Happy New Year, 2026

I might have posted this before. I cannot recall. But I was looking for an image to post to Vero a few days ago and found this one. It was made with a Lumix G3 that I had a few years ago and I think a Wollensak 25mm f/1.9 8mm cine lens. Captured with DMC-G3, 2017-11-17 14:01:14, 1/1300sec, ISO-160.

Here it is, a new year. So, Happy New Year!

So, now what? The changeover of the calendar year is something of an event, even if it is just another day. We place a great deal of significance on the ticking over of a year counter. This has been the way, or a way, for a long time… certainly longer than my time.

I do not think this is a bad thing. I think there are good reasons to stop, pause the daily regimen, and reflect on a week, a month, or a year and determine if a course change is needed. It is an opportunity to make an assessment1. I use this time every year to start a new Bullet Journal (my adopted approach to managing my calendar and my projects) and think about the year past, my goals, my accomplishments (or lack thereof), and my intentions for the next year.

There were things I did not do enough of in 2025. These include my guitars and my radios. I found the demands of work and a substantial personal project to demanding to allow adequate time for either of those important hobbies. I did manage to make more photographs because I do that when out and about for other things. I particularly like to carry a camera when hiking with The Girl.

Two videos caught my attention (ahem) yesterday. One was by Rick Beato and is a practice regimen to rebuilding guitar skills. It will serve as a good practice for me, particularly with an electric guitar that is not so demanding of hand strength. I have this bookmarked os I can return to it.

The other was by Pal2Tech, a favorite photographic channel. His encouragement is to make specific efforts to eliminate the pressure of social media on photographic choices and refocus on developing one’s own vision and skills. I like what he says.

I already started reducing the potential impact of social media (which I often call antisocial media) on my life. I have only two outlets that I regularly use — Vero (no algorithm; only see what one signs up to see) and YouTube (beware the algorithm as it induces doomscrolling).

I really enjoy, and am inspired by, some of the photographers I follow on Vero. It is what Instagram was when I first discovered it. Then FB bought it, promised no changes, and turned it into a monster a couple years later.

For YT, I follow a few musicians, a few photography channels, and fewer entertainment channels. The trap is the algorithm, that constantly monitors what I watch and then offers me related videos at the end of each. This is a serious trap and what caused me to abandon IG. So, I will have to be careful, very careful.

The page after the Future Log in my new Bullet Journal is labelled Intentions. I am borrowing from Ryder Carroll’s palette and abandoning Goals for Intentions. I will be working on those, my Future Log, and my January Calendar/Log today. I think that the Intentions page will take some time to fill in. But, I will start with a couple of statements about what i want to be by the end of 2026 and see how that works for me.

My Bullet Journaling approach is still developing. I can see how it has changed over the years as I learn more about what works for me. I think that a few more changes are necessary to make it work better (for me). And, I am working through his book to see what other nuggets of wisdom he might have for me.

In the meantime, have a Happy New Year, figure out what is important and do that. Life is good.

1Hat time to the Legend of Old Gregg.

Morning Walkies

Shot on morning walkies with the Panasonic G3 and a Fujian 50mm f/1.4 lens with a short extension tube. I like this lens.

I took some time on morning walkies to think about what just happened in Las Vegas. I will never understand what makes men do such awful things. And “awful” does not begin to describe the event.

The usual suspects will start screaming about gun control. There will be cries for the government to do something about this. Although it is certain that the government can restrict some of the tools used to perpetuate such awful acts, there is no way to stop mass attacks. It is possible that the use of firearms can be eliminated (although that is doubtful). But there will remain so many improvised weapons that cannot be restricted.

Life is short. A YouTuber I watch reminds his followers often to practice “spiritual fitness.” Be right with God, say what you need to say to your loved ones, every day. Because you never know when your last day will arrive. You might walk out the door on any given morning and not return.

That’s no reason to be paranoid. I don’t leave the house every morning expecting to never return. But I am reminded every now and again to be sure that my family knows I love them. Should I not return from the day, they will know that. Because there are no guarantees I will return. There are no guarantees in life, except that we will not get out of it alive.

Whatever. Life is good.

The Season Turns

These beauties will soon be gone. I want a few more captures before winter comes.

The Girl and I walked our in-town route this morning. I saw the light on these beauties and thought it would be worth the effort to make the capture. There was a north wind this morning, cool but not cold. But the hint is there that soon the colder days will come and the summer beauties will be gone, waiting for another year to show themselves.

I made the capture with the Fujian 50mm f/1.4 lens on my Lumix G3 body. This is a very good lens. It is not very sharp wide open, but the colors are good and there is a glow about the images that reminds me of old glass. The lens cannot be beat for these applications, especially at its price. It is a very good art lens. I like it quite a lot, particularly for close shots like this one.

Winter has its own appeal, the season when life regains strength for the coming burst of spring. I like the cold and the snow and the starkness of the grays against the cold blue of the winter sky. The warmth of the sun on my body on a cold winter morning reminds me that blood still runs hot in me. The reminder that there remains life to live and love to share with those close to me. It is a good reminder.

In a few more minutes, I’ll go do my first lower-body routine in a long time. Leg days are the hardest… the big muscles generate a lot of lactic acid and the burn is real. But, this is necessary and the results are worth the effort. Nothing good comes easy. But it is worth the effort and struggle. This body has to carry me along for as long as I live. I need to invest in it as well as the inner work.

Locust Leaf Bokeh

Shot with the Panasonic Lumix G3 and a Fujian 50mm f/1.4 at about f/2. I’m not completely happy with the result, but it is a capture for the day.

While on evening walkies, The Girl puttered around looking for the dreaded bushy tail while I played with the light on the leaves of this old locust tree. It is nearing the end of a good day.

I determined it is time to get back on my strength training. I’m unhappy with my level of strength and my annual numbers were not the best. So it’s time to get after it again.

The Soloflex is setup in my bedroom where I can use it. I did my first routine this afternoon. It was hard and I will be sore. It is a good thing. It will help me be healthier (particularly because I’ll mind my diet as well). I will be stronger. I’m glad to be back after it again after being off for too long.

Life is good.

Fujian 35mm F/1.7 TV Lens

This shot presented itself on morning walkies. Shot with the Panasonic Lumix G3 m4/3s body and a Fujian 35mm f/1.7 at about f/2.8.

I don’t have many lenses for the Panasonic Lumix G3 body I own. I have only one native lens and I don’t use it often. I prefer prime lenses to zooms. I have a few C-mount (cine body) lenses in my collection and am adding a select few to that collection. A pair of the more interesting lenses I play with are the Fujian TV lenses. I have the 35mm f/1.7 and the 50mm f/1.4. For the prices, these are very nice. They are not the sharpest lenses I own. They are both subject to front element flare, so a hood is needed if there is any back light.

They have an interesting bokeh and the out of focus areas are pleasant, at least to my eyes. So, I carry them when I carry the Lumix. They are used more than one would expect.

On this morning, we walked past our usual stomping area, the old lumberyard flume. The hedgerow there provides much interesting material to photograph. While the Girl sniffed about (quite happily I would say), I played around with this shaded flower. I think the pistils and stamen of the bloom are in focus, but there is not much else that is. The capture highlights the bokeh of this lens.

I’m going to take it downtown one evening and play with some bokehlights, I think. The casinos should provide some interesting images.

I like these lenses.