Another walk around the neighborhood

[Dennis Gallus]

I’ve not been photographically active for several months.  Maybe I needed a break.  At any rate, I hope to come back now.  A couple of weeks ago, I took the old Nikon F3, the Micro-Nikkor 55mm/2.8, and a tripod for a walk around my home in southern Arizona.  This is a random selection of shots taken within about a mile of home.

In an area where wood is scarce, I found some very large tree stumps, aged and weathered.  This one caught my eye:
 

Moving in closer, the old wood became even more interesting:


Working with a tripod, I was not moving much.  A javalina walked up within 25 yards:

(This image is cropped a lot, but the old Micro-Nikkor held detail.)

I took a rest and did a self-portrait.  Just seven days earlier, I had had my left shoulder joint replaced.  I look even more gnarled than the tree stump:

(Later this year, I’ll have the right one replaced too.  Damned osteoarthritis.)

Walking in another direction, I photographed a reminder of last year’s wildfire, which burned to within 400 yards of our home:


Finally, that night, I used the last frame on the roll of Fuji 200 to shoot the sky in our back yard.  After 55 minutes at f/4, I flicked the barn lights on for 10 sec with me standing in the barn door.  I then capped the 24mm/2 Nikkor, waited 5 minutes and then added 5 minutes of exposure.  That’s why you can see the two pointer stars of the big dipper at upper right:


Happy Easter and Passover to all.

Dennis

[LarryD]

Well that brake did you a world of good. I hope you mend quickly. and I had a run in with a Javalina one time and I have to tell you I broke a world record in the one mile sprint. A female with young is one of the nastiest things in the world.

[jamesmck]

What a nice set of photos, Dennis.  Number 2 (wood abstract) is a wonderful record of nature's beauty, and Number 6 (time exposure) is a testament to your creativity in use of the simplest of ingredients (including the time dimension).  Very nicely done.  The self-portrait shows you in remarkably fine shape after such major surgery.  I had imagined seeing you is some sort of cast.  I, too, have been photographically dormant of late, but I have little excuse.  Thanks for the inspiration to get out and shoot.

Best regards,
James

[Julio1fer]

Nice set, Dennis. The stars and barn shot and the old wood macro are my favorites. It seems you were charging your batteries for a great photo outing.

Hope that you recover soon from surgery and that your other shoulder also comes out well! 

[Graham Serretta]

Dennis, I am amazed by the size of that tree stump considering the tree-less landscape and, as you say, the shortage of wood.  It shows that there must have been some mighty fine trees there in the past.  I agree with James, your creativity using the simplest of ingredients is astonishing, and the star trail photo is superb.  We miss being able to see the firmament where we live - London is not astro-friendly.

[br1078lum]

Dennis, good to see you on the mend.  My Mom's had both shoulders, and both hips done, and gets around much better now.

The old stump looks a lot like that javelina, and the close-up reminds me of a Van Gogh painting.  Also, great work on the self portrait, and star trails. 

Keep shooting.

PF

[Olypen]

Dennis:

That was a very productive walk around your neighborhood!  The stump close-up also reminded me of a painting, Edward Munch's "Scream".  Best wishes for your speedy recovery.

Bill

[Kalkadan]

well Dennis the self-portrait is the best.

although the night star-shot is amazing

keep the shots coming!

Dan

[P C Headland]

They're great, especially the wood macro and the star trails & barn shot.

Seems like you're undergoing a CLA - I trust that the outcome is that it keeps you going for many years to come.

[lesged]

Dennis,

Always a pleasure to see your photos and comments. I join the cue of NFFers that prefer the close-up of the stump and the barn with stars. I definitely see the Van Gogh sky (over Arles) that Phil saw in the swirls.

Your shoulder operation and sling more than likely inhibited hand held shots. Using a  tripod makes lots of sense. I presume you used a light-weight one, if you did lots of walking within the mile radius. Or did you use your car or truck?

I hope both your shoulder joint replacements mend well.

[Philip]

Dennis, nice work. That sky shot is especially spectacular!   You must be getting some good action out of that repaired shoulder after the operation to be able to take pictures.  As a veteran of a few operations in the last decade (mainly my hands), I'm a true believer in physiotherapy and lots of movement. So keep on taking pictures.    And good luck with the right shoulder.

[Ronald Bishop]

I really enjoyed your little walk around, looks as though you are up and running after your shoulder replacement,keep it up and you will feel better.
  The tree stump and the micro are my favorites, and the one of you sitting on the stump says something. Like it is where you belong, like a cowboy taking a break. You fit well.

 Thanks,
    Ron B

[Mike Kovacs]

Love that landscape and how you seem to fit into it so well photographically. My girlfriend almost moved to Arizona, I think we might vacation there at some point because she really liked it a lot.

[Kalkadan]

Dennis - the F3 fascinates me
(btw, I sent an email to the address shown under your username here - hope it is still current - a message I had sitting around from 2011 for Lord's sake!)

The reason I think I might like the F3 is that my (very) old Nikkormat had - as I remember it from the mid-late 1960s - a central microprism focussing screen.  And it worked like a dream.

the split image thing never did it for me - on the FE and the FM3a I find that I am always using the microprism ring around the split image - it's even better than the double image on the Leicas because, for example, I can easily focus an eye and distinguish that from an ear - not so easy with the Leica (at least not so easy with my defunct gimlet eyes!)

Despite all the good things I have heard about the F3 I have held off getting one.  What screen do you use?

Dan

[Dennis Gallus]

Friends, Old and New,

Thank you so much for your comments regarding my walk-about photos, and especially for wishing me well during my "CLA".  I like that term, Paul. 

Today marks three weeks since my surgery, and the shoulder is coming along very well.  Mobility is increasing.  I can just hold a light SLR up to my face now with my left hand.  To this end, I put film in an OM-1, which with normal lens weighs 1 lb 11 oz.  My F3, with 55mm/1.2, weighs 2 lb 12 oz, so it needs to be on a tripod.  I'm finally getting some use out of my monopod too, because my tripods are old-style and heavy.

I've used that F3 for 30 years now, with a couple of CLAs.  It is to me the best full-featured MF SLR on the market.  Dan, I've always preferred the "P" focusing screen.  It has a diagonally-placed split image surrounded by a micro-prism ring.  The remainder of the screen is fine ground glass, and there is one horizontal and one vertical line etched through the center.  The horizontal line is essential to me.  Perhaps I was born with one leg shorter than the other, I have problems keeping horizons perfectly straight.

Dan, I found that PM this morning and will reply very soon.

Best regards to all, I hope to be more active on NF now.
Dennis