Welcome to adulting. Sucks sometimes, eh?

As to your original question, I'll let you know when it happens. I think it's mainly luck. Right place at the right time, and get your foot in the door somehow.

I met some people online. It started with group beers, progressed to hanging out together, house/cat sitting, good friends...but things change eventually. So back to the search...or not.

There might be a million people in the area that I'd consider hanging out with, but we're all too busy living our own lives to make serious time for someone new.

/shrug

You like Lord of the Rings in Washington?

https://www.reddit.com/r/FoggyPics/comments/11eoztr/dont_get_lost_in_the_dead_marshes_lotr_reference/

I can hear it now. Thanks for the memory refresher.

I couldn't decide on how to crop this. I know it's not a perfect composition, but it's the best I got of the river on this day.

Cool. How long does it take?

Mmm that reminds me, it's about time for second breakfast!

Maybe it was a real thing and not just all in my head. ;)

I'm back to normal today too.

I did just move this week (local so same climate). New place might be 'more dry', combined with this cold weather. Sinuses feel the same as they have the last 3 years though.

Had a weird hour or two where it was really bugging me, but I think it's getting better now. If it continues tomorrow I think I'll have to go get it checked out.

Thanks for the tip.

Hmm, I know what you mean, but I got nothing. No runny nose, sore throat, or any changes. Maybe it's coming and this head thing is the warning.

It's kind of bothering me LOL. Kind of a humming in my ear. Maybe it's just me going deaf. Hopefully goes back to normal tonight.

Oh LOL, I have my 20 year old Manfrotto 3021Pro that I use.

Right after this shot I moved closer and did some bracketed exposures, to make HDR. The HDR just doesn't look right, this natural dark look is better.

Sunrise was happening and the light was changing. I had other views to photograph too. ;) The Tree of Life is cool, but not the best picture I got that day.

Yes, I got better shots when not trying to also show the Tree of Life. It was a good day.

Mistakes were made. Those are my footsteps.

I could have moved back some and gotten more sky reflection in the water...then the tree would have been smaller. I did more shots from up closer that show the tree better.

I can edit it to be brighter, but it looks fake. The hole under the tree is just dark, especially at this time of day.

Thanks.

Canon RP, ISO 100, 4/5 sec, probably f/8 (shot with the Laowa 100mm lens).

Rural? No.

I think there might be houses like you want, though. Some of those big, old estates.

Maybe around Broadmoor or Laurelhurst? Some fancy places around there.

Thanks for the endorphins. ;)

Also the links. Good to find new subs, I have a few that fit them.

I might have posted this in ITAP already.

Eh, Imgur compression. Close enough...

Yeah. I realized after looking at it some more that I could crop out some foreground and make a 16x9 crop.

You got 2560x1440? Here you go.

https://i.imgur.com/BfvERdt.jpg

Not like anyone will pay for this stuff. Any billionaires want to adopt me so I can take pictures all the time?

Thanks. It's a short story. I pretty much just cropped it.

I suuuuuuuck at editing. These were pretty good straight out of camera, though. I shoot RAW+JPG, here's some of the SOOC JPGs.

https://i.imgur.com/8NDmRdc.jpg

It was a good day. This is 5934, cropped some. The light trails are fun. 5930 is a very good one, especially when cropped on the mountain.

Canon RP, 24-105 f/4L at f/4, 1/3 sec, ISO 400

Thanks. The fog was nice in this one. It changed and got stronger before long.

Couple years ago I went out on the bridge for sunrise. It's neat out there. A little windy, but I wrapped up.

So clean.

Hmm, wait, I should have gone with this shot. It's only 4 minutes later, but with some different settings and processing. A bit brighter, more of frozen Reflection Lake.

https://i.imgur.com/BtKCEbN.jpg

I know what you mean. I could brighten it some more, but this is probably fairly realistic.

It was mid-December, so near the shortest day of the year. Things were still pretty dark at 7 AM, I think sunrise was around 8.

This was 6:56 AM, so it was starting to get brighter. Some planet rising there with the Moon, I assume.

I had been there since around 4:30 AM, so got a lot of star pictures too.

I feel like I'm there, so nicely done.

It's a tough perspective, but then again that's why I take pictures and don't paint/draw. :)