More testing of the android video recording.

Testing upload over edge

Test of android video recording

Test video

First starbucks!

Shun: I’m investigating new ways of approaching subjects. I have a good start in a way in that I like to take photos of neglected, small, and unimportant things. I rather think there’s an amazing photo in every single object out there, if you look at it right. I think a large part of taking macros and still life photos is personification. In literature, personification is the giving of human traits and emotions to an object or creature. Dogs are “loyal.” Cats are “selfish,” while all the while we know that’s just the way they are, not some character trait. There are a couple ways to give personification to your photos. One is a good solid color shift, because colors are so heavily associated with emotions in our minds, but another way is using the title. In my case to shun is to turn away, to reject. My subject is turned away from the camera, so I think it fits. In a larger sense personification is just one piece of the goal of all art, which is to tell some sort of message or story. Many landscape photographers or urban photographers will include a figure in their scenes. This is to give a sense of scale, but more importantly to give a sort of story. Why is he there? Where is she going? Storytelling is hard through visual arts, but when accomplished correctly, it’s very powerful. ___________________________________________________________________ I’m trying to get a good hi-key feel, but I can’t seem to get one like the one’s I like. Here’s one example. Anyone know a good way how to do this properly?View On Black

Best and the Worst: View On Black The thing that I hate the most about summer here in the south are the flies that get into your eyes, your mouth, mosquitos that bite and deer flies and midges and skeeters. One of the things I love the most about an Alabama summer are the dragonflies, darting and flying and twisting and turning. Isn’t it odd that without the things I hate the most I wouldn’t have the things I like the most? This was taken with the the 70-300mm macro, at full out macro mode. I waited till the dragonfly was hovering in the breeze. They will point their head into the wind, stop buzzing their wings and just glide in a head wind. If you’ll notice, they will nearly always return to the same spot, a sort of “launch position” from which to dart out over the pond and get some food. Wait quietly at a launch position, and they’ll keep coming back and hopefully ignore you. I keep the camera up to my eye, and open my other eye to locate the creature, then switch eyes and focus *fast*. It usually takes me a few shots, but given enough tries you eventually get lucky.

Balance: View On Black

Summer Is Here!: View On Black Well, summer isn’t actually here. But it sure felt like it this afternoon. After some finals at school, I drove home, unpacked my bags, and then headed out to see what I could shoot. There were mosquitoes. There were flowers. It was *hot*. Summer was here. One thing I’m struggling with in my photography is it feels like I always take images at a 3/4 angle. I know part of it is that the 3/4 angle is the normal viewing height for most of my subjects, but I love new perspectives and seeing things different ways. How do you change up your viewing height/angle in order to make your images interesting? Post examples if you have them.

Stairs in the humanities building.

(Untitled): View On Black I love country houses. Especially in the rain. They are basically one big musical instrument, being played by the weather. So many tin surfaces for the tiny hammers to strike. Wonderful.

Early morning concert. Too bad there are so many grade schoolers in here.

…and old lace.: View On Black I don’t want to rag on you, but please visit and bookmark www.28thfloor.net for awesome stories from amazing photographers around the world.

Very nice, simple graphic design here, none of the hip hop influences I usually see on posters.

Red Sign: View On Black One thing that frustrates me about trying to take pictures of trees or forests… is it’s hard to capture the feeling of depth needed. You don’t want to completely narrow it (like I did here, for another effect) but you don’t want it too wide or the scene will seem flat. The effective forest photos that I see out there seem to use lighting as a way to depict the depth by waiting till the light is very low or pumping up the contrast. I’d be open to other thoughts on this subject, I have enough woods around me to last a lifetime and only 2 or 3 pictures I like of them. _______________________________________ My allergies are killing me… Surely I must have a cold at the same time.