Kathy & I got out early for our walk this morning in order to beat the “heat.” I say “heat” in quotations because we are actually – finally – seeing seasonal temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. Our thermometer actually hit a high of 91 yesterday. Pretty toasty.
When we get out early we can walk around the parking lot of the Walmart that is outside our neighborhood and stay in the shade most of the way. The back of the store is often a target-rich photographic environment, which has provided me with content for the next few days. I’ve never actually been inside the store, but have walked miles around the perimeter of the parking lot. And taken pictures of their detritus.
These cameras have evidently reached the end of their useful lives, and were piled in an old shopping cart behind the store. Probably waiting for someone to come and haul them away along with the old shopping carts.
I finished a long-time workflow project yesterday. All of my “picks” in Lightroom have been processed! That consists of just over 60,000 photos dating back to my first digital camera in 2004. While 60,000 photos is a tiny collection compared to a lot of photographers, I have been very selective about what I keep. I’ve probably taken twice that many photos over the years, but I have been systematically deleting the “non-picks” in order to keep the number down.
I know that digital storage is cheap, but just like I’m stingy with my closet space, I tend to be stingy with my “digital closet” as well. As it is, I’ve just about filled my 2-terabyte hard drive. Fortunately, later today the FedEx truck will be bringing me 4 new 4-terabyte drives. That will get me thru a few more years of photos and give me breathing room for an impending camera upgrade.
All this activity is paving the way for a long-overdue update to my website. I love the layout but the photos need refreshing. As I work on that project I’ll probably post some highlights from the archives on this blog. It’s been a fun project, and I have a few thoughts about working on old photos with new software. Spoiler alert: one of the most interesting but frustrating changes is that the new software allows us to see sensor dust spots better, and the old digital cameras didn’t have dust removal functions built in! Ugh! 🙂
One of our OHMYGAWDTHEWORLDISENDING local “news” websites just published an article with the headline: “Subtropical Storm ‘Arthur’ Could Hit Carolinas Next Week If Bermuda Triangle Disturbance Grows.” But of course a quick look at the National Hurricane Center website indicates that “A broad area of low pressure is expected to develop late this week or early this weekend a couple of hundred miles north of the Bahamas. Environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development of this system, and a subtropical depression or storm is likely to form this weekend while it moves northeastward over the western Atlantic.” So in other words – unless things change dramatically it isn’t coming anywhere near “the Carolinas.” Besides, how are we going to buy bread, milk and toilet paper when there isn’t any? Yikes! 🙂
Anything to get our minds off that pesky virus, right? 😉
It’s hard to not write about myself when I’m not doing much and am trying not to get cranked up about all the junk in the media. I figure there isn’t a lot of value in my sharing of links to interesting news articles, etc. because everyone already has their own established routine and sources.
One thing that I don’t talk about much is how much I love to read. It is one of the many advantages of not having my head stuck in a television or video game. I read mostly fiction but toss in a few non-fiction books that interest me, with a variety certain to throw off any algorithm trying to make meaningful recommendations. Mostly the non-fiction stuff puts me to sleep. 🙂
For whatever it’s worth, I thought I would share a list of the books that I have read so far this year. I’m kind of proud of the number of books I read, but my purpose is not to brag. Perhaps someone is looking for a way to read more and doesn’t know where to start. Thank goodness for the Kindle and a reasonably stocked library of e-books, since our libraries have been physically closed for nearly 2 months.
Blue Moon – Child
Back Spin – Coben
A Time to Kill – Grisham
The Hunt for Red October – Clancy
Bad Monkey – Hiaasen
One False Move – Coben
Razor Girl – Hiaasen
How Not To Diet – Greger
The Final Detail – Coben
A Very Stable Genius – Rucker
Crooked River – Preston & Child
Skinny Dip – Hiaasen
Patriot Games – Clancy
The Last Odyssey – Rollins
The Boy From The Woods – Coben
The Warsaw Protocol – Berry
The Demon-Haunted World – Sagan
You’ll note a lot of books by the same author. That’s because I’m trying to go back to the beginning of a series and read the books in order. If they are stand-alone books, I want to see the development of the author’s style over time.
Also, know that I read strictly for entertainment, not for content or analysis. Ask me to discuss a book a week or two later and I probably can’t. Sometimes I feel like I could read the same books over and over and remember something new each time.
I don’t have much to say today after a weekend of mostly staying away from the news and (anti-)social media. I hope everyone had a good weekend and is looking forward to a good week!
I’ve always been a bit of a chicken when it comes to cooking fish at home. But Kathy & I love good fish, and we recently came across a source for good, fresh fish that delivers to our home. The son of one of our neighbors is a chef and operates a wholesale seafood business, selling to restaurants and also to individuals through local farmer’s markets. I think he only delivers to our neighborhood because his mother lives here.
We had known about Michael and Lucky Fish for a long time, but after talking with one of our other neighbors who is a regular customer, we decided to give it a try. We ordered some NC Snapper, and wow! I grilled it on non-stick foil with a little zesty lemon seasoning, and it was perfect, accompanied by a bottle of Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Rose Wine (part of our ongoing experiment with grocery store wine).
I’ve already developed a reputation for being the “Steak Whisperer” when it comes to running my grill. Maybe soon I’ll also be known as the “Fish Whisperer.” 🙂 It is sure going to make it even harder to go back to restaurants!
Sunset at Clingmans Dome, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
He said, “Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” Roald Dahl
I came across this quote several years ago in a shop in Bryson City, NC. It might even be the same shop where I found the frog, I don’t remember.
After recently commenting on Monte’s post, Monte asked me to show him my frog. I’ve given him a corny name, but most folks who read my blog will get it.
I found Frog at a shop in Bryson City, NC this past fall. I had previously photographed one of his cousins in Columbiana, OH. It is his cousin’s photo that I’ve been using as my avatar, but I may need to change it now that I have my own.
Frog lives on our front porch. He has a solar panel on the back of his head that will make his eyes light up at night. I haven’t turned it on yet. I’m waiting for someone to move into the house across the street. 🙂
I’ve been working lately on having a camera with me on my morning walks. It’s interesting what I see when I have a camera with me (duh!). 😉
Transmission towers aren’t exactly a glamorous subject (unless you’re into such things), but they do have some interesting lines and shapes. This one is a regular subject, mostly because it’s always there, looks different in changing light and weather, and gives me a reason to trudge to the top of the hill.
It’s also a good camera test – to check focus and sharpness!
Locomotive used by the Great Smoky Mountains Railway in Bryson City, North Carolina
I was reading a recent post on Monte’s Blog in the context of a commercial print job I’m currently working on. Monte was discussing how much he wanted a new Fuji lens (me too!) but indicated that his current cameras – 4 and 6 years old – still suited him fine, and he reminded us that all cameras still require a photographer to work.
I was recently contacted by a local restaurant owner about providing prints for their bar and dining rooms for an upcoming remodel. I’m flattered that they asked me, and even more excited that it is one of our favorite restaurants. And that they want 17 photos! One of the things that interested me in the context of Monte’s post and the discussion about needing a “pro” camera for doing quality work is the breakdown of the cameras that were used for the photos we chose for this project:
Canon 5D – 1
Canon 5D Mark III – 3
Canon Powershot G12 – 4
Fuji X-10 – 2
Fuji X-E2 – 1
Fuji X-T1 – 1
Medium Format Film Scan – 1
I wasn’t too surprised about the number of 5D shots, and I wasn’t at all surprised at the number of shots from the Fuji X-E2 and X-T1, my current cameras. But I was quite surprised at 6 of the photos coming from two point & shoot cameras! Maybe there is something to be said for ditching all of the interchangeable lens cameras and just buying a single, good, point & shoot camera!
I’ll share the photos later. Or even better, photos of the photos once they are hung! 😉
Walkway leading to Everett Street in Bryson City, North Carolina
