm, what’s this button do???

Thank you Monte for an enjoyable time!  You are a great host and guide, and we look forward to meeting up with you again sometime or somewhere soon!

Tom & Monte Stevens at Slyce Pizza in Fort Collins, Colorado
Tom & Monte Stevens at Slyce Pizza in Fort Collins, Colorado

Lunch Time Company

20150623_144506_008-01

This guy was hanging out on the window outside our break room at work, and I couldn’t help but make a few portraits of him with my phone.

One or more of my expert readers will set me straight, but I think this is a Pipevine or Blue Swallowtail.  I don’t see too many butterflies, but this guy was pretty interesting.  I did a little Snapseed magic to clean up the background and juice the colors a bit.

I’m currently wading through my photos from our recent visit to Colorado.  Stay tuned!

Catching Up

Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina

It’s hard to believe that it was two months ago, but in early April, Kathy & I took our latest excursion to eastern North Carolina along with our friends Bill & Cathy from Ohio.  We visited our usual haunts of Belhaven and Washington, but also visited Edenton and Bailey. Here are a few photos from that trip, just for fun.

Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Grain Mill in Bailey, North Carolina
Grain Mill in Bailey, North Carolina
Random photos from Belhaven, North Carolina
Random photos from Belhaven, North Carolina
Random photos from Belhaven, North Carolina
Random photos from Belhaven, North Carolina
Built in 1886, the restored Roanoke River Lighthouse now stands proudly in the harbor at Edenton, NC.  The lighthouse first served as a guide for ships navigating the waters of the Albemarle Sound into the Roanoke River, and then, after being decommissioned in 1941, was moved by barge across the sound to private land, where it ultimately deteriorated as a neglected residence. Its history, as one would expect, is filled with fateful events and colorful characters. After being acquired by the Edenton Historical Commission and then given to the state of North Carolina, a band of dedicated volunteers, public officials and preservationists brought it to its final home. With state funds, the structural restoration work was completed as volunteer donations and furnishings were gathered.
Roanoke River Lighthouse in Edenton, NC.
Built in 1886, the restored Roanoke River Lighthouse now stands proudly in the harbor at Edenton, NC.  The lighthouse first served as a guide for ships navigating the waters of the Albemarle Sound into the Roanoke River, and then, after being decommissioned in 1941, was moved by barge across the sound to private land, where it ultimately deteriorated as a neglected residence. Its history, as one would expect, is filled with fateful events and colorful characters. After being acquired by the Edenton Historical Commission and then given to the state of North Carolina, a band of dedicated volunteers, public officials and preservationists brought it to its final home. With state funds, the structural restoration work was completed as volunteer donations and furnishings were gathered.
Roanoke River Lighthouse in Edenton, NC.
Random photos from Edenton, North Carolina
Random photos from Edenton, North Carolina
Random photos from Edenton, North Carolina
Random photos from Edenton, North Carolina
Random photos from Edenton, North Carolina
Random photos from Edenton, North Carolina
Random photos from Edenton, North Carolina
Random photos from Edenton, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina
Random photos from Washington, North Carolina

Have I Changed My Mind?

Galaxy S6 photo, no processing
Galaxy S6 photo, no processing

Due to a “mishap” with my old phone, I found myself with a brand spanking new phone recently.  I had been overdue for a replacement for nearly a year, and the technology had gotten a bit dated, considering that I run a lot of stuff on my phone that hadn’t been invented when I bought it.

Galaxy S6 photo, no processing
Galaxy S6 photo, no processing

My old phone was a Samsung Galaxy S3.  It was a pretty good phone, but had started to slow dramatically and was eating batteries like I eat cookies.  The latest reviews were raving about the camera in the new Galaxy S6, so I decided to give it a try.  I haven’t taken many photos with it yet, but I’ve been pretty impressed with the ones I’ve taken so far.

Galaxy S6 photo, no processing
Galaxy S6 photo, no processing

I just may have changed my mind about using my phone as a camera.  Or is it using my camera as a phone?  I forget.  More to come!

A Matter of Perspective

Spring along the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Pixie Forest
Spring along the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Pixie Forest

A group of co-workers and I often go out to lunch on Fridays. This past Friday we had a little larger group than usual, and while we were waiting for the elevator, one of the guys said, “gee, we may need to take a bus.” And I replied, “maybe we need to call an Uber.” The resulting exchange went something like this (paraphrased):

Me: We could call an Uber and have them bring a van.

40-Something Somewhat Tech Aware Guy: Have you used Uber?

50-Something Less Than Open Minded Guy: What the hell’s an Uber?

Me: I’ve used Uber several times, it’s great. Works well. You just pull up the app, it tells you where the nearest car is, tell it where you want to go and they come.

40-Something Privacy Sensitive Guy: How do you pay them? Do they have your credit card information?

60-Something Fox News Addict: Don’t you worry about getting kidnapped or murdered? What kind of background check do they do?

Random photos from downtown Waynesville, North Carolina
Random photos from downtown Waynesville, North Carolina

Elevator stops at another floor.

My "Favorite" Wall, Waynesville, North Carolina
My “Favorite” Wall, Waynesville, North Carolina

30-Something Hipster Guy gets on, someone we know. He hears the conversation and asks, “you guys talking about Uber? I work for them, good way to earn some extra money.”

Random photos from downtown Waynesville, North Carolina
Random photos from downtown Waynesville, North Carolina

We went on and took two cars. 50-Something Less Than Open Minded Guy wanted to drive because he doesn’t like to ride (also a Control Freak?) and 60-Something Fox News Addict drove (needed to get a Rush fix on the way).

Random photos from downtown Waynesville, North Carolina
Random photos from downtown Waynesville, North Carolina

That 30-second elevator conversation reminded me of how different our impressions of something can differ depending on our perspective. Our recent conversation about cameras is another example of how where we come from can impact our impression of something, our point of view and our opinion.

Random photos from downtown Waynesville, North Carolina
Random photos from downtown Waynesville, North Carolina

Photographs and stuff!