Interesting texture on the side of a truck.
I think if I'm going to make a serious effort of this daily photography project, I'm going to have to use images I take at work. I use my camera(s) almost every day during the work week, so it seems like a good idea for now. Perhaps the one rule I will follow is that the image has to have some kind of artistic intent like this one.
At first, I found it hard to write about this image. The more I look at it, though, the more it feels like a sign—a reminder to keep going. I'm seven days into a daily photography project which means there are 51 weeks to go now. Talking and thinking about doing the work is much easier than actually doing it. If I just keep going I'm sure there will be creative growth just around the bend.
I eat two oranges everyday with my lunch, specifically the small halo ones. This habit has been occurring for close to two years at this point. In that time I have never seen one with a leaf attached. Mundane? Yes. Interesting? Definitely.
I think I'm doing a 365 project but I don't want to actually say that I'm doing one at this early stage. I fear that I might jinx it. That being said, this is the kind of photo you take when you're on a streak and you don't want to break it.
A quick scene that I noticed as late afternoon sunlight was shining through our dining room window. The table was set for a family dinner we were hosting to celebrate some birthdays.
Today we took a trip to the lots of love farm which is right around the corner from our house. We made the short trip with Jen and Chris. The idea of visiting the farm came up while at my parents house for dinner on New Years.
The farm was a topic of discussion because of the recent escape of one of it's residents, a wallaby named Rex, who slipped out of his enclosure on New Year's Eve.
The farm was nice, with a wide variety of animals, although it appears to be more of a collection of pets rather than a working farm.
I've been looking forward to this time of year because it's when we start to see some of the wintering waterfowl on the lake. My plan this winter is to wake up early on the weekends and build myself a small temporary blind at the edge of the water. At the moment, the weather has other plans. After several days where temperatures haven’t climbed above 32 degrees, the lake has been frozen solid for almost a week. The ice has effectively removed the birds as a subject, at least for now. I’m swapping the super-telephoto I typically use for wildlife for a wider 50mm lens to make some abstract images of ice formations on the lake. The shift feels appropriate, a reminder that documentary photography is as much about paying attention as it is about subject matter.
Today, Eleanor and I took a short "Photowalk" in the backyard to kill some time while Sophia was taking a nap in the afternoon. At first, Ellie did not want to join me outside, but I was able to convince her by offering up the chance to use a "grown up" camera. As soon as I mentioned the possibility, she jumped at the chance. To keep things simple I attached the Oreo lens to the camera which is essentially a disposable camera lens glued into a 3D printed housing, designed to look like... an Oreo. The lens is a fixed focal length, with a fixed aperture of F/10, and the lens does not have the ability to focus. The perfect working parameters for a a 3 year old.
I'm actually quite happy with how well she took to making photographs. Like most photographers, her hit rate is okay, but I can see the making of a photographers eye in there somewhere.
Red-bellied woodpecker in a maple tree in our backyard.
The light is special today, as it appears shine from every direction. At times it’s almost blinding. Couple that with the freezing gusts of wind, and it’s amazing I can keep my eyes open for any length of time at all.
As I walk back into the house, a flash of something else catches my attention. A perfect winter scene if there ever was such a thing. The camera attached to my wrist is set up for video. It will have to do. I’m sure he’s spotted me by now, just as I spotted him. But he’s not flying away. Now I have a decision to ponder. Do I make the best of the situation with the camera I have on hand? Or do I run back inside and switch to my telephoto that I know is just inside the door? I give in and make the switch, and in hindsight, it's the right call.
These are the moments I enjoy the most as a photographer. The times when light and subject align and I have to access all of my learned technique in a matter of seconds.
Saturday, October 25, 2025: The light was really nice this morning. Fog lingered over the surface of the lake as the sun began to rise over the trees. A shaft of sunlight broke through a gap in the tree-line further up the lake and backlit a small group of five ducks that were floating by.
