journal
Summer
June 22, 2011

Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog about photography, cameras, excursions and anything else relevant. I am predominantly interested in wildlife and nature photography, and subsequently spend much of my time dedicated to photography in the wilderness. With time permitting, this wilderness may be a national park or forest, but most times, it will be in the vicinity of home. Regardless, it is wonderful to experience the outdoors, for its fresh air and openness.

Reality: I spend the majority of my time in New York City, the single most contrasting entity with respect to nature. The parks (i.e. Central Park, Riverside Park, etc.) present a mild compromise that yields some form of relaxation, yet only mimics the most superficial traits of the great outdoors. However, I make do; "urban" wildlife and nature -> contradiction? Maybe.

The wildlife part can be separated into two parts. On good days, I could find sparrows, hawks, or maybe something else varied that can present beauty on its own. On not-as-special days, I see the usual: buildings, streets, stressed humans, rats, pigeons, and squirrels. These may be beautiful in some way, but I am not as interested in those fields: urban landscapes, portraits (of humans or small animals), or perspective macro shots of cheese, rat traps, or bread crumbs. The solution to this is just patience.

In the Northeast, adverse weather is common, and sometimes brings benefits: snowstorms, below-freezing landscapes, over-fluffed small animals and similarly fluffed human beings whose stress is no longer easily noticed. But really, living in the city means I take a break from my favorite photography. Instead, photographing events, concerts and impromptu portraits takes priority. This is good for me; it makes me miss nature more and better appreciate the opportunities with which I am presented.

It is now summer; more exactly, according to Google, it should be the second day of summer. The plains are warmer, the mountain passes open, and best of all, I can socialize with mosquitoes and they can socialize with me. It's almost like open season, except I am not actually hunting the wildlife. This summer, like the summers before, I hope to attain images of the North American landscape, and similarly hope that you will enjoy them.

Throughout the year, I plan to include in this journal my experiences from photographic excursions, possibly reviews of new and existing equipment, and relevant tips and techniques I found useful.

Please feel free to browse the gallery, leave comments, and contact me.

Some notes:

  • comments are moderated (at least for now until I figure out a more efficient system)
  • registration is open to the public
  • user links are located at the bottom (log in, register)
  • RSS feed links are also located at the bottom (entries, comments)
  • there's a lot to write to catch up for a few days of not having a blog but thinking that I should have a blog
  • and finally, I'm open to suggestions-so please let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading!