The virus attacks

In the post-”Seeing with Generic Eyes”, a number of you enquired about where landscape finished and close-ups began. At least, that’s my interpretation of what you said. An interesting question indeed, and one which quite frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever thought about. That is, I’ve never had to define landscape photography before. Like so many of you, I tend to assume I know what landscape photography is, but when I think back I realise I’ve never really defined it for myself. So my thanks to all of you for putting me in the frame, and I hope my response is going to engender some sort of debate.

Here is my twenty cents, for what it is worth. In this post I’m going to talk about my own response to the subject, rather than trying to make some sort of global statement that encompasses everything and provides some sort of definition of what it is.

Perhaps the easiest way is to begin by saying what it is not. It is not portraiture, which is about the depiction of the character of the person being photographed. Note here that I include portraits of animals, although the attempt to impart personification to an animal strikes me as being a little weird. Dogs are dogs and cats are cats, and while we will may recognise characteristics that seem to us to be human, the fact remains that they are both different species, with their own approach and raison d’etre. (more…)

Kia ora tatou:

Just in today.

Canon have announced new models.

1. 350D/400D/450D owners will soon be able to upgrade to the 15.1Mp 500D. Cool features you might like include ( note: taken from Canon Press release, so you might want to circle around the adjectives)
2. * 15.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
   * Full HD movie recording with HDMI connection for viewing and playback on an HDTV
   * ISO 100-3200 (expandable to 12800)
   * 3.4 frames per second continuous shooting
   * Max. 170 large JPEG images in a single burst
   * 3.0″ ClearView LCD with Live View mode
   * 9-point wide area AF with cross type centre point
   * High speed DIGIC 4 performance and superb image quality
   * EOS Integrated Cleaning System
   * Full compatibility with Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites, including new Speedlite 270EX, TS-E 17mm f/4L and TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II (more…)

Updated Monday 1450

Kia ora tatou:

My friend and fellow artist, Doc Ross, has this disturbing ability to throw intellectual hand grenades and stir responses. yesterday He sent an email to a small group of us who have a regular e-debate on photography, the Universe and everything. He is usually the instigator, and the results can be hilarious, as each of us comes out of his burrow.Yesterday this appeared in my Inbox. I share it with the rest of you. Feel free to come on board and offer your thoughts.

Here’s a question for you, taking into consideration that it has been noted that the perfect scene as described by people worldwide contains all of the following, a horizon, a lake, mountains, trees, animals, and people.  However if this was taken as to be considered applicable to the perfect picture, then a big Mac and fries would have to be the perfect meal!

So what do you think makes a good landscape ? Is there actually such a thing ? And what can move you in a landscape?

Doc (more…)

Kia ora tatou:

Time for some techy stuff. I will get over it after this post…for a while.

1. If you want to do HDR ( the flavour technique of the moment), then have a look at this article. Probably the most clearly-explained description I have come across in a long time.
2. All hard drives fail, sooner or later. That is a fact. If you would like to know how long it is until the drives in your PC do, thereby giving you time to do something about it, then get Hard Drive Sentinel. At $US 35, it is cheap insurance.
3. If size matters to you, then you might  need a Seitz 6×17 Digital Panoramic Camera. its 160 megapxel sensor will generate a 921 MB TIFF! Its native file size is 44×96 inches. Huge. So is the price. Read more here.
4.  If you want to do mega-panorama on the cheap ( ish), then have a look at this option to generate gigapixel images with a PHD camera ( push here, Dum#@).
5. Generating passwords ( and remembering them) is a discomfort in the gluteus. There are options. Firefox users can use the Sxipper extension. There are dedicated apps, such as Keepass. Or you can write them on a piece of paper…..On a lighter note, here is a list of passwords you should never, ever, use!
6. Want to do ultraviolet photography on the cheap? Look here.
7. Defrag your hard disks regularly? Of course you do. Windows” built-in app is slow and inefficient. Try this piece of freeware. And do it often.
8. And for clearing out all the rubbish on your PC, try ATF Cleaner.

Nga mihi

Kia ora tatou:

On my creative workshops I teach a technique for helping attendees listen to a scene rather than attempt to impose themselves upon it. It involves putting the camera away for a time and sitting with the scene, listening to what it has to say, rather than attempting to impose one’s preconceptions upon it. After a time of reflection and writing, we then make a photograph that talks to the text. The results can be quite surprising and revelatory. I usually attempt it myself. This letter is the text of my response to sitting on the waterfront at Pukerua Bay, near Wellington last Saturday. As is the image.

N:

My apologies for the delay in answering your e-mail. I needed time to reflect upon it, to come up with some sort of response that honoured it, but for a time, Life got in the way.. There have been roads to travel, journeys to make.

You wrote to me of your audience with the Karmapa in Tibet, and the moment of Realisation for you. Your letter was profound and heartfelt, and I have put it to one side, until I was able to give you a reply which did it justice. (more…)

Kia ora tatou:

The vulture has landed.

The Workshops in Akaroa have been a huge success. Three of the attendees and myself wandered around teh South Island for week, photographing and poking into a number of cool 4WD-only corners…more about that later.

To kick off a resumption of service, may I do so by rolling in a handgrenade, by sharing this link ( sent me by a CPS reader who no doubt will want to remain anonymous!). It charts the perils of being a camera club judge and being asked to judge work made by some of the world’s ( including a Magnum photographer, no less) top photographers.

Visit the site, check out the images, then read the score and the judge’s comments. There is hope for the rest of us…

Example: (more…)