Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/210 sec, ISO200 “End is Near” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going?
Today’s photo is of Koa leaving the band hall. It’s the last time I will be picking him up from middle school so it was a little sad. He’ll be moving on to high school next year which means both our sons will be in high school, although they are going to different schools. (Bay’s IB Program is only offered at a different campus in our school district)
Koa’s middle school band career has been a huge part of his life, and one that we think made an incredibly positive impact. We’re so fortunate that the middle school has one of the best band programs (if not the best) in the state. They put in a ton of work and the fruits of their efforts are realized in amazing performances, recognition, and awards. It’s really kind of odd to think that a teacher and school program could change someone’s life, but I think it really has for Koa. I’m so happy and proud.
Enjoy one of the tunes from last night’s final performance (Koa is banging away on the djembe):
Tomorrow is the last day of school, but he’ll be going directly to an after-school party so today was the last time I will pick him up from middle school. Sad…
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO800 “Growing” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going? Have a nice Sunday?
Mine was pretty good. Relaxing but got a lot of stuff done.
The first was to go driving with Bay. He’s working towards his driver’s license and we still need a few more hours on the road. This morning we went on the freeway for a bit, then road driving. He’s getting comfortable driving, and I’m getting more comfortable sitting in the passenger seat! 😀
Back at home, I helped Bay cook a deluxe mac n cheese casserole, then I did some motorcycle maintenance.
I haven’t bled the brakes on my BMW F650 GS in a while, and the fluid was looking pretty dark and yucky. Years ago, I bought some “Speed bleeders” which replace the stock brake bleeding ports, and they turn a two-person job into an easy one-person job. Well worth the $20 or so I paid for them. Anyways, a bottle of DOT 4 brake fluid is only $7 so it’s a cheap and easy job that will save a ton of money vs taking it to the shop.
Next, it was on to some more domestic chores, including washing all the bedding, washing and folding two large loads of clothes, and then cleaning up the bedroom floor to make room for the robotic vacuum. I love that little robot! It’s amazing how much dust and pet hair it picks up. Stunning, and kind of gross to know how much is constantly produced. 😨
Now it’s time to read and relax in our fresh bed sheets. What a great feeling!
Today’s photo is one I took on our deck. There are some tiny sprouts that have come up in our basil pot. I think these are scotch bonnet sprouts that I had planted from seed that Mariko was unaware of when she planted her basil into the same pot. I wonder what I should do with these? Oh well, I’ll figure something out. 😄
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO6400 “On the Desk” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going?
Warning, this post is a bit of a rant… but here goes.
There’s a school of thought that says the surest way to lose passion in a hobby is to turn it into your job. There’s some truth to that sentiment, and I experienced it today. If you follow my blog or know me in person, you know that I love photography. However, I don’t like to take photos for my work and for a few years now, I’ve kind of handed that job off to others as much as possible. I don’t mind the occasional photoshoot when we’re in a bind, but I’d rather leave it to the professionals, or others who have interest in it.
So it was with serious reservation (and after kindly refusing once) that I agreed to do some headshots. Well, that seems to have turned into taking photos for several more small events. Ugh… Don’t get me wrong, I love taking photos, but the time spent culling and post-processing can be long, especially because I want to spend the proper amount of time to do a good job. (plus the common perception from non-photographers is that you just snap the photo and upload it)
This morning I took photos for a company event, and it was time-consuming. It was a one-hour event, and I ended up with 440 shots to go thru. After four passes of culling, I got it down to 19 images. From there, it was on to post-processing. And there goes 2+ hours of the day.
I enjoy processing photos in Lightroom, but not for work. I want to enjoy it purely for fun and relaxation at home, with photos I have interest in.
This afternoon I was supposed to take photos for another event, but after spending all that time in Lightroom, I was kind of burnt out, plus the event was outdoors and the lighting was contrasty and harsh. So I really wasn’t in the groove. I still got a few shots, but it was difficult and I deleted most of the photos because they weren’t good. 😫 Also, each click of the shutter adds a few minutes to the workday. It sucks to think that way, but that’s reality. Hey, time is money, and I’m not getting paid by the hour. 😆
Also, photography is its own totally different discipline so it’s hard to shift attention in the middle of other tasks. I don’t think people realize that. I mean, I know people realize that task-switching is inefficient, but they don’t realize that photography is a separate way of thinking from print design, ad design, etc. It’s all the same, isn’t it? (no)
Anyway, I usually carry my camera with me when I go out, but this evening, I didn’t even want to pick it up. 😓 That was kind of depressing. I like to keep my work and my home life separate, but these photo duties at work steal the enjoyment out of something I really like doing for fun on my own time.
So, today’s daily photo is just a simple still-life of some of my favorite things: watches, pens/pencils, and a coaster from a bar in Japan. Oh, and my passport since I need it for a visa application for a China trip.
I don’t know… maybe I’m just a bit burnt out because it was two photo shoots in one day? Or maybe it’s because I am kind of swamped with work and the photography is a significant time-sink? I’m hoping it’s one of those because I enjoy my work and I’d hate for photography to ruin the good thing I have going. Or maybe the solution is to not spend what I think is the proper amount of time on work-related photos, and just do a half-assed job? (I don’t know if I could do that, actually)
Sorry for today’s rant. I rarely vent, so today is an anomaly… I promise!
こんばんは。How’s it going? Today was a day of leisure, with a little bit of DIY at home. Everyone slept in late today except for me, since I tend to wake up pretty early even on the weekends. But I enjoy having my morning coffee and watching YouTube or drawing before the rest of the family wakes up.
For some reason, Koa asked to have “real” ramen this weekend so we decided to check out a ramen restaurant that we haven’t been to before. It was just myself and my two sons together today since Mariko was out at a lunch party, and then off to a girls’ movie night. So it was boys’ day and that began at Jinya Ramen Bar. I’ve heard mixed reviews of this restaurant, but Mariko said the one ramen that she had was good so I was excited to try. She did mention that the other ramen that her friends ordered were not good, and I’ve heard similar reviews from native Japanese.
We each got different types of ramen, plus a side of gyoza and fried chicken. I’d have to say the ramen was just ok. Not bad, but definitely not one to recommend when there are better ramen places in Austin. But, I’m glad we checked it out so that we know where it stands compared to other places!
After lunch, we returned home and Koa and I took apart Mariko’s Kitchenaid Epicurean stand mixer to clean out the old grease and relubricate it. That was a messy job, but it went without a hitch. DIY mission accomplished!
To finish off the day, we went to see Solo: A Star Wars Story. I thought it was great! So many cool tie-ins to the original trilogy and I loved the action. The story was pretty good too, and we finally get to see the spice mines of Kessel and the famed Kessel Run, which is definitely not what I was expecting. After a disappointing (to me at least) Last Jedi, I was hoping to like Solo, and I was not disappointed! I can’t wait for the next Solo movie.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/17 sec, ISO6400 “At the Theater” Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO1000 “Yakiniku Time” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going? The first day of the long weekend we have here in the States was a hot one! The thermometer in my car showed 95° F, which seems a little on the warm side for the month of May, doesn’t it?
Anyways, today Bay and I went shopping for some gifts he needs for his school, then to REI to pick up his birthday present (a Hydro Flask which was on sale), the to the Jerry’s Artarama for some art supplies, and finally, we stopped at Kinokuniya again. It was a pretty fun outing, and the only thing I bought for myself was an inexpensive oscillating fan for the home office. It makes sitting at the computer a lot more comfortable, especially since the computer is on the ground near my feet and it gets pretty warm – nice in the winter, but not great in the summer.
Later, I worked on an illustration on the computer before dinner, which was a yummy yakiniku (Korean-style grilled meat) meal. It was so good, but the house smelled like a Korean BBQ restaurant afterward. 😁 We enjoyed three types of meat: marbled beef, sliced pork belly, and spicy sausage. The pork was especially delicious. For dipping, we like a simple sauce of sesame oil and salt. Simple but perfect taste to complement the pork.
To finish off the day, we watched the movie Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. It was an ok movie, but there was nothing special nor memorable about it.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/70 sec, ISO3200 “No…” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going today?
So I’ve been using my Passport-size Traveler’s Notebook for almost a year now, and I still enjoy it, but I realize that it’s a little limiting. Basically, it’s great for taking notes, but it’s a bit small for sketching. I think it’s difficult because the pages don’t lie as flat as I’d like.
However, I don’t like big, thick sketchbooks either. My preferred size is A5, with spiral binding, and no more than a centimeter thick. The Muji notebooks I bought a few years ago are perfect. I use the dot-grid version for general note-taking both for personal stuff and for work stuff (I have one notebook for each). The paper is smooth and fountain pen ink looks great on it. It’s also nice for sketching!
I’m pretty excited because we’re going to the Muji store in NYC this summer so I can stock up!
I’ve been looking at that Roterfaden A5 notebook and it seems like a perfect solution, but I can’t justify spending that much money on it. I’m sure there’s a cheaper A5 alternative out there that I can use. I just need to do some research! In the meantime, I’ll use my Muji notebooks.
******************
Today’s photo is a sketch I did in my Traveler’s Notebook. I just drew on an old page that I had written on before. Can you guess what those words mean?
To see all the sketches I’ve been working on, you can check out the Flickr album “My Sketching Journey”, or my Instagram account barron.sketches which I created just for posting sketches, watercolors, and stationery items.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/3.2, 1/30 sec, ISO3200 “Used Camera” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going?
I was thinking about a topic I heard discussed on photography podcasts. It’s basically the question of during special life moments, such as your child’s dance recital or school play, if you should stay behind your camera taking photos, or if you should put down the camera and simply take in the experience with nothing in your way of your senses. It can be difficult because as photo enthusiasts – we love taking photos and want to get that perfect shot.
There are valid arguments to be made for both sides of the debate. On one hand, it’s nice to have photos/video to relive and share the moment, but on the other hand, you aren’t fully in the moment and experiencing life if you are looking through the viewfinder or at the rear screen of your camera. The question is, does the camera enhance your life, or does it get in the way of it?
My opinion is that I think that a happy medium can easily be achieved and you can have the best of both worlds! The keys that I have found work for me are:
Know your camera inside and out – You don’t want to waste time fumbling with settings. And set up your camera before the event starts. It’s no fun trying to tweak settings in the dark!
Think like an event photographer – Have a shot list in mind. Maybe not a written list, but think of the “must have shots” that you need to capture. Once you take care of those, then put down the camera and enjoy the moment. Keep in mind that for most events, the photos you take at the beginning of the performance will look the same as any other part, so no need to have the camera at your eye the whole time. Just be ready for the recognition and bowing at the end of performances. Again, take the photo, then put the camera down and join in the applause!
Automate it – If you want to take video, bring a tripod and set it up beforehand. Then just hit the record, turn off the LCD if possible, and forget about it.
Anyways, those are my tips that I’ve gathered from shooting both student events and corporate events. I hope this helps you “stay in the moment”!
******************
Today’s photos are of my beloved camera (yet again!). 😄 I have a couple trips coming up, and I am taking my Fujifilm X100T with me as my main camera (with my phone being a backup). There was a time in my life when I would spend a lot of time thinking about what camera gear to bring on vacations, but ever since I bought my X100T, it’s the only camera I want or need. Just the thought of lugging around a heavy DSLR and a few lenses makes me shudder… when I used to carry all the gear it was not fun and definitely made “staying in the moment” more difficult.
You know, a life with less can be a good thing, especially in photography!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/3.2, 1/40 sec, ISO3200 “Fujifilm X100T” Cedar Park, 2018
I hope you had a great day!
おやすみ
******************
Like this:
LikeLoading…
My camera & photos
I use a Fujifilm X-series camera for most of the photos on this site and my Instagram. Why not pick one up for yourself?
