∞

A panoramic view of a river winding through a lush, forested landscape with mountains in the distance. The scene includes evergreen trees in the foreground, a river with surrounding marshlands, and a small settlement along the river’s edge. The sky is clear.

Looking south from the base of the Astoria Column. 18th June, 2024.

∞

A modern naval ship docked by a river with a steel bridge and an urban skyline in the background. The ship is adorned with signal flags. Green trees are visible on the left side, and part of the image is blurred by an out-of-focus fence.

A river with a naval ship docked on the right side. The background features a bridge and an urban skyline with various buildings. The foreground shows railway tracks, graffiti-covered walls, and a paved pathway with people.

A military ship docked in a city harbor, with decorated flags adorning its deck. Urban buildings and a distinctive tall skyscraper are visible in the background. The water reflects the ship and buildings. The sky is partly cloudy.

USS Montgomery (LCS-8). Portland, Oregon. June, 2024.

📷 Hasselblad 500C/M
🎞️ Kodak Portra 160

and

iPhone 15 Pro

Update (30th July):

A military ship docked in a city harbor, with decorated flags adorning its deck. Urban buildings and a distinctive tall skyscraper are visible in the background. The water reflects the ship and buildings. The sky is partly cloudy.

📷 Voigtländer Bessa R2A
🎞️ Lomography Color 800 (Expired)

∞

Language Models Are About People

I like to tell people that everything an LLM says is actually a hallucination. Some of the hallucinations just happen to be true because of the statistics of language and the way we use language.

This is such an astute observation by Melanie Mitchell.

Large Language Models (LLMs) are a statistical model. So are models for the weather, or for star formation. But most laypersons, like myself are not enthralled by them because they are domain specific models requiring expertise to use.

The main reason large language models appeal to laypersons, such as myself is that they are a language model, and we’ve been utilizing languages all our lives. The way language influences thought, and thereby social interactions, makes these models so much more about people and society.

That’s incredibly more relevant, and deserves every bit more scrutiny, than a weather model telling me that I might see some clouds today if I even bother to look up.

∞

A colorful Ferris wheel with bright red, green, and yellow supports is set up next to a river. There is a “FUNtastic” sign on the Ferris wheel and a matching trailer nearby. Trees and a grassy area are visible around it.

An urban riverside scene with a carnival in progress. The image showcases a Ferris wheel, various colorful tents, and carnival rides, partially obscured by large trees. A calm river runs in the foreground, with a concrete embankment, and a tall building in the background. The sky is mostly cloudy.

Portland, Oregon. 25th May, 2024.

📷 Hasselblad 500C/M
🎞️ Kodak Portra 160

∞

A person sits on wooden steps next to a railing, facing a wooden deck and a body of water. A fishing rod is seen propped against the railing. The scene is lit by warm sunlight.

Astoria, Oregon. 18th June, 2024.

∞

I didn’t discover the joys of peanut butter, and in fact I hardly ever ate it, until I was in my 40s. AMA.

∞

Reflection of a roadway and a cloudy sky in calm water highlighted by the rising Sun.

Portland, Oregon. 9th June, 2024.

∞

A woman wearing a baseball cap stands in the middle of a blooming field filled with pink peonies. There are trees in the background and a cloudy sky overhead.

A man stands in a field of vibrant red peonies. The sky above is cloudy, and there are trees in the background.

Salem, Oregon. 19th May, 2024.

📷 Hasselblad 500C/M
🎞️ Kodak Portra 160

∞

A person is taking a self-portrait through a reflective window using a camera. They are wearing a light-colored hoodie and glasses, and a colorful, floral pattern is visible on the fabric behind them. The background shows a blurred outdoor scene with greenery.

Hi.

📷 Hasselblad 500C/M
🎞️ Kodak Portra 160

∞

A small potted succulent sits on a windowsill with soft sunlight filtering through a lowered window blind. The focus is on the plant, with the background gently blurred. The scene has a calm and serene atmosphere.

Officemate. 7th June, 2024.

∞

A dimly-lit, cozy interior of a bar with vintage chairs and tables. Soft light filters through large windows, enhancing the warm ambiance. Green hanging lamps illuminate parts of the room. A soft glow from small candles on the tables adds to the intimate feeling.

Golden hour bar. Decibel Sound & Drink, Milwaukie, Oregon. 6th June, 2024.

∞

A wooden table with a vintage camera, a hat, a plate with a sandwich, a coffee cup with a latte art, two film camera accessories, an exposed film roll, and a small wrapped film roll, in a cafe setting.

Favorite kind of morning. Breakfast sando and cappuccino after catching the rising Sun.

∞

A Better Upload Flow for Mimi Uploader

A new beta for Mimi Uploader is out now. If you’re not in the beta, you are welcome to join in.

This beta introduces a modernized and faster upload flow which takes you from uploads to recent uploads with zero taps!

The new flow unifies the uploads screen and the recent uploads screen into the main app screen. This provides immediate access to your uploads right after uploading so you can move on to exporting or adding alt text right away!

This represents a major change in the way Mimi has been used since it launched many years ago, so I’m very interested in your feedback.

(Link to the video embedded above).

∞

A new streamlined upload flow is coming to Mimi and is nearly ready for beta. I hope y’all like it as much as I do 😊

(Link to the video embedded above).

∞

Playing with Kino (Lektar) with the usual reluctant model.

∞

A night street scene featuring a brightly lit neon sign for “George Morlan Plumbing.” On the left, a building with illuminated signs is visible, and the word “Foster” is seen vertically on a marquee. Light trails from passing vehicles streak across the frame.

Portland, Oregon. 26th May, 2024.

∞

New version of Mimi Uploader is out 🎉

The latest version of Mimi Uploader (2024.1) is out.

Here’s what’s new:

  • Alt text generation feature has been updated to the latest model.
  • Audio files are filtered out of the list of recent uploads.
  • Bug fixes and other small improvements.

Get it from the App Store!

∞

A person is shown in two different scenes in a forest or wooded area. In the top image, the person is walking away on a dirt trail, surrounded by dense green foliage. In the bottom image, the person is standing on a raised metal walkway surrounded by evergreen trees.

Leach Botanical Garden. Portland, Oregon. 25th May, 2024.

∞

Last night, just before I slept, a thought occurred to me and I visualized a photograph in my head. I woke up at 4:30am, and as the pre-dawn light started to illuminate the room, that photo popped back into my head. I couldn’t get back to sleep and finally got out of bed at 5 AM.

I had some coffee and as the sun rose in a mostly cloudy sky, I decided I was gonna go and try to take that photo. I drove to the location, walked around to see the perspectives, and finally took the photo, and a couple more for good measure.

I took them on film so it remains to be seen how they turn out, but I’m glad I went.

∞

A blue building with a decorative pattern and potted trees outside each window, surrounded by lush green trees and dense foliage. The sky is cloudy and grey, adding a dramatic backdrop to the scene.

Portland, Oregon. 25th May, 2024.