26 Zero Out

120408_5638, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

My photography resolution this year is to remember to zero my damn camera out.

Zeroing out is returning all the settings back to what you like to start with. I spent a couple hours hiking through the park yesterday taking shots. Great, except that they were all shot at 1250 iso and fluorescent white balance. I remember thinking it was bright out, but the numbers were goofy. That's what I get for being lazy and shooting aperture priority instead of full manual. It was too bright to really see the display correctly, but that's why you think and zero out.

Ugh. Lazy and stupid.

The other thing I learned is that instead of hauling a backpack which basically only had an extra lens in it, I'm just going to bring the d40 along. One wide one long. It will look lame but switching lenses in the woods is clumsy and risky.

Anyway. None of that has much to do with this nice sunrise. It's snowing out now. An article on Strobist had a throw away line about deciding what kind of photography you want to do. I've been thinking about that. I shoot skies and plants because they are around me. I want to shoot more people. Maybe I'll hate it, but I want to try. That should be photo resolution #2

25. Solo Thanksgiving

112708_5605, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

It's a happy Thanksgiving. I took it easy, starting my day with a champagne cocktail. I spent it alone and I can't say I minded that at all. I goofed around, watched the parade, and basically didn't do a damn thing. I'm grateful I have a job. Thankful Martha and Barbara called me three years ago. Who knows where I'd be if they hadn't? I shudder to think. I was broke, broken and alone. One step or two from real disaster.

Well, the company is on the brink of disaster now, The stock plummeted so low they took us off the market. Not really sure where this next will find me. I think there will be real changes in 2009. But for now I'm ok. Happy and buzzed and looking at the clouds.

24. Zeus' Revenge

111508_5512, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

The graffiti on the block says "Zeus", but it was Poseidon's day. I had planned on shooting some trees in the fog, but when I stepped outside and heard the surf, I changed my mind and went down under the boardwalk.
The waves weren't huge, but they were very noisy. Every few minutes I really loud one would come up and I had to look down from the viewfinder to make sure I didn't get caught.
The pilling here isn't bad, but on another one the concrete was chewed up so badly by the tides it looked like a beaver had taken to it.
So, I capped off a bunch of shots and was deciding where to go next when the sky opened up. Big, sloppy silver dollar drops forced me back into the car. Zeus the sky god got his revenge on the day after all.

23. Raw Brackets

110108_5359, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 8ish
Location: Plum Island
Mood: Neutral

I went out to Plum Island this morning with an eye towards shooting brackets I could composite together. I shot about five versions of this and tried to fit them together. It was irritating because my Wal Mart tripod isn't very steady and the shots aren't very together.

It occurred to me that instead of using different shots, I should just work from different developments of the same RAW shot.

So that's what we have here. The sky is one development, the foreground another. A mask and a few adjustments later and I called it good. I dunno how I feel about this technique exactly. Looks sorta fake, but not without its charms.

22. Wind on the Beach

Time: 7ish

Location: Salisbury Beach

Mood: Buffeted

The wind was crazy today. I went down to the beach to get some bracketed shots to try some HDR stuff. It was frigid. My hands got cold after a few sets and I bailed out of the wind.

The wind also messed up the HDR shots because the foliage and fence moved around so much. I have to blame my crappy WalMart tripod a bit, too. That thing shakes like it has the DT's.

Anyway, this is the result of the morning. I'm not volcanic about it, but I like the little sequence at the base of the clouds enough to share it with the no one that reads this. 

Still plugging away..

21 Break in the Rain

092908_4740, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 6:30am
Mood: Bleary

Monday there was a brief break in the rains and this was the sunrise off my front porch. I had slept poorly, partially due to my frustration with work. Today the crew would learn that company had done a not-so-cool thing and I knew a lot of people would feel bad.

There's a lot to feel rough about. Most of the crew doesn't get who's really getting screwed. So, girding myself for a day of loose emotions, I stepped out to see this. It only lasted a few minutes before it turned into a rainbow over the marsh and then folded back into rain. I'm not going to make up any silver lining take-your-moments-where-you-can bullshit out of this. It was just a moment and then it was gone.

20 Quick Storm

081608_4175, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 4pm
Location: Salisbury
Mood: astounded

The neighborhood kids heralded the storm with toy megaphones. Droning repeatedly to the empty marsh " A storm is coming! A storm is coming!"

The preamble was great; a black and white bank moving quickly right at us. Lightning and thunder interspersed and a struck so quickly it was hard to keep track of which report corresponded to each strike. It got overhead of us before the rain. It was like being in the eye of a hurricane. No wind, but these crazy, giant folding patterns all around.

Then it hit hard; rain drops were the size of silver dollars. But within minutes the bulk of it it hid slid out to sea, taking the gleeful drama with it and leaving the sky a flat pewter. Now the cold and now the wind. The price of the show.

19 More Rain

081208_4132, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 8:15pm
Location: Salisbury
Mood: Mostly positive but restless

It's been raining a lot and my mood has been up and down. I'm going a little stir crazy I guess, but who do I really have to blame for that?

Summer is almost over and what have I done?

That's not totally true, I've done a bunch of stuff. But still I'm restless. I need to fix things.

18 Back to the Well

071408_3926, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Too much of the same? Hurm. I haven't shot many skies lately. I thought the season has passed. But it was back tonight. I have to say I'm a tad surprised to learn how much different lenses play in the colors you get. I knew when I changed bodies, I'd get a different palette. Different lenses seem to describe different palettes as well. Switching from the Nikon 200 to the Tam 300 gave a different palette. This is the 50mm. I had to push the raw a bit in development to get this depth. I think I went a little too far, but I was trying to invent new things. Oh well. Sometimes you're the bear.

17. Construction Site

061408_3594, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 7:30am
Location: Boston
Mood: Excited

I'd say overall I screwed this up. My friend's neighbor was a foreman ay a construction site and was cool enough to take us up. We shot from the 33rd floor of this building they are makibng into condos.

This shot will be the view from the penthouse I imagine.

I went into it with a plan, but when I got there, I didn't think, didn't look, didn't slow down. I thought about the view I was seeing, not the picture I was making and they really arent the same thing.

Don't get me wrong: I'm still psyched. I just wish I had a stronger outing.

16. Long Weekend

It was a pretty good weekend. Family was in town, we took the little boat for a couple spins, we toured Portsmouth and had a pretty great time all around. I met my Aunt for pretty much the first time.

Weird to be around someone who looks so much like my Moms. Strange to think of her as a sister, too I guess. Today was a lazy Sunday. Took some bird photos in the morning, watched the game and slept in the afternoon, did some work this evening. Easy. Peaceful. Nice.

15. Around Me

051908_3170, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Yeah, so. I bought a little boat a couple days ago. I spend too much time indoors and when I bought it I was thinking, it will be good to get out and interact with my surrounders more.

Careful what you wish for.

I can't tell what anyone is really thinking. Who knows. I get vibes and I trust them, but goddamn. I'm pretty harmless, but I am forgetful and I can be distant. If I have pissed them off I'm sorry, but gawd, I hate this oblique shit.

I'm not guessing or thinking anymore. Fuck it.

14. Lately

051508_3112, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

The first part of this week was a tough one. Just emotionally exhausting. But gradually I've been coming out of it.

I sometimes carry my camera into work. Lately I've been actually getting it out and taking snaps here and there. Some of them got nice notice and I like that they feel completely alien to me. The photos look like nothing I've done and thats comfortable. I like it when things are neat and comfortable but nothing seems too familiar. Like in hotels.

Lately I've been too familiar so I'm trying to get out of that. I bought a boat, too. Nothing big, but I hope to see some new things from it.

And then the same sky and the same copse of trees.

13. Say What?

Time: 7:45pm

Location: Salisbury

Mood: Restless

My ex keeps contacting me. I guess she has selective memory because I've made it clear that I don't want to see or hear from her. Apparently she's in town. Somehow she knows where I live now, too. She came by uninvited last year. I wasn't there. I'm heading out soon to visit my Moms for Mother's Day, but last night I wasted some thought being concerned she'd stop by again. I felt foolish for worrying and mad at her for not respecting my wishes and just leaving me alone.

12. Halloween

050808_2890, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 7:30pm
Location: Salisbury
Mood: Tired but hopeful

I like the swoopy splash lines of the clouds here. I'm tired of a lot of crap and glad its the weekend. I need a soul recharge. I'm going to see my folks this weekend. I haven't been in a long time. I see them, of course, but I haven't even been to Portland since moving here. Bangor is always a weird deja-vu. The part of the drive above Augusta is like the period of sleeplessness that first time parent talk about. A numbing sensory trial that changes your brain and makes you too tired to rebel against what's next. You just sort of settle in and accept it. It;s like piercing the veil of some other world. Maybe thats dramatic. It's just Bangor. It's just your childhood. Ugh.

11. Dodge & Burn

043008_2847, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 6:20
Location: Salisbury
Mood: Hopeful

I ordered a new Wacom tablet. I'm looking forward to using it to do some photo retouching. I haven't done much if anything to most of these sky shots. Photoshopping seems dishonest somehow.

But the more stuff I see on-line, the more I think some PS is OK. In fact, I think you need to do some to look your best. Kind of a steroids argument there, but there you have it.

The philosophy on these that I'm taking is that if I could do it in a traditional studio, it's ok to do a little in Photoshop. So, I've dodged and burned and adjusted exposure, but I avoid cloning things or moving around content.

That said, I didn't bother doing much to this at all. The sky is too generous. But I am looking forward to that tablet...

10. Not Much to Say

043008_2844, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 5:30
Location: Salisbury
Mood: Good

I wonder if these shots are too same-same. Oh, well. I like clouds and don't really care what you think. I do think I should get out more, though. See some different skies. Too much of the same thing, even if it's a good thing, is no good. I need to put myself out there more in general.

9. Rain's Over

042908_2822, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 8pm
Location: Salisbury
Mood: Ok

The long nonsense at work sometimes gets to me. It did today and I found myself feeling unduly tired. I have some choices to make and I've been postponing them.

It rained for like two days. Several times today it threatened to break sunny. Every time though, it would switch back and rain some more. Even half an hour ago it was thumping hard. But just like that it broke and there was this sunset. Maybe change is as simple as just deciding.

8. Visitors

sunset cloud, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 7:10pm
Location: back deck
Mood: happy, grateful

I had company tonight. If you had asked me a few weeks ago if people came to the house, I'd be like "yeah- sure." But as I cleaned up today, I realized: It's probably been 6 months since I've had anyone else in my place. Now, I've been travelling and I go out, so I'm not a total loser, but damn.

You get too used to things.

I was getting some art paper and on the cover of the pad I had written "Expect Poison From Standing Water." The drawings inside were four years old.

We stood on the deck tonight, snapping away and I was grateful and recharged.

7. Sky 7

042008_2539, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 7pm
Location: Over marsh in Salisbury
Mood: itchy-eyed

I had two beers during the Sox game. Apparently, that is enough to knock me out these days. I woke up in time to see their late-inning heroics but now I feel like ass.

I can't get out of my own way now. My place is a mess and for some reason, I'm not doing anything about it right now.

But, there was the sky. Here it is.

6. Marsh Morning

042008_2463, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 8am
Location: State Park in Salisbury
Mood: delighted

I got up this morning and took so,e shots of the marsh. The tide was very low and I had hopes to get some shots of the drainage tracts they cut through the marsh. I did get some, but it wasn't satisfying.

I drove off vowing that I would stop if I saw anything else that interested me. Sometimes I do that and chicken out. I feel very self-conscious taking photos. But today I found my way over at the park. They have these tall wheat-looking numbers there.

I walked into the muddy field and started shooting. Watching the auto focus zoom in and out and the wheat waving back and forth through the viewfinder was a great show. The wheat would fall into focus and out then lazily wander out as the camera whirred furiously, finding new focus points. Funny contrast of paces and directions. THe show was more fun than the photos, though. This one I held the camera at about waist-high and just shot up.

5. RootC

041608_2231, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 8pm
Location: home
Mood: groggy

This is RootC. Right Out Of The Camera.
It's tempting to improve or change these colors in Photoshop. Especially after I see it one way on the Mac and then it looks duller and worse on the PC. But usually I don't do very much to these. Didn't do anything at all to this.
I guess I left it because as the shots from my deck add up I want there to be no question that this isn't a cool view. I'm not manufacturing it. There has just been a rash of nice sunsets. I'm curious if it's the time of the year and if it will last through summer.

4. Too Slow

041308_2068, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Tim: 7am
Location: back porch
Mood: excited

I took this in my underwear. It was the first thing I did this morning. Great light that only got part of here.

Across the bridge behind the house in this shot there's a larger chunk of marsh. In it there's this large, cool rock that I'm always thinking about. It often has a small, windswept tidal pool in front of it. So I pell-mell into clothes and haul ass over there.

Too late.

This shot was taken at 6:59am. By 7:10 the whole thing had changed, flattened and fell apart. Of course I shot anyway, but there's nothing to report.

This is the second time this has happened like this. Last time it was my drive home. Crazy, tiny squalls brewing and collapsing all the way home. Once again, by the time I had my gear in the car it had passed.

It's like the sky is camera-shy. I gotta be quicker.

3. April 9

040908_2031, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: 8 pm
Location: my back porch in northern MA
Mood: slightly tired, slightly irritated

My sister called. Her vacation plans changed and she's thinking of coming this way. We talked about seeing a Sox game, which would be great.

Of course, you can't get any tickets through the official site so you have to go to resellers. These thieves are charging $75 for an $18 grandstand seat. I've always wanted to sit close to the field. Cheapest tickets on a Monday nothing daytime game close to the dugout were $200 apiece. It really pisses me off. Still, my finger was hovering over the buy button a long time before I talked myself down. I might not even be able to go that day.

Still somewhat pissed I walked away and noticed how the sky was looking.

I'm really lucky to have this view.

2. April 9th

Time: 5:20

Location: my back porch in northern MA

Mood: committed

I was abut to post a previous sky pic I had taken. I just got prints of it back and there was a pretty good story involved about a girl I had a fling with. Plus, it was a pretty good picture and substantially different from the last one. 

But I said hold on there. New rule- no old pictures. This is a current blog- not a rehash. So I went out and shot the above while cooking brats on the grill. I tell you, these brats are Heaven on a Bun. Again, I under-exposed about 3 on the meter. Looks like a little bird flew by.

April 7th

040708_2012, originally uploaded by steve_kurth.

Time: about 6:30pm est
Location: my back porch in northern MA

Mood: mostly grateful

The sunsets has been great here lately, especially after having been in Texas for two weeks. The skies there were dull and flat. Usually I like a blank gray expanse, but the Dallas sky just left my listless.

Opening the blinds to my deck after work I was psyched to see the sunbeams busting through the clouds like they do in Jesus postcards. It always seems like there should a pot of gold at the end of the beam. So I snapped off a couple (okay 32) shots. I underexposed a few steps to get the drama going and keep the sun in the picture. Then I made a sandwich.

35 Skies

A few years ago, my friend Matt had a blog project called 100 Cups of Coffee. Each time had a cup of the stuff, he blogged about where he was, his overall mood, stuff like that. He did it 100 times, documenting each cup with a picture and story about his slice of life at that moment. Very interesting. I believe that the way to the universal is through the specific, so I liked reading Matt's tiny truths and such.

I'm not as ambitious or clever as Matt, so I'm only going to do it 35 times. And I don't drink that much joe. But I do take pictures of clouds every now and then, so I'm going to try that. We'll see how it goes...