Memories of Visitors at the Falls

The ice storm of jst a few days ago really freezed up the Buffalo NY area, as it created a thick floor of ice that was dangerous to drive or walk on. Huge heavy trucks that plow the streets couldn't even clear streets as the ice is too thick, heavy and slick.  

Otherwise, just a few days previous it was a somewhat pleasant day that almost looked, felt and seemed like an early Spring. But even at this early day, we already knew there was going to be an ice storm and followed by snowfall. This is western New York: just wait a few minutes and it'll change - again!

See the squirrel?

An ICE lawn looks strange but reflective as the sun sets on the upper Niagara

 

 

fototaker News and other Events

CBS is again airing the Champions League games so, as you can imagine as I type, I am enjoying watching the Liverpool vs Real Madrid game - and Liverpool has a first goal of the match already - BUT am so happy that CBS is airing these matches! They'll make gobs of dinero in viewers and establishments allowing their patrons to watch also. 

A decades long personal tradition is about to end. I've already shut down my various sites where I exhibit and sell my imagery; the attention I'm getting just does NOT warrant my spending hours sweating in summer, freezing in Winter, running after thieves who have my tripod and camera, etc. and standing many hours in one spot for that perfect sun angle, waiting for that great cloud cover, or that fabulous moment to finally arrive, creating the imagery I love snapping of many creative and natural scenes, plus the time spent in uploading it for your viewing pleasure. I appreciate all the views and viewers over the years via the many websites I've established.

I've also decided to hang up the rights to my digital age storefront name: fototaker.net. It's been my stage name for many years and decades. I thought of the name while living permanently in Spain, thence the "foto" and though a lot of americanos think "photo", it's never been and will never be, as my real love for capturing images got serious while I lived in Spain in the mid-70s and I had my Black and White darkroom, using the small but very capable and efficient Lucky enlarger that was lost in Lenoir, North Carolina last year or earlier, as I have NO idea exactly when Zach Kunkle abandoned my personal stuff he agreed to hold for me years ago. I'd just contacted him less than a year previous and he said then it was still NO problem; I just wish he would have mentioned any hardship he was having instead of just abandoning my stuff, but that's now history.

Liverpool is now 2-0 in the Champions League match!

So, my many current photo websites are gone at 500px, Fine Art America, and I am no longer active at Twitter nor LinkedIN. I just now just maintain a simple gallery for viewing, to remain my only remaining site. What am I doing with all my free time now? Just doing the same thing I've been doing since the late-90s: reviewing big old hard drives, too many other external hard drives and everything else containing my too many image files, in an effort to properly archive all my image files in an effective manner so that I can find an image quickly and effortlessly if needed. 

First Real Madrid goal! Hala Madrid! 2 - 1

If you'd like to view my sole remaining web gallery/portfolio, it's at https://fototakerrota.weebly.com. It's been updated a few times in the past months, revised with either photos or necessary information, so you can rest assured you're not looking at something archived or untouched since the last century. The stormpage website of my artistic nudes that helped put me in contact to find quite a few models who understood my camera's eye and vision while I lived in Spain, to continue my dream of the perfect artnude during my move back to the States at the end of 2006.

So, my fototaker.net remains for a few more months before it will end. I've had this domain for some decades and loved having this unique online name, being very sure someone else will quickly take it into their own use as I thought fototaker was unique, but have seen fototaker in use over the decades, and not under my name!! 

Otherwise, we are waiting for a Winter Ice Storm to arrive within a day, but it won't be anything like before. I still am however, waiting for a BiG WNY snow storm before April! 

I am so grateful, and sending out so many thanks to everyone who has visited my various websites over the years, and hoping you'll continue to enjoy my digital memories now and into the future as I continue to modify and hone my imagery, and how I display my art. 

I'm selling my EOS R5s with various short to long lenses, so if you're interested, just email me!

Real Madrid just scored another gol and eventually went on to win the match! Hala Madrid! 

BeautYful Textures of Nature

We took a walk today in a not-near favorite park today. Having the new phone along for the ride, I was snapping in hires mode for a few minutes, now surprised some of the images were as big as some of my image files recorded with my full-size digital camera. Right now with an initial two days of having a new phone, I'd like to think the older Galaxy a50  was better. I trigger the a50's camera to shoot by using voice commands, which I like doing not only because it's easier, but also due to the unnecessary action of touching the screen, which can cause motion and of course, results in a blurry image. 

The Bison GT2 doesn't seem to recognize my voice commands which I am so accustomed of speaking to my decades of Galaxy phones when snapping pixs! Thank goodness it's not summer and a few bystanders may be staring at me talking to my phone!

It's always a pain getting accustomed to a new phone, but I'm hoping with more time, I'll find the UMIDIGI Bison GT2 will be just as nice as my Galaxy a50, and maybe just a wee bit better!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listening to Spanish Sports on my new Phone!

One of the hardest things in this modern technology-filled Life is adjusting to a new phone! Really! I only started with "smartphones" in the 21st century, so it's still quite a new world to me. The advantages are incredibly large, but so are the many wrong calls, spams, and always being tied to the phone! These days, the phone can be actually more important than your wallet! Of course I haven't used a wallet in decades, since it is always being lost, but my phone almost never. Sure there's the occasional misplacing it, so someone needs to call your phone to figure out where it is ~ try that when you live alone!!

I had NO idea my old Galaxy a50 had a FM radio! I saw no app for it when it initially arrived, and just found out now while doing features and specifications comparison between my old and phones I was interested in. I just tried it out on my new UMIDIGI Bison GT2 and it does function and quite well. My wife had a phone that had a FM radio also, but it required a headphone to be plugged in plus wifi to operate. 

On this phone, the headphones are not required - I just tested it and have now downloaded Marca Cadiz to my new phone so I can keep up to date anywhere I can get reception, with my favorite Spanish teams ~ Hala Madrid! As it's February I know the Carnevale has already started in the provincia de Cadiz and now am thinking of adding another app to my phone so I can listen in to the chirigotas online via the radio! 

 

Tonight's Sunset Colors

Went out to enjoy the freezing sunset earlier tonight. Thanks to h2o and ATT and their lack of terrible customer service [IF that's what they want to call it] with NO reply from h2o or ATT in over a week to unlock my Galaxy a50, I was forced to buy a new phone. Thank goodness it's as I thought it would be, putting my old Mint Mobile sim in the new phone, and all is functioning as it should now. h20 and ATT should be ashamed of their policy to LOCK clients' smartphones even if that phone is UNlocked, so I hope you all rot in techno hell. This unexpected need to buy a new phone was expensive, so I know you won't mind my sending you a bill for my new phone. 

Now, back to the sunset!

Memories of the Red and White in my Past

When I lived in San Francisco as a kid, I didn't have any money at all. I used to go down to Fisherman's Wharf to shine shoes in those days when tennis shoes still were a new item. It was also different back then at Pier 43-1/2. The little office of the tour boat company had a ramp and still is there, but back then during the very few days I went to school, I'd be out there at Fisherman's Wharf and run up that ramp which lead to a observation area where I could look out over the piers and boats, toward Alcatraz Island and beyond.....

Those were indeed the Days!

I never had money to ride those tour boats, and eventually, I had moved out of the City I called home. The very few days when I was in my City by the Bay as an adult, one of the very first things I did each and every special time I returned to my City, I'd go down to Fisherman's Wharf to buy a steamed crab, ask them to crack it so I wouldn't cut my fingers bloody later. Then I'd jump on a Cable Car and head to my parents' home which was quite a distance away. 

That poor steamed crab didn't even last 10mins on the cable car ride home!

I didn't return to my City till the late 2000s to live permanently, and what a surprise! Most buildings and streets I remembered well. I felt I never lived my youth in those early days of hippie of the City, and I was busy doing stuff. I was a lost soul and never quite content with my Life....

The City had changed but in reality, like any other place I had lived since departing my City, everything is different but in reality, it hasn't changed at all. Many of the buildings were the same. Now able to drive around, the one way streets with synched traffic lights were still one way and synched. But I really wanted to see the one place that was special to me, and I immediately went to Fisherman's Wharf...

There it was at Pier 43-1/2: The little ticket office of the Red and White Fleet. The huge boat was still above spinning around, and the ramp was still there but now roped off.

At least now I was able to afford a ride on their Red and White tour boats, and finally could get pictures of my City from a viewpoint I couldn't even think of getting when I was that young kid before.

I've heard the company CEO has retired. I'll miss him....  and wish him and his Family well.

If I ever get back to the City, of course I'll stop by. It's something of my childhood that I miss immensely and will never forget!