Author Archives: Mike

Communication

Posted by Mike on

In what ways do you communicate online?

Bloganuary – Daily Prompt

Cloud Cover
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/13s, 29mm, f/8, ISO 100

My initial thought for this prompt was focused on the how, i.e., which sites, apps, online tools, etc. Then I took a breath and thought about the question. The question is not “What sites/tools do you use to communicate online?” It is about the ways I communicate. It is a deeper question than I originally considered. Now, where do I go with it?

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

– Maya Angelou

As a photographer, I communicate visually. But that is not completely correct. I don’t post images alone (not always; some days I get lazy and I do), I write words. Maybe not always effectively, but I share some of me. Thoughts, comments, and intentions, all get attached to the images I post.

I add titles to my images. Some of the titles enhance the image or provide that extra bit of context. The titles can change how the image is communicated. They can influence how the viewer feels about the image.

And then I thought about communication. Where I feel communicate can be a one way street, communication is about an exchange of thoughts. I’m not always the best at communication, especially online. I will respond to comments on my posts but it is typically that, me responding, not initiating the communication.

I still refuse to call it a resolution but I want to be better at communication this year. There has been a lot of support from my online friends for my photography and this experiment I call a blog. I want to reciprocate that support and hopefully improve how I communicate.

Three Sisters

Posted by Mike on

Squared – SQ183
Monochrome Winter

Continuing with the winter scenes as rain is in the forecast for the next few days. I’m struggling with it being the middle of January in Upstate NY and there is barely any snow. What am I to do if I want to build a snowman?

Three Sisters
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/160s, 52mm, f/8, ISO 100

Home 103

Posted by Mike on

Delta Lake State Park

Work and the short winter days have a tendency to impede my photography. Not an excuse, a simple statement. Those conditions do afford more opportunities to be creative, but not today. I still have a few images to process from a walk on Sunday along the Mohawk River Trail and the quick run up to Delta Lake.

I liked the snow on top of the bird house. I was high on the bank of the pond for this image, zoomed in to isolate the bird house. I thought maybe a landscape view would be better to give a bigger feeling of isolation. To achieve that I walked closer and zoomed out a little. I failed to watch my background, and I lost the separation of the bird house.

The first image is my “reject” and not fully processed. Notice how the bird house is mixed in with the background. It doesn’t stand out as I wanted. The second image separates the areas of the image and has a greater focus on the bird house, my intended subject. In my rush to capture images before I lost the light I didn’t “see” the scene in my viewfinder.

Home 103 Miss
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/15s, 50mm, f/8, ISO 100

Home 103
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/25s, 70mm, f/8, ISO 100

White Caps

Posted by Mike on

Wordless Wednesday
Monochrome Winter
Mohawk River Trail

White Caps
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/25s, 29mm, f/8, ISO 100

To Do The Impossible

Posted by Mike on

What is your mission?

Bloganuary – Daily Prompt

You’re right, that isn’t my mission. Although, there are times at work it is what I am asked to do. That would be a story for a different day.

My first thought upon reading the prompt might be the same for others of my generation. The Mission Impossible television show. Fellow blogger Robin over at “breezes at dawn” started off the same way (this tape will self destruct in five seconds). A good read for sure.

I let this prompt ruminate though out the day. I was hoping to write a response but I’m never positive how the day will turn out, especially during the week. So, I’m setting the video games and photography aside for now to get these thoughts down on paper(?)…

What is your mission?

I don’t think I have one. Not one clearly defined. Definitely not one I can point to and say, “this is my mission.” Maybe I have already completed a mission or two, and now I am looking for the next one. I have things I want to do or accomplish, but a mission, not really.

And then…

The light bulb clicked on at work today. Maybe I found my mission. I’m there to share my experience and help the younglings grow. I enjoy those teaching moments that crop up during the day. I have the most fun when I’m working with the young engineers. They have questions, and although I might not have the answer we can work through it together. They are way smarter than I think I am. But, I have experience. Experience has taught me how to seek my own answers. Experience gives me a breadth of knowledge to draw upon and the ability to see different solutions. Experience has allowed me to understand how to work with people.

My mission is to pass on my experience.

At the very least, if I decide to accept it, this is how I will view what I’m doing at work.

Color in the Sky

Posted by Mike on

Delta Lake State Park

There it is!

What?

A little blue color.

Where?

In the sky.

There are clouds in the sky.

No, it is peeking through between the clouds. Look closer. Do you see it?

Stop kidding around. We haven’t seen blue in the sky in a while.

You better look before it disappears…

So, I drove to Delta Lake after work. I was determined to capture a little color. I would have liked a sunset. There was hope for a few minutes, but as I drove to the lake, my chances were getting slimmer. I had to hurry, the sunset was in thirty minutes and the elusive color was fading.

I chose to stay near the entrance of the park. The pond everyone generally passes has provided me with many images over the years. I liked how the clouds were changing as I looked across the pond. There was enough light for hand-held exposures, so no need for the tripod.

I ran around for thirty minutes capturing the color in the clouds. While reviewing images back home I realized I gravitate toward the benches and the trees for my foreground subjects. That’s OK, they work for me. Especially in the winter. They add to the mood.

Sit with Me
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/20s, 70mm, f/8, ISO 100

Stand Tall
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/20s, 34mm, f/8, ISO 100

Winter on the River

Posted by Mike on

Mohawk River Trail
Monochrome Winter

We got snow! The predictions I was hearing on Friday turned out to be correct. It started snowing Saturday afternoon. Even though it was coming down pretty good I had planned on going out for dinner, and I intended to keep to my plan (at least for food). When I returned, I shoveled. It was wet snow, and I didn’t relish the thought of trying to move that much snow in the morning.

My divide-and-conquer plan worked. Sunday morning, I only needed to shovel half the snow again. I’m guessing about four to five inches each time. I went about my normal chore routine—laundry, breakfast, and groceries—before settling in for the remainder of the morning.

After lunch, the snow tapered off to the equivalent of a rainy mist. I was going to go for a walk. The city was still working to uncover all the roads and sidewalks, so I thought I would be able to capture a few good winter scenes. I drove over and parked in the lot for the Mohawk River trail.

It was a nice afternoon. Although there was a little snow coming down, it was in the low thirties. I walked the trail back toward my place and was able to capture a few good scenes. There was a path by someone and their dog on the trail, which allowed me to follow in their footsteps. It did make the walking a little easier. I had forgotten to bring my snowshoes.

The bridge over the river provides one of the best views looking downstream. I have captured this view on almost every walk. The wet snow sticking to the trees definitely creates a classic winter scene…

Winter on the River
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/80s, 32mm, f/8, ISO 100

Thoughts in Reflection

Posted by Mike on

52-week Challenge
Week 1 – Self Portrait

Way outside my comfort zone!

I do not like images of myself. Let’s make it worse, as I had to create it myself. What am I thinking?

As I mentioned in another post, I want to challenge myself this year and doing this 52-week challenge is my punishment. I refuse to sign-up in order to post the image so it will only be seen here. I am going to follow the challenge found on 52Frames. The next few challenges will definitely be more my speed. Saying that I will need to find ways to up the challenge rather than fall back into my comfort zone.

Enough babbling… show them the image.

Thoughts in Reflection
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 0.4s, 47mm, f/4, ISO 400

The mirror seemed like the best option for me. The fun part was setting it up (not the best lighting but options are limited) and executing the exposure. Luckily I could connect my phone to the camera through the Nikon SnapBridge app and see what I was doing. I could ensure I was positioned in the mirror properly and set the focus point. Then it was simply clicking the shutter button on the phone.

Nope! Still don’t like images of myself.

This one is in the done pile. On to the next challenge…