Absense

[misterx]

I've not been posting much lately, been kind of laying low. This month has been really bad for some of my friends and coworkers, and I'm trying not to draw the gods attention to me, lest they decide to throw some plagues my way too. Being empathetic, the crapstorm has been psychically exhausting. I'm not the type to "reach out" when I'm having a hard time, I tend to draw inward. So that's the other reason for the silence.

I didn't get much photography done the last few weeks due to Melanie being at the festival. Yesterday was my first "day off" where I could head out on my own to explore and clear my mind. I located one "Hogskin Branch Falls" (here) and spent some time photographing there. After I finished I put the camera to the side and leaned against the stone and moss under the falls. As hot as I was, and as much as I had been needing to get out, this was just what the doctor ordered. I then took my squishy self back to my car, picked up Storm from Mel's shop, and went looking for photography backpack.

I wanted a backback because while my current sling pack is handy, after a while it starts making my back hurt. It's a fair amount of weight to be hanging off-center on one's body all day. I picked up a nice backpack at a really stupidly high price (in my defense, they are all priced stupidly high) and got the major stuff put inside yesterday evening. I think I want to add some pockets in one of the interior spaces... it lacks nooks and crannies.

I've started several projects lately, including trying to get UltraVNC working, starting a photo book, making another Google Gadget, working on some possible collaborations with a hiking website, a framed art website, and others, and seriously contemplating "what's next". I don't know if that last counts as a project. It's as hard as one.

Anyway, I've got some photos to post, I'll be doing that next.

Comments

[ianlyzu.livejournal.com]

i understand the drawing inward when the storms are plentiful...
here's to hoping both of our clouds lift soon.

hugs, my friend.

[misterx.livejournal.com]

yeah, likewise. too much back suckness going on.

How do you pick locations?

[(Anonymous)]

I've noticed you shoot in a lot of unique locations. How do you find places like "Hogskin Branch Falls?" Do you ask locals to point you in the direction of interesting places? Do you just drive down side roads and keep an eye out?

Re: How do you pick locations?

[misterx.livejournal.com]

A combination of things... some word of mouth, some books, some internet. Occasionally I am lucky enough to get a set of coordinates I can tap into my GPS, which gets me in the vicinity usually. I am a big fan of wandering back roads though, I have found many an unusual scene that way.

And who are you Anonymous stranger, and where from do you hail?

Re: How do you pick locations?

[(Anonymous)]

My name's Matt, but on the intertubes I mostly go by Laenir. I have a blogspot account by the same name, but I'm not big on blogging, so I don't have a livejournal or myspace account or anything like that.

I started watching your blog after stumbling upon your wife's. In fact, my wife and I have purchased soaps from her on a couple occasions, once at the shop and another at Abingdon's garden fair. If she remembers, I was the one that found out about her from the Vegan Lunchcast blog--though I'm not really vegan.

I've got a fairly decent film camera gathering dust now that I'm too lazy to take it out for shoots, but your work is gradually working me up towards dragging it back out into the sunlight since I'm envious of your art.

Re: How do you pick locations?

[misterx.livejournal.com]

Well, nice to meet you. I don't know if I'm "in to blogging", despite having about six. I like livejournal for the community, not so much for the blogging. I copy my photo posts to several other blogs I set up, but that is more for visibility for my website.

What kind of camera do you have?

And do you happen to have an old bellows-style camera laying about? 4x5 or larger? I'm looking for one. :)

Re: How do you pick locations?

[laenir.livejournal.com]

It's the Minolta X-700 as shown here: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/minoltax700/

I've got the standard lens and a Rokinon zoom lens. 1:4.5~5.6 f=80~200mm

No, unfortunately I don't have any cool bellows cameras around.

Re: How do you pick locations?

[misterx.livejournal.com]

Oh, excellent hardware. My friend had one of those and he loved it.

My only film SLR is one of these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentax_K1000

Seems absolutely primitive compared to what I'm using now, but I still like shooting with it. There is also the "my first slr" factor involved, I doubt I'll ever get rid of it. I let it go once and felt bad about it, was glad when it was returned.

Re: How do you pick locations?

[misterx.livejournal.com]

Oh, excellent hardware. My friend had one of those and he loved it.

My only film SLR is one of these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentax_K1000

Seems absolutely primitive compared to what I'm using now, but I still like shooting with it. There is also the "my first slr" factor involved, I doubt I'll ever get rid of it. I let it go once and felt guilty about it, was glad when it was returned.