Stick With It

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This post is a reminder to me and/or anyone else who can glean something from it. I find my interests go through a lot of ebb and flow, and occasionally this can be discouraging. However, I also find myself returning to some of those interests and that is encouraging.

You are an artist

How is it that people, especially photographers, don’t refer to themselves as artists? If you can pick up a pencil, a paintbrush, a camera, a musical instrument, etc. you’re in the club. Get over the imposter syndrome and just create for yourself. If other people enjoy it as well, then bonus. Success, legitimacy and “likes” are for those seeking attention.

Take Risks

There will always be a knowledge gap, challenges, risks, and even fear. Use all of that to take advantage of opportunities to create.

Delete Your Social Media Accounts

Remember those “likes” that I referred to previously? Ditch ’em. Your creativity is not beholden to others scrolling through their feeds.

Gear Doesn’t Matter

Use what you can, master it. Then consider upgrading.

Share Your Knowledge

Pass on what you have learned rather than hoarding it. Knowledge is beneficial for everyone.

Stick With It

I mentioned before that I’ve been shooting for forty years and I still haven’t figured it out. The moment I stop believing that is the moment I’ve lost the point. I want to continue to explore and create, and I have a long way to go.

Stay Curious My Friends

The desire to keep practicing is to keep learning and wanting more. There will always be more. This is the best reason to stick with it and create.

Photography 2022

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If I stop to think about it, and I have, I realized that my passion for photography goes back exactly forty years. Damn. It all started when I received a Kodak Disc camera as a gift back in 1982. This thing was so easy to use that a child could do it. Pop the disc in, snap, take to the one-hour photo booth, buy more discs when you are there and then enjoy the prints. Well, then the Minolta disc came along shortly after and wow, my first upgrade. This thing had a handle that you could also prop up to use as a stand and a tiny mirror in the front. So let’s all blame Minolta for the selfie trend starting back in the early eighties. My high school had a photography class complete with dark room and print lab. Loved it until it was time to play football. Thereafter, it’s been a few point and shoot cameras until 2001 when I bought my first digital camera. So yeah, you can say I’ve enjoyed photography for quite a while. So, why stick it out this long?

The Kodak and Minolta Disc cameras circa 1982

As much as photography has been a part of my life I still feel like a poser or a wannabe although I’ve been published in books, magazines, websites, sold my work, organized and hosted two photography conferences in two major cities, owned my own business, and participated in two art shows. I do have some laments:

  • No prints on the wall
  • No photo books on the shelf
  • No decent organization to the archives
  • What’s the point of all these photos if they are buried in a hard drive?

These will all change this year starting with the Archives. Organized by years, finally, I’ll need to go back in and cull the duplicates and delete the undesired photos. Then, add geotags, face recognition, and keywords for better sorting and search. Then and only then can I begin to think of hanging prints or publishing photo books.

My photography means a lot to me and now it is time to completely enjoy it.

Web 1.0

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Social media, those platforms that grew under what we call Web 2.0, is dead to me. There is a reason why blogging, RSS feeds, e-mail, podcasting, and texting has stuck around for so long- they work. We have control. We interact with people we genuinely care about. We take our attention back.

I am thrilled to see like-minded individuals building on their own land in blogville as opposed to sharecropping on Zuck’s territories.

Social Anxiety

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There are a lot of people out there who are re-thinking their social media use and I think this is a good idea. It’s taken a long time but the realization that prolonged exposure to these platforms are not good for your mental health.

I got out a few years ago, because of the stupidity of it all. There is nothing of value there unless there are legitimate, supportive conversations. You know, dialogue as opposed to ”Look at me and my best life!” Well even if we wanted to see you at your best life we couldn’t thanks to the manipulation of the data and the way it is presented to you. And you’ll be hard pressed to even see that because of the pervasive, irrelevant advertisements.. No thank you.

So I am glad to read that attitudes are changing and people can slowly start to recover their IQs and have the ability to hold actual conversations in real settings. I’ll touch on this more because I have a lot to say and not enough energy to articulate at the moment.

Unsubscribe

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A recent post from another blogger has me thinking: “How much am I paying for subscription services? Do I even know all the services I am paying and agreeing to on a monthly or yearly basis? How much money can I save if I take an honest look and assess my needs/wants?

Personally, I prefer using stock apps and services where I can, but sometimes, apps and services can be a real joy to use instead. I dislike subscriptions and prefer to pay for a service one-time, but here lately many developers or moving away from one time purchases and going to the subscription model to keep the money flowing in. I don’t mind supporting small, independent developers, but I prefer not to succumb to subscription creep either.

Honest assessment of apps/services:

  1. Apple One- Too much good stuff here that I use frequently like Music, TV, 2 TB storage, Fitness+, Arcade and News. A bonus feature is the ability to share it with up to 5 family members who enjoy as well at no extra cost. $30mo.
  2. Adobe Photography Plan- I’ve been using Adobe products for 15 years and hated it when they switched to subscription model. But they made it worthwhile. A lot of value here for $10 monthly. Plus, they host my photography website. Is it possible to do without it? Yes. I have made software purchases ahead of leaving Adobe, but…it’s a tough one. It stays for now.
  3. Bear Notes- Could I use the stock Apple Notes instead? Yes. But Apple Notes is so damn ugly. Bear has all the features and design I want except the ability to collaborate with others. I just re-upped back in December, so it stays for another 11 months. $15 yearly.
  4. DayOne- The best private journal app that I’ve been free using for 6 years. I just subscribed last month thanks to a generous Apple Store gift card. Is it worth $30 a year? That depends on my usage this year. Plus, they just got bought out by my current web host, WordPress, and promise to integrate somehow. TBD.
  5. Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ bundle- $20 monthly with a lot of entertainment value. ESPN, not so much. They keep all the big matches and F1 races off there. Hulu up-charges to avoid ads (a must). Today, I dropped those two and holding on to Disney for $7 a month. Will it last?
  6. Feedbin- Consider it to be a podcast player, but for blogs, YouTube videos, newsletters and more. There are other feed readers out there for a hell of a lot less but FeedBin checks all the right boxes, and it has been great, but $50 a year with no software improvements? Why? Subscription ends in February.
  7. Fantastical- Do I need a calendar app for $40 a year? When I thought it could help me organize and block out times for my personal life and connect to my company’s email Outlook Exchange, yes. Only to discover my company blocks access to third-party apps for security. Damn. Will not renew in favor of Apple stock calendar app. In December.
  8. Geocaching- A worldwide treasure hunt using GPS coordinates and a fun way to get out and explore. Worth the $50 annually for me.
  9. Micro.blog- A new-to-me platform for hosting blogs. Simple, easy, with amazing community support and direct access to the developer. Will it pull me away from WordPress? Time will tell. $5 or $10 monthly based on desired features.
  10. MindNode- a tool that helps me parse my thoughts with visual diagrams. I’ve been using it to help plot my novels and short stories. I grabbed it again because it was available thanks to an Apple gift card. $20 a year. Then again, pen and paper works just as well.
  11. Ulysses- One of the best software tools around for writers. I’m typing this article on it now and will send it to my website via Ulysses automagically. $50 annually versus the one time paid app I also have called iA Writer. Subscription renewed in November. Status is: we’ll see.
  12. VSCO- A remarkable phone camera app that offers a lot of vintage film emulations with strong community support and even a webpage to host your images. $20 annually.
  13. WordPress- My website host for the past 19 years. They’ve been outstanding but lately quite proud of their offerings and the subscription costs jump as a result. This is why I’ve been looking at Micro.blog as an alternative. $80 annually

Well, that escalated quickly. There may be some subscriptions I have forgotten about that will be a surprise when I get the bill. But those will be addressed accordingly. As a result of this analysis, I’m taking a look at services, value, costs, and alternatives. I’m off to go unsubscribe to a few things and when the renewal notices pop up I’ll reconsider everything.

1/3/22

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First day back to work after the long weekend/new year. Mondays are always the worst but add all that up, plus onboarding and training two new hires remotely and I’m beat.

Day three of the keto diet and am experiencing the keto flu with a touch of nausea.

I miss the kid.

That’s it. That’s the post.

On Blogging

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After twenty years of putting my thoughts online, I still feel like I don’t know what I am doing. Occasionally, it even feels like imposter syndrome, like I don’t belong. But then I think, “Who am I writing for?” Easy answer is myself and sometimes great people come along and join me.

Taking a quote from another author and a blogger:

Blog posts can be edited, added to, improved upon. If you missed something, you can fix it.

Austin Kleon, Blogging As A Forgiving Medium, 2021

Kleon writes that blogging is a ‘forgiving medium’ because it can be therapeutic. Blogging can be rewarding by practicing and learning in public. Not one single person will know what changes I make to a post unless I call myself out with a correction or an update to that post. Unless you have a massive following who likes to keep track of those kinds of things- which I don’t have.

Learning by doing. The more you create, the more you learn. Learn by putting yourself out there and become a better writer.

Learn how to close out your thoughts and your blog post properly.

The title of this post is loosely taken from Stephen King’s book titled “On Writing.”

Peak Minimalism

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I am so close to my minimalistic and materialistic goals that I need to start thinking of what more I can do with the freedom from clutter.

So, I’ll focus on the basics of what keeps me going: photography, writing, journaling, geocaching, walking, fitness, nutrition, creating art, thinking, philosophy, looking for more ways I can reduce my clutter, and anything else I want to do.

2022 Photography Goals

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2022 has arrived, and I have some ideas for my photography for the new year. Photographers are constantly looking for what’s new to shoot, new gear and new challenges for ourselves. So here goes.

Shoot with iPhone Less

Yes, it is the camera/phone I will always have on me and it would be so easy to just grab, go and shoot. But I want to shoot with intention this year. This means that Sonya will come out with me more frequently. Because film stock is now more expensive this year (thanks a lot Kodak), I ordered 20 rolls of 35 and 110 mm film ahead of time. Shooting film and digital can be a more rewarding aesthetic than just quick iPhone snaps.

If I am being honest, the iPhone will still come out to play. Just less. I didn’t upgrade to the 13 Max Pro cameras for nothing!

Delete Social Media

Forget Instagram, forget Flickr, forget SmugMug, etc. etc. This is a new year and a new opportunity to build your own photography portfolio website like mine. This way you have more control over what and how you want your work to be displayed. Adobe Lightroom subscribers can use the additional Portfolio platform at no extra cost. Host your photos on WordPress or Micro.blog.

One Camera & One Lens

This should be an easy one for me since the new Sony camera, Sonya, was so expensive. She comes with one 28-70mm lens, and it’ll be a long time before I decide to get another lens in addition. This camera will have to become a part of me. I am still learning how to navigate through all the menu options, but what better way to learn than by doing? Now is the time for me to learn and practice with one focal length and master it. Then I can move on to the next one.

Photo Books or Zines

Based on the type of photography topics you prefer, you can print photo albums or books. For me, digital photo zines are ideal. Inexpensive to make and widely distributed to anyone on the planet with internet connectivity.

Black/White Or Color?

Back when I shot color photography, now and then I’d challenge myself to change the aesthetic by switching it up. “Black & White Appreciation Month” was fairly frequent, so much so that now I prefer B&W. Change your genre as well for those happy surprises. You just might like it.

Digital Photo Contact Sheet

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Ever notice how the Photos app resembles a film negative contact sheet? I am amazed with the viewing experience from the iPad/iPhone/Mac and all the information that is built into it. My workflow is simple: Take images with the iPhone, let them sync to the cloud and they are visible on any device you want to view or edit. I can also shoot images on my digital camera, load the SD card into the reader, insert reader into my device and transfer there for post-processing.

Why do I prefer the iPad to do this with? First, the experience of viewing, choosing, and editing your photos on an iPad is much more fun and interactive than just seeing them on your laptop. I can take my digital photo lab with me everywhere. And seeing my photos on a brilliant screen is more intimate for me. I am able to hold my digital images in my hand and interact with them, flag, post-process, and even sketch the composition.

To speed up my photo processing workflow, I will first look at all my images taken as large thumbnails (just like an old analog film contact sheet.) Neat.

Digital and analog contact sheets

Changing My Attitude

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Is it possible to be happy where you feel like you are stuck? Regardless of where we are, I do believe it is possible to be happy. Personally, I am bitter towards living in a small city that is land-locked and in a flyover state during a pandemic. Yes, there is always going to be a better city or country that have a better climate or opportunities, but what can we do with what we have? Personally, I’ve discovered that once I’ve found the perfect place, I am still not satisfied because there is so much more for me to explore.

After traveling extensively, I realize I want to do it more. But what of it isn’t possible during a pandemic or lockdowns? We make do with what we have, but you have to work at it. If what you want there doesn’t exist, try to improve it yourself.

From the master of micro-adventures:

“I thought that I had been paying close attention to my local area through years of micro-adventures. Then I committed to spending a year exploring only the single local map that I live on (the big fold-out paper maps hikers use, covering an area of 20km x 20km). At first I worried that after years of global adventures — cycling around the world, rowing the Atlantic, walking across southern India etc. — my one small, suburban patch outside London would be agonisingly claustrophobic, boring and limiting. But I was wrong! I have discovered places I never knew existed, and been astonished at the wildness, beauty (ugliness, too) and history I have discovered. If you find somewhere new within a few miles of home then you are exploring the world just as much as someone trekking across the Empty Quarter Desert in Arabia…”

Alastair Humphreys

Well said. Inspirational even.

Your mental and physical health is crucial in all of this. It’s time to keep your brain and your body fit. Get out and have a walk and a think. I’ll be embracing naps a lot this winter as well.

I said all that to say this: if you can’t change your latitude, then your attitude needs to change. This is easier said than done, but I am going to give it a helluva try.