Photo Contests

I was talking to a photo journalist from a major news paper the other day about the importance and value of participating in photographic contests and how doing so would help you develop more skills and techniques and in general help make you  better photographer.

More to the point this was brought up because the Strobist Boot Camp III competition which can be found here http://strobist.blogspot.com/2011/06/bc3-assignment-1-profile.html and that just doing what you can will improve your shots.

My stand was that I would love to be able to participate but I do find that I have rather limited time now and the first assignment of photographing some one of your community in 12 days time and do so using no more than two strobes would be a challenge, especially given that the time constraints I would have to do some thing along the lines of a documentary style shot and not a photo shoot.

This would require me to produce a model release and get it signed so I would be able to use the likeness for the contest, I slightly daunting task but one that can be overcome quite easily thanks to google.

For this one, as I sit here I think that the mail man would be good, or how about the Starbucks Barista? How many schmucks get there morning coffee fix from this person, or how about the retiree who nurses a cup of joe and reads the news paper all day long at the independent coffee house every day in the corner, the guy who has his fingers on the pulse of the small community just by virtue of seeing it go past in the plate glass window and in the brick walled confines that he treats as his home away from home.

There are hosts of people but I am just thinking of the low hanging fruit. Ultimately I would love to get a librarian or a firefighter, some one who I would consider to be a heroic figure but if I even participate I will have to be quick and dirty about it.

So Mr. Photojournalist, looks like this bootcamp is going to be one where we learn to do your job but with a bit more time to accomplish the task.

Apple joins forces with oppressive totalitarian governments of the world

In a move that is not surprising for a firm that is firmly entrenched with the Chinese government Apple has recently filed for a patent on a dissident silencing technique that will allow the oppressors of the world to shut down the ability of your phone to document the world around you. Remove your freedoms with the flip of a switch.

The police would no longer have to fear being filmed while brutalizing suspects, protestors and protests would never see the light of the new world media, the sheeple of the world would be spoon feed the garbage that is sanctioned by the powers that be.

Thank you Apple, I want my freedoms and do not like your intended attack on the constitutional right of freedom of speech, the press, expression. 

Of course this is me being overly sensitive to technology, me embracing my true luddite self.

Here is another post on it...

Bendy straw

The other day after a long ten hours at a fabrication plant 135 miles from home I stopped at an Ihop (the apple pancake store, or is it the apple pogo stick? Well what ever) the International House Of Pancakes, to get a quick dinner.

I ordered a steak and had a potato, cheddar, bacon soup with a big blob of sour cream in it that was worth the trip by it's self and a large frosty cold ice tea. You see it is a dusty dry sort of place south of Los Angeles.

In my tea I had a bendy straw, you know, the kind that has the part that flexes like an accordion? Well it got me thinking to how I used to love the bendy straw as a kid. It was special, it was magic, it made the meal a wonderful experience. Watching my cold milk bounce around in the straw kept me entertained.

Strangely, as my tea bobbed around to find equilibrium all the while being pulled sky wards by capillary action I had a smile on my face. Now I know that I was probably grinning like an idiot at this point, but I was honestly quite happy.

Thank you bendy straw, thank you for the joy you have brought me as a man and as a small child.

Thank you bendy straw for inspiring how many kids to grow up to be plumbers, pipe fitters, and physicists.

Death of macro photography

Well I am now with out a macro lens, my nikkor 55mm micro just crapped out on me. The spring on the aperture has come undone. I figure it'll be cheaper to fix it than replace it. Will take it in to my local camera shop and see. Too bad, it is a super clean example of the lens.

Portable Office

Portable Office, a photo by Lornel on Flickr.

Always have to do the paperwork. No matter how late, the job isn't done till the paper is hung.

Did you read the iTunes small print?

iTunes 10.3 also adds Books to the iTunes Store, when you discover how to buy your favorite books on your computer and automatically download them to iBooks on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, we won't tell you how because life is an adventure and we would not want to spoil the frustrating experience for you. This version also allows you to use Automatic Downloads with apps and books or download previously purchased apps and books from your computer or iOS device.

Years later and still not done.

After several years a project that was started just before the economic collapse still incomplete. Sad.

16-35 test shot (O.k. it's a hand held HDR)