Month: September 2020

The Ever Rest Syndrome

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We live at the bottom of the mountain
Demons in our living rooms
Dining with us
They push our carts at the grocery store

They enter the soul
And blindfold our eyes
So we may watch television
The ultimate brain wash
Cleaning out all those nasty thoughts
With the broom of dissatisfaction

Never enough, 
Of anything
Including self worth
A perverted truth be told
That bleeds
From seductive tongues

So we must prove ourselves
And look to the mountain
For worth and achievement
It mustn’t be the mountain in our village.
No
We must climb the highest peak
To be worthy

Embarking on our quest
We make the journey alone
Oxygen bottles and Sherpas
Lie frozen dead on the trail
And they build our camp
So we can sleep on the ground
And impress ourselves 
With our own bravery

Finally
We reach the pinnacle
After many days of hardship
Alone, we have mastered our own destiny
We view all we have conquered
And feel the rush
Of accomplishment

Surveying our world
The wind singing its notes of approval
We meet eyes with the Sherpas
Their ruddy skin eating the wind for breakfast
They smile and raise their hands in celebration
And fill us in this singular moment

With so much more speed
We find ourselves back home
At the bottom of the mountain
In our living rooms
Changed little
Save for the mountain top selfie
Hanging on the wall

Alone at the top.

Accomplishment is rarely achieved without a support system.
(2) multiple exposure photographs stitched for a wider view

Back to Work

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A little photography stuff. No poetry in this entry….just a head’s up.

No, not back to work in my office. I do go to the office when efficiency is paramount. I’m talking about getting back to work creatively.
Covid has slapped us around for six months and put us in our own little jails for that time. My priorities changed drastically and the time typically spent creating was relegated to new responsibilities.
Initially, getting out to make (art) work became arduous. Now, after these six months, I’ve been able to streamline those new responsibilities and my focus is turning to those creative pangs that have been stifled.
I’ve made it out the last two days in spite of the near 100 degree heat (f). I made a decision to bring one camera and one lens…..that’s it, not even a camera bag.
For this trip I brought the Nikon 60mm 2.8D Micro. Here are some of the results and my impression of this lens:
The cover photo “Rock Fall” was made on the trail in a spot where the light falls wonderfully. It depicts the capability of this lens in its “normal” mode. The rest are close focus pieces.

Buds
Flower
Buckwheat

This legacy lens is fast and sharp. It works well on my D750. Unfortunately, auto focus does not work with the newer mirrorless Z bodies (FTZ adapter).
The lens overall is fun in that it allows a micro view if the photographer decides to grab a close view of something interesting.
One of the downsides includes an inner barrel focus. While focusing, the barrel extends out. I’m ok with it, but prefer not to have this type of function. The barrel becomes a point of concern with dust etc. Anything that falls on the barrel while extended may end up inside the lens or may gum up usability.
The other thing to consider for very close focus is that the stop will change from 2.8 to 3.5. This is typically not an issue since macro results fare better stopped down and with flash. With this exercise, I use available light, and I want 2.8. Not too big of a deal overall.