Things Bears Love

Something a bit lighter to help ease the superstitions of this Friday the 13th.  I have been trying to think of ways that I can incorporate more travel into this blog, more of the "wandering" that is in the title.  And I'm still working on that.  So if you have suggestions, let them fly.  I've thought about doing segments on destinations I have visited, or want to visit, offering my opinions on the matter with some photos and ideas.  That might work.  We'll see.

Anyhow, today is about safety in the backcountry.  I am a big lover of all things outdoors, from kayaking to snowshoeing to backpacking.  But, one thing that you should always be aware of are bears.  They can be cute and cuddly, but also downright deadly.  And, as this helpful infographic demonstrates from http://www.thingsbearslove.com/, there are some things bears love more than others.  So be careful, watch out for the fabric stores and those girl scouts!  Enjoy!

The Limits of Post-Processing

One of the debates that rages, at least in certain circles, is what constitutes a great (or even an above-average) photographer, given the technology that predominates in our society.  There are so many ways of doctoring, re-touching, and enhancing your images post-shooting that were not available to photographers of former years.  Some of these techniques are able to faithfully represent the image before the photographer's eye and convey that to the viewer, and those, in my humble opinion, are the procedures worth keeping and using.  Something like high dynamic range (HDR) composites.  They have the potential to produce additional detail and help create a scene more like our eyes would see it (unless you go for the bad-acid-trip-HDR sort of images), and I have no doubt that Ansel or Galen, were they alive today, would be lining up to put HDR to use to create even more eye-dropping, envy-inspiring photographs.

However, there are a number of techniques that are no more than gimmicks, and this recent post on gizmodo (thanks to Deva at Perhaps Picture Perfect for the link) highlights those very well.  The black-and-white-with-a-spot-of-color, the fades in the corners, the bad cropping and collage-ing/merging, all are on display to show what you should not do.  Prepare to grimmace, and maybe even run away in horror.  One of my favorites?

 I almost cringe to post this shot on this blog, but it is too hilarious to let go unmentioned.  The color spotting on the dress, makes it look like she wet herself red, or was shot in the belly.  It adds absolutely nothing, in fact only detracting from the otherwise pleasant (though bland) black and white portrait.

The parent site that prompted the gizmodo post is entitled You Are Not a Photographer, and is a pretty funny site with snarky comments.  I think the title "fauxtog" should be more widely circulated.  Wow.

Dads knew Filters

This post, from Dads are the Original Hipsters, pays tribute to the crazy photo filters that once dominated catalogs from camera companies, and their modern age digital equivalents.  The blog dominates in snide comments to modern hipsters and their proclivities, from messenger bags to skinny jeans.  

From yesterday's posting on DatOH: "Your dad knew about photo filters before you did and he’s got the lens attachments to prove it. He was a master of world recalibration that used honed glass to send 35mm moments on drug trips. Each shutter pull shot 4x6 hallucinations and captured altered images through his collection of laced lenses.   So hipsters, next time you’re using instagr.am to show everyone on Facebook what your brunch looks like and you can’t decide on what filter makes it look best, remember this… If your dad’s photos hadn’t inspired your app, everyone would be able to see how shitty of a photographer you really are."

I loved the last sentence, because it does encapsulate some of what I feel has saturated photography these days.  Instagr.am and other apps have made this sort of manipulation easy, in an attempt to turn everyday, hum drum snapshots into larger, more artistic creations.  But it is, in this photographer's opinion, gimmicky and false.  While those effects (and others... from Lomo-esque shots to shortened depth of field images) have some place to help augment a good image, they do nothing to help a mediocre image (which are the majority of pictures taken by cell phones and posted online).  They end up looking cheap and contrived, a cry to be creative while taking the road of least artistic imagination and passion.  Remember: friends don't let friends use cheap, artificial filters.  Just don't do it.

Flying to the Summer Sky

Flying to the Summer Sky

ILLN07D-45

August 12, 2007

Following up the post from last week of the Santa Monica Ferris wheel, today's image comes from the Illinois State Fair a few years back.  I was attracted to this scene because of its levity.  the kids, spinning around and around in the chain-linked chairs, give off that vibe of youthful energy and possibility.  Adding in the lone clouds makes it seem even more like they're flying, escaping the summer and taking to the air.  And the monochrome just fit perfectly, with good contrast in the scene.  It was not my favorite image when I first was cataloging everything, but as I look at it more and more, I like the imagery and the feeling that it invokes.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  28 mm

Exposure: 1/200 sec @ f/8, ISO 100

Post-processing: Desaturation, minor curves adjustment in PS4 & LR1.4

6 Strange Cameras from Mental Floss

While this blog is mainly devoted to the images I've experienced and created over the years, every once in a while something comes through the internet, photographically-related, that just begs sharing. 

This blog post from the folks at Mental Floss highlights 6 improbable and unique cameras.  Some of them are just bizarre (the skull immediately comes to mind), but some of them present some interesting ideas. 

The one attached to a gun stock seems actually quite practical.  Imagine the stability you'd get from pinning the camera-gun stock to your shoulder rather than trying to hold it up to your face?  As most riflers can attest to, with good breathing and practice, you can get very low vibrations, which would translate into longer permissible shutter speeds.  Who needs VR?