Columbia Bottom Conservation Area

Columbia Bottom  is one of my more favored nature spots in the St. Louis area.  Just about 20 minutes from my home and not much further (in a different direction) from the Arch, but could be 1,000 miles or 100 years away.  I'm sure I've posted quite a few images from here over the years...  Like THIS ONE.

This is the Missouri River, maybe 1.5 miles upstream of the confluence with the Mississippi.  Photo is from last Saturday, when I made a late afternoon excursion.   this was taken with my iPhone, which seems to do a really good job with wide angle images.  I was trying to channel my inner Ansel Adams, and posted a B&W version to my Facebook.  I know, I'm nowhere near Ansel Adams' skills, but humor me.

Here's another from almost the same spot.  Not thrilled with this one, kind of weak composition:

A Good Crop - 2018-Q1

Over the past several years, I've done a year end photo review, based on the old Ansel Adams quote "Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop."...

Well, this year, I decided to take the 1/4 pole and see how the year is going.

I had a couple of personal goals for the year:

• Use my DSLR.  I've gotten lazy, or perhaps complacent with the generally good quality of my Compact Digital and iPhone 7.  But I want to be more "intentional", and also not settle for "generally good" as easily.
• Focus on Photography...  but NOT stress about photo-a-day.  Plan photo excursions and go crazy.  I'm still posting the best (or favorite) at 365project, but over several albums, and backdating....

So, how's that going, and what do I have to say for myself?

• I'm taking a lot more photos.  Just based on what I'm posting at 365project, I've presented 56% more photos than 2017Q1.  
• I'm using (and enjoying) my DSLR.  It represents 44% of the posted photos this quarter, vs only 11% in 2017Q1.  That works out to a 500% increase based on posted images!
• My ratio's of "popular" and "trending" photos is double the first quarter last year, Which is some measure of success.  And I have a lot more photos that I'm really pleased with.
• I've started posting selected photos to Facebook from my photo outings.  And have had several people give good feedback (face to face and in posted comments).  That's pretty cool.  I've also started cross posting some of those to one of the facebook photography groups I'm on.

A couple of interesting things, maybe negatives, maybe just things:

• I find that I'm not participating in as many challenges at 365project as before.  Rather than thinking about an "assignment", I'm going where happenstance leads me.Probably a bit of good and bad to that.  And I missed the WorldWidePhotoMinute last month, which ticked me off.
• I feel like haven't really been posting that much here on the blog..  But counting says I've dropped from 28 over Q1 last year to 21 this year.  So not too bad a percentage drop, but still far from active.  Adding in Happenstance, and the numbers tell a different story.  My posting there is way UP, 38 images over Q1 this year, vs only 14 last year.  So maybe I'm just crazy.  Still 59 posts over 90 days, split between 2 blogs?  Not setting the world on fire.

Anyway, I feel like it is a godd start, and I'm hoping I can keep it up.  Still looking for new venues / photo-communities.   Any suggestions?

I Just Wanna Be Popular - March 2018

A continuing series....   (January, February):

Most of you know that I post regularly to 365project.org.  Or if you didn't, you do now!  Check out my project!  Anyway, they have a function that selects photos for their "Popular" page.  Of course, the actual algorithm to define what's popular is secret, but it is still cool when one of my images makes the cut.


So, looking back at March 2018, what did I do that was popular?  I posted 36 images to my three albums in March, and only had 1 make the popular page.  Kind of disappointing, after 3 in January and 5 in February.  But I aslo had 1 make Trending (but not popular), so that's cool:

Popular:

Spring Break

posted 3/24/2018

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Trending:

Untitled #5909

posted 03/11/2018

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I actually had several photos I quite like in March, but they didn't make "popular".   I'm not really sure what all goes into the algorithm, though....

Aside:  The post title is taken from the Pete Townshend song from his album Scoop

Pitt Is It

Spent a few days in Pittsburgh, as my son is considering U of Pitt.  Managed a few images around campus:

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Around The 'Burgh

From last week's trip to Pittsburgh / Univerity Of Pittsburgh.  A few non-campus shots:

It was grey and rainy almost the whole trip...  I saw these two while aiting for the elveator at the hotel (7th floor aspect).  

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Hot O Shop....  This is along Forbes Ave, in / around Pitt campus.  Looks like this place was here when I lived just up the road (in the 70's)...  but I don't remember.

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Interesting remnants of something....    I came across this site by happenstance. Driving around the north hills of Pittsburgh (Shaler Township). Not sure what it was, but I thought it was pretty interesting. 

Looks like a large loading bay facing the road. 

The ramp at the back, going out of picture to the left crosses a stream, to (remains of) a small building by a railroad track. To the right is a large open field, presumably the former site of an industrial facility.The the main road (Rt. 8). I'm guessing this was some sort of depot for whatever factory used to be here.

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Homeless....  We saw these two gentleman a couple of times over the 3 days...  Outside the CVS on Forbes Ave.  

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 We passed though Cleveland on the way home.  This is actually Ohio City, on the west side of the Cuyahoga River from Cleveland.  Lots of effects here, to emphasize the lines....

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