The photograph, just walking around and trying to blend into the landscape.
Since there are no jobs and no swim practice I've been getting up later than usual. I have the bad habit of reading the news over coffee and kale pancakes and the news lately always tastes bad. Maybe it's the kale. Maybe I should buy some kale syrup or something. At any rate watching the Dow Jones average plunge under 19,000 was a poorly conceived way to start the morning...
I needed a break from the ongoing crisis and I needed some exercise so I laced up my favorite pair of walking shoes, grabbed my (current) favorite camera and got busy. Walking in Texas is not forbidden or discouraged. As long as we maintain good social distancing it's something we're actually encouraged to do as a remedy for "cabin fever." The route I did today was about four miles and it was perfectly pleasant weather for it.
I've been using the Sigma fp camera all the time now. I don't think I've taken a Lumix out for anything other than an assignment in the last two weeks; maybe longer. The fp is small and light and I love the images it makes. I've been playing around with the cine setting which in no way is accurate or even always pleasant. I've discovered that you can dial in the strength of the color settings so I've pulled the cine color setting back to minus two which should bring it a bit closer to "normal" color. I think it's still a bit green but I kind of like it.
Since all the pools everywhere within a hundred miles are closed I've taken to a new
routine. Walk briskly for four or five miles and then, at some point in the day, do
100 push up and 100 sit ups. It's still a workout but nothing like the intensity
of our typical swim workouts.
As you probably know, all of the restaurants and coffee shops have become "Pick up and take away" only. You can walk in and head to the counter to order but you're expected to leave as soon as they hand you your product. All the bars are closed. And if I had to guess I'd say it will be about a month and a half until they re-open. There are fewer and fewer people on the streets downtown and that's probably a reflection of there being fewer and fewer places to go into. The homeless are really taking it on the chin since the tourist population dropped from 'ample' to 'non-existent' in the space of two weeks there are few to none people to panhandle with. The line to get into the homeless resource center was long and quite rowdy when I passed by. It's gotta be tough.
While some of the coffee shops are valiantly continuing by serving "to go" coffee a number of them have decided to just temporarily toss in the towel and close the doors for the time being. Some, like Intelligentsia are brand new and obviously couldn't have seen this coming. It has to suck to open a new business and then have to temporarily close it just a month or two later...
Stacks of one inch plywood are all over Sixth St.
If South by Southwest had occurred this year it would have been (as usual) a bonanza for the bars that line blocks and block of this old, historic, downtown street. But it didn't happen that way. Instead, the mayor, the governor and the federal health agencies decreed that there could be no gatherings of 10 or more people until further notice. Our city immediately required all the bars to close down.
A bit of background: Austin is home to the number one party school in the country: The University of Texas at Austin. While students have rooms in dorms and apartments surrounding UT they mostly live at the bar scene (kidding = hyperbole). We are basically shutting down hundreds and hundreds of bars and clubs per square mile. The bar owners know that this might go on for a while and have started boarding up the fronts of their establishments. I presume it's to mitigate vandalism, looting and trespassing. But it looks like a big chunk of downtown is preparing to weather a hurricane at the coast.
Random plywood box covering some utility connection.
In times like these who doesn't want a unicorn?
The Sigma fp is a wonderful camera for this kind of walking documentation. It's small and light. The big sensor means detailed and mostly noise free photographs. The 45mm Sigma lens is the perfect complement to the camera body. I've been bringing along an extra battery on each walk but I've never had to use it. There's no wear-and-tear to your shoulder either. It's just a delight to use. And I've even gotten use to using the rear screen for composition and menu setting. I mean, I really don't have any option otherwise, right?
I never thought I'd see Chez Nous, a very nice and very traditional French restaurant
end up doing take out only. I hope it works and I hope it keeps the kitchen staff busy and
getting paychecks...
I guess it is in the nature of some humans to be real assholes.
How can the driver of the truck on the right and the driver of the SUV on the left
really expect the driver of the car in the middle to be able to exit his/her space?
As I walked on I realized that life in Austin, at least downtown, orbits around drinking in bars and eating in restaurants. There really are no other attractions. Once the clientele moves out the space seems empty and quiet. Traffic was a tiny fraction of what usually blocks up the downtown streets. Driving around Austin was actually a pleasure as there were no slow downs on the freeways and no gridlock in areas that are usually cloggy during business hours.
When you have a hammer everything looks like a nail.... Since I've always had fast 50mm lenses I've always tended to use them near wide open but with the 45mm Sigma, knowing it is at its best at f4.0 and smaller I've been shooting more and more stuff at f5.6 and f8.0 and loving the increased overall quality I get.
The reason I take cameras out and use them all the time is to practice the craft; to keep the eye hand thing in sync, to keep from feeling self-conscious when shooting. I liken it to being a piano player, you keep practicing to stay limber and comfortable with the keyboard. I think it's the same in photography. I read recently about someone who had hosted Josef Koudelka in their home for a couple of weeks. He walked around and shot three rolls per day. Stuff that had no relation to his typical subject matter. When his host asked him about this he replied that he needed to shoot about a hundred images a day just to stay in practice. I can only imagine what Garry Winograd would have said...
I look at this giant tree, wreathed with little white flowers every time I park my car at my house.
They are wonderful. I water them in the Summer. I couldn't bear for them not to be there...
The tree in the center is a Japanese maple. Belinda is concerned that it will eventually
overwhelm our front door. I think that would be great. We'll learn to go around and use
the back door.
We live in one of those West Austin neighborhoods where people are buying older houses for a million dollars just to scrape the old houses off and build giant new houses to the lot lines.
This is the latest one and it's right across the street from us.
5000 square feet of progress.... Nothing we can do about it.
I see this branch of my Japanese maple every time I head into the house.
I love that it's thriving.
A young girl and her mother were out drawing with chalk on the pedestrian bridge today.
They were having fun. Their messages were sweet.
Social distancing doesn't have to be a prison sentence. Grab a camera and go for a walk in a wide open space. If you are in France or Spain then get a doctor's prescription for exercise. Just don't expect to stop at the café to have coffee with a friend and to argue about politiques. Two meters between people and don't go if you are sick.
28 comments:
Exactly the same situation here in Toronto. I'm actually just north of the city but same thing. Absolutely nothing is open. Restaurants can only offer take out or delivery. Retail outlets are open but empty. Grocery stores and drug stores will remain open obviously but the shelves are barren of toilet paper, paper towels, and for some strange reason, yogurt. Not a single container of yogurt in the store I went into this morning. Walking is fine as long as you maintain distance. My grandmother is 94 so I had to go get her some groceries and supplies and check on her. We kept our distance. I actually had her go to her room while I brought in her stuff. We said goodbye with a good distance between us. It's a death sentence for her if she gets this. Walking is good and I will be starting that routine tomorrow morning, with a camera. Tennis has been canceled for me until...I don't know. My school is organizing food deliveries to families in need so I'm going to be involved in that as well. It's nice to feel needed. I've gotten to know the squirrels in my back yard well enough. Gotta keep moving.
Life changes day by day now. My wife of 25 years (who is immune compromised btw) woke up with a mild sore throat this morning. (no temp or cough) Of course I called her out at work as a precaution. This afternoon I got a call from the district HR telling me to keep her out of work for 2 weeks. (with pay.)
As a child of about 10 I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis. Folks were scared. The frustrating gas lines of the 70's. The market crash of (88?) and Y2k but this mess takes the cake.
I really like the unicorn mask photo, but I’m not sure why.
The one comfort is that we're all in this together and, at some point it will resolve.
oh and 911! how could I forget that one.
I had a great walk in downtown Calgary today. Huge parking lots that use to be crammed with oil patch office workers are now virtually empty. No traffic to speak of and very few pedestrians. I walked along our river path which is usually packed with joggers, walkers and moms with kids, empty. Except for two joggers. One of which was only in shorts and a tee shirt. Must either be a tough guy or just plain stupid as it was -17C with wind chill. My vote goes to stupid. My walk today which included some steep hills covered 7kms. I think the cold wind should give me some bonus points!
Shot a roll of Ilford HP5 which I am about to develop in the darkroom. Boy it feels good to get back to film! Some of that friction you talk about. The Camera Store got a bunch of Canadian pesos from me this morning as I stocked up with big yellow bags of chemicals. The oldies but goodies like D76, Dektol and Rapid Fixer. Yesterday I stocked up with wine, tequila and beer. I should be well provisioned until the end of all this Covid-19 madness.
The local health authorities estimate that we will hit our peak for new Covid-19 infections in about five to six weeks. Hopefully we don't overload the healthcare system between now and then. So far tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs in this area of Alberta. The federal government is stepping up to keep people afloat. The banks are also deferring loan commitments for several months. It seems people have made the decision that lives matter more than commerce which is nice to see. Our social safety net will be tested and I am hopeful it will meet the challenge.
Take care Kirk. All the best to you, Ben and Belinda.
Eric
The value of social distancing may not be appreciated. Check out this contagion simulation:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/
Thanks for this report, Kirk. I haven't been to Austin for many years, and it's good to hear what's happening there.
I also appreciate your ongoing discussions about how you're going about taking pictures, as well as the pictures you post. I'm very much an amateur, and I've found that your photos not only often give me ideas for my own photos and get me energized to take them, but also make me go back and take a look at some of the pictues I've taken in the past with a new eye.
Be well.
mark
Keep the posts a-comin' Kirk. They're common sense, entertaining and, well, fun to read. And as always, many thanks for your efforts!
Max from Down Under
U of T at Austin alumnus here, now living in Spain. Kirk, getting a ‘doctor’s note’ to walk around outside to snap pictures and/or exercise is, well, to put it mildly, misinformed. First, ALL doctor’s and medical staff have been ordered in to work to help keep a highly-rated medical system functioning during this pandemic. No vacations, no sick-leave, all hands on deck. Unless medical staff have COVID-19 themselves, they are working long, brutal hours to keep the medical system functional. Doctors do not have the time to write a ‘doctor’s note’ for selfish individuals trying to circumvent the nationwide lockdown. Additionally, the general public has been ordered to avoid all contact with the medical infrastructure with the exception of actual health emergencies (life-or-death matters). All parks and beaches are closed, and walking around to get fresh air will get you a fine, or at worst, jail time.
Second, what kind of message does it send to suggest getting a ‘doctor’s note’ to bypass measures taken to save lives?
I have chosen to live in Spain. I support the Spanish government 100% their methods to combat this disaster. My lack of freedom to get out is a small price to pay to fight this thing.
And I care about my portfolio as much as any retiree, but I care more about the health and safety of my loved ones and neighbors. The US needs to WAKE-UP. COVID-19 outbreaks are coming, soon, to a theatre near you. Pay attention to what is happening in Italy, and if you think it cannot happen in the US, I think you’re in for a very ugly surprise.
We are all stuck in this situation. It is hard to be a photographer right now.
Great pictures!
Kirk, "If you are in France or Spain then get a doctor's prescription for exercise." I just wish that were true here in Pamplona. We are allowed to walk alone to the grocery or drug store, but that is about it. You can also take your dog for a walk. But a camera stroll? I would be arrested before I got 2 blocks. We had a jogger arrested (and fined) earlier this week, out for a solitary run. The different kinds of police are all over the Old Town, so I strongly hesitate to even bring a Ricoh GDR with me.
Rube
Being in a small rural town we're a little bit behind the curve -- or maybe it's just than no one in town has been tested. But at least most folks have gotten serious about it -- there was a lot of denial for a long time. On the downside, for most serious shopping we have to go into Amarillo, and we have a truck stop in town. Our local historian noted that our little town escaped the Spanish flu with only one death and one other known case. It won't be like that this time.
We do have a Sonic drive-in with cub service.
As to the camera walks, I call mine "batting practice." I only go out 3 or 4 times a week but feel like that is the minimum I need to keep competent with the gear and keep my eye/brain attuned to images. I still have a couple of people hoping to schedule portrait sessions, but I'm booking only outdoor sessions in open areas. I hope I don't get completely shut down.
Make that curb service at the Sonic. Oops.
Situps vs planks . . . ?
A random word to the wise about the kale pancakes. Mustard greens look just like kale, and if you're disctracted in the supermarket, it's easy to mix them up. You want to be woken up the morning -- well, a good jolt of mustard greens will do it, no problem. Takes your mind off the news.
100 pushups and 100 situps? OK, if I were wearing a hat, it would be off to you.
To European readers of the blog and to ex-pats. I guess every region is different. We have 23 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in Austin, Texas (as of 03/18/2020) I understand the math of exponential growth and I also understand the rationale for social distancing. We must be paying a lot better attention than you think here in our city. Everyone I've seen everywhere is maintaining safe distances, sanitizing hands after touching any common surface, and following the advice from medical professionals which includes: get out and get exercise!!! Get into sunshine. Outside air is cleaner than inside air, etc.
If you live in dense urban areas you are in much, much closer contact with other people than in cities that are much more suburban. In every plague throughout history the most crowded cities, and within them, the most crowded neighborhoods, fared poorest. Since most of the push back I am hearing from my European readers comes from people in densely packed cities I can only think that health authorities have a different message for those populations based the specific situations. The higher the population density the more vital it becomes to have tighter governmental regulations. The French instituted a "stay in home" policy and within one day issued over 4,000 fines for people breaking the restrictions. Some laws have to be made to take into consideration cultural differences as well.
We seem to have a culture in Austin that is prepared to follow sane and cautious rules. Thankfully our governments locally are instituting the rules with a healthy dose of logic and with an appreciation that a fit population is more resilient to disease and more compliant to good rules. We have closed all bars and restaurant dining rooms. We are limiting the number of people who can be in stores at the same time. We are instituting special shopping hours for the elderly and people at higher risk. We are very, very much a car culture which adds a layer of social distancing not possible in cultures dependent on mass transportation.
Part one. Second part in then next comment (limited to 4,096 characters).
Part two:
There was an emotional response about doctors and first responders and I understand that in major population centers they are working around the clock. That is not the same as the current reality here. My own physician runs a concierge practice and will respond to legitimate questions and requests I may have, in a timely manner. He would write a note if it was required. But my friends who are working in E.R.s are not currently overwhelmed with cases. I understand that we may be behind the curve and we'll get our share of the disease in due time. But no, we are not yet overwhelmed. That is your reality and not yet ours.
There are so many studies that show the health benefits of both exercise and fresh air as immunity builders for humans. It may be that Austin's approach of allowing socially distanced outdoor exercise will result in many cases being much milder and requiring fewer ICU treatments and ventilators. Thereby reducing demand on healthcare resources. At any rate, a long run on an outdoor trail with no social intersections or interactions will NOT raise the transmission rates or the lethality of the COVID virus. But staying cooped up at home in fear and panic might cause depression, increases in suicide, less overall good health and a host of other unintended consequences.
My advice to all who can? Grab your camera and a bottle of hand sanitizer and get out in nature for a good long walk. It will take the grip of panic off your mind, at least for a while.
In this instance everything is both global and local. Every local situation has its own advantages and disadvantages. Lots of space between homes and people, as well as almost non-existent reliance on public transportation make our situation different than someone living in NYC or San Francisco. Our local health authorities are no less trained or intelligent than those in other cities and countries. But flexibility is always valued and we are adapting to restrictions with adaptations aimed at taking good advantage of our circumstances.
Thanks.
Mike, I still call them "sit-ups" but they are more like "v-crunches". I plank when I'm bored....
You're lucky to get an Intelligentsia. I wish I had an Intelligentsia in Seattle. Man, I miss having Intelligentsia something fierce.
Kirk, the 'emotional response' was a reaction to your specific statement that in France or Spain we can request a note from our docs to let us out to go exercise and snap a few pictures. Not only is that a bad idea, you cannot do that here without being fined or arrested.
And while Austin may have a level-headed approach to this crisis, the state of Texas clearly does not. You're only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. I totally agree exercise is a good thing - but the virus is killing very healthy young people as well as the old.
To the VSL European friends
The great state of Texas has a population of about 26.5 million people. This morning I was sad to see the number of covid-19 cases had increased to 221 and that 3 people had died.
In Texas, and the 49 other states, general policies and guidelines come down from the governors office when there is a unique event. The counties and cities implement these as they think best. In this event there is surprising uniformity in the approaches with some variation. While early I'd say they're doing things right.
Jay
Apparently, according the World Health Organization, cigarette smokers are at a much higher risk of dying than non-smokers. The three countries I mention have higher number of smoker than the U.S. and most other EU countries. Are France, Italy and Spain banning cigarettes and cigarette smoking now? By the logic I am reading above it would be almost criminal not to. And you object to Kirk's suggestion that people go out alone in nature for walk? Hmm.
https://www.statesman.com/news/20200319/austin-appears-behind-some-cities-in-virus-spread-but-why
https://www.statesman.com/photogallery/TX/20200319/NEWS/319009999/PH/1
Intelligentsia Coffee may be new in your area but it has been around since 1995 and is based in Chicago. It is owned by Bay area-based Peet's Coffee, which also owns Portland's Stumptown Coffee. Peet's is owned by a European conglomerate that owns many restaurant businesses (Krispy Kreme, Panera Bread, and on and on). It can likely weather the storm, hopefully.
The US has benefited by the fact that we're somewhat isolated from the centers of the disease, and we've had more time to think about common-sensical solutions. By the time the governments of Europe realized that their medical systems could be overwhelmed, they had little choice but to impose the most drastic measures. We were lucky in that we had more time to think about practicalities. I personally think the extreme isolation measures in Europe will break down after a week or two, or maybe a month, because people will be going stir-crazy, and it will become obvious that going for solitary walks doesn't much threaten anyone. Here in the states, you can walk, you can even meet in small groups (and most people check before they do -- are you sick?) That may allow us to "social distance" in a more relaxed way than has been done in Europe, and still spread the peak of the disease over time, which is the key thing. It's also a fact that Americans are more spread out -- Texas is quite a bit larger than France, but has much less than half the population. Telling some rancher twenty miles outside Marfa that he has to self-quarantine is sort of like a joke. His entire life is mostly self-quarantine. I would imagine the same thing is true with grape growers in Burgundy.
Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Who cares? Discussing this, here and now, is a waste of time.
Recently the Italian military used a convoy of trucks to transport coffins (with newly deceased) out of the town Bergamo. The local crematorium couldn’t cope! See: “https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-italy-army-transport-coffins-bergamo-morgue-crisis-video-2020-3?r=US&IR=T”
With bozo’s like these: “https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-51955362/us-students-party-on-spring-break-despite-coronavirus “ or completely brain dead behavior illustrated here: “https://simpleflying.com/johannesburg-airport-isolating-and-returning-planes-from-high-risk-covid-19-countries”, we’re in for some nasty surprises, when these “geniuses” return to their home regions.
As mentioned initially: who cares to discuss, who is right or wrong - adequate or over-the-top. It seems, that the whole world is affected by now, and in three to six months time, the survivors will count the bodies and know all the gory and scary details in a form called “facts”. Not wishes, dreams, fantasies, theories or beliefs. You know, these irrefutable facts, that - used to - count in the world!
Who erred to preserve money, and who erred to preserve lives? Who erred on the side of caution, and who erred irresponsibly! Or did not err at all, but postponed timely action out of pure pecuniary deliberations.
Most will be able to tally the costs - in lives lost, suffering and money.
Let’s prepare for the accounting. The realities of our current (in)actions. Arguing over “the-not-yet-dead” is pure waste of time.
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