A Lamppost and Two Flag Staffs

 

A Lamppost and Two Flag Staffs stand deep in the heart of Texas.

There are only two states in the Union that allow the state flag to be raised at same height as the National flag, namely Hawaii and Texas.

Hope your day is going well.

Please Don't Shoot Me a the Back

 

Savanah is truly a place frozen in time.  We strolled along Forsyth Park, a 30-acre park named for Georgia’s 33rd governor.  Located in the Forsyth Park Extension, the Confederate Monument is an imposing, 48-foot tribute. A lone, anonymous soldier stands atop sandstone, commanding the considerations of visitors. Yet the Confederate Monument is mired in misconception. Popularly thought to memorialize the Confederacy, the monument instead commemorates Savannah’s “Confederate Dead.” Even the inscription furthers its funerary function: “Blow from the four winds, o breath, and breathe upon these slain that they may live.” 

It was tricky in framing the statue.  I wanted it to be between the hanging tree moss.  But the wind would make them sway so I have to time my shot to get a clear view.  Got it!

Hope your day is going well.

MP Tavern or Why Distortion is an Just an Illusion

 

This one is an oldie that got filed in the archived.  Never got edited until now.  Editing was a bit difficult as I was losing my patience.  No matter how I try to straighten the house, it would still be tilted.  This phenomenon led me to believe that either the house is physically tilted or I am experiencing an optical illusion.

Couldn't remember where this was taken.  For sure it was somewhere in New York.  I think it could be at Great Necks.

Hope your day is going well.

For Canine Use Only

 

Yes, it's for canine use only.  Why else would they install a fire hydrant in the middle of the grass field?

Vintage Model T Ford or Why I Love My Diana

 

Got to love the Diana.  It's sometimes referred to as a toy camera because all the parts are made of plastic including the lens.  If I took it to a photo op for portraits or weddings, people would laugh at me.  Yes, it's silly.  It doesn't even have a real view finder.  It's basically an early point and shoot film camera.  It takes the 120 format so the resolution is better than the 35mm film.  Found this vintage Model T Ford while going to work decades ago.  I had to retrieve the image from the archive because I am into film photography again.  Unfortunately I lost the lens.  A brand new Diana would fetch for $100 US.  I think I bought mine for $30 back then.

First Attempt on Espresso

 

This was taken when we first got our espresso machine a couple of years ago.  It was my first attempt to make espresso so I wanted to document it.  I ended up filing the image and have forgotten all about it.  So I suppose the coffee is two years in the brewing.  I hope they are still hot.

Hope your day is going well.

The Sun Always Shine in Tuscany

 

Only an idiot would point the camera directly to the sun.  I am an idiot.  But it makes great photo op.

One more cup of coffee 'fore I go

 

Nothing like a nice stroll in the morning.  Savannah wind gently touching our hair.  Making the Tree Moss sway along.  Followed by a nice cup of coffee.  Sorry, it just got consumed before I could take a photo of it.

Hope your day is going well. 

One more cup of coffee 'fore I go
to the valley below - Bob Dylan 

Victorian Porch

 

Got no telecommunications
Cables haven't gotten out this way
The man in the moon is a musician
That's the way we pass the lunar day
(Dolly Parton)

Jolene

 

This truck is an all purpose terrain, capable of going 120 mph at 0 to 60 seconds.  It is for sale by the original owner to the highest bidder.  Runs on demineralized coal.  

Hope your day is going well.

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can - Dolly Parton

Buongiorno

 

I'm a bit embarrassed to say that this image was really a throwaway.  It has never been edited.  

We just arrived in Rome in 2018 and wanted to do some test shots.  Captured with the iPhone 6 on the balcony of our hotel.  Sometimes the more popular images are the ones I've ignored.  As of this writing, this image has been receiving quite a few favorable responses in Instagram.  While my favorite ones are the ones that most people hardly notice.  I can't figure that out.

Welcome to Electric Ladyland

 

It's strange that in NOLA (New Orleans) the buildings are built perfectly perpendicular to the ground regardless of its level.  As you can see, the street is tilting.  Nothing is leveled in NOLA.

The unit on the right is Electric Ladyland Recording Studio that Jimi Hendrix built has moved.  It is now in New Orleans.  It was losing money in New York because of the mask mandate.  Understandable.  It would be difficult to sing with a mask on.  Hence the decision  to relocate.  The studio now specializes in Cajun honky tonk country Dixie pretty mama all night long music.  Next to it is a generic body piercing shop.  It doesn't have a name yet because the owners are always high on tea leaves everyday that they couldn't think straight.  Maybe they will call it The Body Piercing Shop.  Close to this building is where one of my favorite New Orleans style band Tuba Skinny plays every Thursday.  I think I'll  be writing about them on the next blog.  

The Melancholic, the Waitress and two face Loretta who can't decide what to order

 

Captured at this hole in the wall place in Savannah.  It's a place called Black Rabbit.  Upon entering, I saw this big muscular chef who probably competes in a free form martial art.  Either that or he works out punching the cold meats in the freezer room.  The place was very small.  Since it was still early for most people to have dinner, Rose and I were able to find a table.  Few minutes later the place become crowded.  These were mostly college kids I thought.  I presumed they were from SCAD (Savannah college of Art and Design).  It turned out to be a neat place to hang out.  Food and drinks were great.

I really love this image.  It's my new favorite.  I love the way that the subjects were in their worlds.  I also like the way the color tones turned out.  Now I just have to figure out how I got that color tone.  It was captured on iPhone, and the final editing was done in iPhone Lightroom.

Hope your day is going well.

Wednesday Photo of the Day

 

I don't know why but I'm feeling so sad
I long to try something I never had
Never had no kissing
Oh, what I've been missing
Lover man, oh, where can you be

The night is cold and I'm so alone
I'd give my soul just to call you my own
Got a moon above me
But no one to love me
Lover man, oh, where can you be

(Billy Holiday)

Take me to the River

 

Take me to the river, drop me in the water
Take me to the river, dip me in the water
Washing me down, washing me down
(Al Green)

The image is partially the wheel of the Georgia Queen that is docked in Savannah, Georgia.  The boat is huge as it attempts to look like the riverboats in the Old Mississippi River in the early 1900s.  This was established in 1991 though.   Their website writes, "Savannah’s antebellum charm, with flowing Spanish moss hanging from stoic live oaks and welcoming shady squares, hearkens back to the days when paddle driven riverboats full of tourists and locals dotted the Savannah River."

This is probably the easiest post-production image that I've ever posted.  Shot with the iPhone, import in iPhone Lightroom and used my preset to get that fake film look.  Easy peasy ... lemon squeezy.  

Hope your day is going well.

The wheels of the bus go round and round

 

A fortuitous shot if I may say so.  Although nothing really happens by chance.  The bus was just making a turn and I happened to have my camera ready.  Nice.

Taken while on an afternoon walk around our area.  See those houses behind the bus?  It used to be a field of wild landscape when we first moved here in Texas.  With the new houses, we lost our nature trail and our great view of the city below (we live in the high country).  The other downside is that the critters and the rattle snakes and the scorpions lost their habitats.  Most of them have found new homes in our garage, closets and inside our extra shoes. Oh dear.

The above image was again captured with the Fujifilm X100F using a milder dose of the Cross Process from the Fuji X Weekly Recipe.  I like the recipe for this one as the green tone is milder.  

Hope your day is going well.

It's 50 degrees F outside and I don't think I want to swim

 

Aside from correcting the lens distortion, the above image is the result of in-camera-shot using the Fujifilm X100F.  No other post-processing.  Really. 

I found this free app called Fuji X Weekly Recipe that gives one access to over 100 Film Simulation Recipes for Fujifilm X cameras.  I dig it that these JPEG settings allow one to get various looks straight out of camera, many based on film stocks, such as Kodachrome, Portra, Tri-X, Superia, Vista, and many more.  The caveat is that you need to have a compatible Fujifilm X camera such as X100V, XT, X-pro and so on.  I believe the app has been around for a year now.  

The above image was captured with the Fujifilm X100F using the following recipe for cross process:  Film Simulation - Classic Chrome; Dynamic Range DR400; Highlight +4,;Shadow -1; Color +3; Noise Reduction -4; Sharpening +1;  Chrome Effect Off; WB 7700k, -8 Red & -3 Blue; Exposure compensation -1/3 to -2/3.

I think the real key to get that color tone is to get the White Balance right.  A bit cumbersome but once you plug in the settings it can be saved as a custom preset in the camera.  

Although I think the greenish tone of cross processing is cool, it's a bit over the top.  The image probably should look like the one below.  I adjusted the White Balance and left a bit of the cross processing tone.  Let me know which one you prefer.

Finally, I exported the jpeg image to my iPhone Lightroom and rendered it using my own preset that could make everything look crazy:

The Boys are Back in Town

 

"Excuse me, are those real Italian leather?"

I've been hiding a young woman in my apartment for some time now

 

Peru

Shining path gorillas

I've been hiding a young woman in my apartment for some time now 

She's one of their lieutenants

I'm still on parole

I'm stuck

Two days 

Three days at the most

California Freeway Daisy

 

They thrive in California.  Mostly wild daisies.  They are called Freeway Daisies because one can see them while driving by the state freeway.  This is one of the perks in living in California.  But nowadays with $7 a gallon of petrol, the perk is quickly diminishing.  

Hope your day is going well.

Nice Day for a Wedding

 

Pretty Maids all in room. And a lovely bride.  It was a nice day for a wedding.  Brooklyn River on a sunny day.  These Latinas don't need to be told about their heritage.  They know it.  They live it.  Care free and full of love.  Ah, yes.  Love is the answer.  

Nice. Real nice.  Except we were not invited.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World or Late in the Day at Savanah

 

What a gorgeous place.  Savanah, Georgia.  It's like frozen in time.  A few weeks ago, when we left New York everything was brown.  When we left Texas a few days ago, everything was brown.  When we arrived in Savanah, everything was green.  They say it's green all year round here.  People all around were stressed free.  Even the wokes from the liberal states were enjoying the environment that lifted the requirement for mask and proof of vaccination.  No vaccine mandate on hotels and restaurants.  No mask required either - well, except on public transportation.  How silly, I thought.  The same people who forced their community to comply with such mandates - were enjoying the freedom in this state.  How hypocritical.  I was just listening to an 80s favorite "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears.  The song is very relevant right now.

Lost in Manhattan

 

Riding a bicycle in downtown Manhattan can be useful especially if you get lost like this young woman.  She just bought hair shampoo, tissue paper and a lip gloss that were all on sale at Union Square.  Now she doesn't know how to get back to Anaheim where she came from.  That's a long way, lady.  Anaheim is in the west coast.  Kind of figure about 1200 miles.  Might want to stop by a local convenience store for a case of bottled water.

How the West was Not Won

 

The image may look like a modern day version in the western frontier, maybe somewhere in New Mexico.  Actually, it was taken in Northern Italy.  Might have been in Tuscany.  But that would make sense.  After all, western cowboy movies were initially made in Italy.  That's why they call it Spaghetti Western.

Hope your day is going well.