Posted September 7, 2020

I got my first camera when I was 10 years old. It was not long before I discovered something that happens when I was looking for the perfect shot, I would get in the 'zone' was the best way to describe it. I would see thing differently than normally. I am not sure how else to describe it. This picture is a good example, I see this valve cover every day since it is above my workbench in the garage but one day as I was cleaning off the bench, I sort of saw this angle in my mind, so I got my phone out and got the exact angle and shadows just right and took this shot. Growing up I always had a camera with me, but I missed a lot of good pictures because the camera and lenses were packed away, usually in a surplus ammo can that I had nearby. That is how I got my nickname 'Ever-ready'.

After college I invested in a Nikon F3 and several lenses. I was working on tugboats at that time so I also bought a Nikon FG which was a cheaper camera body that fit the pro lenses I had. I did not want to risk the F3 in the harsh environment of the shipyards. I really liked that FG since it did most everything the Pro Level F3 did but was smaller and lighter in weight. One smart thing I did was to buy insurance for all the cameras and lenses. In 1988, my townhouse was broken into while I was at work and all the cameras and lenses along with a lot of other things were gone. Insurance paid for what I had covered but I had bought more lenses since I bought the insurance so some of them were not covered. I got the check from insurance and bought a Nikon F4 and one good lens, a 25mm - 70mm zoom with fast glass.

Fast forward to earlier this summer. I still have that F4 that I have not used in a really long time since it is a film camera. I also have my first digital camera which is a Nikon D70 that the good lens fit. Only thing about the D70 is that it was top technology the day I bought it but it does only 6 mega pixels, so the image just does not do the subject justice. I quit carrying the D70 because the result was not worth it. Over the last several years I really wanted a good DLSR but when I looked at what they cost; I could not justify buying one. I concluded that photography for me would be limited to what I could do with my phone. When we upgraded phones last Spring, I got the best one for photography, the iPhone 11 Pro Max. I figured that if Annie Liebowitz could become a famous photographer using Polaroids, I could take decent pictures with what I had, an iPhone

For Father's Day, Jennifer, Will and Allison bought me a new Nikon DSLR that my good Nikkor lens fits. I have never been more surprised in my life than when I was sitting in my garage and Jennifer handed me a box. I opened the shipping box and inside was a Nikon box with a new Nikon inside. I was speechless! Apparently Jennifer and the kids had been saving and worked with my Nephew Eric to buy this Nikon. When I upgraded my phone, it took a lot of strength for Jennifer to not say something about not needing that model phone I got for the photography since I was getting a new Nikon. This new Nikon does a lot more mega pixels than the old D70. Having a new Nikon with updated technology and a decent lens brings out the Photo Zone that I used to enjoy in my past.

Yesterday morning we walked along the Brazos River in Cameron Park in Waco I was able to get some good shots and spent time with my family. It does not get much better than that! What is cool about the new technology is it syncs all the pictures to my phone over Bluetooth. No waiting for film to be developed.

Funny thing about the Zone, I also experience that when I write something.... like this. I guess it is a creative thing that happens from time to time. When the 'zone' happens, I had better take advantage of it, because it may not last forever.

Anyway, if you read this far, thank you for taking the time, I did enjoy writing this.