I find night photography some of the most enjoyable moments of the trade. It tends to be more difficult, more quiet, and in some odd unmanufactured way, more spiritual.
This was shot at the local park with my 35mm. I’m a little surprised, quite honestly, that I got away with ISO400 but the bright lights helped.
A branch seriously sick with the Seattle fall shot out at Remlinger Farms in Carnation Washington. Thankfully there was some metal scrap in the background that gave me some interesting contrast and boketh.
Shot with the 135mm prime.
I am of the opinion, I believe correctly, that these potato chips are not food. They might make for a decent shot, they certainly don’t make for a good snack.
Shot at the local sub shop with the 135.
Shot outside in one of the last nice fall days as fall turns sadly and inevitable into winter. Thankfully there was some nice wicked colors and some brilliant blue skies that made for that pop in contrast. I thought centering in on the stems VS the leaves might prove interesting.
Shot with the 135 prime.
I suppose at some point someone, perhaps some thing, won’t let me get away with simple photo slag alone on this site. They’ll demand I refrain from a completely tedious narrative and write again. And that I shave one of these days. To each their own. And for that I am thankful.
This week has taught me something, or in the narrowest of offerings re-exposed something I already knew. I surmise I’m not entirely alone.
My life has been driven by the urge to confront. To confront my fears, to confront stagnation, to confront the unknown, and ultimately to confront myself. It’s driven by the need to meet head on and somehow come to terms with, well, everything. There’s a need to eliminate the precursor of confrontation in my life, that feeling that I should be doing something about a situation but I’m not. I’ve reached the point where I no longer ask why.
In my world confrontation brings with it great rewards but it sure isn’t easy. I fight it every single day.
“You cannot be anything you want to be - but you can be a lot more of who you already are.” - Strengths Finder
On a very primal level I have to agree. And so, to humor some friends and myself I signed up to see what exactly I already am, although honestly, I have my doubts whether or not the world needs more of it. The results were not all that surprising really. In no particular order my top five strengths were determined to be - Strategic. Command. Activator. Ideation. Achiever.
So sit back and enjoy the show. And all future employers, lovers, friends - take notice. I just gave you free friggin’ blueprints as there is hardly anything that came back that I wholeheartedly disagree with.
Strategic
People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
What makes you stand out?
Driven by your talents, you select the right combination of words to convey your ideas or feelings. In the middle of discussions, your vocabulary provides you with precise phrases and terminology. You probably express yourself with ease and grace. By nature, you characteristically find the right words to express whatever you are thinking. You offer explanations, discuss ideas, give examples, or share stories. You effectively use the spoken word. Because of your strengths, you are innovative, inventive, original, and resourceful. Your mind allows you to venture beyond the commonplace, the familiar, or the obvious. You entertain ideas about the best ways to reach a goal, increase productivity, or solve a problem. First, you think of alternatives. Then you choose the best option. It’s very likely that you feel wonderful when people value your innovative and original ideas. You are likely to help them envision what can be accomplished in the coming months, years, or decades. Instinctively, you customarily pinpoint the core problems and identify the best solutions. You artfully and skillfully eliminate distractions. This helps people gain a clear understanding of what is happening and why it is happening. You frequently identify ways to transform an obstacle into an opportunity.
Command
People who are especially talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.
What makes you stand out?
By nature, you understand the proverb “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Instead of choosing the easy and obvious path, you challenge yourself to overreach your goals. With courage and perseverance, you dare to produce exceptional results. You seldom ask for guarantees of success. Instead, you boldly forge ahead toward your desired goals. Because of your strengths, you influence people into seeing things differently. You often influence their actions. You can tell individuals or groups they must think beyond current rules, traditions, or practices. It’s very likely that you automatically vied for the top ranking in contests and games as a child. Reflecting on your youth, you probably remember being self-sufficient, assertive, and/or bold. Chances are good that you notice that people heed your demands. What you say and how you say it can even frighten and threaten people. You probably have used this effect to influence individuals to do what you want. Instinctively, you can enliven or stop conversations with your thought-provoking statements, unusual viewpoints, jarring questions, pointed demands, or candid opinions. You play the devil’s advocate role well. You compel people to think philosophically about the meaning of good, evil, truth, justice, or happiness.
Activator
People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.
What makes you stand out?
Instinctively, you generate enthusiasm so people become as eager as you are to transform an idea into something tangible. You are energized, not paralyzed, by opportunities and possibilities. It’s very likely that you rely on your upbeat attitude to help people feel enthusiastic about life. You regularly direct their attention to what is good, beautiful, delightful, right, or possible. Others usually notice it is difficult to feel downcast — that is, in low spirits or dejected — when in your presence. Chances are good that you routinely spark the enthusiasm of individuals. Your own job, studies, or life becomes much more exhilarating when you help others more fully experience their lives. By nature, you are naturally open and honest about who you are, what you have done, what you can do, and what you cannot do. Your straightforward explanations and stories help listeners see you as you see yourself. You reveal your strengths and limitations. You are forthright and plainspoken. People generally seek your company and want to work with you. Many are impelled to move into action by your words and examples. Because of your strengths, you easily stir people’s enthusiasm with your cheerful exuberance for life. You have a gift for sharing your complete joy with others.
Ideation
People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
What makes you stand out?
Chances are good that you favor conversations where information, facts, or data are considered objectively — that is, emotions do not distort the truth. You pose questions, evaluate answers, and figure out how things work. Reducing an idea, theory, or process to its most basic parts provides you with many insights. You are likely to archive — that is, preserve — your discoveries so you can use them later. By nature, you are an original and innovative thinker. Others frequently rely on you to generate novel concepts, theories, plans, or solutions. You refuse to be stifled by traditions or trapped by routines. You probably bristle when someone says, “We can’t change that. We’ve always done it this way.” Instinctively, you ask questions. You ponder answers. You find the underlying causes of a situation, problem, system, mechanism, plan, regulation, or prohibition. Logical and ordered in your thinking, you study every detail, however small. You are determined to examine the facts. It’s very likely that you often experience satisfaction with your life when someone asks you to scrutinize, assess, examine, or evaluate things such as people, processes, plans, or mechanisms. Driven by your talents, you probably consider yourself an idea person. Your job, studies, or life in general are more exciting when people ask you to generate novel assignments, activities, or campaigns.
Achiever
People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
What makes you stand out?
Because of your strengths, you sometimes derive particular satisfaction from doing things that benefit others. You might work as industriously on big projects as you do on everyday chores. Driven by your talents, you devote your full attention to immediate tasks and challenges. This explains why you give yourself plenty of time to comprehend what you read on the printed page or the computer screen. Diligence, persistence, and concentration are three of your distinguishing traits. It’s very likely that you sometimes work with intensity to make changes, upgrades, or improvements. Perhaps you reach your goals by conquering some of your limitations or eliminating some of your shortcomings. Instinctively, you might be known for your open personality. Perhaps the level of trust you have for a person dictates how much you reveal about your personal history, innermost thoughts, or deepest feelings. Chances are good that you might put forth considerable effort whenever you work or study. Even so, you occasionally question whether you could accomplish a little more than you currently are. Perhaps this restlessness to excel contributes to your daily productivity.
So there you have it. If you’d like to find out your own strengths please visit Strengths Finder
Disclaimer. I’m an enthusiast of photography. A fan. I’m not a professional. I’m not an authority. You will find numerous people and resources more qualified than myself. I’ve had a long and checkered past with photography but I’m no professional. You’ve been warned.
So one of the reoccurring themes I find via email is gear heads asking me about my camera set up. Lenses, filters, camera bodies, accessories, books, sites, feeds, etc. And though I’m probably in a position to ask the same question of others on differing subjects, I really can’t stress this point enough. It’s not about the camera I use. It’s not about the gear I use. It’s not. Seriously.
It’s a bit disheartening that so many people think differently. I’m simply not naïve enough to enter into the argument that professional photographers should use crap gear, but seriously. The truth of the matter is the only way you’re going to get better is if you up your game. You’ve got to put in the work. Practice and practice and keep practicing. Most crafts take repetition to master and photography is no different. Get your hands on your equipment and get out there. Challenge yourself to take a few hundred shots a week and I promise you you’ll get better.
And though I would advocate practice over reading, your game will only get better as you read, learn, play with, and master the concepts. Read and understand ISO, f-stop, shutter speeds, metering, exposure settings, etc. Learn the relationship between various concepts and in what circumstance the different settings will make or break the shot. Force yourself to get better. Push. Grow. Learn. Ask questions. And practice your ass off. It’s not about the camera.
And to answer the question that will invariably follow, my camera and glass progression went something like this.
Complete
Migration is a go. Merc rules.
And now brought to you via mobile.
All missing posts are now happy and migrated over into the archives.
The gtm archives from the old travel site have been migrated and retitled.
Merc found the archives of my very first site “the dz rant” dating back to early 2001. That is just crazy. Most all of the rant files were converted over to word press.
All posts have been properly slapped with a category (more or less). I think tagging all these posts is going to be an on-going work in progress.
Clean and migrate over 10,000 photos from fotki to flickr.
“About” page built out.
Site map and grey box version one. And though I have no clue where these designers get their crazy terms, it actually looks pretty damn rocking.
Still Going
Deciding on color palette for new template. Should be pretty straight forward.
So I figure what the hell. A week in the backcountry without the industrial rigors of daily life. Sounds good right. How hard can it be? You pack a bag, you do some hiking, cook a few meals of subpar freeze-dried slop, reminisce about days gone by with friends and eventually bond with nature in a meaningful manner.
Wrong.
And it’s official. I have left Microsoft. And with all there is to say about transition points in life, the wistful thank you’s and good-byes that come along with the territory of working at one place for five years, I’ve just never really been good at good-byes. Put simply, I am better off having been at Microsoft and I am better off having left Microsoft, and if anything the real credit goes to everyone who has made the ride so special and rewarding. I’ve shed a tear. It’s been a wonderful five years and I thank you.
Here’s the point where we dive into the good shit. What’s next?
One time I wrote that everything from the womb to the grave was a privilege. I still stand by that. And honestly, although revered by some and loathed by others I’m not entirely sure I have made the most out of that time. I can do better.
Two days from now I will be in the alpine lakes wilderness region of Washington state for a week. A day later in Austin Texas for a month . A day later in Los Angeles for a month. After that is anyone’s guess. But if one had to, assume the best. And prepare for the worst.
Dz is back.
