Photolearningism

LIFE THROUGH A LENS Sometimes I feel like the world through a camera takes a different shape. It's more than just a moment you're capturing. It's more detailed than colors, lines, and shapes. The image is deeper than a feeling. It's an expression of the heart. A seeking of meaning and understanding. It's an exploration. It's an adventure. It's (always) a learning experience. It's why I sometimes twist myself sideways or upside down.  PHOTOLEARNINGISM I imagine my branding of "Photolearningism" causes some to raise eyebrows with a moment of quizzical fascination. It's not a word you'll find in any dictionary (except maybe Wikipedia some day, if that counts - It's not there now, I checked! LINK to Wikipedia Search  ), but it's the thesis of my photo journey. Let's break it down: PHOTO (or Photograph) =  "An image of an object, person, scene, etc, in the form of a print or slide recorded by a came...

A TALE OF FRIENDS My name is Jon. If you can accept the premise that I'm a flower, then I congratulate you on your imaginative prowess. If not, perhaps you should consider what a flower would feel.  Today I feel alone and lost. I am a beauty, created for love, without eyes to witness my design and carry my memory. The question, "Do I matter?" is consuming; deafening even.  I feel as though even if I had means and the will to move, it would be of no consequence. The world would move about without notice that I could take in the good land. I fear I do not matter.  "You could try talking to me. My name is Way." "Way? Have you always been there? I was given the name Jon." "Yes, Jon. I was here long before you sought the far side, reaching for the road." "Mine is a fine view of the babbling creek, who tells such fine stories. You should hear her speak, Jon. Oh the joy!" "That is well and good, Way...

A DAY THAT STARTED YESTERDAY I can count the number of hours I slept last night with just a couple fingers. Development work on a website kept me going until the unrecognizable hours of the morning, and shortly after, it was time to get going to day-job work. It wasn't a bad day, but I worked hard and needed to find a place to quell my now-oversensative nerves. WHERE THE QUIET IS I went for a run on the Ridgefield Rail Trail, which has a way of getting me off on the right foot (Yes that was a joke and you may excersize your immune system with laughter). I smacked my foot soles for a few miles back and forth and felt like I still had the steam to go a little further, so I did. Latelly, I've been noticing my stamina has been growing, and I was thinking about slowly increasing distance to conquer at least a half maration some day.  CREEKS THAT SPEAK I had to make a stop at the East Fishkill library. While there, I decided to take another walk along the creek and ...

Today, I decided to return to the Hopewell Rec Center to begin the journey anew with a brand new camera (Nikon CoolPix L330)! I'll confess that it's not everything I'm after, but it's worlds better than shooting with my iPhone. It doesn't have quite the manual control I need, which I knew this going into the purchase, but it was the best upgrade I could afford with a gift card and savings. This is not to say that I'm unhappy with the camera, it's just something new to aspire to with future savings! I've enjoyed the quality of Nikon products as of late (I purchased a Nikon CoolPix S9500 for general family use) and have become a full convert from Canon (For clarity, I'm not being paid anything by Nikon to mention them). All that aside, it was a bright and beautiful 15 deg F morning. Being that I haven't had a good daytime opportunity to test shooting with my new camera, I wanted to return to familiar ground and begin to learn how to operate this ...

Taking a small departure from my usual routine, I went on this week's photography adventure on a Friday, being that I had the day off. I've been searching out historic sites within the Wappinger area and landed today in the Village of Wappinger, trying to locate the cotton-textile mill, originally constructed in 1819. After a little research, it seems that the original construction was destroyed by fire and quickly rebuilt in 1856 (Ref -  http://www.livingplaces.com/NY/Dutchess_County/Wappingers_Falls_Village/Wappingers_Falls_Historic_District.html ). I parked in a comfy two-hour parking slot and went adventuring, starting at Wappingers Creek Bridge (Originally constructed in 1852, but re-constructed and widened in 1884 - Ref -  http://bridgehunter.com/ny/dutchess/1006380/ ), which supplied a fantastic view of the gorge below, but didn't give me any clear hints as the exact whereabouts of the mill. I walked down Market Street for a bit, which proved fruitless, as ever...

I've been exploring Wappingers Creek and surrounding areas. My first adventure to the Hopewell Rec Center a couple weeks ago was a bit different. My, how the tempature has plumeted since then. Today was a brisk 30 deg F when I started. This hobby certainly tests your resolve against frozen limbs! That aside, it was gorgeous and I landed some fine moments, which I look forward to reviewing in the years to come. Here is my flickr feed - hope you enjoy the explorations with me! https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/129003675@N04/ Quick video -  http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0BCvUMdqhIA&feature=youtu.be This is me warming up post outdooring~