I have probably posted a billion images from The Red Hut Diner here in Carson City. There will probably be another billion posted before my expiration date arrives. There is always an opportunity for street photography there. Shot with Fuji A7iii and a new-to-me Tamron 70-210mm f/3.8 Adaptall-2 zoom lens. Post processing on my iPhone to render a black and white image with a tiny bit of grain.
a best buddy just sent me a couple of images of he and his wife at Valentine’s Day lunch. It looks like they had bar burgers. I responded that I am a little jealous.
Had Wife lived, we would have done something special for the day, even if it was just lunch of bar burgers. Or, we might have gone to supper and braved the press. This was one of the things I loved to do — celebrate special days or special occasions with her.
I am sorry that those days are gone. It is not that life is not good; it really is. I am truly grateful for the days, even when they are difficult or I feel poorly. But that communal life was something that I deeply enjoyed and I miss it.
I had breakfast at The Red Hut Diner this morning, or probably better to say brunch. I did a bunch of work early and when the meeting ended I was hungry. I decided to treat myself to breakfast (and bring a treat home for The Girl). I did both. The biscuits and gravy were good, as usual.
I am enjoying the ducks that currently populate the linear parkway. Shot with Fuji X-T5 and Nikkon 300mm f/4.5 ED-IF. Post processing in DXO PhotoLab 7.
Wednesday I got out to walk shortly after noon. I needed some outside time and some Sun. I carried a small camera kit based on the Fujifilm X-T5, the Fujinon 35mm f/1.4, and a Nikkor 300mm f/4.5 EDIF from my inventory. I have been tracking the mallards that are currently populating the linear parkway that I like to walk between Roop and Saliman. I was hopeful for some Sun on the fowl because of the colors and shimmer that they carry.
It was a bit cold with the northerly wind, but I was warm enough moving. I really do not care for the city noise and should have put in my earpods and then them to quiet. But, I did not and dealt with the background noise until I hit the parkway.
Of course, a cloud popped up and blocked the Sun a good portion of my walk. I also should have set the ISO on the camera to 1,000 or so or should have set the shutter speed to 1,000th of a second as many of my captures were not quite sharp. I will get it next time.
Of the lot, this is my favorite capture. I did a little post-processing in PhotoLab 7 to bring the color up a little and sharpen the image just a little. I was not quite getting the hairy eyeball, but I was definitely being watched.
My buddy loaned me this vintage Wyler to wear for a week. It is lovely!
My buddy is really into mechanical watches and has been for several years. So, I am dabbling lightly and enjoying the camaraderie. I deeply enjoy listening to him talk about watches — something is very passionate about. Even if I am not so invested in the hobby (or obsession), it is interesting.
He loaned me this lovely vintage Wyler chronograph to wear for a week. I am enjoying it.
The makings for my morning ritual. Shot with Fujifilm X-E4 and a Voigtländer 27mm f/2 at f/2.8 using the HP5+ film simulation. SOOC.
Every morning, my day starts with a mug of Joe (or cup of coffee for non-aficionados). There is a ritual associated with my coffee and the tools (most of them) are displayed in the image. The tools comprise a kettle to heat water, a scale and cup to weigh beans, a press, a hand grinder, and a mug to receive the goodness from the press.
My process is:
Fill the kettle with cold water while allowing hot water to flow to the faucet to warm the press and mug.
Place a new paper filter into the filter ring.
Weigh the beans.
Moisten the beans with a fingertip dipped into the warming water of the mug.
Grind the beans in my hand grinder.
Empty the press of warming water and place the coffee into the press.
Pour hot water into the press.
Stir the mixture to wet all of the grounds.
Place the filter ring onto the press.
Set a timer for four minutes.
At the appointed time (or a little after), invert the press onto the mug and press out the newly extracted coffee.
Add some cream to the coffee and top off the mug with hot water.
Utter the required assent (Ahhh…).
Enjoy!
I have been using an Aeropress for a number of years now. It is easy to use and cleans up far more easily than a regular press. It has another positive characteristics — it is nearly indestructible. (Hat tip to DiL.) I generally use the inverted approach instead of placing it filter ring down on top of the mug. I think I get a better brew that way.
My current grinder is a Knock Aergrind with stainless steel burrs. It is a precise grinder that can grind very fine if desired.
My current scale is a Hario I bought from The Evil Empire. (Amazon…)
With the Peet’s dark roast, I am using about 15gm of beans to make 300ml of coffee. I am currently running 200ºF water (the boiling point at my elevation is about 205F) and four minutes for extraction. This gives me a nice rich dark roast that is very tasty with a bit of heavy cream.
I am grateful for coffee. It adds quite a bit to my life. Life is good.
The Sun shone this afternoon, so I opened the curtains in the workroom. She found a sunny spot and snoozed. Captured with the Fujifilm X-E4 and the Voigtländer 27mm f/2 at f/4 using the in-camera Reggie’s Portra 400 film simulation.
We are having a few sunny days after the wintry weekend. I do not mind the cold when the Sun is shining and it was shining yesterday afternoon.
One of the things I love about my apartment is the afternoon winter Sun on the side of my place. It warms my workroom and bedroom nicely and makes for a warm and sleepy afternoon. One of my favorite things is a winter afternoon nap with The Girl. So, I had one yesterday.
She also gave me a lovely portrait, looking over her shoulder at me with the Sun on her. I made the capture with the Fujifilm X-E4 and a Voigtländer 27mm f/2 at f/4. I used the in-camera Reggie’s Portra 400 film simulation and made a slight adjustment to exposure with Snapseed in my iPhone.
I caught this capture of Sera snoozing under my worktable. Capture made with Fujifilm X-E4 and Voigtländer 27mm f/2 at f/2.8 using Reggie’s Portra 400 film simulation.
The Girl is recovering from knee surgery. She ruptured her CCL (ACL in humans) on Thanksgiving Day in an encounter with a coyote. Although I did not see the animal, that is the only likely possibility given the nature of her wounds and that I saw no humans or heard no ruckus that would have accompanied a domestic canine encounter.
The vet at the emergency clinic in Reno indicated that she either had a broken leg or a ruptured CCL. Based on my observation from a couple of days earlier, I believed her to have soft tissue damage.
A subsequent visit and workup with her regular vet confirmed the diagnosis. The treatment is a surgical repair. The complication came from which procedure to use.
The traditional approach is to tie the joint together with grafted tissue and suture material and then allow scar tissue to reinforce the repair. The alternative is to cut the bone and reset the tibia plateau angle. That seems awful to me, so I elected for the simpler, less invasive approach.
So now we wait. She is moving around the house and starting to put her toe down and sometimes a little weight on the affected foot. She is recovering.
Now I am taking care of her and praying for a full recovery. I will have to manage her differently, I think. She has now had two rattlesnake and one coyote encounter. None went well. She is just one of those individuals who finds trouble. So, she will not be permitted to range out like she has. I also will not want her stressing that knee for months. I want it it have plenty of time for recovery.
She will need exercise and plenty of it. But her days or running out more far from me and getting into trouble are over, so I hope.
A one-armed bandit, found at the Red Hut Diner in Carson City, Nevada. Shot with Fuji X-E2 and Fujinon 35mm f/2 at f/2.8. Black and white from an in-camera conversion to the Fujifilm Acros film simulation.
As I have written many times, Wife used to tell me “You have a different way of looking at the world…” Long ago I bought a new Argus-Cosina 35mm SLR with the usual fast Nifty-Fifty. Carrying that camera, and reading Foothorap’s book, taught me to see. I had little money, but I had time and the little encouragement from the book (and some solid examples). So I taught myself to look.
After a couple of years paying for processing, a friend taught me to develop my film and I had access to the University club darkroom. Film was not too expensive, so I shot a lot of black and white, processed it, and even printed some frames. I rolled a lot of reusable canisters using bulk film and a daylight loader.
Now, 50-yeas later, I am still looking at the world. Like most of us, I always have a camera at hand — my iPhone. Most of the time I have a real camera at hand, likely the Fujifilm X100V but many times the Fujifilm X-T5.
A couple of Saturdays ago I decided to get breakfast (actually brunch) at the Red Hut. I carried the Fujifilm X-E2, a tiny little camera that matches the Fujinon f/2 lenses well to make a small kit. So I made a few images with the little X-E2 while waiting for my food.
One that I liked better than most was this old slot machine. I am confident it was current technology probably 50-years ago. Now it is a relic, but an interesting relic.
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 either 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.
Linda working the floor. Shot with Fuji X-T5 and a Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 wide open.
A few days ago I was at the Red Hut Diner in south Carson City for breakfast. I had The Usual and it was quite good. This lady is one of my favorite servers ever. She is so outgoing and so fun. She also makes a good image.
The orange display at the local Raley’s. Shot with Fuji X100V at f/4 using the Kodachrome 64 film simulation SOOC.
Work has been keeping me busy the last few weeks, enough so that I have not posted much. I just have not had the energy to put together an image or radio outing and the words.
Yesterday I just *had* to get out and buy some groceries. So, after walkies, I completed my grocery list, grabbed the X100V (slung over my shoulder), and drove down to the local Raley’s store. When I walked into the store, the late afternoon sun shown on the Navel Orange display at the entry. That warm light cried for some Kodachrome 64. I sure wish they made that film stock, what a classic look.
But, I have a simulation stored in one of the custom slots of the X100V. A quick trip into the Q-Menu retrieved the settings and I made the capture.
Then I went on through the store to fill my order and go home.