Category: Hanover PA

Try Again?

In 2019 I walked a few streets in Hanover, PA with my Pentax DSLR KP camera and the HD Pentax DA 20-40mm lens and made the above images.  I sometimes think it would be nice to go back to the streets, but I’m wondering if my back and legs will hold up well enough now, four years later.  I’m also wondering about using my KP camera again for such photography, and if so, with what lens.  

I don’t have that 20-40mm lens anymore but I could use the 18-135mm lens on my next trip to the streets if I decide to go; or, should I get another lens?  The 20-40mm lens had better image quality, but is it worth it?  That is hard to decide when I can’t compare them; but, the 20-40mm lens would be 4 oz. lighter in weight and cost me an additional $400.

Or, should I switch to using my Fujifilm X-T30 II camera on the streets?  It is smaller and lighter, but I would be concerned about falling and breaking it.  I would also need to keep it dry since it isn’t weather resistant.  Another alternative that I am considering is replacing the Pentax with a used Fujifilm X-T3 camera.  While I don’t have anything else to do, I keep juggling these decisions and considering the pros and cons from different perspectives.

I will probably stick with a rational choice and just keep and use the gear I have, at least until I decide what I can and want to do in the future.  Since my going back to the streets is “iffy” and it isn’t rational to invest anymore in an older heavy camera system without a future, I’m not likely to buy any more lenses for the Pentax.

Street Colors, Etc.

I took a short walk along a section of High Street south of Elm Ave. the other day.  I was exploring a number of issues on a dull flatly lit day:  

Do I want to go back to the streets of Hanover?

How well would the Olympus E-M5 III camera with just the 14-150mm f/4.-5.6 lens perform?

Would another lens be better?

How much work would be required to process the images?

Should I photograph concentrating on a theme, or just look for colors, shapes, and forms?

I haven’t decided whether I want to do this yet given that the sidewalks are very uneven and I have to look down more than around when walking, and that I often get stopped by people with questions, distrust, and hostility toward photographers.

Close, but a Miss

221115-191646-JEH22While I was playing with another lens I noticed this on the weather radar yesterday.  Note, Hanover is in the middle.  The blue areas were snow, the yellow and green were rain.

The 20mm f/1.7 lens I used for this image is not weather resistant, but I have at least one other lens that is, so I will hopefully be ready when it does snow here.  Or, I might just use the TG-6 which is waterproof.

I think it is wishful thinking by those who are hoping for little snow this winter.  With the climate changes that have been occurring we need to be prepared for lots of wild swings in our weather conditions, including either none, or deep snows, and everything in-between.

Hanover Tractor Trailers

When I think about driving in Hanover, PA, I think about all of those tractor trailers negotiating the ninety degree turns on roads that were never designed for such big vehicles.  The turns often result in confrontations with cars having to back up to make room; but, never a nasty word is heard.  The trucks are the life lines of all of the employees in the many small factories which are our primary sources of jobs, income, and survival.

Old Men Need Image Stabilization

It seems that the only time I venture out is for a medical reason.  This outing was early on a foggy morning for a followup doctor visit and I decided to take my TG-6 camera along and see how it performed.  While processing the images, I realized that the feature that enabled me to make these images was the image stabilization.  

I also have image stabilization in my Pentax DSLR camera and really like it, but it is too large and heavy and noisy to take with me on outings like this.  I don’t have image stabilization in my X-Pro 3 and that sometimes becomes a problem and is one reason why I’m considering replacing it.  Old men need lighter, smaller cameras and lenses as well as image stabilization.

Just Use Less


Hanover, PA  April 2017

In Hanover Germany they are getting serious about cutting energy consumption:  reducing winter thermostat settings, cold showers, darker buildings, etc.  Click here and read about it.

We should think about some of the same cuts here in Hanover, PA, USA for many reasons.  The sooner we start reducing our energy consumption the less we will need to cut it in the future due to the combination of resources and the rising earth temperature.  It would also reduce our personal electric and gas bills right now.  There is no better way to save energy, to reduce climate heating, or to save money than just using less of everything.

Hanover in 2017

I used these older pictures from 2017 that I had made in Hanover, PA for trying some different ways of processing the original raw files.  I’m sure that a lot has changed since I originally took these pictures.  I’d like to get back to walking around town and making some different photos; but as time goes on it looks less likely.