West Michigan in Winter

It’s an annual cold-weather tradition: heading to Lake Michigan in the dead of winter to see our nearest Great Lake frozen.

This year, we were near Saugatuck, Michigan, and visited the lake on a sunny but very chilly Sunday afternoon. Visiting Lake Michigan this time of year is like landing on a different planet: cold, windy, the beaches barely recognizable. Beyond the snow hills, the lake was heaving – big waves of ice and snow, full of terrible power. 

Before that, we indulged in some hygge at one of my favorite cideries, Virtue Cider in Fennville, Michigan.

I discovered Virtue Cider randomly: one time I grabbed a random six-pack of cider at a local party store. After taking it home and loving it, I’ve been a fan ever since.

The cidery was hosting a Wassail party, but because of the freezing cold, they canceled it. That didn’t stop us. We still wanted a warm lunch and good cider, so we went anyway. 

Despite the weather, it’s important to get out and enjoy the cold when you can. 

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World of Disney

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My wife’s family is a true Disney Family™ – the kind that go to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, every two years. Like clockwork. 

It is a nice break from the cold Michigan winters, and a good way to burn off all those holiday calories. My daily step count, at minimum, triples when we’re walking the parks. 

This year we had COVID to worry about, but Disney handles the pandemic crowd with clear expectations. Everyone is on their best behavior in the Most Magical Place on Earth.

For me, there are parts of Disney World that I love to photograph. The Africa and Asia sections of Animal Kingdom, for instance, or the optimistic futurism of Epcot, my personal favorite park. The Florida sun helps the bright colors and faux landscape truly shine. This year, the weather was perfect every day, and I checked off sites on my photography bucket list again this year. 

Yes, the Mexico pavilion is a fake Aztec temple, and yes, the art deco architecture at Hollywood Studio is a rose-tinted reproduction of Hollywood’s glory days. But I tend to photograph light and shadow as much as the scenery in front of me. Even if the background is Disney Fake, the light is real. That sunrise and sunset are real. The people moving through the parks are all real. 

We go to Disney World to escape. For me, one reason I go is to focus on my photography – something that usually takes a hit during the winter. 

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Real Winter

Real Winter

It’s nice to have real winter weather – freezing cold, snowy, and a bit sunny – instead of our as-of-late damp and cloudy winters.

Working from home, I appreciate looking out on lovely January day. 

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At Year’s End

At Year's End

Is there a word for “guilt over not making something?” I’m sure there’s a German word out there that expresses this sentiment perfectly: That feeling of remorse for not making or doing anything in a while. 

There’s productivity guilt, but that’s not exactly the same thing. I’m talking hobbies and interests, not work. 

Here at the year’s end, that’s been me. Sure, I make photographs all the time. But I feel guilty for not having any big projects in the works. I have ideas, but I always have ideas.

Instead, I have to tell myself it’s okay to take a break. Recharge my batteries. Start anew.

My bet is that once I start again, it’ll be hard to stop. 

Have a great, safe holiday season and a very happy new year.

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Cancún

We don’t take vacations like this – so sunny and so tropical.

But when a friend turned 40 and invited us to a trip to Cancún, Mexico, with a group to celebrate, we enthusiastically came along. The warm Mayan Riviera climate when Michigan is facing down another long, cold, gray winter? Count us in.

Then the friend got COVID, and the rest of the couples bailed and took the trip credit for next year, leaving just us two. 

We never did get a honeymoon. This is as good of a chance as any.

There were reservations about airplane travel across an international border. We had to leave the kids for six days just as Michigan’s COVID-19 numbers were spiking. And after my grandmother passed away and we took on a kitchen remodel project, we were leaving an awful lot of undone. 

In the end, it was well worth it. The resort community in Cancún took guest health and safety very seriously (even wearing masks on a windy beach – a bit overkill if you ask me). We did all the adventuring we could fit in a few days, and we took advantage of quiet, warm beach days to simply breathe and enjoy the view. Cancún was a mix of old and new that was a lot of fun to explore with my camera – from the Mayan ruins to downtown Playa del Carmen’s shopping district, with a lot of peninsular jungle in between. Plus lots of tequila.

Maybe this tropical stuff isn’t so bad. 

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Wet October

We’ve had a very wet October.

So wet, in fact, that our street flooded on a rainy Friday evening. We got back from a family gathering and there was a city worker out in the street, knee-deep in water, clearing out the storm drain. 

“It’s like this all over town,” he told me.

When the leaves fall, they clog those drains, and with all the rain we’ve had, it was a recipe for a river.

After one rainstorm, everything was glistening and damp in the yard, so I headed outside with the trusty Nifty 50mm to grab a few photos. 

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iPhone 13 mini Photography

Created with RNI Films app. Preset ‘Kodak Gold 200 v.5’
Created with RNI Films app. Preset ‘Kodak Gold 200 v.5’
Created with RNI Films app. Preset ‘Kodak Gold 200 v.5’
Created with RNI Films app. Preset ‘Kodak Gold 200 v.5’
Created with RNI Films app. Preset ‘Kodak Gold 200 v.5’
Created with RNI Films app. Preset ‘Kodak Gold 200 v.3’
Created with RNI Films app. Preset ‘Kodak Gold 200 v.5’

The way we treat our phones now, I supposed getting my iPhone 13 mini was like getting a new camera. 

So I took it for a spin on a sunny Sunday in late September, a few days after receiving it in the mail. And just as I figured, it was just as my iPhone SE was: a camera. Simple.

The new wide-angle lens on this iPhone is fun to play around with, but it’s not really my style. I’m more of a 35-50mm guy. Having that wide of a view may be good for landscapes and dramatic shots with fun angles, but it doesn’t fit my photography. In fact, I wish the mini iPhones had the Pros’ telephoto lens instead. I’d use that much more. 

That said, I may be able to use the nifty portrait settings on the front-facing camera to try out some people shots. Here’s me with a fresh haircut:

Me

Not bad, considering the subject. The fake bokeh is pleasant, but the high-key options are a bit garish. 

The only thing I’m missing now is a tried-and-true photo editing app on the iPhone. My beloved Filmborn is MIA from the App store, VSCO is a confusing mess, and that leaves RNI Films and Darkroom in my list of go-to editing apps.

Any suggestions? 

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Last Go-Around

In these waning days of summer, we took a walk to the nearby elementary school. This one was built in 1952, but a brand-new school just went up next door, so the old one sits empty. Out with the old, etc.

Personally, I love the look and feel of these mid-century schools – the way they used green space, and their institutional sturdiness. The new school is all shiny metal and modern touches, though the larger parking lot will be a nice change.

It had me thinking about my iPhone SE, the 2016 first-gen model based on the iPhone 5S body design. I’ve had this phone for five years now and used the ever-loving heck out of it. It’s survived two jobs, a new kid, and a new house, along with everything else I’ve thrown at it.

But today I ordered the iPhone 13 mini – not for any of its fancy new features, including the new camera system. It’s mostly because I need the extra storage space; 256 GB will get me a lot farther than my current 64 GB does. 

The truth is, my iPhone SE camera works just fine. I point, I shoot, I edit a little bit (using mostly Filmborn these days – which may be abandoned software), and I post. Maybe I’ll enjoy using the ultra-wide lens on the 13, maybe I’ll find a use for those studio lighting settings, or maybe not. Maybe I’ll continue to use my iPhone camera like I do my other Canon cameras: simply, with no fuss. 

I will miss the SE’s classic design and small size, and Touch ID. But five years is a lot of value out of a modern-day device. 

Nothing lasts forever. 

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