Category: outdoors

Daily Image — 29 August 2023

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Experiment in bubble bokeh with the Sony A7Sii and a Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8 vintage lens. The lens needs to be cleaned, but I see no fungus, just a bit of dust and haze.

This old Meyer-Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm f/1.8 arrived in the mail yesterday. It is a classic lens that can produce some interesting images. My copy came attached to a Praktina 35mm SLR, which is a decent vintage camera (all mechanical except a light meter) but I have use for.

I affixed the lens to the Sony A7Sii for walkies this morning. I missed the focus on a few images and will have to reshoot them. There is also a bit a trick to using this lens and that will require some repetitions.

The lens needs to be cleaned because there is a little dust and haze on the inside of the front and rear elements. The aperture is clean. If I can figure out how to get the front element out, I will clean it. Otherwise I will have to send it out and have it cleaned.

Post was with Color Efex Pro 4, which I am also experimenting with.

Daily Image — 27 August 2023

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I shot this with the Sony A7Sii and a Zuiko 85mm f/2 at either f/2 or f/2.8. The jpeg is out of camera using the Sony Vivid recipe, with some minor adjustment in Iridient Developer for contrast, color, and sharpness.

On walkies this morning, I carried the Sony A7Sii with an adapted Olympus Zuiko 85mm f/2 that I am testing. I will make a more complete review later (already have the test shots done), but thought that this sunflower with an out-of-focus bee was fun. The shot was captured at f/2 or f/2.8. I did a little post-processing in Iridient Developer (a recommended program, especially for Fuji X cameras) that included increasing the color saturation and vibrance a bit, adjusting the contrast to better cover the scene (and look my filmic), and bit of sharpening.

The lens is soft wide open. This is not unusual for vintage class and especially fast glass, like the 85mm f/2. It sharpens up nicely stopped down a stop or two. I like it.

Daily Image — 26 August 2023

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On walkies I spotted this cart sitting in the shade. I had the Nikkor 82mm f/2 mounted on my Fuji X-E4 and made the capture. I think the shot was captured at f/2, but I did not record it. Straight from camera with the Tri-X 400 film simulation.

The caption pretty much says everything that needs to be said. One thing I will mention is that the bokeh of this lens with the subject/background distance is a little crazy in the upper right. That is not pretty.

I have a Zuiko 85mm f/2 sample in my collection. I think it should be taken for a walk and tested. My other Olympus lenses render out of focus areas well. This Nikkor does not.

Daily Image — 20 August 2023

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Captured with the Fuji X-E4 and the Fujinon 35mm f/1.4 at f/1.4.

After I spent much of the morning puttering at my desk, I decided it was time to get out. We are experiencing the remains of a hurricane from the south. Our weather is cloudy, very cool, and a bit rainy.

The Girl asked to go with me. So, she did.

I had a lens to put into return mail. It was not what I expected. So we walked north to the post office and I dropped the parcel in the bin while chatting with Older Son. Then we walked the reverse of our normal circuit to Station 51. There was no one at the park, so Sera got some time off leash. She had a blast chasing the ground squirrels.

On our way home, I stopped at the planters outside the NDEP building and made a few images of the flowers there. I missed the focus on most of the shots with the thin depth of field of the 35mm f/1.4 wide open. I still got a few decent captures.

Once home, I made some lunch and shared some of my chicken with The Girl. She is doing much better today.

I am grateful. Life is good.

Archive Image — Ki

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This image was captured 02 July 2016 while we were out hiking. She’d lived with me for about five years at this time. I still miss her.

I was browsing my image archive this morning, cleaning up some culls and organizing the directories. I stumbled across this capture of Ki I made seven-years ago. She was on overwatch as I climbed up towards her and she looks so happy. We had so many good times together. She was a great dog, not perfect but neither am I.

I still miss her. We will see each other again and have a big-ol’ play along with all the others.

Life is good.

Daily Image — South End of a North-Bound Dog

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The south end of a north-bound dog.

I have laughed, many times, over the fact that no matter which way I point the camera (or face for that matter), there is The Girl, looking in the same direction. I think I could write a book entitled The South End of a North-Bound Dog. It would include a lot of dog stories, of course.

Once again, while looking at a piece of scrap metal left behind years ago, I pointed the camera. Before I could make the capture, there was The Girl, with the South End pointed at me.

Nevertheless, life is good.

Edit: On our morning hike, a large coyote crossed the access road behind us. Unlike they usually do, this one stood there, staring at us. Of course, this set off The Girl, who wanted to engage.

Well, that is not going to happen. But this raised her energy level so much that she was hyperactive as we started our walk.

About a mile in, I saw her jumping on a bush. That in itself is not unusual, but she was very agitated and clearly on something. I walked over and heard the buzz when I got about ten feet away. I called her off and she had blood on her nose and tongue.

It was a rattler, definitely. I figured she was bit, although I could not find it. I called the vet and we headed back to the rig.

They found one bite site on the side of her muzzle. She is in hospital while they infuse her with antivenin and monitor her blood and kidneys function. She should be fine in a couple of days. I doubt she will be any wiser.

Damned coyote…

And, nonetheless, life is still good!

Daily Image — Sunstar

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As I walked away from the rig to walk The Girl, I noticed the specular reflection. I thought “Sunstar!” and made the capture. Fuji X-T5 and Fujinon 33mm f/1.4 at f/16.

Last Sunday, after activating the park, The Girl and I walked to the east for some exercise before calling it a day. I looked over my shoulder and saw this specular reflection on my 4Runner. I immediately thought “Sunstar!” and raised the camera.

It was a good day. Life is good.

The Girl Poses

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She would rather be hunting. But she needed a break because she was overheating. Shot with Fuji X-T5 and the Fujinon 33mm f/1.4 at f/4.
While I work through my first morning coffee, I decided to post a capture of my lovely Girl. She will pose for me if I ask. Well, maybe sometimes I have to tell. [Heh]

We have been spending some time every weekend in the national forest at an elevation of about 7,000 feet. It is much cooler there and the pines provide shade and that soothing shooshing sound when the breeze blows through the needles. The lagniappe is that I can play radio a little, hike as much as I want, and enjoy being away from the sounds of Carson City.

I already have enough backlog of photographs to post for weeks. Those are just the captures from the last couple of weekends up there near Spooner Summit. I have many more from our walks at Silver Saddle Ranch.

I am already looking forward to the weekend. I plan on going back to this place. Although, as I think on it, my friend Greg mentioned Hermit Valley out south of us. It is also at elevation and is a new place to explore. I will have a look this week to see if there is a park or a summit to activate. Then I might plan a day trip out there to explore.