The Rose of Sharon bush outside my kitchen window on July
18th. Hard to see at this size, but note single flower.
I don't think I hallucinated this—is there a large photo-centric or photo-heavy social media site that has banned "before and after" pictures? I think it's Instagram. Maybe Facebook? I think to prevent before-and-after weight-loss come-ons. But that might be wrong. Sorry...I can't remember. (Told you my brain is shrinking.)
Same bush 12 days later, July 30th
Anyway, I like before-and-after pictures. One of my favorites was taken in the '90s with a then-antique Spotmatic—two B&W pictures of a pan of cookies before and after baking. Simple pictures. But...tasty. :-)
As with many photographic ideas, once you start thinking about it and looking for them, more and more possibilities pop up.
As far as weight-loss before-and-afters are concerned, all I can say is that I am all prepared with the "befores"!
And while we are on the subject of things that grow, may I just say how sorry I am that blueberry season is over* and that green bean season soon will be. We've had a wet Summer and it's been a banner year for green beans. I think I've eaten fresh-picked green beans close to every day for the past month and a half. But broccoli season just got going and will be going strong until the first hard frost, so that's consolation! I'm trying to get the Mennonite farmer up the road to let me go out into his broccoli field (two acres) and cut my own. I suspect he thinks I've got a bit of a screw loose, but broccoli oxidizes fast. It's better for you if it's eaten right after it's picked**.
Enjoy your Sunday. I'm off to work on my book about photography, which is going splendidly if I do say so myself. I'm writing it all off the top of my head and just telling stories. Which, it turns out, I have a lot of. And it even includes quite a bit of sensible practical advice, even. Lots of fun to write. I'll enjoy it even if no one else does. Because when you get right down to it, photography should be fun, right?
Mike
*But don't cry for me. A farmer near me fresh-freezes them and sells them out of his freezer all Winter.
**Source: Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson, a must-have for anyone who eats fruits and veggies. Recommended to me by a TOP reader, and thanks again for that. It's in the form of an encyclopedia, with entries for every major edible fruit and vegetable, telling you about their history, the various cultivars, how to shop for them and how to cook them for maximal health benefit. Big surprise—there's no rule that covers everything, like "always eat raw" or "always eat fresh" or "always eat organic" or any of the other popular ideologies. Everything's different and you have to take each one individually and case by case.
P.S. Someday soon I will do a post about the organic heirloom apple orchard near me. Tomorrow I plan to get some fresh-squeezed 100% pure Concord grape juice from the vineyard across the main road. Life is good in the Finger Lakes.
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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:
Gordon Lewis: "Please do write a post about the organic heirloom apple orchard. I remember when you and I visited that orchard for the first time and hearing all about the owner's background (not what one might expect) while trying to decide among all of the exotic varieties he had. I can't remember which one we decided on, but I know for sure it was amazingly crisp, delicious, and bargain priced."
"A farmer near me fresh-freezes them and sells them out of his freezer all Winter."
Is it true that, nutrient-wise, I'm better off buying frozen produce than the "fresh" produce at the supermarket? Did I read that here? (Sorry, my brain is shrinking too. I'm pretty sure that I did read here about headgear that keeps one's brain cool to maintain nominal operating conditions, but I didn't order one.)
Posted by: robert e | Sunday, 09 September 2018 at 12:12 PM
Like Waylon Jennings, I`ve Always Been Crazy. Fortunately that craziness doesn't include G.A.S. or control-freakishness. Since my self-esteem is inordinate I have no need for mastering mundane minutiae.
One of my DPNs likes brussel sprouts and I have a fondness for spinach—but can barely tolerate green beans 8-) It takes all kinds.
Posted by: c.d.embrey | Sunday, 09 September 2018 at 01:03 PM
Going by this blog, which I enjoy reading immensely, I’ll buy your book sight unseen. The idea of stories and practical advice on photography, all rolled up in a book written by you, sounds wonderful.
Posted by: William Wragg | Sunday, 09 September 2018 at 01:09 PM
You know a society has gone waaaay downhill, when fruit/veg/juice is not picked the same day from "across the main road" or your own garden and the supermarket "fresh" is the normal.
*Just eating some mushrooms and drinking sauvignon grape juice picked and pressed today.
[Wouldn't work as a practical matter...as you probably know. 80% of Americans live in urban areas. Large numbers have no garage much less space for a garden; many live miles and miles from the nearest farmstand.
My county has only 25,348 people as of the 2010 census, the third least-populous county in the State of New York. Biggest town in the county had 5,159 people in 2010. There is no pet food store, no clothing store to speak of, etc. Vineyards go down practically to the lakeshore. Plus we have lots and lots of Mennonites and Amish, most of whom farm. They grow vegetables to eat and sell the surplus even if they're rich. (Excess prosperity is one of the big threats to their way of life.) Even so, I can only eat local and fresh a relatively few months out of the year.
Ironically one of the best places to eat fresh fruit and vegetables year round is New York City! It's like ancient Rome--so rich that it is very well supplied despite high cost. Artichokes and oranges from South America, no problem. You can get better produce there more consistently than in most of the richest agricultural areas of the country. San Francisco, the same. --Mike]
Posted by: Jernej | Sunday, 09 September 2018 at 02:49 PM
I purchased Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson through your link. Excellent book. To me, tasty nutritious food is a very BIG deal.
I have a sophisticated and discriminating palate. I don't like sweets, I've been eating granny smith apples instead. I don't like greasy so no trendy avocado toast, no traditional corn-on-the-cob slathered with butter ...yuck!
To make this post relevant to a photo blog, I'll soon be shooting a few rolls of Scala B&W slide film https://bhpho.to/2uOmp8q
Posted by: c.d.embrey | Sunday, 09 September 2018 at 09:25 PM
Thanks for the article Mike, I completely agree with you!Lovely green pictures!
Posted by: Eric | Monday, 10 September 2018 at 04:37 AM
Facebook does not allow adverts containing before & after photos.
https://www.facebook.com/policies/ads/prohibited_content/personal_health
I think their over-eager algorithm has blocked in the past photos that were not adverts because of this.
Posted by: Kostas | Monday, 10 September 2018 at 12:12 PM
You are "surrounded" its seems by fields of fresh healthy food - possibly, just possibly, more important than a camera or lens :-)
Posted by: Dave Van de Mark | Monday, 10 September 2018 at 01:47 PM
Mike, in your neck of the woods (literally) there are wild blackberries that are the size of your thumb (not mine, sadly). When I was up there hiking with the kids at the end of July, we were eating them off the bush and the kids didn't believe it. We have delightful wild black raspberries in our area of Wisconsin, but those wild blackberries in upstate NY are a treat. As a kid, I used to take a 2.5 gallon bucket to pick them, and I could fill it up without much work.
Find them. Indulge. Make me jealous.
Grace is loving the GX-8 that we picked up for her birthday. I haven't shot with it yet, but she picked it up and was figuring it out quickly, which was a good sign. I shoot my Sigma stuff for the same reason you like the GX-8; the file quality just makes me smile. Under the right conditions, of course...
Posted by: Jim Kofron | Monday, 10 September 2018 at 05:14 PM
Regarding “Wouldn't work as a practical matter...as you probably know. 80% of Americans live in urban areas.” Not entirely true. If only USA had had the benefit of ‘The Blitz’ in the 1940s as we did, you could follow London’s example and grow veg deep underground, see https://www.independent.co.uk/Business/indyventure/growing-underground-london-farm-food-waste-first-food-miles-a7562151.html and https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCtSaIme1zs
I read somewhere recently that NY city has some of the best soil in the country and property developers are now selling it rather than dumping it in landfill :-)
Posted by: Richard Parkin | Tuesday, 11 September 2018 at 05:27 AM