While The Girl and I were hiking, I noticed the skyline. Captured with X-T5, 2025-10-16 16:47:04, 35mm, 1/640sec, f/8, ISO-250, in-camera Tri-X Film Simulation, SOOC.
Typically, we think of a skyline in terms of a city. However, while hiking The Girl near our campsite in Utah, I noticed this vista. With one eye on her, I made a few captures and like this one the most.
There are a few more frames from this overnight stop that are worth sharing. I will work through them over the remainder of the year.
The Sun set not long after I made this capture. By that time, we had completed our short hike and returned to the camper. I set about making some supper and taking care of my girl. Then I enjoyed my supper and a beer and we settled in for the night. I was tired and had a lot more miles to make before arriving in Missouri.
A hint of a Utah hoodoo, near my camp on my way east back in October. Captured with X-T5, 2025-10-16 16:46:39, 35mm, 1/1100sec, f/8, ISO-250, in-camera Tri-X film simulation, SOOC.
Back in October, I headed east to see Older Grandson married and to spend time with my children. My second night out, we pulled off I-70 to find a campsite for the night. About a half-mile off the highway there was a pullout on the trail. It made sense to reverse the rig to put the door on the trail side, so I did and spent the few minutes required to setup the camper.
Then I got The Girl out of the 4Runner, checked to see that the group of feral horses were far enough away to not be a significant temptation, and we started a short hike to look around. I learned that the trail was washed out by recent rains so the risk of nighttime traffic was low. I also found these rounded rock outcrops that made me think of Goblin State Park, which I visited another time a decade ago.
The hike done, I fed us and we settled in for the night. Both of us slept well.
It was a good trip, if exceptionally busy. I am so grateful for a safe trip and the time spent with my children. Life is good.
This capture is from a test roll with the Nikon FM2n and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens, on Ilford XP-2. This is one of the few leaves left on this old willow tree.
A few weeks ago I carried the Nikon FM2n that sat on the shelf for several years. Long ago, my photographer connection, errr buddy, pushed this camera on me from his inventory. He indicated that it was a suitable object of lust for film photographers and I considered it a back up for some of my other film cameras.
Time moves on and I find myself connected to Nikon cameras at this point in my life. Well, connected to Nikon film cameras (and dSLRs). All of these use the ancient Nikon F-mount, so all of my legacy glass is useful.
I have not looked at any of the new Nikon Z cameras. I am so heavily invested in Fujifilm that I am not sure I want to change systems. I certainly do not want to buy a new set of lenses for what I do with my Fujifilm cameras.
But, I digress. While hiking with The Girl one afternoon, we crossed the Mexican Ditch at one of the irrigation structures (where we often cross) and I paused for a moment to see if anything caught my eye. I noticed this solitary willow leaf, clinging to the branches of a winter-sleeping willow. So I paused, checked the framing, adjusted the exposure to suit myself, and made the capture. I also made a few more captures, before we headed off to finish our hike and return home.
The negative scans were uploaded to the processor’s website last weekend. I am still working through them, looking for frames that recreate the emotion I felt when looking at the scene. This one will do for today.
I sure enjoy hiking with The Girl, as challenging as she can be. Sometimes I also find an interesting scene. I am grateful.
My old nemesis, rabbit brush, long past its affect on my fall allergies. Captured with Nikon F3hp and Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 at f/4 or so on Kodak Ektar 100, way expired. Color correction in PhotoLab 7.
When it blooms in the Fall, rabbitbrush and its yellow flowers ignites my allergies. This year, like some before it, my body’s response was strong enough that even my eyes responded. And that was over my regular dose of antihistamine. I was forced to use a second drug to reinforce the first for a few weeks.
But now that we have had some cold weather, the blooms are turned a duller yellow and no longer produce the pollen that causes my body to react. And with the background in the shadow of my mountain, I like the contrast. So, while The Girl sniffed, I made a couple of captures on film.
We continued are walk along our normal path, or some semblance thereof. Once the risk of Nope Ropes is reduced, we often bushwhack part of our way through the sagebrush. I do keep a sharp eye open for other hikers and for coyotes. I do not want a negative encounter with another dog and she has no need to engage with another coyote.
It was certainly a good afternoon hike with The Girl. It was a good day. Life is good.
It might not look red in this capture, but the flaking red paint is there. Captured with the Nikon F3hp and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 at either f/5.6 or f/8 on Kodak Ektar, then post-processed to black and white in PhotoLab 7.
Right after it arrived, I put a roll of (long expired) Kodak Ektar 100 in the F3 and set the ISO for 50 (one stop over exposed). The rule of thumb is that the colors will be off and the film less sensitive. So, I went with it.
I mounted a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AIS to the body, put a strap on it, and The Girl and I headed out for a hike. The hike was good and I made a few captures along the way.
Over the next few days I continued working through that 36-exposure roll. When it was finished, there were a few frames left on the roll in the F2. So It was carried a couple more days.
In the end, I sent three rolls of film to The Darkroom for processing. The scans were posted Saturday, so I downloaded them and began my review. One roll from the Nikon FM2n, one from the F2, and one from the new-to-me F3. There are actually a few frames in the lot that are keepers.
I selected the frame above to illustrate the results. It is a conversion from the Ektar roll that was done in PhotoLab. I continue to learn that tool.
I simply prefer film. Digital is so much more convenient and the technology so much better. But the analog look is what I prefer.
I like my Nikons and the Nikkor glass. I definitely like photography. Right now, as busy with other stuff as I am, it gives me a few minutes of respite from work to do something creative.
Here is another capture from my time in West Texas. It was from the same outing that produced the image of the Cumulonimbus cloud. Captured with NIKON D100, 2004-05-26 20:29:00, 200mm, 1/400sec, f/8, ISO-200, SOOC.
Besides the Spring (mostly) dust storms, the other spectacular weather event was the Summer thunderstorm. The Texas Panhandle is no stranger to extreme thunderstorms and they could be spectacular. My lovely BMW 330i had some hail dimples in it, like most Texas vehicles. If you live in Texas long enough, you will drive through a hailstorm.
While there I did not take sufficient advantage of the photographic opportunities that the storms presented. The frame from a few days ago and the preceding frame earlier are a couple of examples of when I did. On the same outing that gave me the cloud image, I was blessed with a gorgeous West Texas sunset. There are some tendrils of clouds kicked up by the oncoming storm visible in the frame. I noticed that interaction developing and waited for the right moment.
I was then blessed with this image. Wife and I stood there beside the highway taking it in. Then the Sun descended and a few minutes later the light disappeared from the cloud. So, we loaded back into the car and headed on towards home.
This is the season when I miss Wife the most. She loved the holidays so. I loved that part of her. I have been working through my digital image archive when I wake early. There are quite a few good frames in there and many that simply document family. I really need to develop (hah) a system for organizing and sorting those frames. Then there are the thousands (probably) of frames of physical prints and many of the source negatives in my closets. I do not have time to completely deal with those, but I want to.
Christmas comes and with it the celebration of the Christ Child. Alongside that joy is the somewhat sobering remembering of Wife. The two are intermingled in an inseparable fashion. That is OK.
While walking The Girl on a circuit around the campground, I noticed this frame and captured it. Captured with X-T5, 2025-11-09 10:23:36, 55mm, 1/220sec, f/8, ISO-500, in-camera Velvia film simulation, SOOC.
I paused to overnight at the Lake Texoma campground near Mead, OK on my way from Missouri to Texas. My youngest and his wife live near there, so a family meal was in order. We arrived late and I had to back into my camp in the dark, of course. But I learned that my handlight (EDC) worked well as an improved back-up light and permitted the alignment of the rig in the spot.
It did not take long to set up camp. Then I got The Girl out for a walk in the dark. She was on high alert for critters, of course. But, we found none.
That handled, we settled in for the night and I fed us. Then we slept.
I woke early, of course, made coffee, then walked over to the central facility to do my morning regimen, including a shower. When I returned, The Girl was ready to start her day, so we got out and walked the perimeter of the campground. A few others were stirring, some breaking camp; others enjoying the fall morning.
As we walked, I found a frame I liked. So I paused to make a capture. I rather like this one, if the colors are a little accentuated by the film stock selection.
We broke camp and then met Young Son and spouse for a meal before heading on to Lubbock and friends there.
The answer to the question posed is simple. I do not have the personal bandwidth necessary for radio operations at the moment. Work and personal obligations are sufficient that they use up my available resources. But, this will change and I will have an opportunity to go operate in the field. I will be ready for some POTA and SOTA activations and will enjoy those exercises.
Despite being busy, I remain grateful. Life is good.
I made several images in this old cemetery. This is one that I like. Captured with X-T5, 2025-10-26 12:38:59, 27mm, 1/550sec, f/5.6, ISO-250, in-camera Tri X Film Simulation.
Somewhere on the way back to Missouri from Pennsylvania, DiL wanted to stop and walk and old cemetery. She found several and then picked one. It was good to be out of the rig for awhile and the places always provide some interesting images. I came away with a few.
While walking The Girl, I noticed this row of houses .Captured with X-T5, 2025-10-25 07:15:09, 18mm, 1/750sec, f/8, ISO-250, in-camera Tri X Film Simulation,
While in Philly for the wedding, I walked The Girl around the block a few times. The row houses are a fascinating architectural thing that I do not routinely see. Therefore, I needed an image for the memory. So, I made one.
While I do not want to live there, the visit was worth the effort. Life is good.
While visiting Towers Beach, my son crossed in front of the reflection of the Sun. Captured with X-T5, 2025-10-26 04:22:46, 18mm, 1/38sec, f/8, ISO-125, SOOC.
I went to my grandson’s wedding in Philadelphia. I had all of my children and some of their spouses with me. It was a good time and I am very grateful.
Daughter suggested we go to a Delaware beach. So, we did.
I came away with a good memory and a few good frames. Life is good.
