Tag: life

Before the Freeze

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"Hanging Vinyl" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/125 sec, ISO1250
 “Hanging Vinyl” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。

The imminent freeze has been in the forecast since last week, but I was genuinely surprised that the weather models were so accurate! As I type this, the temperature is at 40° F and dropping, the wind is howling, and the rain is coming down. All schools have been canceled for tomorrow and it looks like everyone in my company who works in Austin will be telecommuting. Snow day!

But before the town freezes over, I dropped off Koa at the movies, then went to the bookstore and did some shopping. I was particularly interested in looking at some records, but they didn’t have anything that looked good. However, I did take a photo of a bunch of color vinyl that was hanging from the ceiling. I thought it looked pretty cool so I had to take a snapshot.

The weather at the time was still pretty good: warm and just a little breezy. But two hours later, when I went to pick up Koa, it was starting to rain and the wind was picking up. It’s crazy how quickly the weather can change in Texas!

Take care everybody!

おやすみ

"Storm Coming" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/40 sec, ISO6400
 “Storm Coming” Cedar Park, 2018

Readily Available

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"Warm Sun" Austin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/10, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
 “Warm Sun” Austin, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today’s photo is of the notebooks that are on my work desk. I was chatting with a friend about journaling and writing in notebooks, and I thought about the barriers that prevent me from writing more. And by writing, I don’t mean writing stories or the great American novel. But just jotting down reminders, practicing kana, doodling, etc.

And I realize that one of the big barriers for me is just the proximity of the notebook and pen. For instance, when my notebook is in my bag on the floor, that’s too far. However, if I keep the notebook on my desk, opened to a blank page and a pen resting on top, then I write a lot more.

It’s kind of like photography for me. Since my X100T is so small and easy to carry around, I almost always have it with me, and therefore I take more photos. It’s readily available all the time.

So, making the pen and paper easily accessible has been key so far this year. My notebook might not be the prettiest, but it’s functional and I enjoy writing in it. It’s just another small thing that makes life a little more fun.

I hope you had a nice day!

おやすみ

Enjoy Shooting

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"Cold Front" Leander, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/16, 1/1250 sec, ISO200
 “Cold Front” Leander, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

I watched a great video by Kevin Mullins in which he talks about simplifying the photographic process. I agree with a lot of what he says and his idea of letting the camera do most of the work, and you just concentrate on seeing the scene. He also talks about simplifying your gear and amount of kit you carry. I think once you stop thinking about gear, the photographic process gets simpler and purer, and also more enjoyable.

It’s kind of where I am at (and have been for a while) with my photography hobby. I’ve gone through the evolution of buying lots of gear and maximizing specs, lusting after the latest and greatest cameras and lenses, and collecting many different camera formats (and spending a fair bit of money). Then I started gravitating to smaller cameras, ditching gear, and eventually landed with my X100T, which doesn’t even have interchangeable lenses. And I love it! It’s been my go-to camera for the past few years. I don’t need anything more than this. When I travel, I take this one camera, a couple batteries, and I am all set. It makes traveling much more enjoyable!

"Trusty" Cedar Park, 2017
“Trusty” Cedar Park, 2017

I am on a journey to simplify my life, and simplifying my main hobby of photography is a great step in the right direction.

Today’s photo is of the sky as a cold front arrived in Texas. The temperature will drop about 40 degrees in just 12 hours! Brrrr….

Keep warm!

おやすみ

Snow?

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"Movin'" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.2, 1/15 sec, ISO6400
 “Movin'” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Well, the cold weather continued today, but I wasn’t expecting to get any snow. ❄️ It was just 81° F the other day, for goodness sakes! But snow it did, and it was actually pretty fun. When I went to pick up Koa from school at 5:30 pm, there were only a few snowflakes falling, but on the way to get dinner, the snow was coming down a lot harder.

"Snow?" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/30 sec, ISO3200
 “Snow?” Cedar Park, 2017

Obviously, this being Texas, the snow is not as serious as up north, however, it was a bit more challenging to drive in since we’re not used to all these particles floating down. 🌨️

Lani also seemed to enjoy the weather. 🐕 As you can see in the top photo, the snow didn’t slow her down at all. She’s leaping over the stairs like she always does… full speed!

Lastly, I couldn’t resist getting a photo of my Subaru with a light dusting of snow on her. 😁 Cool huh!

"Slight Dusting" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.2, 1/125 sec, ISO4000
 “Slight Dusting” Cedar Park, 2017

I hope you had a nice day!

おやすみ

Body Temperature

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"Heater Curve" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO640
 “Heater Curve” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today’s photo is of Lani curving her body so that she can face the heater but still keep some distance between her and the chair leg. Looks comfortable, doesn’t it?

It’s getting a little cooler here in Texas, which is why the heater is out, but honestly, my body temperature is messed up and I am cold most of the time. I need to have the room temperature set to at least 76° F to be comfortable. And even so, today my feet were freezing, and my arms were getting chilly. I think with the heater on in the office, it was about 80° F and then I started to feel okay.

I really don’t like the cold. I’ll take summer heat over winter cold in a heartbeat!

I hope you had a nice, warm Wednesday. 😄

またね～