My morning often involves use of my vintage Esterbrook J Demi fountain pen. I restored it and it is filled with Noodler’s Zhivago. The drafting pencil is used for guidelines, just like I used to when I was a drafter. Image made using the Nikon D750 and a Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 at f/4. Image straight out of camera.
We all have routines, or something I call dailies. They are a set of habitual behaviors that serve us in various ways.
My morning regimen generally involves a coffee (or two), made one mug at a time. I heat water, warm the mug and Aeropress, grind my beans, and then extract the drink. This is a ritual.
Once I have coffee, I sit at my desk for a few minutes enjoying the coffee and spending some time with my journal. I usually make a prayer list and exercise it. I write any thoughts that came up during sleep… sometimes recording a dream or a dream fragment. I think about the coming day and what needs to be done. And I write about anything that is or was remarkable.
This process usually involves another mug of coffee. As my wake-up routine progresses, I might watch a bit of YouTube if any of my followed content creators published something I want to see. I also tend to my Bullet Journal to review what was done, what needs to be done, and to plan (ha!) my day. Then it will be breakfast time.
My journal and a vintage Esterbrook J Series in the demi size. Shot with the Sony A7Sii and a lovely Canon 55mm f/1.2 S.S.C. vintage lens, SOOC.
I write with a fountain pen most every day. In fact, I think I write with a fountain pen every day.
This year I returned to using an analog (paper) bullet journal from using a digital notebook (SuperNote). Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but in the end I enjoy the analog experience much more than the digital. So, despite the convenience of an unending supply of pages, I returned to my paper bullet journal.
I have been thinking about downsizing my possessions. Over the last year, this is a topic that was recurrent in my thoughts. (This was written as I laugh out loud looking at the additions to my camera, lens, and radio collections!) But, in the end, I want to reduce the load to include only those things I use often enough to justify a place in my life.
There are clearly cameras, lenses, radios, books, and so forth that fall on the used often enough list. There are also clearly such things that are not on said list.
As we move into the fall, I expect my workload to reduce somewhat. The field work will definitely fall off and work will turn to the desktop. But I also think I will have time to use the light tent I bought to photograph and offer for sale items from my shelves that do not pass the used enough muster.
A good (as in simple) place for me to start is with my collections of fountain pens and vintage glass. There are a good number of vintage pens in my collection that I am not going to use to any significant degree. Similarly, there are a number of lenses.
I think I should make it a fun project to try these things on paper and camera and use that exercise to filter out the unwanted. I certainly have enough items from each class that fall onto the used often enough list.
It is time to let them go.
A problem is figuring out how/where to sell the books. I used Half.com for years to sell books. But, eBay decided to kill the service. I remain unconvinced that eBay is the better platform to sell books.
My buddy loaned me a lovely Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 SSC lens to play with. The capture above was made with this lens affixed to my Sony A7Sii camera. The aperture was wide open (f/1.2) or thereabouts. The depth of field is razor thin. I should get out my Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 and shoot some comparison shots. I think the Canon might be a smidge better wide open.
I no longer have a Canon film body. I considered finding a nice Canon F1, which was a suitable object of lust when I was a young photographer. But then I might go off down the vintage Canon glass rabbit hole.
I think that, however, might be a topic for another entry in my weblog.
The Girl is doing better. I am grateful. Life is good.
