The back deck monster is 95% done and it looks great, even in this cold rain. I have got a new charcoal grille due here Monday, and have researched deck furniture and storage boxes. We can hardly wait for nicer weather. The orchard is showing signs that spring will be here someday: the two apple trees, the peach, plum and apricot all have buds and new leaves coming in. The new french doors have a leak when the rain is particularly fierce, so next spell of dry I will have our excellent contractor take a look. Meanwhile, white duct tape stops it and looks not too ugly. Come spring I can assemble the metal shed now clogging up the wooden shed, I can use the 6' by 8' of new storage it will provide. Maybe I can get the man cave I long for in the wooden shed. But there will always be a new project, I now realize. I want to put another window in the master bath, and replace the one in the guest bath with one that actually opens. There is also the kitchen counters, the toilets, etc etc...I wasn't retired I would have to quit work to find time... gotta go, it is past 5pm....
An apologia on the making of an acceptable photographic file. One hears from lay people and even some photographers a disdain for image manipulation, particularly using modern programs such as Photoshop, and it's ilk. I used to be one of the latter. I was all about the "in camera manipulation", ie, get the composition and exposure as close as possible to the desired result before pressing th e shutter release, then print as-is. This may have been because I had only a primitive darkroom, and depended on commercial labs for prints, with all the attendant miscommunications about the final look. I have since learned otherwise. Since photography was discovered/invented the making of a visible print was the obvious goal. Early photographers had to go through great efforts with bulky equipment and hazardous chemicals to produce an acceptable product. That is to say, from the beginning, there has been no way to make a print directly from the camera w...