Its fun to have a little peek into peoples gardens, or across the hills, or into the bushes, or just straight into someone's kitchen window tbh. it really adds some excitement to the walk
for an entire year I was too lazy/poor to buy a fancy zoom lens so I just used my camera and cheap binoculars carefully aligned to my camera lens to take photos of birds in my local park. it’s called digiscoping and it’s actually kinda fun once you get the hang of it. not pro-level, but def better than just zooming in on your phone like a maniac. 💡 how to do it:
get steady
your hands will shake. rest your binoculars on something solid (or better yet, a tripod). no tripod? lean on a tree or something.
line it up
open your camera, then gently press your phone’s lens against the binocular eyepiece. it might take a sec to find the sweet spot — you’ll know when you get that nice circle shot.
zoom a lil
use just a bit of your phone’s zoom if needed, but too much = grainy mess. tap to focus if your bird is looking blurry.
spam that shutter
birds don’t pose. just take like 10 pics and pick the best one later. trust. 📸 what to expect:
magnified birdies 🐦✨
kinda artsy circle frame (crop if u want)
not DSLR level but solid for ig or your birding finsta 🔧 pro tips (but like, amateur-friendly):
bigger eyepiece bins = easier to align
adapter mounts exist if ur serious — they’re like $20 on amazon
shoot in good light (early morning is chef’s kiss 🌅)
burst mode = your new bestie 🧠 bonus bird nerd tip:
if you ever upgrade to a spotting scope, your bird pics will pop off. like, frame-on-the-wall level.
maybe you don’t have a pair of binoculars like me. all you need is patience (bird feeder recommended)! it’s so invigorating and calming seeing my feathered-friends visit. name them too. I love birds.
The whole staff just sang happy birthday to some guy in the kitchen. All the patrons are diner people. At least at this hour. Forks crash into plates and knives scrape butter and jam on toast. It’s the perfect volume. Want to read my book but too content. Want to get pancakes but trying to stay light. Dont want to feel it in my face.
My brother Andrew sent me a text with a link to a video posted by an aggregated content page, of Jack Black playing a toy saxophone on the Jimmy Fallon late night television show with the text reading “up your alley.”
At one point in time this would have deeply upset me as this video is not up my alley. It’s not my sense of humor, nor is it of my interest, and worst of all it’s sincere. I think I curate and maintain a cool and authentic aesthetic but deep down I know what he means and he’s kinda right. Nobody knows you like those who knew you when you were 12 and there’s no fooling them.