Keep This Quiet
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin – looking forward to heading there again this year for our summer vacation.
photography
Around the New House pt 2
More from around the new house.
We’re still getting settled, making this our home, these summer days.
Welcome Home
The last two months have been a whirlwind. We purchased a new house in April, officially closed on it in May, and have spent the two-ish months since then packing, moving, and unpacking again.
I have been taking photos the entire time, but it’s only been now that I’ve been able to assess what I made and edit some to share. As always: a new place, new light to capture.
It helps that the weather is turning nice. Even though it’s been cooler and rainy, it’s nice to enjoy the new yard and sit outside for the lovely spring days. We take walks around the new neighborhood, exploring the winding streets and meeting new people.
Moving is very stressful. I hope this is the last time. While we’re here, I’ll keep capturing what I see.
Finding Your Dopamine Fix
Fifty-five million likes don’t matter – creating photos you enjoy taking does.
Most of the photos I take, you – dear reader – will never see. And that’s fine.
Great video.
Home New Home
Out of the blue, we bought a new house.
As always, I use my camera to explore new places: see how the light changes, assess the space, and catch the little details you miss on your first pass-through. I picked a day before we moved much in and caught the empty house on a quiet weekend afternoon.
A bit of peace and silence before the packing and shuttling begin.
A Walk Outside With the Canon R
I had a chance to walk around with a new Canon R – one of the mirrorless, full-frame cameras set to take over from the SLR series – on a mid-March evening with the family.
There are little pockets of snow still hanging around, but you can feel spring in the air: the birds are chirping, the crocuses are poking out of the damp ground, and it’s no longer freezing cold outside. This happens every year, when we take our first tentative steps outside and stroll around the neighborhood.
The camera is slick. It’s so light, it reminds me of my much older, much more creaky Canon M. This one was paired with the 50mm f/1.8, a typical walk-around lens. With the two together, I had a lightweight, easy-to-handle bundle. Snappy and crisp, the lens was perfect for capturing the family and the scenery at golden hour.
A few things I noticed while shooting with the R:
- I missed the optical viewfinder – the digital viewfinder was decent, but not like looking through a mirror
- I also missed the instant “on” of an optical viewfinder – the digital version took a second to detect my eye and switch on
- The grip was perfect for my hands, and the smaller size and weight was a welcome break from my hefty 5D
- Image quality and classic Canon colors were all there – no need to switch from my Canon-trained eye
This was the camera system of my future. Unfortunately for Canon, I have no plans on upgrading anytime soon. My 5D, 6D, and Canon M aren’t broken, and while I feel a bit of gear lust, it’s not a strong enough pull to make me spend anything on a new camera, let alone new lenses. Someday, sure, but my investments in the EOS system keep me grounded in what I have.
Still, it was nice to get outside and try something new – a rite of spring.
More Real Winter
More shots from around the yard after the big snow fall earlier in February.
Now it’s March. Bring on the false AND real spring, please.
Magic Kingdom
More on our trip to the Magic Kingdom.
Light, shapes, shadows, and colors – it’s all there.
Why Take Pictures?
As with any hobby, you either don’t need a reason, or you make your own reason. Nothing else matters.
via James Tocchio
World of Disney
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.