Intro

Perfect photo for this post right? This depicts how I feel and probably most of us feel 2020 was like. Isolated and in our own world with no one around. It’s been a long time coming and to say the least 2020 has been the biggest challenge, struggle, roadblock ….. you name it. We all have had our own demons and issues to get through the last year and we are all in this together. 2020 was particularly tough for me this last year, not only were we dealing with the events of the pandemic, lockdown and the “new normal” but I personally had health challenges take its toll on me for the last 12 months. There were months where I questioned would I even make it through 2020, as my mind would race on what is going on with my health and these conditions would linger for the next twelve months. So many things I can write about, but I have been taking it one day at a time and slowly been working my way back. Its been almost a year since I last posted a new blog but it almost feels like an absolute achievement to be writing here again. Today is really to talk about what’s changed in my life, what things I have overcome and what I have been shooting during these crazy times. Hopefully this will inspire you to go out there and shoot again as we all look forward to getting past this and flushing this pandemic down the toilet.

02

What’s New?

Through the last six months I have slowly been making baby steps with my health through exercise and test diagnosis to determine what was going on. There are days of moving forward but also days of set backs but as with all things in life we push forward. While all this was happening, there were things I was incrementally doing with my Photography to push forward as well and prepare me for when I would be ready to start picking this blog back up. Here are a few things that I have been working on that are either live or will be future posts for this year as travel and life starts to come back to normal:

Minor Site Redesign - I have made minor increments to the sites design, some light color, font and other changes to clean up and simplify the design. Reorganization of the navigation and also a new logo. It was due and while small in change, gives me a renewed spirit to get back into the swing of things. Its 2021 now so lets keep the positives going right?
50 Summicron Rigid - A recent pickup but one that I have been waiting patiently to get my hands on. A very classic and vintage lens with my modern M10 and cant wait to start using this and capturing photos. I have read about how this gives the classic look with great sharpness and a creamy bokeh. Folks that I have talked to have said this is a lens you never want to let go of, and given the cost for this lens its a no brainer.
Voigtlander 50mm 1.5 Nokton II - I had the version I of this lens and once this was announced I had to get it. I loved the performance of the version I but it did have its flaws. I really wanted to see how this version has advanced the original lens. I opted for the panda version as well which looks fantastic on my silver Leica M10.
35 Summicron - I also purchased the 35 Summicron for days when I want to shoot 35 and shoot a more technical shot. There is news of the new APO version which has me drooling and will likely empty our wallets but for now I will put this through the paces.

So there we have it, while I have not been posting much this year, 2021 is already looking to be a positive one compared to 2020. I think I have set this year up to be a much more favorable and fantastic one to go out there and begin shooting more. Hopefully this will also inspire you to start making progress and get out of this hole we are all in!

03

what have i been shooting?

This year has been a much much slower year in terms of what I have been shooting. So much time has been spent on my health and being careful with the pandemic that I have spent less time getting out there and shooting as we all are. But there are days when I still make the effort during these times. Probably less so of going to areas where there is a large number of people but finding ways to be out in the open where its safer and less risky to contribute to the problem. Photography during the pandemic has been more so a pick your spots type of deal. Taking a walk in a public park, apple picking in an open orchard…. spending time at the beach. All places where you can control the distance and interaction socially. Isolation and distance are the keywords, but still getting out there. I really hope that some time this year we can overcome those two words as we need to be more social in this world and the mental challenges its creating within us.

But for now, we can all still find ways to create and be inspired. The days we have decided to get out there in a safe way were probably the best days of the year for me. It also allowed me to be inspired with photography during a year where I probably left the camera in the corner more so than other years. Find ways to be safe but still get creative, its there if you really push for it. It is 100 times better than staying inside, trying to find what to binge watch next. At some point the inventory of things to do inside dies and we find ourselves staring at the wall or just scrolling through social media apps.

So get out there, take a walk, sit on a bench or just get out there. You might find it relaxing and recharge your mental health. Here are some of my favorite shots from doing some of these activities this year:

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - bREAKWATER ROCKS

04

A walk around an open park

These are photo’s from a simple stroll around an open lands area in our city. What started out as a simple “lets take a look” ended up being a 2 mile walk around the area. We found ourselves enjoying the scenery and taking our time while trying to forget about the problems of the world. Its also a good way to get those steps in and burn some calories.

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - iSOLATED tREE

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - Fall Flowers

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - oPEN lANDS pATHWAY

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON -vw buggy

05

Apple picking

Annually we take the kiddos to an orchard to apple pick at the same time there is usually events or a playground for the kids. This year it was strictly just apple picking, there were a good number of people but when you are outdoors its easy to find that six feet of space. We headed out to an orchard near our home and I used this time to try and get some photos in. As with any year we at least got our apple cinnamon donuts, cider and apples to bring home!

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - Apple Trees

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - Bianca Apple Picking

M10 + VOIGTLANDER 50MM 1.5 nOKTON - Pumpkin house

06

Spending Time at the beach

Before the fall came we decided to hit up the beach. It was not peak summer so the beach was not packed but at least the weather was nice and a nice way to enjoy the beach before the cold front came. This was also a good time to get out as we can keep our distance while the kids play in the water. There was enough space for us to keep our distance again and have plenty of room without interaction. We stayed until the sunset to maximize our outdoor time as well as get try and get those golden hour shots that I love to take.