I was all excited a couple of days ago (doesnt take much), when i received a bit of friendly spam in my inbox - to tell me that national geographic has setup a print ordering/publishing site.
I nearly wet my pants. Now i could own, with proper copyright, all of my favourite ever photos, give them to friends, buy them for my wall.... starting with the whole of David Alan Harvey's cuba series ... possibly my favourite ever photo essay.
It took me two whole days to get onto the site - it seems like their servers have been cracking up under the demand. And so finally, tonight, i got on.... and..... well.... it's great - if you like landscapes and wildlife. But i'm all about the people, and there are none.
All i can think is that maybe the photographers didnt get model releases.. i thought everybody needed to have them these days... it's a huge disappointment.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
digital and back
About 3 weeks ago i tried really hard to wean myself off film.
film, really, is a hassle. you dont know what you've shot till you develop it, the film costs, as does a proper scanner to give you good results.
after reading a million reviews - well, the ones that matter, like dpreview.com, photo.net, and random comments from some well respected people like Mike Johnston, i bought a Fuji f31fd.
this camera is, in no uncertain terms, a piece of shit. the problem is that it's not even really returnable for the kind of shitness it serves up. you see, for the most part it is a decent camera - 6mp, good low-light capabilities, manual controls, smallish, and actually quite cheap for its supposed genius.
I bought it as a camera i could use as a point & shoot, but also, when i felt like it, to get out the manual controls and really give it a spanking. the problem is that the pictures i got in the manual modes (and trust me i've tried every combination) are just terrible.
in fact, the pictures from this ..thing.. are noiser and less sharp than the pictures i took on my lowly 4mp canon a85 that i took with me around brazil. god forbid.
and then i started reading the reviews i'd missed. there aren't many... less than 10% of the total.. but just lots of people saying how they'd found the camera nowhere near the rave reviews that they'd read. and gee,...nowhere near as good as the pictures that i've seen posted online.. in places like flickr etc.
so..
it's back to my xa and b&w film.
and to be honest, this is not such a bad place to be. i dont know really why i ever thought to go anywhere else. There is the annoyance of having to develop film. and also the annoyance of scanning - my scanner isnt great, and conventional b&w film doesnt scan that well anyway. and i'm using hp5 to boot - so im going to have to be really careful about my grain.
on the plus size is something that very few compacts out there can compete with - it has a fixed 28mm lens, and its sharp. i'm sick of things not being sharp with the fuji. i mean, it's sharp enough for snapshots,... but nowhere near what i need it to be.
the xa kicks its ass. by lots, and naturally a fixed lens camera should.
i'd really love to be shooting slide film on this thing.. but at my rate of about 3 good shots per 36 shot roll, it's not very cost effective.
the other thing that i'd really like to do is to try and fix my rollei 35. the rewind mechanism doesnt work. neither does the light meter. i'd just like to see what it can do. people rave about it so much that it'd just be really fun. dunno about the manual metering tho.
**
and finally my pentax k100d slr. bit of a love/hate relationship at the moment. and it's all to do with focus. i've been using manual lenses on the camera for the last little while. and while i know they're incredibly sharp, i cant get the focus right.
so i bought a split-focus screen off ebay and it works well enough... but i cant calibrate it near enough to get the shots i want... so i've been not using it much lately.
***
flash stuff. my ebay wireless triggers have been really patchy - nowhere near reliable enough to want to take them out and actually shoot something. i need to get some time to troubleshoot the buggers. i mean i dont expect much for £15, but do give me a bit of a break. i'd really like to get them fixed.. and there's a couple of good threads on flickr.
***
lastly i want to talk about jpg magazine here.. but i think i might save it for another episode. revolutionary.
film, really, is a hassle. you dont know what you've shot till you develop it, the film costs, as does a proper scanner to give you good results.
after reading a million reviews - well, the ones that matter, like dpreview.com, photo.net, and random comments from some well respected people like Mike Johnston, i bought a Fuji f31fd.
this camera is, in no uncertain terms, a piece of shit. the problem is that it's not even really returnable for the kind of shitness it serves up. you see, for the most part it is a decent camera - 6mp, good low-light capabilities, manual controls, smallish, and actually quite cheap for its supposed genius.
I bought it as a camera i could use as a point & shoot, but also, when i felt like it, to get out the manual controls and really give it a spanking. the problem is that the pictures i got in the manual modes (and trust me i've tried every combination) are just terrible.
in fact, the pictures from this ..thing.. are noiser and less sharp than the pictures i took on my lowly 4mp canon a85 that i took with me around brazil. god forbid.
and then i started reading the reviews i'd missed. there aren't many... less than 10% of the total.. but just lots of people saying how they'd found the camera nowhere near the rave reviews that they'd read. and gee,...nowhere near as good as the pictures that i've seen posted online.. in places like flickr etc.
so..
it's back to my xa and b&w film.
and to be honest, this is not such a bad place to be. i dont know really why i ever thought to go anywhere else. There is the annoyance of having to develop film. and also the annoyance of scanning - my scanner isnt great, and conventional b&w film doesnt scan that well anyway. and i'm using hp5 to boot - so im going to have to be really careful about my grain.
on the plus size is something that very few compacts out there can compete with - it has a fixed 28mm lens, and its sharp. i'm sick of things not being sharp with the fuji. i mean, it's sharp enough for snapshots,... but nowhere near what i need it to be.
the xa kicks its ass. by lots, and naturally a fixed lens camera should.
i'd really love to be shooting slide film on this thing.. but at my rate of about 3 good shots per 36 shot roll, it's not very cost effective.
the other thing that i'd really like to do is to try and fix my rollei 35. the rewind mechanism doesnt work. neither does the light meter. i'd just like to see what it can do. people rave about it so much that it'd just be really fun. dunno about the manual metering tho.
**
and finally my pentax k100d slr. bit of a love/hate relationship at the moment. and it's all to do with focus. i've been using manual lenses on the camera for the last little while. and while i know they're incredibly sharp, i cant get the focus right.
so i bought a split-focus screen off ebay and it works well enough... but i cant calibrate it near enough to get the shots i want... so i've been not using it much lately.
***
flash stuff. my ebay wireless triggers have been really patchy - nowhere near reliable enough to want to take them out and actually shoot something. i need to get some time to troubleshoot the buggers. i mean i dont expect much for £15, but do give me a bit of a break. i'd really like to get them fixed.. and there's a couple of good threads on flickr.
***
lastly i want to talk about jpg magazine here.. but i think i might save it for another episode. revolutionary.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
JPG
I'm a bit excited.
It's all i ever wanted. ever. really.
almost like i dreamed something into existence.
If you love documentary photography, get involved. It's a magazine that publishes contributors work, and the work is incredible.
It has those wonderful qualities of being:
1. community driven, like flickr
2. the possiblity that you could get your photos in print
national geographic has tried to do this for the last a couple of years with its "new look" magazine. Inside front and back covers are now reader photos. But they're individual photos, and how much can that really tell...
the best thing for me is that i've wanted to start doing some documentary photog/essays of my own and have been searching for the impetus.
think i've just found it.
It's all i ever wanted. ever. really.
almost like i dreamed something into existence.
If you love documentary photography, get involved. It's a magazine that publishes contributors work, and the work is incredible.
It has those wonderful qualities of being:
1. community driven, like flickr
2. the possiblity that you could get your photos in print
national geographic has tried to do this for the last a couple of years with its "new look" magazine. Inside front and back covers are now reader photos. But they're individual photos, and how much can that really tell...
the best thing for me is that i've wanted to start doing some documentary photog/essays of my own and have been searching for the impetus.
think i've just found it.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Rush hour 3
There definitely is a god.
Noemie Lenoir, who's looked down on me from countless M&S billboards since i arrived in this metropolis, is making her debut in english language film, in the new Rush Hour 3 Alongside Jackie Chan (hasnt never really been as funny was he was in Drunken Master), and Chris Rock who is just a.. caricature. with tourettes.
fingers crossed and she does well, and we'll be seeing more of her ;)
Noemie Lenoir, who's looked down on me from countless M&S billboards since i arrived in this metropolis, is making her debut in english language film, in the new Rush Hour 3 Alongside Jackie Chan (hasnt never really been as funny was he was in Drunken Master), and Chris Rock who is just a.. caricature. with tourettes.
fingers crossed and she does well, and we'll be seeing more of her ;)
Saturday, June 16, 2007
BaCK
Today's show is going to be about the letter A, the number 6, and my new keyboard.
Boring? maybe. But important all the same.
I've got to say, i'm a bit of a keyboard-ist. It's important that they work properly or i get angry. They have to be responsive, with clean action - no sticky keys, no loud nosies. the one i've been using up till now was actually pretty good. Early 90s compaq version. weighs a ton. But really nice keys. Only problem is that its a bit loud.
So... i cant really use it at night after my housemates have gone to bed cos the clack-clack of a keyboard has to be one of the most annyoing sounds out.
today i finally went and bought a new keyboard. Labtec, low-profile, low action, kind of like a really good laptop keyboard. and i havent measured it but i reckon that i can type about 15-20% faster. And now my fingers can keep up with my brain (not sure whether that's a good thing or not.
The best bit about it is that i'm going to be posting more often. And better stuff more often... cos i'm no more feeling blocked by my technology and now i'm free to dump (verbally) whatever's on my brain.
more to come.
Boring? maybe. But important all the same.
I've got to say, i'm a bit of a keyboard-ist. It's important that they work properly or i get angry. They have to be responsive, with clean action - no sticky keys, no loud nosies. the one i've been using up till now was actually pretty good. Early 90s compaq version. weighs a ton. But really nice keys. Only problem is that its a bit loud.
So... i cant really use it at night after my housemates have gone to bed cos the clack-clack of a keyboard has to be one of the most annyoing sounds out.
today i finally went and bought a new keyboard. Labtec, low-profile, low action, kind of like a really good laptop keyboard. and i havent measured it but i reckon that i can type about 15-20% faster. And now my fingers can keep up with my brain (not sure whether that's a good thing or not.
The best bit about it is that i'm going to be posting more often. And better stuff more often... cos i'm no more feeling blocked by my technology and now i'm free to dump (verbally) whatever's on my brain.
more to come.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Tired
I'm tired and my head hurts. I'd like to sit down and write for ages, but everything hurts and its time for bed. i've been feeling like writing lately but i havent bcos my keyboard is noisy and the walls of my house are thin. i never feel like writing till about 11. and i dont want to shit my housemates.
so its a quickie - this guy at work who does heaps of yoga has been doing meditation breathing classes for the last few weeks. today was my third, and by far the best. i've been floating around all afternoon on the after effect. Pretty good reason to take up yoga related stuff i reckon. i like the concepts. i wish i had more energy to expand on the idea but im really really buggered.
maybe sometime this weekend.
so its a quickie - this guy at work who does heaps of yoga has been doing meditation breathing classes for the last few weeks. today was my third, and by far the best. i've been floating around all afternoon on the after effect. Pretty good reason to take up yoga related stuff i reckon. i like the concepts. i wish i had more energy to expand on the idea but im really really buggered.
maybe sometime this weekend.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
blogworthy
Yo!
ok this is not really blogworthy cos its short, but im going to write it anyway.
It's one song. on a DJ shadow album called The Private Press. the song is Giving up The Ghost. It's travelling, it's haunting and mesmerising (favourite word of the moment), im not trying to make a point or be really poignant. i just dont want to forget. If i put it somewhere, file it somewhere, it'll probly get lost. but not here.
im really enjoying stuff right now. two great discoveries in particular. (bit late to the party but late's better than never). Google Reader. I've finally decided to pull my finger out and sort out my RSS feeds. It's so cool. I've tried some readers before, and they're just too.... cluttered. Google reader does just enough, in the right places. There's a whole heap of keyboard shortcuts too, but im no pro.
but the shit's cool. everything i want to read is right there. I feel strangely on top of my knowledge. you know, like its accessible. and it's not just general reading, but stuff for work, keeping up with technology blah blah.
my favourite site award is kind of torn between two. I guess since i found one thru the other, then the award has to go to LifeHacker. Time for an admission - i've always wanted to be a cyborg. Always dreamed (manga-like) of having augmentations (no not that kind u dirty so-and-sos), you know, like super vision, and jet packs and stuff. LifeHacker ran with an article recently on how to improve your night vision.. and i was hooked. All kinds of random cool stuff on how to....hack your life. Cool. totally way cool. like Jesus.
The other is Instructable. This is getting to the geeky end of things. Found it via Lifehacker. It just has instructions on how to build stuff on the cheap. I originally got on to mod some of my flashes. Lots of boys toys, but lots of home handy stuff, and girl-oriented stuff too. Something for everybody. Look out friends all your birthday presents are going to be handmade from now on!!
So that's all i got to say for now.
hugs
cal
ok this is not really blogworthy cos its short, but im going to write it anyway.
It's one song. on a DJ shadow album called The Private Press. the song is Giving up The Ghost. It's travelling, it's haunting and mesmerising (favourite word of the moment), im not trying to make a point or be really poignant. i just dont want to forget. If i put it somewhere, file it somewhere, it'll probly get lost. but not here.
im really enjoying stuff right now. two great discoveries in particular. (bit late to the party but late's better than never). Google Reader. I've finally decided to pull my finger out and sort out my RSS feeds. It's so cool. I've tried some readers before, and they're just too.... cluttered. Google reader does just enough, in the right places. There's a whole heap of keyboard shortcuts too, but im no pro.
but the shit's cool. everything i want to read is right there. I feel strangely on top of my knowledge. you know, like its accessible. and it's not just general reading, but stuff for work, keeping up with technology blah blah.
my favourite site award is kind of torn between two. I guess since i found one thru the other, then the award has to go to LifeHacker. Time for an admission - i've always wanted to be a cyborg. Always dreamed (manga-like) of having augmentations (no not that kind u dirty so-and-sos), you know, like super vision, and jet packs and stuff. LifeHacker ran with an article recently on how to improve your night vision.. and i was hooked. All kinds of random cool stuff on how to....hack your life. Cool. totally way cool. like Jesus.
The other is Instructable. This is getting to the geeky end of things. Found it via Lifehacker. It just has instructions on how to build stuff on the cheap. I originally got on to mod some of my flashes. Lots of boys toys, but lots of home handy stuff, and girl-oriented stuff too. Something for everybody. Look out friends all your birthday presents are going to be handmade from now on!!
So that's all i got to say for now.
hugs
cal
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Day after Birthday
"You know London's really not that bad", said my friend Maria as we strolled through Leicester Square, "I really think ur making it out to be worse than it is".
And right now, i would have to agree. Right now, there are far more than 7 good things about london, and its such an unusual experience.
It was 19 degrees today and sunny with a cool breeze. London at 19degrees feels like Melbourne at around 26. I dont know what it is,... maybe the pollution. But it was comfortable. nice. warm. people are still buzzing from the spring heat wave that started virtually when i landed back here.
I was shaperoning a super-jetlagged Maria around London. I shouldnt, but i find jet-lagged people really amusing. It's like they've been made daft for a couple of days - always a couple of steps behind, miss all sarcasm and humor.
We had a really fun afternoon. Went down to the National Portrait Gallery to see the Faces of Fashion exhibition. If you do happen to be in london, i'd say.. don't go. I mean, it's cool BUT it only features..... 6 artists. About a third of the pictures were decent sized - A2 or larger. But for one of my favourites - Paolo Roversi, they were all balf-A4 size. And well, i can see that on the internet if i like. Give me hand-printed originals, or blow them up real big, or both.
Then went to Portobello rd market. Got a real thing for this market, ever since i managed to hook up a pair of WWII vintage swedish infantry pants (with original braces) a couple of months ago. And on the subject of awesome vintage, i found this way cool website. Crazy japanese people who make carbon-copies of US military issue jackets - i.e. bomber jackets. They're expensive, but they are incredible. check out the site - Buzz Ricksons.
Lastly,.. have been looking over my photos from my trip again. And have decided that they're much better than i thought. It's also well-nigh time to post them. I also need to write something, a couple of mini-essays. I'll let you know when that's all up.
so much to do, so little time.
rechecking my photos
And right now, i would have to agree. Right now, there are far more than 7 good things about london, and its such an unusual experience.
It was 19 degrees today and sunny with a cool breeze. London at 19degrees feels like Melbourne at around 26. I dont know what it is,... maybe the pollution. But it was comfortable. nice. warm. people are still buzzing from the spring heat wave that started virtually when i landed back here.
I was shaperoning a super-jetlagged Maria around London. I shouldnt, but i find jet-lagged people really amusing. It's like they've been made daft for a couple of days - always a couple of steps behind, miss all sarcasm and humor.
We had a really fun afternoon. Went down to the National Portrait Gallery to see the Faces of Fashion exhibition. If you do happen to be in london, i'd say.. don't go. I mean, it's cool BUT it only features..... 6 artists. About a third of the pictures were decent sized - A2 or larger. But for one of my favourites - Paolo Roversi, they were all balf-A4 size. And well, i can see that on the internet if i like. Give me hand-printed originals, or blow them up real big, or both.
Then went to Portobello rd market. Got a real thing for this market, ever since i managed to hook up a pair of WWII vintage swedish infantry pants (with original braces) a couple of months ago. And on the subject of awesome vintage, i found this way cool website. Crazy japanese people who make carbon-copies of US military issue jackets - i.e. bomber jackets. They're expensive, but they are incredible. check out the site - Buzz Ricksons.
Lastly,.. have been looking over my photos from my trip again. And have decided that they're much better than i thought. It's also well-nigh time to post them. I also need to write something, a couple of mini-essays. I'll let you know when that's all up.
so much to do, so little time.
rechecking my photos
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Noemie
There are now only 3 really good things about
While I was away Noemie Lenoir (check the video half way down) got dumped from the Marks and Spencers ad campaign. And replaced by somebody much much less cool.
Jesus wept.
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