My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
standing tall
ms
ever present to the moment
majestic beauty
I was startled by this heron as I came around a curve. They were standing in water along side of the road and immediately lifted off landing on the other side of the water and posed for me. So, I shot this from my car, hand held, motor running. Only made tone and contrast adjustments, no sharpening or clarity. Pretty much right out of the camera. Shot at 300mm f8.0 1/450 second and ISO 200.
Poetry is one of the ancient arts, and it began as did all the fine arts, within the original wilderness of the earth.
Mary Oliver
One of my first images with the new Fujifilm XF 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 lens and a major crop.
This image was from a month ago before the cold temperatures moved in. I posted a similar image with a slightly different crop here. As I looked at them this morning I was drawn to this one much more than the other one. Strange how our perspective changes over a short period of time.
On a different note I am excited that Fujifilm has come out with the new XF 70-300mm f4.0-5.6 lens. I’m also perplexed, even frustrated, as I told myself this past year I did not need another lens, that the XF 16-80mm f4.0 was all I really needed. Did I lie to myself?
heading for home
ms
nature provides sunset gift
joyfully accepted
pulled over in empty field
leave with awe and wonder
A gracious mind has compassion and sensitive understanding. It is without greed; rather than concentrating on what is absent or missing, it is able to celebrate and give thanks for what is present.
John O’Donohue, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace
It’s 10 degrees outside. Drove to the natural area for the quiet and to journal. Did not stay long, though. Grateful to be warm and inside. Overcast sky and a few snowflakes have been sited. It has that cold wintery feel. And, it’s going to be cold for the next 4 days or so, very cold. I have coffee, chocolate, peanut butter, a new book of poetry (Devotions by Mary Oliver) and plenty of fountain pen ink. I’m good and giving thanks. Stay warm.
The above image was shot with the Fujifilm Acros film simulation. The Fujifilm website describes Acros as: a recently introduced black & white mode that’s richer in clarity and sharpness, and was inspired by our NEOPAN 100 ACROS film, which was known for its fine grain, rich gradation, and outstanding sharpness. Like the MONOCHROME mode, it’s also available in yellow, red, and green versions, but ACROS also has an embedded graininess that matches the film emulsion original. I like it.
arise in darkness
mws
greet the morning sun
be present to silence
It is becoming quite evident to me that I get the best colors when I shoot between f5.6 – 13.0 when using this Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f4.0 lens. I think that is pretty typical for most lenes. For some reason it is more noticeable on this lens or it could just be me and my thinking. And, shooting at f11 gives a much different starburst than at f16.0. I must always remain a student! 👍
Here is my attempt at a photo of the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. I tried going to both Arapaho Bend and Running Deer Natural Areas for photos but half of town was already there. So I ended up taking this last night at about 5:54:03 pm on County Road 90 between County Roads 13 and 15 in Weld County. Exposure data 35mm f4.0 @ 4 seconds, with a tripod. My first long exposure with the Fujifilm X-T3.
angel blue sky
mws
sun kissing the horizon
gift of a new day
I’m hoping you are not getting tired of seeing these sunrise images from Pineridge Natural Area. Took this one a week ago. I shoot raw so all my images are in a 3:2 format. Almost everything I post is cropped to a 16:9 format, especially if it’s a landscape. I seem to be drawn to it. I therefore find myself framing my images with knowledge that I will probably crop the image when processing.
“I don’t have a philosophy. I have a camera. I look into the camera and take pictures. My photographs are the tiniest part of what I see that could be photographed. They are fragments of endless possibilities.”
Saul Leiter
Fort Collins Natural Areas have become the place for me to go. I started going primarily because the coffee shops were not allowing dining in due to state mandates. So in March of 2020 I began making coffee at home and going to Pineridge Natural Area to journal, read, connect with nature and get in a walk. My first explorations of Pineridge were made in 2014 but then lost touch with it until March. Then in June of 2020 I discovered Reservoir Ridge which is only about 4 miles away. When I look at my archives there are twice as many images at Reservoir Ridge than Pineridge while only exploring it in half the time. I seem to be drawn to it in a more photographic way.
For the past 5 months I’m out to Reservoir Ridge at least once a week. Yet, this past week was the first time I saw this old water pump, I mean really saw it. It sits along an irrigation ditch and a row of trees so I’ve seen it many times, but never really saw it. As soon as I saw the pump this past week something in my mind kicked in, I really saw it and envisioned the above image. I walked out there to it and accepted the gift. So, I wonder what else I’ve not seen out there. I’ll keep you posted.
The winds have been relentless the past 5 days causing the Cameron Peak fire to rage. Then yesterday afternoon another fire erupted west of Boulder. Because of the wind and dry conditions that fire has grown rapidly. It is called the Calwood fire and as of last night just over 7,000 acres in size. Thankfully, this morning it is 36 degrees and we have a slight drizzle falling. Hoping the fire is getting some of this. One of the facts many miss on these forest fires is that man does not put them out. We do our best to keep fuel away from the flames and rely on nature to do most of the work.
The image above of the Cameron Peak fire was taken less than a mile from my condo along Centre Avenue. The lights in the foreground are from patio homes belonging to a residential nursing facility. The ridge you see is Horsetooth Park, a favorite recreational area for hiking and mountain biking, while the the fire is burning on the second ridge beyond it. Lots of homes back in that area. I’m going to guess the fire perimeter is 5-7 miles away from me. My two favorite natural areas are now closed due to smoke, so I walk the neighborhood. The Cameron Peak Fire is now at 203,000 acres. Enjoy your Sunday!