Photography Thoughts and Lessons:

 I am losing the race with my aging body.
As my eyesight continues to decline I am still working on my photography. A blind amateur photographer?   Oh, what the hell. 

Facebook is fine, but posting there is ephemeral, here today, gone tomorrow. This posting is for that handful of pre-Facebook folks who periodically monitor this blog, but probably more for myself as a milestone marker.

When taking photos of small flitty birds there are really two options:

1. Be very, very good.
             or
2. Be very, very close.

I am old, half-blind, with failing memory. No. 2 is really my only option. I would add a No. 3 - hang the best optics you can afford on front of your camera body.

At one time I carried a long variable-zoom lens. Every year it got heavier. I still own that lens for tripod situations, and also a close-up lens for bugs and butterflies, but for everyday shooting I use an old tech Nikon D7500 DSLR body with a NIKKOR 300mm f/4 prime lens.
I suppose eventually I could replace that with a modern, gee-whiz mirrorless camera, but I love it. Does a man put down his loyal dog simply because it is old? 

These are all fall plumage birds shot from my garden bench in the past few days.

Golden-winged Warbler - rare and becoming endemic to only Minnesota. 

Your loyal dog,

Gunnar