Figure 1 Dropped Lily (detail), ISO 50, 1/1600s, f/10, t=1/4000s

The last time I wrote an article for this site, I had just moved back to the United States from the Netherlands. At the time, my goal was to put together a completely new photography portfolio and then put some time and effort into marketing it to clients in New York City. That work had just started to pay off in the form of some portraits for Verizon and another for Bicycling Magazine when everything shut down for covid-19. Until recently, my portfolio was comprised entirely of portraits, divided evenly between athletes (my focus) and non-athletes. Thanks to the covid crisis, working with people was out of the question for a while, then difficult but not impossible, and now it is possible but not quite back to normal. During this interruption, I took photos of “American Places”; empty diners, gas stations, and farms. I enjoyed making the photos and like the results. On several of the shoots, I caught myself wonde...