Daniel Sroka

PageMaker pioneer Paul Brainerd, 1947-2026: Aldus founder devoted his second chapter to the planet Paul Brainerd, who coined the term "desktop publishing" and built Aldus Corporation's PageMaker into one of the defining programs of the personal computer era, died Sunday at his home on Bainbridge Is...

www.geekwire.com/2026/pagemak...

Paul Brainerd passed away recently. He was the founder of Aldus and the force behind PageMaker. PageMaker was one of the tools that first set me on a path to being a graphic designer and eventually an artist. Thank you Paul for your impact on my career, and all the good you put out into the world.

I’m finally learning how to describe my artistic practice, after 20 years, in a way that feels *right*. Sometimes I wonder what took me so long! But, gradually more often, I feel lucky to have arrived here.

I've been applying to a number of residencies, and I'm trying not to lose myself in daydreams about being accepted! The competition will be fierce after all, and I know the odds are against us all. But I permit myself a little daydream (sigh), then I finish the application, send it off, and move on.

Eye floaters are really annoying for macro photography. Sigh. (look left, look right, come on get out of the way...)

Here’s one more photograph from my latest exhibition “Collecting Shells on the Beach”. See it in full at danielsroka.com/exhibit5).
Even on the coldest day of winter, I can pick up a shell we collected last summer, and still feel the grit of the sand and smell the salt of the ocean.

Another photograph is from my latest exhibition “Collecting Shells on the Beach”. See it in full at danielsroka.com/exhibit5.
While collecting shells, my sense of scale shifts from the vast to the small. I start to notice how much nature is packed in all around me.

This photograph is from my latest exhibition “Collecting Shells on the Beach”. See it in full at danielsroka.com/exhibit5.

Searching for shells lets me experience the shore in a new way. As I comb the sand, my perception changes.

Another photograph from my latest exhibition “Collecting Shells on the Beach”. See it in full at danielsroka.com/exhibit5.
When most people collect shells, they hope to find whole, perfect ones. But I prefer the broken ones that have been dashed against the shore. These shells have stories to tell.

My latest exhibition of abstract photography recreates the feeling of sitting on the beach, lost in thought, with a shell in your hands. You can see the full exhibition at danielsroka.com/exhibit5.

Sorry… I have no ideas.

May approaches, and the chill of April is finally leaving. The flowers are now in bloom all throughout out neighborhood, and even inside our home.

©Daniel Sroka, “Airfaring”, photograph of an orchid.

©Daniel Sroka, “Awaiting”, photograph of a crocus.

©Daniel Sroka, “Awaiting”, photograph of a crocus.

Spring is struggling to stick this year. A day will start out warm and sunny, only to end with snow. Our crocuses bloomed suddenly during a brief warm spell, but quickly vanished before I could photograph them. (This photograph is from a few years ago.)

And guess who will get a nice cut of those “deals”. Extortion was his whole plan, I believe.

The temperature outside my New Jersey studio is relunctantly creeping back into the 50s and 60s, and the flowers are finally starting to bloom again. It wasn't a hard winter, but it wasn't easy either, and I am glad it is over.

©Daniel Sroka, “Anticipate”, photograph of a dried orchid.

I worked in Japan for a year in the early 90s and I believe still have some money in their retirement fund. Probably only $50 but at least it’s “safe”.

In the past 24 hours, I've received emails from five business I love warning me they might not survive because of the tariffs.

No breaks! According to this article, he dehydrated himself and fasted beforehand. For a lot of the time, only a handful of people were there with him, in addition to the news folks. Just amazing. And the speech he gave, while exhausted and thirsty, was so impressive too. thehill.com/homenews/sen...

I am so proud of my senator @booker.senate.gov, from the great state of New Do Not F*CK With Me Jersey.

(Who said art was fun?)

I've been working on a series of photographs for a few weeks that (argh!) keep looking like crap. But I know — I *know* — they have potential. I can feel it in my bones. So I am just having to put my ego aside, and keep working through the crap, until I resolve it and find my way to that potential.

Can I BANG BANG do macro photography when they are BANG replacing our BANG BANG BANG BANG roof? Doubtful.

Totally solid. Clean, nice design, well organized. The only thing I'm missing is a little more about you right on the home page. Some introduction, even a sentence or a phrase, that prepares me for what lurks within!

OK photograph, look. I know you have potential. But if you want to be completed, truly completed, you are going to have to cooperate a little more, ok?

Not today! I may have to reshoot the whole thing, if I can.

Yeah, same here with this darn photograph. It *claims* it wants to exist, but it sure is putting up a fight.

Gawd, editing photographs all day can be really hard on a 50+ year old back.

More footage of the red tail hawks building their nest outside our home. They are so beautiful to watch.

A pair of hawks are building a nest in the oak tree outside by studio. I’m very excited!

Step 1: choose today's music... I'm thinking some Philip Glass to start.