I have no concept of how far away something is…it might be three feet, or 7 yards, or a quarter of a mile: I just can’t really estimate it.

That’s why this particular shot is at once a challenge and a triumph. I was shooting a vintage lens that didn’t communicate with my camera to any particular degree and that meant I had to flat out guess how far away the camera was from the subject and dial it accordingly on the lens. And look what I did: I got the focus on the actual things I wanted to, you know, be IN focus.

For just a very brief time, I felt like a genius. (I’ve gotten over that feeling by now, of course. But I did feel like I ought to mention it.)

Lubbock County, Texas
photographed 8.15.2025