2010.026

Another parking lot sky, this time on the way out my office. I’m so glad I’m carrying a camera with me now. A friend reminded me that it would take raw files. I had completely forgotten! When I used this as my primary camera, I was at events where I was taking many photos and recording video as well, so I had set it to jpegs so as to have enough room on the memory card. Now I’m back to raw, and even with its lower megapixels and unsophisticated lens, I’m getting some pretty nice photos. Purchase prints, mugs, t-shirts, and more,...

2010.025 Monitor Monitor!

The laptop monitor is not good for processing images. I needed something larger and clearer. So I moved the desktop monitor up from downstairs. I’ve used two monitors before for presentations; always in ‘mirror’ mode, where the second monitor displays exactly what the laptop displays. Well, this time, I have the second monitor expanding my desktop display, and WOW is it ever great! One of the things I miss about working in Ubuntu is multiple desktops. This is almost as good. Better, in some ways! Purchase prints, mugs, t-shirts, and more,...

2010.024 Winter Woods

A few mild days have melted the snow and made the woods easier to hike. The creek is visible (and audible) running under a skim coat of ice, rising to the surface at times to reflect the bright winter sun. There’s more from this walk,...

2010.023 Getting Reacquainted

Christmas brought me a couple of books on photography, one about shooting nature John Shaw’s Nature Photography Field Guide, the other exploring composition The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos. I’ve been working my way through the composition one, gradually recalling the lessons learned through countless hours of shooting and developing as a youngster. It’s hard not to giggle in relief at the memory of the log books I kept in those days, painstakingly logging the details of virtually every image… film type and speed, aperture,...

2010.022 Groceries

Frankly, I can’t stand shopping. However, this evening it was worth it, just to see this amazing sunset in the store lot where I parked. I happened to have my old camera with me, so that’s what I used. This is exactly what the sky looked like. I haven’t done any editing, other than cropping out the car reflectors that would be just below the bottom frame. It was difficult to face the garish lights of the grocery store, afterward. Purchase prints, mugs, t-shirts, and more,...

2010.020 New(old) Digs

We’ve found something on the floor. It turned out to be a carpet! It’s been a struggle, but at last I’ve reclaimed some space in the sewing room to use as my dedicated permanent office space. Permanent for now, at least. The various jobs I take on to supplement income and to stave off atrophy have taken over several rooms that are supposed to be used for other purposes… like cooking, eating, and hanging out with friends or the tv. So, it was time to take action, and I took that action upstairs in the room that has never been used as a spare bedroom. We have a sewing...

2010.019 It’s My Birthday

This year’s birthday celebration took a new turn. I went with Matty to training for the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) mentor program. We’ll be available to teens with Type 1 Diabetes, and their families, for support and non-medical guidance. Those first weeks after diagnosis can be very shaky. Sometimes the full weight of living with this every day for the rest of your life doesn’t hit until several months have passed. Or even a year or two. Matty still faces challenges, and those of us whose lives are intertwined with hers… parents, sister, close...

2010.018 Ivy Leaf

New-to-me music. The ever watchful rooster and hen atop the big oak cabinet can attest to the fact that two measures of this medley kick my butt. It’s not the notes, it’s the rhythm. I don’t know why I’m having so much trouble with it, it’s not particularly difficult. Something about what is going on with the other parts (I’m on my own on third), and the drums, and the transition from the waltz time the measure before. I’m telling you, it has literally brought me to tears. Twice! Sometimes, I get it right. Spot on. Soon, I’ll look back on this...