F. P. Dorchak

Speculative Fiction Author

Leisure

My First Nikon Camera Class

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Crescent Moon (© F. P. Dorchak, January 22, 2017)
Crescent Moon (© F. P. Dorchak, January 22, 2017)

I love this shot!

I took it with my Nikon D3400 and 70 – 300mm zoom. This past Saturday, I took my first Nikon camera class, and it was great! I took about four pages of notes and it was extremely useful! In fact, it helped with the picture above. I had to adjust the white balance to bring out the blue of the sky. In class, the instructor, whose name was Greg, said that for every picture he changes something of the following:

  • Shutter speed
  • Aperture (how open the shutter is–large or small “hole” light entry)
  • ISO (light sensitivity)
  • White balance (the balance of color)

Greg also said that if you’re not yet good enough at all of the above, to set your mode to “P,” which is a semi-automatic (programming) mode that will automatically set your shutter and aperture, and you can mess with your ISO and white balance and everything else, so that’s what I’m doing. I took the above shot early in the morning, not sure, maybe around 5 or 6 a.m.—but the time hack is off—it wasn’t the “2:02” it says. I’d had to recharge my battery, so when you pull the battery out, it messes up the time stamps, dammit. Anyway, to show the difference the proper white balance can make, here is the original shot before I corrected for it:

Crescent Moon - No White Balance (© F. P. Dorchak, January 22, 2017))
Crescent Moon – No White Balance (© F. P. Dorchak, January 22, 2017))

You can definitely see the difference! So, thanks, Greg and Mike’s Camera, for presenting this Nikon class–it’s already helped me out!

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Bobcat!

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I see you...and I will get you in your sleep.... (© F. P. Dorchak, 2017)
I see you…and I will get you in your sleep…. (© F. P. Dorchak, 2017)

Yesterday, about 5:15 p.m., my wife, Laura, was standing at the entrance to our home making strange, truncated sounds, let’s just say. She was at the door because I was making a [store bought] pizza and the house starting getting smokey from previous food residue in the oven’s bottom I-didn’t-spy-with-my-keen-eye before turning on the oven getting extra crispy. I live in a perpetual haze, so it didn’t bother me, but my wife (being more human) had opened some windows. I have that effect on enclosed spaces. Anyway, as she was at the doorway uttering these “strange, truncated sounds” and clipped sentences with tones of excitement and surprise, I came over to see what was up.

She pointed out a bobcat casually strolling across the way from us!

She said she’d seen this rabbit run faster than she’d ever seen any animal run before and thought one of the neighbor’s dogs might have been going after it…but it was no dog!

So while she’s running throughout the house looking for our binoculars, I sprinted for my Nikon, and sprinted back, hoping in the process neither of us would plow into the other. We were good.

As we watched the bobcat, and I’m taking shots, my wife mentioned how cool it was that s/he just owned that sidewalk—and indeed s/he did! S/he was so majestic and beautiful! Casual. Like the rest of us, just sauntering home after a day’s hard work. Not interested in any bunnies, just making his or her way through the neighborhood. As I’m taking more shots Laura says I should go after it in the car so—great idea!—I waste no time and make for the SUV. Camera in hand, I hurry (appropriately following all speed limits, bien sur…) and find the critter farther down in the creek bed. I pull over, hit the hazards, and twisted as far as I could in my seat, rippin’ off one-handed shots I hope are in focus, cause I’m not an operative of Cirque Du Soleil (but it’s a good thing I do those twisty stretches at the gym) and my other arm just couldn’t do what I was asking it to do in that position in the vehicle. I don’t know whether or not bobcats attack, but more so, if the thing decided to sprint at my getting out of the vehicle on a busy-ish section of street at that time of the day, I wanted to be able to still follow it. Anyway, I got some really cool shots, but many have those “devil eyes”—which do look totally cool, as you’ll see below—and are not quite sharply focused, and a few are not centered in the frame (or whatever the official term is). All images are compressed.

About one or two years ago I’d seen my first up-close bobcat as it walked directly in front of my home-office window. It paused and looked right at me…looked at me, like “Yeah so? What are ya gonna do about it? I didn’t think so.” Then turned and continued on its way….

So this is entirely cool! What a majestic and beautiful animal, and I’m glad we both got to see this one!

Images taken with a Nikon D3400 and 70 – 300mm zoom lens, from a closest distance of about 20 – 30 feet.

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Photography

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Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and Rock Ledge Ranch, Colorado (© F. P. Dorchak, November 27, 2016)
Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and Rock Ledge Ranch, Colorado (© F. P. Dorchak, November 27, 2016)

I used to take a lot of pictures. I used to have a Sears KSX 35mm camera.

Then it broke.

Life moved on…but I always thought about that camera. Missed taking “those kinds” of pictures.

Then, earlier this year…around Spring or early Summer…I suddenly got the most intense impulse to get back into photography again. Real bad. I don’t know what “clicked,” pardon the pun, but something inside me just kept nagging…photography…SLR cameras…photography. I started looking into the various cameras…talking to everyone I knew who dealt with any kind of photography, a couple of professionals I know (thanks, Scott P. and Jan C J Jones!). Started pricing those bad boys. Yeah…ouch. Not cheap…but you know, you get what you pay for. I remained patient…kept watching…reading up on them. Thought about going used…realized I didn’t have the experience to discern being ripped off, thought Scott P. said he’d gladly help me out. But the more I thought about the whole logistics of it all, it just seemed a bit much having to synchronize our schedules, reading through all the ads, ferreting out all the chaff, et cetera x 2…

Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, December 10, 2016)
Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, December 10, 2016)

Then came Black Friday.

Newspaper ads.

Wife asks “Is that the camera you’d been looking at?”

I see the ad, and couldn’t believe it. A local camera shop was offering a camera and dual-lens deal that I’d previous not even seen for just the camera body (sometimes DSLR cameras are sold without any lens, just its body).

I jumped on it!

Ever since November 25th, I’ve been messing around with my Nikon D3400—and I love it!

I love the heft of it, the feel in my hands, the images it captures. How sturdy and solid it is. It’s design. I have nothing whatsoever against Canons…for one reason or the other, I’ve always been partial to Nikons…even at their physical design level—their look.

In short, holding that camera in-hand: I feel like I’ve come home.

Dark-eyed, Gray-Headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 18, 2016)
Dark-eyed, Gray-Headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 18, 2016)

It’s weird…I’m not a professional in any sense of the word when it comes to photography, but having camera in-hand and taking images of life (and death—I’m a fan of cemeteries) around me just feels so natural! Like writing. When I was in high school, I was on the year book staff as a photographer. I loved taking pictures! I loved being “that guy”…roaming around the school annoying everyone with a 35mm camera and capturing images of school, my friends, of the daily living we were all doing…and seeing some of those images being used in the yearbook.

Later, I remember my mom buying me that Sears KSX Super. I think I was in college? I remember taking all kinds of shots with it, and loving how they came out—on film. Yes, I was around in the Caveman Days of B.D. (Before Digital). I still love film. There’s just a “natural look” to it…especially over time…as the photographs “age.” Sure, now there are digital effects one can apply, but it’s just not the same. One day, I really want to get my old KSX fixed and do some film again.

Now I feel reconnected with my old amateur photographer self.  Which is, in and of itself  interesting. It seems I’ve done a lot of the retro/introspective visiting this year, including having gone through all my old short stories…then also returning to photography. When I was talking with Scott about getting back into it all, I told him that I didn’t plan on getting all gonzo into it—I have my fiction writing—and he said that’s what he said…and now he has a photography business. And when I told him I’d bought my Nikon, he congratulated me, then added: “This can be the start of a real bad habit.”

Ha!

Might his words prove prophetic?

I hope not. I am a fiction writer first and foremost, but, damn it, I do love taking pictures! But I plan on keeping it easygoing. Check back with me this time next year.

Red Lion Amaryllis (© F. P. Dorchak, December 29, 2016)
Red Lion Amaryllis (© F. P. Dorchak, December 29, 2016)

I love capturing the images I’m capturing now…amazed at their quality! I’ve been doing a lot of flower shots with the Red Lion amaryllis I’m growing—it’s a natural subject, and oh, so damned gorgeous!—but I’ve also taken shots of tree branches and birds. Landscapes. I’ve put together another page on my blog site where I’ve started included some of the better ones. My wife liked one of my Gray-headed, Black-eyed Junco (bird) images so much she asked if I could frame it! What an incredible compliment! Thank you, hon!

There is so much capability to this Nikon that I’ve signed up for two photography classes as a local camera shop. One is from an actual Nikon manufacturer rep. I’m really looking forward to these!

My First 35mm Camera! Sears KSX. (© F. P. Dorchak, December 29, 2016)
My First 35mm Camera! Sears KSX. (© F. P. Dorchak, December 29, 2016)

Then I found another amateur photographer out there through my posts—well, actually, she found me through another friend’s blogs it turns out we both read—and her photography is absolutely stunning! You really have to check out her work! She goes by “Queen Farm Chick,” she’s a farmer, but she carries her camera with her when she hits the fields, and the images she captures are truly incredible…professional grade. I’m a huge fan of her work, so, please, go check her out!

So, here I go…back into the world of [D]SLR photography! I’m looking forward to it, enjoying the collected imagery, and hope to share much more with you all in these posts!

As always, thank you all for following and reading my work—I hope my photos will also get your attention—and I wish you all a Happy New Year!

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Bird Watching

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Dark-eyed, Gray-headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 19, 2016)
Dark-eyed, Gray-headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 19, 2016)

I must say I am loving this new camera of mine! As I’d previously mentioned, I recently purchased a Nikon D3400. And I love the thing!

As I sat having lunch early yesterday afternoon, I spotted three birds alighting upon our now-bare lilac bush out back. They were so cute!

I grabbed my camera.

I began taking shots of them through the patio door’s glass, not wanting to disturb them by opening the door, but I eventually did (my wife decided we should do it). You see if you can tell the difference in the images captured below. Anyway, I just began ripping off some shots, and it was so funny, but one of the birds just sat there, striking pose after pose just for me! Looking right at me. It was a beautiful thing!

I couldn’t figure out what kind of bird it was (I flipped through my bird field book—yes I have one for birds as a well as for trees—and searched online), so I posted it on Facebook, and a friend-of-a-friend identified them (well, her husband did, she just passed it along) as Dark-eyed, Gray-headed Junco. They are such beautiful birds! I used the automatic mode of the D3400, but it was f/6.3, 165mm, ISO 200, 1/1250th of a sec. 3000 x 2847…but I compressed all the images.

Click on the images to enlarge.

Dark-eyed, Gray-headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 19, 2016)
Dark-eyed, Gray-headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 19, 2016)
Dark-eyed, Gray-headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 19, 2016)
Dark-eyed, Gray-headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 19, 2016)
Dark-eyed, Gray-headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 19, 2016)
Dark-eyed, Gray-headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 19, 2016)
Dark-eyed, Gray-headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 19, 2016)
Dark-eyed, Gray-headed Junco (© F. P. Dorchak, December 19, 2016)

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Branches

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Light and Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, Dec 11, 2016)
Light and Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, Dec 11, 2016)
When I used to work at another job outside of town, I used to drive by this one tree that sat up on a slight rise from the road.  During the winter months, when its branches were bare, it used to cut quite the intense silhouette against the brightening eastern horizon, and I’d always thought I’d some day take a picture of that incredible silhouette.

Well, I haven’t yet…but it got me interested in tree branches…and their silhouettes.

And now, I have a Nikon D3400 digital single lens reflex (DSLR), and am getting back into my days of amateur photography! The other day I found myself taken by similar branches, and thought—grab the camera!—so I did. Here are some of the better images I managed to capture. I’m still learning my way around this camera, so I hope to get some even neater shots in the future! These were all captured on automatic (non-flash) mode, with the Nikon, on December 11, 2016, using an AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm lens. I used Coral PaintShop Pro X7 to compress all images. Click images to expand!

Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, Dec 11, 2016)
Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, Dec 11, 2016)
Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, Dec 11, 2016)
Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, Dec 11, 2016)
Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, Dec 11, 2016)
Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, Dec 11, 2016)
Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, Dec 11, 2016)
Branches (© F. P. Dorchak, Dec 11, 2016)

Short Stories–What Have I Learned?

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Upon Reflection.... (Photo © F. P. Dorchak and Jan C J Jones, 2016)
Upon Reflection…. (Photo © F. P. Dorchak and Jan C J Jones, 2016)

After spending the past year going back over all my short stories, what have I learned?

I’ve learned I was a young testosteroned-fueled writer, writing about sex and violence and all-things-weird. There are definitely some things that are going to remain hidden, but those I’ve released and will release 2017 in my short story collection are the best of my efforts.

I’ve learned that all is not all as it seems.

That the veil between our present and the past (and for that matter, the future…) is far thinner than many realize. Well, I already knew this, but as I ventured back and relived my stories—hell, my life—though I may not have remembered writing some of these things, wow, I was instantly transported to and reliving my twenty-something, thirty-something selves! My teenager self! It was weird. In a very real way…my stories are a reflection of my life. Who I was…what I wrote about. How I wrote. How I felt. It’s like I remembered everything, and was as easy as sliding on a well-worn, “experienced” glove.

Isn’t aging fascinating?

There are different perspectives to the decades of our lives. If you’re in your twenties and thirties, wait until you hit your fifties. If you’re in your forties and fifties, wait until you hit your seventies and eighties. Perhaps “wait” is a bad term to use…do not “wait” for anything—live. Live your life to its fullest. And that doesn’t mean becoming an extreme sportster, never sleeping, or being impatient with people and things. It just means being the best person you can be and being in the moment. Discover and understand who you are…and be true to that. Internalize it. Then do what you’re made to do. Discover and explore your hidden little talents…do you secretly like to dance? Do photography? Visit with the elderly? If so, then be that person. Be fully aware of your present moment.

Perhaps others have other derogatory terms for aging, but I do find “the process” fascinating. The shell of our body shows age first…but the soft, chewy center also shows changes—if you admit to it. I don’t believe it’s so much about “staying young at heart,” as it is to be who you are…and you should change as you age. You should wisen…but also keep your sense of wonder, your sense of adventure about you! Retain your elements of joy and fun! It should not just be six and twenty-year-olds who remain physically and imaginatively active and alive! If you’re “not like that,” then try to develop a sense of adventure and curiosity, if you have any interest in doing so at all. But to place so much importance on youth…of being a person you were in the past…is assigning all the power of who you are to the past and dismissing who you are in the present.

If we were meant to be twenty forever we would forever be twenty.

And, no, I would not want to do it all over again. I had a fun and exiting journey…a truly wonderful life…but I am ready to move into my present’s future. To find new adventures, new perspectives. Though elements of that Past Me remain, I am not that me any longer…and some of those short stories (two immediately come to mind) are actually kinda hard to read because of the events that inspired them. But most…most were wonderful with which to reacquaint myself!

I learned (perhaps “re-experienced” is a better term) that I’d taken chances writing my stories. I learned that just because someone tells you to “Do these 12 steps to get published!” does not mean you will get published. That just because you do anything will get you more of anything. It’s a little trickier and fickle-r than that…and metaphysical….

I learned that I am not above incorporating “awkward topics” (e.g., sex) into my work for the proper telling of a good story. Or a little violence…if it’s absolutely necessary. I don’t like writing about violence, especially for extended periods of time, which was why I left writing straight-horror (I call my current work “paranormal fiction”). But all good stories involve elements of conflict…some romantic and emotional…some physical and violent. I’ve written in both arenas.

I have to be true to the stories I decide to write.

A corollary to this is that I am not my stories or their characters. I have a vivid imagination. Period. I read, I observe, I learn. I try to portray things as realistically as possible, so that readers can walk away and think, “Yeah, that really could happen!” If I am compelled enough to write something up, I sometimes have to go places I don’t like to go. Just like all of us out there in our daily lives and jobs sometimes you have to do things we don’t particularly like doing.

And you just can’t please everybody.

I learned that I had not read all my short stories out loud, which I learned later in my writing career to do. It could have saved me some embarrassingly obvious issues! #OMG

I learned (it was actually pointed out to me by Mandy, my copy editor) that I use car wrecks a lot in my stories to off characters. Huh. No shit. I really do? Never realized that!

I also learned that in my short stories I used the name “Phil” a lot. It was a placeholder for a name. “Philip” is my middle name. Not an ego thing, it just kept me from having to “think hard” for character names at the moment.

So, my retro/introspective complete, I’m moving forward! I have new work I’ve started, new stories to tell…and I do have to get this short story collection out there (which will have some brand new stories in it, like “A Beautiful Summer’s Afternoon,” a new story I’m currently working)….

Thank you all for your support, and have an outstanding “Holiday Season”!

Short Story Links

Links to all my posted short stories are here.

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