Posts in Category: Photography
Trying to Re-Engage
No, the photo is not stretched horizontally. That’s just how they used to make ’em. And no, I didn’t pump up the saturation at all. Sometimes the light just does that. I don’t know why.
I fall further and further behind in dealing with my photographs. This, despite the fact that I am shooting far fewer photos lately. Of course, both of these facts are related to starting a new job and feeling the pressure of getting work done. Few walks around the neighborhood when I’m at work, bringing work home on occasion, studying up a bit, and various other tasks and projects make it difficult to do much writing or photography. For the last month or more, I’ve pulled some really late nights doing everything from getting taxes done to a spectacular, last-minute, marathon sprint to complete online traffic school. The late nights make me slower at work, which makes me bring work home, which leads to late nights, which,…
I believe, and I hope, the worst of it is now passed.
Similarly, I am also fabulously behind on both this daily post to the blog, and the project 365 group on flickr. I continue to feel a bit torn about both of these projects. I want to do both everyday. I really do. I want to be able to say I did it, and I want have the resulting output from participating in projects like these. But on the other hand, I think that it does not often make for very good or interesting results if one is always pressed for time. Does it make sense to just take a picture of anything at all and throw it up there just to meet the obligation to post something everyday? Does one get better by doing that? Does it make sense to write a few sentences in the most dry and mechanical way just to meet the arbitrary goal? I think that if one isn’t taking time to think about it, or attempt to practice a particular kind of shot, or whatever, then one is not communicating anything or improving one’s skills.
As for photos, since there is plenty of work to do catching up on processing and archiving photos already taken, I am going to solidly re-commit to uploading something everyday, but the photo will not necessarily have been taken on that day. I took this photo on April 29th, but posted it to the group for the 28th. I had nothing on the 28th. Zero. And yet, I got a handful of fun shots on the 29th. Some days are just like that. And while there will be a photo representing each day, there may be multiple photos in my submission to the group taken on the same day. That’s a clear violation of the group rules, but it’s the only way to keep with it at this point. And I’d rather put up photos I actually like than put up photos taken on 365 different days but that I mostly hate.
As far as the blog goes, I hope to get back at it and write about something everyday–about something other than why I’m not writing.
Still Life with Lamp
Lamp, Chair, Photograph.
I often see wonderfully moody shots of interiors–you know, all dark and mysterious. I guess it is harder than it looks. Or maybe you just aren’t supposed to have the light in the frame. The lamp reminds me a bit of David Lynch’s stuff. I’m going to keep experimenting with it. But even with the dimmer, I couldn’t get this 300w bulb down low enough. I couldn’t get the color right. I seemed green to me. Just a scooch to the right, and suddenly too magenta! So, back the other way. Back and forth, back and forth. Finally, I just kinda left it where it started. I still like that Cougar, though.
Get Stuff Done
Yellow Wall with Blue Trim
I had a meeting to attend tonight, which led to two other things.
The first thing is that I parked in front of a bizarre storefront. Years from now, people won’t believe that it was once chic to glue rocks to your walls and spray paint them bright colors, so I wanted to make sure I documented it.
The second thing that happened is that after the meeting I walked by Phil’s fabrication shop down on San Pablo at the old transmission shop. I saw him through the window and knocked to simply say “hi”. Instead, he invited me in and we had a great conversation for a big long time. Again.
It’s genuinely inspiring to get to talk to such creative people and see their wonderful work. Again, we threw some ideas around and talked about cool stuff to try and do! Clearly, I must find a way to be more productive. Staying up late at night to work on personal projects after working at a job all day, parenting, and meeting other obligations, is resulting mostly in sleep deprivation and not a lot of quality work on any front. But I’m determined to figure out a way…
After Work
Painted Hearse, Oakland CA. April, 2011. (click image to enlarge)
These past few days I’ve been too engrossed in work to make it out to stroll the neighborhood. So I’ve only shot as far as the curb in front of my place of employment on my way back and forth to my own car. But I think there’s plenty of photography to be done right there: churches, hearses, lowriders, chinese hamburger-stirfry-donut shops–you name it.
Silhouette Memorial
War Memorial Silhoutte. Click to view large. © neo serafimidis 2011
As I passed, a jangling of neurons: something strangely familiar. I stopped. A minaret against the sky. Ironic perhaps, in these xenophobic times. Awaiting the crescent moon and the north star, just the same.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Lines
Lines © 2010 neo serafimidis
Lines. Lots of them, from a year ago. As soon as I saw the challenge topic, I thought of this shot.
A few more lines.
After I posted this the first time, I turned around to leave the room and saw my old Stella sitting there: strings, grain, all lines.
What’s New is Old Again
Afternoon Edition 4. Oakland CA. April, 2011.
I am now on the fourth run of The Afternoon Edition, wherein I explore the environment around my place of employment. It looks like a very rich area for exploration, except there is an official warning to not venture into the neighborhood to our immediate West as there have been problems. Anyway, this shot uses a Lightroom preset downloaded from flickr friend underthewaves called Ultimate Vintage. It sure worked on this one.
Long Day
Stupid. That’s me. I spend all day being stupid at work, and then go to have dinner with dear friends where I really crank up the stupidity on topics ranging from perfect pitch to commodities markets. Display ignorance, too. The good thing about friends is that they forgive you, at least the first few dozen times.The upside is that when I left work this evening the light was reasonably nice and I decided to shoot a couple cars that are often parked nearby, such as this stylish hearse. Once I get settled a bit more and start making some progress at work, I’ll be ready to start exploring the neighborhood with camera.
And just for the heck of it, I’m going to create this post from within flickr’s share tool. I used to use it and didn’t like it that much, but it looks like maybe it has changed over the last couple years–which is like 14 in web years. So, maybe it will display properly.
And then, i’m going to review some regex concepts. And then I’m going to install Tiki Wiki on my laptop to see if it will work well at work as an in-house wiki, and then… I’m going to… get… my few hours… sleep… … before …. zzzzzzz
Stop for a Reason
Derelict Storefront, Berkeley CA, April 2011
I had every intention of riding my bike to work today. Instead I drove again; there was talk of rain. I just missed the light in the left turn lane at Sacramento on account of the slow ped in the Acura in front of me. Slightly miffed, I glanced to my left as he drove off down the street. I glanced back to the camera on the seat next to me. I managed three shots with adjustments before the light turned green.
When I got this evening, someone emailed me about photos of colorful old buildings in the east bay. Note to self: remember to always try to make lemonade.
Ace Lincoln, El Cerrito, CA. © Neo Serafimidis
Procrastination. Mine knows no bounds. Sometimes it kicks in at the metalevel wherein I put off doing a task that I only began in order to avoid what I really ought to be doing in the first place. This could be a virtuous chain if I could bend it back around to the thing that started it off.
Tonight, I seem to avoiding finishing my taxes and doing the work I brought home on Friday, among numerous other things. And why would one bring work home unnecessarily unless there was something else waiting that one was avoiding at all costs. To be honest, I did manage to send off a couple emails, shuffle some papers, and by golly these photos are not going to process themselves, you know. So, I’m getting something accomplished. Maybe after this I’ll go bury the dead pet mouse stored in the freezer. Dang, why didn’t I think of that while it was still light out?
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