Quote

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USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/125 sec, ISO2000
 USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.

こんばんは！Hello everyone, how’s it going? Hump day is over!

Today was a super-busy day again at work, but thankfully I enjoy my work quite a bit. As I go about my day, I try to make a mental note of the new things I am learning. It’s surprising the things I pick up, or how the way I work evolves. For instance, my organizational skills have improved quite a bit (out of sheer necessity). I have so many task and projects to do, so I spend the first part of the day planning out what tasks I will focus on and the priorities of those tasks. Then at the end of the day, I set aside time to regroup on what I accomplished and think about what I will do the next day. Basically, I review things so that when I leave the office, I don’t mentally take work projects home. I can rest assured that I’ve taken care of what I need to take care of and can hit the morning fresh. That work/home separation is important and makes my time at home focused on family. (and I sleep with a more relaxed mind 😴)

Okay, that was quite a bit of rambling about work… and I rarely blog about work! But there’s a first for everything, isn’t there? 😆

Today’s Daily Prompt was another fun one. They are on a roll! Here goes:

Quote Me – Do you have a favorite quote that you return to again and again? What is it, and why does it move you?

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss

I don’t return to quotes again and again (like how do you do that?) but I do remember several quotes, and this one by Dr. Seuss is one of my favorites. At the end of vacations I used to always be sad that they were over. I would wish that I could turn back the clock to the beginning of the vacation. But I learned to instead be thankful that we were able to take vacation and make some good memories. It helps to drive the blues away and actually gets me looking forward to the next opportunity to enjoy good times, whether that be an upcoming vacation, or simply the next weekend. It’s nice how positivity leads to more positivity!

Today’s photo is of some homemade bread that my wife Mariko made. I guess she is getting ready for Valentine’s Day! As a guy, I often forget about this holiday coming up. I guess this is a not-so-subtle reminder isn’t it? 💘

Well, I think I’ll read a bit before going to bed. Take care of yourselves and have a great Thursday!

おやすみなさい！

-バロン Barron Fujimoto

Good enough

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I posted the photo below to my Instagram account and it got me thinking about why I pared down the amount of camera gear I use. It’s kind of a shift in thinking for me that has taken place the last year. I am now completely satisfied with “good enough”.

"My 2016 Camera Kit" USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 26.5mm, f/6.4, 1/55 sec, ISO3200
 “My 2016 Camera Kit” USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.

I have already blogged a bit about the benefits of simplifying the amount of camera gear I use, but one of the reasons why I can do it (and still be happy) is that the cameras in the photo are “good enough” for what I want to photograph. Specifically, the size of the images is more than enough for me. When I was using my Konica-Minolta 7D DSLR, I was already satisifed with 6 megapixels! My wishlist for future cameras just included low-light sensitivity.

When I upgraded to the Sony A77, the 24 megapixel images were huge, especially when I started shooting RAW! I realize now that it was overkill for my shooting style. And that is the important part… each person’s shooting style should dictate what camera they should use. For instance, I don’t shoot sports so I don’t have need for high-frame-rates. My X100T can shoot at 6 FPS which is “good enough”. I do not photograph wildlife or birds so I do not need a long telephoto lens. If I need to get closer, I have my legs. That is “good enough”. My photos will not be used on billboards so I do not need a 50 megapixel sensor. My cameras have 16 and 12 megapixels. And that is more than “good enough”.

So, what is the benefit of settling for “good enough”? Well, in the case of the camera, I am no longer suffering from “GAS” which stand for “Gear Acquisition Syndrome”. I don’t need to think about upgrading any longer. Sure, it is still fun to see the new cameras and technological advances, but now all of these new things do not have the pull on me that they once did. I actually think to myself how nice it is to NOT have the desire for the newest gear. I really feels great! And it is nice for my wallet too!

So now that I have experienced that with my camera gear, I am trying to think of how to apply the “good enough” philosophy to the rest of my life. I haven’t thought too much about it yet, but I am excited to see what unfolds.

I believe everyone should think about what is “good enough” for themselves, and not worry about maximizing on everything. Just use what makes you happy, then let go of the desire to buy more stuff. Enjoy what you have!

Life without a computer

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"Dry Curry" USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/90 sec, ISO6400
 “Dry Curry” USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.

こんばんは！How are you? I’m well, but not 100%. My body is a little sore. Maybe because I threw the baseball with Koa for two days in a row, or maybe I slept in a strange position last night. I’m not sure, but I hope to feel better tomorrow. 😄

Today’s photo is of a “Dry curry” that Mariko made us for dinner. It was delicious of course! There are so many different kinds of curry, and I cannot choose my favorite. When I was growing up, we used to have “curry hamburger” which was simply ground beef, curry powder, and frozen veggies cooked on the stove-top, then eaten over rice. It was yummy! These days, we have Japanese curry every couple of months, but I also enjoy Indian curry, and I LOVE Thai curry. So good! I think I will ask Mariko to make some Thai curry next time. We are truly spoiled by her every day. 🍛

And now, on to today’s question:

Life After Blogs – Your life without a computer: what does it look like?

I am not sure if the question is asking what I do when I don’t have access to a computer, or if there was an alternate reality in which computers don’t exist, what would I be doing? I think the latter question is more intriguing, so here goes. Since I have been interested in the arts before computers were commonplace, I suppose I would be doing something in that field. Perhaps I’d still be painting 🎨, or maybe I’d be working in a museum. There was a time in my life where I wanted to be a museum curator. I even was a “preparator” at a museum for a short time. I helped out with moving artwork, cleaning sculptures, and assisting the restoration artists. It was very interesting! But then I got interested in computers and multimedia and the rest is history. Or… maybe I would be a full-time photographer! I was into photography back in college and to this day, I love making photos. I could see myself continuing with photography as a hobby well into my future, even if it were just film and not digital. 📷

It’s fun to think about what your alternate history might have been, isn’t it? But what is cool is that I think it is possible to change your life’s focus any time if you really want to.

Well, today’s weather got grey and chilly again here where I live. ☁️ I hope it is not too cold wherever you are! Take care of yourselves.

おやすみなさい！

-B Barron Fujimoto

This post was prompted by The Daily Post from WordPress.

Don’t Stress on Your Blog

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USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/950 sec, ISO400
 USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.

こんばんは！Good evening! How are you doing? Did you have a nice Monday? Yes, I know the start of the week can be tough… it was a busy one for me too. Today’s photo is of the sky from our backyard. The trees are reaching for the clouds! Even they are trying their best. It was a beautiful day. ⛅

Today’s Daily Prompt is an interesting one:

Key Takeaway – Give your newer sisters and brothers-in-WordPress one piece of advice based on your experiences blogging.

So, I’ve been blogging for quite a while now, and my intention has always been just to write about whatever comes to mind, and not have a monetary objective. It’s all about having an outlet, although I didn’t realize that when I first began. But it is something that keeps my brain active. And I think the secret to why I have been able to keep blogging for so long is that I don’t have expectations of gaining recognition or monetary gain. I don’t stress out about those things. So unless you are looking to try to make money with your blog, just have fun, don’t worry about how many views you get, and keep at it! Also, it’s okay to take time off. It would be easy to burn out on blogging if you pressure yourself to write every day. Don’t commit to a post per day. If you fall behind, it’s easy to get discouraged and give up blogging altogether. So make sure to tell yourself that it’s fine to take a break. Also, if you have ideas but they aren’t fully thought-out yet, just create drafts for each idea. I have about 20 drafts like that… and some may never be posted. That’s fine, though. If I decide to work on one of those drafts, it will happen naturally. I don’t force it. That wouldn’t be fun, and I think blogging should be fun! 😄

One last thing: Spellcheck!

Okay, now I feel pretty good about my blog. What a nice pep talk huh? 💪

I hope you have a nice rest of the day! おやすみなさい！

-バロン Barron Fujimoto

This post was prompted by The Daily Post from WordPress.