An online journal sharing my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, spirituality and asking deep questions.
arise in darkness
ms
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
ms
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!
Thursday and Friday of last week were very smokey over the city. The smoke filters the sun and changes the colors and shadows of everything, bringing on an otherworldly look. It has an affect on peoples moods, adding stress to the pandemic and our countries unrest. On Friday evening I drove out to one of the natural areas because I thought I may find an image to show just how the smoke looks from here. The top image was taken about an hour before sunset, all is dark and gloomy and the sun has a deep red color.
Thankfully, not everyday is like this. Saturday was a nice reprieve, winds blew in our favor so we enjoyed blue skies and not as much soot and ash falling on us. I’m wearing my mask practically all of the time and have my windows and doors closed just because of the snoke. It’s a good time to stay inside. Our Colorado sunsets are just not the same.
As I walked into my bedroom I noticed these leaves on the brim of my fedora. It was a moment of surprise because I did not place them there. The must have fallen on my hat while outside. I wore them in without knowing and placed my hat on the dresser without them falling off. A wow moment. I like it when life gives me one of these moments of surprise.