The Art Of Not Asking Why

Don't ask me why, I'll tell you anyway

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    I found my first digital camera πŸ“· burried in my trunk of memories. I left the batteries inside so it’s probably not to be used again…

    A hand holding an HP camera. It’s a photosmart 753 model.
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    Another Manhattan sticker-covered manhole. Lafayette Street. πŸ“·

    A manhole lid covered in various stickers, mostly look like graffiti and various writings.
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    My new printer is here, and it's fantastic.

    an Epson printer with the printing bay and scanner door open πŸ“·

    Fred, which is how I decided to name it (we’ll see if it sticks), is already proving to be a crucial part of my photography process I didn’t know I needed. Fortunately for me, good folks like Jack exist on Micro.blog to share their knowledge.

    Jack helped me several times in the last couple of weeks. When I was stuck in my “funk” two weeks ago, he directed me toward the magnetic cables he uses. That, and getting around to organizing my photos, finally pulled me out of the mental mud I was in. The pictures below are from Maine, which you can see in the photos section on the blog:

    printed photos of places in Maine, and one of a hot air balloon in New Mexico

    Then I read his post about the Epson Printer, and I found the idea of printing my own photos exciting. It took me a couple of days to decide to buy it, and then Amazon teased me about the delivery for a day and a half. I was sitting on the stairs of the lobby of my building in the evening, waiting for the delivery guy to show up. I told myself I was worried because they’d just leave it in the lobby for thieves to grab (which unfortunately happens in my building more often than not), but looking back at it now, I understand there was more excitement in the printer than just that concern. Now that I see my photos on the wall, I think I get it.

    The printer lets me see my photos around me as physical objects, a part of who I am and what I do. It puts my photography to a new level. It’s one thing to occasionally open Lightroom or Photoshop (or Darktable when I started out) and browse through your photos, nod with a smile, and move on. It’s something different to see them on a wall in front of you, greeting you every day. Sure, you can order prints, and I did. But sending photos to professional printing doesn’t happen as often as printing on your own: It took me two months to send three photos to print; it took me one night to print the same number at home.

    Even more important is the trial and error, learning the process, and being a part of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jack feels the same way (probably to a higher degree) when he develops photos in a dark room. It’s probably an amazing feeling.

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    After organizing my photos, I finally got to edit and work out some of my photos πŸ“·from Bar Harbor in September. More work to do, but progress…!

    A picture of lighthouse island in Bar Harbor, Maine, from a deck on a boat. A text in the sky reads Bar Harbor 2023
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    Also, sorting my photos, I’m considering a couple of features I’d like in a future camera πŸ“·:

    • GPS tagging (so I can find photos by looking at a map in Lightroom)
    • WiFi syncing to Synology / DNS
    • Mirrorless Sony (so it fits my current lenses)
    • Longer video clip duration
    • Higher sensitivity (low light)
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    Two in one, or as a previous manager used to say: “two for five!” finishing the photoblog challenge, a bit behind.

    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 29 Constrast A black and white photo of a New York City office building at night, with some windows lit and most dark. A fluff of smoke is caught in the foreground.

    Above: Taken in manhattan, caught some smoke as well in the picture.

    Below: our “treasure:” chocolate covered orange peels, espresso beans, cherries, and almonds. Life Forst Gump, we never know what we’re going to get when we have one 🍫

    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 30 Treasure A glass jar filled with chocolates of different flavors, as expressed above. There’s a lamp in the background next to a Snake plant, providing yellow-orange light

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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 28 Workout

    Since COVID, I’ve started to exercise in my room. I’ve been exercising way more often this way than I ever did at the gym.

    A dum-bell at the front, with another one close by. In the background, an orange yoga mattress. Even further away, against the wall, an over-the-door pull-up bar.

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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 27 Embrace

    After several days without sun, I was ready to go for a run and embrace the sun yesterday.

    Crossing a metallic bridge, with the sun at the upper left. The railing are curved and stylish. A woman is walking ahead.

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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 26 ** Beverage**

    What, no coffee? I actually have a couple of favorites. Pictured here, is pomegranate juice, slightly carbonated. Perfect with a spicy grilled chicken sandwich.

    In a jar, red liquid. It is pomegranate juice with a few bubbles from carbonation in it.
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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 25 Flare

    New Mexico, before the hot balloon ride, 2021.

    ### A man aiming a hot air balloon tortch into the inflating balloon to the right; there’s a big flame coming out bigger than the man itself. Another man is kneeling on the ground next to the balloon, holding it. The scene takes place in the desert. ###

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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 24 Belt

    I had this belt for about 15 years.

    A black leather black on a wooden table.
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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 23 Day In the Life

    That’s just me in the corner… typical morning routine.

    A picture of a small manhattan apartment. Standing at the left, a bald guy with a cup in his hand looking outside. The apartment is full of objects, spices, a sofa, a table, a microwave, and two windows looking outside at the gloomy grey day.
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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 22 Road

    Almost skipped this one… One of the side streets in Florance, Italy.

    A paved road with a row of scooters next to each other blocking about half of the street. Yellow-painted walls are closing in on the street, making it more of an alleyway.
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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 21 Fall

    A brown-orange fallen leaf on the ground, with large drops of water like pearls on top of it
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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 20 Disruption

    Who hasn’t had this sort of disruption at work?? (If you work on a Mac or Linux, sit down…). After all these years, this “feature” still makes me want to throw laptops out the window.

    A 13-inch personal laptop displaying a 'Working on Updates' Microsoft Windows message. In the background, an office.
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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 19 Edge

    Looking down at a street with cars, there's a leg of a person standing on a metal vent some 14 floors above.
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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 18 Fabric

    I’m having fun with the different photo modes on the iPhone. I didn’t explore them in depth before, but there are some interesting options.

    Three kitchen towels, and a pillow on a chair with a vintage finish. The primary color is red-brown with some streaks of blue and patterns in the fabric.οΏΌ
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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 17: Intense

    🎢 These hot sauces are not kidding around. I only dare to use one drop on a bun. Any more than that and I have a hole in my tongue. 🎢

    Three bottles of hot sauce of different kinds. From left to right: οΏΌBurn, Fiya Fiya, and aka miso
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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 16: Oof!

    Oof, this hits the spot! London fog (oat milk) and almond milk rice pudding.

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    September photo πŸ“· challenge day 15: Red

    The red tail on my mom’s favorite animal (I can’t stand him)

    A big gray parrot picking at you through the bars of his cage. He has a red tail
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