Magnolia

Bad news, my go to day to day digital camera decided to stop powering on. One day while shooting happily out by a lake it decided it no longer wanted to be by my side. Rather than try and spend money repairing it I feel like a better use of money would be to move on and look to an updated body.

I was daydreaming a bit as an M9 crossed my mind then the new Fuji GFX but reality came rushing in and reminded me how expensive the past year has been with new baby and house in our lives so it’s probably best I set my sights on something more realistic. Right now its a tossup between sticking with Fuji and an X-Pro2 or moving back into the world of DSLR clunkers and go with a “modest” Canon 6D. It will be a while before I can sell off a few things and put together enough to make a move but it’s fun to consider new gear and hope for a boost of inspiration from a new point of view.

In the mean time I will be borrowing YoungDoo X100T here and there like I did this past weekend while exploring the Sarah P. Duke Gardens on the campus of Duke University where it accompanied my Hasselblad. Spring is starting to show up early this year so while many things were still waiting to bloom to life, there were a number of early bloomers like the magnolia tree here in the photo above, welcoming everyone to the new season with open arms.

I have not spent much time with the X100 cameras but I have to say it’s been a joy to shoot with and I can easily see why so many photographers have gravitated to them. I look forward to spending more time with it as I try and decide which direction to take with a new body. Opinions?

Ocracoke Ferry

Since I missed last weeks post I decided to go big this week and offer up a pack of seven new wallpapers. The outer banks of NC are littered with ferry routes that traverse the sound’s along the coast and all of the photos found here in this pack are from a ride on one taking us to Ocracoke Island. I love ferry boats, there is nothing like driving to the edge of a body of water and having a boat there to pick you up and take you to a nearby island, car and all.

The dated simplicity of the ships amenities offer just the basics, and plenty of places to hang out and watch the world go by. It’s the kind of transportation that leaves you no choice but to just sit back and relax. I remember this ride well after digging through photos of the trip, a bright, nearly cloudless sky gave everything a washed out intensity and the minimal, utility forward details of the ship offered a number of simple, composition driven photo opportunities.

Hopefully you find something to enjoy in the pack. Links below are in order of appearance top to bottom left to right or as a nice big zip file. There are HD desktop versions available for members in the member library if you need. Thanks for stopping by and as always, enjoy!

Master and Everyone

Master and Everyone by Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy was released back in 2003 and has long been a part of my desert island picks of essential records. It’s seen a lot of use over the years and for good reason, the unmistakable croon of Will Oldham has never managed to get old to my ears. The music here is bittersweet lyrically and takes a calm approach sonically as it grazes a number of folk music genres and rarely escalates above a whisper.

There are a lot of Will Oldham fans out there, his music spans years and years of different projects and prolific output so everyone seems to have their own personal favorites within his discography. For me, Master And Everyone has always stood out to me as an understated masterpiece, a record I could easily recommend anyone in need of something laid back and contemplative to check out if they have not come across it already.

Vinyl Copies have been out of print for quite some time as far as I know but can be found used here and there and available for purchase digitally on bandcamp here.

Hitch Hiker

I have a soft spot for Korea that has grown considerably over the years. I often daydream of what life would be like had I decided to move there rather than having YoungDoo move here to the U.S. when we got married. Being in Korea used to feel like more of a curiosity, I love feeling out of place in an environment and felt as though I may be happier in a more active environment where I would not feel as bogged down by memories and complacency. That feeling has changed a lot over the years and at this point Korea feels like home as much as the U.S. feels like home and I can’t wait for another opportunity to go back.

Among the things I love about the country are the seemingly endless places to explore and discover. It is in constant motion as small independent shops can pop up just about anywhere. The place photographed in the photo above is the sign for a tiny little pub called Hitch Hiker (another view here). It looked like it had been there for quite some time, full of personality and casual attention to kitschy details and was nestled among a number of other small creative independent businesses in a space above a larger shopping district in Jeonju. Other businesses in the same complex included a little vintage toy store, a craft shop, clothing boutique, a fried chicken place and more. Many of them were quite small, only big enough for a few people at a time inside and offered one specific idea or kind of product.

Seeing small, focused shops like these I can’t help but imagine that they were born of passion. A spark of inspiration and acting on that intention is all it takes to bring an idea into the world. I have a bad habit of hoarding ideas because they often feel bigger than they really are and I forget how easy it is to jump in and make something happen. Seeing this old photo reminded me of these feelings and even this waning memory of that inspiration sparks my imagination and the desire to create. Speaking of which, I need to get going, excuse me.