#APicADay 2020: Day 31

I did not have an opportunity to get out to shoot today.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 44mm, f/14, 1/250 s, and ISO 160

This is a thunder egg. Usually, they are cut in half and the cut surface is polished. This one had the exterior cut away, and the six cut edges were polished. This gives a different view of the interior of a thunder egg. This specimen was given to us by friends a few years ago. Thunder eggs are the state rock of Oregon. You can learn more about them at this page.

Quote of the Day: 31 January 2020

“Anyone who chooses not to hear the word No is trying to control you.” -Gavin de Becker
[Therefore, you will need to be on your guard against such people.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 30

The weather was tolerable for a walk today. Meaning, things were strongly overcast, but there was no rain falling. So, it was dark, the light was flat, and I wasn't getting drenched.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/4.0, 1/25 s, and ISO 160

These crocuses are making a strong case for the arrival of spring, and we're only at the tail end of January.
These images also happened on this walk.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 32mm, f/3.6, 1/250 s, and ISO 160

 The daffodils are providing supporting evidence.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 39mm, f/3.6, 1/75 s, and ISO 160

The pine cone isn't conclusive in either direction.

Forest Grove Police Log excerpt, 30 Januray 2020

The selection from the log of local police activity for this week is about a nationally televised talent show.

January 21
A woman called police to inquire as to whether or not she would be allowed to refer to her department ride-along twenty years ago during her upcoming performance on America’s Got Talent. Officers attempted to gather more information, but the woman promptly hung up and would not answer when officers attempted a call back.

I can understand the rationale for wanting to get permission to refer to the ride-along,  even if it isn't something I would consider necessary. But then, I wouldn't think to mention it in the first place.

Quote of the Day: 30 January 2020

“PEDESTRIAN, n. The variable (and audible) part of the roadway for an automobile.” -Ambrose Bierce
[Hee-hee.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 29

There was sufficient rain that I went back to photographing minerals with artificial lighting again.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/14, 1/250 s, and ISO 160 (cropped)

This iron pyrite is unusual in that it's crystal structure is not cubic. I struggled to get a good image of this because it is so reflective. The specular highlights make it look less golden than I perceive it to be absent the flashes.

Quote of the Day: 29 January 2020

“A feeling that a decision is right is not the same as providing evidence that it is right.” -Robert Burton
[Sadly, most will continue to present their feelings as though they prove their desired conclusions.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 28

Decent light this afternoon. Today, I went into my backyard rather than for a walk in the neighborhood.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 33mm, f/5.0, 1/12 s, and ISO 400

 My house sits on a hill, and the backyard runs off pretty steeply. As a consequence, down where the ferns are, the trees block a lot of light, and the hill rising on the other side of the valley blocks even more. At f/5.0 and ISO 160 I was getting a shutter speed of over a second. That's not a shot I can make handheld. So, I bumped up the ISO by a stop and a half or so. I had already opened the aperture, and I didn't want to go further, and didn't have much further I could open it anyway.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/4.0, 1/38 s, and ISO 160

The difference in quantity of light can be observed here. I was able to put the ISO back down to 160, and I only opened the aperture a third of a stop and I'm still getting a much faster shutter speed.

Quote of the Day: 28 January 2020

“Sometimes, the only way to keep from accidentally offending someone is to offend them deliberately.” -Scott Meyer
[Some people are so determined to be offended that they will be regardless of what you do.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 27

Hard rain most of the day today. Back to the studio with a new type of subject. Bonus points to anyone that gets the source of the subject.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 34mm, f/14, 1/250 s, and ISO 160

Fully manual exposure. Everything from focus, exposure, and lighting. I did it all.

Quote of the Day: 27 January 2020

“Human felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day.” -Benjamin Franklin
[This being the case, we should look for those little advantages, and appreciate them, as well as capitalize upon the opportunities they offer.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 26

The weather seems to have improved. I was able to go for a walk, and I've discovered that there are several flowers already available.
Today's Image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 33mm, f/3.6, 1/52 s, and ISO 160

But ultimately I settled on this picture of a pine cone. I don't know the variety.
Then there are these.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 32mm, f/3.6, 1/800 s, and ISO 160

 The light was very bright for this picture, as you can tell from using a very fast shutter speed. But, daffodils are back. These are the only ones I have seen blooming, but there are so many that are about to.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 39mm, f/3.6, 1/350 s, and ISO 160

 I just liked this rock sitting in gravel.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/4.0, 1/70 s, and ISO 160 (slight crop)

 Tulips are also coming up, but this is the only one I've seen with even a hint of color on it.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/4.0, 1/450 s, and ISO 160

 I don't know what these little blue flowers are. But I liked it.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/4.0, 1/10 s, and ISO 160

I considered increasing the ISO on this texture shot, but decided to try to get it at this exposure anyway. It worked out.

Quote of the Day: 26 January 2020

“When problems arise and marriages are threatened, praying together as a couple may be the most important remedy.” -Joe J. Christensen

#APicADay 2020: Day 25

With a good weather day like we had today, it would have been foolish of me not to go for a walk. So, I did. I took a completely different route from what I have done recently. But I still only found one thing I really wanted to take a picture of.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/16, 1/13 s, and ISO 320

I was looking for something that would have more than just green in it. We have a lot of green this time of year, and I get a bit bored of it. This was as close as I came to that today. I chose to stop down my aperture to get more depth of field, but that meant my shutter speed was really slow. So, I bumped up the ISO a bit to compensate. I'm pretty pleased with this shot.
Then I also took some texture shots that I can use for other things later.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 46mm, f/7.1, 1/40 s, and ISO 160

 After depressing the shutter button for this image, I got an odd message from my camera that I had not seen before. I selected the OK button to accept the image, and then looked at my settings. Something changed my drive mode dial from single to multiple exposure. So, I quickly changed that back, but it does mean that this was captured as a jpg rather than as a RAW file.

Fuji X-T3 wtih XF 18-55 @ 33 mm, f/5.0, 1/42 s, and ISO 160

There was less light for this picture than was ideal, I decided to open up the aperture rather than increasing the ISO since everything is on the same focal plane.

Quote of the Day: 25 January 2020

“Only man will inflict suffering for the sake of suffering. That is the best definition of evil I have been able to formulate.” -Jordan Peterson
[I don't know that this encompasses all evil, but it is at least an aspect of evil.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 24

There was less rain today. So, I took a walk. I decided to reverse the direction of the path as I would normally take it. I thought this would give me a different view of the things I had been seeing as I have been walking this path for the past few weeks. I was right, however, I only found one thing that I decided to take a picture of.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/7.1, 1/13 s, and ISO 160

I am somewhat surprised by the lack of depth of field in this image given I was shooting at f/7.1, but that is, I guess, one of the reasons for doing this exercise. I become more familiar with the characteristics of my equipment so that I can employ it to create the effect I am looking to achieve.

Quote of the Day: 24 January 2020

“We do moral reasoning not to reconstruct the actual reasons why we ourselves came to a judgment; we reason to find the best possible reasons why somebody else ought to join us in our judgment.” -Jonathan Haidt
[I have known this for some time, but it is nice to have somewhere I can point to and say 'see what he said' when I need it.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 23

I attempted to go get pictures of waterfowl today. There was interference from a toddler, his mommy, and rain. That combination made my duck pictures pretty terrible.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 50mm, f/14, 1/250 s, and ISO 160

This malachite was purchased by my wife about four and a half years ago. I used the flashes in manual mode, and put them in the same positions as yesterday. I think I've gotten this setup fairly well figured out.
Then I took some pictures of my daughter, but I'm only showing one preparatory shot from that.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 37mm, f/14, 1/250 s, and ISO 160

Quote of the Day: 23 January 2020

“Wherever there is a man who exercises authority, there is a man who resists authority.” -Oscar Wilde
[I have the tendency to be the one resisting authority. Particularly when I don't have any salient interest in the authority being exercised.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 22

I had hoped there would be some good light today. Unfortunately there was a lot of rain instead. And when I was able to go out, things were just grey and drizzly.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/14, 1/250 s, and ISO 160

This polyhedroid agate belonging to my wife presented an interesting subject. I moved the fill light back over to the right. I tried several different exposures with it in various places, but I liked it best at about 45 degrees to the right. I know that this is entirely lit by the speedlights because I accidentally left the flash trigger turned off the first time I pressed the shutter release.

Forest Grove Police Log excerpt, 22 January 2020

The selection from the log of local police activity this week is about someone who is decidedly not a japanophile.

January 15
A woman called police inquiring how to safely dispose of a samurai sword. She was advised to contact a pawn shop.

If you can't figure out how to safely divest yourself of a (likely inauthentic) samurai sword, how can you adequately take care of yourself as an adult?
And if this isn't enough, you should hit that link up above and find the tale of the yogurt thief (or owner if you believe his story).

Quote of the Day: 22 January 2020

“For those who cherish and promote the welfare state vision, it cannot be easy to admit, even to oneself, having promised progress toward ‘social justice’ and having delivered instead retrogressions toward barbarism.” -Thomas Sowell
[I suspect that most of them don't even stop to consider the actual results of the programs they promote. Rather, they feel good that they have 'done something' toward the problem, and move on looking for the next place to stick their tyrannical little fingers.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 21

While out driving this afternoon I saw a rainbow. Sadly, I wasn't able to grab an image of it, and I wasn't able to come up with a good composition that included it anyway. Instead I took a chunk of quartz crystal and put it in front of my speedlights.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/11, 1/250, and ISO 160

I felt pretty good about this one. I have the key light about 45 degrees to the left and up, and I tried to get the fill close to on axis. I should have positioned it just to the right of the camera, rather than just to the left. The lights were in TTL mode, and the fill was about a stop and a third lower than the key.

Quote of the Day: 21 January 2020

“I maintain the self delusion that my jokes are funny by refusing to explain them.” -@steve_jorbz
[Me too.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 20

We've had my parents visiting us for the past few days, and they returned home this afternoon. So, I went out walking a little later than usual. (I also grabbed some shots of my wife holding our daughter in our house using flashes, but I don't post pictures like that publicly.) This is what struck me this afternoon as I was out and about.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 36mm, f/3.6, 1/9 s, and ISO 160

I've shared an image of whatever these things are once before, but I got up closer to them this time. I still don't know what they are, though. I only see them in this one small patch along a path I walk fairly regularly.
There were also these:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/4.0, 1/27 s, and ISO 160 (Cropped)

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 33mm, f/4.5, 1/7 s, and ISO 1000

Quote of the Day: 20 January 2020

“Healthy people don’t covet others’ wealth.” -Zuby
[Not that those who do are sufficiently self aware that they can see they are coveting in the first place.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 19

I went on my walk in different lighting conditions than usual today. It has been far drier today than most days lately.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 30mm, f/3.6, 1/350 s, and ISO 160

I have noticed this tree covered with pine cones, but I have not been struck by it before like I was today. Though, I probably could have procured a better shot if I had brought a scrim. That would have softened the light quite a bit.

Bonus Quote of the Day: 19 January 2020

“A species that views a future generation as merely parasitical has no future.” -James Mallon
[Happy National Sanctity of Human Life Day!]

Quote of the Day: 19 January 2020

“Only by faith in Jesus Christ, continuing repentance, and keeping covenants are we able to claim the lasting happiness we all yearn to experience and retain.” -Henry B. Eyring

#APicADay 2020: Day 18

The light was not as good today, but I did find one scene while on my walk that I enjoyed.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/4.0, 1/1250 s, and ISO 160

This is another view over a portion of the city where I live.

Quote of the Day: 18 January 2020

“It is the best way to write poetry, letting things come.” -Winnie-the-Pooh
[Happy Winnie the Pooh Day.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 17

We had a bit more snow today. I was out a bit after sunrise walking through the neighborhood and trying to grab good images with snow. Mostly because it's a rarity here. But I should have waited a bit more for a little more light. Often I was trying to get images with very long shutter speeds. Ultimately, I decided on the one image I grabbed when my parents took The pup and I to the zoo instead.
Today's image:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/4.0, 1/120, and ISO 160

This ended up being my favorite picture from today. I only took a few exposures while at the zoo, and all of them were of this scene. The lions just seemed to be posing for us today.
These are the pictures from my walk this morning:

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 22mm, f/8.0, 1/3 s, and ISO 160

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 30mm, f/8.0, 1/4 s, and ISO 160

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 39mm, f/3.6, 1/15 s, and ISO 160

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 39mm, f/3.6, 1/7 s, and ISO 160

Quote of the Day: 17 January 2020

“To mix science up with philosophy is only to produce a philosophy that has lost all its ideal value and a science that has lost all its practical value.” -G. K. Chesterton
[Science and Philosophy serve different purposes, and to apply scientific methods to philosophical pursuits will lead you to incorrect conclusions.]

#APicADay 2020: Day 16

I noticed a nice quality of light early this afternoon, and began walking. There were a few things I saw, and liked.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 29mm, f/8.0, 1/6 s, and ISO 160

There is a park down the street from us with a playground and an area of older trees going up a hillside. I walked through the soggy ground to get into position, and I like the way the light is coming through this stand of trees.
These other images were fun to get too.

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 30mm, f/8.0, 1/250 s, and ISO 160

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 55mm, f/14, 1/18 s, and ISO 160

Fuji X-T3 with XF 18-55 @ 18mm, f/11.0, 1/20 s, and ISO 160