Brawny & Bryce · A generated commemorative portrait, created for SFF.
FROM THE FARMCOMMUNITY · BRYCE’S FIRST BIRTHDAY · A POCONOS WEEKEND
01 / THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE
The support means a lot.
As the weekend livestream came to a close, Justin wanted the SFF community to hear one thing first: thank you for the support.
For everyone spending part of their day with Steinmetz Family Farm, following along with the updates or supporting the creator shops, that appreciation is the heart of this first short edition. There does not need to be a long list of announcements to make room for a simple thank-you.
Behind the scenes, Justin has been putting time into the website and the newsletters. The goal is straightforward: bring the farm’s updates together in a place readers can return to, whether they caught a livestream or are catching up afterward. These weekly notes are part of that work, with each edition kept in an archive so the stories are easy to find again.
There has also been a little Slither training in the downtime, a small change of pace between projects.
03 / BRAWNY & BRYCE
Room for the Both of You
Justin’s tribute remembers Brawny while celebrating the first year of her son, Bryce. The song makes room for both: the sadness of missing her and the gratitude of watching him grow.
Released on October 24, the video gives readers a way to share that remembrance with the farm.
Fall color, two walking companions, and a familiar name.
“The leaves are amazing,” Justin said. His photographs bring that color into this week’s notes, along with Bentley and Bailey, a backyard visitor, and a small discovery that meant a great deal to Nene.
Bentley pauses beside the creek during the walk.Bailey enjoying the autumn walk.
Taking in the leaves.
Bentley, the gray dog, and Bailey joined the walk through the fall scenery. The photographs catch the dogs among fallen leaves and beside a wooded creek, with yellow, orange and red foliage all around.
There was company back at the cabin, too. Justin said the big buck pictured here stayed around the backyard all weekend. Framed by the trees and bright leaves, he made a memorable addition to the view.
A photo with Bentley along the way.
Brilliant red and orange autumn leaves.The big buck that Justin said stayed around the cabin’s backyard all weekend.
Nene beside the Chuck’s Road sign, a bittersweet discovery.
A NAME THAT MEANT SOMETHING
Chuck’s Road.
During the trip, the family came across Chuck’s Road. Nene’s husband’s name was Chuck, and Justin described finding the sign as a bittersweet moment.
His photograph shows Nene in her sunglasses with the sign just outside the car, a reminder of Chuck amid the autumn colors.
A CHANGE OF LUNCH PLANS
From The Goat to Red Robin.
The group tried The Goat on Main for lunch. According to Justin, an Insane Clown Posse concert was taking place next door, and the concert crowd changed their plans. They turned around and ended up eating at Red Robin instead.
The original lunch stop: The Goat on Main.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 · STROUDSBURG
Witch hats first, then the Walkabout.
The witch-hat photo came from the Witches Walkabout & Twilight Trade Faire. Before heading over, the group stopped at Odd Lots for their hats, then arrived at the event’s opening and spent a few hours looking around.
Justin’s verdict: 6 out of 10. He would have liked more food choices, but several vendors stood out to him, and the family found a gift for their daughter Leah. With its tarot and spirituality themes, he thought the event would be especially suited to visitors interested in the spirit realm.
He would go again, with one change: next time, he would try it at night rather than at opening.
Witch hats from the Odd Lots stop, worn for the Witches Walkabout & Twilight Trade Faire.
05 / A STOP FOR THE TECHNOLOGY
A closer look at the Mamiya.
“I stopped to check out this tech!” Justin said. “You know me.” The camera that caught his attention was a Mamiya RZ67 Professional IID, a medium-format system with some very hands-on engineering.
Look down, then focus.
The tall, open hood on top is a waist-level viewfinder: the photographer looks down into it to compose the picture. The large side knobs focus by moving the lens on bellows, the accordion-like section at the front. A rotating back allows a change between portrait and landscape without tipping the whole camera.
The lens in these photos is a Mamiya-Sekor Z 90mm f/3.5 W. Beside the camera is a PocketWizard Plus III, a radio transceiver used to trigger remote flashes or cameras. It is a separate piece of the setup, not the camera’s own flash.
The RZ67 Professional IID system can work with film or compatible digital backs. These photographs do not establish which back was fitted, but they do show why the setup was worth a closer look: a waist-level finder, bellows focusing and radio triggering all working around one substantial camera.
This edition brings together Justin’s weekend update, birthday note, and his account and photographs of the Poconos trip. The Brawny and Bryce portrait is generated commemorative artwork; the Poconos photographs were supplied by Justin.
