Blending Engineering and Artistry
*Short post alert*
What ended up being a cloudy day trip to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park turned out bright in the end. We stopped by Beaver Marsh in hopes of seeing some of the furry flat tails but found feathered locals instead. Hopefully, I will be able to get back again soon when it isn’t freezing and snowing (as some of the images show).
-Tim
I’m confident enough to say that many of us take for granted the unique places that are close to us, and I am no different. I’ve lived in cities large and small. Both settings have their benefits and drawbacks, so you have to focus on the positive things about your environment. Just a short drive away is the Wills Creek Spillway, which is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers.
We had a cold but sunny day over the weekend and wanted to get out of the house. I have a drone and hadn’t flown it in a while, so the Wills Creek spillway is ideal for some flight time. We weren’t the only ones taking advantage of the sunny day, as there were some dedicated fishermen trying their luck. Of course, I had to forget something, and this time it was a bigger jacket than the one I selected before leaving the house, so we didn’t stay long. Luck was with me that day since I was able to spot our national bird along the creek.
The funny thing is you won’t find them close to the spillway, and in no way do I want to disturb wildlife. It wasn’t until the drive back did we spot these guys in the trees along the creek. We even took a short trip the following day (although not as sunny) and found another. I’m looking forward to the next trip out. Since I also like to fish, I might have to try my luck.
-Tim
This time of year in the northern part of the United States is typically cold and gray. During a long weekend recently, I was able to visit the Franklin Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, OH on a day where rain wouldn’t let me do much outside. The vibrant colors were a welcome sight!
I don’t get a chance to use my macro lens very often and I came really close to not taking it with me and I’m happy I did. I ended up taking way more pictures than I thought I was going to and quickly ran the camera battery down. Of course I remember to bring everything else with me except for extra batteries!
I was also lucky enough to see the butterfly exhibit. Now, I’m not a big fan of butterflies but there were some rather neat looking ones. It was surprising how close you could get to them and how some would even crawl on you! Before you leave the enclosure, the conservatory has full-length mirrors so you can check to see if you have any hitchhikers.
I took over 1,500 photos that day but wanted to post a couple quickly. If you ever have the chance to visit the Franklin Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, I suggest you stop by and walk through the many gardens they have even if it is on a rainy day.
-Tim
The Fujifilm X-T50 is my first serious camera and is the one piece of equipment that launched me head-on into photography as a serious endeavor. I’m a tech geek, so I follow that news often. In 2024, Fujifilm started to make some waves about a new camera they were releasing. Curiously, I looked it up but couldn’t find it in stock. Why was what I would call a traditional camera unavailable since most modern smartphones have very capable cameras, with onboard software editing capabilities, not enough to make people want this new camera? Moreover, why were sellers listing it higher than MSRP? It wasn’t long before I realized why.
What drew me to this camera is the built-in film simulations that Fujifilm included to replicate the various analog films they have produced for years. Twisting the dial on the top of the camera gives you access to several film presets that look fantastic right out of the camera with zero editing. Most, if not all, of the photos you see from me come from the X-T50. New photographers don’t know much about lenses, bokeh, aperture and all the other wonderfully awesome technical aspects of photography. A lot of the articles and tutorials I’ve read during my journey lament the mediocre quality of “kit” lenses, but honestly, the 16-50mm that came with the X-T50 did very well.
I think the X-T50 is a great camera out of the box but have added some accessories to fit my needs. The first image above is of my camera with the kit lens and the SmallRig Handgrip so I have better control when using heavier lenses. There are additional accessories I use with it and will write about those as well at some point. It is a fantastic camera and travels with me to new places and those I’m lucky enough to revisit. If you decide on the X-T50, you will love it as well.