by Jim Bellomo | May 18, 2025 | 365, Photography
Once again, it’s Sunday night, and I am back with my photos from this week in my 365 project. This week, you will see only six shots plus a placeholder for the video. My hope is that you won’t bother to visit the 365 page (above) to watch it, as it is my first time using my Nikon for video, and I’m not happy with the result. However, since practice makes perfect, you can expect to see at least one video a week from this point forward, at least until we return from Africa.
Don’t forget: if you click on the first shot, you can scroll through using your arrow keys or by swiping. Also, while you are looking at the individual photos, click the small i at the bottom of the page to read the full caption and see my photographic metadata.
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We bought our home three years ago last month, and we moved in three years ago this coming Friday. One of the things we loved about the house, even before we went inside, was our wonderful dogwood tree. When it blooms each year, it is gorgeous. So today, here are three photos that I took of it to commemorate the tree and our moving into Trilogy.
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In the morning the blossoms had some rain on them that had just passed through.
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In the afternoon, a gorgeous blue sky.
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Out walking today, and when I got home, I told Kathleen I had taken some family photos. She said, “What?” But here they are… some family photos. Normally, I don’t take photos of what my good friend Bob and I call the Canadian Air Force, but this couple was so cute with all their little goslings that I had to shoot them… with my phone… not a gun. I would never shoot anything this cute. Their parents are another thing; they are a total pest on the earth as they poop their weight just about every day of their lives. Walking in the places I walk, I see a bunch of their product. YUCK!
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It was kind of a blah day, so I went out the front door and looked for something in the yard. Sure enough, these flowers caught my eye, mostly because of the combination of red and blue. I love the blue of the flowers and the red of the glass poppy. The flowers are there simply because we liked them. The poppy commemorates a friend who passed away more than 10 years ago and who loved poppies. We have a huge painting in our dining room for the same reason. We love the painting, but it’s the poppies that prompted us to buy it.
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Your weekly Keeley is one of her favorite things to do. Just about every morning, she has breakfast, goes outside for a little while, and then comes back in to grab this toy and play tug ‘o war with me. It has become our daily routine. I love playing with her. We probably spend about 10 minutes per round, and then she tires out (and so do I) and takes the toy off to chew it. This is the second one of these toys we have had, as she chewed off the end of the other one. For you photographers out there, I took this with my Nikon 50mm prime lens at 1/800 f1.4.
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I named this shot “Finally” because light rail has been coming to Redmond for years, and as of last Saturday, it is finally here. Right now, we can only go as far as Bellevue, about a 20-minute ride (with stops). I will be taking it in about two weeks when I start having to go to Bellevue for a bi-weekly medical treatment. I used to do this in Redmond, but Kaiser, in their utter stupidity, has decided to stop providing what they call nursing services at their Redmond facility. However, the new light rail will make this really easy for me. I park in Redmond and avoid all the traffic going to Bellevue at the end of the day. And as a senior citizen, the rides only cost me $1.00 each way. A pretty great deal.
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A little work with my macro lens tonight has produced something that looks like a cool piece of art. It could be a fabric piece or something knitted. However, in reality, it is the side of a Kleenex box (yes, the name brand). After a long day of movie watching—it poured rain for most of the day—and working out for two hours, I was really tired and didn’t want to go out again on a cold, rainy evening. Nevertheless, I like how this turned out. I will try to do better tomorrow.
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This is just a placeholder for my first Nikon video. If you want to see it, you will have to go to the 365 page (see the menu above).
You’re only one video away from going viral and changing your life. —Jake Paul
by Jim Bellomo | May 4, 2025 | 365
It’s hard to believe that a third of the year is already gone. However, I now have 123 photos posted, and some of them I really like. So, for those who aren’t checking my daily posts on the 365 page, here’s the weekly update. I also want to express how much I appreciate you looking them over and letting me know which ones you like and which ones you don’t.
I don’t think this is my strongest week, but I do like my photo of our friend Mike at the Travel Club meeting on Thursday. This was a real week for people photos.
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Driving in Kirkland today, I saw two amazing signs of spring. The first is a gorgeous pink dogwood. We have a dogwood that is just waiting to bloom, but sadly, it’s white. It is truly beautiful and one of the first things we loved about this house, but the pink is more spectacular.
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The other is the largest and most beautiful azalea bush we have seen, topped by a red rhododendron. The colors are stunning. Hope your spring is beautiful.
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Tonight was our monthly Supper Club at the Trilogy Clubhouse. Our chef, Andrew (who you can almost see on the left), prepares amazing food, and every month he features dishes from a different country. Tonight’s cuisine was Jamaican. We enjoyed some great jerk-spiced prawns, a delicious chicken dish, Jamaican callaloo greens, Caribbean confetti rice, and a Hearts of Palm salad for which he gave me the recipe a year ago, and I have made numerous times since then. He topped it all off with a wonderful mango-coconut pudding. Everything was delightful, and you can tell from the looks on the faces of those in the buffet line that they can’t wait to dig in.
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This shot (taken with my 60mm macro lens) is part of my Ted Lasso collection. If you have no idea who Ted Lasso is, it is a TV show on Apple TV+. Wait, not just a TV show but the best TV show in the history of television. This show changed my life. It makes me want to be a better person. I’ve watched every episode (34 shows) at least eight times, and some even more. Whenever I have a bad day, I turn on an episode or two of Ted. I wish I were you because I would love to experience it for the first time every time I watch it. Even though I have seen it so many times, I still notice new things each time I watch it again. Once you start watching, you’ll want to see every episode—right now! What’s in the foreground is my talking Ted Christmas ornament, and in the background is a metal, license plate-sized Believe sign. You have to watch the show to find out what that means.
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One of my favorite people here at Trilogy is the guy in the middle of this photo. Mike and his wonderful wife, Kay, were two of the three people we knew before we moved in. They are amazing individuals, and the world would be a lesser place without them. Mike sends me inspirational quotes every morning, along with some great humor from time to time. You know how much I enjoy photographing people. The Travel Club meetings are always a good time for that.
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Driving through Trilogy today, I saw these two words. It was a very quiet yet significant statement, and I couldn’t agree with it more. I had to add it to my photo journey for this year. Ten years from now, when I look back at this 365 project, I will have this photo to remind me of what we are experiencing right now. Enough said.
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If you look at my Thursday shot, you will see our good friend Mike right in the middle of it. That one was from the Travel Club meeting. Yesterday’s pic (yes, I know I didn’t get it posted until today…but I took it yesterday) also features Mike and his wonderful better half, Kay, at Mike’s 80th birthday party yesterday afternoon. These two are among the best people we know, and we were honored to be invited to Mike’s celebration. But between that and having our forever neighbors, Jayesh and Lisa, over for Cinco de Mayo (a couple of days early), we were busy all day. Thus, you get two photos today, and one I haven’t even taken yet.
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Time for the weekly Keeley. We were walking on Kari’s Bog Trail, and she was being VERY good, so I told her to stop, sit, and stay, and I got this shot. I love this part of the trail with all the different light surrounding it. And yes, I took this one with my iPhone.
Photography must be integrated with the story. —James Wong Howe
by Jim Bellomo | Feb 9, 2025 | 365, Photography
Once again, my week in review. It was a pretty good week except for the snow. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. Or you can come back every day and see them on the page labels 365 above in the menu bar.
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Those who know me well know how much I HATE snow. It limits me and throws me out of my routine. It may look pretty on the trees, but it means I can’t go walking, and it means I can’t even get out on the streets to get to the club to work out. I could walk outside, but three years ago, on a snowy driveway with ice under the snow, I fell on my back, and it has taken me until about six months ago not to hurt anymore. I just can’t take that chance again. So when it snows, I stay inside.
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Okay, I still dislike snow. But when we woke up this morning, we discovered that the snow fairy had visited again during the night, though she was now gone. She left behind one of those incredible days with clear blue skies. Of course, I had to shovel the driveway, but the sky was so blue and the snow so beautiful that I couldn’t resist taking this shot from in front of our house. This is the view you would see if you were staying in our guest room. Enjoy!
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We’ve received more snow—lots more snow… for us. For those of you in areas with regular snowfall, ours is nothing. However, being in the hills means that driving and even walking can be a challenge. When I got up at 4:30 am, the snow was coming down in buckets. I took this photo from our bedroom window, and I’ll let you figure out exactly what you’re seeing in my second monotone photo for this 365 project. PS: I love this shot because of the pattern the snow has accentuated.
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Snow is dominating our lives right now. Yesterday, much of it melted, but last night, we received about eight more inches. Looking out from our guest room window at the snow, I spotted a bobcat walking through our yard—that was unexpected. I wish I had my camera, but we were on our way to bed, and I never anticipated seeing that. So, you get the next morning’s shot. This photo appealed to me because it captures the light on the snow more than the snow itself.
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I was in downtown Redmond today looking for something to photograph and remembered this intriguing sculpture in front of Redmond’s City Hall. The reflection provided a nice bonus on a chilly afternoon when I just wanted to get back into my warm car.
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I was out charging our EV today (our in-garage charger died last weekend), and I brought my camera along. I spotted these guys nearby and thought that since they were blackbirds, they might make a nice black-and-white photo. And they did.
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Tonight’s photo features part of our family. We were celebrating the birthdays of the two on the left: my wife Kathleen’s daughter Michelle and her husband Brian. Besides being her daughter and son-in-law, they are also two of our best friends. On the other side of the table are my son Josh (who is one of my best friends) and another close friend of Michelle’s, Carrie, who has been joining us for special occasions. At the opposite end of the table sits the love of my wife, Kathleen. I rarely take family shots, but tonight was special. I spent the entire weekend cooking pizza from scratch, along with salad and a chocolate stout brownie sundae. We had a great time, and I like the photo, mainly for who is in it.
Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still. —Dorothea Lange
by Jim Bellomo | Feb 2, 2025 | 365, Photography
Here’s the week in review. Still going strong. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. Or you can come back every day and see them on the page labels 365 above in the menu bar.
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You should be prepared that at least once a week, in this 365 project of mine, you will see at least one photo of Keeley. She has become the center of our lives as we adapt to her routines and she adapts to ours. There are moments when we can’t believe how quickly she has adjusted to us and we to her. She is truly a gift, and we already love her as if we’ve had her for her entire life. Based on the number of kisses we receive, we think she feels the same way.
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Another attempt at a food photo. I decided to gather all the ingredients for tonight’s one-pan dish: sweet potato, black bean, and corn hash. It’s a vegan recipe; even though we aren’t vegan, we try to eat a lot less meat than we used to. It’s kind of a symptom of getting older. I shot my cutting board several times, but I didn’t capture the shot I wanted until I climbed up on a step stool to take it. That finally got me what I wanted.
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I am always looking for something to shoot, especially this year while doing the 365 project. While driving home from my workout at our club, I passed by a golfer on the course that runs through Trilogy. He was searching through the rough for his ball, which made for a decent photo.
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While searching for something to photograph, I came across this old, termite-ridden stump and immediately appreciated its appearance. The textures and shadows provide it with a rugged look.
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Sorry to send another Keeley pic so soon, but she was sitting in my lap (yes, all 36.5 pounds of her), and I couldn’t resist because I could reach my camera.
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There is nothing quite like a middle school musical. Today, we drove down to Olympia to see our granddaughter in the ensemble of her school’s winter musical, “Children of Eden.” Since my grandson was with me and he is on the yearbook staff at the same school, we took a TON of photos. I captured 345 photos, and this one is my favorite because of the lighting and the fact that I got everyone in the cast in the same photo, with my granddaughter right in the center.
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As the title suggests, I just visited Costco. We have several shelves in the garage, and I do my best to keep them stocked. Sometimes I go and start organizing items on these shelves, and I discover something that I purchased this time. For example, we have enough toilet bowl cleaner to last us until 2035.
What makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are light and time. —John Berger
by Jim Bellomo | Jan 1, 2025 | 365
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Today I begin a 365 project where I will be taking one photo a day and posting it. Learn more about the project on my blog at www.jimbellomo.com. Today’s photo is of Welcome Lake on Redmond Ridge in Washington State. I plan on taking this same photo on one day in every season.
One of my biggest faults as a photographer is that I primarily shoot travel photos—(pretty decent travel photos, IMHO ?), but still, photos I took while traveling. Since we don’t travel every day of the year, I don’t use my camera for about three months a year. The rest of the time, my camera resides in my office cabinet.
Fifteen years ago, Kathleen told me, “You only take pictures when we are on trips or for holiday family shots.” I agreed, and in January of that year, I started my first 365-day project. I took one photo a day for the entire year and posted it. I have done three of these 365 projects since, the last in 2018. It’s time for another, so here we go.
This exercise is not just about taking the photo; it’s about learning more about my camera, my lenses, the features I don’t use and how I can use them. I realized the last time I did a 365, I was shooting a much older camera—I believe a Nikon 750. Since then, I have owned a Nikon D-810 and now have a Nikon Z7II. It’s time to learn my Z a little better.
When you are a travel photographer and go out to shoot about three times a year (when I shoot thousands of photos in a short amount of time), you forget things about your camera in between the trips. The simplest things to turn off and on can really mess you up when you start taking photos that you really want.
So, this project I am starting today is about two things: learning how to use my Z7 from top to bottom and finding new and different ways to shoot everyday life. I have seven months and one day from today until our next big trip to Southern Africa, so that gives me a chance to really get to know my camera and learn a little bit more about myself as a photographer.
Above is today’s shot. About two miles from here is this beautiful, small, private lake that is part of a very high-end and expensive development. I walk by this lake all the time, and as my friend Bob will tell you, I have sent him many photos I took with my phone while walking. Today is the first time I have photographed it with my Nikon. It does make a huge difference.
Now, I don’t want you to worry that you will get a notification every day. I would unsubscribe from that myself. But I am going to take the photo and post it on a new page called 365, which you can see in the menu bar above. Then, one day a week, I will post a quick slide show gallery of that week’s photos. If you want to see them sooner, you can check the 365 page anytime. I will also caption them on that page with exactly where I took them, why I took that particular photo and any technical stuff I might have done to it.
Photography is a way of feeling, touching, and loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things long after you have forgotten everything. —Aaron Siskind