Scattered Throughout

Squared – SQ184

A jumbled mess.

What is?

The state of my mind.

I doubt it.

No, it is.

Too many thoughts running through the cluttered mess that is my brain today. Too many ideas to process. Where do I begin?

Let’s start with an image I converted to look like it was painted. A simple flower I found at the Flower & Garden Festival in Epcot back in 2021. Yellow is the color of happiness and optimism. Yellow can affect the logical part of the brain stimulating, mentality and perception. It inspires thought and curiosity (borrowed from Color Meanings). Today is a yellow day…

Lost in Yellow
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M, Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro, 1/1600s, f/2.8, ISO 100

There are numerous photography “challenges” I am currently working to complete. This week’s challenge at 52 Frames is Shoot from Below. I had an idea this morning that I tried but didn’t nail the focus on the image (sad face). I have a few others that I will go capture but I’m waiting for the temps to improve just a little.

My friend Karma is back online and we gently convinced her we needed one of her photo hunts. They were always fun and generally made me think (which I probably don’t do enough of). You can read about the latest at Well Dam, I think I just came up with a photo hunt!. I probably have too many ideas I want to try and should focus on one, but I’m leaning toward trying as many as I can. Stop back and see how I do with this one…

I saw another post of a different weekly challenge and really want to play along. The challenge is about patterns and/or repetition in your image. Examples would be a row of fence posts or a pattern of rocks in a landscape. I know I have images in my archives but I want to get out and search for something new. Again, you’ll have to stop back to see what I find.

Other thoughts in my head?

Right, I started off with those comments…

I work with a lot of people. I interact with most of them on a daily basis, but I don’t know a lot about them. Case in point – there was an after work get together at a local bar to celebrate two employees recent retirement. I ended up talking with a few of the younger engineers and discovered they are bookaholics like myself. We ended up discussing various books they have recently read, what types of reading they enjoy (a good portion are sci-fi aficionados like myself), and exchanged a few recommendations. I knew we shared a fondness for video games but sharing books brings better conversations to the table. I have a few more books to get and read after that night.

I’m still processing “clutter” from a daily prompt two weeks ago (Clutter, Clutter Everywhere…). I see more of it around my apartment and I’m trying to determine how best/how much I want to tackle. But this process is adding to the clutter in my head… I can’t win.

I’m still processing where I want to be. I’m not a fan of being cold. As much as I like winter images, going out there in the cold is a big deterrent. My original plan was to move toward the south and warmer weather after selling the house. The sale happened four years ago! WTH!

I troll the job sites looking for the next opportunity but generally stop short of pulling the trigger. I’m not positive what is holding me back. I think it is a reluctance for change. Maybe it is a general laziness. I would have to put in some effort to pursue a new opportunity and if it required moving, that is a whole other can of worms… ha ha ha

I see the sun starting to burn through the clouds and there are patches of blue sky. I’ve talked your ear off enough for today. I have a few chores around the apartment to finish and then I need to find those images for all the challenges.

Thanks for listening…

Three Sisters

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

On My Own

Squared – SQ182
Midday, Floral, Macro

On My Own
Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/640s, f/5, ISO 100

Let Me Soar

Squared – SQ181
Midday, Floral, Macro

Let Me Soar
Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/640s, f/5.6, ISO 100

Excuse Me

Squared – SQ180
Midday, Floral, Macro

Well, this is not the image I thought I would be posting today. But, a lucky capture is worth showing. I had focused on this floral subject shining brightly in the midday sun when the dragonfly landed on a petal. A quick re-focus and shutter click grabbed me this image before he was gone. Luck had everything to do with this one…

Reminisce of Me Deeply
Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/1250s, f/3.2, ISO 100

Going Up?

Squared – SQ179
Midday, Macro

Sunday was laundry day. That really isn’t important, I guess, but it was the start to my day. For me, the weekends are not any different than the weekdays as I am up at my normal time. So, laundry was done and the clothes hanging on the drying rack by 5am.

By 9am I was ready to get moving again. I wanted to go to the International Sculpture Garden and scout out the trails. Wait a minute! I should explain that statement…

A while ago at work a few of my fellow employees found out about my photography. We have been having a few discussions (mostly me picking on them for not taking any images) and oohing/aahing over our gear.

A few of my friends are in the Young Professional Employee Resource Group at the company. One of them asked if I would do a lunch and learn session for the group. The ask was the session could be on any topic but there were strong persuasive comments it should be about photography. That session was a couple of weeks ago. I was a little floored by the turn out. Literally, standing room only in the conference room.

I babbled on for over an hour. A lot of good questions and great discussions. The session ended with me offering to meet up with any interested people for a photo walk. I thought the sculpture garden (which is around the corner from work), the Mohawk River trail, or any of my usual haunts around Rome. I figured we could have a good time exploring and it would be another chance for me to ramble on about photography. I’m not sure they know what they created… 🙂

Well, that walk is now! Rather Monday the 31st. The invite was for the Mohawk Trail but I walked that Thursday evening and the opportunities are not as plentiful as the sculpture garden. I asked they switch it and hopefully they did. I can make either location work. The trail is more macro and landscape opportunities while the garden paths offer something for every style.

I want to discuss lens choice, aperture settings, composition, seeing the light, etc. I’m actually really looking forward to this walk. I’m hoping we can do more. And as any reader of this blog knows, when I get on a roll, it is hard to shut me up. Especially about photography. Good thing we aren’t at Disney or they would end up running away from me.

So, after that rather laborious explanation, I went for a walk to scope out talking points for the walk. This is a view up the ladder on the water tower. I have captured it before but couldn’t resist another attempt.

Going Up?
Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/400s, f/4, ISO 100

Daisy Time

Squared – SQ178
Wordless Wednesday
Midday, Floral, Macro

Daisy Time
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro, 1/2500s, f/5, ISO 200

Open Parasol

Squared – SQ177
Silent Sunday
Midday, Dandelion, Macro

Open Parasol
Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro, 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 200