A couple weeks ago I made a number of captures at Virginia Lake. All were shot with my Nikon D300 and a Tamron 80–210/3.8 BBAR zoom. Most of the captures were shot at f/8 or f/11, although there were a few exceptions. This pair of ducks was shot at 210mm and f/8, I believe. Enjoy.
Thanksgiving Day was a week late this year. Every few years, it falls in the last week of November and not the third week. It’s always a bit strange when that happens because then it seems that Christmas comes so quickly.
Young Son and I celebrated Thanksgiving this year as a family. Older Son and Daughter are far away and not here. Wife is gone. We roasted a turkey breast, baked some bread, made some mashed potatoes and added a salad. I couldn’t get the fixings for a pumpkin pie, so I bought a frozen pie to bake. I started late morning Thursday, baked the pie, and set it aside to cool. I prepared a baste for the turkey and put the breast in to roast just after noon.
The baste was a half cup of butter (real butter), a couple of tablespoons of Mrs. Dash, a bit of paprika, and a bit of salt. I melted the mass about an hour into the turkey’s cook cycle, applied the baste, and roasted it another half-hour, then reapplied the baste. By the end of the third hour, the turkey was ready and the remaining parts of our dinner were prepared.
We celebrated in memory of the folks who created the feast a couple-three hundred years ago. We celebrated in memory of Wife and the holidays she so loved. It was good and I’m glad we did it.
I spent much of my long weekend working about the house. I decided to donate some more books and am clearing some shelves so I have room to store my lenses and cameras. I also had a bit of photochemicals to put away to tidy up my house. My workroom is nearly clear now and I should be able to get the last few things off the floor, stowed, and I can then dust and vacuum my workroom. This is a good thing.
I also spent some time researching film scanners. I have a lot of slides and negatives I want to scan and the little scanner I purchased last year does not handle the film well. So, I think I will buy a Plustek OpticFilm 120 either later this month or the first part of 2014. It will handle 35mm and medium format films, has a good reputation, and the films are held in carriers so that transport works.
I suspect there will be an Epson 750 in my future as well. It will handle prints and films up to 5×7. There is a 4×5 field camera in my future. I don’t know if that will be in 2014 or not, but I’m going to move to large format photography sometime. That’s where the real magic is. There is no way any digital camera can capture the amount of detail and tones that a large format negative (or positive) can.
This morning I put up a few Christmas lights. Wife loved Christmas… it was her favorite holiday and favorite season. I have pictures of her playing Santa for the kids and grandkids and she was always so happy doing that. It was a joy to watch her and I’m blessed for having had that experience.
So, last month I bought a few strings of lights and decided to put them up in celebration of Wife as much as the season. I celebrate Christmas in my own way — by remembering the Gift and the reason for our celebration. I tried to convey that spirit to my children. Only time will tell if that lesson took.
Nonetheless, the lights are up. I called Young Son out a few minutes ago and plugged them in. We stood there for a few minutes thinking about Wife and reflecting on how she would be pleased.
Then my Girl reminded it (not too subtly I might add) that it was her suppertime. “Kibbles?” I asked.
She blinked with her ears forward in admonition as if to say “Well, duh!”
So I fed her and played with her. Now she’s snoozing on her mat under my worktable.
Last day of the month. Hmmm…
After the unsatisfactory experience of test shooting the Vivitar 400mm f/5.6 manual focus telephoto lens in Nikon mount, I decided that the reputation of the lens was not illuminated (heh) with the particular sample I used. I happen to have a second sample in my stable, but in Olympus OM mount. That’s OK, because I have an Olympus adapter for my Sony NEX-5N handy.
So, I mounted the lens on the tripod and waited for the birds to appear one morning. Of course, with the lens mounted and ready, there were no birds for several days. I finally gave up and shot the empty tree. The first image is the lens shot wide open, f/5.6. (Excuse the beschwitz in the upper right of the images — there was a bit of dust on the sensor.) Although not tack sharp, it’s definitely useable at the aperture.
The second image is at f/8. It’s much better than wide open. I would not call this tack sharp (again), but it’s quite useable.
Although I shot all of the apertures down to f/22, I think one more at f/11 will suffice. Again, it’s a bit sharper than f/8 (not a lot) and completely useable.
So, my sample of the Vivitar 400mm f/5.6 in Nikon mount is going to the shop for a check-up. I think it’s a little sick. The Vivitar 400mm f/5.6 is capable of producing solid images and is a bargain at its price point.
My friend Jimmy told me he produced good images from the lens and was surprised by its poor performance. I’d like a 400mm telephoto in my Nikon kit because I like to shoot wildlife and sometimes the 500mm and 800mm lenses are just a bit too much.
While walking around Virginia Lake in Reno last Saturday, a number of the waterfowl appeared to pose for me. Of course, they’ve figured out that they can get freebies by playing to the crowd, so they do.
The shot was captured with my Nikon D300 and the Tamron 80-200/3.8 at about 200mm and most likely about f/8.
On my way to Reno Saturday, I elected to take the old U.S. 395 through Washoe City. There, next to the Chocolate Nugget (sounds nasty, doesn’t it?), resides Prospector Pete. He’s a very patient model and quietly posed for me while I worked the light.
The Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AIS is a great lens. It’s sharp and contrasty throughout its aperture range.
I don’t have a lot of use for an 800mm lens. But, now and again, it’s a useful tool to have when shooting wildlife, especially from long distances. It’s a catadioptric lens, meaning it’s a mirror lens. It’s an unusual piece in that the glass is one solid part. It was unusual and expensive when it was made, so not very many were sold. It’s also a decent piece of glass and can get the job done.
On my crop-sensor Nikon D300, it’s the equivalent of a 1,200mm lens. That’s a lot of reach. I have a Nikon 1.4x extender that I can use (and lose a stop), but there’s not much out there that needs to be shot that can’t be reached with an 1,800mm lens.
I made some minor adjustments to the image, mostly exposure and contrast, and added a bit of sharpening as a final step. Enjoy.
After comments from my friend Griff, I decided to mount the Vivitar 400mm f/5.6 telephoto on a tripod and shoot a few frames with my Nikon D300. The D300 is a crop-sensor dSLR with an APS-C sensor size and a crop factor of about 1.5. So, the 400/5.6 is equivalent to a 600/5.6 on a full-frame camera. I shot the lens wide open, f/5.6 , stopped down one stops, f/8, and stopped down three stops, f/16. The first frame (follows) is at f/5.6 (wide open). It is not very sharp.
The next frame is the test shot at f/8. It’s better.
The final frame is the test shot at f/16. It’s reasonably sharp.
So, here’s my take-home lesson. The Vivitar 400mm f/5.6 telephoto lens is unacceptably soft wide open. It’s better at f/8 and good at f/16. That means if I need a large aperture because the light is failing, this is not the tool to use. If it’s reasonably bright (where Sunny-16 is good), then the lens is useable at f/16 (maybe f/11) and can produce decent images. But, don’t let your friends shoot one of these wide open. It’s irresponsible photography and will frustrate everyone.
In Part I of this double entry, I wrote about the first part of my long trip home. Let me complete the story with this entry.
We rose early enough on Thursday, but I just couldn’t get it in gear. I was tired and restless and missed my home routine. I like to rise, make some coffee, and work a bit, read my email, and write. Then I get a shower, make some breakfast, and get started seriously on my day. There’s a walk in there sometime for the Girl and me because we both need the outing.
When traveling though, it just doesn’t work that way. I really want a way to travel where I can cook for myself when I want to. I’d prefer to make a sandwich in the morning for my lunch break, then find a quiet place to stop, enjoy the outdoors, and rest while I eat. I thought about buying a small travel trailer, one just big enough for the Girl and me. I could easily use KOA Kampgrounds as a base of operations while on the road, whether I used their facilities or not. There is something attractive about having your own place, even when not home. I’ll have to think on this some more.
We got away, finally. I had planned my geocaches along my proposed route. They were downloaded to my iPhone, but saved off-line in case there was not a signal. I figure I can find the geocache without mapping if I can navigate with the iPhone GPS to ground zero, then start looking at likely places. This is working for me and the mapping is great when I have a signal.
We wandered over through Deming, New Mexico, then turned north on US 180 headed for US 191. I think I’ve been through this area one other time, many years ago on my motorcycle. It’s desert, sunny and warm even in October. We enjoyed having the windows down again. There was some traffic along the road, but not too much. The radar detector picked up a couple of working LEOs, but I was legal and didn’t even think about it.
The planned geocache stops were generally in groups of two or three and were 40–50 miles apart. I use the stops as a break from driving, particularly when I begin to tire. The process of getting out of the 4Runner, wandering around for a few minutes, and getting some exercise helps clear my head.
We drove through the Guadalupe Wilderness and stopped at an overlook. I don’t think I got a decent picture of the site. I’m not sure the gear I had with me could do it justice. The location would have been perfect for a field camera, a normal or short telephoto lens, and black and white film with a yellow or red filter. Maybe someday I’ll drive back that way with the required equipment and knowledge to operate it. I think a late afternoon shot with the sun low would be it.
There was no one else at the overlook. The Girl and I had it to ourselves. We enjoyed the quiet outdoors. She took it all in in her inimitable fashion, with wandering around, sniffing, marking, and keeping one eye on me. I catch subtle glances from her, checking to see where I am and what I’m doing. They are quick, usually with her nose to the ground, gathering scent molecules that she processes. I love to watch her work. She fascinates me.
We climbed back into the 4Runner and headed northwest, on our way to the Guadalupe Mountains, Arizona, and Flagstaff for the night.
The drive up to the base of the Guadalupe Mountains was wonderful. The road is decent, there was little traffic, and the afternoon was beautiful. On the other side of the pass, we could see Guadalupe Peak to our right. We found a rest stop/picnic area and stopped. There were a couple of geocaches there and a beautiful site. I made the capture with both cameras (digital and film) and logged the geocache.
On the way down into eastern Arizona I passed an old motel. It was falling apart. I wasn’t going to stop, but thinking about it bit more I decided that if I’m to be a photographer these opportunities cannot be passed. I reversed and went back to shoot a few frames. Before I could stop her, the Girl got a drink from a puddle1. I had no idea what that meant, but it was too late to stop her so I forgot about it. She also found a few goat heads and I had to pull them. She doesn’t really like me to remove them, but it’s better than limping about or getting them in her mouth. So, she tolerates me.
We headed on in to Flagstaff and spent the night at the same La Quinta we stayed on the outbound trip. It was not too late when we got there so we had time for a short walk. I think we were both tired and slept well.
I ate breakfast as CoCo’s near the La Quinta. The Girl watched me from the 4Runner, but I was stationed where I could see her (and I suppose she could see me) and there was no pinging. The food was decent and the coffee plentiful.
The young woman working tables looked Native American to me. So, when she paused to refresh my coffee, I asked her “Are you Native American?”
“Yes.”
“Navajo?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“It’s the shape of your face. I thought I had it.” We chatted a few minutes about the other tribes in the area, the Apache and the Hopi. She explained some of the differences in appearance to me. I enjoyed the conversation.
When I stopped to refuel, I noticed a mesquite spur in the sidewall of one of the tires. That is not a good thing. I must have picked it up at a small cemetery I stopped at along the way. I love to check out rural cemeteries. They have a lot of history and often have a geocache to find. I remember making the turn around and brushing up against a low mesquite bush. That had to be where I picked up the spur.
The local Toyota dealership was no help. So I drove to a Discount Tire nearby. The tire was leaking. So, the technician pulled the wheel, removed the damaged tire and patched it, removed the spare from its wheel to put on the ground, put the repaired tire on the spare rim, and remounted the damaged tire on the spare rim so I’d have something if I needed it. The entire process cost me nearly half a day. I knew this meant I would not make it as far as I planned. So I called ahead to a La Quinta on the north side of Las Vegas to stay there. I would drive home Friday.
We puttered along the way, listening to music a good part of the time. The Girl likes to curl up in the passengers seat. The window is often down (when not on the super-slab) and she’s within reach. I like to touch her, stroke her head or her side. She’s learned to ask. She’ll reach out with a paw and touch my hand. When I look at her, she gives me that look that says “pet me.” So, I do. We both get something from it.
The Girl is my best friend and my constant companion. She understands me better than most humans, can read my mood and intent, and would rather be with me than anywhere else. We play together, walk together, sleep together, and watch what little TV I watch together. I share some of my food. She’d share her’s if I wanted it. If I go out the door, she’s ready to go too. She pines when we’re separated. So do I.
I don’t own the Girl. She probably owns me. She shares time and space with me and a deep emotional bond. There is a thing about men and dogs, I think. They understand us innately. We can understand them if we take the time. When one does take the time, it’s amazing what happens. It’s like the two species were meant to be together.
Neither of us is perfect. It doesn’t matter.
We spent the night at another La Quinta, this one on the north side of Las Vegas. We walked a bit both evening and morning. We headed home pretty quickly Friday morning. I found a Denny’s where I could park and see her. So, I had some bacon and eggs and had them make a couple of scrambled eggs for the Girl. I had to let them cool a bit, but she likes scrambled eggs. Then we were on the road home.
We stopped to pick up a few geocaches along the way. One location is near the Nevada Test Site and I could hear heavy machine-gun fire off in the distance. I guess it was practice day.
I stopped on the west side of Tonopah to make a couple of images and pick up a geocache (Lonely Mountain, I think). I also needed a bite and the care package one of my friends sent along was the thing. The apples and cheesy crackers were good. While we were standing there, I heard a motorcycle approach. The engine cut out, then restarted, then cut out again. The rider pulled over to the side and parked the machine.
When we finished, the rider was still there, so I reversed and drove up to him. He was a young man, maybe a twenty-something, with dark hair and eyes.
“Would you have some gas I can buy?”
“Nope. I don’t have a spare can with me in the car. Do you have a cell phone? It’s about ten miles to Tonopah.”
“Yes. I thought I could make it from Reno to Tonopah.”
“That’s a long freakin’ way.” I thought about my own long rides and the couple of times I ran out of fuel. As I turned to leave, he had the phone up to his ear. “Do you have a signal?”
“Yes.” And so we left him to his devices. I was reminded that I should carry a spare bit of fuel in the 4Runner. Even if I carried a one-gallon can, it could help me or someone else along the way. Maybe I should add that to my list of “necessaries” that need to be in the back of the 4Runner when I go out on my long trips. I am expecting more long trips in the future, not less. I think I’ll find myself being something of a nomad sometime in my future. I’ll have a home base, but will range out in search of images and words. We will see.
It was time to make the run home. I had only a couple more geocaches on my list. We stopped to pick them up along the way and then just drove. The Girl settled in beside me for the last push. I had music from the satellites to help me get through. I could feel the draw of home and my own space pulling. So, we drove.
1Edit: This is where I think The Girl got her leptospirosis bacteria. There was lots of rodent sign around the old motel. The disease is transmitted through rodent urine.