No Kings 3/28/26

Great turnout for the No Kings protest in Johnson City in deeply red Tennessee. Maybe the perfect weather had something to do with it, or a lot of people have realized that we are losing the fight for democracy. 

This was somewhat of an experiment. I used my Fuji X100F, a camera I purchased in 2019 and have not used very much. So, of course, when I arrived at the protest I fumbled with settings despite going over everything the night before (in hindsight I should have given myself more time). My fingers kept hitting buttons while shooting and I would lift the camera to my eye to see I was in some sort of mystery mode.  

I used my iPhone 16 pro for this one. I thought the battery in the Fuji was dead. The iPhone Portrait mode is pretty incredible. 

Joe here was a navigator in a B52 during the Vietnam War. He was quick to tell me he never set foot in Vietnam. 

I don’t think there is one photographer out there who could pass up the wall of an old building. 

Valerie and her sister, Nancy. 

Wanderings

Through the Pennsylvania State Gamelands, wandering with the camera around my neck. 

Saint's Cafe, early on a Sunday morning.

Who lives in this town?

Self-portrait.  I've seldom met a reflection I've not liked.

Near sunset on these cold, dark days.

Amazon is in town now.

Family Photos

Our dog Junior.  His watching is now more subdued.  But he's still on guard, always aware of the doors, the garden and the cookie jar.

Lily Hammer is like a wound spring.  She has similar guard characteristics as her uncle Junior but is far more easily distracted.

Kim, protected from the harsh wind on a walk through an open field.

Me, wondering why I feel like I'm 17 but don't look the part.

Wandering, Meandering, Thinking of a Project

After some time away from consistently working, I've picked up a camera again and started to wander.

Making photographs on a regular basis, paying attention to the details surrounding me, that activity sharpens my eye and fuels a level of motivation to get past my procrastination.

Walking through the Pugh Street Parking Garage in State College, Pennsylvania, I came face-to-face with myself.

Detritus on pavement.  Found art.

Sitting at my computer, processing images, making prints and I notice the lamp illuminating the room.

Kim showing off her scarf.

Colors in State College, Pennsylvania.

A baby plant wall along Calder Alley in State College, Pennsylvania.

Standing along PA Route 45 pondering the universe.

A familiar island in the Nittany Valley.

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.