Author Archives: Mike

Playtime

Posted by Mike on

Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?

Bloganuary – Daily Prompt

Wait? What? I’m not sure I understand the question. Is there any other time?

OK, yes, I know it isn’t all fun and games. But I do think this prompt is looking directly at me. See my first post of 2024 (Stop and Play). Literally the last words in the post.

I typically have fun. 

At work I’m the one bringing a little levity to the meeting. Understand, I can drone on during the meeting as needed. I can become quite passionate on different topics, but you do not have to leave the fun at home. You do need to know how to read the room though, it is a skill and not everyone can do it.

Playtime.

Hhhmmm? The prompt is “What says ‘playtime’ to you?”

Letting my mind have fun. Strolling with my camera is playtime. Processing the images once I get back home is playtime. Writing the blog post is playtime. Creativity or being creative is playtime.

I play video games, a lot. I have a two bedroom apartment and the second room is my video game room. I mostly enjoy the RPG genre but I occasionally branch into other types of games. Exploring the worlds with the game and solving the adventure is definitely playtime. I would say more identifiable as playtime than my statements above. The room…

I like to bake and cook. I think there is playtime involved in both of these activities. Again, it is about creativity. I love trying out a new recipe and then tweaking it to better suit what I like. I’m not always successful but who cares. I have fun trying.

I think of myself as a big kid. I like to have fun and I do enjoy my playtime. I wish to never stop playing…

Stop and Play

Posted by Mike on

What are your biggest challenges?

Bloganuary – Daily Prompt

Daily Prompt
Delta Lake State Park

New year, new attitude. We’ll see. 

Let’s start with the January blogging challenge.

Follow through. Definitely one of my challenges. Look at my last post of 2023 and you’ll see how my photography looks like a bad bell curve. I’ve done different photography challenges over the years but it rarely ends well… :) I will work on following through on those challenges I give myself.

Overcome complacency. Or maybe it should be don’t settle. No, not settle, more like don’t be lazy. Put in the effort. Do I want to get better with my photography? Yes. Then challenge myself. Do I want to be more creative. Again, yes. Then push myself. Or to be more simple about it… get off my arse…

Change. Not a fan, but generally want it. I guess this one is closely tied to the first two. You really can’t change unless you are will to follow through and not be complacent. I’ll focus on the first two and this one should follow along for the ride.

Not a challenge but more a thought I like to encourage… stop and play.

Stop and Play
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/6s, 24mm, f/8, ISO 400

So Long 2023

Posted by Mike on

Delta Lake State Park

This year has been a roller coaster ride, photographically, that is…

The lull in picking up my camera that started in late 2022 continued through most of the first quarter of this year. It wasn’t until after a few conversations at work did I consider anything with photography. I started slow late in March and gained good momentum through the summer months.

I managed a couple of trips to Florida, one mostly for Disney and another included a few days on the east coast. I think it was the second Disney trip that started the decline in my interest again. When I returned I wasn’t engaged. I couldn’t “see” the images and didn’t feel satisfied with what I was creating. I turned to my other hobby again…

Until the last day of the year.

It was in no way a great day. Temps around freezing. A cloudy sky with off and on drizzle. But I went to Delta Lake at sunset. Or at least when sunset was occurring, who could tell through the clouds. My thoughts were on creating monochrome images. I felt I could pull some drama out of the clouds and maybe I would be able to convey how the day made me feel. 

You’ll have to let me know how I did…

Cold Beach
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/20s, 24mm, f/8, ISO 400

Through the Reeds
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/20s, 36mm, f/8, ISO 400

The Point
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/15s, 28mm, f/8, ISO 400

Guarding the Point
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/13s, 24mm, f/8, ISO 400

The Lake
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/15s, 41mm, f/8, ISO 400

Symmetry
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/10s, 38mm, f/8, ISO 400

Collect the Tables
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/4s, 27mm, f/8, ISO 400

Winter Trails
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/4s, 28mm, f/8, ISO 400

Lonely Sentine
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/6s, 34mm, f/8, ISO 400

The Park
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f/4 S, 1/5s, 24mm, f/8, ISO 400

Going Back Ten Years

Posted by Mike on

Delta Lake Dam

Looking through my Lightroom catalog it has been about ten weeks since I picked up my camera. The last few images I captured even feel ‘meh’ to me. I wish I had a better understanding about what happened or switched inside me but I don’t. I wasn’t feeling the photography and turned to other hobbies. It is time to be OK with that…

I received an email through the contact form on this blog from a blogging friend. Someone who has been away from photography for a while and is getting back into it. Asking a few questions about posting images and looking for a little help with WordPress.

The opening statement in the email about me not posting in a while and hoping everything is all right struck at me. I get lazy. I forget how much my online friends contribute to me and how much I can give back. I’m a bit of a loner by nature and I don’t put in the effort I should. It is a two-way street but I usually drive it as a one-way…

I want to be better.

Today might not be the day to pick-up the camera as it is currently raining. We are expecting a little snow (if I am to believe the forecast) and I’m wishing we get a nice white coat for the landscape. I want to explore and grab a some images. Until then, I went back ten years to December 2013 and re-processed this image at the Delta Lake dam. The original can be viewed here. I modified the crop from 16×9 to 5×7. I also chose to go with a faded blue look which I feel conveys the cold a little better on this overcast day.

Oh, I almost forget to say thank you to Karma for sending that email… I’m looking forward to seeing what you will be creating.

A Day to the Dam Redo
Nikon D5100, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4, 0.5s, 28mm, f/20, ISO 100

Flamingos

Posted by Mike on

Kilimanjaro Safari, Africa,
Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World

Flamingos
Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/800s, 24mm, f/4, ISO 100

Coming and Going

Posted by Mike on

Silent Sunday
Frontierland, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World

Coming and Going
Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/640s, 24mm, f/5.6, ISO 100

Cindy’s Glow

Posted by Mike on

Cinderella Castle, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World

Cindy’s Glow
Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/125s, 26mm, f/11, ISO 100