I’ve just updated my About Now page – where do the months disappear to?
Anyway, pop over and see what I’m up to.
How about you, what are you up to in your life – photography and otherwise – right now?
Please let us know in the comments below (and don’t forget to tick the “Notify me of new comments via email” box to follow the conversation).
Thanks for looking.
What Next?
Share this post with someone you think will enjoy it using the buttons below.
35hunter 
I’m sitting under a big, dark storm with high winds and rain that’s making everything miserable and interfering with everything I need and want to do.
Well, you did ask.
I lived like that for a few years, ending in 2002.
Then you moved house? Or were you speaking metaphorically Chris?
Dan, I used to not care much about God… when Jesus came into my life in 2002, and I gave my life to God through Him, everything changed, and not metaphorically. I really had this depression lifted up from me instantly. Hard to even explain… but I’m glad it did, I wouldn’t be here today if it hadn’t.
That’s amazing to hear Chris. I used to be quite closely associated with a church, and have heard similar stories. I would say I have the spiritual and belief side, but unfortunately had too many bad experiences with people in the church community to believe in church or even a particular organised religion.
How’s the weather now Marc? Hope it’s picked up, though I love a storm now and again myself.
I’m still involved a lot in my church community, and with all 3 of my kids now doing sports, we are always on the go…
Photography-wise I’m getting more used to my Limited lenses, along with the HD DA 18-50. I feel like that set up (DA 21, 35 and 70) plus the 18-50 in a bag, is really all that I need.
I’ve also had a bit of success, finally, in improving the colors of my K-3 pictures in RawTherapee. It’s a weird sensor in terms of color, but I’m finding out it’s quite nice in terms of clarity and luminance, more so than other CMOS sensors I have tried, even the K-S1 sensor. I was going to sell the K-3 but now decided to keep it. I’m already happy with its output in terms of color now, mostly trying to tame its yellow/brown cast and its over-saturation and weird red saturation levels, where reds will look unnatural. The downside is that I can’t really vary the look of the pictures too much, but I’m liking the look I’m getting these days. So in a way, it simplifies things.
We have a couple of trips out of town this month and I think I’ll take the K-3 along with the K200D this time.
I’m also looking at the K-m/K2000… for a smaller CCD APS-C package compared to the K200D…
Chris do you find once you’ve changed direction or had a breakthrough with processing pictures with a certain camera, that you go back to other cameras with different expectations or intentions? Or do you get to a point with each camera where you’ve kind of cracked it, in terms of colour output etc, then you stick to that tried and tested approach?
Dan, the difficult part is that after I got the K200D the files I get are so good that everything else pales in comparison. I get a TON of detail from my K-3 files but I just can’t get them to look nearly as nice as my K200D files.
I also find that every sensor responds differently to color, contrast etc, even with the same lens. To a small extent, that is even true with the K10D and K200D which supposedly have the same sensor, but I get better “clarity” and oolor from the K200D, it seems.
In RawTherapee, I have some initial presets for every camera, because they will need different basic inputs. Then things will vary with the lens as well… if I could stick to one camera and one lens I think I could reduce my post processing time to almost nothing.
My question to you would be, since you shoot with so many different lenses on your DSLRs, do you have to vary your JPEG settings for each new lens you use?
I can’t think of a specific example right now, but I’ve had cameras where it’s taken me to another level and made everything before seem inferior. This must be a positive though! Why bother faffing about with processing the K3 files when you get better looking images with the K200D with less effort!
I don’t actually shoot with that many different lenses. My main digital lens is the DA 35/2.4, which has brighter colours I’d say than any vintage lens. I have the F 35-70 too, which has a similar output, I just almost always use it at 70mm with the “macro” capabilities.
I mostly just use the “bright” JPEG setting (I think it’s called that, not the default, “natural” one) with my CCD cameras. With older M42 lenses I leave it on the same setting and then the slightly different colours are down to each lens’s own character. For me this is one reason for using old lenses, and a few different ones, to see how they behave with the same camera and settings, and let that unique personality come to the fore. If you post process every image to look exactly the same, regardless of lens used, then what’s the point of having different lenses? That’s my take anyway, and why my lens collection is much smaller know, each one has its own particular charm.
My Now page is here: https://islandinthenet.com/now/
It has two lines.
Congrats on passing the exam Khurt! What about music, reading, writing, photography, film, other hobbies?
I haven’t read a book in decades. I require long uninterrupted periods of silence when I read which with marriage and family never seems to be. But according to my RSS stats, I read the equivalent of dozens of books a year.
Photography – no travel = no projects.
Music – not sure what to say.
Writing – the blog is 18 years old.
Yeh I think most of us underestimate how much we read – and write – online each year. And with the writing, not just new posts for our own blogs/sites/outposts, but comments too. I definitely write more words collectively in comments each month than in the new posts I publish!
Interesting how your photography is so linked to travel, it’s almost the complete opposite for me, or rather there is no link. I rarely leave probably a 12 mile radius of our home and most days it’s more like a 4 mile radius, ie work and home. But I’ve always found stuff to photograph.
Hi Dan, I remembered that I purchased two books during the pandemic, neither of which I have completed. Since the bank is closed for Indigenous People’s Day (formerly Columbus Day), I think I’ll put some time into finishing those two. I updated my now page.
I am currently reading The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking and Semiosis: A Novel (Semiosis Duology) by Sue Burke.
For the first time in almost a year, I planned and completed a one-day photography project.
Thanks Khurt, The Little Book of Hygge sounds intriguing…
Thanks for all your insight about these older digital cameras. I currently have the Ricoh GRD4 and love it. The B & W is just o special. Curious about the caplio’s. I had the LX3 and LX5 which I bought brand new but have moved on from. I currently have an LX10 and as great as the image quality is for such a small camera, I don’t enjoy the experience at all like the older lx’s. I love what you have been able to get out of other ccd sensor cameras. You’ve inspired me. Thank you
Anthony, thanks so much for reading and commenting. I do love the older digital cameras, especially the CCD sensor ones.
Funny you should mention the Caplios, I’ve just this week been rummaging through my old box of digital cameras and came across a 8MP Caplio R7 I bought maybe two years ago in a job lot.
The menus and set up is very similar to the GX100 (and GRD III), which is very appealing, and includes features like step zoom and being able to have auto ISO but at a limited maximum so images don’t get too grainy.
I’m looking forward to using it soon.
Yes, I have seen the R7’s and glad you’ll be able to use it. Love when you find stuff you forgot about. It’s like finding a few dollars in a jacket pocket. I am interested in the GX100 or 200 and will have to try and find one. I like that it’s the same sensor as the GRD3 and 4.