Thunderstorm Sunset

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Here is another capture from my time in West Texas. It was from the same outing that produced the image of the Cumulonimbus cloud. Captured with NIKON D100, 2004-05-26 20:29:00, 200mm, 1/400sec, f/8, ISO-200, SOOC.

Besides the Spring (mostly) dust storms, the other spectacular weather event was the Summer thunderstorm. The Texas Panhandle is no stranger to extreme thunderstorms and they could be spectacular. My lovely BMW 330i had some hail dimples in it, like most Texas vehicles. If you live in Texas long enough, you will drive through a hailstorm.

While there I did not take sufficient advantage of the photographic opportunities that the storms presented. The frame from a few days ago and the preceding frame earlier are a couple of examples of when I did. On the same outing that gave me the cloud image, I was blessed with a gorgeous West Texas sunset. There are some tendrils of clouds kicked up by the oncoming storm visible in the frame. I noticed that interaction developing and waited for the right moment.

I was then blessed with this image. Wife and I stood there beside the highway taking it in. Then the Sun descended and a few minutes later the light disappeared from the cloud. So, we loaded back into the car and headed on towards home.

This is the season when I miss Wife the most. She loved the holidays so. I loved that part of her. I have been working through my digital image archive when I wake early. There are quite a few good frames in there and many that simply document family. I really need to develop (hah) a system for organizing and sorting those frames. Then there are the thousands (probably) of frames of physical prints and many of the source negatives in my closets. I do not have time to completely deal with those, but I want to.

Christmas comes and with it the celebration of the Christ Child. Alongside that joy is the somewhat sobering remembering of Wife. The two are intermingled in an inseparable fashion. That is OK.

I remain grateful. And life is good.

Sunset Thunderstorm

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I made this capture long ago when I lived on the South High Plains. It was a nice view. Captured with NIKON D100, 2004-05-26 20:20:10, 60mm, 1/250sec, f/8, ISO-200, processed in PhotoLab7.

The capture is from my archive and was made about 20-years ago, when I lived on the South High Plains. We were out and about for one reason or another and noticed a big thunderstorm developing in the distance, just at sunset. I paused and got out the D100 and a tripod, as I recall. We stood by the highway and just watched the light change.

The experience was stunning. We could see lightning crawling over the clouds and the setting Sun provided such wonderful light.

What a great experience. Life is good.

Convergence

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On our way home from the east, we camped near Monticello, UT. This was our late afternoon view. Captured with X-T5, 2025-11-15 18:25:28, 18mm, 1/750sec, f/8, ISO-250, in-camera Kodachrome 64 film simulation, processed in PhotoLab7.

On our way home from the east, we camped near Monticello, Utah. Our campsite was in the National Forest just a couple miles west from Monticello and off the main highway. I (carefully) drove down an old logging road about 150 yards until I found this spot. I had to stack a few rocks to get the camper level, but that is nothing new.

The campsite was clearly used by other campers. I noticed after setting up camp some left-over deer parts, presumably from a recent hunting expedition by locals.

It would not have made me change locations because all of the potentially stinky bits were already consumed by the local wildlife.

After setting up camp, I got The Girl out of the rig and we hiked a bit out of camp. I noticed her pick up a stick and then noticed it was actually a deer leg. Ha! She reluctantly left it behind. It was during our hike I noticed where two or three gut-piles had been and realized that the site was recently used as a hunting camp.

I kept her close in even though she wanted to range out. The brush was thick enough that it would be easy to loose sight of her. I was also a little concerned that weather was blowing in. I had listened to the local NOAA Weather Radio channel on the way in and there was a chance for rain in the evening. The way the wind was blowing made me think the forecast was probably correct.

I paused on the way back to camp to make the image. I was intrigued by the convergence of the contrails and how the sky interacted with the branches.

After a bit of roaming about from camp, I decided I was hungry and figured she was probably hungry, too. We headed back to camp before the Sun fell behind the mountain to the west. I got the grill out and cooked a sausage I had in the refrigerator. I had a packet of pre-cooked rice and a can of Ranch Beans, so I had a feast.

Supper made, we settled in for the evening, listening to the wind blow through the pines. The gunfire died down as the Sun fell — some locals were plinking with a .22 some distance away. And, as evening came on I heard a chorus of coyotes singing much closer than the gunfire. That gave me some concern for care for when I got The Girl out for her evening constitutional.

I heard rain on and off all night. The wind occasionally rocked the camper a bit and continued to sing in the trees. I stepped outside a couple of times to empty my bladder and could see it had showered a little, but the ground was not muddy and the sky was clear.

We slept well that night. It was quiet at camp. We woke to gray skies and the threat of rain. I made a coffee, listened to the NOAA Wx station, and considered the day. We broke camp early so I could get off the logging road should the rain come. I doubt the 4Runner would have problems with a little mud, but decided to move anyway.

We did hit rain on the way to Moab. It was not heavy, but a steady light rain. It would have been snow had it been a little colder.

I am grateful. Life is good.

A West Texas Sunset

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I made this capture many years ago when we lived in Lubbock. Captured with NIKON D100, 2006-05-26 19:39:57, 400mm, 1/4000sec, f/20, ISO-1600, SOOC.

This is an old image from my archive. I do not remember the specifics, although I have a vague recollection of the day. I think Wife and I drove out of town a little, expecting a sunset. I had the D100 at hand and a couple of lenses. I think it was one of those dusty West Texas spring days. Boy howdy, we had some dusty days in Lubbock.

This seems like a lifetime ago, and it is nearly 20 years. I had no idea what was in front of us, and me. A few months after making this capture, I was on my way west to Nevada. My family followed soon after.

That is the nature of life — it is dynamic, always changing; it is not static.

This was a good memory and I came away that evening with a few nice captures. Although it is now ancient history, the D100 made some good images.

I am grateful. Life is good.

One Camera

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Sunday afternoon Tatiana Hopper posted a video essay on choosing one camera and sticking with it for a long enough period of time to really understand how to use it.

There is actually quite a lot about her thesis that I like. Maybe I can explain that a little.

A couple of years ago I bought a Fujifilm X100V. It was an upgrade to my earlier model, an X100S. The upgrade had better handling of film simulation recipes, which is something that I enjoy. That was my primary reason for that upgrade.

I then found that there is something liberating about carrying a rangefinder-type camera with a fixed lens. My X100V had the wonderful Fujinon 23mm f/2 lens that was quite capable of making excellent images even if limited to that single focal length. What this did is force me to see with that focal length in mind. The slightly wide angle perspective forced me to get closer to the subject. I neither worried about switching lenses nor carried extra lenses.

I am guilty of carrying too much gear. My camera bags are usually too heavy because I carry too many lenses. Therefore, as I planned a long roadtrip for October and November, I purposefully (or intentionally) decided to take the Fuji X-T5, the Fujinon 18-55mm kit lens, the Fujinon 70-300mm zoom, and the 35mm f/2 for a fast normal. I also took some extra SD cards, batteries, and a charger. All of that fit into the Fujifilm/Domke partner X-Series camera bag.

I actually used the 18-55mm f/2.8-5 kit zoom most of the time. I found I did not need the extra reach (this trip) and the kit lens was fast enough to do what I wanted done. I did use the 35mm f/2 a few times, but then switched to the 18-55mm.

I came home with a collection of interesting images. A few of them are actually good.

The simpler carry had the advantage of less confusion about what to use. I had a lens for normal shots that offered a decent, and usable, zoom range. I had one with reach. I had a normal lens if that was needed. It turns out that neither the reach nor the normal lens were needed. That kit served me surprisingly well. It carried easy.

I recently watched a couple more videos about being an intentional photographer. I actually already am. I eschew the spray and pray approach with my digital cameras, just as I did with my film cameras (and still do). I will share at least one of those videos in another essay leave it said that I carried a Nikon FM2n last week with a normal lens affixed to it and a roll of Ilford XP2 in the body (black and white C41 process film). I paused on our walkies to make an image now and again, just one or two frames.

I learned that my FM2n needs a service, so it will be sent to my technician this week. In the meantime, the Nikon F2 will be carried, this time with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens and a roll of Kodak Gold 200. Once that roll is finished, I will send both in for processing and scanning.

There is much to be said for slowing down and being more intentional about photography. The truth is that there is much to be gained by slowing down and being more intentional about everything. But, that is a topic for another essay.

I am grateful, especially this time of year. You are missed, Old Girl. Life is good.

Why No Radio?

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While walking The Girl on a circuit around the campground, I noticed this frame and captured it. Captured with X-T5, 2025-11-09 10:23:36, 55mm, 1/220sec, f/8, ISO-500, in-camera Velvia film simulation, SOOC.

I paused to overnight at the Lake Texoma campground near Mead, OK on my way from Missouri to Texas. My youngest and his wife live near there, so a family meal was in order. We arrived late and I had to back into my camp in the dark, of course. But I learned that my handlight (EDC) worked well as an improved back-up light and permitted the alignment of the rig in the spot.

It did not take long to set up camp. Then I got The Girl out for a walk in the dark. She was on high alert for critters, of course. But, we found none.

That handled, we settled in for the night and I fed us. Then we slept.

I woke early, of course, made coffee, then walked over to the central facility to do my morning regimen, including a shower. When I returned, The Girl was ready to start her day, so we got out and walked the perimeter of the campground. A few others were stirring, some breaking camp; others enjoying the fall morning.

As we walked, I found a frame I liked. So I paused to make a capture. I rather like this one, if the colors are a little accentuated by the film stock selection.

We broke camp and then met Young Son and spouse for a meal before heading on to Lubbock and friends there.

The answer to the question posed is simple. I do not have the personal bandwidth necessary for radio operations at the moment. Work and personal obligations are sufficient that they use up my available resources. But, this will change and I will have an opportunity to go operate in the field. I will be ready for some POTA and SOTA activations and will enjoy those exercises.

Despite being busy, I remain grateful. Life is good.

Blobs

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I found these characters on a shelf in a coffee house. Captured with X-T5, 2025-11-01 12:50:10, 50.5mm, 1/75sec, f/8, ISO-8000, Tri-X film simulation in-camera, SOOC.

It is the custom of my Older Son and DiL to stop at coffee roasters along their travels, sample the coffee, and purchase one or more bags to take home. On this particular day (I do not recall which day it was nor where we were), we stopped into a small coffee house in a strip mall, maybe in Indiana. The place was busy enough with locals, but not packed. I thought the ambiance was interesting and wandered about while waiting for my joe.

These three blobs caught my attention (hat tip to Wife, who often said “caught my eye” while winking furiously), so I paused for a few frames. I like this one the best.

The coffee was good. Mission accomplished, we loaded back up into the 4Runner and headed towards home.

It was a good day. I am grateful for much, but especially my children. Life is good.

Color and Shadow

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While in Pennsylvania with my kids, we stopped at a local coffee shop. I stepped into the plaza area behind it and was blessed with this image. Captured with X-T5, 2025-10-29 12:33:36, 35mm, 1/500sec, f/8, ISO-250, SOOC.

There is so much I could write about from my long roadtrip in October and November. But, for the moment, work demands my energy. So, there will be bits and pieces from my travels as I post a few more images from the trip.

We visited a nice coffee house in York, Pennsylvania. Older Son and his wife like to buy coffee from such places as they travel. It is a neat intention and I might steal it.

As we waited for our coffee to be made, I stepped into the plaza area that is shared between a number of establishments behind the coffee house. There was a wonderful mural painted on one wall. The Sun was shining on it beautifully. I made a few captures using the X-T5. I like this enough to post it.

The coffee was good. The fellowship with my children was better. It was a good day and one I am grateful for.

Life is good.

Ford County State Fishing Lake

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On walkies with The Girl, I noticed the Sun on the early morning fog. I made the capture, even if my phone was the camera at hand.

On my way east, we camped at Ford County State Fishing Lake, near Dodge City, KS. The wind was howling and fought me from the time we cleared the Front Range to Dodge City. The blasts from the double-decker cow haulers was so bad that The Girl because frightened and anxious. She watched for the approach big rigs, panting, and ducked as they passed.

Most have been streamlined and produce little wind blast from the bow wave. However, the cow haulers shocked even me, the seasoned old road-tripper.

So, we were both exhausted when we hit camp. I was concerned that the north wind might make setting up camp difficult. But, there was sufficient wind break from the trees around the lake that it was no trouble.

I got her our for a short hike along the shore, then we retired to the camper as the Sun set.

I fed her, but was so tired I did not make supper for myself. I had a beer and a snack. Once that was done, we hit the rack and I slept hard.

On waking before dawn the following morning, I made coffee and sat down with my little CC Crane radio to listen to the weather and the news. The Girl roused as the Sun rose, so I took care of her and made myself another coffee. Then we got out of the house and started a short hike around the lake perimeter.

She was on the hunt for squirrels, but I saw no nut-producing trees and she saw no squirrels.

What I did see was sunrise on the lake surface. There was enough fog from the warmer water to make the shot interesting. Although I had only my phone with me, I made the capture.

Then we broke camp and headed east. It was too early for my breakfast, so we travelled on to find a diner for my food.

It was a good morning. Life is good.

Beautiful Girl

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I love the way the light falls on The Girl. Captured with X-T5, 2025-10-29 09:06:34, 55mm, 1/80sec, f/4, ISO-320, SOOC.

We were messing around the AirBnB early one morning and I noticed the light falling on my sleeping Girl. She was tired enough after our hike to want a nap. She gave me a wonderful candid portrait.

Life is good (and so is my dog).