This year
It happened. Can it be? Covid – mask? Ukraine? Travel? Events? Forbidden?
Though many around us have been touched by covid – children, grandchildren, cousins and so forth….
We went to the museum to see the new exhibit. It’s on loan and traveling from Long Island. Photos forbidden. Oops! I already shot by the time Colleen pointed it out. Does this fall under street photography? It was illustrative that covid was still in our thoughts.
Taken at random the flower or the fish could have been anywhere. I needed the white gate to orient me. Aha! Winterthur – been there!
Random sunset. Or perhaps sunrise? It would depend on which side of the car windows I was shooting. Aha! Metadata?! 6:56PM.
Fine photography? No, nope, not hardly… but, fine by me.
Incomplete
Information? What? I have a Lightroom catalog titled Images 2016 – meaning 2016 onward. This is distinguished from “all digital images” “slides” and so forth. It is a rough divider to allow for easier search of the many many images in each catalog. This catalog has nearly 500k images. Repeats? There are not supposed to be any. It is a one way – forward – catalog.
So, the beginning of the catalog is anything but 2016.
It seems that I took stray photos/slides/images and just mashed them into this catalog. Logic? I do not know what logic. The end of the catalog – now – is current images, digital, of course.
What?
My first digital camera – Canon G3. The Nikon D70, my first digital DSLR, and a pictrure of the digital clock; I was working late (neurosurgeon) and got home to open the new box and shoot the clock among the first. I dropped Dave off in college long before 2016. Jules helped build the slide cabinet I would not need. Drawers – we built a lot of drawers on the deck. Of course, with digital, who needs drawers to store slides any more? The drawers are full. But more than half are not slides.
Julia and dad at her track meet; gee I was a good attentive dad. The rope swing was lost when the tree trimmers cut down the branch above it. We never spoke about it (the swing) again after that. Face painting – they were but kids. A dramatic graphic of tulips – striking against the tile floor of the Long Island kitchen. Nice. Iconic for me! … English child, street photography in the ‘70’s.
It was, this is, a hodge podge of a collection of photos digital and scanned. I suppose they followed me from computer to computer on each successive hard drive to form a core of what I could store given the supplied hard drive memory with each laptop.
I am so organized. And not! All the images slide and digital reside on multiple redundant hard drives. I wonder who will sort thru them when I am gone? Will anyone bother? Historical. But worth preserving? Ah! An external drive is so small nowadays. Who knows? I won’t.
Almost
From the time of my childhood I wanted to see Blackwater Falls. There was a winter photo with ice framed by a sunny day as the water cascaded. The picture never left my memory.
Who knew I would return from Saudi to finally see the falls in winter. Ha ha. From desert to this. But it would be disappointing in some aspects. We were not there on that magical day my memory recalled. There was ice to be sure. There was much to be needed to make the perfect picture. And in other ways it was a perfect picture. I had never dreamed I would be there with Colleen. She was not in that original memory. Somehow I think this real memory is so much better.
Right after I retired from Saudi and returned to the US, Colleen had me on extensive road trips to visit family. Her family extended across WV, CO, and OH. Do the math. It’s a lot of driving. But she did divert me through Blackwater Falls to see that mythical falls of my childhood memory. It was my first time. And, to return in winter with ice falling….
On so many levels this is a memory of almost. Almost good to almost perfect. I’ll take it!!
Slow day
I gotta say that post vacation there is a lull in photographic activity. Then again, we were also stricken with colds. So, not much happened. I shot clouds out my window. And I shot passing foliage in a couple of cemeteries. It was still 80 degrees here in early November. Take heart. You can shoot decent photographs even as you drive by in a speeding car. Not every sunrise is spectacular but it is pretty easy when you only need lift your camera from your desk.
Wait
If you wait long enough, what was old becomes new again. Back in 2017 there was an eclipse. Photograph it. That was the challenge. I got a sun filter from the camera store. After that it was a piece of cake. Ha ha! But we got it. Everyone went down to the beach and sat looking at the sun as the eclipse came and went. Brilliantly, I kept a copy of the composite in my catalog. It was sure nice to see it again. Hey, it was a shared experience. And, I got talent. Just a little…
You can’t go back
Once upon a time… We had a magical time. It was near this time of year. How long? Dunno.
Dave came to Saudi. He learned to dive. Jules joined us. They experienced the Red Sea. It has been largely forbidden to tourists. I got them in under my work visa as family. They did a night dive. It was special. The fan coral is gone now. It was destroyed by inconsiderate divers. It is always special to see a turtle in open water.
Yes, it happened once. You can’t go back. Wistful? You bet. I’d have loved to get Colleen into the water, dived, and held her hand as we saw the wonders.
Going back
Sometimes you go back. Things don’t/didn’t change much. The lamppost of buoys is still there. The lighthouse has not gone away. I am still with the one I love. No, they did not open the Olsen House. The museum is open. The house is not? Go figure. Only a handful of folks visit the Olsen House. Plenty of folks wander the museum in Rockland without a mask in sight…. Going back. It’s never quite the same.
Happy Thanksgiving
The news of the moment is not happy. More shootings. More dead. I read the articles for the body count, Nothing comes of it. The majority is ignored so that laws for gun control are a distant dream. How many? Died.
I have much to be thankful for and I feel guilty as though I am in a small bubble. Nonetheless, there are millions who celebrate and many who cannot. Colleen is always mindful and keeps me grounded. To all: best wishes for this day.
As I am writing, about 24 hrs hence we will have a turkey in the oven and await family who will arrive for dinner. The celebrations are more rare and precious with the passing years.
In closing and with hope: Go with the promise of a new day and all of its possibilities.
Three star
I rate my pictures as I edit. Two stars – technically good, not outstanding, but a good shot. Three stars – a little bit better. I’m looking through three star edits. No worries. Good shots. Fun. Solid. Wow! They might make you smile. It’s not necessarily an easy shot to get. The smiles are real. I can admire my technical prowess sometimes. It’s like kids. Don’t you love them all? Equally?
About time
It’s about time for the annual family shot – Colleen, me, and the seven cats. They march up onto the table and I shoot with the remote control and tripod. Simple. Easy.
This year the pandemic is over. Is it? To all intents and purposes it is hard to find many masks and precautions. We are not taking risks. But pretty much wherever we go there are few admonitions or masks. People are still hospitalized and dying. Our social exposure is slowly ramping up. For the first time in several years we will have a family gathering at Thanksgiving. Good luck to all.
I just gotta say…
…to the New York Times cooking department:
Do you have an exclusive recipe? A recipe that no one else has? That no one else can cook without your website and its recipes?
Nowadays I get the screen admonition to subscribe in order to see the recipe. Ooops! Less than a second later another window opens in my browser. Voila! The recipe and a dozen options are there. Pick one.
I liken it to tuning out the sound of sirens blasting up and down the avenue in Manhattan. Someone is having a bad day but the noise is superfluous to my business and I ignore it. For now anything food that the NYT publishes is glanced at and skipped over. No need to read. I just take your food ideas and explore and expand elsewhere. I bet your food writers are just peachy with that.
With or without
I tinker. Don’t you? Picture? With or without moon? Person? (Colleen). Counterpoint?
I dunno. It ain’t a perfect world. Sometimes my subjects cooperate and can be moved about. Sometimes it’s just not that simple. And I suppose it is also a matter of preference. You can go both ways. Sure. But at some point you must choose. Or not.
Fast forward
Life is in fast forward these days. There’s no let up soon. We returned from Maine and flew to California. Day trips. Thanksgiving at our house. Ohio a couple of trips. We are on the go. In between there is a lot of fleece to wash, card, and spin. No boredom around here. Looking back at the first part, maybe that was the slow part?
Family, kids, nature, cats… repeat.
ho hum
From one loser to another loser.
Elon tweeted: How do you make a small fortune? Start with a large one.
When he had his finger and threatened to press the nuclear button…. now he doesn’t. We realize he never really did and he never will again. Well, he’s yesterday’s news. Example? Well truth social or whatever his social platform, it made a big flat splat when it debuted.
Yesterday’s news today. The next chapter is ‘lock him up.” There are millions who will vote for him. And many more millions will vote against him. He will never rise to power. My vote still counts. You can be sure yours will too.
Twitter will soon enough be defunct. Its content is already suspect for truth. When news is unreliable and manipulated no one will be tuning in. When you make a headline in order to cultivate an audience…. Y’all are toast.
O Henry
It’s like an O Henry story – everyone is trying to do the right thing and we all miss by, that much. Alternately – no good deed shall go unpunished. Or, vacation – a game the whole family can play.
We tried to visit Jules and the kids before she started work once more after maternity leave. How many times have I had sick kids during important events? Christmas flu anyone?
No surprise. The little girls were both sick. And Jules…and us. You name it, they got it and had it. And, they shared! The coup de grace was getting shoes and socks soaked when a rogue wave overtook us on the beach! Yeah, well, nothing so dramatic?!
We all stumbled over ourselves trying to be good to one another. Jules wanted to entertain us. She wanted to take us to see things. She wanted me to cook with Noa. Etc etc… I was not at all demanding and wanted everyone to get well. We just never seemed to mesh. Plenty of smiles but there was a lot of illness. Funny. The kids never did look too ill. Neither were we.
Colleen and I spent the second night home alternately coughing and trying not to wake one another. The girls are mending. Jules missed her first day to return to school. And, it was all on Halloween. Boo!
Composed
We have returned from extended trips – Maine and California. What do you shoot – when you get back? Cats! Of course! It was a welcome reunion with hugs all around. Who missed who – more? One of the favorite activities – eating grass and leaves on the deck. Ok! I hope everyone is happy. We are happy to be home.
Easy?!
You think it’s easy?! Jules casually dropped a request for a family picture. Sure! She already had it planned out. She picked a spot under the pier. Ok! Backlighting. I should have used a flash. Nope. And then, to pose the kids. Nope, they weren’t having any. No way were two squirmy kids gonna look at my lens. There were too many distractions. Nope! No way! Great! I took nearly a hundred…. No dice. No cigar. No luck. Aha! Photoshop! Damn, I hate to resort to technology. But! For my trouble, we all got our feet wet. Jules and Jeff were barefoot. It was travel day. I was wearing sock on the plane so as not to stand barefoot in TSA. Yup! Soaked. Shoes and socks. Yes, it’s lovely to ride the plane coast to coast in wet shoes and socks.
We got a shot – several – some passable. I did not nail the image I sought. Everyone went away happy!
Guilt
I am racked with guilt. Even when they were both with us, I could never tell the difference between Ray and Nutley looking at them head on. There was a white collar of fur on Ray’s neck. Flowers look the same too? Right? You don’t mistake your kids? Relatives? Friends?
Ha ha. Freudian? I started to list the cats as “family” in the category and tags.
Page 26?!
Gee! Don’t hold back! The orange guy with the fake hair announced again. Ho hum. No need to listen. Lies and ego. We seen this story before. The New York Times has a strong opinion. I do not think there will be an endorsement forthcoming. Gee!
Derision? Deja vu all over again?
And, he got cropped in his prime time coverage. Newsworthy? “Florida man” got page 26 in his favorite megaphone…
Junk mail
Upon our return from a recent trip there was a pile – an impressive pile – of junk mail that awaited. You know? The kind that implores donation or urgent action to save whatever endangered species is the flavor of the moment. Buy insurance and other products for which I have no interest. Not from one but from multiple organizations and companies. No return address, sender unknown, hoping curiosity will get you to open the envelope. It is a colossal waste of paper and time.
My point? I liken junk mail to the photos we take that have extraneous distractions. Road signs, telephone wires, you know the drill. It seems there is always something in the way of my perfect shot. Of course, it helps if you are not shooting pictures in a speeding car. But, nonetheless, junk creeps into my images. I will not give up. I strive for perfection knowing that there is always a surprise waiting when I can say, “I shot that??!”
Not so hard
Find a picture when you need it. I have nearly 500k images in my current catalog. It is akin to a needle in a haystack. I have never tried that either.
I hit a random shot of dinner with Jane. Cheers! We do not have a large family. And we do. There are a lot of moving parts. I do manage to get groupings. And there is always someone missing. Meanwhile, it was an interesting past year wherein people got together in unexpected groupings. I am happy to say it was a good year.
Kondo marie…
Backwards. Opposite. … we are not… neat and organized.
We do pack our days. Upon our return from our recent trip to Maine it took about an hour to unload the car. Slow?! We had a lot of stuff crammed in all the nooks and crannies. How about a linear foot of books beneath the front seats. Exaggerate. No, I was merely cautions. There was a lot of glassware or pottery too.
Waiting were my seven cats. It took Feather a day to forgive my absence. Wating too, were a slew of Amazon fairy packages. Neat! Colleen would spy a book she had to have. I would find it discounted… or that tea pot. We need another like a … and I found it on Amazon and had it shipped. Ha! More room in the car. Thank goodness we do not have a van.
We managed a visit to the beach. The erosion from the recent hurricane had pretty much decimated the beach. I started to spin. There’s a lot of fiber processing to come this winter. And Feather made it to the vet.
Neat comes later. Organized? Colleen got a new pocket book and transferred the contents from her old one. We never did find the old one among our bags. Hmmmm? And a bread box? Yeah!? I did not know we needed one. Books? Every other available space … used and second hand. It seemed every library in Maine had a sale going. You borrow, right? Nope, you can buy gently used….
It’s all very topsy turvy confusing but there is organization to our happy chaos. Umm… and another spinning wheel… like the proverbial hole in the head. Ah! Ha! It folds compactly to travel in the car! Yup, it would be great if we had any room in the car. Did I remember to mention the large bags of sheep fleece?
Sunrise/Sunset
It is a matter of your point of view. In this case, my sunset preceded my sunrise. A mere technicality. We were staying so close to Colleen’s favorite lighthouse of all lighthouses. No, she did not get up for the chill dawn show. It was 32 degrees. Nope, a warm cozy bed was preferable. At sunset, no glow, clouds, she blessed her handmade Abanaki Indian meditation basket in the waters of the lighthouse. We were blessed with angel light. At dawn I was blessed with moonlight thru the clouds as well as a memorable morning glow.
There are days and there are days. We have had some wonderful days shared in harmonious peace.
Internet
When you consider the Internet…. Twitter has had so much trouble since musk took over.
The NY Post a staunch supporter of trump, has turned upon him. He’s a loser whose time has passed.
Surprisingly, it was not so straightforward to look up this picture on the ‘net. They talk about it. But the articles tease you out. It took a few clicks to find it. Delicious. You would expect NYT and MSNBC would have had a field day…. Who would have guessed the beginning of the end would come with a whisper.
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