Category: 365 Project

Pulling another from the archives, from 2023, this is my father-in-law’s piano. He left it and a tuba to me when he passed a few years ago.

No one had ever left me anything when they passed before.

I love that guy. If I could have designed a father-in-law, I’m not sure I could have designed a better or different one .

I keep the piano next to my desk and try to play frequently. I’m not any good, rather, my present playing abilities don’t match what’s in my head.

Despite my tinnitus, I can pick out melodies that pop in my head from time to time.

I subscribe to a music lessons site and work through them when I can.

I’m getting better.

Some days, you just can’t get out and take some shots… But that doesn’t mean I won’t post or post a few minutes after midnight. 😀

I would be remiss if, as part of this 365 project, I didn’t include shots I’ve taken before.

One of the mistakes I’ve made is not reviewing pictures I’ve previously captured. Part of it was because I spent the better part of a year taking pictures for a theater group and it overwhelmed me.

I learned a lot but I also didn’t do any of my own projects and subsequently lost the desire to take pics. I never processed anything I took.

I was writing more and also started shooting video. But the stills stopped.

So, at its core, the point of this project is to find out what kind of photographer I am. I can no longer ignore what I’ve done and left unfinished.

It is, as Floyd Wickman would say, time to complete my circles.

Which means:

• Taking new pics
• Reviewing my old pics
• Taking courses
• Taking more pics
• Improving my current skillset
• Developing new skills
• Improving my photographic artistry
• Getting better at post-production
• Staying on track with this project

So, here’s an old one.

This is one of Bannerman Castle in Beacon, NY.

I took this in 2020 with the 70d and a $13,000, 800mm lens I borrowed from Canon. I was about a mile or two away.

It’s hard not to love a lens like that.

I used that same kit on its one:

On the subject of borrowed lenses from Canon, I’ve got a fisheye lens coming on Monday. I have been waiting to use one of these lenses since I was in single digits, my brother got an AE-1, and I saw the opening to Hawaii Five O. It’s going be fun!

Just walking around on a gray day. Used my inexpensive 70-300 mm zoom cause it’s lighter than my 70-200.

You can get good shots from an inexpensive lens. Just keep it clean and respect it as if it’s a $2,500 lens. It’ll love you back.

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We paid a visit to a friend’s winery today. As it turned out, our friend popped in to drop off a couple cases of bubbly for the tasting room.

With the exception of a quick hello couple weeks ago at the gas station, we haven’t seen Matt in several months.

He told us that he’s bee really busy in the cellar making wine because the volume of the harvest this year is more than 2007, 2008, and 2009 combined!

Sleep well you awesome wine vines… You’ve earned it! See you at bud break in a couple months!

Who are we kidding? We’ll pop in to check on you soon!

Top 2 with the 5d and 24-70 with manual settings. Bottom 2 70D, 24-70, all auto settings and built-in flash.

It was cloudy, as you see, and close to magic hour and the light changed quickly. I tried to shoot manually but I couldn’t get the 70D to do what I wanted.

I know all the photo bloggers make a big deal about how you want “total, and complete artistic control from manual, man. You’re not a real photog, not a real artist unless you do!”

Yeah, that’s bullshit.

It’s like saying to a carpenter, “Uhhh ya know, dude, unless you’re pulling a nail from your teeth, putting that pointy bit down, swinging a hammer, hitting that nail on the head and repeating, you’re a not a real carpenter. Those nailguns are for phonies!”

I know plenty of working professional photographers who will shoot automatic when working some gigs when they can’t find the light, or the light is changing too fast to keep up.

It’s part of the tool, and I, as the artist, can use whatever feature on that camera I want to get the image I want. It is a choice.

Quick pics. May you have a happy, healthy, and fun new year.

In my younger years, I was a drummer. I drummed a-ha-lot … until my mom sold her house, and I lost my practice space.

By then, I had moved on to singing because I got tired of lugging gear around.

Then, I became a DJ and Karaoke host with even more gear to lug.

When I started my film production company, I named one of them Little Drummer Films.

While I don’t drum much now, the lessons I learned from drumming constantly about timing and pacing live with me every day.

Anyway, back when I was drumming every day, my mother gave me this ornament and several more like it.

My lovely wife has turned them all into a beautiful drum garland we hang every year.

Both shots were taken with the 100mm Macro lens, 5d is first, followed by the 70d.