Another day, another post nobody will read! Well, anyway, things have been incredibly interesting as of late. A whole lot of exploration and filmmaking with the drone. Maybe at some point I will post some of it here on Hive, but I don't really have the interest to put in so much effort at the moment. Today I visited some odd places up in the mountains. A church which held a Soviet BMP military personnel vehicle. A space observatory in the distance, and a Radio-Optical Telescope on the other side of the mountain, with yet another church. Less about the interesting stuff, however. These are a few of the photographs from the Sony A6000 over the last few days. I haven't been using the camera as much recently just because the environments are more interesting with the drone. I beat another record with it today and sent that thing 355 metres into the sky, an additional 100 metres than my prior highest altitude. It makes sense that the camera isn't as interesting when you can fly a camera around an environment you can't otherwise explore on foot. But I still find moments for it and try to use it to capture specific moments. Not that I have put it aside entirely, I most certainly haven't. Just that I have an interesting blend of the two in my general workflow in each day now.
I've been carrying the 35mm focal length lens with me around alongside my primary 85mm lens, as well as a Soviet Zenit film camera with the beautiful Helios 44-2 glass that made its way into Hollywood recently. A whole lot of gear, and a whole ton of fun when venturing into various environments. I feel it's best to carry a wide range of gear instead of entering an unknown environment without something that best suits it, ultimately missing out on compositions.
When it comes to photographing things outdoors, I feel the 85mm is best, alongside the aerial view with the drone. I love the up-close perspective it gives and the beautiful bokeh that is found within certain environments. The 35mm being best for more tighter environments such as interiors. I love being able to photograph a bit of everything and knowing I'm never limited. That feeling of pure freedom with multiple cameras or focal lengths really keeps you thinking as you run around a space, almost thinking in focal lengths as you witness the surroundings. Sometimes I do wish I had something above 85mm though. A telephoto capable of capturing the vast wildlife in Armenia. I saw a hawk the other day, large herons, and even a praying mantis alongside snakes. I wish I could capture them from afar without disturbing them, as well as capturing landscapes from afar while still capturing their vast sizes. Mountains and horizons that tower over all else. The ways in which the landscapes roll up into the distance and speak of almost an impenetrable wall. Driving through them is another experience as the surroundings shift their forms rapidly. From rocky, dry landscapes coated in dust to beautiful greenery and colourful flowers all over. That feeling of barely ascending is felt, only acknowledged as you look back down at where you came from. Subject barely a dot down below you.
It's a humbling feeling to look at your surroundings and feel the sense of scale, power, and your own insignificance. To witness nature in its glory as it remains the authority.
I often feel a sense of peace in such places. To escape the chaos of modern life and return to the natural landscapes. Around you either natural environments of the remnants of simpler lifestyles: farmers, quiet villages and homes that show their age with the crumbling architecture and handmade improvements. It's more silent, the air is cleaner, and the people generally look happier and more likely to talk to you. A total difference to the soullessness of your average city folk. I come from an English village and even there I noticed the changes in culture through the pains of gentrification. Here, however, it's the total opposite. The elderly remain in the villages, clinging to their simplistic ways of life, rejecting the horrors of modernity. You can really see it in their faces. The sadness in how their children and grandchildren rejected their pasts and culture, pursuing an interest in the capital as village populations dwindle and the iPad generations metastasize. I experienced a similar situation in Georgia, seeing an aged population of rural farmers that had a few harvests left with nobody seemingly prepared to take over. People here escape the countryside life, people back in England are desperate for it, while turning it into the very thing they escape from.
It's odd how the world operates, isn't it?
Meanwhile, for me, it's Armenia's history and culture that fascinates me so much. I long to experience more of it. To witness the beauty of a place that still holds its identity in a world so persistent on destroying it. Anyway, these are the ramblings of a photographer travelling a part of the world so few dare to. But who cares?
i totally agree man!! and that photo really transmit that, we are soo little in comparation with mother nature.
That's the smaller mountain too! There's one to the right called Ararat, it's so big that I couldn't fit it into the frame from there. I have pictures from other mountains and that one still towers over the landscape. It's a symbol of Armenia and there's no question and to why when you're travelling around the nation!
Are you in your 20s, you remind me of me in my 20s talking into the void knowing that I'm talking into the void possibly with an at least subconscious feeling of sorry for myself and making passive-aggressive digs at a possible audience that is being too lazy to comment XD
I've been reading but am either too braindead to comment because it's either pre-coffee or late at night when I get to hive stuff or I start writing out a comment but never actually post it and when the next day comes I refresh my feed and move along otherwise I would have way more tabls open than I do now
I don't think I ever finished/posted the comment on one of your previous posts where I was going to say I think you should have just brought the drone with you from the outset.
I'm going to assume that a lot of people in the cities (or at least the English?) are like a lot of the Australians here since...early 1900s from a probably inaccurate memory (most of which were from UK so maybe it's that) where they want both the idyll country life with all the convenience (but not the chaos) of the city. And even present day back when I was at uni only a handful of people dreamed of the apartment in the heart of the city, most of them had the suburban ideal (quarter acre block half an hour or less out from the cbd/other favourable major regional centre as while there are a few regional centres, a couple of them are viewed as unfavourable prestige-wise).
Of course the flipside of that is they're either way too lazy for or their lifestyles aren't compatible with the maintenace work required for the big house on the big block (or one or the other).
I love the squeeworthy puppy and the mountain, such nice shots XD
I am 29 :^) but it wasn't meant to be a a serious complaint, just more a bit of blunt humour. I have a lot of cool stuff that I could share on Hive but I just feel that Hive is in a weird spot at the moment, and my priorities are shifting away from Hive a bit more as I find web2 stuff actually more rewarding to post certain things on. Hive's a bit too uncertain for me to want to put in hours creating something deep and informative about an exploration, for example, knowing I'd make the same amount of money as I do now just posting 4 - 5 photographs and significantly less text.
For example, YouTube may not pay me up front, but the views and platform make it more beneficial to focus on for forward growth than posting something here after 5 hours of prepping the post and making $5 where it's ultimately buried within 24 hours given curators don't really touch anything beyond it. I don't really care if I don't get comments, and a lot of the time they're more a result of your own interactions; mine have been a bit thin as of late because of that moving interest.
I intentionally didn't take it with me since I only took a backpack on my assumed two weeks to Turkey (now six months and two other countries also visited). I was afraid of having it rejected at the airport.
I think I've actually realised for the past 7 years I've been wasting a ton of time and potential trying to be 'exclusive' to Hive and not treat it like a dumping ground, but it seems that most are doing that and making pretty good money. Not that I care, just more that 'if you can't beat them, join them' sort of attitude in the end. :^)
I want to say I don't understand the exclusivity thing but I fully understand the exclusivity thing, I just also generally disagree with it. Post everywhere you want to post wherever you can be bothered keeping up :D
meanwhile I actually cut back to just posting here and on my blog because here is where I get the most interaction and my blog is mine and also time is a thing
Oof yeh I forgot about the batteries. They're not removable?
This is turning out to be quite the trip for you XD
Yeah it has been an unintentional self-crippling, I think. Just from all the time I had to put into Hive when I was part of a group that clearly don't actually give a shit about Hive/communities but insist on encouraging workload on people. I didn't realise how damaging it all was and how little I was getting out of it. Now I am free and see in reality I was just stuck focusing too much on one thing that hasn't been working.
It's a good thing! But also, about the drone: it was more the rules and regulations plus their now popularity in war that had me spooked. I didn't want it to get confiscated or bring up questions.
Congratulations. Today's #monomad second place is yours.
Thank You very much for participating and for being part of the Black And White Community!
I believe someone does care about what you write and there's always someone reading you. If someone can make such a long comment like the one you received, it's because he definitely felt lonely, or he felt like writing... or you left a good impression on him.
It's understandable that you want to have that technology for photography. It's the best for those cases. Distance and close-up all at once.
Thanks for these posts. Take care.
(a mí me gustaría tener un dron)
I know people do, I often just have a bit of a blunt self-deprecating sort of writing sometimes. Not necessarily complaining, but more throwing out a bit of sarcasm over the way things appear. Nothing is promised here on Hive, and that's fine!
Actually, people often think I'm moody or not enjoying something because of the humour I have, it seems like I'm serious or not happy, but in actuality I'm completely fine and just being really observational.
Thanks for the kind words though! I'm really excited to share some of the drone pictures and videos, just trying to think of the best way to go about it.
😇 When you're ready, you'll do it. And I'll definitely enjoy it very much.
Can't help but share a little something from it already. Such a cool place!
😍
Oh, Gracias. What is that white platform?
It's the Radio-Optical Telescope itself. A huge dish that contributed to many deep space discoveries and general observations. Exact name of this one is ROT-54, if you wanna look it up!
How cool is that, it looks like something from space. I saw it on Google already.
See you later! I'll come back to Hive to read you. Right now I have to cook and eat something. Cheers!