Saturday (01-December-2012) — New Jersey

First of December.

I haven’t posted anything for the last several days. I am still trying to get it into my head that I “retired” from my day job. I do not miss the 3+ hours commuting. Now that I am done with the Fall 2012 Semester at Sea voyage, the road trip to New Mexico for Nikonians ANPAT 12, recovered from the Hurricane and Nor’easter, and completed backing up all of the images from the trips (including having to upgrade my digital storage) – it is time to develop a new daily routine.

One of the first things that I realized was that the workspace I was using at home is not really suited for the image processing part of my photography workflow. For right now this meant moving the image processing and printing into what was my dinning room and re-optimizing the other workspace for home office activities. As I have been moving things around, I am finding 20 years of dust behind furniture that has not been moved since I moved into the house. There are several other major and minor renovation projects inside the house. Right now I am putting together a project plan and prioritization so I start working through these projects. This itself will keep me busy for some time. Several hours a day are devoted to reviewing and keyword indexing images as well as processing and printing images. Over the last week, I finally have had time to start posting images on several Daily Photography Themes on Google+. I need to include time for composing and posting on my “Images of the Day Photoblog”.

I now have time to spend reading books again. I got a new set of glasses specifically for reading, which helps. Right now I am re-reading Olivia Manning’s “Fortunes of War” Volume I “The Balkan Trilogy” and Volume II “The Levant Trilogy”. As I read this there are many places I would like to see in eastern Europe and the Middle East. I also have rediscovered music. As I have been moving things around the house, I found 100’s of vinyl albums and CD’s – many I didn’t even remember owning. Subject of another post will be what it took to re-establish a stereo system to play and listen to this music. Also, what it takes in this digital era to convert old analog recordings to current digital recordings. I haven’t had a working turntable for 25+ years, and it is hard to believe that CD’s are now considered “old technology”. I have the same issue with how I want to deal with a box of my old “film” based photographs. I am also starting to go see movies again.

I am looking forward to the Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage on the M/V Explorer. I am also looking at options to go to Norway or Alaska to photograph the Northern Lights this winter. There is still a lot that I need to do as the year comes to a close and as I plan my new life going forward.

Brussels Waffle on the Streets of Brussels While Waiting for the Bus. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). (David J Mathre)
Brussels Waffle on the Streets of Brussels While Waiting for the Bus. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec). (David J Mathre)

Five-Years Ago (01-December-2007) — Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park: “Winter Play Area” in Hidden Valley

Although the pass across Rocky Mountain National Park closes for the winter, much of the lower elevations in the park are kept open. It is only an hour drive from where I am working in Boulder, Colorado. A couple of images taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 35 mm f/2 lens at the “Hidden Valley Winter Play Area”.

Winter Play Area, Hidden Valley, Rocky Mountain National Park. (David J Mathre)
Winter Play Area, Hidden Valley, Rocky Mountain National Park. (David J Mathre)
Winter Play Area, Hidden Valley, Rocky Mountain National Park. (David J Mathre)
Winter Play Area, Hidden Valley, Rocky Mountain National Park. (David J Mathre)

Seven-Years Ago (28-November-2005) — Florida

Florida Road Trip: Amelia Island Lighthouse.

The extended Mathre family was visiting Amelia Island for Thanksgiving, and more importantly to celebrate our parents 50th wedding anniversary. These images are of the Amelia Island Lighthouse taken with a Polaroid DSC-700 digital camera.

Amelia Island Lighthouse Light and Fresnel Lens. Image taken with a Polariod PDC700 digital camera. (David J Mathre)

Amelia Island Lighthouse Clockwork. Image taken with a Polariod PDC700 digital camera. (David J Mathre)

Amelia Island Lighthouse Spiral Stairway. Image taken with a Polariod PDC700 digital camera. (David J Mathre)

Amelia Island Lighthouse Spiral Stairway. Image taken with a Polariod PDC700 digital camera. (David J Mathre)

Amelia Island Lighthouse. Image taken with a Polariod PDC700 digital camera. (David J Mathre)

Six-Years Ago (25-November-2006) — New Jersey

Backyard Vandalism in New Jersey: The Morning After.

A tree in my backyard decorated with toilet paper the previous night, the brand of toilet paper used, and an empty egg container. The police took a report, but never got back to me other than saying it was probably high school kids with nothing better to do the day after Thanksgiving. I guess I was lucky since I had cameras out in the backyard taking night sky images that were not tripped over or stolen.

Toilet Papered Tree. Image taken with Nikon D2xs and 18-200 mm VR lens. (David J Mathre)

Toilet Papered Tree. Image taken with Nikon D2xs and 18-200 mm VR lens. (David J Mathre)

Toilet Papered Tree. Image taken with Nikon D2xs and 18-200 mm VR lens. (David J Mathre)

Six-Years Ago (24-November-2006) — New Jersey

Backyard Vandalism in New Jersey. A Tree in my Backyard Decorated with Toilet Paper.

An interesting night six years ago. I set up my Nikon D200 camera with a 10.5 mm fisheye lens to take wide-angle night sky images from my backyard. I actually put the camera quite a way back from the house, because I wanted to have the camera looking north in my back yard so I could see Polaris (the north star) above the roof of my house. I was still early in a learning mode on how to do night skies and star trails (30 second images + 30 second long exposure noise reduction) once every 2 minutes. I started the exposures beginning about 18:30 H (6:30 PM). The EN-EL3e battery used in the D200 camera had about a 2 hour life, especially when it was cold outside. I had to go out to change the battery every ~ hour. A little after 20:00 H (8:00 PM) I realized that a tree in my back yard had been toilet papered. Going through the images taken by the camera, I could tell when it happened. I am just glad that they didn’t trip over and/or take the camera and tripod. This was reported to the local Montgomery Township police, but nothing ever came of the report.

Toilet Papered Tree. Image taken with Nikon D2xs and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 18 mm, f/3.5, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Toilet Papered Tree. Image taken with Nikon D2xs and 18-200 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 18 mm, f/3.5, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)

Time lapsed video of night sky looking north. The images were taken with a Nikon D200 and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 100, f/2.8, 30 sec).