On a recent trip to the beach, I was amazed at the changing light and the effect fog had on the morning.  I went to photograph surfers in a competition.  I was there with other photographers as part of an outreach program.   They had the long lenses, so I figured the action shots of the surfers were in their wheelhouse.  I decided to use my 24-120mm and document people enjoying the event and all the possibilities around them.  

I finally did it—I decided to sell my beloved Fujifilm X-T5 and switch completely to Nikon. I traded my X-T5 for the Nikon Zf, or as everyone outside the US calls it, the Zed F. It was a tough choice because I really love my X-T5.

I’ve always been the type to get excited at the start of a new semester, eager to learn something new. I felt the same way in college, even though I finished my degree much later than most, at 32. I didn’t go straight from high school to college, though I wish I had. That just wasn’t how things turned out for me. When I finally returned to finish what I’d started at junior college, I was eager to learn. I had a goal and went after it with determination.

A dear friend reminded me that I hadn’t updated my blog about buying a new camera. Just a note—the date on that post isn’t right; it was actually late 2024. After a lot of research, I stuck with Nikon and bought the Z6 III. I thought about the Z8, but it was a bit bigger and pricier. The Z6iii is called a mini Z8 with the new tech, so it seemed like the best fit. I like its size and weight, and since I already know the menus, switching over was easy. A recent firmware update made it even more like the Z8, which is great for me.

Are you a sucker for Instagram ads? I am. I saw a reel from some guy I’ve never heard of and he’s boasting about his favorite camera - the Diana F+ by Lomography. Fully plastic, very retro looking, shoots 120 film, and gives you nostalgic looking images. Since one of my mirrorless cameras is the Fuji X-T5, I get stopped all the time by people thinking I’m shooting with an old film camera. I love that camera. Retro seems to be in vogue right now. The research begins.

One thing to know about me: I research everything thoroughly—almost obsessively. Days can turn into months before I make a decision. Recently, I’ve been considering purchasing a new camera.

May 24

Yesterday, I learned a tough photography lesson, and my friends got to see it happen. I spent the day in Laguna Beach, taking street photos. I snapped a girl practicing martial arts on the boardwalk and took pictures of cute dogs with their owners. I ended up with about 200 to 300 photos. Most weren’t anything special, but a few made me excited to get home and look at them.

Turns out you really can get your kicks on Route 66.  We took a little road trip from Barstow, CA, to Williams, AZ, and saw some iconic places, including Roy’s Cafe, the Sign Museum, and the Bagdad Cafe (note the spelling difference), as well as a train ride to the Grand Canyon.