Odds and Ends Seen on Walks

I'm continually intrigued by the hieroglyphics I find on the street.  This one indicates a natural gas line.

Does the American flag work as a design element everywhere?

The dream is fading.

Many quaint structures in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.

A well worn tree along a rural road near Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.

More tree people.

 Sad reminder of a bicycle ride gone bad.

A brick perch in the birdbath.  Not needed when the water is frozen.

 Canine shadow.

Too much "stuff" in the garden.  Wabi sabi.

Trees of Winter

Trees have personalities.  Like people.  They're young and old, straight and twisted, smooth and gnarled.  Sometimes I think they are substitutes for real people I'm too nervous to meet.

Collection of Recent Night Time Observations

I've been exploring the limits of my Fuji XPro-1 in regard to low light and high ISO settings.  Each of these images was made at ISO 6400 and I was surprised at well the camera handled the varied situations.  Thinking back to the days of pushing Ektachrome 400 and the need to manage light sources, it would have been difficult to achieve results like this.

Technical issues aside, it's been interesting to open up a new landscape of opportunities for photography.  There's a whole part of life that happens after the sun goes down.

Sycamore tree on Penn State's University Park campus. 

The College Diner on College Avenue in State College, Pennsylvania.  The place is closed now and will soon be stripped of it's "diner persona" to make way for a gourmet burger and sandwich shop run by Eat 'N Park.

The old Grange Hall in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania during a midnight dog walk. 

At 2am the neighborhood is quiet and asleep.  The Fuji XPro-1 allows me to shoot in what appears to be pitch black.  Focusing is an issue but I'm adapting.

The glow of a streetlight provides a fine backdrop to a twisted tree.  Never noticed it in the daylight.

Wandering and Shooting - Again

Trying to jump start my photographic flow again and usually the best starting point is to just pick up the camera and play.  I sat in the house for a few days tinkering with menus on the  camera choices before finally heading out the door.  Fog provided the mental motivation.  I was responsible for getting my body in motion.

This group of trees at the Pennsylvania Military Museum has provided endless visual fascination.  After dozens of attempts at capturing the energy I feel I've yet to succeed. So I find myself standing among the trees over and over again.

I've realized I don't need to go far to make a photograph.  This one of Junior and Kim in her studio required little more than a camera and a faint measure of energy to raise the camera and press the shutter button.

Lily and her protector Junior.  I realized some time ago that he looks out for her.  She on the other hand, just pesters Junior to play.  An odd relationship.

Experimenting with the high ISO (25600) during a 3am walk through the neighborhood with Kim.  Not sure which is stranger -- experimenting with such an odd setting on the camera or going for a walk at 3am.

The challenge from here; keep picking up the camera.  Whatever my mind tells me, especially related to photography, is likely a lie...

The Magnetism of Fog

 Perhaps I want reality to change.  That may explain my attraction to fog and mist; its ability to transform the world into a new place.  Mysterious.  A place where new things are possible.

I took a little drive through the valley to just look at the landscape of which I'm so familiar.  And how different it looks at this moment.  The camera helps mark those differences -- real, imagined and otherwise.

On top of the fog and mist was a light rain.  The Fuji XPro-1 has little in the way of weather protection which meant I had to make quick exposures followed by a toweling off of moisture in the car.  So far I've noticed no ill effects.

Keep Shooting, Keep Working

Another day in the world with the camera.  No plans.  No direction.  Just bringing the camera along to record what I see.  Working with no expectations other than to depress the shutter button on the camera a few times. 

State College, Pennsylvania is cold and gloomy.  The older I get, the more dramatic the effect of little sunlight and cold temperatures plays on body and mind.

Everything appears dingy to me.  At least when I look at the photographs.  In my mind that's not the case. I imagine things a bit brighter.  Hope springs eternal.

Uncertain the reasons, but alley ways hold a special attraction.  Perhaps because I'm more likely to find the unvarnished effects of human activity there.  Secrets and bad behavior.

The sun is setting farther south on the horizon.  That, along with the ever lengthening days, has begun to lessen the adverse effects of winter.  The camera helps identify those changes.  I would not have noticed the change in position of the sun.

Abigail at the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.  I've photographed this tank dozens of times.  Each visit it feels a little different.

I'll keep working.  Not try.  I will pick up the camera and make exposures.  Time to wake up.

Forced Shooting

I always forget that waiting for inspiration is a doomed approach to photography.  While inspiration has visited me from time to time, the more reliable path has been to just pick up the camera and work.  Make photographs without worrying about whether they're any good, relevant or important.  Just work.  Good things emerge when I just engage the process.

Keeping things simple.  One camera, the Fuji X-Pro1, and two lenses in a small canvas case.  It's all I need.  Wonder why I keep thinking I need more to be productive.

Wandering around the house.  It's nice having mirrors to transform the space.

 Kim's artwork is everywhere.  Mine is hidden away upstairs.

Lily stays near in hopes I'll take her for a ride in the car followed my a walk through squirrel and rabbit country -- the Penn State University Park campus.

Junior is smiling because he went for a ride and had a walk through town.  He even paid a visit to a local cafe and bookstore.

 Stuff around the house.  Never know what you'll find artists collecting.

Late in the evening.  Reading a book.  Postponing sleep.  Still using the camera.

Chaos and Confusion

 Ugh.  The weight of everyday living is piling up.  Not doing anything and seemingly unable to motivate myself into action.  Picked up the camera this evening just to hear the shutter trip.  It's bullshit to wait for inspiration.

 Complaining about subject matter.  There's always myself.  Of just anything around me.  Time to quit whining and use the camera.  That's why I have it.

My spiritual life is in chaos.  Difficult to separate the divine from the mundane.  The result is drowning is stuff.  The camera sees it but I don't.

The dog knows something is up.  He is patient and waits for my next move.  Any move.  Poor dog.

Wandering Around Looking at Nothing in Particular

Still exploring with the Fuji X-Pro1.  Love the camera and how if feels and functions in my hands.  At this point, the only lingering quirk is the focusing scheme.  Somewhere around 3 feet and closer I need to switch to the electronic view finder to reliably focus.

So here's a sample from today's wander...

 Wandering through Walnut Springs Park in State College, Pennsylvania.

 Looking around in the doctor's parking lot.

 An exceptionally clean storage trailer.

 Junior in the morning.

 Lily in the morning.

 Lily after several dozen tennis ball throws...

 Junior attempting telepathic communication reminding me that it's time for breakfast.

Watching the Catholic kids get off the bus.