This is a test frame using the new Adobe Labs Indigo camera app. I did some light post-processing in PhotoLab7. Captured with iPhone 13 Pro Max, 2025-06-24 07:17:31, 5.7mm, 1/30sec, f/1.5, ISO-100.
My last iPhone upgrade was from an iPhone 11 Pro Max (I think, and iPhone 11 for sure) to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. I have not upgraded to the latest and greatest, and probably will not. That is a topic for another essay.
I also have tried any number of camera apps in my iPhones over the years. I was just reading through a recent email from DPReview about Adobe Lab’s new camera app, Indigo. I have not wanted to give up completely on the iPhone camera, but the quality of output is generally unsatisfactory. So, I decided to give the new Indigo app a chance.
The result of my first shot is the example above. It is a grab shot of my coffee mug, dust, residue, and all. I did a little post processing in PhotoLab7 to slightly improve the aesthetic.
From what I see, Indigo has promise. I will be doing more testing and grab some of the RAW images that it produces for post processing and review.
I do not care for Adobe’s change to a subscription model. For that reason, I eschew most of the their products. It does not matter to me whether they are the standard or not. I have alternatives that serve my needs. Indigo might be the exception to my rule.
This morning I enjoyed a nice mug of Joe and admired the new-to-me Olympus OM-3. Capture with iPhone 13 Pro Max, SOOC.
It has been a day. The weather turned more wintry last night and I woke to a gray day. I made my first mug of the day using my Aeropress and some Peet’s whole bean dark roast. I sat down at the computer to contemplate the day and enjoy my coffee and noticed the new-to-me Olympus OM-3 sitting on my desk. I decided to make an image to celebrate the arrival of one of my grail cameras.
The OM-3 did not sell in large numbers. It has a mechanical shutter, which I think is highly desirable. It has a sophisticated spot metering system that it shares with the OM-4 (electronic shutter) that is very powerful. The camera will average multiple spot readings to produce a proper exposure. There is a bit of a learning curve, but not bad. I have already figured it out.
My sample has some brassing on the edges and a bit of paint loss on the back. Although these cameras are collectible, my sample is user grade and I will use it.
I have a G.Zuiko 50mm f/1.4 lens in my inventory and I affixed that lens to the body. I ran about a half roll of 36-exposure film through it yesterday and need to finish off the roll. I checked the meter with my Minolta spot meter and the camera’s meter is within a half-stop of the Minolta. That is good enough. After I use it for a while I might send it in for a CLA. I might also replace the light seals.
I have a few Olympus lenses in my inventory. Many of the Olympus lenses are very good and the system is very small. I mean diminutive in stature; not a weak system.
It will be fun to put this camera through its paces. I just want some good light.
Yesterday I noticed that my Microsoft Office 365 installation needed to be updated (on my Mac). So I permitted the updater to do the work. On starting Word, I was greeted with “Welcome to Copilot” and I nearly shat myself. I have no desire to permit any AI on my computers, especially Microsoft’s. This seems like an open door to the software scraping my systems for data to feed the AI monster. NO THANK YOU!
And that is not just a “No!” it is a “Hell No!”
I think this might be the last straw. Big Tech seems to be invading everything now and I want nothing to do with it. In texting with my son and my grandson today, I realize that it is highly unlikely that I will neither be able to completely limit my exposure nor completely disconnect from the grid. But, I can take some steps to make me a harder target such that the ‘bots will tackle the easier targets instead of me.
In installed LibreOffice on my Mac this afternoon. After working with it some, I can decide if I can eliminate the Microsoft virus from my Mac. It is bad enough that Apple is asking me to turn on their AI. (I said no.) It also means that I am looking at Linux again as a possible refuge or at least a minimization of my exposure.
So I will set up a Linux computer and start doing some testing. I wonder what photography post-processing applications I can get running under Linux. I guess I will find out.
A KH1 stump shot, photographed with my iPhone 13 Pro Max and no post processing.
A few days ago (before the new year), I had The Girl out for a walk. The Sun shone and made it feel warm even if the air was cool.
It was a day that had no afternoon duties scheduled, so after walkies I got out my Elecraft KH1 to play just a little radio. I sat on this old cottonwood block, facing the Sun. The Girl hung out in the rig, only a few feet away. I think she liked the warm of the rig.
I heard a few stations calling CQ POTA and answered their calls. However, none heard me and answered. The few watts the KH1 makes was not making the trip this afternoon. After about 15 minutes, I decided to pack it in and head home. I paused for the photograph, then reloaded the KH1’s box and put it away.
There will be another day for radio, God willing. It was still a good day — we had a good walk and I sat in the Sun for a few minutes, listening to the radio waves.
Life is good.
Edit: Yes, the title is a pun. The KH1 is a little radio.
Last night I stepped outside of my camper to look at the night sky. I made this capture with my iPhone 13 Pro Max and it is SOOC.
I spent most of the week in Northern Nevada near Summit Lake collecting topographic data to refine one of my hydraulic models for my client. Our definition of the small channel was lacking and we had unused budget, so I lobbied for collection of more detailed channel geometry.
And so that is what I did. I had a new helper and she is excellent. She has no surveying experience, but learned to follow my direction rapidly and has a better attitude about field work than most of the technical people I have worked with. She is definitely a keeper!
I left the site later I needed to and hit traffic just west from Lovelock. A semi-truck van caught fire and was burned out on the shoulder of I-80. The trucker had separated the tractor from the van, so there was no apparent damage to the rig. But the van looked a total loss.
Traffic was backed up a mile or so. It was moving, but slowly. This cost me maybe 20 minutes.
The sun was falling behind the mountains and I was very tired after a week of exercise. Also, I had caught enough insects on the windshield that the light was causing difficulty seeing.
I was getting desperate when I hit the Toulon exit. But I seemed to remember a place to dry camp not far north from the Interstate. Driving up Wild Ass Road (yes, that is the name) I leaned out my window to improve my vision. I found a pull-out and then realized I had been there before. My friends sometimes camp there.
I turned the rig to face downhill, parked, and got The Girl out for a respite. She immediately eliminated, which was a good thing (for her).
It took a little longer than usual to deploy my camper. I guess I was pretty tired.
But, with the house setup, I opened a beer and a bag of chips for a snack. I also discovered that the refrigerator had reset itself sometime during the day and everything was warm. So, I did not trust most of my food. It was no matter, I was not particularly hungry. I simply wanted to settle down, decompress a bit, and go to sleep.
I fed The Girl and she hopped up on the bed and settled right down. I finished my beer and had another while sending text messages to friend and family.
I stepped outside to empty my bladder and noticed the sky. Unsure whether or not my iPhone might capture the scene of the trucks passing below us on I-80 and the evening stars, I made the capture anyway.
I was fairly astounded at the result, above. The Orion Constellation is clearly visible. I will take it.
I slept hard last night and rose when the eastern sky brightened. After a coffee and a short constitutional with The Girl, I recovered the camper and we headed home.
I stopped briefly in Fernley and had breakfast at the Denny’s inside Terrible’s Travel Center. I took The Girl most of my bacon.
We drove out the remaining hour and arrived home late morning. I think we were both glad to be home.
After unloading my few things and getting rid of the trash from the trip. I took her up near Spooner Summit and we had a good hike together.
The remainder of the day was spent recovering. We napped and snuggled. It is good to be home.
In general, I do not care for the iPhone’s image processing. The images look cooked to me. However, sometimes it is the camera I have in hand. Such was the case when the sun broke below the clouds during a shower at the Summit Lake research station. So, I made the capture, cooked or not.
Last night it was too hot to be outdoors and too hot in my workroom. So, I made a gin and tonic (light) and sat on the sofa. The Girl discovered I was on the sofa and came in to be close. I am good with that.
I started Netflix and put in my AirPods (the Apple TV now recognizes them) and set them to noise cancel mode. The swampy in the living room is pretty noisy. So are all the fans running in the house.
I decided to watch A Man Called Otto. Tom Hanks is a favorite actor and I have enjoyed his dramatic work. I was unprepared for the impact of the story, though.
Otto is a late middle-aged engineer who is retired after a company merger and is a widow. The plot does not reveal much at the beginning and I will produce no spoilers here. The movie is listed as a dramatic comedy, but I did not find much funny in it.
What I found was an immediate connection to the Otto character, not so much for the stereotypical fastidiousness of an engineer, but for the depth of grief for his beloved wife.
The poignancy of his recollections of time spent together hit me over and over. Sometimes the hits were light; others were body blows. I was startled at my emotional reaction to these vignettes and paused the movie several times to reflect, grieve a little, and collect myself.
The experience reminded me that my own grief remains alive and well, thank you very much. It is not that I have not processed my grief; nor has it not be healed (at least to the extent that such grief can ever be healed). It is simply that I find myself still missing Wife and all the times and places we shared together.
Like Otto, I still find myself reminded of a time and place where we were together doing things. All the time building a life together, finding multiple houses and making homes of them, taking care of the kids and enjoying most of that process, traveling (mostly to see family) and all the stories that come from that, and just spending the morning together sharing breakfast and solving the world’s problems at the table over coffee (for me) and tea (for her).
Many times those memories raise some longing, nostalgia, and melancholy. These emotions are often mixed with joy and a laugh at the circumstance. It is a powerful, poignant cocktail of emotions, all right. No one will ever say she was a saint; but neither am I. But it was a good life together and she remains loved and definitely missed.
The movie reminded me of something my friend Jim told me after Wife died…
It sucks. It’ll always suck. But in time it will suck less…
I took him at his word more that 11-years ago. With time, I found he was right. And it still sucks, even if the suck is less.
You are missed, Old Girl. You will always be missed.
The Girl looked up over her shoulder at me several times during the movie. She even rose up to nuzzle me a few times, her whiskers stiff and tickly. It is her way of giving kisses. Unlike many dogs, she knows the difference between a lick (social wash or sign of submission) and a kiss of affection. She is my best buddy, my constant companion, and the love of my life. She reads me and responds.
I’ll take the pain. I am grateful. Life is still good.
Edit 09 July 2025: This entry popped up on my On This Day sidebar today. When I saw Jim’s quote, it broke my heart a little. My friend died late last year/early this year. I do not know what happened and it does not really matter. All that matters is that another good man is gone.
It also matters that I was close and did not take time to stop and meat in real space. That opportunity has now passed. I am reminded that if I want to do something, take time to do it. For the opportunity may not come my way again.
This is an iPhone selfie of me with the Osprey Stratos daypack in front of the Silver Saddle Ranch alfalfa haystack.
Yep, that is me in a rare selfie shot with my iPhone 13 Pro Max. On my back is the Osprey Stratos 24-liter daypack. It has been carried many times in the field, both on my daily hikes and when working.
There is much to like about this pack. It is well constructed. It is suspended off my back. Although that does not eliminate a sweaty back on warm days, it does permit significant air flow over my back and the suspensions system prevents chafing, which has been a problem with some packs I have worn.
It carries a 2-liter Camelbak easily in a pouch inside the rucksack. There is space for a couple of water bottles on the sides as well. Each will hold a one-liter Nalgene bottle.
But, it is not my perfect pack. The ruck has a bit of an odd shape and does not permit carry of much beyond the Camelbak. There is some room in the flat pocket on the front the pack and a small pouch on top for a few items.
It is plagued by my common issue with most civilian packs — there is no place to hang stuff on the outside of the pack. Military packs all have webbing and that provides space to hang some of the things I want to carry in the field, but do not want inside the pack. I want a place to hang Sera’s lead (other than the sternum strap). I want a place to hang a small pair of binoculars. I want to hang a camera sometimes, when I do not want it in hand.
So, as much as there is to like about the Stratos, it is not the solution I want.
Enter the Eberlestock FAC pack. It has webbing, is a little larger (with room for a radio inside), and has a good waistbelt. It does not have the suspension of the Osprey, but has a lot of padding on the pack and straps.
I just need to take time to outfit it and work out where I want to put things. Maybe I can get to it this weekend. Then I can carry it in the field a few times and test it.
In any event, I am still looking for the perfect pack.
